Chapter 284 : The Invisible Hand (19)
Shanghai, China.
At the peak of state power, the Standing Committee was convened.
The agenda for today was just one thing.
The impact of the “AI Nationalism” that had surged during the U.S. presidential election on China.
“This is the current situation in America.”
The screen set up in the middle of the conference room lit up.
Soon after, a live broadcast of Tranton’s campaign rally appeared.
—Make America Great Again!
—America First!
Tens of thousands shouted the slogans in unison.
Up to this point, it was a familiar scene they had seen many times, but the atmosphere soon changed.
Boooo!
—Get out! Go back to your country!!!
Amidst the boos and curses, a giant balloon shaped like a black cloud appeared in the center of the rally.
On its surface, the words <MADE IN CHINA> were clearly printed.
Moments later, Tranton took the stage.
Holding a golden trident, no less.
“My fellow Americans! Are you going to let that dark cloud remain in the American sky?”
—No!!! Never!!
Tranton basked in the crowd’s response, then raised his trident high and stabbed the balloon.
Bang!
The balloon burst.
Out of the wreckage, a new balloon emerged.
This time, it was a pure white cloud.
On it was written: <AI: MADE IN USA!>.
USA! USA!
—Make America Great Again!!!
As the cheers and fervor surged once more, Tranton raised both arms high into the air.
“Now you see? China is finished! All that’s left is true American-made products! China always imitates, copies, and steals. Now they’re trying to take our companies with their money! But! We won’t give up a single thing anymore! Our AI, our Next AI, our Ha Si-heon! All of them are ‘Made in USA’! From now on, they won’t take a single step outside America!”
Pop!
The screen turned off.
For a while, silence lingered in the conference hall.
Then, after a moment, people began to murmur quietly.
“Ha Si-heon isn’t exactly ‘Made in America,’ is he…?”
“And if you look at it that way, Next AI isn’t really a ‘company’ either.”
Tranton’s speech, delivered without any understanding of the concept of fact-checking, was full of small errors.
The fact that a presidential candidate could say so many erroneous things in public was absurd enough… but there was something even more absurd.
“That we’re trying to steal Ha Si-heon… us?”
This was far removed from reality.
China had absolutely no interest in coveting Ha Si-heon!
In fact, quite the opposite.
“We haven’t even lifted his entry ban yet.”
At present, Ha Si-heon wasn’t even allowed to set foot on Chinese soil.
Publicly, this was thought to be retaliation for the yuan war, and among those who knew the truth, it was seen as a ruse to conceal secret dealings with him.
But neither explanation was true.
“The best course of action is to avoid getting entangled with that man at all costs.”
Ha Si-heon was an unpredictable figure.
The moment he set foot in China, there was no telling what might happen.
Therefore, the entry ban had been the best preventative measure.
In any case, from China’s perspective, they had drawn a hard line and kept their distance.
And yet, the response they got in return was the ridiculous misunderstanding that they were “trying to steal Ha Si-heon”…
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize a single lunch meeting would blow up into something like this.”
The one apologizing was the chairman of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission.
When Ha Si-heon had requested a meeting with the Chinese ambassador, the ambassador had sought permission from the chairman.
At the time, the chairman, thinking nothing serious could come from it, had carelessly granted approval.
“I thought one meal wouldn’t cause any major problems—just a chance to sound him out a little…”
Just one lunch.
And not even in China, but thousands of miles away in New York.
Even if something did happen, how big could it really get? …or so he thought.
But,
“I never imagined it would spiral like this…”
That moment of complacency was what ultimately caused this mess.
“Do you not understand what I meant by ‘don’t get involved’?”
“If he were someone who responded to common sense, we wouldn’t have had to resort to such extreme measures in the first place!”
Resentment poured in from all sides, but soon someone calmly spoke up.
“There’s no point condemning what’s already happened. What we need to discuss now is how to respond going forward.”
Blaming the past was useless.
It was time to focus on solutions.
“First of all, resolving this misunderstanding through dialogue is impossible.”
In fact, China had already issued an official statement as soon as the “Next AI buyout allegations” first surfaced.
―China has no plans to acquire any American AI company or organization, and its recent meeting with Ha Si-heon is a separate matter.
However, the statement had no effect at all.
Has China ever admitted, “We stole from you!” or “We took your jobs!”? Never once!
No matter what was said, no one was willing to believe it.
From China’s perspective, it was understandable they felt wronged.
Whatever else people might claim, at the very least, they truly had no desire to keep Ha Si-heon close at hand…
But the problem didn’t end there.
