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

"Energy security?"

Gu Yun repeated the word, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"Mr. Hans, since you've brought up energy, then I must ask you, on behalf of the German people and all of Europe, a question that will surely sting your hearts."

Is it cold in Europe right now?

These two words, like a chill, instantly swept into the studio.

Although the air conditioning in the studio was on full blast, all the European representatives couldn't help but shiver.

It was a physical cold, but even more so a psychological chill.

Since the Nord Stream pipeline was bombed and since the sanctions were imposed, energy prices in Europe have skyrocketed.

Ordinary people cannot afford electricity bills, and factories have to shut down due to gas shortages.

In this winter, even keeping warm has become a luxury.

"We...we are actively looking for alternative energy sources! We are restarting coal-fired power plants! We are building an LNG (liquefied natural gas) receiving terminal!" Hans said, forcing himself to speak.

"It's worth the price for freedom!"

"Worth it?" Gu Yun laughed, a laugh utterly sarcastic.

"Hans, the alternative energy you're referring to is liquefied natural gas shipped from across the Atlantic, from your ally, the United States, right?"

"Do you know how much that shipment of gas cost when it was loaded onto the ship at a port in the United States, and how much it cost when it arrived at your European ports?"

Gu Yun held up four fingers.

"Four times."

"A full four times the price difference."

"Your allies, under the guise of 'supporting Europe,' cut off the cheap Russian gas pipeline and then sold you their own gas at several times the market price."

"Is this what you call support?"

"This is called profiting from someone's misfortune! This is called eating human blood buns!"

Gu Yun's voice suddenly rose as she pointed at Scott.

"Scott, is this how you treat your allies?"

While shouting "For freedom," they reach into their allies' pockets and steal their last penny?

"How much did your energy giants make this winter? A hundred billion? Or two hundred billion?"

"And this money is life-saving money that ordinary Europeans had to scrimp and save to keep warm!"

Scott was rendered speechless by Gu Yun's series of questions.

What could he say?

They say our country's energy companies are all philanthropists, not making money but just sending warmth to Europe?

Even he himself didn't believe what he said.

The atmosphere in the studio was extremely awkward.

The Western camp, which was just now huddling together for warmth and shouting "brotherly love," now seems to have been stripped naked in public, revealing the dirty deals and schemes underneath.

Hans, the German representative and the man who first brought up the topic of energy, was now ashen-faced and covered in sweat.

He intended to use "energy cooperation" to demonstrate Western unity, but Gu Yun's words hit the nail on the head.

"Mr. Hans, why are you not saying anything?" Gu Yun's gaze fell on him again, her tone not aggressive, but rather as if she were sincerely asking for advice, "You just said that this price is worth it for freedom."

I'd like to know, does this 'cost' include the complete hollowing out of the industrial system that Germany is so proud of?

This question is even more critical than the previous one about "whether it's cold or not".

What made Germany so powerful?

It is its complete, precise, and powerful industrial manufacturing system.

From automobiles to chemicals, from machinery to pharmaceuticals, these were the foundations of Germany's nationhood.

What does industry need most?

It is a cheap and stable energy source.

"Because of soaring energy prices, your BASF, the world's largest chemical giant, has announced that it will permanently reduce its production in Europe."

Your steel mills, glass factories, and auto parts factories are either reducing production or on the verge of bankruptcy.

Gu Yun's voice wasn't loud, but every word struck Hans's heart like a heavy hammer.

"Hans, you are an elite, you should know better than me what this means."

When the factories move away, when workers lose their jobs, when your proud "Made in Germany" becomes "Made in Vietnam" or "Made in Mexico," what will you have left?

"Is all that's left are those empty slogans about 'freedom'?"

"What right does a government that can't even protect its own country's industrial base, a leadership that lets its citizens struggle in unemployment and the cold, have to talk about freedom?"

What you've given the people is the freedom to choose unemployment, or the freedom to choose to freeze?

Hans's lips trembled. He wanted to refute, but he realized that every word Gu Yun said was a bloody reality that was happening right now.

How could he possibly refute it?

Is BASF moving out for the sake of global expansion?

Is it true that factory closures are a normal market shakeout?

These words might fool the media, but in front of an opponent of Gu Yun's caliber, they would only seem more ridiculous.

"Gu Yun! You're exaggerating!" Scott couldn't stand it anymore and had to step in to defend his underling. "Europe's industrial base is still strong!"

They are simply undergoing a necessary transformation! And we, the beacon of light, are helping them!

We offer a safe and reliable "spirit of freedom" free from the threats of dictators!

"The spirit of freedom?" Gu Yun laughed, looking at Scott as if he were looking at a third-rate salesman. "Scott, the name you gave this thing is quite nice."

But is the price of security and reliability really that our allies' industries bleed, and then that blood is sent to your beacon nation?

"I saw a news report saying that because energy costs in Europe are too high, many European companies, especially German companies, are planning to move their factories to your beacon country."

You're offering subsidies and discounts over there; we welcome you with open arms.

This scheme is so clever, I can hear it even in China.

Gu Yun spread his hands, facing the camera and the audience all over the world.

"Everyone, do you understand now? This is a meticulously planned conspiracy."

"The first step is to create conflict and cut off Europe's previously cheap energy supply."

"The second step is to sell our own energy at high prices and make a fortune from the war."

"The third step is to take advantage of the soaring energy costs in Europe to hollow out European industry and attract all the best companies and capital to our own country."

"This series of combined attacks weakened Europe, while the United States reaped huge profits. In the end, they will stand on the moral high ground and tell the world: 'Look, we have saved the free world once again!'"

"These aren't allies; they're the most cunning vampires!"

