Chapter 229: Hardline Attitude Overwhelms the Westerners

Facing the sharp questions from British and French reporters and the Da Qian Daily Editor-in-Chief's accusation of "disloyal, unjust, unkind," Lin Yu sat at the center of the podium, and the cold smile on his face not only remained but became even more evident. He did not rush to answer, but calmly picked up the glass of water before him and took a measured sip.

His gaze calmly swept over the restless reporters below, and that unhurried demeanor oddly conveyed a hint of oppression.

Setting the glass down, Lin Yu leaned slightly forward toward the microphone. His voice was clear and powerful, echoing through the sound system to every corner of the grand hall: "The questions from those Western reporter friends just now were well asked." A note of sarcasm tinged his tone: "You ask me on what law?"

He suddenly shifted his tone, his voice snapping sharply: "Then I would like to turn the question around: when your armies sail warships, mount cannons, seize concessions on our Great Dry soil, flood the market, or even station troops, on what law do you base that? Is it your so‑called 'international law', or the 'might makes right' law of the strong?"

Those words landed like a heavy hammer, leaving the foreign reporters below instantly speechless.

The Times reporter who had just been so arrogant flushed red, wanting to retort but finding no words.

Lin Yu paused, his gaze like a blade, his tone even more aggressive: "Since you like to speak with force, fine. Here in Shen City, my ships are now the strongest, my cannons the sharpest! Here, my word is the rule!" His voice brimmed with undeniable authority: "Any foreigner who does not obey my rule, whoever they are, will be punished!"

At that point he scanned the foreign reporters, his eyes openly provocative: "You don't accept it? Have your governments send troops to Shen City, to the Huangpu River, and we can meet face to face! See whose fist is harder!"

This blatant power‑over‑everything rhetoric and unmasked war threat made the entire venue boil instantly.

Reporters whispered among themselves, some shocked, some angry, and most astonished. They had not expected Lin Yu to be so direct and hard‑line, completely disregarding diplomatic language and political etiquette.

Flashbulbs flickered wildly, freezing the scene onto film. Reporters feverishly jotted in their notebooks, fearing to miss a single word. The French female reporter turned ashen, clearly not expecting her question to provoke such a hard response.

Even the ever‑seasoned Zhou Wei was secretly startled. He knew Lin Yu was habitually hard‑line, but to openly challenge the Great Powers and put raw strength on the table was unheard of in this era.

This was no longer a simple press conference, but an open declaration of war against the Great Powers!

The air in the hall seemed to solidify, everyone waiting for the possible fallout of these startling remarks.

Yet Lin Yu leaned back in his chair, lifted his water glass again, as if his words were not sensational at all but merely stating an ordinary fact.

After the brief shock, The Times reporter Wilson sprang to his feet, his face flushed bright red. His voice trembled with anger: "Commander Lin, your remarks are a blatant challenge to the international order! You cannot act so recklessly, this completely violates…"

Before he could finish, a Mi Lijian reporter wearing gold‑rimmed glasses interjected impatiently: "Yes, you unilaterally abrogate treaties, arrest and harm foreign citizens, and will face the entire civilized world's…"

Lin Yu suddenly raised his hand, a crisp gesture cutting them off. His voice rose sharply, bearing overwhelming force: "Challenge?" he sneered, "What I challenge is the unequal order you impose on us!"

His gaze, like a sword, swept the foreign reporters: "What you nostalgic for is the era when foreigners could run amok in Shen City while Da Qian People were reduced to second‑class citizens, even less than dogs on their own soil!" His voice brimmed with suppressed anger, "But I tell you, that era ended completely the day I, Lin Yu, took control of Shen City!"

Those words landed like a heavy punch, leaving the foreign reporters speechless. Lin Yu gave them no respite, continuing: "When I established the new City Hall, I already warned, through every channel, your overseas compatriots and chambers of commerce that they must obey Shen City's new rules and refrain from any activity that endangers Shen City's safety."

His voice suddenly turned cold: "And what was the result?" He scanned the reporters, his eyes mocking, "Some of you not only ignored it but secretly colluded, plotting conspiracies to undermine order here! The Easterners' assassination plot, Yingjili's secret meetings—these pieces of evidence are in my hands!"

"Since you have chosen to oppose me, you must bear the consequences!" Lin Yu's voice rang out, "All of this is your own doing!"

The foreign reporters exchanged glances, some clenching fists in anger, others showing worried expressions. They clearly had not anticipated Lin Yu would be so absolute, shifting all responsibility onto them. Even more shocking was that Lin Yu seemed to possess evidence of many of their covert operations.

The flashbulbs kept flashing, but the reporters' faces were no longer so aggressive. Every sentence from Lin Yu clearly conveyed one message: in this new era of Shen City, the old privileges are gone for good. Those foreign powers accustomed to bullying must accept this harsh reality.

Seeing that direct confrontation could not shake Lin Yu's hard stance, Le Figaro's Marie Dupont suddenly changed tactics. She rose gracefully, her hostile expression softened, adopting an "objective" and "professional" demeanor. In measured French she began, her voice laced with deliberately cultivated concern:

"Commander Lin, we fully understand and respect your determination to maintain order in Shen City," she said, her words especially considerate, "However, according to our understanding, Great Dry has its own complete diplomatic system and imperial court structure."

She paused briefly, her gaze meaningfully sweeping between Lin Yu and Da Qian Daily Editor-in-Chief Qian Zhi Yuan: "As a Great Dry officer, do you have the authority to unilaterally decide Shen City's relations with foreign nations, even to take such drastic actions? Has this already exceeded the jurisdiction of a local official?"

The question instantly made the atmosphere in the hall delicate. The foreign reporters, who had been shocked by Lin Yu's hard line, suddenly showed a dawning look. They realized the cleverness of the question—it no longer tangled in the rightness of actions, but directly pointed to the subtle relationship between Lin Yu and the court.

Qian Zhi Yuan's eyes lit up, and he involuntarily sat up straight. As the court's mouthpiece, he instantly recognized that this question aligned perfectly with his earlier "disloyal, unjust, unkind" accusation. It was pressuring Lin Yu to choose between loyalty and power.

Other reporters also raised their pens, ready to record this pivotal moment. If Lin Yu admits overstepping his authority, he undermines his own prestige; if he denies it, he openly breaks with the court.

Lin Yu, after hearing the translated paraphrase, narrowed his eyes slightly. His gaze lingered a moment on the French female reporter's face, then gave a thoughtful glance at the upright Qian Zhi Yuan. Suddenly, a cryptic smile again curved his lips.

The entire hall fell into tense silence again. Everyone waited to see how Lin Yu would answer this seemingly calm yet sharply pointed question. Flashbulbs flickered intermittently, freezing the tense atmosphere onto film.