Special forces soldier demobilization: Starting from the county government compound, a meteoric rise

The central conference room was brightly lit.

The air was thick with the smell of tobacco and a sense of impending doom. Around the long oval conference table sat the highest decision-makers in China's science and technology and economic sectors. Each face bore the heavy weight of a dark cloud.

"The situation is worse than we imagined."

Minister Wang of the Ministry of Science and Technology broke the silence first. His voice was hoarse, as if he were rubbing sandpaper. "The news we just received is that not only chips, but also all companies in our aerospace, medical, and precision instrument fields that rely on Western high-end machine tools and core components have received a notice to 'suspend cooperation'."

This time, they are determined to completely decouple from us!

"This isn't decoupling, this is strangulation!" Minister Li of the Ministry of Commerce slammed his fist on the table, veins bulging on his forehead. "I just spoke with some old friends in the EU, and their attitude this time is unusually tough, leaving no room for negotiation. The Americans are definitely behind this!"

"The stock market has collapsed, and foreign capital is fleeing in a frenzy. If we don't find a way to stabilize the situation, we may face a systemic financial crisis!" the central bank governor said worriedly.

In the conference room, a pessimistic mood spread like a plague.

Every word spoken was like a heavy stone, crashing down on the already overburdened hearts of the people.

Liu Ming sat beside the head of the table, not uttering a single word from beginning to end. He simply listened quietly, his slender fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the report in front of him, which was filled with a list of companies that had cut off supplies.

"Everyone, please calm down."

Just then, an old but powerful voice rang out.

An elderly man sitting at the head of the conference table slowly put down his teacup.

His name is Liang Qunfeng, a former vice premier who has stepped down from his post. He enjoys a prestigious and influential reputation in the field of science and technology. Although he has retired, his extensive experience led to his being called upon to take charge at this critical juncture.

Old Liang cleared his throat, his cloudy gaze sweeping across the room before finally settling on Liu Ming, his eyes carrying a hint of an elder scrutinizing a younger person.

"What's the panic? The sky hasn't fallen yet." Old Liang's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority that instantly silenced the noisy conference room.

"In my opinion, things aren't beyond repair," he said slowly. "Westerners are businessmen at heart. They're making such a big fuss just to try and overcharge. We've been dealing with them for so many years, surely we see through their tricks?"

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope appeared on the faces of many officials present.

"Mr. Liang, do you mean... there's still room for negotiation on this matter?" Minister Wang from the Ministry of Science and Technology asked tentatively.

"Of course there's something to talk about." Old Liang leaned back in his chair, striking a pose of commanding the world. "What they want is nothing more than market share and profit."

We'll further open the market to them, make more concessions in some non-core areas, and even purchase a batch of their stockpiled older-generation technology products at high prices, giving them a way out. If we give them enough face, won't business be possible again?

As soon as he said those words, the atmosphere in the conference room became somewhat awkward.

Some experienced and prudent officials nodded in agreement.

"Mr. Liang is right. A head-on confrontation will not do us any good. What we need most right now is time."

"Yes, compromise is a kind of wisdom. Let's stabilize the situation first and restore production."

However, Liu Ming's fingers, which were tapping the table, suddenly stopped when she heard the words "high-priced purchase" and "make more concessions".

He slowly raised his head, and a dangerous glint flashed in his deep eyes.

"Mr. Liang, I cannot agree."

Liu Ming's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a thunderclap that exploded in the quiet conference room.

All eyes instantly focused on his excessively young face.

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Is this kid crazy to dare to publicly refute Liang Qunfeng, this political stalwart?

A barely perceptible hint of displeasure flashed across Old Liang's face, but he maintained the demeanor of an elder and chuckled, "Oh? What brilliant idea does Comrade Liu have? Tell us, let's brainstorm together."

"I wouldn't call it insightful." Liu Ming stood up, his upright posture like a sword about to be drawn. "All I know is that the enemy has a knife to our throats, and what we're discussing now isn't how to knock the knife away, but rather, what posture we should adopt to kneel down in a way that will satisfy them?"

That was extremely impolite!

The temperature in the conference room seemed to drop to freezing point instantly.

Old Liang's face also darkened completely.

"Comrade Liu, watch your words!" He slammed his teacup down on the table with a loud thud. "What do you mean by kneeling down? This is called a strategic maneuver! You're young and don't understand the complexities of politics. What we lack most right now is chips! Technology! We can't make them ourselves, and we won't buy them from others. Are we supposed to shut down all our factories and lay off all our workers?"

"It's better to buy than to build, and better to rent than to buy." Old Liang's voice suddenly rose, carrying an unquestionable reprimanding tone. "We discussed this principle decades ago, and it is a truth that has been tested by practice!"

What we need to do now is immediately set up an emergency procurement team, led by myself, to talk to the Americans and the Dutch! Show our sincerity, and I believe the matter can be resolved quickly!

"I object!"

Liu Ming's voice was louder and more resolute than Liang Lao's!

He walked to the center of the conference room, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping across the faces of everyone present.

"I oppose so-called 'emergency procurement'! I oppose even more the outdated and pernicious 'buying is worse than making' surrenderist rhetoric!"

He picked up the report on the table, which was full of names of people who had stopped paying their bills, and waved it forcefully.

"Everyone here is an expert in their respective fields. Can't you see that this lockdown is different from any other one before?"

Their goal isn't market share or profits at all! They want our lives! They want to completely cripple our ability to conduct independent research and development, so that our nation will forever be relegated to following in their footsteps, becoming their technological colony!

"If we back down today and buy their outdated technology at a high price, what about tomorrow? The day after? When they feel we are a threat again, can't they put the noose around our necks at any time?"

"Are we just going to use the foreign exchange reserves we've painstakingly accumulated over decades to give to the enemy, allowing them to build even more advanced weapons to fight us?"

Liu Ming's voice, like a morning bell and evening drum, was deafening!

Many of the younger officials present had a burning passion in their eyes and nodded in agreement.

Liang Qunfeng's face, covered in age spots, was now ashen. He hadn't expected this thirty-year-old brat to dare to refute him so bluntly in front of so many heads of ministries!

"Outrageous!" Old Liang slammed his hand on the table, stood up abruptly, and pointed at Liu Ming's nose, angrily rebuking him, "Liu Ming! You are inciting conflict! Are you going to gamble the future of our country and the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of workers on your illusory 'independent research and development'?"

Let me tell you, chip development requires huge investments and has a long development cycle; it's a long-term solution that can't address the immediate problem! You're dragging us all into a fire pit!

He turned to the crowd and said with deep sorrow, "Gentlemen, we cannot let the passion of these young people cloud our judgment! Compromise is for better survival! What we need to do most now is to immediately suspend those wasteful and exhausting chip research and development projects in our country, and concentrate our limited funds to negotiate with Western countries!"

"Stop research and development?"

Upon hearing these words, the chill in Liu Ming's eyes reached its peak.

He stared intently at Liang Qunfeng's "for the country and the people" face, and suddenly let out a cold laugh.

"Professor Liang, I'm very curious. Why is it that every time we reach a critical moment, someone always jumps out and tells us to abandon our own research and development to embrace the 'charity' of others? Our 'Dragon Soaring Fund' was just allocated less than six months ago, and you're already trying to withdraw our support?"

"This is no longer a simple political disagreement."

Liu Ming's voice was like a cold wind blowing from an ancient ice cave, causing the temperature in the entire conference room to plummet.

He slammed his hand on the solid mahogany conference table with a loud "bang," which made everyone's teacups jump!

"To talk about compromise at this critical juncture is tantamount to treason!"