The soft chime of the bell echoed through the council room.
Lydia Marques' chair lifted with a quiet hum, gliding forward along the invisible path to the central platform.
$113 trillion.
The number still sat heavily in her mind.
She stepped off with a controlled motion, her polished oxfords meeting the surface lightly. Her tailored suit fit sharply, the trousers falling cleanly to her ankles, projecting both professionalism and authority. Lydia's posture was impeccable—shoulders back, chin raised, eyes steady and analytical.
She gave a small, professional bow.
"My name is Lydia Marques. I am a policy economist specializing in sovereign recovery systems, post-crisis governance, and long-term national independence planning. I have advised multiple governments on economic reconstruction strategy and structural dependency risk. I am also the author of Post-Crisis Economic Sovereignty, Dependency Economies, and Recovery Without Reliance. I am here to address the structural consequences of the Male Protection Act."
Without further preamble, she continued.
"The Male Protection Act has created global dependence. That is not protection—it is reliance imposed. While the system has undoubtedly aided population recovery, other nations have deferred responsibility, allowing the Piao family to manage not just a national concern, but a species-level obligation."
On the proposition side, Camille's brows pulled together slightly.
Dependence?
She turned her head slightly toward Angel, confusion clear in her expression.
Is she… siding with us?
Angel didn't respond immediately.She gave a small, almost imperceptible shrug.
No idea.
Beside her, the doctor tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing in quiet analysis.
Across the row, one of the other members shifted their hand subtly against the table—two fingers lifting, then lowering.
Maybe.
Or not.
Lydia continued.
"Consider the facts: countries that could implement their own population strategies have instead relied on the infrastructure, resources, and oversight maintained by the Piao family. The system stabilizes reproduction globally, yes—but at what cost? Dependence."
Her voice sharpened slightly.
"Aid that never ends is not aid. It is a substitute for competence."
Camille blinked once, then leaned back slightly in her chair, still staring at Lydia.
Did she go so far left she circled back right…?
Her lips pressed together, holding back any visible reaction.
Lydia continued smoothly—then reached the number.
"By sustaining the male population and providing comprehensive compensation, medical supervision, and rehabilitation services for seventy years…"
A very small pause.
"Seventy years. $879 billion invested. Infrastructure, training, compensation, bonuses, and oversight—all privately funded."
Camille's fingers twitched against the armrest.
She wanted to say something.Badly.
Because that number was hers.
She exhaled slowly and stayed silent.
For the briefest moment, Lydia's eyes flicked downward—toward the screen where Camille's numbers still sat.
…Without public funding.
Then Lydia continued.
"If these nations had contributed proportionally, if governments and elites had remained engaged, the burden would have been shared. Instead, what we have is centralized management that masks a dependence cycle: countries grow reliant on the Piao family for population stability, rather than solving their own demographic challenges."
From the head of the table, Grace watched Lydia carefully now.
Not surprise.
Evaluation.
Lydia leaned slightly forward, emphasizing the scale.
"This is not speculation. It is arithmetic and consequence. $879 billion over seventy years, with continued management, oversight, and investment—funded without public support. The Piao family has prevented a collapse, yes, but in doing so, they have also created a system that discourages local accountability. The world has learned to rely on one family rather than building its own resilience."
Her voice grew firmer, her tone precise.
"If the Male Protection Act is to continue, these dynamics must be acknowledged. International coordination cannot substitute for sovereignty. Stability cannot be used as leverage for compliance or dependence. And any discussion of reform must recognize the scale of responsibility already shouldered—both financially and operationally—by the Piao family."
She paused, letting the words hang.
Her expression remained perfectly composed, professional and neutral.
But the number still lingered in her mind.
$113 trillion. And rising.
Lydia stepped back onto her hover chair. It lifted smoothly, following the invisible path back to her seat, settling with barely a whisper.
On the proposition side, Camille leaned slightly toward Angel and muttered under her breath, just barely audible.
"I genuinely cannot tell whose side she's on."
Angel didn't look at her.
A small pause.
Then, quietly—
"Exactly." she replied.