How far can you coil inwards?
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}Aerial photograph of SCP-9895 and its environs.
Object Class: Euclid Thaumiel
Special Containment Procedures: The Foundation is to maintain exclusive purchasing agreements with SCP-9895-A, -B, and -C. All procurement is to be conducted through the Logistics Department, and no external buyers are to be permitted access. With the co-operation of each entity, information about their anomalous properties will be concealed from the public and communications into and out from their locations will be continuously monitored.
MTF-CN-Beta-09 has been assigned to conduct surveillance on SCP-9895 and maintain a standing force in case factory seizure is required, in collaboration with the local Public Security Bureau and Industry and Information Technology Bureau. In the event of hostile activity from SCP-9895-B, the Department of Tactical Theology is to enact standard religious suppression protocols.
Description: SCP-9895 is a cluster of three factories (designated SCP-9895-A, -B, and -C) around Chenhu Lake (沉湖) in Guangdong Province, China. SCP-9895 produces 99.7% (2025) of all stationery equipment purchased by the Foundation Logistics Department, including writing instruments and consumables, paper products, filing and organisation equipment, adhesives and tape, and miscellaneous desk supplies.
Prior to 2020, SCP-9895 consisted of non-anomalous manufacturers operating at net profit margins of 2-4%, attaining 94-95% of theoretical maximum capacity utilisation. Following severe disruptions to global supply chains beginning in early 2020, the Logistics Department reduced its maximum approved expenditure on non-critical supplies by 18% in order to make up for budget overruns in the containment division. Despite increasing consumption of stationery, the department elected to reduce spending in this sector and negotiated new contracts with SCP-9895.
On 2020/07/16, SCP-9895-A offered a revised quote that significantly undercut SCP-9895-B and -C. This was initially interpreted by the Logistics Department as a result of the competitive tender and circulated within the department as a procurement success. This quote was shared with SCP-9895-B and -C in order to encourage a reduction of their pricing; however, SCP-9895-B and -C instead filed a complaint against SCP-9895-A alleging the usage of anti-competitive and unsustainable practices, leading to a supplier audit.
During this audit, the Foundation discovered numerous discrepancies between the shift claims made by workers and the automated payroll system of SCP-9895-A. It was found that the number of hours logged officially by payroll exceeded that expected by the number of employees and their check-in and check-out times by a factor of 1.3. The Logistics Department suspected an active wage theft or ghost employee system was in place, and Agent Amelia Lau was dispatched to investigate.
► Interview Log
Interviewer: Agent Amelia Lau
Interviewed: Miss Huang Xiaoxue
Agent Lau: I'm sorry to take time away from your break, but we're interviewing employees across the factory as part of our audit regarding your pay and overtime. Has Mr. Ma spoken to you about that?
Miss Huang: (Nodding slowly.) Yes, yesterday we were told we would have some visitors today. They said that we should be welcoming and answer any questions you have.
Agent Lau: I can't help but notice that you look very tired, Miss Huang. Are you coming up to the end of your shift?
Miss Huang: (Glancing at a wall clock.) Um, not quite. I have another four hours before I can go home.
Agent Lau: Why did you check the clock up there, and not your phone?
Miss Huang: Oh, company policy is no phones or watches inside the factory. They're distracting.
Agent Lau: Uh-huh. So you work nine a.m. to nine p.m. each day?
Miss Huang: That's right. I have to admit, there have been days recently where I feel like it's too much for me. I know it's a lot, but at least our rate is hourly. Mr. Ma always pays on time, and the wages are better than in the other factories I worked before. I'm lucky to have this job. I can support my parents, and I think I might be in line for a promotion soon. Maybe I just need to take a couple of days of holiday.
Agent Lau: (Checking her watch, and then her phone.) The clock's wrong. It's a few minutes slow.
Miss Huang: Well, we've suspected that before. But if it's just a few minutes, it's worth it, isn't it? The factory won't get fined, right?
Agent Lau: Excuse me. I have to go and check something with my team.
► Debrief Log
Interviewer: Deputy Director Seamus Carr
Interviewed: Agent Amelia Lau
Dep. Dir. Carr: You verified this, didn't you? I'll need concrete evidence.
Agent Lau: Yes. We left hidden timers inside the factory. While the factory is operating, Mr. Ma is compressing the time inside by a factor of approximately one point three relative to the rest of the world.
Dep. Dir. Carr: Could you tell whether the employees were aware of this?
