"These people don't seem any different from us!" Ai Li remarked with a hint of disrespect and even disdain as the representatives of the four major financial consortiums began to appear and make their entrances.
In her imagination, each member of these four prominent families should have possessed immense authority, at least on par with the Great Commander.
However, what met her eyes was largely reminiscent of the future Great Commander's demeanor, exuding a comical aura.
To put it plainly, they looked exceedingly greasy.
"Yet, these individuals hold sway over the entirety of the United States, and indeed, the entire world!" a voice said from behind Ai Li. "They are the true masters of this nation. If they wished, with just a single remark from you, all traces of your existence could be wiped clean!"
"..." Ai Li started in shock. Seeing her supervisor behind her, she felt a slight sense of relief. They had a decent relationship, and she doubted he would report her.
"It's alright, our DuPont family isn't that barbaric. While Mr. Randy has a terrible personality, he treats people like us quite well. As long as you don't make any mistakes, a few casual complaints won't cause major issues."
"But if you were to fall into the hands of the Boston consortium, especially two of their families, you would already be reduced to ashes! After all, the entire Mexican mafia serves as the muscle for the Boston consortium!" her supervisor said calmly. Ai Li stuck out her tongue and patted her full chest.
"Supervisor, this is my first time attending such an important banquet. Could you tell me if there's anything I should pay particular attention to?" Ai Li quickly asked.
"There's nothing extra you need to pay attention to. Just treat yourself as a person, or rather, as a decoration," her supervisor said indifferently.
"A decoration? What does that mean?" Ai Li was puzzled. Her supervisor didn't explain, but merely directed her gaze towards a spot not far away. Ai Li followed his gaze and saw another colleague of hers, whose figure and appearance were even more striking than her own.
At that moment, the colleague was holding a tray, standing rigidly, and smiling at all the guests.
If it weren't for the man standing behind her, with one hand brazenly lifting her skirt and engaging in unspeakable acts, there would have been nothing unusual.
Yet, facing this situation, the colleague maintained a completely blank expression and made no other movements. The man behind her and the acts she was enduring seemed to not exist at all.
Now Ai Li understood why she was told not to treat herself as a person, but as a decoration.
"I remember him being a guest of the Rockefeller family!" Ai Li recalled the man's identity. No wonder he dared to act so brazenly here, unafraid of being caught. It turned out he was the one who caught others. After all, the status of the four major consortiums in America was unshakeable; they didn't need to be concerned about anything.
At this moment, Ai Li finally understood the reality of this world.
The banquet lasted for a considerable time. During the initial two hours, guests mingled freely, sipping drinks and conversing with any other attendees, giving the impression of a very ordinary gathering.
Of course, this was not the case. The four major consortiums hosted this annual banquet for all the elite classes, not merely for them to get drunk. Thus, after the fine wines and delicacies, staff swiftly cleared away most of the dining tables and drinkware, and brought in comfortable sofas.
These sofas were arranged in semicircles, with the titans of the four major consortiums seated at the center. Their positions, radiating outwards, perfectly symbolized the overall situation in America.
What followed was the true highlight of the banquet: the salon session.
It was called a salon because it was not a formal meeting but an opportunity for everyone to openly converse and express their views.
Over the next six hours, all participants in this salon would have the freedom to speak, voice their opinions, and communicate with the power brokers of the four major consortiums.
The benefits of such a salon were evident. Firstly, through this relaxed and informal environment, the majority of participants could express their opinions and analyze the current and future situation.
Simultaneously, it allowed the powerful figures of the four major consortiums to gain insights that were impossible to obtain in formal settings. After all, the salon brought together the nation's top talent and influential figures.
This included not only prominent individuals from major financial institutions and government bodies but also scientists, sociologists, artists, and even several representatives of the Black community. With the exception of the truly impoverished, it encompassed nearly every facet of American society, enabling comprehensive communication and understanding of the nation's situation, ultimately assisting the four major consortiums in making the most accurate judgments.
Since its inception a century ago, while the attendees have changed, the four major consortiums have remained constant. This, in turn, underscored the salon's crucial significance in maintaining their ruling status.
As the salon commenced, the first topic presented left Ai Li, who was diligently and subserviently listening with her head bowed, somewhat astonished.
Since their family was responsible for organizing this event, the topic was naturally formulated by the DuPont family. When this agenda was raised by the patriarch of the DuPont family, the atmosphere in the room grew somewhat somber.
The patriarch, a figure notoriously ill-reputed, rumored to have had relations with over fifty thousand beautiful women, directly posed a question to all the elites present: "Gentlemen, how long do you believe our position as world hegemon can be maintained?"
The current world hegemon asking about the longevity of its hegemonic status was undoubtedly a question that stumped many, leaving them unsure how to answer. Thus, even though everyone present was exceptionally intelligent, not a single person dared to speak.
However, as no one responded to this initial query, a brave soul eventually stepped forward.
Ai Li recognized this brave individual as the Dean of Harvard University's Department of Sociology. He had visited Ai Li's school for a few lectures during her time there, and Ai Li had attended them, making them semi-mentor and student.
The professor stated quite directly at the salon, "Respected gentlemen, Mr. Lloyd's question has given me a strong desire to speak my mind.
"However, before answering Mr. Lloyd's question, we must first clarify another issue: which nation possesses the capability to replace us and become the new world hegemon? After all, to depose an old hegemon, a new one must inevitably emerge! Esteemed gentlemen present, who do you believe these new hegemons might be?"
With this framing, it became much easier for everyone to answer, and soon, a lively discussion ensued. Aside from a few purely humorous responses,
"Very well, gentlemen, I have carefully listened to everyone's answers. Excluding the purely humorous ones, such as the response mentioning Somali pirates, the remaining answers have largely focused on four primary entities."
"These four entities are Russia, the European Union, China, and Japan."
"Let us analyze these five entities one by one. Firstly, the most frequent answer is Russia. This is because we have been in conflict with Russia for decades, and the terrifying steel tide of former Russia indeed sent shivers through the entire world. Moreover, it possesses vast resources, the world's largest territory, a combat-ready army, and formidable military technology, making it seem like the optimal answer."
"However, I believe Russia is precisely the least likely among these five. This is because Russia lacks the most crucial resource: a complete and healthy industrial system, along with a continuously advancing social system."
"Former Russia was indeed a formidable nation, capable of producing almost anything in the world, much like its mighty tide of yesteryear. But this is actually a flawed premise. Russia's territorial limitations directly prove it is a nation incapable of achieving a full industrial chain."
"Why did that former Russia, which seemed capable of producing everything, ultimately collapse, leading to its complete defeat by us?"
"It was because Russia's social material wealth was still insufficient. The various resources available to its citizens were far less than those enjoyed by us free Americans. Many Russians, after a tour of our America, became completely enamored with our country and our abundant material life. But Russia lacked these. It was a nation where everything required configuration, and each person could only live with limited resources. Such a nation was bound to fail."
"Ultimately, their production chain could not adequately satisfy the needs of the populace, and thus this vast empire crumbled, fully embracing our social system?"
"However, thanks to our past efforts and misdirection, we led Russia down another wrong path: relying on the infinite export of resources for immense profits to sustain the entire nation. This further destroyed Russia's entire industrial system. Believe me, the current Russia cannot even withstand another large-scale war, because once a major conflict begins, its industrial system would be unable to fulfill the demand for bullets on its front lines!"
"Unless several exceptional leaders descend upon such a nation consecutively, it is impossible for it to threaten our hegemonic position!"