My whole family is involved in diplomacy, so you dare to flex your muscles?

The nights in Washington are destined to be sleepless.

The White House press secretary's phone has been ringing off the hook.

All our Western allies are asking the same question: Is the recording authentic? Are we the next target to be "hunted"?

Meanwhile, Scott's office at the State Department building has been locked down.

It wasn't to protect him, but to investigate him.

FBI agents are loading boxes of documents onto a truck.

Although the official stance has not yet been determined, everyone wants to stay away from this hot potato at this time.

Scott sat at home, watching the red and blue lights of police cars flashing outside the window, a bottle of whiskey in his hand, looking as if he had aged ten years.

He lost.

He lost completely. He thought he was playing chess, but Gu Yun smashed the chessboard right in his face.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, in Beijing, the conference room of a highly classified research base was brightly lit.

Gu Yun sat at the end of the table.

Those seated here are all national treasure-level scientists, as well as several military representatives with general ranks.

The air was filled with the rich aroma of tea and a sense of exhilarating tension.

"The comrades from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs fought a brilliant battle." An elderly academician with white hair, sitting in the main seat, put down the briefing in his hand, took off his glasses and wiped them.

"This has bought us a valuable window of opportunity. Right now, Europe and America are busy fighting amongst themselves, and this is the opportunity we need."

Gu Yun bowed slightly: "It's all to coordinate with everyone's actions. No matter how eloquent you are, it's not as effective as having the weapon in your hand."

The old academician smiled and pressed the button on the projector on the table.

What appeared on the screen was no longer the political games that gave Westerners headaches, but extremely complex molecular structure diagrams and circuit design diagrams.

"Comrades, I have good news to share." The old academician's voice trembled slightly, filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"After years of tireless efforts by 37 teams and more than 20,000 researchers, we have finally taken a crucial step in the fabrication process of 'carbon-based wafers'."

A suppressed murmur rippled through the conference room.

Carbon-based wafers.

This is hailed as a lifeline for the "post-Moore era".

If successful, it will allow us to bypass decades of patent barriers imposed by the West on silicon-based chips and achieve a true leapfrog development.

"Not only that." The elderly academician switched to a slide, which displayed a complex network model covering the entire globe.

"Combining our strengths in the 5G field, the prototype architecture of the 6G communication standard has been completed."

This time, we will no longer be followers; we will be the rule-makers.

Looking at the densely packed network diagram on the screen, Gu Yun felt a surge of warmth in her heart.

This is the "new table" he mentioned at the press conference.

Westerners want to kick China out of their game, so we'll create our own.

Moreover, this game is more advanced, fairer, and more attractive.

"The problem now is promotion." The old academician looked at Gu Yun. "We have the technology, but standards are just waste paper if no one uses them."

We need allies, we need markets, and we need people who dare to sit at this new table, even under pressure from the United States.

Gu Yun stood up.

"Leave this to me."

His eyes gleamed with the light of a hunter spotting his prey.

Yesterday's "recording scandal" was just the first step. In Europe today, especially in France, trust in the United States has plummeted to rock bottom.

While they may not dare to openly oppose the US, they certainly wouldn't mind creating obstacles for the Americans regarding technical standards, using this as leverage in negotiations.

Gu Yun walked to the huge world map and drew an arc with his finger over Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Western Europe, which had just been "stabbed in the back".

"The countries along the Belt and Road have suffered under American pressure for too long. As long as our technology is excellent and our prices are fair, that's our foundation. As for Europe..." Gu Yun sneered.

"Pierre owes me a favor. Besides, capital is profit-driven."

When they realize that silicon-based chips have reached their limit, while we're racing on the carbon-based track, they'll climb onto this car themselves.

"Our goal is not to beg them to join."

Gu Yun turned around, facing the room full of pillars of the nation, and said, word by word.

"We need to create a momentum. A powerful momentum where 'those who follow it prosper, and those who oppose it perish.'"

I want the whole world to know that the key to the future of technology is in our hands.

Want to come in? Sure.

But please learn how to say "thank you" in Chinese first.

A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted in the conference room.

These scientists, who usually buried themselves in their work, were now ignited with passion by Gu Yun's domineering words.

After the meeting, Gu Yun walked out of the base.

The capital city was still a bit chilly at this time of year.

Xiao Wang was waiting at the entrance in his Hongqi car. When he saw Gu Yun come out, he quickly went to greet him.

"Gu Si, where are we going? Back to the department or home?"

Gu Yun looked up at the sky.

On the eastern horizon, a faint glimmer of dawn was beginning to appear.

That was the glimmer of light before dawn, faint yet unstoppable.

"Let's go get some breakfast." Gu Yun got into the car, rubbing his throbbing temples. "You'll have the energy to tear down a wall when you're full."

The car started and drove into this vast city that was awakening.

Gu Yun leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest.

He knew that this brief peace would soon be broken.

Once the news about carbon-based chips is released, it will be a tsunami even more terrifying than the "recording scandal".

At that time, an opponent of Scott's caliber probably wouldn't even qualify to sit at the table.