togophonebook Chapter 294 The Foolish Pillar Establishes Rules, All Nations Pay Tribute
Chapter 294 The Foolish Pillar Establishes Rules, All Nations Pay Tribute
Inside the highest-standard presidential suite at the Beijing State Guesthouse.
The U.S. Secretary of State, a veteran politician who has navigated the international political arena for decades, is pacing back and forth in his room in frustration.
He had been in Beijing for three hours, but apart from sending a deputy director-general, whose rank was so low that he felt humiliated, to pick him up at the airport, there had been no official contact from the Chinese side since.
This is blatant disrespect!
"What are they trying to do? What's the point of leaving us hanging here?" the Secretary of State growled at his staff.
"Sir, perhaps... they're waiting for us to speak up?" a young assistant analyzed. "After all, we're the ones asking for their help this time."
"Need something from us?" The Secretary of State sneered. "We're here to discuss a crucial issue concerning the fate of all humanity! And this is the attitude they have..."
Before he could finish speaking, there was a knock on the door.
The deputy director in charge of receiving them walked in with a professional smile on his face, followed by two staff members.
"Good evening, Mr. Secretary. You must be tired from your journey. Did you get some rest?" the deputy director asked politely.
"I need to see your top leader!" the Secretary of State said bluntly, suppressing his anger. "We have many important matters to discuss immediately!"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Secretary of State." The deputy director's smile remained unchanged. "Our country's leaders have been busy advancing the grand plan of the 'Era of Cultivation for All' lately, and for the time being, they do not have time for traditional political meetings."
"What?!" The Secretary of State could hardly believe his ears. "No time? Do you know who I am? Do you know who I represent?"
"Of course I know," the deputy director said, remaining neither humble nor arrogant. "However, Mr. Secretary of State, times have changed. We in China today prefer to solve problems in a more efficient and direct way."
As he spoke, he took two exquisitely crafted, gold-embossed envelopes from the staff behind him and handed them to the Secretary of State.
"This was given to you by our Minister Li."
The Secretary of State took the envelope with a puzzled look and opened one of the envelopes.
Inside the envelope, there were no lengthy diplomatic statements, only a small card with an address written in both Chinese and English.
"Qianmen Street, Shenchu Temple?" the Secretary of State read aloud, his brow furrowed.
He opened another envelope, which also had an address.
"Kunlun Taoist Academy, Beijing Liaison Office?"
"What does this mean?" The Secretary of State looked up, puzzled, at the Deputy Director.
"Mr. Secretary of State, haven't you always wanted to know the secret of China's 'nationwide cultivation'? Haven't you been seeking the path to the 'new era'?" the deputy director said with a smile. "The answer lies in these two places."
"The Divine Chef's Hall, which controls 'wealth' and 'law,' is the sole place to exchange cultivation resources."
"Kunlun Academy, which governs 'Companion' and 'Land,' is the only place where cultivation techniques are taught."
"In China, from national leaders to ordinary citizens, everyone now follows the rules established by these two sacred sites."
"If you are truly sincere in wanting to understand this new era, then please, like any ordinary cultivator in China, go there and seek the answers you seek."
After speaking, the deputy director bowed slightly to the Secretary of State, then turned and left the room with his entourage.
The Secretary of State and his staff were left looking at each other, bewildered and astonished.
"The Divine Chef's Hall? Kunlun Taoist Academy? What are they up to?"
"This is unheard of! They actually want us to go to two places... that sound like restaurants and Taoist temples, to discuss international affairs?"
"Humiliation! This is blatant humiliation!"
The staff were indignant, but the Secretary of State gradually calmed down.
He looked at the two cards in his hand and fell into deep thought.
He knew that the Chinese people didn't need to humiliate them in this way.
There must be a deeper intention behind this.
"Perhaps... this in itself is a test." After a long silence, the Secretary of State finally spoke.
"test?"
"Yes." A glint of light flashed in the Secretary of State's eyes. "They are testing our sincerity. Testing whether we are willing to set aside our past status as a superpower and accept a completely new world order dominated by them."
Just then, the Secretary of State's encrypted satellite phone rang.
