Chapter 98 The World Energy Conference hadn't even started yet, and the internet was already buzzing with discussion.
[The UK convened such a global conference so hastily; it clearly didn't give other countries any time to prepare.]
[The banquet was never a good one; I think it's better not to go. Going will only embolden the other side.]
Not going would only dampen one's own spirits; what's the difference between that and burying one's head in the sand?
[That's right. If we don't go, will the US not make a move? Going will give us some leverage, while not going will leave us completely passive.]
The fact that the US dared to hold this meeting proves that their controlled nuclear fusion experiment must have made new progress. If that's the case, I have absolutely no idea how they can break this deadlock.
There's no use thinking about it now. The competition starts the day after tomorrow anyway, so let's just wait for the results.
The World Energy Congress was held in the capital of the United Kingdom. Perhaps believing that this congress would completely change the course of history, the organizers reserved a great many seats for the media in order to broadcast the United Kingdom's moment of glory.
Countless people around the world are paying attention to this conference, which is destined to have a profound impact. Many Chinese netizens even bypassed the Great Firewall early on to stay on the Eagle Media website, waiting for the first-hand text news or video reports.
[Oh my god! How long is this conference going to last? I have absolutely no motivation to do anything else.]
It will take at least a morning, and could even take several days.
During the first period this morning, I noticed that my students weren't really focused on the classroom; they were probably all thinking about the upcoming conference.
I simply took the day off and stayed home, glued to my phone and computer.
[Wow! I heard the conference is over! It hasn't even been an hour, right?]
【Oh no! It's all over! This ending so quickly means either a complete falling out or utter defeat—both outcomes are terrible!】
[Haha, I told you long ago, controlled nuclear fusion is the ultimate weapon, overwhelming in its power. Those who know what's good for them should kneel down early and maybe they can pick up a couple of bones.]
[Go kneel down yourself! I don't think your spine has ever been straight; you don't deserve to be called a human being!]
Netizens split into two groups: one group argued fiercely with the anti-China sympathizers who were predicting the downfall of China, while the other group frantically searched for news reports or rumors.
Everyone assumed the first news report would come from the UK media, so the official websites of major UK media outlets were flooded with messages from people from various countries inquiring about the conference. However, the first to release the news was actually China's state media. But that couldn't really be considered news; it was simply a complete video recording of the conference.
Within minutes, the video garnered over 100 million views, and quickly grew to 200 million, 300 million...
The video begins with delegations from various countries entering one after another. When the Chinese delegation enters, there is a small surge in comments.
Foreign Minister Qi is truly remarkable; he always exudes an air of authority and dignity.
[Both refined and commanding, his demeanor is truly remarkable.]
Did you see the looks in the eyes of some of the country representatives? It seemed like they were pinning their only hopes on Foreign Minister Qi.
It's heartbreaking to see; weak nations have no diplomacy.
In the video, Lawrence and others, representatives of the United States of America, arrived late. As they walked in, they ignored the greetings from representatives of many smaller countries and merely nodded slightly to the representative of the great European nation, perfectly demonstrating the arrogance and haughtiness of the United States of America.
Lawrence walked straight to the front and sat down, glancing casually at the Chinese representative's seat before getting straight to the point.
"Distinguished representatives of all countries, environmental issues have always been a core global concern. However, some countries have consistently marginalized environmental issues in order to develop their economies..."
This opening quickly sparked criticism and complaints from netizens:
How could he say that? Isn't the US the culprit behind prioritizing economic gain over environmental protection?
[Two years ago, they withdrew from the Paris Agreement. "Neglecting international obligations and hindering multilateral environmental processes" perfectly describes the US itself!]
[Haha! Now that they're ready to wash their feet and get out of the water, they're complaining about other people's muddy legs being dirty.]
Lawrence continued to emphasize the environmental issue: "The global environment is deteriorating rapidly and has reached a critical point. The most fundamental solution is to accelerate the transformation of the energy structure and replace fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas with clean energy..."
Here it comes! The energy issue has been brought up!
