ADVENT: History

ADVENT and Business

"We don't intend to kill businesses, but they will need to work to maintain their relevance."

- Martin White, Director of the ADVENT Internal Business and Assimilation Agency

Proposal 0083

Latest Revision: 01/22/2017

Designation: Department of Business Development, Oversight, and Assimilation (DBDOA)

Program Type: Regulatory Body (Administration and Oversight); Expansion Body; Production Body

Authors: Keith Watkins, Chief Overseer of the Oversight Division; the Commander of XCOM; Martin White, Director of the IBAA; Daniel Osborne, Director of the FCC; Suzanna Yates, Chairman of the FTC; Rigan Ferris, Chair of the Board of Regulators; Adam Udnien, Director of the CFPB; Valerie Rosenstock, Chief Administrator of the DBDOA

INITIAL PROPOSAL: Businesses play an essential role in the economy of all nations, consortiums, alliances, and governments. ADVENT is no different, and the goal of the Department of Business Development, Oversight, and Assimilation (DBDOA) is to ensure that only the highest quality services and goods are offered within ADVENT, to promote healthy competition between businesses, and to expand ADVENT influence within the private sector.

Businesses have the right to pursue their own objectives and goals independent of ADVENT and the betterment of Humanity (With the exception of unsanctioned contact/sale with alien entities, hostile countries, and unobserved research), but steps will now be taken to ensure that this will not come at the expense of ADVENT law, customer safety and health, or the planet. This will be enforced through a variety of agencies and departments within the DBDOA.

The DBDOA will also work to promote and help establish smaller businesses to encourage healthy competition and growth on a local, state, and global level. It will also work to expand, support, and assimilate failed or bankrupt businesses caused by legal or other means, which will in turn greatly expand ADVENT's influence within the private sector and begin the additional stable employment of millions to further the ultimate goals of ADVENT and Humanity itself.

Businesses ultimately have a responsibility not just to themselves, but also to the individuals they sell products to. Risks cannot be taken unnecessarily for the future of Humanity, and like the rest of the world, they will need to adapt to this new world designed for the betterment of our species.

Businesses/Corporations/Companies are divided into three sizes:

- Small: Less than five locations; thirty or fewer total employees (including owners)

- Medium: Between six and fifty locations; between thirty-one and two thousand total employees (including owners and administration)

- Large: Over fifty-one locations; over two thousand total employees

PERSONNEL COMPOSITION: The DBDOA will be composed of the following divisions, bodies, and agencies:

BUSINESS REGULATORY BODY: The Business Regulatory Body is the principal division which is responsible for all business regulations within ADVENT. These include small to large businesses, approved and forbidden hiring practices, advertising regulations, employee conditions, union management, and additional aspects related to business oversight and worker safety. They maintain a close connection to the Congress of Nations to work to pass new regulations quickly and efficiently after they have been reviewed by consultants and experts from around the world. Regulations can similarly be changed, repealed, or added to through this same process.

The Business Regulatory Body is not a legal entity, but they are considered a legal consultant for all matters relating to business regulation.

SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE AGENCY (SBAA): The Small Business Assistance Agency (SBAA) exists to help up and coming small businesses establish themselves without significant worry of business failures. The SBAA maintains an online website providing educational material and assistance forms for businesses that qualify for the benefits.

As ADVENT is funding and supporting these small businesses, there is an expectation that they will adhere to the established requirements and standards for any ADVENT business. Failure to do so will result in the immediate pulling of funding and possible investigation. Businesses which have been found to be participating in illegal or substandard activity will be reviewed by the IBAA for possible assimilation. The SBAA is responsible for reviewing small businesses which have accepted support on a monthly basis to ensure they are in compliance. Once a small business no longer qualifies, support will be formally withdrawn as the business will be self-sustaining. Depending on their cooperation and standing, possible contracting offers or buyout proposals may be proposed.

BUSINESS INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT: This division is responsible for the inspection of all businesses which will typically be conducted on a bi-weekly or monthly basis depending on the business type in question. Additional unscheduled inspections may also be conducted. Inspectors will conduct inspections of the workplace for any sanitary or safety concerns, as well as ensuring that hardware and utilities are in good working condition.

In addition to physical inspection, they will conduct interviews with random employees of all levels to ensure that employee treatment is satisfactory and within the law. Depending on interviews, more may be conducted until the Inspectors are satisfied with the information they have acquired.

