Chapter 557: Perfect and Flawless

"I just transmitted a file to another computer via 'Pangu Net' and printed it out; the entire process required no physical media," Li Mingyuan explained, his voice still calm, though he knew how subversive what he had just demonstrated was at the time, "This is how information will be transmitted in the future."

The entire auditorium fell into a shocked silence; one could even hear the hurried breathing of the audience. Everyone realized they were witnessing a technological revolution.

"The core of the Longxin-III is our independently developed Integrated Circuit Technology," Li Mingyuan continued, picking up a transparent plastic box containing a chip the size of a fingernail, "This tiny chip carries tens of thousands of transistors; it is ten times more powerful than the most advanced computer currently available, yet only one percent of its size."

The scientists and engineers in the audience began to whisper; some even stood up, wanting to observe it more closely. The representative from Beijixiong Guo had an ashen face; their computer technology was still stuck in the stage of Vacuum Tubes and early Transistors, and Integrated Circuits were still just a concept in the laboratory.

"Now, I announce," Li Mingyuan stood straight, his voice raised by an octave, "Long Country has decided to open the licensing and limited sales of the Longxin-III to the world, and simultaneously release the development standards for the 'Pangu Operating System'."

This news exploded in the auditorium like a bomb. Open licensing? This meant Long Country was not showing off unattainable technology, but was prepared to actually promote this system!

"Of course, there will be conditions for the licensing," Li Mingyuan added, "Users must follow the technical standards and protocols we have established. Furthermore, we plan to establish 'Pangu Net' nodes globally; all devices based on the Longxin architecture will be able to connect to this network."

His gaze swept over everyone in the audience, "The future has arrived, and we are writing the rules. Welcome to the new era led by Long Country."

After the press conference ended, the auditorium was still clamorous; no one wanted to leave. Reporters swarmed toward the stage, scrambling to observe the Longxin-III up close and ask more questions.

Li Mingyuan was escorted to the backstage by his team members, where Minister Zhang was already waiting, a look of Victory on his face.

"Well done, Lao Li!" Minister Zhang excitedly gripped Li Mingyuan's hand, "Did you see their expressions? Especially those guys from Star-Spangled Country and Beijixiong Guo—they looked like they'd seen a ghost!"

Li Mingyuan chuckled, "This is just the beginning. After they go back, they will find that they cannot replicate the Longxin-III technology at all, at least not in the short term."

"Why?"

"Because what we demonstrated are the results, but we did not reveal the key technical paths to achieving them," Li Mingyuan explained, "It's like showing you a skyscraper without telling you how to lay the foundation. Even if they get a prototype, they will hit a wall during reverse engineering."

Minister Zhang was thoughtful, "Is this what you call 'technical kidnapping'?"

"Exactly," Li Mingyuan nodded, "They only have two paths: one is to accept our technical standards and use our system; the other is to start research and development from scratch, but that would take at least ten years. Regardless of the choice, we have already seized the initiative."

Beijixiong Guo, the Kremlin

In the office of First Secretary Koriakin, the atmosphere was as heavy as lead.

"This is impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Academy of Sciences President Kravchenko slammed the table, his voice hoarse, "Integrated Circuits... graphical interfaces... mice... how could these things already be in practical use? This is at least twenty years ahead of us! Our transistor computers are still solving stability issues!"

The other scientists and Military Representatives in the room looked at each other; no one could provide a reasonable explanation.

First Secretary Koriakin violently smashed the teacup on his desk to the ground, porcelain shards scattering, "Trash! What is the 'Red Star' project for?! Why did our intelligence system not have a single whisper of this?!"

Intelligence Department Head Popov's face was deathly pale, "Comrade First Secretary, we... we don't understand either. Long Country seems to have completely skipped several stages of technological development; like the 'Kunpeng', a technology transcending the era appeared out of thin air."

"Explain! Give me an explanation!" Koriakin roared, "How could that group of farmers in Long Country be ahead of us in computer technology? We are the country that launched the first artificial satellite!"

Tolstoy, the director of the Academy of Sciences' Computer Research Institute, spoke up hesitantly, "Comrade First Secretary, the most unsettling thing is not the technology they demonstrated itself, but their announcement of open licensing and the right to set standards."

"What does this mean?" Koriakin's voice lowered dangerously.

"It means," Tolstoy said with difficulty, "Long Country is setting the rules of the game for the future computer world. All countries that want to catch up with this technological trend must play by their standards and use their technology licenses. In the long run, this is even more terrifying than being ahead in weapon technology."

The office fell into a terrifying Silence. Everyone was digesting this cruel reality: in the field of computer and network technology, which would determine the future, they had fallen completely behind and might never catch up.

"I do not accept this conclusion," Koriakin finally broke the silence, his voice filled with cold determination, "Immediately form the 'Red Flag' special task force, conscript the best scientists and engineers from across the country, and spare no cost to replicate and surpass the Longxin-III technology. At the same time, strengthen intelligence infiltration into Long Country; I want to know how they achieved this technological leap!"

Tolstoy and Kravchenko exchanged a look of despair—they both knew that this kind of hastily assembled "catch-up" plan was almost impossible to succeed. In the long river of technological development, once some chasms are formed, they cannot be bridged by simple resource investment.

Star-Spangled Country, The Pentagon

Inside the emergency conference room for the "Prometheus Project", the atmosphere was equally heavy. The large screen on the wall was looping the demonstration footage of the Longxin-III, and every frame was like a sharp knife, cutting through the confidence and pride of everyone present.

"This cannot be real," Rogers, the chief engineer at Bell Labs, muttered, his voice filled with disbelief, "How did they do it? The graphical user interface was just a concept in our lab, the mouse control system just had a prototype, and the density of integrated circuits is still far from the level they demonstrated..."

"But we saw it with our own eyes," IBM representative Jackson said, his face pale, "That was not a fake; the Longxin-III really worked perfectly."

A senior engineer looked at the smooth graphical interface in the demonstration and muttered to himself: "My God... they realized Douglas Engelbart's dream... and they've already built it!"