New York.
Rain poured down outside the United Nations Headquarters Building.
A black sedan flying a red flag passed through the curtains of rain and stopped by the roadside.
A protocol officer waiting at the curb stepped forward and opened the door. A middle-aged man dressed in black, his expression grave, emerged from the car accompanied by a secretary.
"How long until the meeting starts?"
"Twenty minutes."
"All right."
The man's name was Liu Jun, and he was Hua Nation's ambassador to the United Nations.
At the upcoming Group of Twenty Representatives Conference, the United Nations would revise the Outer Space Treaty adopted in 1966, adjusting several provisions that had become meaningless in practice while incorporating Hua Nation's initiatives for a "community of shared future for mankind" and the "cooperative development of outer space resources."
Although this appeared to be merely a revision of a few treaty provisions, its implications were immense. It would provide a legal basis under international conventions for Hua Nation's colonization activities in outer space.
Until then, those activities had remained controversial within the international community.
Besides the Human Federation, this was another major political achievement Academician Lu had secured for Hua Nation through the manned Mars landing plan. Although Academician Lu was not part of the diplomatic service, every diplomat from Hua Nation was very fond of him.
Because of him, many complicated and thorny geopolitical issues and historical disputes had become easier to resolve.
If things went well, today's conference would become a highlight of Liu Jun's career. By signing an agreement with the world on Hua Nation's behalf that challenged the old hegemony, he would undoubtedly earn a place in history.
Yet there was little excitement on his face. Instead, it was weighed down with grief.
No one had imagined that, on this