Homo Sapiens

May 1, 2022.

At the docks of Changi Base.

Sullivan and Tom gazed at the base with heavy hearts. This was especially true for Sullivan; as the man in charge, he now had to simply hand it over. The sense of bitter defeat was overwhelming.

Meanwhile, Hilok Fernando, who had come to see them off, watched these robbers with a cold, indifferent expression.

The two sides exchanged no words. Although the secret treaty didn’t forbid America from destroying the base’s infrastructure, Sullivan had not ordered its destruction.

However, quite a few U.S. soldiers, filled with rage, had smashed beds and appliances in the dorms, clogged the toilets, and committed other similar acts of petty vandalism.

In truth, Hilok wasn’t concerned about the U.S. soldiers damaging the base. Homo Sapiens Company would certainly never use the existing facilities anyway; they planned to completely rebuild everything.

WHOOOOOOOOM...

The piercing blast of a ship’s horn echoed over Xing Island.

At Changi Base, the Star-Spangled Banner was slowly lowered.

Their faces etched with defeat, Sullivan and Tom boarded a troop transport ship.

Also on the docks, Yang Fan, a psychological counselor for the security team, folded his arms and murmured quietly to himself, ”Farewell... America!”

Under the escort of the Luzon Pacific Second Fleet, the Seventh Fleet and the U.S. soldiers from Changi Base retreated from the Malacca Strait, heading for the Ceylon Ocean to rendezvous with the Fifth Fleet.

Meanwhile, within Xing Island, its pro-American elites felt as if the sky had caved in.

Many had already bought plane tickets, preparing to leave Xing Island for Kangaroo Country, Europe, or North America to follow their Western Masters.

Others could flee, but the man pulling the strings behind Temasek Investment could not. After all, his family was the shadow power of Xing Island. If Xing Island fell, the Li Clan was sure to fall with it.

The Malacca Security Team was a reinforced regiment with an authorized strength of 6,000 personnel, though only 1,500 were currently on-site.

Additional personnel were being mobilized from the Siam Branch.

As the new heads of Changi Base, Hilok Fernando and Yang Fan had different responsibilities. Hilok was primarily in charge of security, while Yang Fan was, to a certain extent, the acting general manager for Xing Island.

After seeing off the American Seventh Fleet and its garrison, Hilok and Yang Fan began their respective tasks.

Hilok was in charge of clearing out the entire Changi Base.

Yang Fan, on the other hand, took his men and headed directly for the headquarters of the Temasek Investment Company.

He sat in an armored car, observing the people of Xing Island on the streets lining their route.

Some faces showed indifference.

Others were filled with hostility.

Others wore complex expressions.

But most were frightened and bewildered.

Homo Sapiens Company was a power that had appeared so suddenly, and many people were utterly unfamiliar with it.

Furthermore, not everyone was fond of its unique megacorporation model, especially the wealthy who considered themselves the elite; they were already preparing to flee.

Homo Sapiens Company paid little mind to the flight of these elites.

A place like Xing Island had risen on the back of its service industry and geographical advantages. It possessed no resources of its own, and the money of its wealthy citizens was mostly deposited in banks in Europe and America, or invested in their financial products.

To seize the assets of these tycoons by force now would be too crude, and difficult to pull off besides. After all, these tycoons weren’t idiots, and neither were the financial institutions in Europe and America.

Now that Homo Sapiens Company was operating in the open, it had to abide by certain rules.

For example, they had taken advantage of this favorable turn of events to pay off all of the Ceylon Branch’s foreign debt.

The money in Xing Island wasn’t important.

The island’s location was both its greatest advantage and its greatest vulnerability.

For Homo Sapiens Company to take over Xing Island now would be astonishingly easy. As long as they kept the Malacca Strait blockaded and forced shipping to use the Kra and Dangweng Canals, Xing Island would collapse on its own within a few months, without a single shot being fired.

In fact, they wouldn’t even need to force the shipping companies.

Once it was confirmed that radiation levels in the Kra Canal had fallen to safe limits, nine out of ten ships on the East Asia to West Asia route would choose it regardless.

...

The armored car stopped in front of the Temasek Investment headquarters building.

