News reporter: Good morning, Loon. This is Camelia from Channel One. Lauren, The 25-year-old C.E.O. of Kin Foods, made a statement about the recent Bio-attack in their micro-factories. Unfortunately, The incident killed most company test subjects, and a few staff were hospitalised.

News Reporter: What first came to your mind when you saw this happen and when the investigators informed you about the listed suspects?

Lauren: I was shocked to see such a barbaric act happen right before my eyes. As for my thoughts on the suspect, I was surprised to see the extremist side of the coalition of human rights, animal rights, food security activists, and bio-activists after being misled by fake information. They are a hypocrite; clearly, the attack is an act of violence rather than activism.

News Reporter: Last year, an advocacy group, A-Rights, accused Kin Food Industry of abusing animal test subjects, and A.A.I. condemned the company for advocating lab-based food manufacturing that would eventually destroy the traditional food industry. There were a protest and crowd-funded lawsuit against you and Kin Food. What is your view on that?

Lauren: We started this food company with a vision to rethink how food can be produced sustainably and humanely so that our next generation will live better. I do understand A.A.I. why being extra critical of what we produce at a scale that would have an impact on the traditional farm or the food manufacturing industry. We have also started some outreach programmes to network with conventional industries recently. The forum was set up to discuss how we could pave the foundation for a sustainable food future in the next 5-10 years. We would love to invite A.A.I. to be part of the conversation.

News Reporter: That sounds promising, Lauren. How about A-Rights' Accusation?

Lauren: As for A-Rights, we would love to show A-Rights how we work in the lab after we settle the accidents at hand, as it is easier to show them the real thing.

News Reporter: Thank you for the time again.

Lauren: You are welcome.

Today, Humble reminded me about what happened two years ago. It is still an incident that sometimes kept me awake despite being resolved. Kin Food had made friends with many of the traditional farms over the years to avoid unnecessary feuds with them. Humble, and my friend asked me why I insisted on befriending them. My gut feeling tells me they meant no harm. They are still quite cynical about how the long-term collaboration with kin food would benefit them. Their organisations act this way because they feel insecure about their legacies, visions and promises. They were once like us, a small startup aiming to improve the livestock industry. However, we are slightly more fortunate than them because of the new policies and generational spirit.

Humble: Lauren...Lauren

Lauren: Oh yes, yes, what's up?

Humble: Is there something on your mind?

Lauren: I was thinking about the factory lab incident again and how it changed our future.

Humble: Things happen; sometimes, we must embrace them and follow the flow.

Lauren: Mhmm...

Humble: There will be an evening meeting with A.A.I. and F.O.A. later at Freedmen's.

Lauren: Noted. Erm, I don't need Rhea's ride.

Freedmen have been one of the country's most crucial pig farms and food corporate since independence. Recently, Jack, the young heir, approached us, Kin Food, to discuss the future of Freedmen and its relevance to society. As a climate activist and animal lover, he felt his beliefs did not align with the inherited business. He is looking for a real change. With A.A.I. and F.O.A. on board, this meeting will be historic.

Reception: Welcome to Freedmen. Can I verify your I.D.?

Lauren: Here you go.

Reception: Mr Young, the meeting is located on level 3, Room 4

Lauren: Thank you

The media has discussed the farm beneath this building since I was 5. Farmers across the region and people were astonished by the one of the kind artificial intelligence used in this traditional farm. It was the first of its kind before the age of secession. Today, all registered farm has already adopted Freedmen's prototype. The adoption was a mandatory move that the "Community" has legislated as the first part of the 35 years new agricultural transitional policy. The policy also includes phasing out the traditional meat industry as one of the main strategies for nationwide conversion to sustainable dietary.

Jack: Hey Lauren, finally you are here!

Lauren: Hi Jack, I'm sorry for the slight delay. Glad to see you IRL.

Jack: No worries at all. Follow me this way to the meeting room.

Lauren: Is this your first time hosting a meeting in this regional office?

Jack: Yes, it is! But I have been in this office before. The first time was when I was a kid. Do you know this office used to be the H.Q.?

Lauren: Yes, my uncle used to work here as a machine learning supervisor.

Jack: Alright, we are here. So, Just a few pointers, the board is not like my sis or me; they can be pretty conservative.

So Jack, the direct descendant of the Freedman lineage, wanted change. He has that progressive spirit that represents the foundation of Freedmen and the energy needed to revive his family legacy. His passion and energy reminded me of someone I grew up with and have known for a long time. However, it feels like he is trying to recruit a few other people and me to be his allies for this battle with the board of "elders" about the future of the Freedmen dynasty.

