Chapter 569: The Most Humiliating Agreement

"Sign the agreement," the assistant whispered, "but in the form of a 'Technical Cooperation Supplementary Agreement,' packaging the 'maintenance service' clauses as 'in-depth technical exchange' between the two sides."

Johnson gave a bitter smile: "To put it plainly, it's still accepting the terms, just with a nicer-sounding name."

"Correct," the assistant nodded, "Congress has already approved a special budget to prepare for the 'technical service fees' for the next five years. The media has already dubbed this the 'Golden Prisoner Treaty'—we will be continuously trading real gold and silver for the 'right to breathe' regarding technology."

Johnson stood up and straightened his suit: "Arrange a private meeting; I need to speak with the Long Country representative alone to finalize the details before the official signing."

That evening, at a private club by the shores of Lake Geneva, the Star-Spangled Country's chief negotiator Johnson met secretly with the Long Country representative Wang Deming.

The lighting in the club was soft, and only the two of them sat on a sofa in the corner, with two glasses of whiskey placed before them.

"You won," Johnson said, getting straight to the point, his tone full of reluctance, "we will sign the agreement and accept all the terms."

Wang Deming nodded slightly, his face devoid of a victor's smugness, showing only calm acceptance: "A wise decision."

"But I need you to be clear on one thing," Johnson stared into the other's eyes, "while your technical team is in our country, they will strictly abide by our laws and regulations. Their range of activity will be restricted to necessary work areas."

"Of course," Wang Deming responded calmly, "as long as it does not affect their work efficiency and normal life."

Johnson clenched his fist, then slowly relaxed it: "This is one of the most humiliating agreements in our country's history, do you know that?"

Wang Deming took a sip of whiskey, his tone suddenly becoming sharp: "Mr. Johnson, history is a mirror. Those unequal treaties you forced us to sign back then, weren't they also under the pretext of 'technical advancement' and 'civilization'?"

Johnson was momentarily speechless, his face turning ashen.

"However, these terms are indeed a bit excessively harsh," Minister Zhang couldn't help but say, "especially those salary and accommodation requirements, it's almost like..."

"Like the privileges the Western powers enjoyed in our country back then?" Li Mingyuan took over the conversation, a flash of coldness in his eyes, "History is sometimes just that ironic. The former victim now holds the initiative."

Minister Zhang was silent for a moment: "Do you think they will be willing to accept this state of affairs? The Star-Spangled Country and Beijixiong Guo will surely try every possible means to break this situation."

"Of course they won't be willing," Li Mingyuan stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the new research facility under construction in the distance, "but this is exactly our opportunity. The more anxious they are to shake off their dependence, the more they will invest resources into developing their own technology. And technical competition is the greatest driving force for human progress."

"Are you saying we intentionally set these harsh conditions just to stimulate them to accelerate their research and development?" Minister Zhang asked in surprise.

Li Mingyuan smiled mysteriously: "Who knows? Perhaps I just wanted to let certain people taste what it's like to be under technical colonialism."

Outside the window, the sun was setting, and the golden afterglow spilled over every corner of Penglai Base. In this seemingly ordinary military research facility, a technical revolution that would completely change the world landscape was quietly advancing.

And in the capitals of countries around the world, high-level government officials were urgently adjusting their strategies, while the Military and intelligence departments began preparing for the incoming Long Country technical team, their hearts filled with contradictory emotions—both anticipating the revolutionary changes brought by Long Core technology and hating the humiliation brought by this dependence.

……

Penglai Base, Li Mingyuan's special training ground.

"Remember, you are not just technicians; you are the image representatives of Long Country and the guardians of the Pangu System." Li Mingyuan stood before more than a hundred elite technicians dressed in uniform dark workwear, his voice calm yet full of power. These personnel all wore exquisite dragon-shaped badges, the exclusive emblem of the "Pangu Guardian" technical team.

This was the first batch of maintenance teams to be sent to countries around the world, and every member had undergone rigorous screening and special training. They not only possessed top-tier technical capabilities but had also passed the strictest political vetting and loyalty tests.

"Your every word and action represents the dignity and strength of Long Country," Li Mingyuan continued, "no matter what kind of harassment or surveillance you face, you must remain professional and calm. Remember our code of conduct."

A technician raised a hand: "Chief Engineer Li, what if the client country attempts to steal our technical secrets or violates the contract terms?"

Li Mingyuan smiled slightly: "That is exactly what I want to emphasize. First, all work must be conducted in designated sealed workrooms, using our own equipment and tools; second, the working language shall be a pre-designated dialect, not Mandarin; third, any discarded materials, even a scrap of paper, must be sealed and brought back; fourth, if you encounter any abnormal situation, immediately activate the 'Aegis' protocol."

He looked around at everyone: "More importantly, always remember—you are not ordinary technical service personnel, but 'Pangu Guardians' with special status. The contract has granted you rights; you must firmly uphold these rights. Accommodation standards, transportation arrangements, working conditions, safety guarantees—if any item does not meet the standard, you have the right to refuse work."

The technicians and security personnel below nodded with serious expressions. They all understood how important the mission they shouldered was.

Minister Zhang stood to the side, watching this elite team, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Just a few months ago, Long Country was still just an emerging nation that had barely found its footing; now, it could send out technical teams to station themselves in the core facilities of countries around the world under nearly harsh conditions. The changes of history are sometimes dizzyingly fast.

After the training ended, Li Mingyuan and Minister Zhang walked off the field side by side.

"Lao Li, to be honest, aren't you worried that these conditions are too harsh and will cause a strong backlash?" Minister Zhang asked.

Li Mingyuan shook his head: "On the contrary, the harsher they are, the more they highlight our technical advantage and status. Think about it, a country willing to accept such conditions is in itself the greatest recognition of the value of Long Core technology."

"The intelligence agencies of those countries will definitely try every means to infiltrate and monitor our team," Minister Zhang said worriedly.

"That is exactly the focus of our special training," Li Mingyuan said confidently, "and let them monitor. The tighter the surveillance, the more it proves their fear and helplessness."

He stopped his steps and looked at the special transport plane in the distance that was loading equipment: "Furthermore, our 'Pangu Guardian' team is far from just going to repair equipment."

Minister Zhang keenly caught the implication: "You mean..."

Li Mingyuan smiled meaningfully: "Every maintenance point is an information node; every maintenance session is a data collection event. At the dawn of this information age, whoever controls the data controls the future."