104: At the Dragon Country press conference, reporters showed off their talents

The Pentagon, United States.

Secretary of Defense Sevitz paced back and forth in his office.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Claire came to deliver documents and asked, puzzled, “Minister, are you preoccupied with something?”

Claire originally thought that Secretary Sevitz was thinking about the more than a thousand people who had been defeated in the MacDonnell Ranges not long ago. Unexpectedly, Sevitz looked at the clock on the wall and said, “At this hour, according to our intelligence, the Anti-War Army’s delegation has successfully arrived at the capital of Dragon Country and checked into the state guesthouse. Now, both sides should be holding secret talks and making deals.”

Claire pouted, indicating:

“What deals? What can the Anti-War Army offer to trade with Dragon Country now? They don’t even have land or air routes. I estimate that Dragon Country can only unilaterally provide assistance to the Anti-War Army, and it will be more promises than actual aid… Can we really allow Dragon Country to transport large quantities of goods directly across our territory and airspace to the MacDonnell Ranges?”

That was indeed the meaning.

But Sevitz still looked troubled.

“You’re right… but I’m still worried about those bombers that were stolen from us.”

Claire: “Secretary Sevitz, your worry is a bit unnecessary.”

“According to satellite intelligence, except for one bomber that crashed due to combat, more than twenty are currently under our surveillance, all within Australia’s territory and airspace.”

To prevent the U.S. Military from causing trouble before the visit was completed, the Anti-War Army’s contingency plan was to have those heavy bombers take turns on duty, but without concealing their approximate positions on radar, to reassure the U.S. Military and avoid suspicion.

Sevitz shook his head: “Even if the airframes cannot be taken away, it doesn’t mean the Anti-War Army cannot obtain the technology inside the bombers.”

This time, Claire laughed heartily.

“Minister, you are simply overthinking.”

“They’ve only had those bombers for a few days. Not to mention the Anti-War Army, even if Dragon Country were involved, they couldn’t possibly grasp the intricacies within those bombers in such a short time!”

Sevitz thought for a moment.

That’s true.

In such a short time, even with reverse engineering, it would be impossible to easily obtain the technological intelligence within the airframes.

—

Dragon Country, Beijing.

The “cooperation negotiations” between the Anti-War Army and Dragon Country proceeded much faster than the world had anticipated.

The morning after the delegation arrived in Beijing, the Dragon Country government announced that it would hold a joint press conference with the Anti-War Army’s delegation.

Furthermore, the highest military officials from both sides would attend.

At this, the media, like sharks smelling blood, dispatched their interview teams.

The Dragon Country government also preheated the event, and soon the news of the press conference topped the online hot searches, with foreign news platforms also extensively reporting on the matter.

Everyone wanted to know what kind of cooperation the Anti-War Army and Dragon Country had achieved for the first time.

That afternoon, at the press conference venue, invited media personnel filed in and quickly took their seats.

Soon after, a group of people emerged from the internal entrance of the venue, led by Minister of National Defense Dong Changjun. Under his enthusiastic invitation, the leader of the Anti-War Army, in a trench coat and wearing a smiley face mask, walked in.

In an instant, the media’s cameras clicked incessantly.

Soon after, the Anti-War Army and Dragon Country military high-ranking officials took their seats, and the press conference officially began.

As the host, Dong Changjun was the first to announce some news.

These were basically the publicly disclosable contents from the bilateral cooperation memorandum.

Upon hearing what Dong Changjun said, the invited media personnel all showed varying degrees of shock.

Although they had anticipated that Dragon Country’s grand reception of the Anti-War Army would lead to deep cooperation between the two sides.

But they hadn’t expected it to be such a near-comprehensive cooperation.

The legal status of the Anti-War Army had not yet received official recognition from any country in the world.

Was Dragon Country sending a signal by cooperating with the Anti-War Army at such a level?

So, during the Q&A session, a barrage of questions immediately erupted from the reporters present:

Reporter: “How does the Dragon Country government view the Anti-War Army? Do you consider them local rebels or terrorists?”

Dong Changjun replied straightforwardly: “The Anti-War Army is neither a rebel force nor a terrorist organization. Its emergence has a reasonable historical context, and we do not agree with the Western definition.”

Reporter: “So, is Dragon Country going to become an ally of the Anti-War Army?”

Dong Changjun: “Dragon Country will not form alliances. We do not engage in military factionalism. Our cooperation with the Anti-War Army is purely humanitarian in nature.”

Reporter: “Does Dragon Country’s deep cooperation with the Anti-War Army this time break your basic diplomatic principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs? Are you not afraid of affecting your image of peace? After all, matters related to the Anti-War Army should now be considered Australia’s internal affairs.”

Dong Changjun: “We do not believe that the war in Australia is an internal affair, and this war is not happening between the Anti-War Army and the Australian government. Even between the Anti-War Army and its war target, the U.S. Military, it is currently a ceasefire period. We have neither interfered in internal affairs nor participated in the war between the two sides.”

Reporter: “So, how will you convince the U.S. Military of this point? The U.S. Military will surely believe that you are forming a military alliance with the Anti-War Army to jointly oppose them.”

Dong Changjun: “Our country’s cooperation with the Anti-War Army is not aimed at any third party. If our country must oppose something, it is hegemony, and the long-arm jurisdiction and extraterritorial intervention of a certain country.”

A series of similar questions followed, and Dong Changjun answered impeccably, all with diplomatic remarks.

Unable to get new information, the reporters finally shifted their focus to Fang Le.

“Excuse me, what did the Anti-War Army use to gain such a great benefit from Dragon Country? The summary of your bilateral cooperation memorandum sounds like a unilateral gift from Dragon Country.”

Fang Le: “Cooperation needs to be viewed long-term. Next question.”

Blocked by a single sentence, the reporter could only pout and sit down.

Another reporter raised her hand and, after being called upon, asked: “Commander Fang of the Anti-War Army, I am very curious to know how you had such great courage to ensure the success of your visit when you led the fleet from the heart of Australia previously. Were you not worried about being defeated midway, with the fleet shot down by the U.S. Military?”

Fang Le: “In fact, they did not shoot me down. Next.”

Second reporter: …

Continued to switch people.

“I am Hu Luanbian, an NNC reporter stationed in Dragon Country. May I ask you a personal question?”

Fang Le spread his hands: “Please ask.”

Hu Luanbian: “Are you a Dragon Country national?”

Hu Luanbian’s question immediately drew the attention of everyone present.