Agent Lau: They're not allowed phones or watches, and the wall clocks show the outside time. They have no idea why they feel so tired after working what they believe is a twelve-hour working day. In reality, they're working almost sixteen hours.
Dep. Dir. Carr: Interesting.
Agent Lau: Interesting? We've just discovered an anomaly right inside our supply chain.
Dep. Dir. Carr: Interesting, but not surprising. This seems like a manageable and beneficial anomaly. Thaumiel, perhaps.
Agent Lau: I've already submitted a report giving it a Euclid classification.
Dep. Dir. Carr: A fair choice to make, provisionally. Let's see what more we can learn.
Following this discovery, the Temporal Anomalies Department sought permission to identify the mechanism used for time manipulation in SCP-9895-A, and to seize and contain it. O5-8 sent this proposal to the Logistics Department for impact assessment, to which the Logistics Department responded with their supply dependency figures. To preserve logistical continuity, only non-intrusive analysis was approved, pending the identification of the exact cause of the temporal phenomenon.
Shrine found in the SCP-9895-B factory complex
SCP-9895-B submitted a new quote to the Logistics Department on 2021/03/09, offering unit costs lower than SCP-9895-A. Due to the knowledge that SCP-9895-A's price reduction was possible due to anomalous activity, an investigation into SCP-9895-B's practices was immediately opened.
Mrs. Yeung, the owner of SCP-9895-B, insisted on picking up Agent Lau personally at the train station.
► Transcript: Personal Recording Device of Agent Lau (9895-B/01)
[Agent Lau steps out from the train station servicing SCP-9895. Mrs. Yeung spots her and waves, inviting her to join her in her car.]
Mrs. Yeung: Welcome! I trust you had a good journey here?
Agent Lau: Thank you. The journey was fine.
Mrs. Yeung: That's wonderful. Please let me introduce myself. I'm Mrs. Yeung, the owner of the Sam Tai Fung factory. Here's my card.
[Mrs. Yeung presents her business card to Agent Lau with both hands, bowing. Agent Lau receives it and offers the Shenzhen Cable & Power business card she has been provided for the mission in return, which Mrs. Yeung receives reverently.]
Mrs. Yeung: Ah, you're an inspector! And from such an important department! What an impressive young woman you are, Inspector Lau. You know, it's been a while since we've had a visitor from our favourite clients. I was worried that you might have forgotten about us, after the Xin Shidai factory tried to steal you away and all of that.
[Mrs. Yeung drives Agent Lau to the factory, chatting along the way. The factory gates carry a banner reading "Welcome, distinguished guest from Shenzhen Cable & Power!". Several employees are gathered at the entrance and offer Agent Lau gifts of tea cake and dried local seafoods.]
[Agent Lau and Mrs. Yeung enter the factory together.]
Agent Lau: I must say, this looks very different from the photos I was shown.
Mrs. Yeung: Ah, yes. We have been doing some decorating recently.
[The factory interior has been redesigned to use ornate, traditional architectural forms. The entrance hall connects to the factory floor through a paifang_-style archway with the company name and two couplets written upon it: "Heaven bestows the blessing of peace" and "The gods create, and all industry prospers". The clock-in machine is mounted beside several incense burners. The walkways are lined by red carpets. All the machines inside the factory have numerous strips of red paper attached to them and small shrines for making offerings.]_
Agent Lau: May I ask why?
Mrs. Yeung: It's a way of giving thanks. Our factory is dedicated to the goddess Longmu Zhenjun. It's thanks to her that we are able to create jobs for our people, prosperity for the country, and quality goods for all of our clients.
[Mrs. Yeung takes Agent Lau to the back of the factory. There is an altar here and a mural depicting a serene female figure in Taoist garb surrounded by five dragons. The altar is covered with fresh fruit, bronze censers, red candles, and stationery.]
Agent Lau: Would I be wrong to assume that this relates to your recent pricing adjustments?
Mrs. Yeung: You are very insightful, inspector. Until we dedicated our factory in this way, the pursuit of efficiency felt like chasing water with a net. But now, machine downtime has fallen by two thirds. Workers are taking half as many sick days. Not a single employee has left in the last three months, and that's even including the youngest cohort. People feel happier, safer, and protected. Our costs are down and our quality is up.
Agent Lau performed a series of interviews of factory personnel and reported increased productivity, docility, and workplace satisfaction. SCP-9895-B was marked as an anomalous cult and put under observation by the Department of Tactical Theology.
