Seeing Meng Hao remain silent.
This Russian general, Gude Yefu, who had spent a million just to get a video call, began to speak in an even softer voice.
It seemed the gruff old Russian was about to lose his voice entirely in the Siberian snowfields.
The silent livestream chat grew tense.
As the host of the livestream and a specially hired sales anchor for Huarong Industrial, Qin Muyan quickly tried to ease the atmosphere.
"Mr. Gude... Yefu... Comrade?"
"You can speak a little louder."
"Our Huarong Industrial is a legitimate toy company from Great Xia. We have nothing to hide, so there's no need to lower your voice!"
Qin Muyan was very sharp.
She saw that Meng Hao had gone to great lengths to prove his company wasn't a military factory and that their products weren't combat mechs. Yet, as soon as this Russian Major General Gude Yefu appeared, he was about to derail everything and ruin Meng Hao's efforts.
She quickly used this opportunity to re-emphasize that Huarong Industrial was just a toy company producing large mech figures!
"Oh!"
"Is that so!"
"On behalf of the Russian Ministry of Defense, I thank Mr. Meng Hao for the ten combat mechs previously sold to us, which allowed us to retain our participation slots in multinational exercises!"
"However, as you can see, the mechs procured last time were not equipped with weapon systems and couldn't be turned into combat platform docks, so they could only be passively beaten!"
"Therefore, this time we want to customize mechs. In addition to long-range assault aircraft like modified F-35s, we also want to equip them with four 11.7mm autocannons, long-range radar locking modules, Stinger cluster missile launch pods, and 40km range precision strike missiles..."
A thick procurement plan book had somehow appeared before Gude Yefu.
He began to read from the plan book, detailing the customized military robot and combat mech procurement requirements approved by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
This scene stunned everyone in the livestream chat.
Was this a military procurement scene?
Such a scene was usually only seen at large military exhibitions.
If they remembered correctly, this was a livestream on a small Chinese video platform.
How did it turn into a live broadcast of Russia procuring military equipment?
And.
Didn't they say.
That Hao Ge's Huarong Industrial only produced large toy mech figures?
What was with the autocannons?
What was with the radar locking modules??
What was with the Stinger cluster missile launch pods???
As everyone fell into a stunned silence, Meng Hao finally came to his senses.
What the hell.
He was supposed to be refuting the claim that Huarong Industrial was a military factory.
What was this Russian military procurement major general doing here, publicly reading out a procurement plan in front of everyone?
Meng Hao quickly called for a halt.
"Comrade Gude Yefu."
"Please forgive my rudeness, but I must interrupt you!"
"Our Huarong Industrial is merely a law-abiding toy research, development, production, and sales company in Great Xia!"
"We do not produce or sell military supplies or equipment, I am not an arms dealer, and the Huarong Type I mech is by no means a military robot or combat mech!"
Facing Meng Hao's protest.
Major General Gude Yefu paused, then stopped reading his procurement plan.
After a moment of thought, the Russian general, who was adept at self-interpretation, smiled!
"Oh, my heavens, look at my foolishness. Huarong Industrial is indeed just an ordinary private company... and the Huarong Type I mech is just a regular large toy figure!"
Seeing Gude Yefu change his tune.
Meng Hao let out a long sigh of relief.
However, before he could fully exhale.
Gude Yefu's next sentence almost choked Meng Hao to death.
"Could Mr. Meng Hao please leave an email address or private number? We will send you the required configurations for the combat mechs we wish to procure!"
As he said this!
Gude Yefu kept winking, implying that they understood, that discretion was necessary, and that clandestine dealings were required for reasons of secrecy!
Damn it!
Who wants to engage in clandestine dealings with you!!
I'm not an arms dealer, and Huarong Industrial isn't a military factory!
Looking at the comments that had paused, they began to scroll wildly again.
"Still claiming not to be a military enterprise, the Russians have tracked you down to your livestream to place an order."
"Watching Hao Ge try to talk his way out of this!"
"Hmm, a private toy company that's being courted for military procurement by Russia; a large toy mech figure praised by a Russian major general as the 'strongest combat mech on Earth'!"
"Believe it or not, I believe it!"
"..."
Seeing his carefully prepared two-day refutation test about to go down the drain.
Meng Hao's face fell completely.
Since he couldn't have a proper conversation with Comrade Major General Gude Yefu.
He would have to find a reason to politely refuse in front of millions of viewers.
"I'm sorry, Comrade Gude Yefu, I'll emphasize again, our Huarong Industrial does not produce any military equipment."
"Furthermore, the target audience for this mech sale is within Great Xia. We do not have an export version!"
Wasn't that clear enough?
No export version.
Not for sale internationally.
He shouldn't keep pestering him about it.
Unfortunately.
Meng Hao soon realized.
He was still too naive.
"Oh?"
"No export version?"
"Is it because you feel our offer is too low?"
"How about this, we'll issue a diplomatic note to the Great Xia embassy, and we'll proceed with military order procurement at the national level, how does that sound?"
This old Russian has really set his sights on him.
If this escalated to the national level.
Then his Huarong Industrial's toy mechs, whether military equipment or not, would become military equipment.
It would be like mud falling into your pocket; even if it wasn't, it would be considered as such!
Once the state got involved, and Russia insisted that Huarong Industrial's mechs were combat mechs and military robots, it would be impossible to clarify.
Huarong Industrial's business registration information contained absolutely no information related to military equipment.
If this was investigated, he would be going to jail.
What's more.
If a deeper investigation uncovered the existence of the system and the desert base.
Meng Hao would be erased from this world.
This Gude Yefu.
Seemed determined not to give up until he achieved his goal.
Understanding the risks and consequences.
Meng Hao forced a smile that was more like a grimace.
"Comrade Gude Yefu, you are absolutely right."
"Our Huarong Industrial should indeed consider developing overseas and export versions."
"However, from project initiation to research and development to production, it might take a considerable amount of time, and the model versions and technical parameters are yet to be determined."
"Are you sure you still want to procure an export version?"
Meng Hao had said as much as he could.
The project hadn't even started.
No research and development had been done.
It would take a long time.
The model versions were unknown.
The technical parameters were undecided.
In such a situation.
It was akin to selling a gust of air... not even a PowerPoint presentation.
Surely Comrade Gude Yefu would give up his insistence now.