63 CCP 2

"What I want to understand is, why is it that you took our technology and infrastructure support but now you want to renege on the contract. You don't expect our company to plow the fields, irrigate the land, help you plant the crops, and then when it comes time for us to collect the part of the harvest we deserve, you can just say no?" Sage was blunt with her words. She had long reached a position where she stopped having to care about the feelings and face of the other party.

The use of the farmer analogy was also very scathing to the Chinese leaders, she knew for a fact that at least 3 of them had at some point been farmers themselves. So it was also a light jab at them. The Chinese loved their face and were embarrassed by their own past struggles.

She had discussed this with Doug on the plane about this. It was a weird cultural shock to them. In the West and even in neighboring India, embellishing the struggles and the hard-fought rise to power was a highlight of any success story. But in China, the struggles were the footnote and the success itself was the story. The unnatural focus on saving face meant they hid anything they thought was a blemish.

"We paid for your services and technology. We can pay the extra cost and salaries for your executives who stayed here to complete the project but our people did all the labor so we still own them. As for reneging on the contract, as a country, we reserve the right to govern the access to media for our citizens. It is in our constitution." The previous president, a wrinkly old man answered curtly.

Sage nodded while savoring the premium tea. She set down the tiny clay cup and looked at the previous president, "I am glad you brought up the topic of the Constitution. You seem to have forgotten that you signed a new one recently. And according to the constitution of the Earth Federation, what you are doing is illegal and you could be sanctioned for it."

The political advisor who had been quiet until then snorted in disdain, "We have been through sanctions before. In fact, we still have some continuing still. We can stop our factories too since our people are to starve anyway, they won't work. Let's see how the world economy reacts to our furnaces going cold."

"That is an impressive threat. One I suppose, someone in a position similar to mine would be scared about in the past. But let me deconstruct it for you, the labor and factories that you are so proud of? It won't take more than a couple of years for India to outpace you in that.

And unlike in China, with our direct intervention, the factories and the labor are regulated tightly with better designs and waste management planned by Savant and other most brilliant minds on the planet. A high-tech and better solution at the same price rate as you is on the horizon. Who do you think will the world choose?"

The Chinese were aware of the recent developments in India. Understanding the huge potential of the mutants, the Chinese government had also recruited mutants en masse for production and manufacture besides the regular army recruitment. But could they compete with Savant and his team of foreign scientists?

This was once again something of a cultural phenomenon in China. Due to a slower development process compared to the West for many different reasons, the largest being the West itself, China lagged in terms of education on science and technology much like the Indians.

The Chinese and the Indians in the past had a glorious history of invention and discovery, manufacture, and production. They were not exactly India and China back then but just a bunch of different nations. But the point is, these regions which promoted a lot of art, invention, and discovery were, by no small influence of the West especially England, France, Portugal, and the likes, pushed back in time in terms of education.

And as they watched the West sail past them on the path of science and technology, a sense of cultural insecurity had set in within the region over time. Be it the Indians, Chinese, or any other nationality in the region, they always saw the Westerners as better than themselves in some regards.

It was slowly beginning to change as these countries gained their own agency, the effect had differing paces in different nations. However, the fact was unquestionable that a white face was seen as a symbol of reliability and higher knowledge in China.

So, despite having a population of almost a billion, the Chinese leaders had doubts whether they could produce talents to compete against the Westerners, at least in the short term.

Even though they had their doubts, they could not budge at this moment. Compromising with a business entity would be a disgrace to their party name. The oldest and almost senile-looking man exclaimed, "We will not let the Western influence affect our country. If the world wants to starve us, we will fight with it till the end."

The passionate and patriotic-sounding statement was an undisguised threat to start a war. The thinking was quite simple, they had the people in abundance and if the factories remained unused, they could produce weapons of war. There were millions of mutants too, quite a few were determined to be Omega-level. So, an all-out war wasn't beyond the realm of possibility.

The current president sighed and spoke up louder, "Let's all calm down for a second. We can find some middle ground perhaps."

"What kind of middle ground?" Sage asked without any pretense of respect in her voice anymore.

The president frowned at the behavior of Sage but still continued, "We can let the software, websites, and products from your company be used in China but they have to be regulated by us."

"You mean you want to monitor and control all the data within your country? You will censor and manage everything and all we get to do is count profits?" Doug said with some irritation in his voice.

"You are portraying us as some kind of villains with that wording but that is somewhat similar to what we ask of you. As leaders of our country, we have to look after the people and our culture. If we let it get affected by the unrestricted access to the world of internet, it would be a tragedy."

Doug held back his defiant snort and halfway stopped his eye roll when he saw Sage looking at his face. It was clear as day that the CCP only wanted to have absolute control over the media so that they can easily brainwash and control the populace. But the wordings they used made it sound like they were doing something noble.

What Doug hated the most was that their arguments would sound very reasonable to most people who didn't feel the need to or didn't want to look at the political nuances. So, the majority public would see the blatant attempts at censorship and media control as a measure to preserve their culture.

"Such an arrangement might be possible." To the horror of Doug, Sage seemed to be agreeing. But she continued after a brief pause, "But, there is a condition, Doom's initiative of free education and online universities will have to be broadcast without censorship throughout the Chinese internet."

The last statement froze the smiles that were beginning to form on the wrinkly faces of the CCP leaders. If the people got access to an online university with all those unfiltered books, how long will it take before the people revolt again? They were barely starting to regain control after the fiasco a few years back.

"What? It's just free education. As an initiative from Earth Federation, it will not have any western propaganda or misinformation. Just pure knowledge. You don't have a problem with that do you, you can check too? I'm sure the culture of Chinese people is strong enough to withstand the shock of knowledge."

While the Chinese side was silent, Sage put in a few more words and made a joke in the process. The old men glared at Sage who just smiled and played with the small ornate cup.

The problem is with the pure unadulterated facts and knowledge, the Chinese president thought. Although Sage had made it sound like a condition, they knew that they couldn't possibly stop their citizens from accessing the online school when it is launched. Doom would make sure of that.

Although they could threaten war with any other person, nobody in their right mind would threaten Doom with a war. Anyone who had any political power in the world had already understood that much about their own chancellor. If he was threatened with war, the leaders of that country better have very strong bodyguards. Strong enough to stop Doom at least.

"Oh, I almost forgot! If you want to have full control over the network, you will also have to pay the full price. It is quite non-negotiable. We don't mind fighting you in the new judicial system of the Earth Federation on that." Sage added salt and lemon juice to the already very wide injury.

The Chinese finally understood this was never about the meeting. This was just intimidation and a warning to the Chinese government. They were even imagining if Doom's iron-gloved hands were behind all this.

They remembered the last time Doom came to them and asked them to support him for the Earth Federation. Using the word 'asked' was generous in that Doom had used a combination of enticement and intimidation to make them support him. But having been part of the group of countries that supported Doom from the beginning, they thought they would get some concessions.

But from the look of things, the CCP might have to change their ways or answer to an even bigger authoritarian who is usually a lot less unreasonable when someone opposes him.

Sage let the old men discuss to the side while she enjoyed the traditional music played by some Chinese beauties by the side. She didn't care to pay attention to the politicians. Coming here was just a practice for Doug, she knew the results would be in her favor even before she decided to come here.

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Keep throwing stones.