You're such a unique mom!
For a moment, Hayden's mind was filled with countless unspeakable complaints. Fortunately, he managed to send Hela away safely in the end.
...Actually, Hayden had thought about all the things Hela brought up today.
Yes, he did marry Karen, which is a very happy thing, but the marriage was arranged in a very rushed manner, and there were too many things to consider besides the joy. These things were not just about love.
Hayden wasn't unwilling to have sex, but he wasn't that desperate either. They had just confirmed their relationship, and he was already quite happy being intimate with Karen. Staying a virgin for a while longer wouldn't cause Hayden's testicles to explode. On the other hand, that skill training chip—if it wasn't dealt with soon, something might really explode first.
But then again, how exactly should Hayden and his group "handle" this skill education chip? The harbingers of Ragnarok are like the collapse of the heavens, and it's not something their small group can "handle."
After their date yesterday, Karen called Alastor, Panya, and Abigail together for a meeting. She explained what Hayden had learned from Freya and what they had seen on their date. Everyone immediately understood the seriousness of the situation, and even Panya understood.
"Since Ragnarok is coming and everything is going to fall apart, we won't need to care about copyright laws anymore. Let's just steal the technology of that chip or copy it and make our own skill chip!"
So Pania was the first to offer an idea.
"As long as we manufacture it ourselves and make it available to people all over the world, Mitra Corporation's ambitions will be thwarted!"
This idea is very much in Pania's style. It sounds naive, but it's actually quite correct. Unfortunately, Alastor, who was in charge of the relevant technology, had already considered this and rejected it outright: "The Mitra Group has invested too much effort in this skill chip. With our resources, it's almost impossible to reverse engineer it. Unless someone of ours steals its original master chip or development data."
The second suggestion came from Alastor himself: "We are already building a life network to work in conjunction with the mind network. The Mitra Corporation's approach is to devalue the skills of mortals, but skill chips can only enhance the user's skills. We can do the opposite and use the life network to enhance the bodies of all the mortal employees connected to it to the level of gods. Once this technology can be widely adopted, the Mitra Corporation's skill chips will naturally lose their market dominance. Because we will have the invincible advantage of the Angela perpetual motion machine."
This crazy idea left everyone looking at each other in bewilderment for a moment. But this insane idea also had its flaws; the biggest problem was that it would require far too much time and money. Even the foundational layer of the life network was only just beginning to be built, making it impossible to solve the immediate problems.
In this way, everyone came up with some solutions, each with its own ingenious ideas and advantages. However, due to the limited time and resources available, none of them could produce immediate results.
The preliminary strategy that everyone reluctantly came up with was nothing more than continuing the original construction plan while "digging deep tunnels, building high walls, stockpiling grain, enhancing comprehensive strength, and preparing for a major war." Because this was the only realistic approach at the current stage.
Reality is always so complicated. Having a solution doesn't mean you can actually do it right away.
It's now the second day after the meeting. Even after sending Hela away, Hayden is still racking his brains about how to solve the problem of skills education chips.
Hayden was, after all, a seasoned street mercenary. Or perhaps he should just roll up his sleeves and go back to his old ways, stealing chip development data from the Mitra Corporation?
Just as Hayden was thinking this, his phone suddenly rang. A short email popped up on the projection screen.
But the email still immediately caught Hayden's attention. Because it was sent by Adam, and because its very first sentence gave Hayden a slight surprise.
I know you're inquiring about skill chips; after all, this isn't the first time.
【It just so happens that Dhritarashtra is not in New Jersey today. You can come to my office; I have something very interesting to show you.】
Don't be nervous, buddy, I mean no harm, and we're not enemies.
We can cooperate for a win-win situation.
261: The Great Depression Plan
Hayden's first reaction upon seeing the email Adam sent him was actually quite awkward.
If Hayden were to completely believe, based on an email from Adam, that his "good buddy" had no ill intentions and that they could cooperate for mutual benefit, then Hayden would truly be out of his mind.
However, on the other hand, if Hayden simply assumes Adam is uncooperative and completely avoids contact with him, that would be another kind of foolishness. After all, Hayden already knows that the development of the Mitra Group's skills education chips is basically being overseen by Adam as the project manager. Even if Hayden were to steal the master chip, he would still have to deal with Adam first.
So what's the situation now? Should we go or not?
At that moment, a thousand thoughts flashed through Hayden's mind, but they were all swept away in the blink of an eye.
So what if it's a trap? Adam is just a pawn. He's not a god, not even a capitalist, just a high-level worker... Hayden went to this trap, so what can Adam do to him?