The final area Inspection and Enforcement conducts is audits of finances, personnel, and resources. These are conducted quarterly and exclusively by ADVENT. Interviews with personnel related to these aspects of the business will also be conducted by Inspectors.

Business Inspection and Enforcement has the legal authority to perform arrests or temporarily shut down businesses. They can request Peacekeeper, ADVENT Intelligence, and SSR support as needed, as well as call upon consultants and experts of all fields and regulations.

INTERNAL BUSINESS AND ASSIMILATION AGENCY (IBAA): This agency is responsible for reviewing business which have filed for bankruptcy or are otherwise planning to shut down. Should they determine the business is salvageable or there is worth in keeping it, they will approach the owners with an offer to be assimilated into the ADVENT Business family.

This will result in ADVENT working to staff, fund, and restore the business, while keeping on competent members of the staff, but now the business works directly for ADVENT, but also retains the same familiar brand, now with ADVENT's quality and efficiency. ADVENT, specifically the IBAA, now has direct control over all business-related matters and cannot be bought out by former owners, employees, or other companies.

The IBAA is likewise responsible for managing all internal ADVENT civilian businesses, corporations, and companies, and ensuring that they are up to acceptable standards. They have complete authority within these businesses and can call upon legal support should it become necessary. It should be clear that the IBAA cannot take control of a business without the express and written consent of the owner(s) except in situations relating to ADVENT security – in which case a warrant from the Executive Branch which is notarized by the Oversight Division will be needed.

ADVENT BUSINESS TAX AGENCY (BTA): The BTA is responsible for determining the amount of taxes each business will be required to pay, which will be calculated based on a variety of factors including number of locations, employees, administration, gross income, profit, losses, products, contracts with ADVENT and other groups, and other factors which will culminate into a final sum which all businesses will be required to pay in full to retain their legal right to operate.

The BTA has full authority to shut down businesses which fail to pay taxes and perform arrests if necessary. Attempting to avoid paying taxes through loopholes is not recommended as the BTA has direct connections to the Congress of Nations and all tax legislation is given significant priority.

ADVENT BUSINESS OVERSIGHT CORPS (BOC): For all large businesses, having a member of the Business Oversight Corps (BOC) on their board of directors or equivalent will be required to ensure that all major business and corporations are adhering to the rules and regulations, as well as be aware of the latest decisions of the corporation at large.

They will hold a non-voting or authoritative role, and only exist to report to ADVENT that regulations are being followed. They will also serve in an advisory capacity to the board of directors (or other equivalent) providing advice and insight on possible ways to angle their goals towards ADVENT objectives. They will also serve as an initial warning for any possible mistakes made along the way. They do not have legal authority of their own, but their reports can be used as justification for intervention as well as an ability to request inspections or reviews.

MILITARY AND WEAPONS DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING AND OVERSIGHT (MWDCO): This division is solely responsible for the oversight and management for all businesses which perform weapon/munition research, testing, and production, as well as those who have an interest in doing contract work for ADVENT. All weapons developers are required to have one representative on site at all times regardless of the size of the business who will make reports directly to the MWDCO.

This division is also responsible for developing military contracts between these businesses and ADVENT, and will only give them to the highest quality work provided. In return for contracts, ADVENT will allow them to be the sole civilian business which produces the desired item, though ADVENT will also reserve the right to produce it themselves.

TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL MEDIA BUSINESS OVERSIGHT (TSMBO): This division is responsible for the oversight of all large technological businesses which include social media. The TSMBO requires that all of these businesses have at least one representative who will serve as a link between ADVENT and the business. This representative will have the authority to request access to all administrative functions, including users, logs, histories, and all back and front-end applications, as well as source code. These can be passed along to other organizations within ADVENT including ADVENT Intelligence, the Peacekeepers, and the Oversight Division. They are also able to be sent to other businesses with this same authority, even if they would not technically fall under a technological business.

RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING: Training and recruitment will be done through a variety of methods, much like other similar institutions. Targeted recruitment from schools, businesses, and military will be prioritized, specifically those with degrees in law, business, and computer science. Law enforcement and forensic experience is also a priority.

Individuals within ADVENT may also be contacted for possible transfers, which includes all branches of the ADVENT Military, the Executive Branch, and other internal organizations. This will be approved by the Oversight Division and the division in question.

Training will be conducted internally and through a variety of academic and hands-on interactions, all of which will be paid for by ADVENT.