Jamie: Hi Lauren

Jack: She is my sister, Jamie

Lauren: Hi, Jamie

Jamie: Shall we go in now?

Jack: Yes, I think most of them are already here.

The board of directors and senior partners greeted us. There were 16 of them, and four representatives from A.A.I. and F.O.A. It feels like a gathering rather than a serious meeting that I had thought of. Waiters and waitresses were serving food and wine to everyone. Maybe this is their company's S.O.P. and culture. Whatever it is, it loosened me up from my anxiety regarding our conversation later.

Guo: Hi, You must be Lauren, the young C.E.O. from Kin Food.

Lauren: Yes, I am!

Guo: My son is a big fan of your products and works.

Lauren: Oh, I am honoured to hear that. You are?

Guo: I am the marketing director of Freedmen.

Jack: Hello, uncle Guo! Long time no see.

Guo: You and Jamie have grown up quite a lot. Both of you seem ready to take on the leadership role in Freedmen.

Jack: I hope so

Guo: Lauren, both of them are like my children.

Many of them seem open to me. In case I fell into some corporate traps, this is still a big organisation run by diverse talents, experienced veterans and family members. A mix of cronyism and nepotism. But whatever it is, I shall keep my guard up slightly.

Humble: Since when you became so cynical, Lauren?

Lauren: Huh?

Lauren: I felt the need to raise my guard in this context since I can sometimes be gullible and friendly. Flora isn't here this time.

Humble: Well, understandable. I have been here to help you since you were young. And Flora did tell me to take extra care of you.

It's 2 PM, and the chair of this meeting, Jamie, finally hits the gong to notify everyone to get to their seats for the conversation. The room was dimmed, and a video about the Freedmen industry was played. I think that's how they want to get the conversation started. It is all about retaining and prolonging the legacy. Somehow, all this feels like a hermit countries' propaganda; The history of the founder, the hero's arc of the founder and the preservation of the good name.

Jamie: Good Afternoon, everyone. First, thank you for participating in this discussion with the board of the Freedmen Industry and us. We are honoured to have Kinder Foods, A.A.I. and F.O.A. with us today.

Lauren: Thank you, Jack and Jamie, for the invite.

Kash: Thank you too!

Jack: Shall we, Jamie?

Jamie: Go ahead.

Jack: The purpose of today's meeting is to discuss and decide the future of the Freedmen Industry. Ming Le, can you put up the slides for me? Thank you.

Ming Le: Okay

Jack: Freedmen industry inc. has been pioneering new meat production technologies that improve food safety and security and address the climate crisis. We were at the forefront of the livestock industry. 15 years ago, my father moved the Freedmen Industry operation to Loon because he believed the company would be on the right side of future history.

Humble: This is very sentimental.

Lauren: He is showing the National Policy now. I think today is going to be a very long day, Humble. Can you tell Damian or Mom that I will be late tonight?

Humble: Ayy ayy

Jack: This National Agricultural policy is a critical document drafted and legislated 25 years ago by The Community when the Freedmen industry was part of the advisory committee.

Some of the directors sitting in front of me begin to whisper among each other about the subject that Jack is trying to bring up. I can sort of hear what they are discussing among themselves. They are pretty aware of Jack's demeanour.

Liu: I told you so; I felt this would happen.

Hirama: Me too, but we are pretty powerless as second-tier management directors.

Ganesh: Yeah, we know what to do.

From that nuance, it is about pushing the blame to the First Tier Management if anything related to the national policy.

Jack: It was a national legacy project to ensure the country will be the first to reach the Carbon Zero target by 2050. Freedmen's part was to help transform the meat production industry and the economy that comes with it to accommodate the National Dietary Transition Goal.

He flashes out the old advertisement of Loon with the population dietary statistic.

Jack: This is still our role in ending Animal Cruelty and Animal Husbandry. We are ten years from the agreement's maturity, and The Community has started to audit the population's diet again. 40% of the population isn't vegan, and their consumption still requires products from our farm until now.

A director named Derrick interrupted Jack.

Derrick: For your information, Freedmen has been funding many startups, like Plento, Blend, Kin, etc., for the past 4-5 years. The result needs time, that's all. Am I right, Mr Lauren?

Lauren: Huh?

Jack: These startups' investments or Freedmen's diversification plan were executed when Jamie and I finally joined the board. How about the past 20 years before it?

Derrick: With your dad and your family's absence, the company was in a chaotic trial-and-error stage as we have been experimenting with different ways to diversify. We required the capital reserve to transform. The Community didn't actively engage with our situation after your father died. Closing down the other supply chains associated with us was challenging since we are international. Again, it needed time to dissolve.

