A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

The transoceanic dialogue on the screen in front of Jiang Xia, which was as slow as dripping wax, was not a spur-of-the-moment technological idea. Rather, it was the first "information train" to depart from a track that had been quietly laid out at the strategic level.

Does anyone remember the story mentioned in the previous chapters about the Gallic Emperor wanting to speak directly with my father?

The laying of this track originated from an earlier idea conveyed through secret channels by the ambitious yet anxious emperor of Gallic France: to establish a highly confidential and direct hotline for dialogue between leaders that transcended traditional diplomatic telegrams.

The core of this concept is not merely for instant communication; its deeper intention is to find an Eastern foothold with strategic potential in the gap between the US and the Soviet Union, to establish its "independent and autonomous" great power status.

At the IEC venue, the Gallic Rooster's heartfelt "Magnifique!" and its sudden realization were not merely a technical resonance, but also a concrete manifestation of its imperial will.

The central node for the proposal to be implemented was cleverly set in Geneva.

Geneva, a city located in the southwestern corner of Switzerland, gained prominence in the mid-20th century due to its status as a permanently neutral country and the presence of numerous international organizations.

As the former site of the League of Nations, and later the European headquarters of the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and the International Labour Organization, this place has long been an important stage for global diplomacy and political activities.

Even earlier than diplomatic maneuvering, and profoundly shaping the modern fabric of this city, lies its exceptionally developed and advanced telecommunications industry.

As early as the late 19th century, Geneva became an important hub for the early European telegraph network due to its geographical location and political stability.

In the 20th century, with organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) establishing their headquarters or important offices here, the area became a hub for the world's most advanced telecommunications technologies, talent, and capital.

Switzerland's tradition of precision mechanical engineering and its extreme pursuit of confidentiality have also fostered a group of technologically advanced and reputable manufacturers of precision instruments and communication equipment.

After World War II, the confrontation between the East and West camps did not weaken Geneva's status as a communications center. On the contrary, due to its "neutrality," it became one of the few information channels that could remain relatively unobstructed between the two camps and that both sides had to rely on to some extent.

This unique ecosystem fostered what was then considered the world's most advanced telecommunications infrastructure and services—from a vast, high-quality wired telex network to early satellite communication ground stations soon to be commercially available. Geneva's telecommunications engineers were already accustomed to providing solutions for a variety of "sensitive" and demanding communication needs, while adhering to a tacit principle of neutrality and confidentiality.

Leveraging its extensive connections within the ITU and the Swiss Post and Telecommunications Authority (PTT), France quickly secured a physically independent dedicated line channel under the guise of "joint research on international telecommunications standard redundant link anti-interference testing."

Now, this channel, which hasn't even had a phone call connected yet, has already started transmitting data.

If this passage had a spirit, it might say, "Even if I am separated from it in the future, it will be worth it!"

The bandwidth of this link was pitiful in retrospect, with an effective transmission rate of only a few dozen characters per second and a latency of several seconds.

However, for conveying concise code snippets, technical parameters, or conducting questions and answers as slowly as they are today, it has opened up an unprecedented "silent corridor."

The two parties who created this event, whose files may not be released for decades, are Jiang Xia on one side and his wife on the other.

Ahem, no, it's Comrade Mulan, for whom the organization has signed a red line, but the two parties involved have not yet officially met.

To understand why these two people would talk directly, we need to go back in time a bit further.

Immediately after Emily turned against him, she launched into a hysterical tirade, spouting things like, "No wonder you couldn't get excited in front of me in your pajamas," "Whose photo is hidden at the bottom of the drawer," and "Last month in Zurich, who sneaked into whose room in the middle of the night and didn't come out for two hours," all while her words bounced wildly through the solemn hall.

boom……

This time, instead of the usual fanfare, they brought General Jin's execution by cannon fire to the scene.

Even your own people have turned against you. Do you need to explain how bad your relationship is?

The Frenchman, who was the chairman of the IEC, seemed to enjoy watching the bald eagle's (the European's) predicament, but the various voices and emotions were intertwined, almost lifting the roof off the conference center.

Reluctantly, the chairman had no choice but to bang the gavel to adjourn the meeting. Fortunately, the opening remarks had already effectively ended, so it didn't really break the established procedure.

It went relatively smoothly!

The chairman was enveloped in a romantic air characteristic of the Gallic rooster, and now he just wanted to go to the salon and show off his day's find. He was sure that his explosive inside information would elicit gasps of surprise from the ladies...

The crowd gradually dispersed amidst surprise and buzzing discussions, but various speculations and glances spread rapidly among the delegates and media reporters like a plague.

It is foreseeable that before long, headlines such as "The taboo relationship between the leader of the bald eagle delegation and the doctor", "The scandal of using a female secretary as a shield", and "The shocking revelation by the Chinese female deputy head of the delegation" will appear in various versions in some tabloids and diplomatic cables.

However, just when everyone thought this farce would end with the complete social death of one side and the moral victory of the other, which was seen by one side as ruthless tactics, the truly unexpected actions were just beginning.

The location was not a secret safe house, but rather a barely dry straw shed in an abandoned farmhouse in the suburbs of Geneva.

Please forgive this redundant description, as all the hotels, inns, and hostels in Geneva, whether decent or not, were fully booked during the conference.

Feeling utterly humiliated and ashamed, and even more afraid of being found by the ever-present media or angry colleagues, the bald eagle leader, who had been riding high just hours before, and his equally anxious "academic advisor," Dr. Witt, drove away from the city like two stray dogs. They eventually found this simple shelter in this desolate place, barely enough to keep them out of the wind and rain, and filled with the smell of old straw and livestock.

The shed was dimly lit, with only a flashlight taken from a car providing a faint light source.

The two remained silent...

After a long silence, Dr. Witt, his back hunched, spoke in a hoarse voice: "Jack... I'm so sorry, I've dragged you down..."

Despite being filled with remorse for his past actions and fear of his current situation, a complex mix of emotions compelled Witt to act when he looked at the team leader who had also fallen into the abyss because of him.

He walked up to the team leader, reached out, and hugged the other's stiff shoulders tightly, as he always had, trying to convey a tiny bit of comfort: "It's okay, there's always a way... There's always a way out."

These words sounded so casual, and even he himself felt empty and unsure of himself.

Team leader Jack did not respond to the hug; his body remained stiff. He only let out a sigh that was almost a sob from deep in his throat: "There's always a way out? We've really... had our path dug up!"

"I don't think we're any greater than Mr. Turing..."

With the relationship exposed, his future was ruined, and the storm that would rage upon his return home was unimaginable. This was not just a dead end, it was a precipice.

Just as the two were once again swallowed by the despairing silence, only able to hear the wind howling in the open fields outside the shed and each other's heavy breathing, two clear coughs suddenly came from outside the straw shed.

"Cough, cough."