AUTHORITY AND LIMITATIONS: The DBDOA has the final authority on most or all regulations relating to businesses, and reserves the rights to investigate, arrest, detain, or shut down any business or individuals maintaining them should they be in violation of the laws established by ADVENT. They have the authority to authorize contracting on civilian and military ventures, and acquire data and use of all social media and online platforms.

The DBDOA would also have complete authority over all civilian businesses that have been assimilated into ADVENT, and will be responsible for ensuring that they are staffed, maintained, and funded in an efficient and satisfactory manner.

CONCLUSION: Through the DBDOA, ADVENT can work with the many businesses which exist and thrive within it to increase the value and quality of the goods and services provided to the citizens of ADVENT. Businesses and companies are part of ADVENT, and thus by extension, Humanity, and it is imperative that this be recognized and enforced. ADVENT is committed to assisting and rewarding those who follow the regulations and rules established, but will act accordingly against those who believe themselves above or outside the law.

"A good thing? Yeah, I think it's a good thing overall. People usually don't like it when the government gets involved in stuff, but that's usually because it's made worse, not better. With ADVENT it's going to be better. Yes, hard to believe, I know, but think about it"

"You have? Guess I shouldn't be surprised, you have good sources. Anyway, there's going to be some things coming from this that people are going to like. Everyone complains that the big companies and owners make too much money and dodge taxes. That ain't happening anymore. You try and funnel your money through Switzerland or Panama? You're going to jail. Running sweatshops in China or Africa? At best you're getting fined millions of dollars. Or alloys. A lot of money either way."

"You better believe the corps hate this. But sadly they can't do anything about it now that ADVENT controls a significant portion of the countries they operate in, and they know which way things are going. So they just have to suck it up and deal with it. The changes are going to force them to be a little more responsible than they've been, no point in trying to cut corners to save money when you're just going to be fined anyway."

"Ah, why ADVENT doesn't think that'll kill the business market? Well, you know how ADVENT included the word 'assimilation' in several places? That isn't for show. ADVENT does not care if companies go out of business, because that means that will be one more under their control."

"How that works? Consider you have a small grocery store and you fall on hard times. Or something happens and you are forced to shut down. One day ADVENT may show up, say they like what you're doing and would like to assist. They give you money, resources, staff, whatever you need which they think is appropriate – and all you need to do is join their little business conglomerate."

"ADVENT officially owns your business now. They'll keep the same people – unless they've screwed up badly, keep the same brand, most people probably won't notice a big difference and that's how ADVENT wants it. You can obviously predict that people won't necessarily like ADVENT coming in with their own stores and stuff to drive out the little mom and pop businesses – but if those are still around? And now with ADVENT's trademark efficiency and quality? People will like that, it'll build a very comfortable illusion for the public."

"You need to understand how ADVENT approaches business. To them, a company going bankrupt and vanishing forever is a negative. More choices are better, and the more stores that exist, the greater the competition, and the higher quality the products, at least in theory. So them going around and saving businesses is their way of trying to accomplish this. This is why they usually don't change up the leadership specifically unless they're really bad – they want to emphasize what the draw of this business is, why it can and should retain customers. If they keep failing, ADVENT will just remove them and put someone in who has a better idea, and keep doing this until something works."

"ADVENT isn't focused on money…not really. Is pouring millions into these little companies worth it? Financially? No. Or it won't turn a profit for some time. But it gets ADVENT something it really desires – influence. ADVENT will eventually want the entire private sector under their control, but it will be done in a way where you won't even be able to tell a business is run by ADVENT aside from the little "A subsidiary of ADVENT" tagline on the website and legal docs."

"This is as close to a challenge as ADVENT is going to publicly say. It's telling every single megacorp out there 'Be ready, because what you're doing isn't going to be good enough anymore'. When you see these companies complain that these regulations are 'crippling' or 'overreaction', and how they will destroy the economy and everyone will be without their Wal-Marts and their Costcos and so on, just remember that it's a lie."

"If Wal-Mart were to declare bankruptcy, you probably wouldn't hear about it in the news because it would now be a proud subsidiary of ADVENT and running just fine. ADVENT's plan is more insidious than destroying the private sector – they would just prefer to subvert it and exert control from behind the scenes."

