A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

This thought ignited the bald eagle leader's anger, but then another discouraging voice emerged:

"Hmm? Wait... she didn't seem to say that directly. The examples she gave... the Revolutionary War, the Civil War..."

Damn, it seems like something that actually happened in our history, and there has indeed been ongoing debate about it. She just put the conflict between Bell Labs and the government into this 'clash of loyalty' framework..."

But once this framework is put on, it feels so awkward, so...

What's so annoying?

The bald eagle leader subconsciously looked at his colleagues and found that many of them also had similar confusion and bewilderment on their faces.

Some of the young experts' eyes darted around, seemingly trying to unravel the logical chain in Mulan's words, but they were involuntarily drawn into the analogy of "historical choice" and "choosing sides in the present."

Several older representatives, who were more sensitive to history and politics, frowned.

They also felt uncomfortable, but this discomfort was not the anger of being falsely accused, but rather a kind of speechless silence caused by the exposure of some hidden, subtle historical pain.

The entire Bald Eagle delegation was briefly thrown into a state of collective mental confusion.

Their usual rhetoric weapons, such as "real interests," "legal procedures," and "technical standards," seem to have suddenly lost their leverage in the face of Mulan's "soft knife," which originates from a long history of civilization and closely addresses the universal dilemmas of human ethics.

Refute her?

She cited examples from her own country's history.

Acknowledge her?

That would be tantamount to acknowledging that questioning Werther's motives has a moral justification that transcends the present.

Amidst this intense dilemma, several representatives of the Bald Eagle actually started peering out to look for the figure of their "father" country's representative.

Their father, of course, is the Lobster Kingdom.

Amidst this silence and confusion, in another corner of the venue, several representatives from the Lobster Country delegation trembled almost imperceptibly after hearing Mulan's presentation.

Several elderly gentlemen with white hair raised their hands to adjust their gold-rimmed glasses...

It wasn't to wipe the lenses, but to conceal the sudden redness in her eyes and the complex emotions surging within them.

Finally, someone understands us!

Oh, the glory of our British Empire...

God knows what kind of pressure they've been under during this time!

Domestically, the once-vast colonial system was teetering on the brink of collapse amidst the wave of national independence movements and the tacit cooperation between the US and its allies, leaving it in a state of utter disarray.

Internationally, the once "rebellious" bald eagle has grown strong and is squeezing their space everywhere, while former allies or competitors are redrawing lines in the Cold War.

Domestic newspapers and parliaments are rife with voices of deep sorrow and indignation, condemning the “North American traitors” for their ingratitude and for hollowing out the foundations of the empire.

Add to that the domestic situation that hadn't recovered from the war, and the aid programs that the unfilial son had deliberately controlled...

The word "betrayal" has been haunting them like a nightmare lately.

At this moment, hearing an Eastern representative, in a completely different context, analyze "the choice of personal loyalty in the face of conflict between institutions and entities" with such a calm and profound tone, and vaguely resonating with their own experience of the visceral pain of being "betrayed," resonates across time and space...

The country that understands us best is actually the enemy country we've always targeted?

Chinese people, this lady's remarks are worthy of respect!

Hope things will get better for you from now on!

We won't get involved in the McMahon Line issue!

Well, I won't get involved openly...

After all, if they completely give up the opportunity to stir up trouble and wait for a better price, then they wouldn't be the troublemakers of world civilization.

……

Just as both "father and son kingdoms" fell silent, and the representatives of the alliance made sarcastic remarks from time to time, Mulan spoke up again.

"So, Mr. Team Leader, when Dr. Witt made this 'internal choice,' you, as the 'beneficiary' and representative of his current choice, did you believe it was purely based on a shared academic philosophy? Or...?"

She paused deliberately, her gaze sweeping over the team leader, then seemingly casually glancing at the members of the delegation behind him, before finally settling, as if unintentionally, on the strikingly beautiful and always eye-catching female representative. Her tone carried a perfectly timed, purely curious tone:

"Or is it that your delegation, in addition to academic ideals, offered something more 'personal' or persuasive, enough to lead an excellent scholar to make a choice that others might find difficult to explain? After all, human nature is complex, isn't it?"

