Chapter 43: The Beginning of Change
The group of people walking out of the conference hall were surrounded by more tabloid reporters. The cameras were fired like machine guns. People with microphones kept trying to break into the security line, trying to get Duncan to accept an interview.
They all watched Duncan's entire speech after entering the venue from the live broadcast outside the conference hall. Naturally, they realized how big this news was, and it would not be exaggerated to say that it would directly affect the world order.
If you want to upgrade and get a raise, you just need Duncan to answer a few questions.
But Duncan obviously had no intention of answering these reporters' questions. He just waved his hand casually and, escorted by clone bodyguards, stepped onto a ferocious-looking military armored vehicle.
This vehicle was sent from Umbrella's New York branch. It was a product that participated in a bidding process for armored vehicles used internally by the National Guard. It had excellent performance, but was relatively expensive, so it was not adopted. Currently, there is only one such vehicle.
Duncan took a plane from Raccoon City and traveled halfway across the United States to the New York Airport, and then took a car to the United Nations Conference Hall.
It wasn't that he didn't want to arrive before the meeting started, but the speed of the plane was there, and it was already very timely for him to arrive during the first half of the meeting.
Through the fanatical crowd, Duncan climbed into the high-riding armored vehicle and left the joint compound with other escort vehicles.
The capitalists who chased them out secretly gritted their teeth when they saw the convoy driving away.
Escorted by armored vehicles and a large number of armed security, Duncan's android successfully boarded a private jet and left New York.
His departure made many people nervous, and even some lawmakers who supported the umbrella were hesitant.
Duncan's three promises almost offended the largest three-party capital in the United States, Zhengyang, military industrial groups, and energy companies.
It seems that the three commitments only apply to the cities where the umbrella is established and employees under the umbrella company, but looking left and right, horizontally and vertically, "fairness" looks like some kind of socialist product.
"Security" has even touched the cake of the American Rifle Association and military industrial enterprises. Its impact will also sweep across the United States, causing some residents who are dissatisfied with the status quo to complain about the local area, which will definitely affect the election and Wall Street.
The final energy plan is acceptable to serious customers like them, and the legislators can also use the low electricity prices in cooperation with the umbrella company to win votes. It’s just that this kind of behavior makes it difficult for some people funded by energy giants to do it!
Umbrella Company's products cover all aspects, but they are not involved in energy. Now they have to rely on better products to devour the business of giants in the energy field. How could they agree so easily?
The congressmen formed a small circle, discussed it when Duncan boarded the plane, and finally decided to wait and see what happens, to see if Umbrella can withstand the attacks of those wolves who have touched their interests, and to see if Umbrella will donate funds.
Give them parties.
There are those who are on the fence and there are those who are radical.
In the past, the Umbrella Company was managed by Isaac. Isaac's management made the capital circle acquiesce and accommodated such a behemoth as the Umbrella Company.
But after all the management was replaced, it was okay for the newly appointed Duncan not to give them any face. After all, the umbrella was dying and there was still some strength left. Unexpectedly, he actually wanted to eat all the meat in the pot without leaving any for them.
Even if they don't really want to compete head-on with umbrella companies, it will be difficult for them to compete with absolutely competitive umbrella products in the market.
As a result, their only option left is to confront the Umbrella Company or steal the Umbrella Company's product production materials.
The current public sentiment is towards umbrella companies, so the capital giants are only adopting relatively mild measures for the time being.
There is a large number of high-tech talents competing for various positions recruited by Umbrella Company. In one day, there are so many resumes sent to Umbrella's official website that Red Queen cannot handle them.
When Duncan returned to Raccoon City, the first thing he had to do was to fulfill his promise.
Raccoon City has begun a total ban on guns. If you are unwilling to hand over your gun, the Umbrella Company will expel you from Raccoon City. If you are willing to hand over your gun, Umbrella will take back the gun at 1.5 times the price.
The Ark Reactor is going to be built in the direction of the industrial zone, so there is no rush. The first thing that needs to be done is banning guns.
Raccoon City's administrative system is almost entirely filled with people who protect the people. There is no doubt that the gun ban order has been implemented. The Raccoon City Police Department is fully cooperating. Every day, there are police cars with small loudspeakers to publicize the gun ban work, allowing citizens to bring their firearms.
Turn it over to the umbrella company.
If you are caught hiding a gun, you will no longer enjoy the free education, free medical care, and free water and electricity provided by the umbrella, and you will be kicked out of Raccoon City.
Three days after Duncan returned.
At a surrender point on the streets of Raccoon City, Gill, five members of the S.T.A.R.S. team who had nothing to do, and some volunteers also joined in the work of collecting guns.
The entire city has a population of more than 100,000. If there are five people in a family, and each family owns a gun and a certain number of bullets, the entire city will have to collect 20,000 guns. The actual number will only be higher than this.
!
This is not a simple job. There are only a few hundred police officers in the police station, and they would be too busy to collect their guns if they were all scattered.
Looking at the people chatting and laughing in line under the awning, Gill, who was doing the registration task, moved faster in his hands, handed out his voucher to a middle-aged man in front of him, and smiled to indicate that he could go to the next door to queue up to collect money.
Raccoon City has undergone earth-shaking changes since seeing Duncan "resurrection from the dead" miraculously appear at the hearing.
More capital has poured into the city, bringing more vitality to the citizens.
Road reconstruction, urban housing allocation, some people at the bottom have moved out of narrow rental houses and moved into small apartments that at least have private bathrooms. The unemployed on the streets have all disappeared, and there is no longer darkness here at night.
The future is promising!
Seeing the hope brought by the changes, the citizens smiled more and more. Every time they talked about the umbrella company, they were no longer just talking about an unattainable rice cooker as before.
Now when talking about the Umbrella Company, people will praise its greatness and the series of measures that Duncan ordered and implemented.
In the past, the working class never cared about what they should do in a better tomorrow. Now they go out with a smile every day, looking forward to what changes will happen tomorrow, and no longer have a pessimistic view of tomorrow.
The umbrella care organization will provide help to all those who really need help. This behavior of spending money to buy a good reputation is not in line with capitalism, but it is in line with the citizens' understanding of "goodness".
"I hope this kind of beauty will not disappear." After seeing off the last citizen who surrendered his firearm, Jill stood up from the chair and raised his hands to stretch the muscles that were stiff after sitting for a long time.
I am happy about the peace in Raccoon City, but also worried about the challenges that may come.
When Payton, who was helping to pack things, heard this, he curled his lips and said: "That guy is doing this to fight against certain people. No one outside will really like him. Maybe one day he will be killed by a bullet!"
Originally, he had been depressed for a while because of Duncan's death, but after Duncan came back a few days ago and made a series of reform measures, his mood began to deteriorate.
These measures were a good thing, but he was still unhappy with Duncan, and the reason was very simple...
"Payton!" Gil looked at him angrily, "If you can't speak, just keep your mouth shut. I don't remember you being an unreasonable person. What's wrong with Raccoon City now?"
Before Gil could say the next thing, Payton surrendered first and moved the table onto the pickup truck.
Chapter completed!