The opening of the New Leithanien Achievement Exhibition became the focus of attention for the entire Terra continent.
The exhibition venue was located in a newly cleared vast area on the outskirts of Trullinczentyr, where several magnificent pavilions filled with "New Leithanien style" rose from the ground.
On the day of the opening ceremony, the square was a sea of people.
Representatives of workers, farmers, and students from all over the country, along with invited envoys, merchants, and journalists from various nations, bore witness to this historic moment together.
Lacey, dressed in that Workers' Party uniform, appeared on the rostrum.
He wasted no words: "Today, we are here to show the world the miracles created by the hands of the Leithanien people over the past three years."
"Now, I declare the New Leithanien Achievement Exhibition officially open!"
As soon as his voice fell, a sharp whistling sound came from the square.
Everyone looked up in unison, only to see three gray-white aircraft sweeping across the sky at astonishing speed; under their wings, the Empire's red flag, depicted with a hammer and sickle, fluttered in the wind.
"Heavens! What is that?"
A journalist from Victoria exclaimed, the camera in his hands nearly falling to the ground.
"A flying machine? No, no, no, it looks more advanced."
Another representative from a certain Siracusa family muttered to himself, cold sweat seeping from his forehead.
This speed, this posture—it had completely exceeded his understanding of flying machines.
This was just the beginning.
When the gates of the exhibition hall slowly opened, what was presented to the world was a sight they would never forget.
In the center of the Industry Pavilion, a steel behemoth sat quietly.
It possessed sloped frontal armor, a thick and long barrel, and wide tracks, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression from every inch of its frame.
Beside it stood a sign with text in Leithanien and the Terra common tongue—"Tiger I" Medium Tank.
Military Minister Taylor, at this moment resembling a child showing off his beloved toy, stood beside the tank, spitting with excitement as he introduced it to a group of dumbfounded foreign guests:
"Gentlemen, please look! This is the new pride of our Imperial Army!"
"It is equipped with Drummond Alloy No. 1 composite armor; its front can withstand direct fire from all currently known crossbow bolts and firearm rounds!"
"Its main gun can easily penetrate any building from kilometers away!"
Upon hearing Taylor's introduction, those guests immediately crowded around the tank.
On the other side of the Industry Pavilion, Mr. Drummond and Mr. Wright—these two geniuses poached by Lacey from other countries—were jointly displaying their latest results.
"...This engine is our third-generation product."
Wright pointed to a machine only the size of a suitcase, yet outputting stable power.
"Its energy conversion efficiency is forty percent higher than products from the Columbia military laboratories, while the cost is only one-third of theirs."
Meklen Neum stood not far away, grinning from ear to ear.
He had already started calculating how to apply for a special marketing fund from Leinia.
Of course, only he knew how much "public relations cost" was included in this fund.
In the Technology Pavilion, people saw mechanical computers capable of complex calculations, and saw various unheard-of new materials and products.
Meanwhile, in the Culture Pavilion, Wolner von Hochberg was proudly introducing New Leithanien's artistic achievements to the guests.
Hanging on the walls were oil paintings depicting workers sweating in factories, farmers celebrating abundant harvests on the ridges of fields, and soldiers defending their home and country on the battlefield.
"Our art originates from the people and serves the people," Wolner introduced with a booming voice.
"It records the pulse of an era and the spirit of a nation!"
In the crowd, a middle-aged man from Victoria, wearing a top hat and behaving elegantly, had a cold glint in his eyes.
He was a senior agent of Victoria's MI6, codenamed "Watchmaker."
His mission was to steal them.
His gaze locked onto the running Originium engine in the Technology Pavilion.
The value of this thing far exceeded any gold or jewelry.
He quietly approached the booth, pretending to be a scholar obsessed with technology, asking the staff some seemingly professional questions.
His hand, however, quietly reached for a specially made micro-camera in his pocket.
Just as he was about to press the shutter, a gray figure appeared behind him like a ghost.
"Sir, your tie is crooked."
The "Watchmaker's" body stiffened instantly.
He felt a hand rest lightly on his shoulder; that hand seemed frail and weak, yet it transmitted a force he could not resist.
"I imagine colleagues from the intelligence department would be very interested in the little gadget in your pocket."
There was a smile on Gertrude's face, but there was no warmth in those gray eyes.
The "Watchmaker's" heart sank to rock bottom.
He knew he was exposed.
He wanted to resist, but the force coming from his shoulder told him that any movement would be futile.
He was half-carried, half-dragged away from the scene by two men in black who appeared out of nowhere; the whole process was silent and attracted no attention.
Gertrude watched him disappear into the crowd, then spoke softly into the micro-communicator on her collar: "Cleanup complete. Initiate Plan B."
A few minutes later, the pavilion's broadcast suddenly sounded: "Distinguished guests, to thank everyone for their support of this exhibition, the Imperial Academy of Sciences has decided to provide licensed transfers of certain civilian technologies to all registered friendly business partners."
"Interested parties please proceed to Pavilion 3 for negotiations."
As soon as this news came out, it caused a commotion.
Those foreign merchants who originally had crooked ideas immediately threw their thoughts of stealing intelligence to the winds.
Who would be willing to risk being caught stealing something that could be bought openly with money?
Upon hearing the broadcast, Meklen immediately rushed his negotiation team toward Pavilion 3.
...
Lacey had already returned to the office on the top floor of the Twin Towers.
Through his binoculars, he took in everything happening on the square.
The actions and reactions of Meklen and Gertrude were all within his expectations.
Serafina brought him a cup of black tea.
"Your Majesty, everything is going smoothly."
"This is just the beginning." Lacey put down the binoculars.
"We showed them our muscles, and we also gave them candy."
"Now, it depends on whether they want to be beaten up by us, or want to share the cake with us."
He picked up a document on the table; it was the speech he was about to deliver to all of Terra.
The title was—"Peaceful Co-prosperity and Terra's Future".
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