Three days after Sheng Lan spoke those words, in the third conference hall of the Ministry of Defense Science and Industry, they were proven again in another way.
The conference hall was not large. Fourteen people sat around a rectangular table.
A deputy minister from the Ministry of Defense chaired the meeting. Three military representatives sat to the left, while five senior executives from the defense industry system sat to the right.
Lin Yuan sat at the eastern end of the long table. Before him were only a projection terminal and an untouched cup of water.
Sheng Lan sat in the observer section one row behind him, a paper memorandum resting on her knees.
"The proposal for establishing the 811 Special Tactical Research Institute has already been distributed to everyone," said the deputy minister chairing the meeting. His pace was unhurried as his gaze swept across the table. "Director Lin, please begin with your explanation."
Lin Yuan pressed the projection terminal.
Three lines of text appeared on the screen.
Positioning: A cross-department defense industry integration platform.
Directly under: Special Equipment Bureau.
Objective: Establish East Asia's independent Mobile Suit technology system.
"As you can see," Lin Yuan said quietly, "the 811 Institute is not a materials laboratory, not a software verification center, and not a project office in name only. It is East Asia's first comprehensive research institution centered on the development of an independent MS technology path."
He switched to the second page.
"Everyone here understands the problems within East Asia's defense industry system better than I do. Materials belong to the Materials Bureau, energy to the Power Institute, ammunition to the Ordnance Group, and control systems to the Electronics Research Institute. Five departments, five sets of standards, each pursuing its own technical path. The information barriers between projects are thicker than the enemy's defensive lines."
A middle-aged man on the right gave a light cough.
Luo Qiming.
A member of the National Defense Committee and East Asia's coordinating director for United Army technical cooperation projects.
"Director Lin," he said, taking over the conversation, "I have studied your proposal carefully. The idea is excellent, but there are several practical issues."
Lin Yuan looked at him.
"Please."
"First, this concept of an independent MS technology path is too broad. East Asia's foundation in the MS field is far behind that of the Atlantic Federation and PLANT. Starting from nothing and trying to catch up would take decades. The 811 Institute's five-year plan is overly aggressive."
"Second." Luo Qiming turned a page in the proposal. "Drawing core personnel from different departments would involve the key technical forces of the Materials Bureau, Power Institute, Ordnance Group, and Electronics Research Institute. Those departments are currently responsible for seventeen contract manufacturing projects and six technical verification tasks under the United Army framework. Reassigning personnel would directly affect the fulfillment of existing contracts."
He paused, then raised his head.
"Third, and most importantly, East Asia's position in technical cooperation within the United Army system was not easily earned. If we openly pursue an independent MS project, the Atlantic Federation will interpret it as a sign of technological decoupling. Everyone here can infer the consequences for themselves."
Several people in the conference hall nodded slightly.
Lin Yuan did not refute him immediately.
His fingers tapped the tabletop twice as he switched the projection to the third page.
A table appeared on the screen.
The dates ran from C.E. 52 to C.E. 70. The vertical axis listed East Asia's technical cooperation applications submitted to the Atlantic Federation, while the horizontal axis showed their approval results.
Eighteen years.
Forty-seven applications.
Approval rate: four percent.
"Everyone," Lin Yuan said without changing his tone, "this is the list of East Asia's high-end defense industry cooperation applications submitted under the United Army Technical Cooperation Framework over the past eighteen years. Forty-seven applications. Two were approved. One was a Level Three maintenance authorization for the Dagger MS, and the other was a secondary development license for shipborne communications modules."
The air in the conference hall grew very still.
Lin Yuan switched to the next page.
A new table appeared.
This one showed East Asia's defense spending and manpower contributions under the United Army framework.
"During the same period, East Asia assumed thirty-two percent of the United Army's defense budget contributions, provided twenty-seven percent of its logistics personnel, and supported forty-one percent of its basic industrial capacity."
He set the projection pen on the table.
"Director Luo said East Asia's position in technical cooperation was hard-won. I would like to ask: what exactly is that position? We spend the most, contribute the most, and receive the least technology. Is that a position—or merely a place?"
Luo Qiming's expression changed by half a shade.
"Director Lin, international cooperation is about the overall security structure. We cannot calculate only individual gains and losses—"
"The overall security structure." Lin Yuan cut him off. "Director Luo, have you read last year's exercise assessment report for the Alaska Defense Line?"
Luo Qiming did not answer.
