A brief wait.
The screen of the video call lit up again.
This time, an elderly man appeared on the screen, dressed in a casual long gown, with snow-white hair and slightly narrowed eyes, seemingly wearing a smile.
This person!
Meng Hao froze.
He recognized this benevolent and kind old man.
No.
To be precise, Meng Hao had seen him... often appearing on the daily news broadcasts of Great Xia.
Great Xia.
The highest-ranking official of the National Security Defense Headquarters.
Previously.
The directives issued by several reserved and reticent military officers to the J Province Military Region were precisely his supreme orders.
The highest commander of the Great Xia military!
Old Man Ouyang.
"Yo, is this the little fellow Meng Hao who's been causing such a stir recently?"
"He's quite handsome, a man of distinguished appearance."
"Not only is he talented, but his looks are also exceptionally striking, like a young man of Great Xia!"
Hearing Old Man Ouyang's praise,
Meng Hao immediately straightened his back.
To be praised by such an elder was a blessing accumulated over generations of ancestors... whether it was his appearance or his profound talent!
Old Man Ouyang smiled at the camera, then patted his forehead, as if his memory wasn't as good in old age.
"Oh!"
"Look at me."
"I've been so busy with pleasantries that I've forgotten the main business... Little friend Meng Hao, if you have a chance to visit the capital in the future, we'll have tea together, enjoy the scenery, and have a good chat... This old man, I, really enjoy being with energetic young people like you; it makes me feel younger too!"
Good heavens.
This was an official invitation.
Both Zhang Weimin and Lieutenant General Minister Liu, who was listening nearby, gasped.
This was Old Man Ouyang!
The highest commander of the Great Xia military!
To receive a private invitation from him, one generally had to be a principal political figure from one of the world's most prominent nations.
The presidents of some smaller countries could at most exchange a few words with Old Man Ouyang during formal state visits.
Getting invited to his private banquet was basically impossible.
Meng Hao was overwhelmed with gratitude.
He nodded repeatedly.
"Alright, we'll have plenty of opportunities for casual chats later."
"Let's talk business. Little friend Meng Hao, your Hua Rong Industrial Company is truly remarkable... I've received reports these past few days. The military's research experts can't fully understand your mechs, and they've strongly requested that you be invited to our military headquarters in the capital... But don't worry, this old man will never force anyone's hand. You can stay wherever you like... By the way, do you need any manpower? Perhaps you could establish a research institute in your name. If you don't want to come to the capital, you can do it in Shilinxian... invest a hundred billion or a trillion, you can name the price!"
Holy cow.
As expected of Old Man Ouyang.
With just one opening, he was talking about investments in the trillions.
The elder who held the position of Great Xia's highest commander certainly had a generous hand.
Meng Hao wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Damn.
He had already been terrified when the Fur Country had transferred funds equivalent to seven hundred million Great Xia yuan.
Now.
This Old Man Ouyang was directly offering an investment of trillions.
Indeed.
The resources controlled by a national level were truly terrifying.
Meng Hao suppressed his shock and politely declined.
"Sir, thank you for your kindness."
"I still wish to develop step by step."
"My grandfather taught me when I was young, not to rush things, but to take one step at a time!"
Introducing trillions in investment at this point.
It would essentially be selling Hua Rong Industrial to the state, no different from merging it with the military.
Facing Meng Hao's refusal,
Old Man Ouyang showed no negative emotions.
Instead, he smiled and nodded.
"Yes, as expected of a talented young man, you're very clear-headed..."
"Good, then it's settled..."
"If anyone dares to force you to do anything in the future, report it to this old man. This old man, although old, can still use this cane to spank quite a few people's bottoms..."
Saying this,
Old Man Ouyang picked up his ancient pear wood cane and waved it in front of the camera.
He looked just like an ordinary elder supporting and encouraging a junior.
However.
An elder from an ordinary family, making harsh remarks while holding a cane, might only be offering encouragement or comfort to a junior.
But Old Man Ouyang's cane could do more than just spank bottoms.
If he were truly angered.
This simple and unadorned yellow pear wood cane could be enough to turn half the small countries on Earth upside down.
Old Man Ouyang, who put down his cane with a smile,
Looked at the camera and continued.
"I heard from Little Liu that you've encountered a lot of trouble..."
"Yes, in our Great Xia, there are quite a few vermin and scoundrels..."
"Many have even gone abroad to lure those jackals and wolves, truly not caring about their own heritage..."
"Don't worry, keep up the good work with your business. If the sky falls, we old folks will hold it up for you..."
"More than half a century ago, we drove them back into the sea with real weapons on that peninsula. Now that our country is strong, if these brats dare to cause trouble, we'll eliminate them in minutes..."
Wow.
The dignified Lieutenant General Minister Liu was referred to as "Little Liu" by the elder.
And the various smears and sabotage that troubled Meng Hao were, in the elder's eyes, nothing more than a few insignificant cockroaches.
Easily swatted away.
Even when mentioning the peninsula war over half a century ago, which had the Western Allied forces crying for their mothers, the elder spoke of it with such nonchalance, as if it were a minor matter.
Such authority.
Such a protective demeanor.
Meng Hao truly felt an unprecedented sense of peace.
The elder's words, though seemingly ordinary.
Yet, every word fell upon Meng Hao's heart like a thousand pounds.
This casual conversation from the elder could be summarized into one sentence:
[Go ahead and pursue your ambitions boldly, the country has your back.]
"Thank you, sir."
"If I go to the capital in the future, I will definitely visit you!"
Meng Hao was immensely grateful.
With the elder's promise.
The online operations of Hua Rong Industrial were finally no longer a cause for worry about being shut down.
...
The video call ended.
The smile on Old Man Ouyang's face gradually faded.
He spoke to a few stern-looking young people in military uniforms beside him.
"This little fellow Meng Hao is good, I like him very much..."
"Go and investigate who those blind fools are who are trying to trip him up..."
"From the situation you reported earlier, it seems there are quite a few Western forces involved..."
"Find me those young fellows from the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Electronics and Information, the Ministry of Industry, and the Market Supervision Department. This old man wants to ask them how they're doing their jobs..."
The stern military-clad young people nodded.
They quickly left.
And proceeded to carry out Old Man Ouyang's instructions.