A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

"Shoot..."

Jiang Dong finally reached the top of the flagpole. The pulley was right in front of her, and she could see the national flag that had been hung incorrectly. Not only were the five stars upside down, but the flag rope was also wrapped up and stuck between the pulley and the support on one side in an extremely tricky way.

"Tsk, no wonder he dragged his brother here, he loves doing this kind of thing the most."

Jiang Dong scratched her head in annoyance, her perfectly good double buns now a mess.

"Up!"

Jiang Dong gripped the flagpole tightly with one hand, securing himself within the rope system, while carefully trying to untangle the knot with his other hand. However, the knot was stiff and the space was cramped, making it difficult to exert force with just his fingers.

"Annoying! The customs officer took away the multi-functional knife my brother made. Otherwise, he could have just stirred and pried it off."

Despite her complaints, Jiang Dong frowned and tried hard to think of a solution.

"Huh, a tree branch..."

So Jiang Dong began to adjust his posture, broke off a section of the branch from under the little bottom, and then tried to insert the thinner end of the branch into the stuck gap, using the lever principle to pry it open little by little.

Time seemed to stretch out in the suffocating silence.

Everyone below craned their necks, holding their breath. The old general clenched his fists behind his back. He no longer looked at the flagpole, but instead fixed his icy gaze on the pale-faced IEC supervisor hiding at the edge of the crowd.

Finally, with a soft "ripping" sound, the tangled knot was loosened!

Jiang Dong seized the opportunity, her fingers moving swiftly to completely free the flag rope from the pulley. The tattered national flag, hanging upside down, was finally untied.

She didn't just throw it away; instead, she carefully rolled it up and tucked it tightly between her arm and body.

With the old flags dealt with, it was time to hang the new ones. Jiang Dong hugged the flagpole with one hand and waved it forcefully downwards with the other.

Are there any spare national flags?

All eyes were fixed on the IEC supervisor who had been trying to hide behind the crowd.

The IEC director, who had been trying to hide behind the crowd.

“We…we only have that one side, really! But I can have someone order one right away, very quickly, very quickly…”

"Be your mother my ass!"

Behind Mulan, a hot-tempered young attendant couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath, his face turning red with anger.

Do we have to wait for you guys to finish dawdling like this?

Is Jiang Dong really going to hang on the flagpole like a "preserved piece of meat" forever?

Mulan ignored the supervisor's excuses and turned to look at her own delegation. The old delegation leader, with a steady gaze, nodded slightly to the comrade in charge of logistics.

Unfortunately, the logistics officer looked miserable: "We...we didn't bring any spare standard national flags! We checked the technical documents and presentation materials repeatedly before we left, assuming the venue would at least provide flags that met the specifications...nobody expected that we'd have to change them on the spot!"

Mulan's heart sank, but then a helpless sigh welled up inside her.

This is certainly not the fault of our comrades for being negligent. Everyone was focused on dealing with the technical debate and preparing their speeches. Who could have imagined that the other side would repeatedly resort to such despicable and stubborn tactics on "a single flag"?

We underestimated the irritating creativity and perseverance of some people.

Time waits for no one; Jiang Dong is still waiting upstairs.

Without hesitation, Mulan gestured to her team members. Monkey immediately handed her her worn briefcase and took the flag rope that Mulan had been holding.

Mulan took the briefcase, unlocked it, reached into a thickened inner pocket, and carefully took out something.

The object was folded neatly into a square, and carefully wrapped in a layer of moisture-proof oil paper. Mulan slowly peeled back the oil paper, revealing a five-star red flag inside!

This flag is slightly smaller than the standard flag used in the venue, and the fabric is not silk, but fine cotton, yet the colors are still vibrant and rich, and the five stars are exquisitely embroidered. What's even more special is that there seems to be a line of faded writing embroidered on the edge of the flagpole sleeve.

Mulan did not explain the specific origin of the flag, but her gaze softened for a moment as she held the flag to her face.

He then unfolded and inspected the flag, and after confirming that everything was in order, he carefully tied it to the raising rope. Then he looked up, nodded vigorously to the small figure above, and steadily pulled the other end of the rope with both hands.

As the rope slid, Jiang Dong saw the new flag at the top of the flagpole.

She steadied herself, stretched out her little hand, and helped guide the flag rope through the pulley to ensure the flag could unfurl smoothly.

Whoa!

Red flags fluttered, rising with the morning sun and the wind blowing from the Baltic Sea, suddenly unfurling!

The cotton fabric, though not dazzling in the sunlight, possessed a simple yet resilient luster. The golden five-pointed star, straight and upright, shone brightly!

The flag is rising, inch by inch, as if carrying the heartbeats and expectations of all those gazing below, breaking free from all invisible obstacles and difficulties, and resolutely climbing towards the highest point.

As the morning breeze grew stronger, the flags fluttered in the wind. That vibrant red finally soared high above the IEC venue square, gracing the center of everyone's vision. There were no more errors, no more inversions, only a righteous and awe-inspiring spirit!

……

Jiang Dong finished securing herself, glanced down at the vibrant red below, and her smile widened. Then, using the same method she had employed to get up, and with the help of the rope and the now-rough branch, she carefully and steadily began to slide down.

The moment he landed, his legs went weak and he almost lost all strength, but he was firmly supported by the guard who had been watching him closely.

Mulan quickly stepped forward, took the tattered old flag from Jiang Dong's arms, folded it as she held Jiang Dong in her arms.

"Gurgle..." Jiang Dong's little head nestled in Mulan's warm, soft neck, his voice thick with nasal strain and weariness, yet unable to hide his excitement: "Sister-in-law, I'm amazing, aren't I!"

"Amazing! Our Dongdong is the most amazing! She's the most amazing little hero!" Mulan rubbed her chin against her sweaty forehead, and this time, she didn't immediately refute the girl's inappropriate address.

"However, you played a brilliant 'forward' role. There are still tough battles to fight in the venue ahead. Can you keep it up?"

"Of course! I want to observe Jinzhen's performance closely so I can tell him about it when we get back!"

Oh right, Jinzhen is going to give a speech soon...

The flags are just the opening act; the real contest takes place on the technical battlefield. The veteran general is there to stabilize the situation and deter the underdogs, but ultimately, the actual charges, debates, and technical exchanges depend on the frontline personnel.

The superiors sent the old general with profound intentions; it was both to provide assurance and to declare their determination.

As the deputy head of the delegation and the actual host of the technical preparation meeting, Mulan had to be fully prepared to deal with all possible technical challenges and emergencies.

However, can Jinzhen, this troubled young man, withstand such pressure?

Mulan was somewhat worried, but then a blush rose on her face.

"You brat, behave yourself! You're already taking advantage of my praise." Mulan watched Jiang Dong's head wriggling restlessly in her arms and gave her a hard slap on the bottom.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Dong was grinning foolishly at Jiang Qiu, who was following behind him.

"Fourth brother! Our little nephew is so lucky! The cafeteria is huge!"

Jiang Qiu was puzzled, but carefully supported her grandmother. She was just wondering why her grandmother's hands were a little cold and why she was gripping her hands tightly.

……

"You're very well prepared, even the new national flag is ready?" The head of the delegation patted Jiang Dong in Mulan's arms, took her out of Mulan's arms, and held her himself.

Mulan lowered her eyelashes slightly, looking at the old flag she had taken off in her arms, her voice low: "It's not new. When I returned to China, the organization reissued it to me... and told me to take it back to my hometown and cover it on my father's grave another day."

The old man paused almost imperceptibly, and remained silent for a moment.

"Very well, let our old brother see for himself how we win this battle!"