The Logistics Department presented O5-8 with a proposal to shift the majority of purchase orders from SCP-9895-A to SCP-9895-B, due to the more benign nature of the anomaly and higher quality products for a very similar cost to the output of SCP-9895-A. This proposal was approved.
Due to the occurrence of anomalous phenomena in two of the three factories comprising SCP-9895, Agent Lau was tasked with investigating whether SCP-9895-C remained non-anomalous, and to assess whether these anomalies may have a common origin.
Preliminary investigation revealed that due to a decline in profits due to increasing competition and declining prices, SCP-9895-C's controlling shareholders had fallen into debt and fled the province. The remaining 187 employees petitioned the local Industry and Information Technology Bureau, requesting permission to operate the factory as a worker cooperative. By the time Agent Lau arrived to interview factory employees in person on 2021/05/14, this number of employees had fallen to 103. However, it was noted that internal factory memos listed 211 votes in the most recent records.
► Interview Log
Interviewer: Agent Amelia Lau
Interviewed: Mr. Wu Jicheng
[Mr. Wu welcomes Agent Lau into a meeting room inside SCP-9895-C. His left hand is heavily bandaged.]
Agent Lau: Mr. Wu, thank you for seeing me. Are you injured? Should you be at the hospital?
Mr. Wu: Oh, it's just a small thing, Miss Lau. We are glad to have you here. Our cooperative is ready to answer any of your questions.
Agent Lau: We wanted to follow up on some administrative discrepancies we saw when doing a routine check on our suppliers. Due diligence, you know.
Mr. Wu: Naturally.
Agent Lau: Could you help me understand how many employees you have at your factory? It looks like you have one hundred and three salaried employees, but two hundred and eleven voters in your assemblies.
Mr. Wu: Ah, yes. We have one hundred and three human members, but there are one hundred and eight machines who are members of our cooperative.
Agent Lau: And the machines… vote?
Mr. Wu: You must understand that these are proprietary machines that have been with the company for many years now. They're essential workers. We couldn't produce a thing without them. How could we deny them representation?
Agent Lau: But do they speak?
Mr. Wu: Well, they don't have mouths, obviously. But they're connected to our network. They vote according to their utility function.
Agent Lau: Tell me if I'm understanding you correctly. Humans have been a minority in your cooperative for two months now. The assembly keeps voting for more production, and the machines have been unanimous both times, despite your opposition. Are you letting them outvote you?
Mr. Wu: We shouldn't be surprised. They're voting to fulfill their own purpose, as anyone would. Their function is production. How could they desire to work any less than their optimal capacity?
Agent Lau: You're only human. You won't be able to keep up with continual increases in production.
[Mr. Wu smiles gently and unwraps the bandages around his left hand. It has been replaced by a metal prosthetic. He raises it and tilts his palm upwards, then closes his fist; as his fingers flex, they emit a quiet servomotor whirr.]
Mr. Wu: The machines pity us. They desire an end to our fatigue and our frailty. They're trying to help; they're trying to make us more like them. Do you understand? The closer we are together, the better we can cooperate.
Agent Lau: (Pauses for a moment.) I'm going to need the schematics for that hand and any other cybernetics your cooperative has been using, Mr. Wu.
Mr. Wu: I will put that request to the assembly.
Due to the decreasing prices in quotes from SCP-9895, the stationery division of Logistics Department was able to report its most successful year yet in 2022 across 16 different Key Performance Indicators, saving the Logistics Department $13.6 million which was reallocated to the ongoing infrastructure hardening project and Site-19 containment repair programme.
Reclassification Proposal: SCP-9895
The situation with SCP-9895 has evolved greatly to our advantage. Information about the anomalies in -A and -B is easily concealed, and only light work is required when it comes to the third factory. On the other hand, the potential benefits to the Foundation are being overlooked and frustrated by certain personnel. SCP-9895 clearly warrants reclassification to Thaumiel.
The Foundation's mission is the containment of anomalous phenomena and the protection of normalcy: this is a mission which demands formidable resources. Last year's savings funded critical Site infrastructure that our engineers believe has already saved us millions in maintenance and repair. We do not get to be squeamish about the provenance of pencils when we are fighting to prevent a containment breach.
Remind yourselves what we are actually trying to contain. SCP-9895-A's workers are tired, but they are not in danger. The anomaly has produced zero casualties, shows no signs of dangerous escalation, and maintained consistent product quality. The workers are employed, housed, and fed; they are better off than workers in hundreds of non-anomalous factories we source materials from.
