Chapter 237 Listen to me, thank you!
No, that's not right!
The US Secretary of State had a sudden change of thought!
How could that be?
After all, the energy crisis is right there; how could the Dragon Kingdom not be affected?
With just a few casual words, Representative Gu Chuanwen had managed to leave the Secretary of State completely bewildered.
And that wasn't even the most important part; what followed was even more lethal.
The Dragon Kingdom actually wanted to wait until the crisis had passed before cooperating!
How could that possibly work?
Their original plan was to time it right around the Spring Festival Gala, taking advantage of the Dragon Kingdom closing its borders for a state visit!
In other words, the so-called aid was just a smokescreen; the most important thing was the subsequent visit plan!
The US Secretary of State couldn't help but ponder. The more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt. He had a strong, unsettling suspicion that the Dragon Kingdom seemed to have seen through their plan!
If they followed the Dragon Kingdom's suggestion to postpone cooperation, they would not only be able to accept the aid they offered but also avoid interfering with the Dragon Kingdom's plan to close its borders around the Spring Festival!
Furthermore, according to the Dragon Kingdom, they lacked the funds to conduct the research; this wasn't a rejection of the USA. In that case, they couldn't use public opinion to force them, either!
After all, it was a recognized fact that every country was suffering from the energy crisis, and it was also almost universally acknowledged that the Dragon Kingdom, with its massive energy needs, was the most severely affected.
The US Secretary of State felt like he had lifted a rock only to drop it on his own feet.
However, he wasn't the type to give up easily; after all, this plan was too important for the USA.
Thus, the US Secretary of State took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and then feigned an air of immense wealth as he said:
"Is it just funding?"
"That's not a problem at all!"
"We in the USA might not be able to claim much, but we are certainly strong when it comes to capital! As long as we can promote the development of Room-temperature superconductivity technology and contribute to the well-being of all humanity, we will spare no expense!"
"Besides, we have been less affected by this shock. Just tell us how much money you need, and we will provide it. We can discuss the details on the day I visit your country."
The US Secretary of State said with full confidence.
Representative Gu Chuanwen was stunned for a moment; he hadn't expected the Secretary of State to pull such a move.
However, he quickly recovered, the corners of his mouth curling into a meaningful smile.
He said excitedly,
"I can already feel your determination to contribute to the well-being of humanity. Mr. Secretary of State, you have truly impressed us!"
The Secretary of State felt flattered by the praise and couldn't help but smile, secretly feeling proud that his move had indeed been effective.
But the very next second, his smile froze on his face, as if he had been struck by a paralysis spell.
Representative Gu Chuanwen unhurriedly took a document out of his briefcase. The action seemed casual, yet it caused a sense of foreboding to rise in the Secretary of State's heart.
"If it's just the amount of financial aid, we don't necessarily need a state visit."
As he spoke, Representative Gu Chuanwen handed the document in his hand to the US Secretary of State.
The other party took it with full confusion, and upon looking at it, his eyes widened instantly. It was actually a breakdown of project funding related to Room-temperature superconductivity technology!
Looking closer at the amount of funds required at the bottom, good heavens, it was about 300 billion USD!
The Secretary of State was completely dumbfounded; he felt as if his brain had been struck hard by a club, leaving it buzzing.
Representative Gu Chuanwen smiled from the side and said,
"This is a project funding document drafted by the team of our country's material science master, Professor Xu Cheng!"
"Absolutely professional!"
"Mr. Secretary of State, as you said just now, you have been less affected by the energy crisis. Moreover, I have felt your strong determination to contribute to human civilization. I assume these 300 billion won't be much for you, right?"
"You can just transfer it directly to our account when the time comes!"
"This..."
The US Secretary of State was completely bewildered, and the hand holding the document was trembling slightly.
He had a strong feeling that he had fallen into some kind of carefully designed trap, and at this moment, he was caught in an awkward dilemma.
After pondering for a long time, the corners of his mouth suddenly twitched, and he said with difficulty,
"These projects... require quite a lot of money!"
Representative Gu Chuanwen said helplessly,
"That's why I said we don't have the capacity to do it right now!"
"You know, we are suffering from the energy crisis; we truly lack the means despite our willingness."
"However, compared to the progress of human civilization, this money shouldn't be much for you, right? After all, your country's annual GDP is in the tens of trillions of USD!"
The US Secretary of State was filled with regret; he was becoming more and more convinced that he had walked into a trap.
Furthermore, according to Representative Gu Chuanwen, not only did he have to cough up a huge sum of money, but he also couldn't carry out the originally planned state visit. If he agreed to this, he would truly be at a huge loss!
At this moment, the Secretary of State just wanted to find an excuse to retreat quickly. He cursed to himself: These Dragon Kingdom guys are too deep; in front of them, I feel like a naive elementary school student being toyed with.
No, I'm done, I'm not playing anymore!
I need to think of another way quickly.
But a smart hunter knows that to get the prey to take the bait, you have to let it taste a little sweetness! Instead of just threatening them, otherwise, it's very easy to scare the prey away.
Just as the Secretary of State was racking his brain trying to figure out how to escape, Representative Gu Chuanwen revealed an imperceptible smile!
Suddenly, he spoke again,
"If your country is truly sincere, as a return gift, we are willing to invite your side to visit our country and watch our Spring Festival Gala in person!"
The Secretary of State cursed inwardly: Screw you, who cares about your Spring Festival Gala!
He hadn't forgotten the main purpose of his visit; he couldn't be distracted by this inexplicable invitation to the Spring Festival Gala.
But soon, as if he suddenly realized something, a thought flashed through his mind:
Spring Festival Gala????
Isn't that a program that only happens during the Spring Festival?
In other words...
The US Secretary of State's eyes lit up immediately, and he hurriedly asked,
"Did you just say... you would let me go to your country to watch the program???"
Representative Gu Chuanwen nodded and said with a smile,
"Of course! It's even a live broadcast. I believe you will definitely like that lively atmosphere."
Upon hearing this, the Secretary of State trembled all over, overjoyed.
He thought to himself: Good heavens, you actually took the bait on your own!
His original goal was to go to the Dragon Kingdom to investigate. As for whether it was in the name of a visit or watching a show, it didn't matter to him; as long as he could go, that was enough!
"Good! Then thank you very much! We will pay this money!"
The Secretary of State said without hesitation, as if those 300 billion USD were just a small amount. He was now filled with excitement about being able to enter the Dragon Kingdom to gather intelligence.
Representative Gu Chuanwen smiled inwardly: You're too kind; we should be the ones thanking you!