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

The half-hour break passed in the blink of an eye.

When the live broadcast signal switched back into the studio, the atmosphere had subtly changed.

The Western athletes, who had been dejected, now straightened their backs and put on that familiar, slightly superior smile again.

Scott, in particular, was dressed in a brand-new dark blue suit, his hair was neatly combed, and he was holding a tablet computer, looking very confident.

On the giant screen behind them, the background had changed to a vast starry sky.

The Milky Way shines brightly, nebulae swirl, and in the very center is a giant rocket taking off—the heavy-lift launch vehicle that the United States is so proud of.

This high-tech atmosphere is indeed very impressive.

The host, Mark, also changed into a futuristic silver suit, and his steps were much lighter when he walked onto the stage.

"Welcome back, everyone! This is the second half of 'Global Young Diplomats'!" Mark's voice rose a few octaves.

"In the first half of the session, we witnessed a clash of ideas. Now, we will turn our gaze to a more distant place—the stars and the sea!"

The theme of the sixth segment is: Future Frontiers and Space Exploration!

"In this field, humanity has taken great strides."

From the Apollo moon landing to Mars exploration, and now to the operational International Space Station.

Technology is the embodiment of hard power and the ultimate symbol of a nation's comprehensive national strength!

Mark's remarks were clearly intended to promote the United States.

After all, everyone knows that in this field, the United States is the undisputed hegemon.

"Next, please welcome Mr. Scott, representative of the Western Team, to speak first!"

Applause erupted, this time much more enthusiastic from the Western audience, as if they wanted to regain the face they had lost in the first half.

Scott, tablet in hand, strode confidently to the center of the stage.

He didn't look at Gu Yun, but looked directly at the audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Scott's voice was steady and powerful, as if he weren't the one who had just been rendered speechless by the scolding.

"Mr. Gu just talked to us a lot about history and the past. It was very interesting, really."

He paused, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"However, humanity cannot always focus on the past. We must look to the future."

"And in the future, in the field of space, if I may be so bold, some countries are still just babies who have just learned to walk."

As he spoke, he tapped something on the tablet.

The image on the big screen changed.

A black and white photograph appeared, showing the first footprint left by humans on the moon.

"In 1969, our beacon of light, Neil Armstrong, left this footprint on the moon. That was one giant leap for mankind."

The image then changed to a high-resolution view of the Martian surface taken by the Mars rover.

"In 2020, our Perseverance rover was already searching for signs of life on Mars."

The scene continued to change, transforming into the massive International Space Station, where the flags of more than a dozen countries were displayed, but the Chinese national flag was conspicuously absent.

"This is the International Space Station, humanity's home in space."

This place brings together the wisdom of top nations, from lighthouses to cherry blossoms. Here, we share data and explore together.

Scott turned around and finally looked at Gu Yun.

"Mr. Gu, I regret to inform you that there is no place for you in this club that represents the highest level of human civilization."

"We have drafted the Artemis Accords, we have planned future lunar bases, and we have even prepared tickets for Mars colonization."

"And you are still struggling with whether you can build a high-thrust rocket, and still working hard to send people to the space station."

Scott spread his hands, his arrogant demeanor returning once more.

"That's the gap. That's the chasm of hard power."

This cannot be resolved with a few sharp arguments or thousands of years of historical anecdotes.

"Mr. Gu, faced with this vast universe and our absolutely superior technology, what else do you have to say?"

The entire room fell silent.

It has to be said, Scott's move was ruthless.

He avoided all ideological and historical baggage and focused directly on hard technology.

The Apollo moon landing was a real achievement.

The International Space Station is a real, tangible entity.

You can't criticize these things.

In the live stream room in China, there were far fewer comments.

This is troublesome; this is definitely their forte.

Although it's infuriating, we have to admit that the United States is indeed decades ahead of us in the field of space.

Scott's gotten smarter; he doesn't mince words anymore, he just throws physical objects at people.

[How will Brother Gu retaliate this time? He can't exactly say that we invented rockets in ancient times, can he?]

[It's a bit risky; I feel like we're going to be suppressed this game.]

On stage, Gu Yun looked at Scott's arrogant demeanor without showing the slightest panic.

He slowly stood up and straightened his suit.

"Mr. Scott, your PowerPoint presentation is quite good," Gu Yun said, his tone still that infuriatingly calm. "The video editing is also excellent; it must have been done by a Hollywood special effects team, right?"

Scott's face stiffened: "This is real footage! Not special effects!"

"Oh, it's true." Gu Yun nodded. "Indeed, I haven't denied that you went up there. After all, that was fifty years ago."

"Fifty years." Gu Yun held up five fingers. "Are you showing off your achievements from fifty years ago?"

This is like an old man holding up his old certificates from his youth and bragging to a group of young people about how fast he used to run.

Don't you think it's a little... tragic?

"You!" Scott was about to explode.

Gu Yun waved his hand, interrupting him.

"Also, you just mentioned the International Space Station." Gu Yun pointed to the enormous object on the big screen, "that so-called 'club of humanity's highest civilization'."

"If I remember correctly, this club is about to go out of business, isn't it?"

"The equipment is old and leaky, and the toilets are broken and can't be repaired. You even have to rely on Russian spacecraft to deliver supplies."

"It's like a sinking ship, and you're all crammed on board, yet you're smug about not getting tickets?"

Gu Yun laughed, a laugh filled with utter disdain.

"Mr. Scott, do you think we want to get on that wrecked ship?"

"Do you think we can't get in because our skills aren't up to par?"

"No."

Gu Yun shook his finger.

"It's because we think it's too crowded, too dilapidated, and too outdated."

"So, we built one ourselves."

After saying that, Gu Yun snapped his fingers towards the backstage area.

"Frank, cut the camera. Let them see what a 'new house' really looks like."

The large screen switched instantly.

The dilapidated International Space Station, covered in patches, has disappeared.

Instead, a T-shaped space station with a sleek design, full of science fiction and modern aesthetics, has been built.

It floats above the blue Earth, its massive solar panels gleaming in the sunlight.

On the outer wall of the core module of the space station, there is a bright five-star red flag, so red that it is dazzling and makes people tremble.

"This is our 'Heavenly Palace'," Gu Yun said with pride. "Completely independently developed and constructed. Spacious, bright, and even equipped with Wi-Fi."

"Most importantly..."

Gu Yun looked at Scott, a sly glint in his eyes.

"There is only one official language on this."

"That is—Chinese."