"But – we go back to if this is good or bad. I think it's good. Any true believer in capitalism should agree. Competition needs to come back, and recently we've reached a point where companies have gotten so big no one can challenge them so they become stagnant, being able to just bully those below them into cooperating or shuttering their doors. They can't do that anymore, and now they can be challenged. So they either have to adapt, or they'll be put under ADVENT control. And if there's one thing they hate more than ADVENT regulations, it's being run by ADVENT."

"And of course you're going to have the people screaming communism at what ADVENT does, but let's be honest, is it actually worse to just let these businesses die and not be given another chance? What difference is there in ADVENT making companies subsidiaries of their management and other, larger companies from doing the same to each other? ADVENT is a government, but as long as they aren't turning everything into the same kind of business, what actual difference is there?"

"Does ADVENT care that I'm telling you this? Ha! If they cared, they wouldn't have let me talk to you when I put in the request. You do good work, mostly unbiased work, which I think is why ADVENT's been letting you roam around so freely. The thing is though you and a lot of people seem to think that ADVENT is doing all this stuff in secret and I'm a whistleblower on ADVENT's plan to take over the world."

"I mean…just look on their website one time. Look at the names. ADVENT's not hiding what they're doing from the world, and that tells me that people are just so used to the doublespeak they don't know how to react to bluntness, or people are more interested in only seeing what they want to see."

- Inspector Alisia Codsworth to Jessica Wong in a sanctioned interview

Out of all the radical changes ADVENT has brought to the world, among the most impactful and major are their handling of tech giants and how they have attempted to tackle the military industrial complex. One of the first major decisions ADVENT implemented was their move to develop and produce the majority of their weapons, armor, and equipment for military use internally.

This involved severing and voiding previous contracts and instituting new laws to bring significant chunks of these companies directly under ADVENT supervision. Due to the invasion, most went along with this and to this day they are producing significant amounts of weapons and munitions for ADVENT. Major munitions companies have attempted to achieve some form of compensation for ADVENT's actions, and have indeed been paid significantly now that things have temporarily stabilized. But ADVENT has also refused to return the majority of production plants due to needing them for the war effort, as well as recruited a large number of engineers and developers to work directly for ADVENT.

This sudden takeover has significantly reduced the bite that the military industrial complex has held over the past few decades, as many of them have been forced to start over, under heavy ADVENT regulations, and with no contracts with ADVENT and with very limited potential business partners – largely in China.

While some companies have moved their entire operations to China, the majority have decided to follow ADVENT's rules and earn their place back. Now that ADVENT has been prioritizing their own research and development, munition and weapon producers can no longer be complacent and in incremental development. ADVENT isn't interested in the next generation of missiles or guns, they already make those.

They are looking for those who develop outside the box. Who see a need unfulfilled on the battlefield and move to fill it. They are looking for the newest exotic weapons technology that they don't have – and it should be apparent that they are working on it. It's a race between the weapons manufacturers to now develop something that is unique, that ADVENT doesn't have, and most importantly – something that works. There is a frantic competitive drive which has been created because of ADVENT's actions, and it appears that this is exactly what ADVENT wanted.

Competition itself seems to be at the heart of ADVENT's approach to business. They have a vested interest in keeping their eyes on the private sectors, but care very little who succeeds or fails, as they are developing their own conglomerate of salvaged and resurrected businesses that they want to be able to compete with the best.

There has been also concern raised about the possibility of ADVENT manipulating prices of their own businesses or affiliates to artificially lower them to drive competitors out of business and assimilate them before raising them to their previous levels. However when raised, an ADVENT spokesman provided legislation drafted by the Business Regulatory Body which prohibits predatory pricing or intentionally operating at a loss for all businesses – including those run or overseen by ADVENT.

"ADVENT has no intention of using these kind of measures to unfairly drive others away or take control," the spokesman said. "We desire a completely even field for all to participate in – including us, and these regulations will now ensure this is the case. If businesses succeed or fail, it will be on their own merit – or lack thereof." This is a move which has generated cautious praise from many business leaders and owners, but are still skeptical at the ultimate power ADVENT holds. Laws can be repealed or changed, after all.

And while ADVENT regulations could very well be considered harsh, they are very technical in nature. ADVENT expects a safe working environment (as much as possible), high quality products, no illegal activity, responsible handling of materials and environmental comprehension, and that all their employees are paid in a timely manner.