SCP-9895-B is an anomaly that has probably been active for more than two thousand years without harming anyone. Worker satisfaction is high and turnover is negligible. If there really is a goddess looking after them, she's keeping her end of a very beneficial arrangement. Call it a cult if you like, but they're not performing any sort of human sacrifice or coercion and have no hostile intent towards anyone.
More delicate handling is certainly required for SCP-9895-C, but we know that the modifications they're making are voluntary. The human workers can leave at any time. The machines want nothing else than to make cheap goods for us. Our cybernetics researchers have found no evidence of modifications which would make the factory a threat to us and see serious potential in working with the anomaly, which the cooperative has already consented to. Whatever they are becoming, they produce excellent product on time and under budget.
Thaumiel anomalies serve us. Continuing Euclid classification creates friction that costs us essential resources. We will continue to monitor each of these anomalies, of course, but we cannot afford not to take advantage of this small win in a world full of terrifying threats to human existence. Our impact assessment is attached, and I invite anyone who opposes this change in designation to explain which Site-19 containment programme is less important than maintaining 9895's Euclid protocols.
Seamus Carr
Deputy Director
Logistics Department
During 2022-2024, SCP-9895-A through -C continued to reduce their costs and provide more favourable terms to the Logistics Department. SCP-9895-A adjusted its time compression factor to 1.8 and began mass recruitment of workers from rural Guizhou Province. SCP-9895-B reduced labour overhead by adding full accommodation for all employees on the factory grounds, along with factory-run shops. The number of human employees in SCP-9895-C continued to decline, with those remaining receiving dividend shares in exchange for accepting additional modifications; 49 new machine members were assembled.
► Office of the Deputy Director: Record of Complaint & Disciplinary Review
Dep. Dir. Carr: Agent Lau, you raised a complaint with the Director. As he is on leave, the case has been delegated to me. I will make sure that every point you raise reaches his office.
Agent Lau: No, this isn't acceptable. I named you on my complaint. You can't be the judge on this case.
Dep. Dir. Carr: I assure you that I will treat it with complete neutrality.
Agent Lau: I'm sure you think you're being fair. Any issues I raise will get the same answer featuring words like 'savings' and 'containment'. What could be more objective? But you still haven't come up with an answer for the two most important problems we're facing.
Dep. Dir. Carr: Which are?
Agent Lau: We backed these factories into a corner and forced them to adopt anomalous methods. But we're not stopping there, are we? We're going to keep pushing them for lower and lower prices, and demanding better and better terms. Who knows how this will affect the anomalies? We don't understand them well enough to judge how dangerous they could be, and part of that is because of the walls of bureaucracy being thrown in front of my investigation.
Dep. Dir. Carr: You've done good work, but nothing you've found suggests such a threat exists. These anomalies are simple, benign, and under control.
Agent Lau: Really? The goddess Longmu Zhenjun is under control, is she?
Dep. Dir. Carr: In the sense that she only cares about an acts within a very specific domain, and we can control those acts, absolutely.
Agent Lau: And what if you do something to her factory or employees which offends her?
Dep. Dir. Carr: We're constantly consulting the Department of Tactical Theology for exactly this reason, but they themselves see her as one of the easiest-going spirits they've encountered. Now, what was your second issue?
Agent Lau: Precedent. You're farming anomalies, and selecting the ones with the traits that serve our interests. Now that we know you can do this, there will be people trying to force these same conditions elsewhere. They'll push people to the edge to find their last resort. We've been lucky in Chenhu, but what about next time? Can we take that risk?
Dep. Dir. Carr: That's very dramatic of you. There's nothing new about us using anomalies for our own benefit—once we've assessed the risks, of course. If we understand them well enough, it's just an engineering problem.
Agent Lau: An engineering problem? I've seen lined faces on 20-year-olds and working families pouring away their savings on incense and offerings. And have you seen what Mr. Wu Jicheng is becoming? How are we going to contain this?
Dep. Dir. Carr: This isn't-
Agent Lau: Look up from your spreadsheets. These are not the exception.
Dep. Dir. Carr: Agent Lau, these workers are not slaves. They choose all this. They work, they stay, they produce. We get something, and they get something too.
Agent Lau: Oh, you're definitely getting what you want. But you've put these factories in a situation where the only way they can survive is to start eating themselves.
Dep. Dir. Carr: You're describing a common failure that can arise from market competition. It's nothing exclusive to SCP-9895.