Li Gu Ming was there in person to greet them at the entrance.

Gazing at the middle-aged man before him, who was so tense he was drenched in sweat, Yang Fan said, ”President Li, let’s talk about Temasek Investment.”

”This way, Mr. Yang,” Li Gu Ming said, quickly leading the way.

They went up to the office on the top floor.

Yang Fan went straight to the head of the table and sat down. He smiled as he glanced at the dozen or so Temasek executives in the room. Though they hid it well, their resentment and anger could not escape the micro-expression-reading abilities of a New Human.

”Gentlemen, what are Temasek Investment’s plans for the future? You may speak freely.”

Li Gu Ming remained silent.

But Huang Dayong, who had studied Homo Sapiens Company, could only smile bitterly. ’Given Homo Sapiens Company’s methods in places like Luzon,’ he thought, ’what choice does Xing Island really have?’

Answering this question incorrectly would be a fatal mistake.

But Li Peter, who despised Homo Sapiens Company, could no longer restrain himself. ”Temasek Investment is an industry of Xing Island. Naturally, we must maintain the status quo.”

”I believe it would be best for Temasek Investment to maintain the status quo. After all, a sudden change in our business model could lead to internal chaos,” said Li Weixing, the President of Temasek Investment, putting it a bit more diplomatically.

Yang Fan smiled and began to clap. ”Excellent!” Then he turned to the man behind Temasek Investment, Li Gu Ming. ”And you, President Li?”

”I...” Li Gu Ming had clearly understood the unspoken threat in Yang Fan’s words.

Faced with this group who wouldn’t shed a tear until they saw their own coffin, Yang Fan just smiled and shook his head.

”No matter. I’m a very democratic person,” he said. ”We can take our time. If we can’t reach an agreement today, we can talk for a week. If a week isn’t enough, we can talk for a month, or even a year. I’m in no hurry.”

’You might not be in a hurry, but if this really drags on for months, Xing Island will be finished,’ Huang Dayong thought with a bitter smile.

He knew the Luzon escort fleet was still blockading the Malacca Strait, and there was no indication that the two safe shipping lanes would be opened.

Clearly, Homo Sapiens Company had no intention of lifting the Malacca Strait blockade until it got what it wanted.

This was the price a weaker power paid for lacking self-awareness and getting involved in a clash between the strong. Once you bet on the wrong side, the consequences were severe.

Li Peter’s eyes blazed with hatred. ”We will not submit! You’re nothing but robbers.”

”We are robbers,” Yang Fan replied with a cheerful shrug. ”And you, America’s little dog, can do nothing but yap uselessly here. Too bad for you, your masters have already been run out of Southeast Asia. Hahaha.”

”You...” Li Peter sputtered, his face flushing with humiliation and rage.

Suddenly, Li Gu Ming slapped Li Peter across the face. ”You traitorous bastard! I tolerated you throwing your weight around in the past because we were being coerced by America. But now you’re trying to sow discord between Temasek Company and Homo Sapiens Company? You traitor!”

Everyone was stunned by Li Gu Ming’s outburst.

Li Gu Ming, however, paid them no mind, instead hurrying to prove his newfound loyalty to Yang Fan.

”Mr. Yang, I must confess to your company that Li Peter and his cronies are all Converts of America’s Black Ship, while Li Weixing is a special member of America’s Franklin Foundation. And there’s more...”

Li Peter, still seeing stars from the slap, looked horrified. ”Fuck you... Li Gu Ming, are you insane? The Black Ship will never let you get away with this!”

CLAP, CLAP, CLAP... Yang Fan clapped with a smile. ”President Li, you truly grasp the bigger picture. I’m sure the company will appreciate your firm stance.”

”It is my honor to serve the company,” Li Gu Ming said, his face a mask of utmost sincerity.

’He had already thrown all caution to the wind. In for a penny, in for a pound. Since he had to be a dog for someone, what did it matter who? To be a dog for Homo Sapiens Company, now that was an honor.’

Even as Li Peter, Li Weixing, and the others hurled abuse at him, Li Gu Ming, having already decided to throw his lot in with Homo Sapiens Company, paid them no mind whatsoever.