As the venue grew increasingly rowdy, the President banged his gavel once again.
"Order! We will have order!" shouted the Egyptian President of the UN General Assembly.
The President's shout partially quelled the noise, but whispers and clamoring voices still filled the venue.
Eyes filled with doubt and disdain focused on Grand Chancellor Yan and the Seraphim Isles representative. Many knew of the Qing Empire's domineering actions, despite their self-portrayal as righteous allies.
The leaders present were not naive; they recognized the hypocrisy of the Qing Empire, which sought to regain its former glory and dreamed of conquering Europe and Asia.
Hearing Verus Justius's claims, Daniel shrugged and offered a sarcastic smile, as if saying "See? I told you" to anyone who caught his gesture.
Of course, Daniel knew that Verus Justius likely possessed the royal bloodline of the Tessia Kingdom. He was aware of the gossip surrounding the late King Pious Justius and his numerous illegitimate children.
Amidst the clamor, Grand Chancellor Yan tried to calm himself. Since they could no longer discreetly manipulate the situation, they would have to forcefully push their agenda, regardless of any objections.
"According to regulations and for the sake of fairness, a disputed territory cannot be recognized as a country. Mr. Emberweave, you must resolve this matter first," Grand Chancellor Yan declared, amidst boos from some representatives and strange looks from both Choi Ha-Eun, the UN Secretary-General, and the Egyptian President.
Noticing their doubtful gazes, Grand Chancellor Yan felt uneasy. This was the first time he had pushed their boundaries so far, risking a revolt against the Qing Empire.
Even with the largest standing army, the Qing Empire was still just one country. If they became too domineering, they could face the same fate as the Nazis, who were ultimately defeated after antagonizing too many nations.
The Grand Chancellor gritted his teeth, cursing Daniel inwardly. His initial aim during this public session was to demonize Daniel by highlighting his perceived pettiness. He wanted to tarnish Daniel's image so that later, when they obstructed Sector Alpha City's petition, it wouldn't reflect poorly on the Qing Empire.
That's why he colluded with other nations to bring up the food problem and deliberately ask Daniel for a solution. He knew Daniel would refuse if asked to give up his key technology for free. Thus, he used the phrase 'help us with technical issues' to not be too conspicuous to listeners at home.
He was 99% sure Daniel would refuse, and in the 1% chance he agreed, it would still benefit the Qing Empire with new technology. Either way, his plan to obstruct Sector Alpha City's recognition as a country was ready.
But he never expected such a disastrous backfire. He assumed a nerd like Daniel, a powerful mage, would spend most of his time on research and invention, and not be good at politics. He never thought his concealed plan would be blatantly exposed to the world like this.
They desperately wanted the second-generation model, but Daniel always deflected their requests, directing them to Cao Cao for sales authorization. Cao Cao, however, was a tough negotiator, either diverting them with unrelated offers or flatly refusing, claiming lack of authority.
Then... When they spoke to Daniel about it, he simply laughed wryly and told them to convince Cao Cao, as he always deferred to him on military matters. This game had nearly driven them mad.
"With pleasure, Ms. Goldwyn! I believe the military will be thrilled at this news," John Malcomes said excitedly.
"Ah, take care of that for me then," Greed replied before hanging up the phone. Since this is what she did with her own initiative, it is not covered in the contract, so Daniel is safe from the contract punishment.
She sat there in the penthouse suite looking at the TV reporting about the incident at the UN conference venue, her eyes glinting with a cold light as she still felt like it still wasn't enough to vent her anger, but for now, it's time for her to meet with the Beaumont Family.
— Meanwhile - Sweden —
Daniel returned to The Stora Kronan hotel with his entourage. Michaela seethed with anger throughout the journey, wanting to unleash her holy flames and purify the sinners with a cleansing fire.
If Daniel hadn't calmed her down, she might have actually done it, regardless of the consequences.
Even at the hotel, Michaela continued to pout intermittently, expressing her dissatisfaction with Daniel for stopping her rampage. Daniel could only sigh with a weary smile.
Opening his notebook, Daniel studied the world map. He noticed North and South Korea, recalling that North Korea was supported by the Qing Empire as a buffer state, preventing other powers from gaining a foothold to launch attacks. South Korea, on the other hand, harbored resentment towards the Qing Empire due to historical invasions.
"Mr. Gua," Daniel began, calling out to his strategist. "Tell Mr. Cao to sell our weapons and power armor to South Korea." This was the only way Daniel could think of to retaliate against the Qing Empire without breaking their contract.
At first, Gua Jia was confused, but after looking at the world map, he gave a cunning smile.
"Of course, my lord. Consider it done," Gua Jia reassured him before leaving the room for the nearest Whispering Hall information hub. He wanted to teleport to Sector Alpha immediately to discuss this with Cao Cao and possibly Albert, who was known for his deviousness in sowing discord.
Seeing this, Daniel turned to Michaela and asked, "Would you like to go to South Korea with me?"
Michaela's ears perked up, and her imagination ran wild. She envisioned herself standing in the snow, embraced from behind by her lord, sharing a scarf as they watched the romantic neon lights of Seoul illuminate the falling flakes.
"Ye... yes, my lord... Gladly," Michaela stammered, blushing at Daniel's invitation.