Yet curiously, ADVENT has imposed very few social or discriminatory laws. Companies are allowed to hire whoever they wish for any reason, as well as choosing not to hire for any reason. In the same vein there are no laws which make it illegal to refuse service. Companies are allowed to choose who their clients are and are not with no legal penalty. It should be noted that ADVENT, and ADVENT businesses do have their own internal disclaimer, but do not impose it upon on independent businesses.

This has led to some fears that applicants may be rejected based on religious or racial grounds, and an ADVENT spokesman directly addressed this when asked saying "Yes, that is a possibility. However, that is their right to hire who they want and who they don't want. If someone isn't hired for what is considered to be an unjust reason, they will lose business and will either be forced to adapt to keep up with more inclusive competitors, or they will fail. It is not for us to decide how they choose to run their business so long as they follow the other regulations required by law."

Unlike hiring, firing of any employee must be justified with some proof. Companies are encouraged to send all paperwork related to employee severance or dismissal to ADVENT in the event of a possible challenge, but it is not required. It is also now extremely difficult to sue for wrongful termination, in the sense that it doesn't come without risk. ADVENT has made a very clear point that it will not tolerate wrongful accusations, and it is written into law that if an employer is sued for wrongful termination and found innocent, the accuser will be arrested and given a reasonably short sentence. As such claims are extremely difficult to prove short of the inclusion of an Arbiter, significant amounts of evidence should be collected before anyone makes a claim, and even then only after legal counsel.

ADVENT has also decided to handle workers rights and unions in a strange manner. Their laws do include a requirement that employees who hold the same position must be paid equally regardless of gender, but does not make any additional requirements beyond that. There is no established minimum wage which is left to the company, a minimum or maximum number of hours of work is also not defined, another detail left to the company. The only hard laws appear to be absolutely no mistreatment of employees and work provided must be within reasonable limits based upon the individual in question.

Contracts are in favor of the company, though both sides are expected to follow through, and the one who would break a contract will receive absolutely no legal protection from ADVENT unless it was due to wanting to avoid committing criminal activity – in which case ADVENT advises going to the nearest Peacekeeper outpost.

Unions are technically legal within ADVENT, but have limited effectiveness and authority. Companies cannot prevent them from being created, nor fire an individual for being a part of one. But Unions cannot have membership fees, must be registered with ADVENT, must have all staff holding a working job, and cannot organize or protest in a way which inconveniences other citizens of ADVENT. Striking is permitted, but that is considered a justifiable reason for employment termination.

ADVENT has publicly stated that Unions are not useful for making change. As a spokesman said, "If you believe that you are being treated unfairly by the company you work for, please inform your local DBDOA branch about the situation and one of our associates will reach out to you for additional details."

All of these put together, ADVENT, despite the public complaining from many companies, is actually allowing them significant freedom in how they manage their own businesses outside of safety and legal contexts. There has been a mixed to negative reception from business leaders, unions and workers, though ADVENT does not appear to be extremely concerned with the response.

Their handling of large tech and social media giants is also worth noting. While it isn't proven, it is suspected that all major search engines and social media platforms are regularly sending over flagged data to ADVENT and that ADVENT has direct access to their own platforms. While it is not a complete and obvious takeover, it seems extremely clear that ADVENT is not asking if they can have access – they are demanding it and pointing to the military industrial complex as an example of what could happen to them.

ADVENT's dispassionate approach to business, in some cases turning it into a metaphorical battle royale, appears to be somewhat divisive, but it is far too early to say what the ultimate effects will be. In truth, it appears that the only objective winners of this development are consumers of these goods and services. ADVENT clearly does not care about businesses which will fail, and are only interested in those who prove they are worthy of being paid.

The forced competitive nature ADVENT desires will ultimately only serve to make ADVENT stronger, because as each loser falls, only to be resurrected under the backing of ADVENT, the closer ADVENT will be to having full control over the economy.

It is an elegant solution, and one no one can do anything about but fight to stay independent of the ADVENT behemoth.

Unfortunately, I fear many will lose and be, as ADVENT eloquently puts it, assimilated.

- Article: The Effect of ADVENT on the Business World by Zevren Iridona

Memo distributed to the Administrative Staff of the ADVENT Internal Business and Assimilation Agency

With the regulations going into effect, it is extremely likely that we will be handling our first assimilated subsidiaries within a matter of months. I would like to take this time to remind everyone that our own official companies are still planned to be deployed within the next year. Pilot programs will begin within the next six months, and may be moved up sooner depending on the success of the ADVENT Diner pilot program.