Hey, what does that mean?

Your argument was so grand and noble, how did it suddenly slip into the topic of "male-female relationships"?

This abrupt shift in topic startled the bald eagle leader, who had just been immersed in a grand historical and ethical dilemma, and then a surge of ecstatic joy welled up in his heart.

Still too young! Can't handle a winning situation!

He almost burst out laughing in his heart: Your discourse on loyalty and betrayal just now has placed you on a moral high ground, pressing us down with the weight of history so that we can hardly breathe.

If you continue to question me in this direction, I will have virtually no way out except to force a recess or make a hasty exit.

But you... you actually jumped down from the clouds and stepped into the murky waters of "relationships between men and women"!

In his eyes, this was undoubtedly a fatal strategic mistake by Mulan. The drop from "civilizational history" to "scandalous gossip" was too great, so great that he was confident he could easily turn the tide.

"Why not?" The team leader almost jumped to his feet, his face once again displaying that smile that mixed with a sense of superiority and ease. He even deliberately threw in a half-baked "classical poem" to enhance the teasing effect: "Your ancient Chinese poetry says, 'Fair, virtuous lady, For the gentleman a good mate she, right?'"

Yes, that's right. It's the opening piece of our first collection of poems, and everyone is familiar with it.

However, the English translation turned out like this.

Is it difficult to hold back?

This content is already found in classic academic translations.

So hold your head high with pride, for our civilization is unique in this world!

We've gone off on a tangent, let's get back on track.

The bald eagle leader gestured smugly to the front row: "Please allow me to introduce our delegation's secretary, Ms. Emily Carter. Her professionalism and personal charm are enough to attract any gentleman of taste, including serious academics, aren't they?"

The blonde woman named Emily stood up at the prompting; she clearly knew how to maximize her "charm weapon."

First, she gave Dr. Witt a flirtatious wink, then naturally took a step, as if she simply wanted to go to Dr. Witt's side and offer her colleague, who was under immense pressure, some silent support.

However, whether by design or by coincidence, she did not choose the shortest straight path.

Her footsteps moved lightly, tracing a slight arc, and she circled around the corner of the front seat.

And right on this slightly circuitous route, you pass a vent located at the edge of the floor.

As she walked across it, the air currents stirred her soft skirt, creating an unexpected disturbance.

Emily seemed slightly startled, and instinctively made a female instinctive reaction, quickly and gracefully pressing down on the hem of her skirt, which had been lifted by the wind.

The moment froze: her body turned slightly to the side, the lines of her legs revealing an elegant tension due to the movement, and a standard smile appeared on her face, a mixture of surprise and shyness, but which she quickly regained control of the situation with a touch of playfulness.

The whole process was smooth and natural, as if it were just a trivial little episode.

However, perhaps to make this "classic moment" last longer, she intentionally or unintentionally slowed down her movements by half a beat, allowing that fleeting glimpse of "inner scenery" to linger longer than expected.

This daring scene caused Jiang Qiu, sitting in the Chinese section of the audience, to let out a soft "Ah!" Her cheeks flushed red, and she quickly reached out to cover the curious eyes of her younger sister, Jiang Dong, who was peeking out from beside her.

"Fourth brother, what are you doing!"

"Shut up! Children shouldn't watch this!"

……

When Mulan saw Emily, who had an excessive desire to perform, finally finish her show and walk to Dr. Witt's side, placing a comforting hand on his stiff shoulder and giving him a supportive smile, the corner of Mulan's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

"Indeed, she is a... considerate colleague."

"So, Mr. Team Leader, do you want us all to believe that Dr. Witt's major career shift was solely due to the...personal influence of this 'thoughtful' Miss Emily?"

“Of course!” Emily immediately leaned against the back of Dr. Witt’s chair, eager to answer, and boldly leaned down to plant a loud, clear lipstick kiss on Dr. Witt’s taut cheek.

Perhaps he was too nervous, because Witt actually seemed quite resistant.

He instinctively shrank his neck to the other side.

Immediately afterwards, he shrugged and quickly rubbed his high collar against the skin of his cheek that had just been kissed.

Aha,

Get you!

Mulan on the podium narrowed her eyes playfully.