[Wow! So many emission reduction projects, covering everything from industry to people's livelihoods, why not just completely ban production and daily life?]
Given the development levels of some countries, such aggressive emissions reduction measures will only exacerbate poverty.
[What utter nonsense! They claim they'll achieve a "zero-carbon" goal by 2035? Do humans even deserve to breathe?!]
Lawrence paused, then looked up and surveyed the audience, his eyes gleaming: "Humanity is at a crossroads in its development. The choices we make today will determine whether we go to heaven or fall into hell. We will never allow such a situation to occur—to disregard the future of all humanity for the sake of developing our own economies!"
Lawrence skillfully wielded the environmental stick, standing high on the moral high ground. Although he didn't explicitly state what methods he would "not allow," the threat was obvious.
The atmosphere in the hall was stiff and rigid, but this did not affect Lawrence's mood at all. He surveyed the representatives of various countries, whose faces were not very good, with satisfaction. He paused briefly at the Chinese representative's booth, who was calm and composed, before casually looking away.
"Thank God, the controlled nuclear fusion experimental device in the United States has broken through the one-millionth of a second mark announced in February, achieving stable high-parameter plasma operation for 3 seconds. It is expected to complete the experiment in 2028 and realize the commercial application of nuclear fusion in 2033!"
Lawrence's voice grew louder and louder, but the audience responded with only sparse applause. The application of nuclear fusion energy is undoubtedly a good thing for the Earth, but when this powerful tool is in the hands of a hegemonic nation, humanity may not necessarily fare any better.
Faced with the lukewarm response from the audience, Lawrence narrowed his eyes in displeasure and revealed the main purpose of the conference: "I hereby announce that the United States Ministry of Energy has formally established the Global Energy Cooperation Organization (GECO). Its primary goal is to help member countries advance their energy transition, phase out polluting energy sources such as oil as soon as possible, and accelerate the deployment of green energy. The United States will provide member countries with clean nuclear fusion energy at a very favorable price..."
Good heavens! I bet every national representative present was cursing under their breath.
Energy is the lifeblood of a nation. To dare to say to someone's face, "I'm going to cut off your lifeline, and you can pay me to keep it going," shows a lack of shamelessness. One really can't be a representative of the United States without thick skin.
[How is this any different from forced buying and selling? If any country is misled or forced to actually phase out oil and other energy sources, then the price of nuclear fusion energy will be entirely up to the United States. At that point, they'd have to buy it even at the price of gold!]
[The US is a master at creating all sorts of organizations; I bet the membership fees won't be low.]
What membership fee? That's called protection money!
Foreign Minister Qi has such a remarkable demeanor; he remained calm and composed from beginning to end, without even flinching.
[Some countries' representatives really wear their emotions on their sleeves. Lawrence's eyes were darting around so much, it was quite a sight to behold. They only paused briefly when it came to our side.]
[I wonder if Foreign Minister Qi is truly confident, or...]
Regardless of the circumstances, we must not lose face; we must maintain our momentum!
After Lawrence announced the establishment of the GECO organization, the first country to join him was a small island nation that had abandoned Asia and joined Europe, followed closely by a peninsula country, and several major countries in the Mediterranean also responded.
[Actually, these were all agreements reached behind closed doors long before the conference.]
Of course, at least several Western countries must have agreed on the terms beforehand.
Countries that had reached an agreement beforehand successively expressed their willingness to actively join the GECO organization. After a brief period of excitement, the atmosphere cooled down. Many countries, due to their small size and limited power, did not dare to stand up for themselves, but they were still observing and waiting to see the attitude of the Chinese representatives.
Lawrence noticed the shift in the atmosphere and cursed inwardly before turning to Foreign Minister Qi: "Mr. Qi, according to statistics from last year, China emits over 6 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually, ranking first in the world. What are your thoughts on this?"
