Magic? My Iron Torrent will sweep it all away!

Chapter 136 Moral Blackmail

The chief frowned slightly, turned to look at Mars, his gaze remaining calm, and said indifferently:

"If there's nothing else, I'll log off."

"I'm too busy with work to listen to people talking nonsense here."

"you!"

Mars' face instantly turned a deep purplish-red, and he felt a lump in his throat, almost unable to breathe.

The opening remarks embarrassed Mars, causing some heads of state to suppress their laughter and immediately pretend to be looking at their meeting documents to cover it up, but their ears were all perked up.

"Alright, alright, let's get started," the Russian man said, trying to smooth things over.

"Time is precious."

Mars forcibly suppressed his anger; he knew that the purpose of today was not to argue.

He took a deep breath, switched to a sorrowful expression of concern for the country and its people, and the meeting officially began.

"Colleagues, we are sitting here today for a somber topic—the future of humanity."

"Since the apocalyptic crisis, the environment of Earth has deteriorated, and a large number of people around the world have died in the disaster."

"According to the latest scientific models, the global surviving population will continue to decrease by one-third in the next five years, falling below the two billion mark."

"What's even more frightening is that scientists have calculated that Earth's rotation may stop completely one day in the future."

"At that time, tsunamis, earthquakes, atmospheric stripping, oxygen depletion... all sorts of unimaginable disasters will erupt, and humanity will be in imminent danger."

Mars's voice was captivating; he looked around.

"Given this backdrop of civilization's survival, I believe humanity should unite, abandon all barriers and prejudices, and work together to overcome this challenge for our common survival!"

"That's right!"

"Mr. Mars is right!"

World leaders echoed this sentiment, creating a peaceful atmosphere.

The chief watched the performance expressionlessly, a cold smile playing on his lips.

Unity? When the disaster first struck, who blocked technology? Who took advantage of the chaos? Who launched a war to seize the remaining resources, causing countless civilians to be displaced?

Now that they see others have something good, they've started thinking about "unity" again.

At this point, Mars changed the subject.

"Fortunately, in the darkest hour of human civilization, we have finally seen a glimmer of dawn!"

All eyes in the small windows focused on Da Xia's video window.

Here comes the point.

Mars's voice suddenly rose, even carrying a hint of praise.

"Our neighbor, the great Xia Dynasty, has achieved a historic breakthrough in controlled nuclear fusion technology!"

"The discovery of room-temperature superconductors greatly increases humanity's chances of survival and continuation in a post-apocalyptic world!"

"This is not only the glory of the Great Xia Dynasty, but also a blessing for all mankind!"

Let's congratulate him!

The heads of state exchanged different glances; some led the applause, offering their congratulations.

Mars paused, gathering his emotions, and then addressed the Chief in a tone representing "justice":

"Therefore, in the name of the common continuation of all mankind, I formally make a request to Great Xia—"

"For our shared future, so that our descendants can still see tomorrow's sun, please, Great Xia, share all your technologies in controlled nuclear fusion and room-temperature superconducting materials with the world!"

Mars's voice echoed in the virtual conference room.

All the video windows fell into an eerie silence.

The gazes of the world leaders, whether overt or covert, were like countless invisible threads, all converging on the calm and composed face of the top leader.

The chief sat motionless, his gaze calmly sweeping over the pairs of eyes on the screen, each with its own hidden thoughts.

It's the same old trick again: moral blackmail. It didn't work last time, so they're trying again this time.

He spoke.

"I completely agree with what Mr. Mars said."

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Mars' eyes, which was then replaced by ecstasy.

The other leaders exchanged bewildered glances. Was the script completely off? Had Great Xia really given in so easily?

The chief nodded slightly and continued in a steady voice:

"Human civilization has indeed reached a critical juncture of life and death. Abandoning prejudice and working together is the only way out."

"Under this premise, major powers should assume more responsibility."

His gaze was fixed on Mars.

"As the only superpower on Earth, the United States is unmatched in terms of economic strength, technological reserves, and global influence."

"Therefore, I propose..."

"The United States will take the lead in undertaking the construction costs of all survivor dungeons worldwide and provide comprehensive technical support to demonstrate its leadership and responsibility as a major power."

After the chief finished speaking, he even nodded politely.

"Great Xia will be the first to applaud the selfless dedication of the Eagle Nation."

In the conference room, even the hum of the electricity seemed to have disappeared.

Mars's smug smile froze completely. He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Seconds later, his face turned ashen, and he practically forced out the words through clenched teeth.

"Are you... joking with me?"

The chief's lips finally showed a slight change.

"You were the one who joked with me first."

"puff."

The South Korean leader couldn't hold it in and let out a short, soft cough, then quickly lowered his head, using a violent cough to cover up his lapse in composure.

The other leaders also had distorted expressions, forcibly trying to keep their faces straight, but the slight shrugging of their shoulders betrayed their inner thoughts.

Mars felt his blood rushing to his head; his attempt to steal a chicken had backfired spectacularly.

Seeing their moral high ground crumble in an instant, the Europa League representative cleared his throat, trying to steer the conversation back on track.

"Your Excellency, we are not forcing you. We can exchange technology, or purchase it using our strategic reserves."

The head of the Japanese nation immediately echoed:

"We are also willing to offer our most advanced technology in exchange."

The leader of the Camel Kingdom wore his wealth and power on his sleeve.

"We can pay; price is not an issue!"

The chief picked up the teacup on the table, gently brushed away the foam with the lid, and did not drink it.

"money?"

He smiled and asked in return,

"In the apocalypse, paper money is inflated and its price changes every day. Don't you all know that? As for gold, it's not very useful in the current climate."

He put down his teacup and slowly scanned the crowd.

"As for technology exchange... hehe."

"May I ask, what technology among you present can be compared to nuclear fusion technology?"

For a moment, no one answered.

Everyone fell silent.

Yes, all the world's top technologies combined might not be as powerful as controlled nuclear fusion, which can provide almost unlimited energy.

The former is merely to make life a little easier in the apocalypse.

The latter is the key to survival in the apocalypse!

Even the most valuable technology is only relevant when applied to a particular context.

At the wrong time, it's worthless!