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After the press conference, the world erupted in chaos over Daniel's revelation about the Curtained World. Initially, elites in various countries attempted to downplay the announcement, dismissing it as a hoax or an elaborate drama orchestrated by Daniel Emberweave.

They managed to convince some individuals already entrenched in anti-Astral Corp sentiment. However, many remained skeptical, torn between disbelief and the desire for truth. These skeptics urged their governments, particularly the UK, to investigate further.

Yet, the UK remained silent, offering no response about the Hightower. This lack of acknowledgment only fueled public speculation.

Conspiracy theories began to flourish. Wild ideas involving the Illuminati, aliens, UFOs, and time travelers dominated online discussions. However, one theory gained more traction because it was rooted in the information linked in the broadcast's description.

It suggested that this entire farce is just a power struggle between two supernatural organizations secretly controlling world governments and politics. Ordinary people, it claimed, were mere pawns in a game they didn't even know existed.

Yet, this growing wave of speculation was overshadowed by an even bigger uproar the day after Daniel's broadcast. Within 24 hours, Astral Corp and New Atlantis initiated a massive operation to relocate their global assets.

Each Astral Corp facility contained a secret compartment containing the metal scarabs It was there for the 'Just in case' in Daniel's term of speech. These scarabs, part of Daniel's long-standing paranoia-driven precautions, quickly sprang into action. Each facility also housed hidden compartments of power armor and the S&D 850-I androids, mixed in among regular employees to ensure their safety as basic employee benefits.

The Assets and Resources Relocation operation began with a swarm of scarabs disassembling facilities into base materials whether it's metal, composite metals, plastic, nanofibers, all kinds of materials. These materials were efficiently packaged and loaded onto VTOLs sent by Daniel to evacuate personnel and resources.

Shops were shuttered, goods were packed, and employees, whether in retail, manufacturing, or research, were moved out within a single day. Even the largest infrastructure was dismantled and relocated with remarkable speed by the metal scarabs swarm.

This scene made a lot of people scared shitless, especially those who had hoped to seize Astral Corp's abandoned technology and facilities.

— France —

In one household, Nathan, a young man in his early 20s, returned home after a three-day celebration party. He and his friends had successfully driven Astral Corporation, the so-called "corpo tyrant," off French soil. His heart was full of pride and joy, as if he were a hero who had defeated an evil overlord. Smiling triumphantly, he entered his house, his confidence brimming.

The party had been great—full of energy, with plenty of attractive women showing interest in him. Joining his friends in the protests had turned out to be a good decision, as it earned him the attention of many liberal-minded women, several of whom had given him their numbers.

Nathan expected his mother, who despised Astral Corp as much as he did, to congratulate him. The only person in the house who had remained neutral about Astral Corp was his father. Nathan couldn't understand why his father didn't share the same animosity toward the corporation that he himself felt toward all corrupt corpos.

Astral Corp had already pulled out of the country a month ago, and from Nathan's perspective, nothing much had changed. Sure, electricity prices had increased slightly, but he trusted the government to manage it so it wouldn't be too burdensome. At worst, he thought, it would just be a bit more expensive than usual.

As he walked into the living room, he noticed his father sitting with a solemn expression, staring listlessly at a bill in his hand. The older man sighed deeply, which piqued Nathan's curiosity. It was unusual for his father, typically calm and collected, to appear so troubled.
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"What's wrong, Dad? Is there an issue with the bill? I know it's probably a bit more expensive than usual, but at least it's better than letting Astral Corp stay and risk what ether energy might do to our country," Nathan said self-righteously.

His father said nothing and simply handed Nathan the bill he had been examining moments earlier.

Nathan took it, curious about what had upset his father so much. As he read the bill, his face fell.

"What? What is this!? Why is the price double? This must be Astral Corp's doing!" Nathan exclaimed, ready to blame the company once again. But his father turned to him, his eyes filled with disappointment.