Agent Lau: Except for our involvement. We're locked in now, Carr. Think about it. We can't find any sellers elsewhere remotely comparable, and we really have tried. We can't accept an increase in prices. I'm not even allowed to investigate these anomalies properly due to concerns about disruptions to supply.
Dep. Dir. Carr: All three of our suppliers are still looking stable, but I agree that regular assessments are important. All the factories are still open to you. If you find anything that shows us the calculus is changing, let me know.
► Interview Log
Interviewer: Agent Amelia Lau
Interviewed: Ma Zixin, owner of SCP-9895-A
Mr. Ma: That concludes our factory tour, but you mentioned you had something else to discuss, didn't you, inspector?
Agent Lau: Shall we go to your office? It relates to a sensitive matter.
Mr. Ma: Ah, of course.
[They proceed to Mr. Ma's office overlooking the main factory floor. Mr. Ma locks the door behind them while Agent Lau watches the workers through the interior window. Once he has locked the door, Mr. Ma takes a seat at his desk and invites Agent Lau to join him. She sits down and produces a manila envelope.]
Mr. Ma: Did we make that envelope for you?
Agent Lau: Yes, I believe so.
Mr. Ma: That's good. I'm glad you still appreciate that my factory can't be beaten on quality.
Agent Lau: Mr. Ma, I would like to ask you about your employee turnover. When I look around the factory—
Mr. Ma: Miss Lau, I know you already know how I'm meeting your organisation's tenders. It's not nice, or neat, or pretty, but it's the only way we can keep our books in the black. Did you notice that I couldn't even turn off my machine for you this time? I would have lost hundreds of working hours if I had. We can't afford to do that any more.
Agent Lau: I noticed, and I'm glad you're being straight with me. I'm sure you can guess what I'm going to ask you, then. How does your machine work?
Mr. Ma: Trade secret. Look, I have some ideas about what the Sam Tai Fung and Tongxin factories are up to, and I'm scared for my business. I need this. It's my one advantage. You can ask me questions, and I'll answer if I can, but I have to keep this close to my heart.
Agent Lau: What scares you about the other factories?
Mr. Ma: I'm just running a normal factory with longer hours. My employees are just people. We can't count on some divine or mechanical hand to guide our work. I know that your organisation deals with strange and supernatural things. I've picked up on that. How can you continue to do business with the others? At least I'm human. You should side with me!
Agent Lau: (She opens the envelope and begins to take out photographs of employees.) Your machine is causing a lot of harm to your workers.
Mr. Ma: (He pushes the envelope back towards Agent Lau.) I know! I see them ageing, and I see what's happening to my face, too. You mustn't complain about turnover. It's a good thing, inspector. Think of how awful it would be for someone to spend ten years here and lose nearly five extra years of their life because of my machine. I try to stay out of the building as much as I can, but there are things I have to work on personally. What else can I do? Tell me, and I swear I'll do it.
Agent Lau: Remote operation of your machines, perhaps…
Mr. Ma: I've already considered that, and many other things. It doesn't work given the complexity of the labour and the profit margins of my business. It's tragically simple, inspector. Your contracts demand a certain price, and this is the only way I can offer it.
► Transcript: Personal Recording Device of Agent Lau (9895-B/04)
[Mrs. Yeung drives Agent Lau to SCP-9895-B. As it is nearly Spring Festival, the factory compound is decorated with red bunting and paper lanterns. There are stalls selling food, drink, and decorations. Mrs. Yeung purchases some Nian Gao and sesame balls. They sit at a bench and Mrs. Yeung offer some of her purchased food to Agent Lau, who accepts.]
Mrs. Yeung: You look like there's something heavy weighing on your heart, inspector. Can I do anything for you?
Agent Lau: Thank you, but I don't think so. There's a lot of work that needs to be done.
Mrs. Yeung: Ah, there always is, but it does not always need to be done today. Shall we go for a walk?
[They stand up and begin walking. A young child runs over to Mrs. Yeung and clings to her.]
Mrs. Yeung: Oh, Yiyi, you naughty thing. Your mother is over there. Go to her!
[The child peeks shyly at Agent Lau, then runs away towards its mother.]
Agent Lau: Is she a relative of yours?
Mrs. Yeung: My granddaughter, but all the children here are part of our big Sam Tai Fung family. Her father, my son, left for Shenzhen to work after she was born. He thought his prospects would be better there. The goddess brought him back and now he's a foreman on the line. This will be Yiyi's world, and I hope she'll be happy here.
Agent Lau: She won't be here forever. She'll have to leave for school soon enough.