Although Hayden himself, strictly speaking, could probably be considered Karen's high-level employee, he no longer cares about such things.
Anyway, I'll go to that damn trap first, and we'll talk about the rest later. As for whether I'll die at this trap... well, Hayden has definitely gained more confidence in himself lately; he's not that easy to kill.
Before leaving Newbeam City, he sent a message to Karen, telling her that he would go find Adam himself, so that if something really happened, no one would know where to rescue him.
Then, Hayden thought for a moment and messaged Professor Albion, wanting to ask if he knew if Adam had gotten into any trouble lately—after all, Professor Albion was everyone's professor—but the professor's account automatically replied to Hayden with this message:
[I am preparing for the next research ceremony and am temporarily unable to leave the lab. I will reply within 48 hours unless there are unforeseen circumstances.]
Upon seeing the automated reply, Hayden was taken aback, then wore a subtle expression, unsure of what to say. Now, forget about whether Professor Albion had any relevant information; he probably wouldn't even receive this message before Hayden went to find Adam… But then again, what exactly was the professor preparing to research this time?
Hayden was quite curious, because he was, after all, a researcher, and scholarship and knowledge could indeed bring him joy. But there were priorities. So he put down his phone and headed straight to New Jersey.
This was his first time entering the Mitra Group's branch office building in New Jersey.
Years ago, even during his university years, when Hayden would occasionally look at the building from afar and think about how to demolish it. But then again, he still really wants to demolish it now.
Even though many things are indeed gone forever.
--------------------------------
Five minutes later, Hayden sat down on the guest sofa in Adam's office. Adam even had his secretary bring him coffee, though Hayden didn't seem to want any.
"So, what exactly did you want to talk to me about today?"
Previously, Hayden and Adam would feign politeness and engage in back-and-forth exchanges. But the situation is different now. Moreover, Hayden is actually quite annoyed with the Mitra Corporation because of the chip issue, hence his somewhat unfriendly tone.
Adam, on the other hand, still wore that same handsome smile: "Didn't I tell you? Buddy, I'm here to collaborate with you. It just so happens that Dhritarashtra isn't in New Jersey today. And when he's not around, I have ways to avoid his gaze. Otherwise, how do you think I managed to pull all sorts of tricks right under his nose?"
Wow, you actually admitted it outright?
Hayden, who had been quite annoyed with Adam, was now somewhat surprised. Even though there was no one else in the office, and the secretary who had just made coffee had long been kicked out by Adam, this New Yatu branch was, after all, the territory of the "King of Capital." Although Hayden had become less afraid of these capitalists lately, he wasn't arrogant enough to disregard the home-field advantage of a capitalist god. Last time he went to storm Freya's company, Hayden hadn't actually dared to confront Freya head-on.
In terms of information magic, Adam is probably inferior to Hayden. Where does he get the confidence to say such things? Isn't he afraid that Dhritarashtra might actually hear him?
After much thought, Hayden could only conclude that Adam was deliberately trying to show off his current abilities.
"My current position at the company is senior manager and project manager, which is essentially making me the deputy of the Heavenly King of the Nation." Sure enough, Adam continued with a smile, "The real executor of this skills education chip project that you are most concerned about is me."
Hearing this, Hayden was less angry and more speechless: "Adam, what exactly are you trying to do? Are you testing and provoking me?"
“Of course not. This is me showing my trust in my good brother.” Adam waved his hand, even the gesture looked dashing. “I can also tell you what will happen after the skills education chip is officially activated.”
“I know exactly what’s going to happen.” Hayden frowned. “The chips will allow Mitra Corporation to drastically reduce operating costs, devalue the education and skills of its employees, and eliminate the need to provide any benefits to ordinary employees. You’re going to use this to wage a business war, to squeeze out other large companies with an absolute cost advantage.”
This conclusion is not only what Hayden and Karen saw yesterday, but also the result of their meeting and discussion.
However, upon hearing this conclusion, Adam immediately burst into laughter: "That's it? Dude, your knowledge of economics is a bit lacking!"
Damn it, in this world, in this era, besides those capitalists and their divine descendants, how many people actually understand economics?
That being said, since Adam had offered to explain, Hayden couldn't continue to be sarcastic and could only patiently ask, "Could you be more specific?"
Of course. It was clear Adam had deliberately wanted to discuss this with Hayden. Seeing that Hayden had entered a conversational atmosphere, Adam also adopted a serious demeanor and said solemnly, "Hayden, this isn't about a price war, nor is it simply about reducing costs. Let me ask you, do you know how many times the Mitra Group's production capacity can be increased by the skills education chip?"
