The prologue to Chapter 240 is about to begin.
The shipyard before his eyes was so grand in scale that it could be called unparalleled in the world; it was the largest shipyard the US Secretary of State had ever seen in his life.
The spectacular sight left him momentarily dazed, as if he were standing in a giant kingdom forged of steel.
This shipyard was much larger than those in the USA; even compared to the nation of the Russian Bear, known for its heavy industry, the scale here was arguably greater.
Especially when he suddenly recalled the scene he had seen while overlooking from the airplane—there was a large area next to the shipyard resembling manufacturing plants, which he estimated must also be part of the shipyard...
Once this thought surfaced in his mind, it hit his consciousness like a surging tide, wave after wave.
His heart was deeply shaken; if all of this were true, it would be simply terrifying.
Since when did the Dragon Kingdom possess such a massive shipyard?
In his view, this was simply like a fantasy, unbelievable.
"The Dragon Kingdom is no longer the country with extremely backward infrastructure that I remember!"
"They seem to have truly become powerful!"
The Secretary of State could not help but mutter to himself, his voice carrying an imperceptible tremor—an instinctive awe of the unknown and powerful force.
Just then, Representative Gu Chuanwen, as if he had seen through the Secretary of State's thoughts, smiled and introduced:
"The shipyard before you is precisely the birthplace of our Longwei-class Strategic Warship!"
The Secretary of State turned his head sharply to look at him, the surprise in his eyes flooding out like a burst dam.
He widened his eyes and stared fixedly at Representative Gu Chuanwen, as if trying to find a trace of a joke on the other man's face. However, Representative Gu Chuanwen's calm and confident expression made him realize that all of this was fact.
When he looked at the shipyard again, the expression in the Secretary of State's eyes was no longer just simple surprise.
That gaze was mixed with complex emotions; there was amazement at such a massive industrial scale, and even more so, a deep dread that the Longwei-class Strategic Warship was born here.
"No wonder, so this is the manufacturing shipyard for the Longwei-class Strategic Warship."
The Secretary of State thought to himself,
"As expected, only such a terrifying shipyard could manufacture such a terrifying warship!"
"The superior combat capability that the Longwei-class Strategic Warship displayed on the battlefield must be inextricably linked to these advanced manufacturing facilities and massive production scale."
At this moment, he suddenly realized a problem: the other party had actually told him such important information about the Longwei-class Strategic Warship's manufacturing shipyard...
How is this possible?
In his understanding, this should have been a top-level secret of the Dragon Kingdom!
How could it be said so easily and plainly?
Did he accidentally let it slip?
However, he carefully observed Representative Gu Chuanwen and saw that the other man looked completely calm and unbothered, without the slightest hint of panic or regret.
He realized in an instant that this was absolutely not a slip of the tongue; this was deliberately done!
Or rather, this was a show of force directed at him!!!
It was to tell you all, this is our Longwei-class Strategic Warship's shipyard, and what can you do about it?
If you have the ability, come and fight us!
Hmph, the Dragon Kingdom might truly be showing off their power to us!
The Secretary of State felt indignant, secretly gritting his teeth, and with a fake smile, he made up his mind!
"No matter what, I must steal some technology to take back; I absolutely cannot come here for nothing."
Just then, Representative Gu Chuanwen offered to take him on a tour of the shipyard, which played right into the US Secretary of State's hands.
He was secretly delighted, but on the surface, he remained calm as he followed Representative Gu Chuanwen into the shipyard.
Upon entering the shipyard, the Secretary of State was like a curious child, his eyes constantly scanning all around.
However, he soon discovered that the equipment inside this shipyard was something he had never seen before; those complex mechanical structures and advanced technical equipment were, to him, like mysterious products from another world.
Every component and every process seemed so inscrutable that it was simply impossible to remember them.
Moreover, some of the core factory areas inside were heavily guarded, offering them no opportunity to visit at all.
"If I can't visit, so be it, but if I have the chance to see the Longwei-class Strategic Warship up close, that would also be fine!"
The Secretary of State thought to himself, casting his gaze around once more before finally landing on the direction of the shipyard's harbor.
A group of warships was docked there, reflecting shimmering waves under the sunlight.
His eyes lit up instantly as if he had seen a treasure, and his heartbeat quickened with excitement.
He tried hard to search for the silhouette of the Longwei-class Strategic Warship among these vessels, his focused expression making it seem as if the entire world consisted only of the ships before him.
However, to his disappointment, he looked carefully circle after circle but did not find any trace of the Longwei-class Strategic Warship.
The excitement in his eyes gradually dimmed, replaced by deep confusion and unwillingness.
Representative Gu Chuanwen looked at the Secretary of State with a half-smile and teased:
"I didn't expect Mr. Secretary of State to be fond of warships."
The Secretary of State felt like a thief caught in the act; his heart "skipped a beat," and he hurriedly waved his hand, saying somewhat awkwardly: "Not at all, not at all, I was just a little curious, just a little curious."
He tried to make his expression look natural, but his slightly reddening ears betrayed his nervousness.
Representative Gu Chuanwen smiled calmly without saying much, but his smile seemed to have a magical quality, as if it could see through everything.
Under the gaze of that smile, the Secretary of State felt like a little girl stripped naked, with all his thoughts seen through by Representative Gu Chuanwen; this feeling made him feel entirely uncomfortable.
He hurriedly withdrew his gaze, not daring to look toward the harbor again, fearing that his intentions would be seen even more clearly by the other party.
However, he was now certain that the Longwei-class Strategic Warship he wanted to see was not at the harbor.
This not only failed to dampen his curiosity but instead made him even more curious.
He secretly guessed in his heart, where on earth was the Longwei-class Strategic Warship hidden?
Could there be a more secret place?
In this mood of intertwined curiosity and doubt, the Secretary of State walked through the shipyard and followed Representative Gu Chuanwen to the VIP seating area.
At this moment, Elder Qin and Elder Zhao were sitting in the VIP seats, chatting in a relaxed manner.
Su Chen was also nearby, feeling that his presence on such an occasion was not very appropriate!
However, Elder Qin smiled and indicated:
"It's fine, just stay here and be an audience member!"
The US Secretary of State walked over and shook hands with Elder Qin, the two of them exchanging words in a seemingly cordial manner.
The Secretary of State's gaze swept over everyone, and sure enough, he did not notice the young man, Su Chen, completely dismissing him as an insignificant nobody.
In the intervals between conversing with Elder Qin, the Secretary of State subconsciously took a look at the environment around the VIP seating area.
At this moment, he suddenly noticed that in a remote location directly opposite the VIP seating, there was an enclosed area.
That area was surrounded by high walls and strict protective facilities, making it impossible to see the situation inside.
He frowned and thought to himself:
"Could it be..."
"That is where the Longwei Fleet is located???"