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

"And Scott."

Have you ever thought about this question?

"You can strangle us because we're using your standards and running on your track."

"But what if we switch tracks?"

"What if we went to develop carbon-based chips or photonic chips?"

"What if we stopped using your Windows, stopped using your Android, and instead built a completely new ecosystem?"

"At that time."

Gu Yun's voice was very low, yet it carried clearly throughout the entire venue.

"Are we the ones still under lockdown?"

"When China, with its 1.4 billion people and the world's most complete range of industries, establishes a technological system completely independent of the West."

"Those who are isolated are you, who are kept outside the wall."

"You will lose the biggest market, the strongest data, and the most hardworking engineers."

"You'll be stuck with that pile of outdated patents, letting them rot in a corner."

"Is this the future you want?"

Scott took a step back, stung by the light in Gu Yun's eyes. It wasn't anger; it was confidence, a clear understanding of the future.

"You...you're trying to scare me..." Scott said, trembling.

"frighten?"

Gu Yun turned away, no longer looking at him.

"Just wait and see."

"It won't take thirty years, maybe it will happen tomorrow."

"The moment our lithography machines hit the ground will be the beginning of the collapse of your technological hegemony."

"Don't beg us to sell to you then."

"Because we might consider adding a Chinese character password to it."

"Don't understand? Then I'll beat you until you do."

"That's our logic."

The air in the studio felt like it was filled with lead, so heavy that it was hard to breathe.

Gu Yun's words, "I'll beat you until you understand," still echoed in the hall, like a resounding slap in the face to every Western contestant who was still trying to use technological hegemony to suppress others.

Scott stood there, feeling as if his spine had been removed.

The tablet screen in his hand was black, reflecting his pale and bewildered face.

In those few minutes, he felt as if he were not debating, but undergoing a long trial.

He wanted to refute, to say that Gu Yun was bragging and making empty promises.

But when he met Gu Yun's eyes, which were as calm as a deep pool, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

That confidence wasn't feigned; it came from the backing of a massive industrial system.

The host, Mark, coughed several times in an attempt to break the awkward silence.

He glanced at the script in his hand; the words on it seemed to be dancing, making it impossible for him to know which line to read.

"Ahem... well, thank you, Mr. Gu Yun, for your... uh, very insightful remarks." Mark forced a smile, but it looked more like a grimace.

"It seems that in the field of technology, China does indeed have... well, unique planning."

In the audience, those who had been waving the Stars and Stripes now rolled them up, afraid of being caught on camera.

Meanwhile, in the Chinese audience, although there was no loud noise, everyone's face was filled with a sense of "those who know, know" satisfaction.

[Is this the legendary dimensional reduction attack? I'm getting goosebumps, Brother Gu's aura is practically two meters and eighty centimeters tall!]

[I suggest taking a screenshot of Scott's expression just now and making it into a meme, with the caption: Who am I? Where am I? Why did I provoke him?]

Don't get too excited yet. These guys definitely won't let this go. They're probably planning something big for the next round.

[What's there to be afraid of? We'll deal with whatever comes our way. Brother Gu has a winning hand right now; he can blow them up with any one of his cards.]

[Hey upstairs, stop jinxing me, keep a low profile. But honestly, I'm curious to see what other awful things they can pull off.]

Backstage in the control room, director Frank was scratching his head, his face a mixture of fervor and inner turmoil.

The ratings have skyrocketed, and the calls from GG (Gross Entertainment) have drained the assistant's phone battery.

"Director, what's the next segment?" the assistant director asked cautiously. "According to the schedule, the next segment is 'Global Alliances and International Relations.' But given the current situation..."

Frank stared at Gu Yun on the monitor, gritted his teeth, and said, "Continue! Proceed according to the original plan!"

"But……"

"No buts!"

Mark finally received the instructions from his in-ear monitor.

He took a deep breath, as if to bolster his courage, and announced loudly: "Okay, everyone! The technology segment just now was very exciting."

But in this world, going it alone won't work.

Having many friends makes the road easier.

Next, we will move on to the seventh segment – ​​Global Alliances and International Network!

As he finished speaking, the image on the large screen behind the stage changed.

It's no longer the stars and the sea, but a huge world map.

On the map, North America, Europe, Australia, Korea, and other regions are connected by blue lines, forming a dense, impenetrable net that tightly surrounds the red area in the middle.

The meaning of this picture is very clear: there are many of us, we are in cahoots, and you are surrounded.

With the help of staff, Professor Hamilton sat up straight again.

He took a few breaths of oxygen, and his complexion became slightly rosier.

He glanced at his "allies" around him—Pierre, the representative of France; Charles, the representative of the United Kingdom; Yamamoto, the representative of Japan (who, despite just waking up, insisted on playing); and the substitute for Park Dae-chang, the representative of South Korea…

These twenty-odd people, as if they had found their backbone, straightened their backs.

Yes, we might not be able to beat you, Gu Yun, in a one-on-one fight, but when it comes to ganging up and forming cliques, that's our forte!

"Mr. Gu," Hamilton said, not rushing to stand up, but speaking in a tone of an elder instructing a younger person, "your technological blueprint was indeed magnificent. However, you overlooked a crucial issue."

He pointed to the large screen behind him.

"This world is about cooperation. We in the Western world share common values, common interests, and a common security system. We are unbreakable allies."

From NATO to the Five Eyes alliance, from the US-Japan alliance to the European Union.

We are one.

And you, Mr. Gu, seem somewhat... alone in this world.

No sooner had Hamilton finished speaking than Pierre, the French representative standing next to him, immediately chimed in.

This guy looks like a typical European gentleman, but he speaks in a sarcastic and unsettling way.

"That's right, Mr. Gu. Just like our France and the United States, that's a traditional friendship that's over two hundred years old."

"This kind of trust is something you can't understand," Pierre said proudly. "We share intelligence and coordinate defense. This sense of security is something no technology can buy."

Immediately afterwards, Charles, the representative of the United Kingdom, echoed, "The special relationship between Britain and the United States is one of blood ties."

There are no closer partners in this world than us.

Even Yamamoto, still feeling dizzy, managed to say, "The Sakura Lighthouse Alliance is the cornerstone of East Asia! The bond between us is unbreakable!"

For a time, the stage became a "confession ceremony" for Western countries.

They all rushed to pledge their loyalty to the United States, while also taking the opportunity to mock Gu Yun's "loneliness."

Gu Yun sat in a chair, holding a cup of tea that a staff member had just brought up.

He didn't say anything, just quietly watched the group perform, occasionally blowing away the foam in his teacup.

The look in his eyes was as if he were looking at a group of people in a pyramid scheme who were praising each other.

Only when they were all tired and the scene quieted down a bit did Gu Yun slowly take a sip of tea and put down his cup.

"Finished?" Gu Yun raised his eyelids, looking at the smug Hamilton. "Indestructible? Blood ties? Bonds?"

He laughed, a laugh that was both cold and amusing.

"Everyone, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about the word 'ally'?"

"In my understanding, allies should help and trust each other. Not..." Gu Yun paused, his gaze suddenly sharpening as he stared at Pierre, the representative of the French nation.

"Not for eavesdropping."