It was the diplomat he had left in the Divine Kitchen who called.
As soon as the call connected, the other party's excited yet fearful voice came through.
"Sir! I've seen the messenger of the gods! I've seen the messenger of the gods!"
"Calm down! Explain yourself clearly, what exactly happened!" the Secretary of State hissed.
The diplomat immediately reported to the Secretary of State in detail what he had seen and heard at the Divine Kitchen Temple, as well as the "apology task" proposed by He Yuzhu.
After hearing the report, the Secretary of State fell completely silent.
Merit points... Apology mission...
He finally understood.
The Chinese people had no intention of engaging in any political negotiations with them.
They presented them with a completely new set of "divine rules" that superseded the sovereignty of all nations.
If you want to play, then follow these rules and play this game.
Either you'll be completely eliminated by this era.
There is no third option.
"Sir, what should we do now? Should we...should we apologize?" the diplomat asked cautiously on the other end of the phone.
The Secretary of State took a deep breath.
He glanced out the window at the dazzling lights of the capital, then looked at the card in his hand with the address of "Divine Chef's Palace" written on it.
"Let's go to this Divine Chef's Hall first and take a look," he decided.
……
Half an hour later, a convoy of black bulletproof cars silently stopped at the intersection of Qianmen Street.
The Secretary of State, escorted by several Secret Service agents, stepped out of the car and looked at the "Divine Chef's Palace" in front of him, a place with a simple, even somewhat shabby, facade. His eyes were filled with complex emotions.
He straightened his suit, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.
There weren't many people in the shop.
The kind-looking middle-aged man, referred to as the "palace master," was sitting behind the counter, wiping a seemingly ordinary earthenware pot.
The Secretary of State walked straight to the counter.
He didn't foolishly pave the way with money, like that previous real estate tycoon.
He's learned his lesson.
He bowed slightly to He Yuzhu and said in as humble a tone as possible, "Your Excellency, my name is Anthony Blinken, and I am the Secretary of State of the United States of America. I have come on behalf of my country to seek a dialogue with you."
He Yuzhu didn't even look up, continuing to wipe his earthenware pot.
"This shop does not do political business," he said calmly.
The Secretary of State's expression stiffened for a moment, but he still patiently said, "I'm not here to talk politics. I'm here... to talk about 'merits'."
He Yuzhu then put down the earthenware pot in his hand, raised his head, and looked at him directly.
"Oh? What do you want to talk about?"
"I want to know," the Secretary of State looked into He Yuzhu's eyes and asked, enunciating each word clearly, "besides that 'apology mission,' what other ways can the United States contribute to the world in exchange for the merit points we desperately need?"
He Yuzhu remained silent for a moment.
He pointed to the "List of Meritorious Missions" on the wall.
Just as the Secretary of State looked over.
On the list that originally only had one task, a flash of light appeared.
The second line, in small characters made of cinnabar, appeared out of thin air.
"Task Two: Sharing. Provide China with, free of charge, all of your country's core technical data in the fields of controlled nuclear fusion, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and genetic engineering."
"Mission Rewards: Depending on the technical value, national merit points will be awarded, ranging from 10 to 100 points."
The Secretary of State stared at the second line of text, his eyes practically popping out of their sockets.
Free provision of all core technical data?
What's the difference between this and simply letting them commit technical suicide?!
This is simply robbery!
He was about to protest.
He Yuzhu, however, seemed to have anticipated his reaction, and spoke slowly and deliberately.
"You can negotiate."
"Huh?" The Secretary of State was taken aback.
"The gentleman said that business, well, it can always be discussed." He Yuzhu grinned, revealing a simple and honest smile. "For example, you don't have to provide the technology."
"In exchange..."
He pointed to a tiny note at the very bottom of the "List of the World's Most Valuable Materials".
"You can exchange one percent of your country's territory for it."
The Secretary of State followed his finger and looked down. When he saw the contents of the note, he felt his heart stop.
The note read:
"Special Exchange Item: National Merit Points, which can be used to exchange for 'Divine Protection'. Protection range: 100 million merit points/square kilometer/year."