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

Professor Hamilton, listening nearby, felt his heart pounding.

He wanted to argue that this was the price paid for freedom.

But looking at the angry eyes of the European audience below the stage, he knew that saying those words would only get him beaten up.

Gu Yun's move was too ruthless.

He doesn't talk to you about ideologies or values ​​at all.

He'll talk to you about money and daily life.

You talk to me about ideals, and I'll talk to you about who took the money out of your pocket.

"Gu Yun! You're trying to sow discord!" Charles finally couldn't hold back any longer and jumped in to defend his leader. "Our relationship with the Lighthouse is special! We don't care about those things!"

"Oh, special." Gu Yun glanced at Charles. "You mean, the special kind of aircraft carrier you just built, where the carrier-based aircraft have to rely on other people's approval to take off?"

Or is it a special case where, after Brexit, the promised trade agreement still hasn't materialized?

Charles opened his mouth, then fell silent.

Gu Yun sighed, walked back to his seat, and picked up his teacup again.

"Everyone, wake up."

"In this world, there are no permanent friends, only permanent interests. And your leader's interest is to devour yours."

"You think you're diners sitting at the table."

"Actually, in other people's eyes..."

"You're just food on the plate."

The atmosphere in the studio became extremely strange.

The Western camp, which was just a united front, now seems to have an invisible crack in the middle.

Although Pierre was still sitting next to Scott, he had subconsciously shifted his body to the other side, creating just enough space between them for an awkward moment.

Scott was sweating profusely, knowing he had to do something to salvage the situation.

If the alliance breaks up, then the next part of the game can't be played.

"Everyone! Don't let him lead you astray!" Scott shouted, trying to bring everyone's attention back. "These are all things of the past! We are constantly working to correct them!"

Moreover, compared to these minor frictions, China's rise is the greatest challenge to the global order!

They are not transparent! They lack a sense of contractual obligation!

"Opaque?" Gu Yun put down his teacup, as if he had heard a joke. "Scott, since you brought up transparency, let's talk about true transparency."

Gu Yun took his phone out of his pocket and casually placed it on the table.

My phone is a Chinese-made one.

The system was developed by us.

I know exactly where my data went, and I know exactly who is looking at my data.

"But what about you?"

Gu Yun pointed at Pierre, then at the German representative next to him.

"Whose operating system is on your mobile phone? Whose chip is it? Whose social media software is it? And whose cloud server is it?"

"If I remember correctly, they're all from those same few companies, right?"

Gu Yun stood up and took two steps in front of the big screen.

"It's like you're living in a house. But someone else installed the locks, someone else installed the security cameras, and even the notebooks you use to write your diaries were provided by someone else."

"The person who provided all of this, your 'ally,' has the master key to this house."

He can come in anytime, rummage through your drawers, eavesdrop on your whispers, and even stand by your bedside watching you while you sleep.

Gu Yun's voice became low and sinister, and combined with the studio lights, it sent chills down everyone's spine.

"Mr. Pierre, you just said you felt safe. I'd like to ask, when you're running naked in this digital world full of 'backdoors,' where does your sense of security come from?"

"Was it because the 'Big Brother' who was watching you promised not to release your nude photos?"

"Pfft—" In the live broadcast room in China, netizens burst out laughing.

[What the hell?! Nude photos! Gu Ge's analogy is brilliant! It's a bit crude, but the point is valid!]

This is digital colonization! Those people in Europe have been completely infiltrated; they don't even have a decent internet company anymore, they're all using the US's services.

Pierre's expression was as if he had suddenly discovered his bathroom was made of transparent glass, and that there were people standing outside.

"Big Brother is watching you." This is a famous quote by George Orwell, and its application to the United States is a brilliant irony.

Scott's face darkened. He wanted to argue, but how could he? These were facts!

Pierre's face was beyond ugly; it was filled with fear.

As a politician, he was all too aware of the importance of information security.

What Gu Yun was talking about was the unspoken nightmare of European politics, a nightmare that they were powerless to change.

"We...we have the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)!" the German representative couldn't help but interject. "We have laws binding them!"

"Law?" Gu Yun laughed, a laugh utterly contemptuous. "Law is used to restrain law-abiding citizens."

For a country that possesses global cyber hegemony and is accustomed to placing itself above the law, it's just a piece of waste paper.

"If you don't believe me, you can ask Mr. Scott."

Gu Yun suddenly turned around and pointed her finger directly at Scott.

"Scott, do you dare to take out your phone in front of the whole world and let us see if you have that legendary 'Pegasus' software installed?"

Or, let's see how many tools your CIA has in its toolbox that can remotely turn on someone's microphone?

Scott instinctively clutched his pocket.

This action is more persuasive than any words.

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

That guilt and panic were written all over Scott's face.

Gu Yun didn't press further, but withdrew her finger and said calmly, "See, this is the answer."

"The so-called allies are nothing more than 'potential enemies' or 'useful tools' in their eyes."

You are brothers when they need you.

When they don't need you, or when you disobey, you'll be the next ones to be punished.

"And the scariest thing is..."

Gu Yun looked at the European representatives with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"You know all this perfectly well, you know there's a noose around your necks, yet you still help the person holding that noose to attack a friend who truly wants to do business with you as equals."

"Is this Stockholm syndrome?"

"Or have you been kneeling for so long that you can't stand up anymore?"

This statement shattered the last vestiges of dignity within the Western camp.

Pierre lowered his head, the German representative bit his lip, and Charles stared blankly at the ceiling.

They couldn't refute it, because every word Gu Yun said hit their sore spot.

Are they allies? No, they are merely vassals.

Now, this fig leaf has been ruthlessly torn off by Gu Yun in front of billions of people around the world.

But this is not enough.

Gu Yun didn't seem to intend to let them off so easily.

He shifted his gaze from the Europeans and slowly placed it on the two Asian faces sitting in the corner.

Yamamoto from Japan and Park Dae-chang from South Korea are the substitutes.

These two people had been keeping their necks hunched over since the beginning, as if they were afraid that the fighting would spread to them.