A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

Before long, the badge warriors watched in astonishment as their captain, like a bear who had discovered a treasure, happily ran back carrying a long, slingshot-like steel contraption.

That was a printer that he had "coordinated" from Liu Huaqing's Seventh Research Institute nearby.

The machine was heavy, and Old Wang struggled to carry it. A long black power cord trailed behind him, bouncing on the corridor floor, making his usually dashing figure look like that of a mouse stealing lamp oil in a hurry.

"Captain, what's going on...?" The guard looked a little confused.

"Hehehe," Old Wang carefully placed the machine in the corner of the outer room of Jiangxia's office, wiped the sweat rolling down his forehead, but his eyes gleamed with a sly light. "Shifting the blame! Just you wait and see!"

It must have been really tough on him. This whole steel structure must have weighed at least a hundred pounds. It's amazing that he was able to carry it back so quickly by himself.

The badge warrior watched as his captain placed the heavy iron lump in the corner, plugged it in, and listened to the faint "hum" emanating from inside as it entered standby mode. Only then did he straighten up and dust off his hands.

Old Wang glanced back at the still faintly glowing blue light behind the screen. Jiang Xia's regular snoring mingled with the soft hum of the printer.

"The matter we are about to deal with is highly classified, so please be extremely careful."

Jiang Xia's unusually serious words of advice before going to sleep echoed in Lao Wang's mind again.

Even this kid is so serious...

Old Wang's gaze fell on the printer's complex panel, which was flashing a green standby light, and he smiled wickedly.

"They're coming to see Jiang Xia for a meeting tomorrow, and as soon as they open the door..."

"Good heavens! The room is filled with blueprints and documents, possibly still smelling of ink, and marked with top-secret information... That scene would make anyone trying to get their hands on something under the guise of 'political study' instantly shudder, feeling like they're dealing with a hot potato and just wanting to distance themselves as soon as possible. They wouldn't even have the mind to argue about whether or not a meeting is going to be held."

Thinking of this, the sweat on Old Wang's face from carrying heavy objects hadn't dried yet, but he couldn't help but grin, revealing a set of white teeth.

He could almost see the wonderful expression that might appear the next morning when someone came in a big entourage to "invite" him, after pushing open this door...

"Be alert tomorrow morning! When I yell 'Don't move,' you all rush in immediately!"

"Those who need to be handcuffed should be handcuffed, and those who need to be blindfolded and gagged should also be dealt with!"

"Yes, sir!" The badge warrior puffed out his chest. "However, Captain, Little Jiang ate all the walnuts..."

"Silly, what's the point of keeping the socks!"

"Hehe, isn't this 'femme fatale' ready right here?" Old Wang waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to worry about such a small matter.

And he was very satisfied with his quick wit in applying what he had just learned.

Mulan uses words to provoke conflict with the foreigner, while he creates "dangerous situations" with objects at home. The core idea is the same: You want to disrupt my rhythm? Then I'll give you an even more troublesome "surprise" and see who can't withstand it first.

Old Wang isn't the type to mince words, but the most effective tactics on the battlefield are often direct. What would happen if he "inadvertently" exposed a clearly classified work site to those who, under the guise of noble intentions, actually wanted to disrupt normal scientific research?

It's burning hot. Absolutely burning hot.

After arranging everything, Lao Wang gave himself a thumbs up while continuing to admire his future sister-in-law's performance.

……

In the log, Mulan spoke again.

And this happened before the bald eagle leader could even lodge a protest.

"So, Dr. Witt, you've abandoned the independent stance of Bell Labs, the place that nurtured you and provided you with an unparalleled research environment, and instead closely cooperated with a government official to launch an academic accusation with clear political implications on the international stage..."

Is this a major 'turn' in your personal career? Or does it mean that in the friction between the laboratory and the government, you have made a clear 'choice'—abandoning the darkness for the light?

"Oh, you might not understand the meaning of this idiom. Well then, in your country's more common proverb, it's 'Jumping on the bandwagon' (meaning to curry favor with the powerful)?"

"I...I haven't abandoned my academic stance!" Dr. Witt explained hastily, but his tone wasn't firm. "My participation this time is based on my concern and attention to technical standards..."

"No, Dr. Witt, I'm afraid the phrase 'abandoning darkness for light' is not appropriate to describe you; it's even a kind of flattery."

Mulan ignored the impotent rage of Dr. Witt, pausing briefly to draw everyone's attention to what she was about to say.

"In my view, your current choice is more like a 'betrayal' of your own academic background and spirit."

The moment this term was uttered, many Western representatives raised their eyebrows.