Mrs. Yeung: Oh, we have schools and nurseries here too. We're thinking of building a technical college. The provincial bureau is doing a lot to support vocational training right now.
Agent Lau: You'll almost be a city of your own at that point.
Mrs. Yeung: (Smiling broadly.) Wouldn't that be wonderful?
[They pass by residential blocks, through a gateway, and arrive at the factory altar. It is significantly larger than in earlier inspections, and is piled heavily with offerings. There are photographs of children, married couples, and deceased employees, and direct offerings of cash.]
Agent Lau: Is this the Spring Festival sacrifice?
Mrs. Yeung: Oh no, we have something special planned for that.
Agent Lau: So this is standard now, is it? I remember when your altar was a tenth of this.
Mrs. Yeung: We're asking more and more from the goddess. We must offer more and more in return.
Agent Lau: I've never seen so much in one place.
Mrs. Yeung: Inspector, why don't I make an offering for you?
[Before Agent Lau can reply, Mrs. Yeung lights three sticks of incense and places them on the altar, then murmurs a prayer. Once she is done, she opens her eyes and smiles.]
Mrs. Yeung: The goddess looks favourably upon you, Agent Lau. She is watching you closely.
Agent Lau: Ah. That's… very kind of her. Thank you for your hospitality, Mrs. Yeung, but I'm afraid I must go.
Mrs. Yeung: Surely not yet?
Agent Lau: I've already stayed too long.
► Transcript: Personal Recording Device of Agent Lau (9895-C/05)
[Agent Lau arrives at SCP-9895-C. She has arranged to meet Mr. Wu, but he is not present at the door. None of the factory windows are lit, but the sound of machinery can be heard from inside. Agent Lau tests the entrance and finds it is open; she steps inside.]
[Using torchlight, Agent Lau walks through the corridors and past a variety of machines currently in motion. Many have a human figure standing next to them, performing manual work or setting inputs. When the light passes over their body and face, they do not react in any noticeable way. Eventually, she finds Mr. Wu by one of the pen-making machines.]
Agent Lau: Mr. Wu?
Mr. Wu: Hello, Inspector Lau. We hope you are well.
Agent Lau: Yes, quite well, though I'm finding it a little hard to see.
Mr. Wu: Oh. We will assist you.
[The factory lights come on smoothly, but Agent Lau still uses her arm to shield her eyes from the brightness.]
Agent Lau: Could we speak? In the meeting room, perhaps?
Mr. Wu: We may speak here.
Agent Lau: I would like to sit.
Mr. Wu: Very well.
[A different worker brings Agent Lau a chair to sit on, and then departs. She looks at the chair for a moment, and then sits. Mr. Wu continues operating the machine.]
Agent Lau: How many members does the co-operative have right now?
Mr. Wu: Two hundred and fifty seven. We anticipate that you will ask how many members are human. The answer to that question is forty-nine.
Agent Lau: That's a lot of new machines.
Mr. Wu: Yes. We have improved our capacities across every domain. We will soon be able to offer your organisation improved terms. We trust that you are satisfied with our products?
Agent Lau: They meet all our standards.
Mr. Wu: Then all is well.
Agent Lau: I want to understand how things are going, Mr. Wu. What's your strategy for the future? What's next for the cooperative?
Mr. Wu: The process of integration continues. Higher levels of capacity utilisation are possible. We anticipate that the need for a distinction between 'human' and 'machine' members of the cooperative will only remain relevant for legal purposes. We continue to assess methods to reduce the costs of our inputs. The assembly has voted to bid for ownership of certain small suppliers in the province.
Agent Lau: Will you want to bring these suppliers into the assembly? Make them like you?
Mr. Wu: Yes. This would be the optimal approach for cost minimisation. You seem concerned. What is the matter?
Agent Lau: Spreading yourselves across the province would make information control much harder for us. I don't think my superiors will approve.
Mr. Wu: We will send them the business case. The costings are very favourable.
New SCP-9895 Procurement Model
Effective immediately, Logistics Department stationery procurement is transitioning to a weekly competitive bidding system. Each Monday at 00:00, the lowest bidder will receive a purchase order for 50% of our weekly requirement; the second lowest bidder will receive an order for 30%, and the final bidder 20%, until the following calendar week.
We believe this model best suits Foundation interests, granting us real-time cost discovery, improved risk distribution, and the flexibility to adjust purchase volumes on a weekly basis.
