Don't Think You Can Have It Your Way

Everyone in the office had their own agenda. For the conservative politicians, although they had lost, they refused to admit it. They had not lost in the political contest, but rather to the changing times.

In the years when isolationism was rampant, no one ever said they were wrong, let alone came up with the foolish idea of "escapism." So they lost to the changes of the times, which are beyond human control.

Although they did lose to some extent, and the Progressive Party came to power, that doesn't mean they can't do anything.

If they don't demonstrate some value, even those who still support the Conservative Party's political stance might abandon them, and these people are very important to the Conservative Party right now.

This is the spark that will give them their chance to win the election next time. The best way to preserve this spark is to continue speaking out.

The capitalists had a different view. They didn't think as much as the politicians. They were just worried about what would happen if the Federal Navy and the Gefra Navy went to war—even if it was just a small skirmish.

If the Federal Navy loses, their cargo ships sailing on the Sea Surface, as well as future ocean trade, will be threatened and exploited.

Outsiders will recognize the weakness of the Federal Navy, and some small, ordinary Small Country that the Federal previously looked down upon may interfere with the trade of the Bayer Federation at Sea Surface, which will harm their interests.

Actually, the current situation is quite good. No one exploits them, and apart from the occasional small-scale pirate attack, they have no rivals.

In this situation, the people in the room reached a consensus for different reasons: they could not go to war with Gefra's navy or Preton's Pirate Group for the time being.

"... No one can be more sincere or offer better terms than us!"

In another room, Mr. Truman, some staff from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, some staff from the Office of International Policy/Affairs, and Lin Qi were sitting at one side of the negotiating table, negotiating with Nagaril's delegation.

Lin Qi was not qualified to participate in such important diplomatic negotiations, let alone have the opportunity to sit at the negotiating table. This meant he had the possibility of speaking, but he was only twenty-one years old, and there were still more than four months until he turned twenty-two. He was too young, even though he now had the title of "Young Leader".

Mr. Truman defied all opposition and put him at the negotiating table. After getting to know him for a while, he discovered that Lin Qi was indeed a very special scoundrel.

Some of his ideas are not just radical, but also very dangerous. It seems that as long as there is something attractive enough for him, starting a war is a trivial matter. However, it must be said that his ideas and his attitude are very attractive.

"For the great revival of the Federal!"

This sentence still often comes to Mr. Truman's mind, always stirring up his calm emotions.

Regardless of Lin Qi's purpose in saying and doing these things, whether it was to satisfy his own greed, at least from the current perspective, his actions will not only not bring disaster to the Bayer Federation, but will also benefit more people.

He's capable, has ideas, and there's no conflict of interest between them, so why not use him?

Having already secured a point in one of the "competitions," Truman has completely replaced the Vice Minister in this foreign policy negotiation, and he will be fully responsible for the remaining negotiations.

It is said that the Vice Minister has been reassigned, and the development of western China may require him.

Coming to his senses, Mr. Truman looked at the Nagaril delegation across the negotiating table and frowned slightly. After what happened that night, the Nagaril delegation's attitude had undergone some strange changes, becoming ambiguous.

This change is easy to perceive. In fact, their willingness to send a delegation to the Bayer Federation to discuss establishing diplomatic relations essentially means that they have already agreed to establish diplomatic ties.

Even if some minor unpleasantness occurs, it will at most manifest in them demanding more concessions than before, rather than becoming indecisive.

Something must have happened in the last two days that changed their minds.

Sitting at the end, Lin Qi carefully observed the members of the delegation. He also sensed their changes. It was like helping girls in need. Everyone had agreed on the amount of aid and were preparing to start one-on-one assistance when the girl in need suddenly said, "Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

This was definitely not to create a heated atmosphere or to try to gain more benefits; rather, it was because her attitude had truly changed.

"We have been carefully considering these issues over the past two days..." A key member of the Nagaril delegation coughed, looked at the others, and considered his words (to be translated by the interpreter), "Based on what we have seen so far, I believe that this alone is insufficient to establish a foundation for friendly cooperation between our two sides."

