Chapter 567: Technical Enslavement

"Maintenance Hegemony is just the beginning," Li Mingyuan wrote a new plan in his notebook, "Next step, the 'Pangu Net' will connect the globe, constructing an information superhighway the likes of which have never been seen... and this time, we will set all the rules."

……

Switzerland, Geneva, a magnificent hotel conference hall by the lake.

"This is simply shameless to the extreme!" Star-Spangled Country delegation Regimental Commander Johnson slammed the document onto the negotiation table, his face flushed red, "You call this a 'Service Guarantee Clause'? This is clearly naked extortion!"

The expression on the face of Long Country delegation Regimental Commander Wang Deming did not move a muscle; he only gently pushed up his glasses: "Mr. Johnson, I understand your emotions, but please mind your language. Every one of these clauses is designed to ensure the optimal operating state of Longxin equipment and the data security of your country."

"A maintenance fee of five hundred thousand Star-Spangled coins per visit? A daily salary of three thousand Star-Spangled coins for technical personnel plus a fifty percent foreign exchange allowance? This is five times higher than the salary of our top-tier experts!" Johnson was practically roaring, "Not to mention those ridiculous special accommodation requirements and security clauses!"

The Beijixiong Guo representative sat to the side, his complexion as gloomy as iron. He did not lose control of his emotions like the Star-Spangled Country representative, but the coldness in his eyes was enough to freeze the entire Lake Geneva.

There were representatives from over twenty countries sitting in the conference room, and in front of each person lay the same Longxin technology licensing agreement with the "Advanced Service Guarantee Clause" attached. The atmosphere was so heavy it could practically be cut.

Wang Deming looked around the room, his tone calm and firm: "Representatives, I understand everyone's concerns. But please allow me to make one thing clear: Longxin-III and the Pangu System are the world's most advanced computing technologies, and their core maintenance and upgrades require an extremely professional team. Our country's technical personnel have undergone strict screening and professional training to ensure they can resolve any problems that may arise."

"That is exactly the problem!" a representative from a small European country could not help but interject, "Why can't our own engineers perform the maintenance? Why must all key operations be executed by your personnel? This is clearly control and monopoly!"

Wang Deming smiled slightly: "Mr. Representative, may I ask how many engineers in your country are proficient in the Chinese programming system? Who can read and modify the core code of the Pangu System?" He did not wait for the other party to answer and continued, "It is precisely because of the existence of language and technical barriers that our professional team is needed to provide service. This is not control, but technical reality."

The conference room was silent. Everyone knew that what he said was the truth—the natural barrier of Chinese programming made it impossible for engineers from any country to independently maintain the Longxin System.

"Then what about the price?" the Star-Spangled Country representative gritted his teeth, "How do you explain these sky-high fees?"

"High-end technology naturally requires high-end service," Wang Deming responded unhurriedly, "Our technical personnel are not just engineers, but special talents who possess state secrets. Their safety, quality of life, and the risks they undertake all need to be compensated accordingly."

He looked around the room, his tone suddenly turning cold: "Everyone, Long Country has not forced any country to purchase our technology. Whether Longxin-III is worth this price, I believe each country has its own assessment. If you feel the conditions are harsh, you are entirely free to choose not to purchase."

The Star-Spangled Country representative laughed out of extreme anger: "So this is your attitude? 'Take it or leave it'?"

Wang Deming folded his hands and looked directly into the other party's eyes: "This is the iron law of technical security, concerning the core stability of the equipment. If you buy, please comply; if you don't buy, do as you please."

The atmosphere in the conference room dropped to freezing point in an instant.

That evening, news of the Geneva negotiations spread across the globe like Lightning. Media from various countries reported on this world-shocking "Technical Hegemony" incident with the most conspicuous headlines:

*Star-Spangled Country Times*: "Eastern Extortion: Long Country 'Maintenance Hegemony' Appears in International Negotiations"

*Polar Bear Nation Truth Newspaper*: "Technical Imperialism: Long Country Imposes Unequal Treaties"

*European Observer*: "New Colonialist Chains: The Hidden Traps of the Longxin Agreement"

Global public opinion was in an uproar, and governments of various countries faced unprecedented public pressure.

Star-Spangled Country, the Pentagon.

Secretary of Defense Wilson listened to the report on the Geneva negotiations with a livid complexion, then casually threw the report onto the table: "These Long Country people have grown guts of steel! To dare to humiliate us so openly!"

"The problem is, what should we do?" National Security Advisor Smith asked in a deep voice, "The 'Prometheus Project' will take at least three to five years to see results, and the performance advantages of Longxin-III have already been confirmed by multiple parties."

Wilson stood up and walked to the window: "How is public opinion?"

"Extremely negative," Smith said with a bitter smile, "The media is flooded with reports of 'Technical Enslavement' and 'national dignity being trampled underfoot,' and members of Congress have already proposed boycotting Longxin. But at the same time, our technical assessment report shows that if we abandon Longxin, we will fall behind by at least ten years in Computer technology."

Wilson was silent for a moment: "What does the President say?"

"He has requested that we provide a pros and cons analysis of all options, but he is leaning toward... accepting the terms," Smith said cautiously, "Intelligence indicates that Beijixiong Guo is already secretly negotiating a special agreement with Long Country; if they obtain the technology license before us..."

Wilson turned around abruptly: "Then that would be equivalent to handing over the future to others! But these terms... are simply a humiliation to our nation's dignity!"

"Perhaps we should focus more on practical interests than dignity," Smith analyzed calmly, "According to preliminary assessments, adopting the Longxin System can increase our military command efficiency by at least 30%, and the increase in productivity in the civilian sector is immeasurable."

Wilson let out a long sigh: "Organize a closed-door hearing and have those scientists who have seen Longxin-III in actual operation testify. I need sufficiently powerful reasons to convince Congress and the public."

Meanwhile, scientists and engineers around the world were plunged into an unprecedented professional crisis. Those who once prided themselves on being technical elites and leading the world's progress suddenly found that they did not even have the qualifications to repair a Computer.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an emergency faculty meeting was in progress.

"This is an insult to our entire industry!" Computer Science Department Chair Robbins said angrily, "What are they implying? That we people can't even do basic maintenance work?"

"The problem is not ability, but that damned Chinese Barrier," another professor said dejectedly, "We truly cannot read their code, let alone perform deep maintenance."

"Then hurry up and train technical talent who can read Chinese!" Robbins slammed the table and stood up, "I refuse to accept this kind of Technical Colonialism!"