Chapter 89 of 100
Chapter 89
6 min read1,426 words
Putting down the phone, Hana Gager did not feel the relief of completing a task; instead, her face was filled with gravity.
After a moment of deep thought, she picked up the phone again and dialed an internal short number at the base.
"Notify all mid-level and above management personnel to attend a meeting in the conference room of the pilots' dormitory."
Five minutes later, the heads of various departments at the aircrew base hurriedly gathered in the three-story building next to the hangar, which housed the pilots' dormitory.
Inside was a small conference room, which was now being used by the executive manager, Hana Gager. The heads of the control tower, personnel, maintenance, combat flight squad, security, radar, and ground services departments arrived one after another, taking their seats around the conference table. Their numbers were not much greater than those of the "Zhenxiang" squadron pilots, so the seats were just enough.
Once everyone was seated, the female executive manager did not engage in much small talk but went straight to the point, saying, "The diplomatic envoy from Sky Dragon City has just left. I have already reported the investigation results to the group headquarters."
"Manager Hana, should we be fine here?"
The recent developments were becoming increasingly confusing for the personnel manager, Takar, but what worried him more was the possibility of Sky Dragon City holding 911 Aircrew Base accountable.
After all, the golden dragon Bit, who was killed, was also a member of the dragon clan. He feared that other dragons might seek revenge for their fellow, and if that happened, no one in the base would survive. Takar did not want to be implicated at all.
The female executive manager explained, "Some of the information can now be declassified. Mr. Takar, there is no need for you to worry. The order to kill the golden dragon Bit came from Sky Dragon City and was conveyed by the Blue Star Global Joint Defense Committee."
Some of the confidential information could finally be disclosed to prevent people from speculating wildly.
"Ah!?"
The personnel manager, Takar, was stunned, completely taken aback by this answer.
Hana Gager said solemnly, "There is another important matter. I hope you are all prepared, both mentally and otherwise."
The atmosphere in the small conference room immediately became tense, and everyone involuntarily sat up straight.
"The contractor for 897 Aircrew Base, Stark International Defense, recently declared insolvency and is preparing to file for bankruptcy. The eighth-ranked giant, Maiman Brothers United Defense, has initiated a takeover proposal. According to insider information, if the acquisition is successful, Maiman Brothers United is likely to launch a corporate war against our company, Genesis Defense Group. This is also one of the conditions for Stark International Defense to agree to the acquisition."
Before Hana Gager finished speaking, a short electronic beep sounded from her body.
She pulled out her phone, quickly glanced at the screen, and then looked around the conference table, saying in a grave voice, "I have just received news that Maiman Brothers United has taken over 897 Aircrew Base and Stark International Defense. The entire base has been transferred for one star yuan, and both parties have signed the acquisition agreement. The Global Joint Defense Committee has also approved the corporate war. Gentlemen, the war has begun."
The conference room fell into a deathly silence.
The next second, it was as if cold water had been poured into a sizzling hot oil pan. The room erupted in chaos, with some people even jumping to their feet, looking at the female executive manager in disbelief.
"How, how could it happen so quickly?"
"Is the war about to start? How could the Joint Defense Committee approve such a thing? It's absurd."
"This is unfair. We, Genesis Defense, have not wronged Maiman Brothers United!"
"Maiman Brothers United is the eighth-ranked military contractor, while we, Genesis Defense Group, are only ranked twenty-seventh. We are no match for them. This is too much of a bullying act."
"What are you afraid of? Just fight! We used to fight mutants and monsters; what's the difference now that we're fighting humans?"
"Don't always think about fighting. We should focus on negotiating. We're all here to make money. Peace brings prosperity. Why make things difficult for ourselves? Let's sit down and talk, and put aside our differences for now."
The conference room was a chaotic scene, with some people panicking, others angry, some eager to fight, and others venting their frustrations. No one could remain calm as before.
The top ten military contractors on Blue Star were giant entities, capable of undertaking some of the defense responsibilities of lower-ranked sovereign military forces.
Those ranked from eleventh to thirtieth were considered large military contractors, and Genesis Defense Group, ranked twenty-seventh, was one of them, albeit at the lower end. There was no way it could be compared to the top ten giant military contractors.
Whether in terms of hard power or soft power, Genesis Defense Group was no match for Maiman Brothers United Defense, even when evaluated comprehensively.
Stark International Defense, which contracted 897 Aircrew Base, did not even rank in the top hundred. Genesis Defense Group's retaliation was swift and ruthless, targeting such a weak opponent without any qualms or psychological burden. A single surprise attack nearly leveled the entire base, causing the opponent to suffer heavy losses and face bankruptcy.
However, in any industry, it was a game of the big fish eating the small fish. Yesterday, Genesis ate Stark International, and today, Maiman Brothers United is coming to eat Genesis. In the brutal jungle law, no one could escape.
A behemoth like Maiman Brothers United Defense was neither short of money, people, nor equipment. It had deep reserves, and even if one or two bases were destroyed, it would not be significantly affected.
"Quiet!"
The female executive manager's sharp command instantly silenced the room.
Even the "Zhenxiang" combat flight squadron's commander, Major Chekov, who was about to say something, obediently shut his mouth.
"Since the situation has already occurred, gentlemen, please face reality! If anyone wants to desert, they can leave the conference room now."
Hana Gager's cold gaze swept over everyone.
"..."
The room was dead silent, with many people looking at each other, their faces pale.
A corporate war was no joke; it could result in real deaths.
Even with death insurance and compensation, wouldn't it be better to stay alive?
A minute of silence passed, and no one left!
The personnel manager, Takar, secretly observed everyone, putting aside his petty thoughts.
Who knew if this one-eyed woman was testing them, ready to use the first person to speak up as a scapegoat.
A single life could stabilize the restless aircrew base, making everyone abandon their illusions and prepare for battle.
"From now on, establish a wartime command center. The entire base will enter a state of emergency, with all departments on 24-hour standby. The 'Zhenxiang' squadron will prepare two 'Big Mouths' with electronic pods, to take turns on alert..."
Although Hana Gager had only recently become the executive manager of 911 Aircrew Base, she issued orders in a well-organized and calm manner.
As soon as the meeting ended, 911 Aircrew Base began to operate like a true war machine, slowly but firmly.
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Back in the dormitory, Chen Fei started to rebuild a nest for his little chick. The bird had grown, and its body had become larger, so the original small nest needed to be expanded, which was a necessity.
The third-stage light element magic core that Yiran had given him was proudly placed in the bird's nest. The light emitted by the magic core was bright enough to replace the bedside lamp.
The fragrant chick feed and lively mealworms were no longer as appealing. The light sparrow, Xiao Jiu, loved pecking at the magic core. Each peck would release a small amount of light element energy, which the bird would immediately absorb.
The pure light sparrow is a light element bird-type magic beast, and a light element magic core of the same element has a strong attraction to it. Absorbing all the light elements contained in the magic core would take more than just a day or two.
Ding ding ding ding... Xiao Jiu did not seem to tire, pecking happily, like a diligent little miner, drawing on the instinct imprinted in its blood to absorb more light elements.
Just as he finished building the nest, Chen Fei's phone rang. The screen lit up, showing a call from his younger sister, Chen Meng.
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