Chapter 205

Sure enough, the doctor smiled and revealed the answer the next second: "Congratulations, Committee Member Liu. Based on my preliminary assessment, Ms. Zhao is pregnant. Judging from the signs, she is about three or four months along. Of course, this is only a preliminary diagnosis. To be completely certain, I suggest she go to the hospital for a detailed examination when she has time."

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent for a moment.

Zhao Mengyun was stunned, and her hand unconsciously went to her lower abdomen.

Three or four months? How come I didn't even realize it?

"I thought... it was because I've been eating a bit more lately." A faint blush rose on her cheeks, her voice filled with surprise and a hint of embarrassment.

In fact, she had always been slim, and even in the early stages of pregnancy, the changes were very subtle. It happened to be the New Year holiday, and the family had a sumptuous meal, so she just thought she had gained a little weight and never considered those subtle physical signs.

At this moment, Liu Guangqi finally came to his senses, and his eyes shone with undisguised joy.

"Let's go to the hospital now." He stood up, turned to his wife, and said, "Let's leave the children with Aunt Zhou for a while, and then we'll go to the hospital to get them checked out properly, so we can feel at ease."

A warm, sweet feeling spread through Zhao Mengyun's heart, and she replied with a bright smile, "Okay, then I'll go."

The couple arrived at the hospital by car and underwent a thorough check-up. Everything turned out fine, and Zhao Mengyun's pregnancy was confirmed.

This unexpected good news was like a gift falling from the clear sky, filling Liu Guangqi with unexpected joy.

He sees the impending new life as merely icing on the cake. His status is now different from before; he has assistants to take care of his daily life and a childcare worker to look after the child. Adding another child is not a burden, but rather adds liveliness and completeness to the family.

His life was not thrown into chaos because his wife was pregnant again.

In the bright light of the hospital corridor, looking at Zhao Mengyun's face, which was even more radiant and lively with joy, Liu Guangqi felt a surge of tender emotion.

Time flows quietly by, and before we know it, life has entered a new chapter.

On the second workday after the New Year holiday, a faint smell of firecrackers still lingered in the air. The Ministry of Machine Building, however, was already bustling with activity. Telephones rang incessantly, and the corridors were filled with people; the hems of dark blue or gray Zhongshan suits fluttered in the wind against the green-painted walls. Everyone's face wore a tense, gleaming expression—the anticipation unique to the beginning of the new year—hoping for promotions, for raises, and for their own lives to improve along with the nation's plans.

Liu Guangqi from the research department was riding high. He sat in his office, engrossed in a blueprint for an electronic component, his fingertips tracing the intricate lines. Just then, the door was slammed shut. Before he could even look up, Director Lin's assistant had already pushed the door open, half-emerging, sweat beading on his forehead, his voice urgent and strained: "Director Liu! The Director requests your immediate presence. Director Chen from the Foreign Trade Department is also there, and his expression… is very unpleasant."

Liu Guangqi's heart skipped a beat, and he gently closed the drawing. It was most likely that there had been a setback in the export of CNC machine tools.

The door to the director's office was ajar; he pushed it open easily. The atmosphere inside was oppressively tense. Director Lin was slumped in an old sofa, clutching a chipped white cup, his brow furrowed. Beside him stood Director Chen from the Ministry of Foreign Trade, dressed in a crisp navy blue uniform with sharply defined shoulders. His face was ashen, his back ramrod straight, like a statue suppressing his rage.

On the coffee table between the two men lay a copy of *Reference News*. The name of that newspaper was unknown in ordinary alleys; it was the eyes and ears of the upper echelons, every word concerned with the turbulent events outside. At this moment, the bold headline on the front page, like several cold eyes, stared at the person who had entered.

"Guangqi, come quickly." Director Lin stood up, his voice low and menacing, "Director Chen has brought bad news."

Director Chen had a fiery temper, easily provoked. He grabbed a newspaper, almost shoving it under Liu Guangqi's nose, his knuckles white from the force: "Look! Look closely! Those people across the ocean have gone mad, blatantly claiming our machine tools threaten the security of their allies! That's absurd!" His chest heaved, spittle practically splattering onto the paper. "They've ordered that all countries that have signed treaties with them are forbidden from using their foreign exchange reserves to buy our goods! Effective today! Anyone who dares disobey will face their sanctions!"

Those few lines of printed text were cold and domineering, exuding an unquestionable arrogance, just like the tone that bald eagle was used to.

Two pairs of eyes—Director Lin's worried eyes and Director Chen's burning eyes—were fixed on Liu Guangqi's face, waiting to see his reaction, whether it was anger or shock, there should be some ripples.

Liu Guangqi took the newspaper. His gaze calmly slid over the shocking words, and then, the corner of his mouth twitched up very slightly, letting out an almost inaudible whisper, as if he found it quite amusing.

Director Chen was stunned. His anger met with this soft wall, leaving him speechless for a moment: "Comrade Guangqi? What... what's so funny? They've got a knife to his throat!"

"I laughed at them for finally being unable to hold back." Liu Guangqi calmly put the newspaper back in its place, the movement as casual as brushing off a speck of dust. He pulled out a chair and sat down, his back relaxed, showing no sign of tension. "Gentlemen, please calm down. You two know better than I do how well our machine tools sold last year, how much business we stole from them. When the cake is threatened, isn't it perfectly normal for the eagle to reach out and scratch?"

His tone carried a sense of knowing the situation first, as if this sudden "sanction order" was merely a pre-written scene on a stage, waiting for the drums to sound before it would unfold as planned.