"Bell Labs is the sacred temple that gave birth to the transistor and pioneered information theory. It may be arrogant, but it pursues unbiased, pure scientific truth. And the one you've 'placed refuge' in..."

Mulan's gaze swept over the bald eagle leader, whose face was ashen, and she still had the mood to give him a bright smile.

"...but they are using antitrust laws as a weapon to try to dismantle and regulate the government power of their parent companies. In essence, at least under the current circumstances, there is a profound conflict of interest and a divergence of goals between the two."

She leaned forward slightly, her question becoming sharp: "Could you explain to everyone why a scholar whose mission is to explore the frontiers of science would leave the 'sanctuary of truth' and instead become so closely bound to the forces that are launching legal and administrative offensives against the foundation of this 'sanctuary'—its commercial empire—and even... become its mouthpiece on technological issues?"

"This reminds me of an unpleasant analogy," Mulan said, her voice lightening.

“In times of war against aggression, those who abandon their compatriots and homeland, turn to the invaders, and use their knowledge of their homeland to harm it, are called ‘traitors’.”

Seeing that the team leader was about to object, she immediately added:

"Of course, I am not making a direct analogy. But the logical dilemma is similar: when an individual's choices fundamentally conflict with the core interests of the collective that nurtured him, his loyalty and motives will be subjected to the most severe scrutiny."

"In your history, how has society and history judged the loyalty of states that seceded from the Union during the Civil War, or of individuals who chose opposing sides in major conflicts? This is not about East or West; it is the eternal question of 'betrayal' and 'loyalty' in human society."

“So, Dr. Witt,” Mulan finally delivered the most concise and powerful blow, throwing it back at the sweating man.

"How exactly did you weigh the options and make such a seemingly contradictory choice? Is everything you're doing today as a 'technical advisor to the Bald Eagle government delegation' serving science itself, or is it providing professional... 'intelligence' and 'assistance' for a 'war' against your 'academic homeland'?"

Mulan's words were like a ladle of ice water poured into a boiling oil pan; what was instantly stirred up was not a splash, but an almost solidified chill and a sudden change in the expressions of all the representatives.

"betray".

This word carries immense weight in this time and place.

After all, it has only been a little over a decade since the end of the "S2 Season," a war that swept the globe and left mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Although the smoke of war has dissipated, the memories of loyalty, sacrifice, and betrayal have long been ingrained in the collective blood and nerve endings of various countries and ethnic groups, making them extremely sensitive.

Wartime heroes were sculpted into immortal monuments—whether they were the steadfast warriors of the East, the brave landing beachheads of the West, the silent spies behind enemy lines, or the civilians who fought to the very end despite the destruction of their homes…

The act of "dedicating oneself to the country" and the absolute loyalty it represents are regarded as the noblest virtue in mainstream narratives in almost every corner of the world, and are praised and remembered without reservation.

In contrast, "betrayal" is the most unforgivable stain, a mark nailed to the pillar of historical shame, associated with the deepest pain and the most direct destruction.

Being accused of "betrayal" is a thousand times more serious than being accused of "unclear academic sources".

The latter concerns personal reputation and professional ethics, while the former touches upon a person's fundamental principles in the face of historical trends and major issues of right and wrong, and relates to whether he still deserves the most basic trust and moral respect from his peers.

Mulan precisely struck at the most sensitive nerve in the post-war world.

She didn't directly call Witte a "traitor," but the logical framework and historical context she cited instantly made an analogy in the minds of all the representatives from countries that had experienced brutal wars—especially those from Europe who had vivid memories of "collaborators."

In the hall, many people subconsciously straightened their backs, and their gazes toward Witt, which might have previously held amusement at the farce of the "mentorship" or interest in the technical debate, were now involuntarily mixed with scrutiny and a cold sense of distance.

This is no longer a discussion about the ownership of a programming language.

This elevates an accusation made at a technology launch event to a level that questions an individual's academic integrity and professional loyalty.

The fine beads of cold sweat on Dr. Witt's forehead gathered into drops and slowly slid down.

The bald eagle leader's face also turned completely gloomy.

He realized that Mulan's attack not only "shifted the blame" but also attempted to fundamentally undermine Dr. Witt's moral credibility as an "academic witness," and even affected the overall image of the Bald Eagle delegation—dragging an accusation that could have been packaged as "upholding academic integrity" into the quagmire of "using a potential 'traitor' for political attacks."

This basin of water is too murky and too cold.

"Jesus! I just wanted to get a piece of the pie in your C programming world, how did you escalate this to this level?"

"Is this still the Chinese person I know?"

"You've raised the issue to such a high level, how am I supposed to respond?"