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

Scott's roar was like the desperate howl of a wounded beast.

He cannot accept defeat, especially the crushing defeat in the battleground of "values" and "public opinion" that he is most proud of.

Therefore, he could only resort to the last weapon, which they had used countless times—the "debt trap theory."

This carefully crafted lie, repeatedly amplified by countless media outlets and think tanks, is their last card to smear China's cooperation with developing countries.

He was trying to tell the world: Look, those who support China are not sincere; they have been bought off with money. They are short-sighted and foolish, and they are pushing their own country into the abyss.

Professor Hamilton immediately realized what was happening and chimed in, "That's right! Mr. Scott is right! This isn't true friendship, it's a transaction! A dangerous, unequal transaction!"

China is exploiting developing countries' thirst for infrastructure, saddleing them with heavy, never-ending debts, with the ultimate goal of controlling their economic lifelines and even their sovereignty!

He pointed to the big screen and pulled up a picture that had been prepared in advance. It was a port in the Indian Ocean, built by China.

"Look at this port!" Hamilton said with great distress. "This country was forced to lease the port to China for 99 years because it couldn't repay its loans!"

What is this if not colonization? What is this if not ceding territory and paying reparations? Today you take money from China to build railways, tomorrow your railways may not belong to you anymore!

This example is the most classic and widely circulated "evidence" in the "debt trap theory".

The atmosphere in the studio suddenly became heavy again.

Some spectators who had just been cheering for China now showed a hint of doubt on their faces.

A 99-year lease? That does sound a lot like those unequal treaties in modern history.

I've heard about this port situation; it's being blown out of proportion online, with people saying it's part of our "string of pearls strategy" and irrefutable evidence of neo-colonialism. It's hard to defend this.

Indeed, the claim of a 99-year lease is very misleading, easily bringing to mind our humiliating history of being leased Hong Kong. How will Brother Gu explain this?

I have faith in the country, but this matter truly needs a convincing explanation. Otherwise, many of the good things we've done will be undone by this mudslinging.

Go, Gu Ge! Tear this lie to shreds! Let them know what despicable behavior really means!

On stage, facing the combined attack of Scott and Hamilton, Gu Yun showed no sign of tension.

He even had the leisure to pick up his teacup and take a small sip.

Scott was even more furious at that calm and composed demeanor.

"Gu Yun! Why aren't you saying anything? Are you feeling guilty? Can't you refute me?" Scott pressed.

Gu Yun put down her teacup, raised her eyelids, and glanced at him indifferently.

"Scott, you know what? I've always felt that one of the things your country does best is take a complex matter, cut off the beginning and the end, and then use a highly inflammatory label to tell it as a simple, black-and-white story."

"For example, you call the invasion of a sovereign state 'liberation'."

"For example, you call eavesdropping on your allies 'protection'."

"For example, you call a normal business partnership a 'debt trap'."

Gu Yun stood up and walked to the picture of the port.

"Since you all enjoy talking about this port so much, today I'll give you all a proper lesson in front of the whole world and explain what this so-called 'debt trap' is all about."

His tone was calm, like a history teacher explaining a text.

"First, Professor Hamilton, I need to correct a factual error you made," Gu Yun said, pointing to the screen.

"The main lender for the construction of this port was not China. Moreover, before Chinese companies took over, it had already been suffering losses year after year due to poor management and was simply unable to repay the commercial loans from the West and Japan."

"In other words, we didn't dig this 'pit' in the first place."

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

This is information that most people are hearing for the first time. In Western narratives, this port has been deeply intertwined with China from beginning to end.

"Secondly, regarding the '99-year lease'," Gu Yun's lips curled into a mocking smile, "this idea wasn't ours either."

Rather, it was the country's government that proactively proposed the "debt-to-equity swap" plan to resolve their debt crisis. They hoped to attract foreign investment and revitalize this non-performing asset by transferring the port's operating rights.

"At the time, China was not the only country bidding for the project. However, only we were willing to take on this mess and promised to continue investing heavily in the second and third phases of construction to build it into a true international shipping hub."

"Therefore, this is not something we forced, but a two-way business transaction."

We paid real money for the operating rights, which is a perfectly reasonable business practice anywhere in the world.

"It's like you own a shop that's about to go bankrupt and you're heavily in debt. You then put up a notice saying 'Prime location for sale.'"

I took over the business, paid off your debts, and even promised to renovate the shop into a chain supermarket. Then, your former creditors—the countries of Professor Hamilton and Mr. Scott—came out and accused me of running a "store trap" and colonizing you. Don't you find that ridiculous?

Gu Yun's analogy was simple and easy to understand, instantly making the logic clear to most of the audience.

So that's what happened! I knew it! How could it be like modern history? This is just normal business practice. Western media are bastards, cutting out the details and only reporting "99-year lease"!

[This is hilarious! Turns out they dug this mess themselves, and nobody cleaned it up. We cleaned it up, and they still yelled at us. Isn't this classic "If I can't handle it, you can't handle it either" robber logic?]

[Brother Gu's analogy is so vivid. "Prime location for sale"—it all makes sense now. Scott and his group are like that envious old creditor; they can't revitalize it themselves, yet they won't let others do it.]

Scott and Hamilton's expressions turned very ugly.

They didn't expect that Gu Yun knew so much about the ins and outs of this matter, even knowing exactly who the original lender was.

"Even if... even if this is a business transaction!" Scott argued forcefully.

"And what about the railways and highways you built in Africa and South America? Those projects have also saddled many countries with heavy debts! That's a fact!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Gu Yun raised an eyebrow. "Are you talking about the kind where we help repair roads so their agricultural products can be transported out of the mountains and sold for a good price?"

We helped them get electricity so their children could do their homework under the light at night; we helped build an industrial park so their young people no longer have to leave their homes to work elsewhere. Are you referring to this kind of "heavy debt"?

"If that's the case, then I admit it."

"We not only want them to bear this 'debt,' but we also want them to bear even more 'debts of development,' 'debts of prosperity,' and 'debts of hope'!"

Gu Yun's voice was strong and resonant.

"Because we believe that it's better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. Temporary debt is for the sake of long-term, self-sustaining development capabilities!"

"This is fundamentally different from your 'aid'!"

Gu Yun suddenly turned around and pointed at Scott again.

"What kind of aid is this? It's giving billions of dollars and then demanding that the other side buy your weapons, open up your financial system, and support your pro-you politicians! What you're giving isn't a fishing rod, it's poison coated in honey!"

"You have emptied their future, condemning them to forever remain your raw material suppliers and dumping grounds, forever locked at the very bottom of the global supply chain!"

"We are helping them build a future where they can take control and develop on their own!"

"And you are destroying their future!"

Gu Yun's gaze slowly swept over the representatives from developing countries.

"Now, my friends."

"You can judge for yourselves."

"Who are the colonizers of the new era?"

"Who is the real vampire?"