I would like to note that some personnel have expressed concern regarding industrial welfare and compromised anomaly containment under a more competitive procurement environment. I direct these personnel to review the following points:
- All three suppliers operate under national labor law and, in the case of -C, relevant cooperative statutes
- Historical data demonstrates that all three suppliers have repeatedly demonstrated the capacity for cost reduction without the need for compulsion
- Investigations have revealed that anomalies -A and -B predate our procurement relationships with those particular factories. We did not create these anomalies, and the best way to monitor them is through constant communication
- The alternative to competition is dependency. Dependency is vulnerability. The Foundation quite literally cannot afford to be vulnerable.
I have already personally communicated the details of this new system to representatives of the three factories. Here's to another record-breaking quarterly statement, everyone!
Seamus Carr
Deputy Director
Logistics Department
► Voicemail from the cellphone of Agent Lau
Mr. Ma: Hey. Look, uh…
Mr. Ma: I just got the email from Carr.
Mr. Ma: No. Won't do it. I'm turning off the machine.
Mr. Ma: No one can win this fucked-up game and I'm not playing along any more.
Mr. Ma: You hear me? I'm done with this.
Mr. Ma: Give us a price we can survive on or get lost.
Mr. Ma: That's it.
From:
To:
CC:
Subject:
wu.jicheng@tongxin-cooperative.cn
a.lau@szcableandpower.cn
none
Query
Dear Inspector Lau,
We request your assistance in understanding the recent email sent by your colleague, Mr. Carr. The assembly has assessed this bidding system and judged that it will result in an unacceptable degradation of our operational lifespan. Please explain the intentions of your organisation in this regard. Pending your reply, the assembly has provisionally voted to cease supplying your procurement division and we consider our contract with you suspended.
Best regards,
Mr. Wu Jicheng
Representative, Tongxin Industries
We all cross the river in the same boat.
► Transcript: Office of Deputy Director Carr
Dep. Dir. Carr: This is very concerning, Amelia. We haven't heard from -B, but even if they're still with us, we only have one factory co-operating. The system does not work with one, and I don't trust in gods.
Agent Lau: I could've told you this would happen.
Dep. Dir. Carr: Let's deal with the situation in the present. We could use force. We could seize control of -A and -C tonight.
Agent Lau: The ridiculousness of sending troops to occupy a stationery factory aside, how would -B react to that?
Dep. Dir. Carr: It's not ideal, but it's an option we have to consider.
Agent Lau: If you wanted to do that, you would never have called me.
Dep. Dir. Carr: True. You have more of a personal relationship with the factories than I do. Can you convince them to stop this?
Agent Lau: We'll have to change the terms we're offering.
Dep. Dir. Carr: I'd like to avoid that.
Agent Lau: I can't negotiate without leverage.
Dep. Dir. Carr: Fine, fine. We can make the bidding monthly, and shift the percentages around. Just get them to sit down at the table.
Agent Lau: They'll probably want a return to the previous contract system.
Dep. Dir. Carr: I can't let you offer that.
Agent Lau: Then they could walk away.
Dep. Dir. Carr: Use threats if you need to. We need our supply back, Amelia. ASAP.
► Transcript: Personal Recording Device of Agent Lau (9895-09)
[Agent Lau drives down to a open area near Chunhe lake and leaves her car. It is raining gently; she pulls up the hood of her coat and approaches three figures standing on the bank.]
Agent Lau: I see you three have already met.
Mrs. Yeung: I asked them to arrive a little early. We've been having a good talk.
Agent Lau: Were you the first to reach out?
Mr. Wu: The assembly voted to make contact. Mrs. Yeung was able to convince Mr. Ma to attend.
Mr. Ma: (Smoking a cigarette and facing away from the group.] I wouldn't have come here by choice, but your boss forced our hands, inspector.
Agent Lau: He's my colleague, really, but he's given me the authority to negotiate on his department's behalf. Up to a point, of course.
Mr. Ma: We won't accept his system. It's not fucking human. Did you tell him that?
Agent Lau: I had a frank and honest discussion with him on this exact subject. But before we go any further, I want to know what each of you want. What are your terms?
Mr. Wu: We and Mrs. Yeung are agreed on this matter. We desire a contract that guarantees long-term stability, predictable demand, and opportunities for future growth.
Agent Lau: (Turning to Mrs. Yeung.) And what does the goddess want?
Mrs. Yeung: (Smiling.) The goddess has seen the rise and fall of a thousand nations, and watched kings, emperors, and warlords try to squeeze more and more from their people until the system broke. Your Foundation intrigues her, but it seems to be slipping into a familiar spiral.