The pilot businesses will focus on four official areas – again it should be noted that we do not want, nor need, to provide every single service imaginable. But major ones – especially ones which have limited competition – we intend to tackle. It will also serve to make our own mark on ADVENT and begin to direct the culture towards something more uniform.

ADVENT Furniture and Appliances: We intend for these to be larger warehouse-sized and possibly multi-storied places which contain an extremely wide variety of set pieces, furniture, and room pilots (Inspiration has been taken from IKEA). All pieces of furniture will come in multiple colors and be able to be shipped to houses.

There will also be services provided where staff will be able to assist in full renovations and redecorations. All products sold should be made with the highest quality materials possible, and be reasonably priced so most families will be able to afford it.

We are already in the process of designing and producing test pieces which will eventually be used to phase out existing furniture within our military and government buildings. Before opening we will conduct a similar media campaign that is currently taking place for the ADVENT Diner.

ADVENT Clothing: The goal for this business is to provide people with inexpensive high-quality clothing in multiple sizes and colors. Initially we do not intend to sell anything more than plain-colored shirts, pants, and business attire. While plain, we want this to be a place where individuals can easily find and buy plain and non-designed clothing without hassle or significant time spent. We do not expect to make a significant amount of money initially.

After a period of time (Or if sales spike unexpectedly) we will begin more unique ADVENT designs which take into account our aesthetic and color scheme. We are working on preliminary designs for this, and prior to initial pilot deployment, we will conduct a media campaign as expected.

ADVENT Media and Entertainment: This will be responsible for the producing and distribution of all ADVENT-produced movies, television, and gaming media. There will be several different wings that manage different aspects, as well as stores which will sell merchandise and copies of what this department will produce.

This will likely be the last department to actually produce anything, as this kind of media takes time, and we are currently in the process of hiring writers and directors for three upcoming movies and documentaries (Which are centered around the Battle of Korea, the formation of ADVENT, and an in-depth look at the various institutions of ADVENT). There is also a television series being developed focusing on the conflict between ADVENT Intelligence and the Zararch.

These serve well as entertainment, as well as to continue to normalize ADVENT to the general public and remind them that they are involved in a momentous time in history. It will also subliminally help in the normalization of other potentially sensitive subjects such as psions, alien defectors and allies, and our surveillance.

We are expecting an extremely positive response to our gaming division which will have multiple development teams for mobile, console, and PC platforms. Mobile games are still being conceptualized, but production has begun on several console/PC games, including a shooter-genre game involving ADVENT. It will allow the player to take part in various fictional and non-fictional battles in the current war (With future battles possibly being implemented for future downloadable content).

A second game is a turn-based strategy game where the player will take command of XCOM and manage soldiers, bases and resources. This is being developed in conjunction with XCOM who have expressed an interest in the project. They have also agreed to reprise their own roles, wishing to provide an authentic (and non-classified) experience to the player.

These will serve as continued normalization of ADVENT and XCOM, as well as serve as possible recruiting tools for the future. Despite the large teams hired for these projects, we are expecting each game to take no fewer than two years to complete. Future games including those of the RPG and MMO genres are also being considered.

Marketing will be conducted when development is well underway.

ADVENT Communications: The purpose of this business is to provide the entirety of ADVENT with affordable and fast wireless internet and phone coverage. We are specifically going to be targeting areas which have one or no internet providers to serve as a possible alternative. Areas with no coverage will also be targeted for development.

ADVENT Communications will also heavily utilize fiber and 4G as the standard to provide faster and better service than any competitors. The production of ADVENT electronics will also be done through this division including phones, tablets, laptops, headphones, and additional electronic accessories. These will likely come later, as the priority will be the development of service towers and lines to our citizens.

I will remind everyone that these businesses are to serve two purposes – the first is obviously to penetrate the civilian market more directly and provide them with an exceptional service compared to the competition. The second is to stimulate the economy. We are to set the standard for business and everyone else must match or exceed us if they wish to remain relevant.

Our goal to assimilate every single business in ADVENT, and we do this by being better than our competition. We will not be completely successful, not for decades at a minimum, but that is what we are striving towards. We want everyone to be as good as we will be, and to do this, we have to make everyone else lose.

This is our goal. It is up to each and every one of you to make it a reality.

- Martin White, Director of the ADVENT Internal Business and Assimilation Agency