"East Asian forces were deployed on the outermost perimeter of the defense line. Their equipment consisted of United Army-standard Dagger MS units and MAU-M3 infantry carriers. The exercise's Red Force used ZAFT-standard GINN-type MS units. The exchange ratio was seven to one, and East Asia's simulated casualty rate was forty-three percent."
Lin Yuan looked around the long table.
"Forty-three percent. Everyone, our soldiers carry weapons discarded by others, stand on defensive lines drawn by others, and take bullets for the strategic direction of others. That is the overall security structure Director Luo spoke of."
Among the military representatives on the left, a middle-aged man who looked like a major general set down his teacup with a dull thud.
That was He Changying, commander of the Space Force.
"Director Lin," Luo Qiming said more quickly, "your data is certainly striking, but establishing an independent technological path and withdrawing from the United Army system are two different matters. If the 811 Institute is positioned too highly, it will be interpreted as a political signal—"
"Director Luo." Lin Yuan's voice remained calm, but every word was crisp. "The positioning of the 811 Institute is my concern. How the Atlantic Federation interprets it is their concern. East Asia's national defense development direction will be decided by East Asia itself."
"You are too young. There are certain matters—"
"If Director Luo's opinion is to downgrade the 811 Institute into a materials verification center, then I can tell you that proposal will not pass."
Luo Qiming narrowed his eyes.
"What makes you so certain?"
Lin Yuan did not answer.
He withdrew the projection pen, shut down the terminal, and leaned back in his chair.
The deputy minister chairing the meeting glanced from side to side, about to speak and ease the tension.
At that moment, a side door at the back of the observer section was gently pushed open.
An old man in a black Zhongshan suit walked in. He was not tall, but his back was held perfectly straight.
A secretary carrying a briefcase followed behind him.
Everyone in the conference hall turned to look in that direction.
Luo Qiming closed his mouth.
The old man did not sit down.
He stood beside the side door, his gaze sweeping over the table before finally settling on Lin Yuan.
It lingered for two seconds.
Then he turned to the deputy minister chairing the meeting. His voice was not loud, but every word carried through the conference hall.
"I have read the proposal."
The deputy minister rose halfway from his seat.
"Elder Lin—"
"Let him try."
The three words landed.
No one in the conference hall spoke.
Lin Dingyue turned and walked out through the side door. The secretary followed him, and the door closed again.
Luo Qiming's fingers trembled once on the tabletop.
The deputy minister cleared his throat.
"Everyone, you have all heard Comrade Lin Dingyue's opinion. The proposal to establish the 811 Institute will now enter the formal approval process. Please cooperate with the personnel secondment arrangements. Any objections must be submitted in writing within three days."
The meeting adjourned.
Sheng Lan followed Lin Yuan out of the conference hall, turning her memorandum to a fresh page.
Other attendees dispersed through the corridor in twos and threes. Some gazes lingered briefly on Lin Yuan's back.
"Director, the Spark Data will arrive tomorrow. Xu Yanqiu's team is already standing by."
"Mm."
"Should Luo Qiming's performance today be added to the relationship-map tracking?"
"No need." Lin Yuan did not slow his pace. "Every sentence he said today—Sheng Lan, did you notice his wording?"
Sheng Lan considered it for a moment.
"He said the Atlantic Federation would interpret it as a political signal. Not that it might, but that it would."
"Exactly." Lin Yuan reached the elevator and pressed the button. "An East Asian official understands the Atlantic Federation's response pattern better than East Asia itself. He is not making a guess. He is delivering a message."
The elevator doors opened.
The two stepped inside.
"Give me two weeks," Sheng Lan said. "I will obtain the complete chain of his financial dealings with the Atlantic Federation."
"No rush." Lin Yuan watched the floor numbers descend. "First, let the 811 Institute build its framework. Get Xu Yanqiu's Ceramic Steel data into the laboratory for verification. Once we have our first finished armor plate, Luo Qiming will no longer matter."
The elevator reached the underground level, and the doors opened.
Sheng Lan stepped out, then looked back at Lin Yuan.
"Director, did you arrange for Elder Lin to come today?"
Lin Yuan walked out of the elevator, his military boots striking the corridor floor.
"I went to see him at the East Sea Sanatorium yesterday. I showed him two things."
"What?"
"One was the simulated casualty data for East Asian soldiers on the Alaska Defense Line. The other was the preliminary verification report for Taogang Alloy."
Sheng Lan's steps paused for a moment.
"What did he say after reading them?"
Lin Yuan walked ahead, his back disappearing around the bend in the corridor.
His voice echoed softly from the walls.
"He said that what he had not dared to do twenty years ago was something someone needed to do now."
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