February 6, 1997, the 29th day of the Chinese lunar calendar, Lunar New Year's Eve.
Because the president declared martial law today, Chinatown in the 13th arrondissement of Paris is no longer as lively as it should be during the Lunar New Year.
Many shops selling New Year's goods closed their shutters well before noon.
Restaurants that are usually very busy and have their New Year's Eve dinners fully booked well in advance have received cancellations from many regular customers.
The streets became deserted.
No one knows exactly what happened today, but the residents can still sense the tense atmosphere around them.
By 4 p.m., there was hardly anyone to be seen on the streets of Chinatown.
The timid common people had long sensed something was wrong and hid at home, locking themselves in their rooms.
In this situation, whether it's Chinese New Year or not is no longer important. Even staying at home eating instant noodles is better than encountering danger on the street.
A perfectly good New Year has completely lost its flavor.
....................................
At the same time, in New York City, the United States, the closed-door meeting of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council was still underway.
From the Security Council meeting in the morning to the closed-door meeting of the five permanent members in the afternoon, the issue surrounding the sudden incident in France was discussed for a full seven hours.
The matter has not yet been definitively resolved, so there is no way to discuss how to handle it.
When faced with such a major event, the two camps among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council usually engage in some wrangling.
Whenever something harms the interests of both China and the Northern Bear, one of them will abstain from voting, while the other will tacitly vote against it.
But today is strange.
When the representative of the Kingdom of Gaul proposed listing Lin Dong, a Chinese national, as the world's most wanted criminal, and simultaneously designating the Black Face Organization and the Dragon Gang as terrorist organizations, both China and the Kingdom of North Bear voted against it.
The reason is insufficient evidence; there is currently not enough evidence to show that Lin Dong and his subordinate organizations have engaged in any actions that have harmed the international community.
The other three were immediately stunned with anger.
You two are blatantly lying, aren't you?
You Chinese are even helping your own people by getting involved in public affairs?
Furthermore, why is your North Bear country meddling in the affairs of the Chinese people?
They were both angry and puzzled.
Little did they know, the cunning Russian bear had already reached a consensus with China:
Such a good thing, which could greatly damage the interests of Europe and the United States, can be done without their own intervention; a gang can handle it all. Only a fool wouldn't secretly support it.
However, in return for their help, the Northern Bear Kingdom also put forward a condition.
The condition is that China must persuade Lin Dong to avoid entering the Northern Bear Country during this "zero-yuan purchase" event.
If you really want to get in, don't go all out; just go through the motions.
It's clear that, apart from China, which can sit back and relax, the other major powers are helpless against Lin Dong, who possesses superpowers and is completely unyielding.
I can't avoid it, and I can't kill it. It's giving me a headache!
Of course, for the Chinese government to contact Lin Dong, they still need to go through the Ling family.
Just then, riding on the wave of the Ling family's rise, the third son, Ling Shubin, had enough experience and was promoted from deputy to full-fledged Minister of Foreign Affairs last month.
At the ministerial level, the Ling family's power and prestige were at their zenith.
However, no matter where the Ling family goes, Lin Dong, as their real boss behind the scenes, will definitely be happy to see it happen.
......
After a full day of UN meetings, no clear solution was ultimately reached.
The representatives of the Gallic Kingdom were finally enraged and, together with the United States, the United Kingdom, and Italy, the initial victim, lodged the strongest protest with China.
The reason was surprisingly summarized as a saying copied from China: "If a son is not taught, it is the father's fault."
In any case, Lin Dong is a Chinese citizen, right?
It's reasonable for the father to take responsibility when his son commits a crime, right?
The Chinese representative to the United Nations took a firm stance, replying, "My son isn't home. We'll wait until he gets home and finds out what's going on."
The meeting then ended in discord.
....................................
It's 5 PM Gaul time.
The streets of Paris were nearly deserted.
Military trucks painted in camouflage, escorted by thousands of fully armed soldiers, left the city in batches.
More troop carriers, and even armored vehicles belching black smoke, have appeared in some squares and street corners in Paris.
Armed patrol boats constantly crisscrossed the Seine, their loud engine noise completely shattering the romantic atmosphere of this metropolis...
Lieutenant General Mattis's motorcade has just left the Guimet National Museum of Asian Art.
As the museum that the president personally selected for his attention, Mattis initiated the artifact removal process first.
With ample manpower and transportation, the museum's important supplies were mostly moved out in just 12 hours.
It is estimated that soon, this museum, which houses the largest collection of Chinese cultural relics, will become an empty shell.
In fact, as the commander-in-chief of this operation, Lieutenant General Mattis was puzzled. How could the president, who was always wise and calm, make such an impulsive decision?
It's true that valuables should be hidden away and protected tightly, but how long can that protection last?
Has he never heard of that famous Chinese saying about thieves?
"If you can be a thief for a thousand days, how can you guard against thieves for a thousand days?"
The relocation of the Guimet Museum is progressing relatively smoothly.
Paris has numerous museums, scientific research institutes, and strategic material storage facilities.
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