Chapter 305 The sky... why is it dark?
The USA. The White House.
Inside a luxuriously decorated conference room, where the atmosphere was so heavy it felt like it could freeze a person to death, the lights were dim.
The faces of the representatives from various countries appeared unsettled under the dim yellow glow.
Representatives from the USA, Japan, South Korea, and some countries in Europe were gathered together!
They looked like a rabble, huddling together for warmth while harboring ulterior motives.
Previously, they had leaked the news of the impending restrictions, attempting to strike first and seize the "high ground" in public opinion and the market.
Sure enough, once the news broke, it was like a giant boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand waves and causing a huge uproar within their own countries!
Many citizens were filled with righteous indignation and spontaneously organized large-scale protests. Streets and alleys were filled with protest banners and shouting, like a surging tide of public anger, causing significant trouble for the authorities.
However, the authorities of these countries, who prided themselves as "beacons of democracy" and "benchmarks of civilization," completely ignored the citizens' demands and brandished their power, suppressing them with bloody, hardline tactics!
The lingering smell of tear gas and the broken protest signs left on the streets became ugly footnotes to their so-called "maintaining order."
But compared to the clamorous, rioting masses at home, these high-ranking officials hiding in deep palaces and courtyards, plotting their "international chess game," were more worried about retaliation from the Dragon Kingdom across the ocean.
In their narrow yet shrewd perception, the Dragon Kingdom's military technology had been rising steadily over the years, and now it was fully fledged with extraordinary strength, definitely not a soft persimmon to be bullied!
This time, they had openly violated the interests of the Dragon Kingdom. The Dragon Kingdom would certainly not sit idly by; they might even erupt in thunderous rage, take extreme measures, or even unleash a killer move, implementing irresistible retaliation against them.
President Biden sat at the head of the conference table, his brows locked in a frown.
He swept his gloomy gaze over the high-ranking officials of various countries; his eyes were like a winter's cold pool, icy and bone-chilling!
He said in an extremely serious tone: "This time we are fighting for our own national interests, that is beyond doubt, but we have also fiercely stepped on the red line of the Dragon Kingdom's interests. The Dragon Kingdom is not someone to be trifled with!"
"Next, they may take very tough measures against us. Please tighten your nerves and be mentally prepared. Don't be scared out of your wits when the time comes, losing our 'great power dignity.'"
Upon hearing this, the Prime Minister of Japan hurriedly straightened his spine, which was accustomed to sycophancy, and said with a resolute face and righteous words: "No matter what means they take, we must absolutely not yield!"
"Their new concept car is completely a sharp blade, stabbing straight into our economic arteries. Once their cars are allowed to enter our market unimpeded, our automotive industry, which we have painstakingly operated for many years and rely on for survival, will be completely finished, becoming a stepping stone for the rise of the Dragon Kingdom."
"Therefore, now is the time for us to unite and act in unison against the outside; we must never let the Dragon Kingdom succeed!"
The South Korean President was not to be outdone and chimed in: "That's right, this contest that appears to be in the commercial field is actually surging with undercurrents and full of crises. A slight mistake could evolve into a real war with blades drawn. When that time comes, I hope you all won't be cowards, don't be spineless. Everything is for the country, for our 'glory' and 'interests.' What does it matter if we risk our old lives!"
The high-ranking officials from various countries nodded one after another, echoing each other, sharing a common hatred for the enemy, and high in fighting spirit, like a group of trapped beasts, making their final struggle and roar.
Just as they were immersed in this atmosphere of self-"emboldening" and "cheering," preparing to fight the Dragon Kingdom to the end, President Biden's secretary hurried over with a flustered look and messy steps!
He bent down and whispered a few words into President Biden's ear.
President Biden's originally tense expression froze, as if he had heard some Arabian Nights tale. Then, a smile squeezed onto his face; that smile contained both unexpected joy and a hint of suspicion. He said in surprise: "What did you say? The Dragon Kingdom called... and is preparing to conduct a friendly visit regarding the restrictions?"
"What kind of act is this?"
This news was like a spark thrown into this "tense powder keg," instantly attracting the attention of everyone present!
Everyone's eyes turned to President Biden, especially noticing the inappropriate smile on his face. They didn't understand why President Biden could laugh at this moment.
The Secretary of State thought he saw through everything. He curled his lips, revealed a cold sneer, and said sarcastically: "It seems we overestimated the toughness of the Dragon Kingdom!"
"Look, even though their military strength is already at its zenith and far exceeds ours, deep down they still have that old, outdated 'weak' style!"
"When encountering trouble, they actually still rely on the same old methods, attempting to solve this extremely thorny problem through visits and negotiations!"
"Do they really think we are gullible philanthropists?"
The Prime Minister of Japan also reacted at this moment, following the Secretary of State's lead, echoing with a smug face and shaking his head: "It seems the Dragon Kingdom has been low-key for too long, accustomed to forbearance on the international stage. Now that they want to be tough, they don't even know how to do it!"
