Chapter 626
Is the Beautiful Country Strange?
Chapter 626 Is the Beautiful Country Strange?
Gingrich's counterattack was swift and precise.
Three days after being discharged from the hospital, he formally refused to sign the balanced budget bill, citing that "the budget proposal did not adequately consider the long-term fiscal pressures of healthcare reform."
The compromise reached between the two parties after six months collapsed at the last minute, and the federal government partially shut down again in mid-August 1997 due to a lack of budget authorization, forcing more than 8 federal employees to take unpaid leave.
Public opinion was in uproar, but this time, Gingrich pointed the finger at the White House, claiming that Clinton concealed the true shortfall in Social Security funding during negotiations.
At the same time, the Whitewater Gate investigation suddenly escalated.
Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr initially only investigated the Clintons' roles in the Arkansas land deal, but as the investigation deepened, it expanded to include spin-off cases such as the firing of the White House Travel Office and the access to FBI documents.
In September, Starr subpoenaed Clinton himself to testify, making Clinton the first sitting president in American history to face a criminal investigation.
The Republican-controlled Congress quickly followed suit, authorizing Starr to expand his investigative powers.
Gingrich pressed his advantage, turning his attention to campaign finances.
Republicans have publicly accused the White House of raising funds through "soft money" loopholes, even going so far as to host large donors by spending the night in Lincoln's bedroom.
The more damaging allegation is that these funds may include foreign donations from countries such as the East, potentially violating the provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act that prohibit foreign funding from interfering in elections.
Several White House staff members and Democratic National Committee officials were subpoenaed to testify, with some citing the Fifth Amendment to refuse to answer or simply refusing to accept the subpoenas.
After three heavy blows, Clinton was struggling to cope.
By controlling funding authority, Gingrich effectively froze all project approvals related to technological cooperation with East Korea.
The United States' policy toward East Asia fell into a vacuum in the second half of 1997, unable to advance contact or initiate containment.
The Eastern Kingdom, its capital.
A windowless conference room, dimly lit.
"You've all seen the news from the US. Clinton has been badly attacked, and his policy toward the East has basically come to a standstill."
Should we continue to bide our time, or confront them head-on?
"We don't provoke trouble, but we're not afraid of trouble either!"
After the meeting, Si Sheng returned to his office. The Director of the Security Bureau had been waiting for twenty minutes.
"Speak," Si Sheng said, sitting down and picking up his teacup.
The director gave a detailed report on his trip to the provincial capital, including the groundbreaking computer, the artificial intelligence "Stardust Wheat," the LCD smartphone, and Lin Xiaohe's unusually clean resume.
"Artificial intelligence," Si Sheng put down his teacup and repeated the word.
"Our initial assessment is that the capabilities of that thing far surpass any currently known system."
Si Sheng remained silent for a long time.
It was already dark outside the window. His gaze fell on the briefing of Project Dragon Scale on the table, the cover of which was stamped with a top-secret red seal.
"Make the arrangements." He stood up. "I'll go to Liaoyang Province myself. Don't notify anyone. Just come straight in when you arrive."
Liaoyang Province, the provincial capital.
As the deputy mayor, Lin Xiaohe was provided with accommodation by the organization. However, Lin Xiaohe did not choose a villa, but instead opted for a small bungalow with a yard.
The courtyard is small, only about 20 or 30 square meters, but it is very well organized, with wheat, peppers, and other vegetables and fruits planted in it.
Although Xinbao has no physical form, it loves the smell of soil. Li Bo, dressed in camouflage, was pulling weeds in the yard, while Chen Guang rolled up his sleeves and started wiping the windows with a rag.
Li Bo: "You finally came back from Russia, aren't you going to spend time with your parents?"
Chen Guang glanced at him and pursed his lips.
During my absence, he finally managed to get on the good side of his boss!
If I don't step in and make my presence felt, won't I just hand over my position as the leader's most trusted confidant to someone else?
"Is it appropriate for someone as high-ranking as you to come here and pull weeds?"
The two exchanged a glance, their eyes sparking with a crackling light.
Humph.
The two of them turned their heads away at the same time and focused on their work.
Lin Xiaohe carried a basin of specially prepared fertilizer water from the living room to the yard, a rare moment of relaxation for her.
Having seen the stars and the sea, experienced life-and-death ordeals, and stood at the pinnacle of power, in the end, I still feel most at peace when farming.
Lin Xiaohe stopped in her tracks as soon as she entered the courtyard. A person stood quietly outside the gate.
The two stared at each other without speaking first. The wind blew through the flowers, plants, and trees in the yard, making a very soft whistling sound.
At some point, Li Bo and Chen Guang quietly left the courtyard, leaving the two of them some space.
Lin Xiaohe relaxed her shoulders and pointed to the living room: "Come in and sit down?"
Si Sheng sat down and got straight to the point: "They say your things don't belong to this era. I won't ask where they came from; that's your secret. I only ask one thing: what do you plan to do with them?"
Lin Xiaohe did not answer immediately.
She picked up her teacup, blew away the foam, and then looked up: "Superconductivity at minus twenty degrees Celsius costs only one-third of that of copper wire. Electricity prices in the Tie Nan District can be reduced by 40%. Those production lines that have been shut down can be restarted. The industrial inventory in Northeast China can be cleared out within two years."
"And then?" Si Sheng pressed.
"And then?" Lin Xiaohe smiled. "Then Dongguo's industrial products can enter the global market at prices that no competitor can afford. No dumping is needed, no subsidies are needed, and the cost advantage is overwhelming."
Si Sheng just smiled meaningfully. At their level, they're all shrewd and calculating; empty promises won't cut it.
Lin Xiaohe looked him straight in the eye. "Gingrich refused the budget, halted the government, and launched the Whitewater investigation. On the surface, he was targeting Clinton, but in reality, he was buying time for America. He's scared."
"What are you afraid of?"
“They’re afraid we’ll actually develop the Dragon Scale.” Lin Xiaohe said calmly, “Because once the Dragon Scale lands, the global industrial landscape will be completely rewritten. America will lose the foundation of its technological hegemony. So they want to delay, to disrupt our external environment, and to strangle the Dragon Scale before it grows up.”
Si Sheng gently placed the teacup on the table, making a soft sound.
He didn't speak immediately, his gaze fixed on Lin Xiaohe's face, as if he were re-evaluating the young man.
He finally spoke, his voice low and steady: "He's the accident you mentioned?"
Lin Xiaohe: "Mm."
Si Sheng: "What else do you have?"
This time, it was Lin Xiaohe's turn to smile meaningfully: "You can do whatever you're capable of."
What limits her extraordinary abilities is not science, but the level of manufacturing in the East.
I'm going to do anything to avoid getting locked up.