Hiss!
With Ning An's explanation, Aluf instantly realized he had played too big this time.
According to his own expectations.
He planned to first use the authority of the Daoist Association to pressure, then pretend to burn incense and make wishes.
In the end, whether the wish came true or not, he would stubbornly deny it.
Everything was planned perfectly.
But who could have thought.
This Daoist actually turned the tables and left him speechless.
"The sky has perished, the yellow sky shall rise! In the year of Jiazi, the world will be at peace! I, Daoist Zhang Jiao, respectfully invite the Han to meet their demise!"
"This little brat, has he forgotten what kind of lunatics these Taoists are? Throughout history, the officials' family always appeased Taoists first. When it comes to rebellious genes, these Daoist Masters are full of fervor."
"Actually, Aluf's plan was quite good. He even brought out the Daoist Association, a direct leadership unit. Ordinarily, there wouldn't be any issue, but what ordinary Daoist Temple cares about that stuff?"
Just as Aluf was fuming with frustration.
On the outskirts of Kyoto, within a hidden building.
A few elderly men with gray hair were engaged in a fierce debate at a table, visibly angry.
Because just yesterday.
The U Country directly imposed sanctions on some of the country's technologies in conjunction with other nations.
This included high-strength carbon fiber, and any company selling this material to the country would be treated as committing treason.
Under heavy pressure, many foreign manufacturers would rather pay hefty compensation than break the contract.
But this was entirely normal, given that U Country is a superpower; no sensible capitalist would want to go against such a superpower.
"Can't play fair, so they flip the table. They're shameless enough to drink the piss of shame."
"It's purely disgusting, worse than a street hooligan!!!"
Everyone present wore expressions so grim they seemed to be dripping.
This incident even alerted senior leadership to put pressure on western countries to lift the blockade.
After all, high-quality carbon fiber is too crucial; without it, all related aerospace fields would come to a halt.
"Our aerospace industry is at a critical stage; we absolutely cannot give up!"
"Easy for you to say, those bastards in U Country demand tons of high-quality carbon fiber in exchange for equal tons of rare earth. This predatory ambition must be curbed immediately!"
"Being choked by the throat, damn it, it's so stifling! Secretary Wang, what does Elder An say?"
The elderly present were not in uniform.
But the presence they exuded lowered the temperature of the entire conference room by several degrees.
Not to mention the layers of security personnel, proving just how important this place was.
The middle-aged man called Secretary Wang sat in the experts' seat, looking disheveled.
He stood up, his face pale as if he hadn't slept for days and nights.
He leaned on the table, tears falling like rain.
"Why are you crying! Like a woman!"
"Can we do this or not? The country is still waiting to use it!"
An elderly man with a hot temper, leaning on a crutch, was furious.
Back in the day, when he fought against the monkeys, he lost a leg to an explosion but never cried like this.
Bang!
The elder seated at the head frowned and slapped the table hard.
"None of you are young anymore; why are your tempers still so hot?"
"With such energy, if you can't do it, get up there and do the research. Whoever succeeds, I'll vacate my seat for them!"
The once noisy meeting room gradually grew silent.
At this moment, the elder sitting at the head looked at Secretary Wang and calmly spoke:
"Secretary Wang, give us the lowdown. So much investment from above, we do have the right to know, don't we?"
"Moreover, with Elder An overseeing, even if there are hurdles, you shouldn't be this out of sorts."
In unison, everyone's gaze turned to Secretary Wang.
"Initially, the progress was advancing by leaps and bounds, but..."
Secretary Wang wiped his tears and forced a bitter smile:
"Elder An... he doesn't have much time left."
"Without a leader, just relying on us might take two to three more years."
"Two to three years??? Two to three years later, the country's blood would be drained; what development would be left!"
Once again, the hot-tempered old man cursed with his crutch.
"Ma Baoguo, sit down!"
The elder in the main seat's face darkened, and Ma Baoguo chuckled dryly, quietly sitting back down.
Everyone could understand his feelings.
Because the thoughts of everyone present were the same as his.
"It's not that I'm too hasty, Ma Baoguo; it's that U Country's ambitions are too grand."
"You all know how dirty their hands have been over these years, and now they want to strangle us with carbon fiber to stop our aerospace developments. Grandpa can tolerate, grandma cannot."
"It infuriates me!"
Ma Baoguo's voice wasn't loud, but everyone could hear it.
After all, past events serve as lessons.
Everyone's expressions grew serious again.
At this moment, someone softly asked:
"What did the doctor say about Elder An?"
Secretary Wang clutched the table tightly, his voice hoarse:
"The illness is terminal, treatment is ineffective, the teacher probably... doesn't have much time left..."
Instantly, the entire venue fell silent.
After all, in the field of materials, Elder An was a globally recognized authority.
Without such a leader heading the work, high carbon fiber would truly be indefinitely postponed.
After a while, the elder in the main seat spoke solemnly:
"Despite our creation of a partial high-function carbon fiber substitute, it falls short in terms of lightness and strength."
"We cannot fall behind in the field of technology."
"Secretary Wang, the task on your shoulders is heavy."
The elder spoke earnestly to Secretary Wang.
"Leader, this..."
Before Secretary Wang could finish, he was interrupted by a rapid knocking at the door.
"Report!"
"Come in."
A robust man with a tough exterior strode in, saluted respectfully, and promptly said:
"Report to all the leaders, just now during rounds, the nurse discovered that Elder An is missing..."
Before he could finish, several people stood up menacingly.
"What are you waiting for! Find him! Ensure Elder An's safety!"
Ma Baoguo couldn't wait, grabbing his cane to make a call:
"Go, mobilize all my people immediately, I approve their actions right away!"
Numerous elders displayed a menacing demeanor; they've all crawled out from among the dead, fearing no one!
It's important to know, not a single one present had a weak aura.
Such an explosive atmosphere wasn't something any ordinary person could withstand.
"Don't panic, let me ask, has Elder An been found yet?"
Although Secretary Wang was anxious, he was shrewd and directly asked the crucial question.
After all, he didn't believe in a national base, there could be a spy sneaking in.
The robust man was almost in tears:
"All... all leaders, Elder An wasn't missing... he just went to burn incense..."