The war that laid the foundation for the nation's destiny forced the arrogant eagle nation back to the negotiating table. Since then, this fierce bird of prey has never relaxed its control and containment of the East.

Their intentions are simple and straightforward:

By cutting off supplies and creating economic hardship, they aim to weaken the military potential of this nascent nation.

This will prevent it from becoming a force to be wary of.

now,

They witnessed the East's overwhelming dominance in the field of precision machine tools and saw foreign exchange flooding into the other side's treasury.

What other reaction can these self-proclaimed world guardians of the United States have besides wielding the big stick of sanctions once again?

therefore,

Liu Guangqi showed no surprise whatsoever. Looking at the still somber expressions of Directors Chen and Lin,

Instead, he slightly raised the corners of his mouth:

"Have you two forgotten? Since that founding war in the early 1950s, has the noose around our necks ever truly been loosened?"

"This is just another tightening of the restrictions, why panic?"

These words startled both of them.

Yes, we've been locked down for so many years, but we've made it through step by step, haven't we?

But this time is different.

Director Chen slumped back into his chair, his hands unconsciously rubbing together.

"Guangqi, that makes sense, but this time it's different! We just opened a channel to earn foreign exchange, and it looked like it would alleviate the equipment and technology problems in each factory—and now it's all gone!"

"Who said it's broken?"

A sharp light suddenly flashed in Liu Guangqi's eyes.

He paused briefly, giving the two directors time to think.

He then continued speaking, his voice steady yet as firm as metal striking the ground:

"The reason the United States sanctions us is simply because they believe we cannot survive without the foreign exchange market."

"That's perfect, let them see for themselves—"

"This land has never relied on anyone's charity to survive since ancient times."

There was a profound meaning in his smile:

"This land has existed for five thousand years, and for most of those years, the Eagle Kingdom did not exist."

"We not only survived, but also grew into the brightest red star in the sky."

"They think they can shut us out of the CNC machine tool industry with such rudimentary sanctions? That's not blocking us, it's shutting themselves out of the modern world."

I thought Liu Guangqi would be anxious, but I didn't expect him to be so calm. Director Lin couldn't help but ask:

"But this is no small matter! Last year, our exports accounted for 30% of the Western market. With these sanctions, we're afraid our subsequent orders will be affected..."

"If you cancel, you will be compensated according to the contract."

Liu Guangqi smiled calmly.

"When the export agreements were signed, those Western countries had already left room for flexibility; otherwise, they wouldn't have facilitated this kind of cooperation."

"They've already prepared an escape route for themselves; we're the beneficiaries no matter what."

"Even if they tear up the agreement and refuse to pay, the United States will have to clean up the mess—either pay compensation or break its promise."

The detailed analysis, like a sharp blade cutting through bamboo, gradually eased the expressions of the two directors.

The heavy weight that had been pressing on his chest was lifted by Liu Guangqi's few words.

"So let's wait and see."

Liu Guangqi took the tea offered by Director Lin, and took a sip.

"If those countries that placed the orders are truly struggling, they will naturally come to us seeking solutions."

"If they don't come looking for us, it means they have other options, and our orders will continue as usual."

"The worst-case scenario is that after fulfilling these contracts, they'll shut themselves away and conduct their own independent research and development..."

As he said this, the curve of his lips deepened.

"A competition in machine tool R&D?"

"They have no chance of winning."

In the field of precision machinery, Liu Guangqi has every right to say this.

In fact,

The United Kingdom, far across the ocean, felt a sense of awe and wonder after dismantling the CNC machine tools sent from the East.

Their CNC technology is still just a concept on paper.

These five-axis and seven-axis five-axis machine tools from the East operate as smoothly as finely crafted works of art, their efficiency sending chills down your spine.

If it is not curbed

The precision machine tools from the East will overwhelm their existing technological system like a torrent, leaving them defenseless.

Issuing a ban would at least buy them time to research and learn from other products, thus enabling them to develop their own alternatives.

From a certain perspective, this is already a struggle in despair.

The US has never lacked top minds; there are plenty of brilliant scientists and engineers.

So it won't be long before they can develop their own five-axis machine tool, and even seven-axis and eight-axis are not out of the question.

A machine tool is a machine tool, and a system is a system.

Numerical control systems are a whole different field of study. Even if their people are incredibly skilled, it would take them three to five years to fully grasp the intricacies of it.

to be honest--

They are simply using sanctions as a pretext to buy themselves more time to catch up.

But so what?

By the time they finally figured out how the system was written, Liu Guangqi already had the second and third generation CNC blueprints in his hands.

Once fully automated machine tools are implemented, any talk of catching up or imposing sanctions will become a distant joke.

On that day, the whole world will understand: who should set the rules in this field?

Faced with an absolute technological gap, all barriers are like paper walls, collapsing at the slightest push.

The more arrogant the US is now, the more embarrassing the fall will be in the foreign exchange market in the future.

Sanctions? Blockade?

Liu Guangqi raised his eyes, his gaze passing through the window, looking far into the northwest.

When that enormous mushroom cloud rises amidst the desert sands, when China truly possesses the confidence to stand shoulder to shoulder with the northern giant—

The West's so-called containment is not even worth talking about.

At that time, the first one to get restless will probably not be the US itself, but the dog next to it that barks the loudest.

That island nation in the Pacific is now warmly calling him "father."

But deep down, those people only ever had one word in mind:

cheap.

In order to become an industrial powerhouse and for the influx of foreign exchange, what wouldn't they dare to do?

Betraying the so-called "father"? Is there any need to hesitate?

Those lunatics once dared to boast about "buying up the entire Ugly Country," but in the end, they were brought back to reality by a mere agreement.