pjbooks Chapter 344
Chapter 344
Rong Yu was utterly exhausted by the time she wrote down the final number.She handed the document to Lin Rang for review, and while waiting for the result, she fell asleep leaning against her chair.
Lin Rang finished calculating, about to discuss it with her, but noticed her eyes were closed and her breathing steady. He turned toward the shadows and said, "Captain Sheng, could you please take Xiao Yu to lie down for a while? This afternoon, we have to fly to the capital for the hearing. Remember to wake her up in time."
While Rong Yu worked, Sheng Qingyan had been standing in the shadows, protecting her safety twenty-four hours a day.
His icy demeanor was concealed beneath his black tactical outfit, and his face was incredibly gentle as he carefully lifted the sleeping woman from the chair.
Sensing the reassuring scent of him, Rong Yu buried her head against his chest obediently.
She seemed to travel back in time to that returning cruise ship years ago.
Lying on a deck lounge chair, she had fallen asleep in the sea breeze. Half-awake, half-asleep, she felt someone gently support her back and knees, lifting her entirely.
The man's chest was warm and firm, the brass buttons of his military uniform pressing against her cheek, carrying the warmth of sunlight.
Perhaps the ship swayed slightly, and his footsteps blended with the sound of the waves. Steady and sure, he carried her and gently laid her on the bed.
"A Zheng..."
Rong Yu murmured.
Sheng Qingyan was stunned.
A Zheng?
Who was A Zheng?
He only knew of the Ji family members: Yuan, A-Yan, Mo, Chuan, and Aye.
There was no A Zheng.
Sheng Qingyan desperately wanted to ask who this person was.
But this was the first time Rong Yu had slept so deeply in two days. How could he bear to wake her?
He was about to stand up and guard the door.
But Rong Yu grabbed his hand. Her voice was a soft mumble. "A Zheng, sleep with me for a while."
Sheng Qingyan: "..."
He resigned himself, lying down on the small bed's outer edge.
He carefully wrapped his arm around her waist, and as he closed his eyes, every sense expanded, keeping a constant state of alertness...
That same afternoon, the Capital International Convention Center was buzzing.
The Global Emergency Space Security Hearing was about to be held here, with representatives from all nations gathered, cameras and microphones aimed at the central projection stage.
The representatives sat in the conference room, murmuring among themselves.
The representative from the Beacon State laughed coldly. "The Eagle Eye system's technology is immature. Haphazardly clearing space debris, misidentifying targets, causing our country heavy losses. This meeting must force China to immediately suspend Eagle Eye One operations and disclose all technical details!"
The French representative asked, "May I ask, what was the cost of this satellite?"
"3.8 billion US dollars," said the Beacon State representative. "The money isn’t important. What’s important is—"
His gaze swept across the representatives. "Just imagine if your satellite was the one wrongly eliminated today. What if, next time, it’s the Galileo navigation satellite from the European Space Agency? Or Russia’s meteorological monitoring station? Or Japan’s communication relay?"
The French representative smiled but did not commit. They certainly relied on space assets, but they had no intention of being used as a pawn by the Beacon State.
The Russian representative leaned back in his chair. He wouldn’t side with either China or the Beacon State. He was just there to watch the show—maybe even pick up something useful.
The Sakura State representative immediately chimed in, "Mr. Oliver is absolutely right. I wholeheartedly support the Beacon State!"
The English representative adjusted his glasses and spoke slowly, "Technically speaking, if the Eagle Eye’s recognition algorithm does have flaws, then the international community has the right to demand transparency."
The German representative hesitated before speaking, "But the issue of space debris really does need to be addressed..."
The Beacon State’s Oliver shouted, "Dear delegates, as long as China discloses its technology, we can jointly build a safer space governance system. At that time, all nations can share monitoring data and avoid similar tragedies!"
Unofficial meaning: those who cooperate will get a share of the pie later.
Murmurs spread through the room.
Just then, the door swung open, and the Chinese delegation arrived.
Delegates from all countries immediately turned to look. Their leader was a young woman about twenty, not old by any means, but she exuded an incredibly powerful presence. The moment she entered, inexplicably, everyone fell silent.
On her right sat Lin Rang in a wheelchair.
Lin Rang had once been so remarkable, a rising star in mathematics. Yet a tragic accident left him unable to walk... Even so, he remained an outstanding figure in mathematics and the future successor of Academician Yun...
And now, he willingly served as deputy to this young woman.
On her left—
Everyone immediately stood up.
This was... Cui Xiao.
Years ago, when aerospace technology was blockaded by major powers and China seemed at a loss, a genius appeared. That man was Cui Xiao.
In that era, computers were extremely rare. It was Cui Xiao, with nothing but his hands, an abacus, and paper, who derived the rocket fuel mixture formula by pure computation, solving the combustion oscillation problem that had plagued China for over half a year...
He had emerged as a prodigy at eighteen. Now, at sixty, he was a national treasure of China, as well as a thorn in the side of rival nations.
A figure of such unsurpassed caliber, from any perspective, stood beside this young girl, like an indomitable mountain, preventing anyone from daring to underestimate Rong Yu.
Rong Yu stepped forward, walking calmly to the Chinese delegation’s seats.
She sat in the center, flanked by Cui Xiao and Lin Rang. Behind them sat two translators, and behind them, eight attending security personnel.
The chairman of the International Space Security Council stood and announced, "All representatives are present. The International Space Security Hearing now begins!"
He adjusted his glasses, let his gaze sweep across the room, and spoke with seriousness, "In accordance with the International League Space Treaty, this hearing is officially convened in the capital of China. The agenda item is the safety review of the Eagle Eye One space debris clearance system."
The director of the International Space Orbit Alliance brought up an official document projection. "According to reports submitted by multiple nations, the Eagle Eye One is accused of capturing and disintegrating a Beacon State in-orbit satellite without adequate warning. Per procedure, the Chinese side must provide an explanation."
Oliver of the Beacon State straightened his suit and stood, "The Free Guardian satellite, costing 3.8 billion US dollars and tasked with our nation’s meteorological monitoring, was forcibly dismantled by the Eagle Eye One without any warning. China must take responsibility!"
The English representative said, "This is not merely a technical issue. It is a contempt for international rules!"
The Sakura State representative shouted, "If even the Beacon State’s satellite was not safe, how much more dangerous are the others?"
The Australian representative banged on the table. "Eagle Eye operations must be suspended immediately, pending the establishment of an international oversight mechanism..."
At the Chinese delegation seats,
Cui Xiao whispered to Rong Yu, "Are you ready?"
Rong Yu’s smile was faint. "They’ve gone through the trouble of coming all the way to China. Let them put on their show a little longer."