Chapter 8: The Backbone of the Nation

As for Pang Shuyi standing before them, although she had no idea what had just transpired, it was clear that they, too, had to cooperate with the Military Bureau’s arrangements. These matters were, after all, tied to the very survival and fate of the nation.

"You! All of you!" Pang Shuyi's eyes widened in disbelief; she could not fathom that this group, the inspection team, would simply walk away at a word.

"The Qi family, the Qi family will deal with you all!" Pang Shuyi gritted her teeth, hastily pulling out her phone. Seeing Li Yunan's blatant arrogance, she was filled with indignation. Now that she had drawn close to the Qi family, she considered herself a member of the elite.

Li Yunan, however, had no desire to waste words. Given the nature of the situation, Feng Xu had come to handle it in person. If she were to intervene, whether or not Feng Xu would be pleased was another matter entirely. With a swift motion, she snatched away Pang Shuyi’s phone.

"Let me tell you now—Feng Xu is the highest authority in our nation!"

"Do you know where our country’s sixth-generation fighter jets came from?"

"Do you know how the electromagnetic superconducting cannons on our battleships came to be?"

"Do you understand the progress behind our Mars exploration, the upgrades to our nuclear reactors, or even the advancements in our armored alloys?"

"And the supercomputer technology that shocked the entire world—do you know how we acquired that?"

Li Yunan bit her lip, her patience worn thin by Pang Shuyi’s ignorance. She could hardly comprehend how someone like Feng Xu could have married such a woman, but the fact remained, and there was nothing they could do to change it now.

"This… this…" Hearing Li Yunan’s words, a sense of dread welled up inside Pang Shuyi. She turned to glance at Feng Xu—here, only he and a handful of others were present. Among them, only Feng Xu could be considered a true intellectual.

Could it be that this man was truly the driving force behind so many technological breakthroughs? But in a climate where the entire nation seemed to scorn him, Feng Xu shouldn’t be responsible for these advances. Weren’t these achievements all the work of the National Academy of Sciences?

"Stop trying to deceive me! Those are our leaders, our scientists’ achievements—aren’t they?" Even as Pang Shuyi retorted, her voice faltered, uncertainty flickering in her gaze. Her fists clenched tightly, torn by inner turmoil.

Could it really be Feng Xu? Impossible. Had she made the wrong choice? She could not accept it; to her, this realization was nothing short of a thunderbolt on a clear day.

Li Yunan sighed. She truly could not understand how such an outstanding man as Feng Xu could be dragged down by a woman so foolish. Not only did Pang Shuyi refuse to trust him, she was eager to throw herself into the arms of the Qi family.

Were it not for the need to maintain her composure before Feng Xu, Li Yunan would have lashed out at Pang Shuyi.

"Let me be frank with you—all these technological leaps were achieved by the man standing before you—your ex-husband, the one you so readily called a traitor."

"He indeed helped elevate the technology of Ye Nation, allowing them to take a great stride forward and join the ranks of advanced countries."

"But even then, the technology we received was already two or three generations ahead!"

Her words were resolute, ringing with conviction. At this moment, Li Yunan could no longer suppress her desire to clear Feng Xu’s name. For someone so exceptional to be forced to shoulder such infamy was intolerable—he should not be condemned for his sacrifices.

Yet, within the clandestine struggle between nations, they were all mere pieces on a vast chessboard. They had to endure until the day success was achieved, until the moment their efforts brought about a glorious victory.

Only someone like Feng Xu, who embodied the nation’s strength, could finally step into the light. Who knew how much ridicule and slander he had endured, how many baseless accusations he had weathered?

The nation’s sharpest blade, its unyielding backbone—the weight of such responsibility and psychological burden was beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

"What?" Pang Shuyi’s eyes grew round as she leaned against the wall, drawing a deep breath as she stared at Feng Xu in disbelief.

She had never cared about matters of technology; her own life was difficult enough without worrying about such things. Still, with each news report about technological progress, she felt waves of astonishment. Yet, whenever she remembered that Feng Xu was branded a traitor to science, a pang of pain twisted in her heart.

All she could recall was the humiliation Feng Xu had brought her.

Who could have guessed that Feng Xu was not only the driving force behind these innovations, but also an indispensable figure in their realization? To her, this revelation was like thunder rolling across the earth.

Li Yunan, seeing the tears of regret and frustration shimmering in Pang Shuyi’s eyes, felt a slight relief. At least this woman was capable of remorse.

"There is one thing I must warn you: everything I have just told you is classified information."

"In the contest between nations, you are, after all, a citizen of our country. You are obligated to keep this secret."

"If you reveal any of this, at any moment you may be executed for treason."

Li Yunan’s voice was firm and powerful. She stole a glance at Feng Xu, fearing her tone was too severe and might diminish her standing in his eyes.

But Feng Xu remained unperturbed, betraying no emotion. He seemed indifferent to the whole affair and quietly exhaled.

Feng Xu walked slowly toward Pang Shuyi. Li Yunan, meanwhile, unconsciously clenched her fists.

"Cousin, I think we’ve messed this up," murmured a member of the special operations team who had approached Li Yunan from behind. He understood the Li family’s intentions, but could not fathom what Feng Xu was truly thinking.

"Enough, just get back in line! Even you dare to lecture me now?" Li Yunan’s eyes remained fixed on Feng Xu’s back as she quietly admonished her younger cousin.

She always respected Feng Xu’s choices. Even if he chose to be with Pang Shuyi, she could only offer her silent blessings.

In some respects, perhaps she truly could not compare to Pang Shuyi. Yet she could not understand what it was that made her inferior to that woman.

Pang Shuyi watched as Feng Xu approached, brushing away her tears, her gaze filled with bitter regret.

"Feng Xu, I was foolish before. I was materialistic, and in the beginning, I didn’t trust you. I even joined everyone else in condemning and cursing you…"