“Such a small incident will be forgotten in time. The real issue is our announcement.”
By “announcement,” he was referring to a plan China had been preparing for a long time.
―The Next-Generation National AI Strategy Plan.
This was China’s blueprint to leapfrog ahead and seize new technology, no longer content to trail behind the West, with the vision of becoming the global hub of AI innovation by 2035.
It had absolutely nothing to do with Ha Si-heon and had been in motion long before.
However—
“In such a sensitive climate, can we really announce that plan?”
In the U.S., suspicion and hostility toward China—accusations of trying to “steal their AI”—were already at their peak.
And in the middle of that, China openly declares its “AI ambitions”?
“It would be wiser to wait until the heat dies down. If we move now, it will be taken as a signal that we’re entering full-scale competition for global dominance.”
China had been quietly stockpiling strength all this time.
It was not yet the moment to make a decisive move.
“Furthermore, if by some chance that man, Tranton, actually wins the presidency… it won’t just stop at criticism. He could enforce concrete sanctions against China.”
Measures like export controls or investment restrictions might be imposed to block China’s access to certain technologies.
If that happened, the Communist Party’s ambitious plan to seize the lead in new technology and become a technological superpower would face serious obstacles.
But at that moment—
“No. Precisely in this situation, we must act even faster.”
A surprising rebuttal arose.
“The longer we wait, the worse America’s paranoia will become, and the tighter their blockade on technology will grow. It’s better for us to move before such measures are fully implemented.”
A heated debate followed.
“If we act now, we’ll only solidify the confrontational structure.”
“And if we stay quiet? Do you think relations will automatically improve?”
“That’s…!”
“We’re already treated as enemies no matter what we do. In that case, it’s in our favor to move before they launch full-scale sanctions.”
Voices clashed in tense opposition.
But in the end, there was only one person in the room with the authority to decide.
And the supreme leader, who had remained silent all this time, finally delivered the conclusion.
“We accelerate the plan.”
***
Not long after, China released this announcement:
[As part of its national strategy, the People’s Republic of China will swiftly implement its Next-Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan. By 2030, we will elevate China into a global hub of AI innovation (…)]
This was, for all intents and purposes, a declaration of participation in the AI power struggle.
The plan itself did not differ much from the blueprints of other advanced nations.
Massive state investment in emerging technologies, expansion of infrastructure, industry-wide applications, and cultivation of talent.
A textbook adoption and development strategy.
But within it was one item that only China dared to put forward boldly.
[AI quotas will be applied across all industries—industrial, financial, and service sectors alike—gradually expanding usage from the earliest stages (…)]
It was the so-called “quota system.”
In other words, mandating a minimum percentage of AI adoption across major industries, including state-owned enterprises.
This policy directly addressed AI’s greatest hurdle.
Even if the technology were perfected, what if businesses refused to adopt it in real-world operations?
No matter how groundbreaking, such a technology would eventually die unused.
But through this policy, China declared it would push forward aggressively, even forcefully, with AI adoption under government leadership.
It was something only China could realistically do.
The global media reacted instantly.
<China declares leap into AI superpower… inevitable tech rivalry with U.S.>
<China vows to become world’s #1 AI leader by 2030>
<“Total War on AI” — China introduces quota system… sparks new tech Cold War with U.S.>
The United States did not remain silent.
While they had no grounds to directly interfere with China’s domestic AI development, they criticized it indirectly.
—A state-led, uniform approach to technological adoption could undermine market autonomy, creative innovation, and even the respect for human rights that is a shared principle of the international community.
In effect, they condemned the quota system as “a control policy typical of dictatorships.”
But that was merely the lame-duck White House’s position…
The truly important voices were those of the presidential candidates, and they sounded very different.
Clayton, at first, carefully followed the White House’s cautious line…
“See? They’ve finally shown their true colors! We must never allow China to steal our core technologies! We must impose a total ban on AI exports!”
Tranton, however, thundered, “Not a single scrap of American AI technology can be given to China!”
And then, in the midst of it all—
Something astonishing happened.
<Tranton elected as the 47th President of the United States…>
The candidate who had spewed such extreme rhetoric—Tranton—had actually won the election!
The decisive factor came just days before the vote, when the FBI reopened its investigation.
The so-called “email scandal.”
It was revealed that Clayton had handled government business through her personal email server, not the official government-secured system.
This raised the serious possibility that state secrets had been leaked.
Two days before the election, the FBI announced, “There is no criminal charge,” and closed the investigation—but the damage to Clayton’s image was already fatal.
As a result, the final victory went to Tranton.
And as soon as his win was confirmed, he made a firm declaration.