“Of course.” Foreign Minister Qi calmly returned Lawrence’s gaze. “According to statistics from last year, your country emits 5.9 billion tons of greenhouse gases annually, ranking second in the world, only after China. I want to emphasize that China is a populous country, yet its per capita carbon emissions rank only fifteenth; while your country’s per capita carbon emissions are second only to Saudi Arabia, ranking second in the world. So who is the real carbon-emitting superpower?”
Lawrence felt no remorse whatsoever, but instead of arguing about who ranked first or second in carbon emissions, he steered the conversation back to energy: "The United States has always been committed to reducing carbon emissions, which is why it actively promotes energy transition. I can make a commitment here that, for the sustainable development of all mankind, the United States will lead the world to completely eliminate polluting energy sources and achieve the 'zero carbon' goal by 2035. As the world's most populous country, China should absolutely not stand idly by and abandon our common home..."
[Damn! Lawrence has been constantly pressuring Foreign Minister Qi, practically forcing him to immediately commit to achieving "zero carbon" or to bow down and join GECO.]
Honestly, I'm not against the goal of "zero carbon," but we must proceed gradually. If we take too big a step, many small and medium-sized factories will immediately go out of business.
[Isn't this exactly what the US wants?! Either kneel down, and we'll give you a way out; if you insist on standing, we'll make your life a living hell.]
[Foreign Minister Qi is truly well-mannered. When will Lawrence ever stop? How long has he been rambling on and on!]
[Finally finished speaking. Wait, didn't Foreign Minister Qi just smile?]
Foreign Minister Qi calmly looked at Lawrence: "In fact, China spares no effort in environmental protection; it's just a matter of when to achieve the 'zero carbon' goal..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lawrence interrupted him, smiling leisurely: "The Earth is already in grave danger, and environmental protection is of utmost urgency. China has been repeatedly delaying..."
“No! Mr. Lawrence, you misunderstand.” Foreign Minister Qi interrupted him, “What I mean is, it can be brought forward to 2030.”
Lawrence: ...
[Did Foreign Minister Qi make a slip of the tongue?]
[Even if you lose the argument, don't lose face. Regardless of whether you can actually do it, it's right to say a few tough words.]
[You think this is just street thugs fighting over territory? This is a power struggle between major nations! How could they act so recklessly!]
[I stand with Foreign Minister Qi. Even if life gets tougher in the future, I'd rather tighten my belt than be a dog of the United States!]
No, no, no! Given our country's consistent style of doing things, we would only say that if we were certain.
[Yes! I felt that Foreign Minister Qi was unusually calm today, completely unfazed by Lawrence's words. He must have some kind of trump card we don't know about!]
Lawrence narrowed his eyes, carefully observing Foreign Minister Qi's expression, and felt that the situation seemed to be getting out of control.
He probed again, saying, "I believe that China's commitment to achieving 'zero carbon' by 2030 should be explicitly stated in legislation."
Foreign Minister Qi replied casually, "Of course."
Now that the United States' intentions are fully revealed, there's no need to hold back any longer. Foreign Minister Qi said solemnly, "On this occasion, I'd like to announce some good news. Ji Zhixing's research team in China successfully extracted zero-point vacuum energy in June and achieved stable output. This is a completely pollution-free clean energy source, initially planned for commercial application in 2025. China promises to provide free energy support to friendly countries at that time..."
A note from the author:
Some comments worried that we would be at a disadvantage if it were free, so here's some additional explanation: the reason for making it free is based on the following considerations:
First, vacuum energy has approximately zero cost.
Secondly, Foreign Minister Qi's statement included the qualifier "friendly countries." What kind of countries qualify as friendly countries? Isn't that up to us? This qualifier alone could completely alter China's international environment.
Thirdly, energy is the lifeblood of a nation. However, once a country has access to free energy, no amount of support for its own energy sector will allow it to develop (similar to the rampant availability of free pirated Windows systems, which indirectly prevented us from developing any decent computer systems to this day). At that point, China could control the lifelines of many countries almost without firing a single shot. Of course, we are a morally upright nation and wouldn't do anything malicious, but this is still an invincible form of political capital.
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