Chapter 1978: Chapter 828: The Fall of the Old Era’s Remnants

Twelve hours before the summit opening, the entire city was enveloped in a tense calm.

Main roads were cleared, explosion-proof barriers lined the sides, soldiers from the Special Forces in black combat uniforms stood behind them, fingers rested on the trigger guards, their gaze scanning every corner of the street.

In the sky, three armed helicopters formed a triangular formation for low-altitude patrols, the roar of the rotors overshadowing the original hustle and bustle of the city, yet unable to suppress the gunpowder scent of ambition permeating the air.

In the security command center on the lower level of the "Feathered Serpent Temple," Casare, with an unlit cigar in his mouth, stared at the giant screen composed of hundreds of surveillance feeds.

On the screen, every entrance, passage, even ventilation shaft of the summit’s main venue "Phoenix Nest" was monitored in real-time, red warning lines intertwined into a web on the map, covering the entire core area.

"All posts in position, drone formations complete aerial blockade, Quantum communication encrypted channels debugged, backup power ran three tests, all normal."

The security chief bent over to report, sweat hanging on his forehead.

Casare tapped the screen on a footage labeled "VIP Channel," where several black bulletproof sedans adorned with the German flag insignia were slowly driving into the venue’s parking lot.

"Everyone stay alert, not a single mistake allowed!"

The chief responded and withdrew, Casare turned to look out of the window, the city’s lights merged into a sea of stars in his eyes.

He knew this summit was not a simple diplomatic meeting, it was Victor’s stage to lay cards on the table for the world, and his task was to set up a fortress that no mishap could disrupt.

Meanwhile, on the top floor of the "Feathered Serpent Temple," Bramo was doing a final check on a thick list.

The list contained detailed information of 68 national leaders and government heads, including their itineraries, preferences, political stances, even background of accompanying personnel.

His desk was piled with documents, coffee cup already cold, yet the bloodshot in his eyes couldn’t hide the gleam in them.

"The German Chancellor’s entourage includes three economic advisors, all experts in the field of new energy, this is our breakthrough point."

Bramo said to the diplomatic officer on the other end of the phone, "As for President of France Mitterrand, focus on emphasizing EU energy security, he’s always been dissatisfied with the United States’ energy dominance, which is a point we can exploit. For the African delegation, proceed as planned, send them another copy of the aid agreement details, highlight the absence of additional conditions, contrast it with the aid from the United States."

Rapid responses sounded from the other end, Bramo hung up and rubbed his brows.

He circled the name of the United States Secretary of State on the list with a pen, and outside the circle, wrote the words "Troublemaker."

The U.S. delegation was the biggest uncertainty of this summit, outwardly expressing "support for international cooperation," yet secretly wooing European countries trying to resist Mexico’s three initiatives.

"How are the preparations going?" Victor’s voice suddenly came from behind, Bramo immediately stood up straight, turning to look at him.

Victor was dressed in a deep-colored custom suit, no tie, with two buttons undone on his collar, adding a touch of ease over political rigidity. He held a cup of warm water, walked to Bramo’s desk, and glanced at the list.

"Everything’s ready, but as for the United States, there’s concern they will cause trouble at the summit." Bramo reported truthfully, "Yesterday they were still privately contacting representatives from France and Italy, offering many terms trying to get them to abstain from voting."

Victor chuckled faintly, raised his pen and drew a line through the name of "United States Secretary of State," as if crossing out an insignificant symbol.

"Making trouble is inevitable, they’re used to being the rule makers, suddenly finding someone wants to change the rules might make them jump."

He paused, his gaze falling on Bramo, "But they forget, rule-making power has never been about words, it’s about strength. Tell our technical team, tomorrow’s Quantum computing demonstration, no need to hold back, show them the true disparity."

Bramo nodded in agreement, Victor walked to the window, looking at the brightly lit main venue below. He remembered Mexico a few years back, when the nation was mired in the quagmire of drug wars, the economy in decline, politics corrupt, and now this city was about to become the world’s focus, Mexico was poised to be the architect of a new order. The blood and fire of this journey had not been in vain after all.

On September 9th at 9 a.m., the main venue "Phoenix Nest" in Mexico City, the Global Summit on Digital Infrastructure and Sustainable Development officially opened.

Inside the main venue were the members of the delegations from various countries, the press gallery housed hundreds of cameras and camcorders aimed at the podium, flashlights flickered incessantly. Victor, as the host’s representative, walked up to the podium, the noise from the audience instantly quieted, all eyes focused on him.

He didn’t hold a speech script, just stood in front of the microphone, his gaze slowly sweeping across the room, his voice resounding through the hall, steady and powerful: "Colleagues, today we gather in Mexico City, not to celebrate past achievements, but to face future challenges. The old international order is collapsing, financial imbalance, geopolitical conflict, resource shortages, non-traditional security threats, these issues hover over the world like dark clouds. We cannot keep spinning in old frameworks, we need new thinking, new solutions, and a new order."