Gu Yun's words were like a scalpel, dissecting the warm and affectionate rhetoric of the United States as an "ally" and exposing its most greedy and bloodthirsty inner workings.

The studio was deathly silent.

The representatives from Europe all looked ashen-faced.

They weren't fools; they might have thought about these things in private, but no one had ever dared to say them so openly in front of the whole world like Gu Yun.

Once this fig leaf was torn away, they realized they really looked like fools.

[Holy crap! Holy crap! Gu Ge's analysis is textbook perfect! Even I, a liberal arts student, understood it perfectly. This move by the US is so vicious! This isn't an ally, it's digging up their ancestors' graves!]

[To kill someone, you must first destroy their spirit! Gu Yun not only presented the facts but also laid out the entire logical chain behind them. Hans is probably wishing he were dead right now; he's the one who steered the conversation towards energy.]

[What does "the air of freedom" mean? I've learned something new today. Turns out, selling natural gas at four times the price is so you can breathe the air of freedom. I give this marketing copy a perfect score—it's shameless!]

The most ridiculous thing is that those Europeans actually believed it and cheered them on. Now that Brother Gu has woken them up, they're all like wilted eggplants—it's pathetic.

Stop criticizing them; they're in a tough spot too. They're bound by military regulations, financially tied, and blindfolded in the eyes of the public. What can they do? Hopefully, Brother Gu's slap will wake them up a bit.

"That's enough!"

Just then, Charles, the man who had always considered himself the "iron-clad little brother" of the United States, stepped forward once again.

His face was grim, but he still forced himself to say, "Gu Yun! Even if... even if we have disagreements on energy issues, that's a matter of coordination within our alliance!"

But our values ​​are aligned! We all believe in democracy, freedom, and market economics! These are the cornerstones of our alliance!

"And you Chinese...your system is completely incompatible with ours! That's the fundamental contradiction!"

He tried to steer the conversation away from specific conflicts of interest and back to the vague topic of ideological confrontation.

This is their old trick.

When reasoning fails, they start talking about ideologies.

Gu Yun looked at Charles, a hint of pity flashing in her eyes.

"Charles, are you still talking about values?"

"Alright, let's talk about values."

Gu Yun's gaze swept over all the Western representatives.

"Your values ​​allow someone in finance to boss someone in manufacturing around, and even decide who becomes a country's prime minister, is that right?"

Charles was stunned, not yet able to react.

Gu Yun has already provided the answer.

"A while ago, your female prime minister from the United States stepped down after less than fifty days in office."

Why? Because she wanted to implement some economic reforms, reduce taxes, and stimulate the real economy.

And the result? Your financial markets, or rather, the financial capital of your "ally," directly shorted your government bonds and your British pound, using a financial storm to forcefully oust her from power.

"Charles, tell me, in a country, which has more power: the elected prime minister or the invisible power of capital?"

"Is this the democracy you're so proud of? A country that can't even keep its own prime minister, a country where policies are manipulated by capital—whose democracy is it, really?"

Charles opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

That incident was a disgrace to the entire nation of Oxford.

The whole world has witnessed how the British Empire, on which the sun never sets, had its last shred of dignity crushed under the iron heel of capital.

Gu Yun didn't stop. He knew that if he was going to fight, he had to fight them until they could never stand up again.

He slowly raised his hand and pointed to the brightest crystal chandelier on the studio ceiling.

"Your values ​​are like this lamp. They look bright and dazzling."

"But you've forgotten."

"Who is generating the electricity?"

"And who holds the power switch?"

Gu Yun's question, "Who holds the power switch?" was like a bolt of lightning, cleaving through the fog in everyone's hearts in the studio.

Charles turned pale, staggered back a step, and plopped back into his chair.

He recalled the overwhelming ridicule from the media when the female prime minister stepped down, and the US president's nonchalant "It was a mistake."

Yes, that's a mistake.

Your mistake was trying to take a bite out of the capital pie, and trying to break free from the control of the "big brother".

Therefore, you must step down.

Is this the truth about "values"?

In the studio, the twenty-odd Western representatives fell silent for the first time.

They discovered that Gu Yun was like a ruthless skinner.

Scott looked at his distraught "allies" and felt an unprecedented sense of panic.

He knew he absolutely couldn't let Gu Yun continue talking like that.

If he continues talking, this so-called "Western alliance" will disintegrate on the spot today.

He must draw everyone's hatred back to Gu Yun!

"Enough! Gu Yun!" Scott slammed his hand on the table, making a loud noise that forcibly drew everyone's attention.

"Don't try to change the subject and sow discord here!" Scott pointed at Gu Yun, his voice hoarse with excitement. "Even if there are frictions between us allies, they are just brothers arguing, it's an internal matter!"

But your relationship with us is a fundamental contradiction! A structural threat!

He took a deep breath and tried to make his logic clear.

"You just said we were eavesdropping, and that we were selling high-priced natural gas! Fine! Even if those things are true! But why are we doing these things?"

It's to maintain a free and open world order led by us! In this order, although there may be disagreements, overall it is peaceful and prosperous!

"And what about you?!" Scott pointed his finger directly at Gu Yun, "Your China is the biggest destroyer of this order!"

You are trying to replace our model with yours! You are our common enemy!

He turned around and shouted at the top of his lungs at the European representatives: "Gentlemen! Wake up! Don't be fooled by his words!"

He's undermining us here because he's afraid of our unity!

Our internal conflicts can be resolved gradually!

But if we don't unite today, then tomorrow we will all be fish on his chopping block!

Do you believe what he says?

He merely desires to be the supreme Celestial Empire, and we will all become vassal states bowing down to him!