Hayden, of course, didn't know, and he still didn't understand why Adam had asked the question. Seeing his ignorance, Adam couldn't help but feel both amused and somewhat smug.
"Alright, I won't go into any complicated data. Just know that based on current testing and estimates, we already believe that once the skill chips are put into practical use, they will be enough to increase the overall production capacity of the entire Mitra Group by more than ten times."
"Then think about it further. If the Mitra Corporation, the world's most powerful super-corporation group, were to gain more than ten times its original production capacity, how many resources and goods would they be able to produce at extremely low prices?"
Hearing this, Hayden rubbed his forehead, finally understanding a little: "You mean the market supply of goods will become plentiful and very cheap?"
At first glance, this might seem like a good thing, but Hayden isn't really stupid, so he can still understand one thing: "But skill chips will also reduce employees' income. Even if the supply of goods increases and prices decrease, people still won't be able to afford them."
“That’s right.” Adam shrugged. “Then let me test you again. If the total amount of money in the market remains unchanged, but the quantity of goods skyrockets, yet consumption decreases significantly, what will be the result?”
Hayden… Hayden didn’t actually know. He had never studied such things. In fact, most people in this world didn’t even know the word “deflation.”
But Hayden still had a brain, so he could imagine it, and he also had intuition. He could figure out that this would lead to lower prices and increase the real value of money, but... what happens after prices fall and money appreciates to a certain point?
"The direct result of deflation is credit contraction. This means that various businesses, especially in the financial sector, will collapse first, causing internal cash flow to become unsustainable, which in turn drags other industries down with it. The final result..."
Adam tilted his head slightly and continued smiling.
"It means the collapse of the value system of modern credit money."
In short, deflation, while superficially appearing as "money becoming more valuable," is essentially a decline and depletion of monetary liquidity. Coupled with widespread unemployment and financial hardship due to skills shortages, businesses struggle to sell their products and services, inevitably leading to a further rise in unemployment. Many business owners, who are the bread and butter of their employees, will face cash flow problems during deflationary periods. Therefore, the next step will likely be an even greater increase in unemployment.
This terrifying snowball will roll into all industries, all people, and all gods. Everyone's income, profits, and the prices of their products will all plummet down this downward slope.
"Dude, you may know ancient magic and be able to develop some incredible rituals, but you really don't understand the magic of economics. This is what an economic crisis is, this is what the twilight of the gods of capital is. This is a catastrophe that turns all the assets, all the values, all the faith, and all the divine power of the gods of capital into nothingness."
"So the name of this plan is 'The Great Depression'."
"And that's why I called you here today to discuss cooperation. I guessed you'd be very interested in this kind of thing. I know you and Karen both really want to destroy the current capitalists, right?"
To be honest, Hayden didn't fully understand what Adam meant. But he could grasp some of it, and he intuitively felt that Adam wasn't lying about the technical aspects. However, as he listened, Hayden still detected a very obvious problem in Adam's eloquent words.
"It triggers a major economic depression, shattering modern people's faith in capitalist society and the new gods of capital. While they are weakened and fighting amongst themselves, the devils will seize the opportunity to rise again and restore the old gods—don't tell me that's the plan of the great devil behind you."
At this point, Hayden stopped pretending and simply revealed that he knew there was a devil behind Adam.
"The development plan for the skills education chip was driven by the top management of the Mitra Group from the very beginning. Are you telling me they're all idiots who didn't consider the consequences of such an economic collapse before deciding to develop the skills chip? Or do you really think I'm stupid? I don't believe Mitra is so foolish as to not even consider that the skills chip would cause an economic crisis and waste money on the project. If you really think I'm stupid, then this bullshit cooperation is off the table. I'm going back right now—you decide!"
Adam had been tapping his hand thoughtfully on his desk, but Hayden's words finally made him stop.
Silence lingered in Adam's office for a moment. Then, Adam smiled again: "Okay, man, you're really smart."
As for whether these words were Adam's true feelings or just another deliberate compliment, Hayden couldn't be bothered to care.
“What I just said is indeed part of the thinking of my great devil friend. But you’re right, this plan to create an economic depression to cause the new gods to collapse and the old gods to be restored is really stupid. Those devils are simply treating Mithra like a fool—in fact, that’s the devils’ biggest weakness. They always think they are the smartest and everyone else is a fool, especially looking down on humans. Even though they suffered once four hundred years ago, they haven’t improved much now.”
At this point, Adam even let out a cold laugh; it's unclear what he was really thinking.
