A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

In the Alliance delegation's seating area, Alexander leaned slightly forward, his brow furrowed.

Looking at Mulan on the stage, who had become the target of everyone's criticism, he felt both anxious and angry: "This girl usually seems quite clever, how could she make such a foolish mistake? Instead of following the right principles, she insists on jumping into this muddy water!"

“…What should I do? What can I do to help you turn the situation around?” Alexander’s mind raced, but he felt completely confused.

Just as Alexander was getting anxious and was about to stand up and say something to interrupt everything, he suddenly heard a very low murmur beside him.

It's Minister Ivan.

The actual leader of the alliance delegation was stroking his bruised chin, squinting at Mulan, who was unusually calm on the stage, and then at the Bald Eagles who were like ants on a hot plate, especially the Bald Eagle leader who was trying to remain calm but whose eyes were already showing panic, and Dr. Witt who was almost slumped in his chair.

“oka3ывaetcr… эtot Вntep n впpaвдy гoлy6on? (Oka-zy-va-yet-sya… etot Viter i vpravdu go-lo-bon?)” (So… this Viter really is “blue”?)

The soft murmur startled Alexander. "Blue" (голy6on), in Russian slang, refers to…

"No wonder this swallow hasn't been able to send back any truly valuable core technological intelligence in the past two years... So the direction was wrong from the very beginning? This..."

The alliance's vice-leader chimed in, and the two exchanged a silent glance before quickly looking away from each other's faces.

"Ivan, stay away from me..."

"Sukabul! You should stay away from me!"

swallow?

Alexander felt a chill run down his spine, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

Mulan's seemingly bizarre and self-destructive "blunder"—could it be...?

By a twist of fate, she accidentally exposed a layer of spy disguise that even she herself might not have known about.

Thinking of this, Alexander smiled with relief: "Ha, lucky little girl!"

"So……"

His tense body relaxed, and leaning back in his chair, Alexander's gaze cleared again. He looked at Minister Ivan beside him, who still wore an inscrutable expression, but in retrospect, that seemingly unintentional "mutter" and the deputy commander's well-timed supplement were incredibly informative.

It was leaked on purpose!

Revealing "Yanzi's" identity was not for idle chatter, but to convey a clear message: the situation has changed, an unexpected loophole has appeared that can be exploited, and we need what our Chinese friends have in return.

Whether or not to help their friends in the south is a decision that Alexander, the chief researcher, must make. While it seems like the initiative has been handed over to Alexander, this is actually a "responsibility absolution switch" and a "responsibility transfer device" designed by Minister Ivan!

Kalil had already obtained a portion of the C programming language from his comrades in the south, and Minister Ivan knew its value perfectly well.

However, it would be too risky and leave too obvious a trace if he were to solicit or trade through official channels, especially if he personally intervened. If he were to be held accountable by higher authorities for "trading sensitive technologies with revisionists," he would be the first to be implicated.

Therefore, he needs a "white glove," a subordinate who "proactively understands the leader's intentions and actively executes them," to complete this transaction that is not so "politically correct" but is absolutely in line with the national interest, or at least the department's interest.

And he himself, Alexander, a researcher who highly praised the C language, was the most suitable candidate.

That "slip of the tongue" about "swallow" was deliberately said to him!

This is giving his actions a "justification" and "excuse": Look, it's not that we actively asked for the technology, but that we reciprocated their kindness by not kicking them when they were down at a critical moment, and even "helping" them. So, as a return and a deepening of "strategic cooperation," isn't it only natural that the other party "voluntarily" shares some technical information?

If problems arise, it will be Alexander's "unauthorized interpretation of the leader's intentions" and "improper operation." Minister Ivan can completely stay out of it and even "criticize" him instead.

We're all smart people, so there's no need to spell things out.

Alexander's mind raced, and he instantly weighed the pros and cons.

While there are risks, the potential rewards could be enormous—not only acquiring key technologies for the alliance, but also reinforcing one's "value" in the eyes of some, and... perhaps truly helping Mulan and her team who are currently under immense pressure.

Then let's go for it!

In the blink of an eye, the decision was made.

Alexander leaned slightly towards Minister Ivan, his tone conveying a sense of tacit understanding and initiative:

"You see, our friends from the South seem to have inadvertently helped us verify a long-standing problem. Now, the focus of the meeting has completely shifted away from the technology itself, which may be... a good time to redefine the conditions for 'cooperation'."

Of course, the premise is that we first need to make sure they don't get too deeply mired in this mess. After all... a southern neighbor who has reasonable goodwill towards us is more valuable than a neighbor mired in scandal, isn't it?

Minister Ivan's gray eyes finally turned and landed on Alexander's face, lingering for a few seconds.

There was no surprise in his eyes, only an approving look that said, "You really understood."

Minister Ivan then turned his head and slightly raised his chin at a black-clad man behind him, who had no expression on his face, giving him a subtle look. The man understood and calmly took out a seemingly ordinary metal pen from his pocket, pressing his fingertip very lightly three times on the barrel.

No one noticed that the tip of the pen emitted a faint, almost invisible red light that swept precisely in one direction towards the Bald Eagle delegation's area.

Emily maintained her charming demeanor, but the moment the red light swept across her, her pupils contracted slightly, and her fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly.

"hiss……"

Emily's body trembled almost imperceptibly, and the fingers wrapped around her hair tightened instantly, her fingertips sinking into her palm.

A faint but bone-chilling stinging sensation came from a tiny, almost imperceptible implant in the bone behind her ear, flowing along the nerve endings and instantly spreading across half of her head.

It's a signal.

"Homecoming" signal.

"Fuck..." A vulgar Russian word almost burst out, but she forcibly swallowed it back down her throat, turning into a silent curse in her heart that was a mixture of shock, disgust, and a sense of relief as if the dust had settled.

"Just as I suspected... that little Eastern girl was right!"

This long-lost stinging sensation, like a summons from hell, instantly pulled her back to the days and nights she spent in the training camp filled with lies, temptations, and cold commands.

She thought she had already broken free, at least during the long and seemingly fruitless "Werther Mission," she had almost convinced herself that perhaps she could remain silent forever and live a peaceful life under the guise of a "charming secretary."

"I thought... I could finally escape that nightmare forever..."

However, the stinging pain did not stop.

As if urging her to respond, a second, clearer wave of stimulation signals came from a tiny implanted device inside her body.

Emily's fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly. Then, as if bothered by a stray curl at the back of her neck, she raised her hand with remarkable ease, her slender fingers gently tucking the strand behind her ear. The movement was fluid and alluring, perfectly matching her current persona.

This seemingly casual action actually confirmed the signal reception.

This is one of the exclusive code responses used by the Lubyanka Grand Hotel to awaken the deeply lurking "Swallows" in emergencies.

The directional signal emitted by the specially made pen, together with the receiving device inside her body, formed a perfectly concealed communication loop at this time and place.

However, Emily's thoughts drifted uncontrollably to a night not long ago, to a brief encounter at the end of a hotel corridor. She remembered the Eastern woman's voice as melodious, yet every word was like a knife.

“Emily Carter, or what should I call you? They’re using you as bait, as a expendable tool. Do you want to truly break free from this hopeless cycle and get the key to ‘freedom’? When the time comes, read the signals and make your choice. You may only get one chance.”

At the time, she scoffed, thinking it was a clumsy attempt at probing. But now…

“Heh…” Emily exhaled very softly, and when she looked up again, beneath the usual charming look in her eyes, a completely different kind of cold flame had quietly ignited.

Since a safe escape is inevitable, and since the "key" has been presented to us in such an unexpected way, then...

Perhaps this play needs to be performed in a different way.