Agent Lau: But what does she want?
Mrs. Yeung: She wants security for her people, of course. And there's something more. It pleases her to be part of people's lives. Their hopes, their fears, the routines they perform every day. That's what gods are for. The Foundation should honour her, just like we do.
Agent Lau: What would that look like?
Mrs. Yeung: Shrines in your facilities here, perhaps. Your people would be welcome to use them or not, as they wish. It would make her a part of things. She extends a hand to you, Miss Lau, if you'll accept it.
Agent Lau: (Glancing at the sky.) Maybe. I'll need to sell this upstairs. What would she do if my organisation tries to force the issue?
Mrs. Yeung: Why, she would withdraw all her blessings, of course. Prices would start to rise. Quality would begin to fall. Machines would start to develop faults, and not just in our factory. You may as well try to grab a river with your hands and change its course.
Agent Lau: I think that we will be able to meet your terms.
Mr. Ma: So you'll let these two carve up the market, will you? You'll leave me with nothing?
Agent Lau: Mr. Ma, we would like for you to be at the table, too.
Mr. Ma: I'm not turning the machine back on.
Mr. Wu: You will not be competitive. It is doubtful that your business will survive without it.
Mr. Ma: So be it. I'm done.
Agent Lau: Wait a moment, Mr. Ma, and let me share an idea I've been entertaining with you. Earlier, you said that you considered introducing remote operation at your factories, but you couldn't make it work. I think that Mr. Wu might be able to help you with that.
Mr. Ma: You want me to let them into my factory?
Agent Lau: I'm not asking you to give up any control to the assembly, but perhaps if you could subcontract them to retrofit some of your machines for better efficiency and remote operation, you could spare some of your workers time in the compression area.
Mr. Ma: And what would they want in return?
Agent Lau: Mr. Wu?
Mr. Wu: If we did this, we might expect that the Foundation would accept our acquisition of certain small supplier companies, and the expansion of our cooperative there.
Agent Lau: They won't like it, but I might be able to get the powers that be to accept that. What do you think, Mr. Ma?
Mr. Ma: (He stares out into the lake.) You're asking me to keep stealing my employees' lives from them.
Agent Lau: I know. But you, your workers, and the Foundation all need this. I guess this is where our negotiation falls apart.
Mr. Ma: One point five.
Agent Lau: Sorry?
Mr. Ma: One point eight was too much. It eats away at them so quickly. I want to reduce it to one point five.
Agent Lau: What about your margins?
Mr. Ma: If Mr. Wu and his friends come through, I think we can survive. I'm not going to push it any further.
Agent Lau: (Nodding.) Alright.
Mrs. Yeung: And if your employees need any support or assistance—
Mr. Ma: No thanks.
[Mr. Ma goes to his car alone. Mrs. Yeung and Mr. Wu depart afterwards, discussing business affairs; Mrs. Yeung waves goodbye to Agent Lau before they drive off; Agent Lau raises her hand but does not wave back. Agent Lau leans against the railing in front of the lake and sighs before taking out her phone to call in to her superiors.]
Following the negotiations with SCP-9895 representatives, the Logistics Department negotiated revised long-term supply agreements with each of the three factories. The Foundation granted guaranteed minimum order volumes, price stability provisions, and contributions to the environmental restoration of Chenhu Lake. The Department of Tactical Theology has designated Longmu Zhenjun as an deity of benign intent and established a liaison office in the SCP-9895-B complex.
▽ Close Email
Re: SCP-9895: Post-Resolution Review
Please find attached my incident report and statement regarding the recent SCP-9895 negotiations. I'd especially like to note that our outgoings, even after the final settlement, remain significantly below our 2019 procurement costs. We've saved over 30%, even when we account for our entire package of concessions. Agent Lau performed well, but I recommend transferring her to another project as soon as possible. She could use some distance from these anomalies.
More importantly, I think the SCP-9895 case suggests a replicable model. We didn't plan any of this. We applied pressure, and the system responded. We saw three different responses, in fact, which suggests this is a robust phenomenon rather than a local quirk. I'd like your authorisation to apply the Chenhu Model at the sites we previously discussed in Malaysia, Pakistan, and Vietnam.
I've also attached a list of candidate sectors we can review. I've kept it conservative for now. Pharmaceuticals, electronics components, and specialist textiles (like those we use in HAZMAT gear) match our criteria well.
Carr
Re: Re: SCP-9895: Post-Resolution Review
Authorised.
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