Thump! Thump! Thump!
Resonant, powerful footsteps approached from afar.
Crash!
The grand reception hall doors were flung open with one hand.
Bodyguards, tall, imposing, and exuding an aura of power, dressed in black suits, were the first to enter.
As soon as the twelve Dragon Country bodyguards entered, the six Gallic bodyguards immediately stood up.
The two sides met, and a palpable tension filled the air, making the atmosphere incredibly tense.
The next second.
A middle-aged man, wearing a black jacket, with an ordinary appearance but carrying the presence of a magnate in his every move, walked in from behind, his hands clasped behind his back.
Upon seeing the man, the reporters present were momentarily stunned, their faces showing shock, then they quickly rose to welcome the man's arrival.
Watching the media reporters respectfully stand for the entering middle-aged man, Hank, seated in the front row, looked on with curiosity.
Just as he was wondering who the newcomer was, the bodyguard captain whispered a few words into his ear.
Instantly, Hank sat up straighter, a smile on his face, and descended from his seat to welcome him.
"Hello, Director Ou, I am Hank, from Gallia. Antonia."
"Hello, Mr. Hank. I've heard a great deal about you!"
The middle-aged man, who could make all the media reporters stand up and prompt Hank to rush forward to shake his hand.
Was not a prominent figure familiar to Gao Fei, nor was he a boss from the business or entertainment circles.
His name was Ou Yao Chen.
He currently held the position of Director of the Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Dragon Country.
The two met cordially in front of the cameras, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries.
As Ou Chenyang walked to the podium, his gaze swept imperceptibly over the bodyguard captain.
The Dragon Country bodyguards behind him were also fixated on the Gallic bodyguard captain.
How could a foreign individual who could directly state Ou Yangchen's identity and remind Hank not be more than a professional bodyguard?
Under the watchful eyes of the Dragon Country bodyguards, the black-haired, fair-skinned Gallic bodyguard captain, feeling somewhat uneasy, retreated behind the others, nodding slightly, obscuring half his face.
Only after Ou Yangchen and Hank were seated did the Dragon Country bodyguards shift their attention, and the bodyguard captain let out a sigh of relief.
The meeting began.
Ou Yangchen first welcomed Hank's visit to Dragon Country.
He then inquired about Dragon Country's film market and whether Hank considered investing in films in Dragon Country.
Regarding films, Hank analyzed the Dragon Country market from a professional perspective, meticulously answering every question related to cinema.
"Concerning film investment, I have also given it consideration. I may need to conduct research after returning to my country before deciding which company in Dragon Country to collaborate with on a film."
After patiently answering the questions, Hank did not directly commit to a collaboration, indicating he was still in the consideration phase.
"If Mr. Hank is able to invest in films in Dragon Country, we will wholeheartedly welcome and support it!"
Ou Yangchen replied politely.
But in the next moment, he shifted his tone: "Mr. Hank, today was supposed to be a meeting between you and Mr. Gao Fei. Do you know why he is not present today?"
Hank, seated opposite, flinched, clearly hesitant to engage on the topic, but under the gaze of the cameras, he reluctantly responded, "To use a phrase from your country, I only have a partial understanding of why Mr. Gao Fei is not here to meet you."
Ou Yangchen chuckled and, without reservation, stated for the cameras: "Mr. Hank, Mr. Gao Fei is not only a renowned screenwriter, singer, and author in our Dragon Country, but he is also the Chief Engineer of our civilian navigation system.
Our civilian navigation system is about to enter its deployment phase. As the Chief Engineer, Mr. Gao needs to constantly monitor the system's operations.
He is unable to meet you today, and I ask for your understanding."
The implication in his words was clear.
It directly conveyed that Gao Fei would not be meeting Hank, urging any foreign entities with ulterior motives to abandon such thoughts.
Ou Yangchen's open remarks were a tactic to use the media and the bodyguards monitoring Hank to relay his message to foreign high officials.
Hank, understanding the underlying meaning, immediately nodded, expressing his comprehension.
"This meeting will conclude here. I hope that Mr. Hank's next visit to Dragon Country will not be for the sake of entangled in complex matters, but purely for investing in films."
"Agreed!"
Hank rose and shook hands, preparing to end the day's meeting.
After a brief handshake with Hank, Ou Yangchen continued, "If Mr. Hank is unable to extricate himself from certain troubles, he could perhaps consider another role.
For instance, Ambassador for Science and Technology Exchange for Gallia.
Our Dragon Country is very willing to engage in scientific exchanges with technologically advanced nations like Gallia."
In front of the cameras, under the watchful eyes of the bodyguard captain.
Ou Yangchen, in a casual tone, proposed scientific exchange.
But the hidden meaning was a reminder to those foreign groups that while they might want Dragon Country's civilian navigation system, an equivalent exchange would be necessary.
With his final words, the meeting officially concluded.
Ou Yangchen did not linger, answered a few questions from reporters, and then departed by car.
Hank remained in the reception hall, giving interviews to the media.
As for the bodyguard captain, he hurried back to his room after the meeting concluded, reporting the day's events to his superiors.
As for what would happen next.
It would depend on whether the countries closely watching the civilian navigation system agreed to participate in Dragon Country's science and technology exchange conference.
...
That afternoon.
The video of Ou Yangchen and Hank's face-to-face meeting and exchange, after being compiled by the reporters, was published online via company social media accounts.
Within approximately half an hour, news of their meeting directly hit the trending lists of the three major platforms.
When netizens saw the trending topics, they were first taken aback, then curious.
After all, they had seen online the previous night that the person meeting Hank today was supposed to be Gao Fei, but now it was suddenly Director Ou from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
After watching the edited video, which lasted over two minutes, their doubts were finally cleared.
In the video's comment section:
【I was too narrow-minded. At first, I thought Gao Fei and Hank hadn't met due to a fallout. After watching the video, I remembered that Gao Fei is our Chief Engineer for the civilian navigation system.】
【Me too, I almost forgot Gao Fei's other identity. I was constantly misled by those gossip accounts, my brain was addled!】
【Gao Fei's decision not to meet Hank was wise. Who knows what malicious intentions these foreigners have? If Gao Fei were tricked into revealing core secrets of the navigation system, our country would suffer immense losses!】
【I have a question, why did Director Ou propose a science and technology exchange conference? Is there some hidden meaning, it feels like his words have deeper implications.】
【The meaning of the science and technology exchange conference is quite simple. If other countries want the core content of the navigation system, they must offer their other scientific technologies as equivalent exchange.】
【As expected of a director from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, his words are flawless.】
Regarding the science and technology exchange conference, after a day of public discourse, it slowly began to spread in real life.
Everyone was curious about which countries would participate.
Meanwhile, Gao Fei, due to the conflict of interest regarding his identity, returned to the navigation system research and development team.
The higher-ups assigned him a new task.
Concurrently, Zero Degree Film and Television, which had been quiet for a while, finally made their next move after Hank and Gao Fei's names resurfaced on the trending lists.