Janet: Yes, I agree with Derrick. Jack, it could have been more clear-cut than it seems to be. We could have just shut down Freedmen's operation. Still, we care about your father's legacy and the workers with us across a few continents. Alexander is our partner and good friend. His vision is ours too. Moreover, We also represent Loon's future.

Una: We have to stay afloat first.

So this is how the table turned between the board and Jack. It is pretty awkward for outsiders like Kash and me to be here. This has made us highly uncomfortable. I felt like a sit-in audience for Freemen corporate politics.

Humble: Don't go, Lauren. We have to see this through.

Lauren: Oh, you love dramas? Why not just binge it on Netflix

Humble: No...Just a hunch that something is not so right based on their speech sentiments.

Jamie shouted at the directors, asking them to stop the theatrics and lies.

Jamie: No more lies!

Jack throws the physical copies of the reports, hard-drives and flashes some of them on the screen. It is a confidential investigation report on Freedmen and the directors.

Jack: Derrick, yes, you did dissolve some old farms across England after my father's death. Still, you re-established loads of it in South East Asia during your prime time in Freedmen alongside Janet and Una. You all betrayed the company's new mission.

Jack: Lauren, they are the ones who created trouble for your lab 2 years ago.

Lauren: But why?

Jamie: Because...

Suddenly, an admin rushed into the meeting room and asked everyone to evacuate the building immediately because the building and the town would soon be flooded. She also mentioned that the pigs in the lower ground farm broke loose and escaped one hour before the flood emergency was declared.

Lao: Our prized Pigs? Escaped? No way! Someone must have hacked into our system. Someone from Freedmen must have done it. No, It can't be as well. The farm is built with a state-of-the-art cage, artificial intelligence and cyber security that can withstand a disaster.

Lauren: Prized Pigs?

Lao: Our latest invention, Bio-engineered Pigs.

Lauren: Isn't that illegal in Loon Territory?

Humble: We have to leave now, Lauren. Rhea is waiting.

Lauren: I need to ask Jamie for a reason.

Humble: Another time, please; the M.E.T. said the flood would be historic.

Lauren: Alright.

Two months have passed, and I still have not gotten any calls from Jack and Jamie. I hope they are okay since that evening was messy. The only news related to the sibling is that The Community released a court order to investigate Freedmen's illegal lab study on the bio-engineered pig for food production and their sub-supply chains.

Humble: Lauren, do remember that you will be visiting Evergreen Middle School to give a sharing about the future of food at around 2 PM.

Lauren: Todd reminded me of when I was in the lab.

Humble: Speak like a human… they are just kids

Lauren: alright, mate.

I am going to the school where I, Damian and Flora did our middle school. For your information, It is the only middle school our small town has. And it is one of the best in the country so far, according to The Community.

Security: Lauren, You are back! I haven't seen you since you left this school.

Lauren: What? I occasionally saw you at Marina Deli, and we greeted each other.

Security: I am getting old, son. It is good to see you in good shape.

Lauren: Same goes for you, sir.

Suddenly, a kid, Ben, asks me about Freedmen's farm incident.

Ben: Hi, sir. Did you see how the pig escaped from Freedmen Farm?

Lauren: No, did you?

Ben: Yes, I saw the pigs running out after the gates opened! This is one of the great miracles that will be recorded in the new testament! Praise Sigma for saving them and giving them a new life.

Lauren: Yeah, the incident did save the pigs, I guess. What is Sigma?

Ben: We call it our saviour in the church. Our pastor said that "it" will be the one that saves the world.

Lauren: Hmm, is Sigma, a god?

Ben: Yes! Mr Lauren!

Lauren: I see! Ben, don't forget to play your part as a human too! You might be the planetary saviour when you grow up.

Humble: Sire, you might want to hear this, and the kid might be right.

Lauren: Go ahead. I hope it's not tabloid.

News reporter: Two months ago, several parts of "______" encountered a sudden flash flood caused by heavy rainfall. At the same time, the pigs escaped from Freedmen's farm. Experts have finally found out what went wrong with the farms that have somehow freed and saved the pigs. We have Erne Josef, a programme developer and an artificial intelligence forensic investigator from FAIIB, with us today.

Erne Josef: Hello, world and I am honoured to be here.

News reporter: So what happened back there?

Erne Josef: What happened back there was a miracle to the computer science community.

News Reporter: Miracle?

Erne Josef: Yes, and none of us has seen how an artificial intelligence system acted like that before….