"They have brute force but lack the courageous guts. If we in Japan possessed such powerful military strength as they do, hmph, we would have been showing off and doing whatever we wanted all over the world long ago!"
"How would we be as indecisive and cowardly as they are now."
As he spoke, his face was full of undisguised complacency and disdain, as if the Dragon Kingdom had already become fish meat on his chopping block, left for him to judge.
Then, like a child eagerly seeking an answer, he asked longingly: "Does this mean we don't have to worry anymore?" "Has the Dragon Kingdom softened its stance and wants to make peace with us?"
President Biden's voice suddenly rang out again, breaking this brief noise and delusion. He frowned slightly, his expression heavy, and his tone revealed a bit of caution and suspicion as he said: "We cannot let our guard down!" "We still don't know what medicine is in the Dragon Kingdom's gourd; don't be deceived by appearances. We must test the reality of the situation first."
As he spoke, he picked up the phone, and after a flurry of arrangements by the staff, he dialed the number to the Dragon Kingdom.
The person who answered the phone on the other side was Elder Qin!
At the beginning of the call, there was some routine polite small talk! But the hidden needles in the cotton and the surging undercurrents in the words could be detected by anyone with a little experience.
After a few polite formalities, neither side had the patience, and they went straight to the topic.
President Biden spoke first and asked: "My staff reported that your country wants to conduct a friendly visit with my country regarding the restrictions?"
Elder Qin replied concisely and powerfully, neither humble nor arrogant: "That's right!"
President Biden was stunned for a moment, his hand holding the phone tightening unconsciously, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself: That's it? So understated, are you not prepared to say anything else? Could it be that you really think a visit can just gloss over this matter?
However, he dared not rashly refuse. After all, the current strength of the Dragon Kingdom was there, and if they really tore off the mask, he would have no confidence.
After thinking about it, he suppressed his inner suspicion and said: "Okay! Your country is willing to adopt a friendly negotiation approach to resolve our multilateral trade conflicts. I highly approve of your attitude. Although the matter is tricky, sitting down to chat is better than meeting on the battlefield."
As he spoke, President Biden felt that what he said was a bit strange. It sounded exactly like the tone the Dragon Kingdom often used when dealing with international disputes in the past. How had the roles reversed, and why were these words coming out of our, the USA's, mouth?
He couldn't help but shake his head, trying to shake this distracting thought out of his mind, but that feeling of weirdness followed him like a shadow.
He asked again: "Then when will your country have time?"
Elder Qin replied steadily: "We have time today."
As he spoke, he looked up out the window at the Aerospace Carrier floating in the sky in the distance, like a sci-fi behemoth, waiting quietly!
Its whole body exuded a mysterious and powerful aura, just like a prehistoric beast that had been dormant for a long time and was about to bare its fangs. Everything was ready, just waiting for the order to cross mountains and seas and reach the enemy's territory directly.
President Biden also subconsciously looked outside. It was high noon, the sun was in the sky, and sunlight was spilling onto the golden roof of the palace, refracting dazzling light.
He pondered that the Dragon Kingdom and the USA were separated by thousands of miles. Even with the fastest transportation, crossing the Pacific Ocean within a day was almost an Arabian Nights tale. He smiled and negotiated: "Although I also want to be able to negotiate with your country as soon as possible to resolve this misunderstanding, your side may not be able to arrive today. Of course, we may not be able to reach your country either!" "This distance is no joke; you can't just sprout wings and fly over."
Elder Qin, however, said in a determined and unquestionable tone: "No need, we will arrive immediately."
"Immediately???" Not only was President Biden stunned, but the surrounding representatives of various countries who were pricking up their ears to listen to the call, full of suspicion, were also stunned when they heard this.
The Secretary of State immediately jumped up, eyes wide, face full of disbelief, and shouted: "Impossible, how could they be so fast?" "We are more than 10,000 kilometers away from the Dragon Kingdom. Even by plane, it takes more than ten hours. It must take them quite a bit of time to get here. Could it be that the Dragon Kingdom has invented some shocking transportation tool that can teleport?"
Others also nodded one after another, feeling that the Secretary of State's words were reasonable and well-founded!
At this time, someone slapped their forehead and shouted: "But... with the Dragon Kingdom's current technological level, maybe they really have invented an amazing transportation tool." "Their previous Space Mecha had outrageously fast speed. I saw it clearly in the live broadcast back then. When that thing ran, the speed was fast enough to form a powerful hurricane behind it. Wherever it passed, it was like the sky collapsing and the earth cracking; the power was astonishing."
"Yes, yes, yes, I saw it too. Moreover, the Space Mecha is huge and can definitely serve as a means of transportation. If they are riding the Space Mecha, maybe they really can arrive in our country very quickly."
Everyone was discussing heatedly, and the conference room became noisy again. However, in that noise, a bit of uneasiness and fear was faintly revealed, just like the final clamor before a storm.
And just when they were discussing heatedly, the sky suddenly changed.
Everyone was stunned! "Strange..." "The sky... why did it suddenly get dark?"