"However, I am not a devil; I am a pure human being. Those devils want the restoration of the old gods, they want to turn back the clock of history and re-establish feudal dynasties. But I have no interest in that, and I don't believe they can succeed at all. So I have no intention of continuing to associate with this ship that is bound to sink sooner or later. Like you said, buddy, it's really stupid to conspire with the devil. I believe you've already seen that, right?"
"That's why I'm approaching you for a collaboration now. My good brother, although we have different views and approaches to many things, we now face the same obstacles. Moreover, we are both chosen ones who have climbed to this position from among millions of ordinary people, through hard work and talent. If we cooperate, dealing with those demons will be no problem at all."
Hearing this, Hayden's brows furrowed deeply.
Frankly, he had received far too much information from Adam in just a few short minutes. If Adam's real purpose was to confuse Hayden in this way, then Adam might have actually succeeded.
But no matter what, Hayden could at least grasp some key points: "Incredibly eloquent words, but there are still two problems: First, you want to deal with those great demons who are entangled with you, what does that have to do with me? What benefit would I get from helping you deal with those demons?"
"Secondly, you're even turning your devilish allies away today. How can I trust you won't stab me in the back tomorrow?"
These words, however, amused Adam.
"God, buddy, when have I ever asked you for a favor without giving you a hefty commission? I'll be frank. I'm now the head of the Mitra Group's skill chip project. Help me deal with that big devil, and I'll secretly give you the development data. No need to lie, I know you really want it."
"As for the second question, that's even more naive. Cooperation between people is based on the exchange of interests. Whether or not cooperation is possible ultimately depends on your judgment of the value of those interests."
"So that's all we have to say. Dude, you should really consider my advice."
262: Battle of Wits
Deflation, the Great Depression—Adam had just bombarded Hayden's mind with a host of new, impressive-sounding terms in those few minutes. However, Hayden didn't believe Adam was lying to him, at least not on these technical levels.
Besides, these technical issues aren't really that important. No one knows everything in the world. Often, people just need to consider whether they can trust the person who tells them this knowledge.
So Hayden is now facing the same problem:
Does he want the development data for the skill chip? Of course he does. After all, they just had a meeting yesterday, and even Alastor, a genius IT technician, couldn't reverse engineer the skill chip.
But to say whether Hayden believed Adam would definitely hand over the information to him... well, Hayden really wasn't sure.
As for how much truth Adam told on matters other than technical issues—Hayden had even less confidence in that.
Once you figure out this key point, the problem is actually that simple.
Regardless, Hayden still really wanted the skill chip development data. So, why not feign cooperation with Adam and trick him into giving it to him? Hmm… that seems a bit like treating people like fools. Always thinking he's the smartest and everyone else is a fool… Although Hayden is a wizard who operates primarily through deception, he knows it's not a good thing.
That's right, it's not a good thing.
“Adam, you just said that devils always think they are the smartest and everyone else is a fool. And that's not only stupid, but it also makes them weaker. That's absolutely true. I've dealt with Hecate before, and I had the same feeling.”
So Hayden stretched, leaned back against the sofa meant for guests, and then he laughed.
"Making a deal with the devil is suicide. You must get off that mud boat immediately. Adam, it's truly admirable that you understand this. You are indeed a remarkable person, having climbed to this position from among millions of ordinary people through sheer hard work and talent!"
The tone of his voice made Adam's lips twitch involuntarily. But he still smiled and nodded, saying, "Right?"
But Hayden wasn't finished speaking.
"However, the position you climbed to is still quite far from where I am."
Suddenly, Hayden changed the subject, sneering.
"So why should I cooperate with you? My wife is a goddess, and my partners are either gods or top-tier magicians. You're not a god, not a warrior, not a magician, just a manager, and you don't even trust me at all. If I want to deal with the devil, I can handle it myself; if I want to deal with capitalists, do you think you can help? Do you have fighting power, technology, or money? Just to fleece the Heavenly King of the Nation?"
Hayden wasn't finished yet. So he took a few bills out of his pocket and threw them on Adam's desk.
"Thanks for the information, buddy. Consider this your tip. Take it. I know you'll mind."
Ahhh! ?
Adam initially thought Hayden was just trying to be sarcastic. Given Adam's personality, he wouldn't really care if Hayden made a few sarcastic remarks; he'd just let it go.
But Adam never expected that Hayden wouldn't just be sarcastic; he would openly mock him. This was completely unlike Hayden's usual style of dealing with him. Normally, even if Hayden disliked him, he would tolerate it for the sake of the bigger picture or to protect himself.
However, Hayden no longer held back today. It's unclear whether he felt he had grown independent or if he felt more confident about marrying Karen. Perhaps it was simply because the passion of love he felt after confirming their relationship made him fearless, but that's something that's best left unsaid.