Chapter 133: Food_1
At this time, the words of a Wallfacer still held great sway, especially since Jiang Yu had just defeated a Wallbreaker, elevating the Wallfacer Project to an unprecedented level.
It was a commonly held belief that the battle with the Trisolarans would only commence after four centuries.
But the battle between Wallfacers and Wallbreakers had already begun, and theoretically, their struggle would persist until the eve of the final battle!
As per Jiang Yu's request, the hearing continued at four o'clock in the afternoon.
Throughout the venue, there was the occasional sound of quiet grumbling stomachs. Jiang Yu was pleased, evidently, most of the attendees really hadn't eaten at noon.
When the meeting started, Jiang Yu went up on stage with his speech: "Ladies and gentlemen, first of all, thank you for your cooperation, and you can enjoy your dinner without restraint in a bit.
"What you are feeling now is the taste of hunger, a sensation of having skipped just one meal.
"Having enough to eat is the most fundamental need of being human. Without it, there is no dignity, no meaning to life."
"I believe many of you have forgotten, or do not know, what hunger feels like, so here I ask you to experience it.
"To my understanding, because much of the world's wealth has been channeled into the development of the space industry, both industry and agriculture have taken a huge hit.
"Now, the shortfall in food supply is growing larger, and already over three hundred million people worldwide are not getting enough to eat, having only a single meal a day, or are even on the brink of starvation.
"You can imagine what a tremendous disaster it would be if you were living in such conditions!
"Therefore, I propose mass-producing artificial starch with our latest research achievements for humanitarian aid..."
Immediately, the venue was abuzz with murmurs. The representatives from various countries had thought that Jiang Yu had come to the United Nations to announce a new plan.
It turned out he was soliciting support for artificial starch.
According to the Wallfacer regulations, even though artificial starch was an outcome of the Wallfacer Project, whether it was to be used worldwide had to be approved by the PDC.
This was part of the PDC's supervisory role over the Wallfacer Project, and also what Chief Ji referred to as the castrated aspect of the project.
Jiang Yu's speech continued, as he began to introduce the advantages of artificial starch and its future prospects, but most of the country representatives were already unwilling to listen further.
Qi Guanglu, who had entered the venue with Jiang Yu, felt his heart sink. Seeing everyone's reaction, it seemed Jiang Yu's motion would not be easily passed.
A few minutes later, Jiang Yu's speech ended, and it was time for free discussion.
The American representative was the first to ask Jiang Yu, "Wallfacer Jiang Yu, why are you so concerned with agriculture? Do you plan on defeating the Trisolarans with wheat straws?"
Jiang Yu shot back, "I am really worried about the intelligence of the American representative; he lacks any modern scientific thinking!
"Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you, was the last century's space race only about the great progress made with lunar spacecraft?
"I think it contributed to space engineering on one hand, but more importantly, it propelled development in global communication, medical care, genetics, fundamental physics, and many other fields!
"So let me ask you again, does my plan seem to focus on developing agriculture, or is the fundamental goal really just about producing more food?"
The American representative immediately asked, "Then what is the purpose of your Wallfacer Project?"
"You should go to the ETO and become a Wallbreaker!" Jiang Yu said with a smile. "Because the real purpose, I cannot possibly tell all of you.
"Alright, this topic has gone off track. I'm here at the United Nations to push for the mass production of artificial starch, and moreover, I demand that each space station be equipped with at least one device to manufacture artificial starch.
"New agriculture is humanity's future!"
The Indian representative said, "But we still don't know whether artificial starch will have potential harm to the human body; after all, it's an industrial product, unlike the agricultural products that humanity has consumed for thousands of years."
Jiang Yu twisted his body, turning towards the Indian representative, "Then may I ask the Indian representative, why did humans start farming thousands of years ago?"
His tone, though confrontational, was delivered with a smile, "My specialty is sociology, and I have studied the advent of agriculture, a landmark event that brought about tremendous changes in human society.
"Our ancestors started farming, hoping to have enough to eat on one hand and on the other hand because of the human body's need for carbohydrates!
"As we all know, the human brain can only use glucose for energy, every organ of the body also needs a large amount of glucose, and every movement, every thought requires glucose to function.
"The seeds of cereals contain a large amount of starch, which is a polymer of carbohydrates, and most of our digestive system's function is to convert starch into glucose!
"Starch is a key component in human food! Even if there are potential hazards, it's a product where the benefits far outweigh the risks!"
Watching from the sidelines, Qi Guanglu felt anxious for Jiang Yu, who was clearly being besieged, but there was nothing Qi Guanglu could do.
At that moment, he had a bit of admiration for this twenty-something-year-old young man with a bit of a moustache.
Jiang Yu remained calm and collected, standing his ground in the face of the international representatives' onslaught, arguing his case with reason and dignity.
For some reason, Qi Guanglu felt that even if the PDC didn't mass produce artificial starch, there would be no regrets.
It was just a matter of finding another opportunity to promote artificial starch in the future.
As long as this warrior, who debated with international representatives, was there, Qi Guanglu felt that the benefits of artificial starch would not be buried.
In the conference, the Indian representative spoke again, "Even so, we should let time prove that artificial starch is harmless before we can mass-produce it!"
Jiang Yu spread his hands, "When it comes to the technology in the 'Poison Apple Project,' you did not verify it but hastily released it while I was in hibernation.
"We are cautious about our own technology, yet for this, you hesitate and that, I really want to ask, is there something wrong with your minds?"
The meeting room suddenly fell quiet for a second or two, followed by a flurry of criticism directed at Jiang Yu's language.
The rotating chair said, "Wallfacer Jiang Yu, please watch your language!"
Jiang Yu chuckled, "Over three hundred million people are still starving, and you're asking me to watch my language?
"May I ask you all to focus on the key point of what I'm expressing?"
He stated seriously, "I'll repeat my proposal: mass-produce artificial starch for use in humanitarian aid."
The Greek representative said, "Wallfacer Jiang Yu, you must realize that this is a very inhumane action that could cause irreversible harm to the refugees' bodies."
Jiang Yu retorted, "If there's no food, can the refugees live long enough to experience the so-called 'irreversible damage'?
"Touch your own stomachs and feel the hunger, you have been privilege for too long and have forgotten the taste of hunger!
"Eating enough to survive comes before everything else."
The Chinese and Russian representatives spoke in turn, supporting Jiang Yu's proposal, finally Jiang Yu was no longer fighting alone.
In the end, the Chinese representative suggested that the seven permanent members vote, and Jiang Yu's proposal was passed five to two.
The American representative was initially confused, but he quickly understood: damn it, Jiang Yu had already been "crossing the river under camouflage!"