Foreign Ministry Headquarters.
The Office of the Chief Official.
Several Deputy Chiefs sat before Lin Yin.
"That's the situation."
"Elder Ouyang's intention is for over a dozen departments, including our Foreign Ministry Headquarters, to coordinate a joint effort with a single ultimate goal: to rescue Meng Hao."
"Share your opinions on how we, the Foreign Ministry Headquarters, should handle our part of the work?"
After a few exchanges, the Deputy Chiefs reached a consensus.
"Chief Lin, our proposal is to proceed in three steps initially."
"First, until Meng Hao's coordinates are confirmed, it's inadvisable to escalate the matter too widely, lest we alert the enemy!"
"Second, immediately contact the Indian side. Although Meng Hao's trip to India to assist in nuclear submarine research was ostensibly a private endeavor... both the initiator, Songzan, and the real mastermind, Songzan's father, the Admiral of the Indian Navy, understand that this is effectively an action between nations... They had previously guaranteed Meng Hao's safety to us."
"Third, send a telegram to the U.S. State Department. Regardless of the content, convey only one message: we are aware that Meng Hao has been detained by the United States, and clearly state our stance. This at least ensures that the U.S. will not resort to foul play by bribing or forcibly compelling him to abandon Da Xia."
Lin Yin nodded.
As expected of those in diplomatic work.
In such a short time, they had already formulated a complete action plan for the first phase.
As the Deputy Chiefs had stated.
The prerequisite for rescuing Meng Hao was to ensure his safety.
"Good."
"We'll do it this way."
"Activate the Da Xia-U.S. Diplomatic Hotline!"
As is widely known.
Major countries worldwide maintain diplomatic hotlines.
Even when the Soviet Union and the United States were at odds, to the point of expelling ambassadors and teetering on the brink of nuclear war.
Still, the two nations, despite their severed diplomatic ties and cold war, preserved their hotline.
Internationally.
The diplomatic hotline represents the bottom line of communication between two countries, and it is also a line utilized only in extremely grave matters.
...
United States.
The White House.
Jack, the Chief Official responsible for diplomatic affairs.
A veteran diplomat with nearly thirty years of experience, his forehead creased enough to catch flies.
He clasped his hands together, resting his chin on them.
Before him.
Sat dozens of his aides.
"Damn it, are those guys on Capitol Hill out of their minds?"
"To detain and abduct a key figure from Da Xia on allied Australian soil, and this person whose safety was privately guaranteed by India with its national reputation."
Jack was uninterested in the intelligence provided by senior politicians from other departments regarding Meng Hao single-handedly researching and cracking F-35 fighter jet technology, repairing lithography machines, and forcing Tesst's CEO, Marshek, to confront him.
His current concern was solely the difficulty this would cause for his work and the diplomatic predicament it would place the United States in.
Therefore.
For the past few days, he hadn't returned home, remaining in his office, awaiting calls "scolding" him from all sides.
He had no choice.
Even though he had verbally lambasted the senior politicians and the President who made this decision in his mind.
However.
One must do their duty in their position.
As the highest-ranking official in the U.S. diplomatic corps.
Facing such a challenging situation, he could only brace himself and persevere.
Ring ring.
The most basic of telephone rings.
One of the many phones on his desk began to ring.
"It's the dedicated line for neighboring countries!"
"The last time this line rang was during the global condemnation following the sneak attack on the Ika nation."
"Let's guess, which country, Da Xia, India, or Australia, will call first."
Jack took a deep breath, adjusted his demeanor, and at the seventh ring, he swiftly picked up the handset and brought it to his ear.
"Yes, this is Jack."
"It's the dedicated line from Da Xia."
"Understood, connect it!"
He placed the phone on the desk and pressed the speakerphone button, simultaneously activating the mechanical disc recorder.
In this information age, it was not a matter of retro fashion that the United States still used old cable telephones and mechanical disc recorders.
Generally speaking.
The simpler the mechanical structure, the higher its reliability.
This was why, for highly advanced weaponry like nuclear missiles and intercontinental ballistic missiles, the launch control panels were traditional button-operated, not touchscreens.
As soon as the call connected.
What he heard was a barrage of insults.
"Damn Jack, is this what you call American civilization, your self-proclaimed freedom, respect for human rights, fuck, fuck you..."
"I'm telling you, release Meng Hao immediately and unconditionally, or be prepared for war between our countries..."
"You've managed to offend three countries at once, you're really something, aren't you..."
"..."
It could be said.
Lin Yin had mastered the art of language to its extreme.
Apart from "holy shit" and "fuck you" which were common American curses, he hadn't uttered a single vulgar word, yet the entire speech was intensely offensive.
Jack's face turned pale as he listened.
Yet, he couldn't interrupt the speaker.
After all, they were in the wrong.
For a full ten minutes.
Lin Yin's tirade finally subsided slightly.
Jack quickly seized the opportunity to interject.
"Mr. Lin, I believe there may be a misunderstanding..."
"We have not kidnapped or detained Mr. Meng Hao..."
"The information I received was that Charles and his colleagues invited Meng Hao as a guest..."
As soon as he spoke.
Lin Yin, who was angered to the point of laughter, could not help himself.
"What the hell, you call this an invitation as a guest?"
"No mobile signal, and you call this an invitation as a guest?"
"If we didn't have intelligence personnel in Australia, we wouldn't even know Meng Hao was being held by you."
"Stop the BS, release him quickly..."
Jack's face flushed red from being berated.
He knew he was lying!
He also knew Lin Yin knew he was lying!!
He knew even more so that Lin Yin knew that he knew that he was lying!!!
But still, he continued to lie with a red face and flushed skin.
"Chief Lin, please calm down!"
"The United States is a country that values human rights."
"After Meng Hao concludes his guest visit with Charles, he will certainly leave... there is no detention, no holding, no coercion... Meng Hao is merely visiting as an invited guest."
"Alright, I have to go, another call is coming in."
Jack hastily hung up the phone.
He could already imagine.
If he didn't hang up quickly.
What awaited him would be endless scolding.
What kind of situation was this.
The intelligence department caused trouble, and he was the one being berated.
However.
Even without further abuse from Da Xia.
His ears were destined to have a difficult day.
"The phone is ringing again."
"Is this India or Australia this time?"
"Damn it, is it Russia?"
"Goddamn it, holy shit, am I going to be mentally broken by all this scolding today?"