"Shut up and read it carefully. Look at the energy provider's name, you idiot," his father snapped, annoyance lacing his tone.

Nathan followed his father's instructions, scanning the bill more closely. To his shock, the energy provider listed wasn't Astral Corp but the usual French energy giant that had been in operation before Astral Corp's arrival.

"Why?" Nathan muttered in disbelief, earning another long sigh from his father.

At that moment, the door opened. His mother had just returned from work. She walked listlessly to the sofa, sat beside his father, and immediately broke into tears.

"Waaaaaaahhhh!" she bawled uncontrollably, leaving Nathan stunned. He had expected her to celebrate with him. Why was she crying?

"It's okay, honey. You can start again. The world isn't ending," his father said gently, patting his wife's back in comfort.

"I'm already 40! Who's going to hire me now? Waaaahhh!" she sobbed, burying her face in her husband's chest.

"What… what happened, Mom?" Nathan asked, his voice filled with worry.

His mother didn't respond, too consumed by her tears. His father sighed, the weariness evident in his voice as he answered.

"Your mom was laid off. When Astral Corp moved all their assets out of the country, it caused a ripple effect. Their investments in various industries were pulled out too, and many companies can't make ends meet anymore. Layoffs are everywhere," his father explained.

"Why… why would Astral Corp do this?" Nathan's anger flared.

"Aren't you the one who wanted them out of our country?" his father retorted.

"But they should have… I mean… it's the livelihoods of so many people! Why didn't they—" Nathan stammered, grasping for an explanation.

His father cut him off, his tone filled with disapproval. "Sigh… if it were you, would you leave your money bags with someone who hates your guts?"

Nathan choked on his response, unable to find any words. It felt as if his world was crumbling around him. Their family wasn't rich; they were a middle-class household that had been relatively comfortable because both his parents worked. But now, with rising living expenses and his mother out of work, he realized they were heading toward difficult times.

—

Scenes like this played out in households across many countries. People were scrambling to file petitions against Astral Corp, but what could they do? Astral Corp had already withdrawn from their borders.

Furious elites and government officials quickly convened press conferences, accusing Daniel and Astral Corp of being petty and childish. They criticized Daniel's supposed lack of "magnanimity," attempting to shame him into leaving behind the corporation's valuable resources.

Daniel, however, remained unfazed. When a reporter managed to catch him during a casual outing and pressed him about the matter, he responded with a sly smile:

"Oh, didn't they hate Astral Corp and refuse to use our products? I simply gave them what they wanted. How am I not being magnanimous?"

With that, he dismissed the reporter and calmly entered a restaurant with his wives and daughter.

When public criticism and gaslighting failed to pressure Daniel into submission, the disgruntled elites turned to legal measures. They sought ways to exploit the law, hoping to prevent Astral Corp from relocating its assets out of their countries.

The sentiment was clear: it was acceptable for Astral Corp to leave, but they were expected to leave their "money bags" behind. This unspoken, selfish attitude was rampant in many nations, especially those under the strong influence of the Hightower, such as France.

For the ordinary citizens who had joined the hate campaign out of trend-following rather than conviction, panic began to set in. With Astral Corp pulling out their facilities that produced cheap and clean energy, governments had no choice but to turn back to traditional energy providers for power.

This played directly into the hands of the energy giants. With no competition, these companies immediately charged exorbitant premiums, justifying it with claims that they needed to reinvest in their facilities to ramp up production. In truth, there had been no downsizing of their power plants or energy infrastructure, making their excuses a thinly veiled attempt to exploit the situation.

The government had no choice but to use taxpayer money to shoulder part of the burden on behalf of the people. Even so, the cost of energy in the country more than doubled compared to the rates before Astral Corp's investment in cheap energy. This meant citizens were now paying twice the amount they had previously paid to the energy giants.

As the saying goes, "Playing Stupid Game, Getting Stupid Price.