The Xia Kingdom believed in winning people over with virtue and reason

"This is the Xia Kingdom. You have no right to speak to us like that on our own soil!"

The American representative's face darkened on the spot at Wang Desheng's blunt words. In all his years representing America, he had never met anyone who spoke to him in that tone.

Today, he finally had.

What infuriated him even more was that he could not argue back. After all, he had not come here over the conflict at the Xia-Fo Border, but over the potentially existing means of controlling the weather.

If the Xia Kingdom really possessed technology that advanced, the world order was bound to undergo a tremendous shift.

When that happened, America's hopes of remaining above it all as the world's hegemon would become nothing more than a fantasy.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wang Desheng. My earlier remarks weren't actually directed against the Xia Kingdom. I was merely discussing the matter at hand. Our ally submitted a complaint against you, and as the leader of the alliance, we naturally had to look into it. I believe you can understand our position."

No one had expected the American representative to back down so suddenly.

Every reporter present stared wide-eyed, and the representatives of the other countries were no exception.

Before this, who could have believed America would back down?

This was nothing like the America they knew.

Quite a few people even gave the American representative questioning looks, wondering whether the Xia Kingdom's government had bought him off.

"Winning people over with reason and virtue has been a guiding principle of the Xia Kingdom's people since ancient times. We also believe in welcoming friends with fine wine and greeting wolves with hunting rifles."

Wang Desheng pressed his advantage with that statement, bringing the entire conference to a climax.

The reporters kept photographing Wang Desheng from every angle. Some of the Xia Kingdom's media representatives were so moved that they nearly burst into tears.

How many years had it been? How many years had they waited to hear those words?

He had a feeling that tonight, the Xia Kingdom would be even wilder and more fired up than yesterday.

The representatives of the other countries wore all sorts of expressions after Wang Desheng's second statement. The American representative nearly stood up and exploded, but at the last moment, he held himself back.

"Mr. Wang Desheng, the Xia Kingdom's approach to handling affairs is actually quite similar to America's. In that respect, our thinking must also be aligned. Since we agree, we should share the technology we possess and research it together. Only by pooling our strengths can we keep surpassing ourselves and moving forward."

The American representative's abrupt change of tack stunned everyone present once again.

The Xia Kingdom's delegation, however, remained clearheaded.

"Share our technology? What a load of fucking bullshit! You think we'll share it just because you say so? What gives you the right to demand that?"

No one had expected Zhao Yunfei to slam the table and erupt, either. Even the American representative was left bewildered, let alone the representatives of the other countries.

Where had all those refined, courteous representatives of the Xia Kingdom gone? How had this man managed to get in here?

"Ahem..."

Wang Desheng broke the awkward silence with a bout of coughing before continuing:

"This is our representative, Zhao Yunfei. Yunfei hasn't had much schooling, so his language can be a little rough. Please bear with him on that account. Still, although his words were crude, his point stands. Naturally, we won't share the technology the Xia Kingdom worked so hard to develop without any conditions.

"On that point, I believe America should have even more to say. If technology ought to be shared, then America possesses far more than just one or two things we don't."

"You..."

The American representative finally lost his restraint and stood up, but beyond that, there was nothing he could do.

No one had expected a conference originally scheduled to last three days to end up like this on its very first day.

Seeing that continuing would only make the situation more tense, the American representative simply turned and left. The representatives of the other countries followed one after another until half had gone. Only the representatives of countries close to the Xia Kingdom remained.

The conference was declared over halfway through, a first for an international conference.

As reporters from various countries published the Xia Kingdom's representatives' remarks, their words instantly set the entire Xia Kingdom ablaze and even spread across the world.

You have no right to speak to us like that on the Xia Kingdom's soil.

We welcome friends with fine wine and greet wolves with hunting rifles.

In the Xia Kingdom, we believe in winning people over with reason and virtue.

What a load of fucking bullshit!

Those electrifying statements became front-page headlines across the news. Just as expected, that night became another night of jubilation for the people of the Xia Kingdom.

Even more people joined in than during the previous day's celebrations.

More than two-thirds of the Xia Kingdom's people took part.

Restaurant owners brought out every bottle of fine wine they had in stock and put up signs reading, "Free drinks today—no one leaves sober!"

Cities, towns, villages—everywhere celebrated.

Everywhere, people let their emotions pour out.

Those born in the sixties, seventies, and eighties, who had struggled and swallowed their frustrations all their lives, finally let themselves go that night. Countless people clung to one another and wept.

They had waited far too long for this moment.

Some had even thought they might never live to see this day.

But now, they had.

For this day, so many had worked in silence, so many had toiled day and night, and so many had died along the way...

Now, it had all been worth it.

They had accomplished what they set out to do.

And they would keep moving in this direction until they stood at the pinnacle of the world.

Outside the Xia Kingdom's territorial waters, aboard the flagship commanding America's two aircraft carrier fleets.

Commander-in-chief Holly Phelps was roaring at a video of the conference in the Xia Kingdom. A few minutes earlier, he had even issued a frenzied order to launch a missile strike, but his adjutant and a phone call from the president had ultimately talked him down.

War with the Xia Kingdom was not their ultimate objective.

Besides, they had no confidence that they could defeat the Xia Kingdom while fighting so far from home.

No one would do something whose costs so greatly outweighed its benefits.

Although fighting never actually broke out, the Xia Kingdom had detected the carrier fleets' movements.

The moment the carrier fleets displayed their weapons, the Xia Kingdom brought its own gun batteries into view.

When Minister Wang Desheng received the news, he was somewhat surprised. He had not expected the Americans to actually lose their restraint.

But surprise was one thing. Fear was an emotion he did not feel.

If he had truly been afraid, he could never have said those words.

Nor could the Xia Kingdom of today possibly be afraid.

After returning to his lodgings to rest, Wang Desheng did not eat immediately. Instead, he dialed a number he had long intended to call.

"Hello, this is Wang Desheng. I assume you've seen the video of today's confrontation with America? I did all of that to help keep your identity secret. Now that I mention it, shouldn't you thank me?"

Zhang Hongxing, who was eating lunch, glanced in puzzlement at the unfamiliar number displayed on his phone. He had never expected the Xia Kingdom's minister of foreign affairs to call him.

Much less speak to him in that tone.

"What do you want?"