“As soon as I take office, I will stop China’s AI ambitions!”
With January approaching, America was about to enter a full-scale sanctions phase.
China, too, had no choice but to hurry.
[China’s current actions are not driven by a desire for dominance. With the United States strengthening its technological exclusivism, we have no choice but to pursue independent technological development.]
China countered by insisting that America was the one fostering exclusivism, and then added:
[AI is a technology for the shared future of humanity. We hope to join hands with countries around the world to advance artificial intelligence together.]
They began seeking cooperation partners.
From Asia to Europe to the Middle East, they extended offers regardless of region.
However.
The countries approached could not help but hesitate.
AI depends on trustworthiness and data protection…
And in this regard, China was not exactly their preferred partner.
On top of that, in such a delicate political climate, joining hands with China would inevitably provoke America.
Still, rejecting outright was difficult…
‘…The money is just too big.’
Alongside the creation of the Global Future of Humanity Fund, China pledged an astronomical investment of more than 10 trillion yuan.
That wasn’t all.
They even hinted that partner nations might be designated as “official suppliers” within China.
This meant that any country chosen as a cooperation partner would gain direct access to China’s massive AI market.
<Singapore signs MOU with China for AI data hub>
<China and Russia announce AI-sharing joint venture>
<Saudi Arabia officially joins AI Future Fund>
Faced with such overwhelmingly attractive offers, governments around the world began to move.
But Tranton’s reaction was—
―We must cut off exports of AI’s core equipment and components! Not only to China, but to every country that partners with China!
It was an escalation toward even harsher retaliation and blockades.
Yet China did not back down either.
“If actions arise that infringe upon our legitimate rights and interests, we will consider taking appropriate measures on exports of resources such as rare earths.”
In other words, if America tried to blockade AI, China would restrict rare-earth supplies.
It was a clear signal of an impending trade war.
Beneath the surface, a new frenzy had already begun.
“We have to buy now!”
It was the hoarding craze.
China swept up supplies, paying premiums to secure GPUs, while other nations and corporations also rushed to place bulk orders ahead of any new regulations.
This avalanche of orders directly boosted corporate earnings.
<AI graphics cards sell out early… Envid announces record-breaking quarterly sales>
<AMDA: “Explosion of AI chip orders… factories running 24/7”>
The stock market reacted with the same heat.
AI stocks, once plagued by bubble concerns, were now soaring daily.
Envid’s share price, which had been at $32 at the beginning of the year, had already shot past $105, while other AI companies were climbing at dizzying rates of 200–400%.
Those who had sold early, thinking “it’s already at the top,” were left banging their heads in regret.
—Where’s that guy who kept saying it was a bubble?
—I moved my retirement savings into safe assets, and now it looks like I’ll be retiring at 97.
—Thought it was a bubble, but it’s a bubble made of mithril…
—Can this thing even burst…?
—No way. It’s already a matter of pride now…
—China vs. America… these two are having the world’s most expensive slap fight.
Meanwhile, watching all this unfold, Ha Si-heon nodded in satisfaction.
“Is this enough?”
Accelerating AI technology was important, but just as important was ensuring the system kept spinning on its own.
And now?
AI had become the very center of the U.S.-China technological power struggle.
Both nations, staking everything on their pride, would pour in massive investments without restraint.
“It’s gone far smoother than I planned.”
China had brought forward its 2017 AI strategy by several years, and even introduced a quota system that hadn’t existed in his past life.
The only unexpected side effect was—
“I’ve become far too conspicuous.”
In the process of stirring up both China and America, Ha Si-heon had ended up as the prized talent both nations coveted.
To make matters worse, the U.S. presidential campaign had staged a performance of “We must protect Sean,” cementing that image completely.
Now, even stepping outside meant—
“Sean! We’ll protect you no matter what!”
“You’re America’s treasure!”
Such remarks had become part of his daily life.
All sorts of eccentric people clung to him, forcing his security team to expand to five members.
“My movements have become way too restricted…”
Just today, he had wanted to eat at a restaurant he liked, but fearing possible commotion, he had to settle for takeout instead.
But while waiting for his order—
Ding!
A text message arrived.
The sender was none other than White Shark.
<The results are being announced this Friday.>
It was White Shark’s message.
The “results” referred to none other than whether he had passed the Triangle Club exam.
“Oh… right, there was that too.”
Of course, the main purpose of this entire grand game was to develop a cure, but technically the Triangle Club entry test was still underway in parallel.
It had been such a non-issue in his mind that he’d nearly forgotten it.
“Well… guess I’ll go check it out?”