"Furthermore, the events of the past two days have made us realize that establishing diplomatic relations with Nagaril may not be a suitable option for the people of the Federal, as it would make relations between our two countries very unstable for some time to come."

The speaker was not sitting upright; he leaned back in his chair, his elbows resting on the armrests, his fingers interlaced. "We all know that the Federal is a free country, and the ultimate will of the people will influence the overall trend of the environment. Right now, it seems that we are still lacking some necessary conditions..."

Lin Qi coughed lightly, interrupting Nagaril's representative's speech, which was actually very impolite in diplomatic negotiations, and all eyes were on Lin Qi.

Some staff members even looked at Mr. Truman, and Mr. Truman could read his thoughts just by looking into his eyes. As long as he nodded, Lin Qi would be taken away.

But he didn't do that; he wanted to see what Lin Qi had to say, which might help break the current deadlock.

This is the third day, and there has been no progress. This matter cannot be delayed any longer.

If even a Small Country has to make excuses to establish diplomatic relations with the Federal, or is unable to establish diplomatic relations at all, this... will probably become a new joke in the history of Federal diplomacy.

With no one stopping him, Lin Qi's audacity was completely unleashed. His first words caused a dramatic change in the atmosphere of the room. "Mr. Preton has contacted you?"

Compared to the Nagaril diplomatic representative sitting in the main seat, whose expression did not change much, the two people sitting at the end of the table showed a brief look of anger on their faces, which Lin Qi noticed.

"Did he offer you a condition that you would find hard to refuse?"

Before the Nagaril people could deny or say anything, Lin Qi continued speaking on his own.

"He might say that he wants to increase your share of the profits from Nagaril's specialty products, perhaps even reduce the cost of imported goods, or even promise to bring you some outdated but much-needed industrial production lines."

"He might also agree to help you gradually improve your industrial base, and even provide some military assistance at sea..."

Mr. Truman stared intently at the face of the Nagaril representative, as did Lin Qi.

The representative's expression remained unchanged, but that was actually the biggest change. Sometimes it's important to stay calm, but sometimes being too calm can cause problems.

The fact that they remained unmoved rather than angry when Lin Qi placed the nation of Nagaril under the tutelage of a businessman speaks volumes.

If anyone dares to say that Gefra needs to obey a pirate to roam freely on the seas, the next day that pirate and all his associates will be wiped out by Gefra, thus proving that these are all wrong views.

The representative of Nagaril did not; he was very composed, regardless of his inner thoughts, but he was too composed.

Lin Qi glanced at Mr. Truman, pursed his lips, and gradually relaxed his posture, even lighting a cigarette. "Did Mr. Preton tell you that he has the Gefra Navy backing him?"

This finally changed the expression on Nagaril's representative's face, making Lin Qi and Mr. Truman realize that Preton had been in contact with these people in private.

After saying "sorry," Mr. Truman stood up and walked out of the room. If Mr. Preton had contacted the delegation privately, it meant that he was very likely in the country.

He instructed the National Security Committee to organize a search party as soon as possible to track down Preton. If possible, he was to keep him under control within the Federal, as he would be a very important figure, far more valuable than the negotiations with Nagaril.

There are no secrets in the political arena. Now, almost everyone in the upper echelons of the Federal, important politicians, and those who can get involved in this matter knows that Preton is backed by the Gefra Royal Navy. He is a very important figure, and if we can get him to talk, we might be able to get some surprising secrets.

Outside the room, a covert battle officially began, while inside, Lin Qi launched an even fiercer attack.

He had a smile on his face, but this time it wasn't the clean, bright smile he used to have, the one that gave off a sunny feeling.

His smile at this moment made him look frivolous, somewhat disdainful, and arrogant. He slightly raised his chin and looked down at Nagaril's representative and other members with a condescending attitude.

He exhaled a puff of smoke, pursed his lips, and said, "It seems he's offered you a deal you can't refuse, but gentlemen, have you thought about it?"

"Are you saying our conditions are so easy to refuse?"