Harthen Shipping was a first for the Alsinans. A new company which wasn't under the control of the four other megacorps? And one which wasn't as brutal? Many quit their jobs from the megacorps and flocked to Harthen, slowly at first. Their products, while sometimes confusing to operate and somewhat pricey, were definitely of higher quality than the crap stocked on shelves normally. Of course, all this competition was not to be tolerated by the other megacorps, primarily Alsinan Alloys and Fusion of Cunicule. Starflight Shipping was, at the moment, too small to truly put up resistance to this...competitor.
Inazano Refining, having historically been the weakest of the three original megacorps, was not unaware of the Empocracy's efforts to buy out their shares. For now, this would be tolerated. but a secret internal policy in the company was that only 20% of the company's shares were to be owned by any one corporate entity at a given time, lest Inzano lose its capability to compete with the other three.
Alsinan news sources were suddenly very open and willing to speak about the GBE in a positive light, whereas beforehand they were completely silent on the nation. While your average, tired citizen who only tuned into the news following their brutal shift didn't much notice, those who spent an unhealthy time analyzing the news noticed and had many red flags raised.
The Alsinan government was also debating on whether or not to send an official delegation with the GBE, seeing as their recent economic investment was greatly appreciated, though most of the funds were slurped up by the four, now five, megacorps in order to continue the cesspit of bribery, lobbying, and threats which characterized Alsinan politics.