International Spirit

The conditions in any negotiation are flexible and negotiable; these can be easily changed. What is truly difficult to change is attitude.

The attitude of the Nagaril delegation has now changed; perhaps Lin Qi has frightened them.

What right do they have to talk about "military power" when they can't even produce their own bullets and have to import fuel through the Preton Merchant House?

They have no power, no power of their own, and their police and soldiers can only be effective when they are driving away and beating ordinary people.

As for going to war with the Bayer Federation on the battlefield? That will always be just a beautiful fantasy of their rulers when they are half asleep. Once they are really asleep, their subconscious will refuse to acknowledge this possibility.

If they cannot gain respect through their own strength, would it be a good option to rely on the power of Gefra? Relying on Gefra's military power to start a war with the Bayer Federation is not a good option either. In that case, the entire Nagaril will become a front line, with shells flying everywhere and the war will destroy their homes. Whether Gefra wins or the Federal wins, they will face a more troublesome outcome.

War reparations and the cost of hiring wars often mean the same thing: extortion and blackmail.

After much deliberation, the delegation reached a consensus, but what no one knew was that their opinion did not actually align with that of the Central Government of the Nagaril United Kingdom.

The Central Government's idea was to continue delaying until the Bayer Federation and the Gefra Royal Navy had fought a naval battle before making a decision.

Whoever wins, we'll side with them.

This decision maximized the protection of Nagaril's rights; they would not bring the war to Nagaril's soil, nor would they need to pay or compensate too much, and they would be 100% on the side of the victor.

The idea is great, but the problem is they don't have the capability to do it.

Without anyone's knowledge, the Nagaril delegation decided to conduct the remaining negotiations themselves, which was precisely the main reason for the delegation's change of attitude.

They wanted to bypass the ideas within Nagaril and negotiate cooperation with the Bayer Federation, while simultaneously representing the Nagaril government. This is probably the biggest problem with Nagaril's social system, and these problems are also reflected in its name— United Kingdom.

There's nothing these people in the delegation wouldn't agree to in order to ensure their own interests aren't harmed.

In fact, Lin Qi felt that if Mr. Truman had adopted a tougher stance and sent someone else to continue intimidating the delegation, they might have agreed to make the Federal Sol the legal tender of the Nagaril, at least in some provinces.

This doesn't sound like diplomatic negotiations, but it's exactly the most normal form of diplomatic negotiation, where kindness and power always coexist.

"I want to add some supplementary clauses..." After reviewing the complete minutes of the third negotiation, Lin Qi put forward some of his ideas.

Mr. Truman poured some wine for the two of them, sat down opposite Lin Qi, and took out a notebook and a pen, ready to jot down Lin Qi's words at any time.

Seeing how serious he was, Lin Qi found it somewhat amusing. "What you're doing makes me feel a little embarrassed."

Mr. Truman replied very seriously, "This is my way of showing you respect. At least in my opinion, although you are a businessman, you often care more about this country than a politician!"

This statement was made in response to his feelings during this period. Before this, Mr. Truman was not very friendly to businessmen and capitalists. He disliked those guys who only had interests, interests, and more interests in their eyes.

But the events that happened during this period gradually changed his views on the world. Compared to those politicians who would abandon their principles for money or other reasons, Lin Qi's ideas were more conducive to the long-term development of the country.

His words caused a subtle change in Lin Qi's expression. He didn't know what had happened while he was away from Bu Peien, but he could sense that Mr. Truman's mood and attitude were different from before.

If the other party is willing to tell him, then Mr. Truman will certainly tell him; if he is unwilling to tell him, Lin Qi will not ask.

He dismissed that fleeting thought, organized his thoughts, and began, "First, let's talk about something that's not really appropriate to say out loud..."

Lin Qi took a sip from his glass. The added ice made the liquor less pungent, and the low temperature made it easier to drink while still retaining the effects characteristic of strong liquor.

He held up two fingers with the hand holding the wine glass, pointing casually without any real meaning. "Preton can't die, or if he does die, we need to make it seem like he's still alive."

"I've thought about this Preton the past few days. A living Preton, in any sense, is more in our interest in the East Ocean than a dead dog."

"We all know he is the Leader of a pirate group. To prevent retaliation from him and the remnants of his pirate group, we need to establish safe sea lanes in the East Ocean for merchant ships, including but not limited to those from our own country and Nagaril ..."

Truman's subordinate, who was writing furiously, suddenly stopped and looked up at Lin Qi in surprise. "I almost thought I was sitting in the Ruler's Hall in Gefra!"

The Ruler's Hall is where the Emperor of the Gefra Empire conducts his work and is also part of the imperial palace. Every few days, the most powerful people in the Gefra Empire gather there to discuss political affairs.

What he meant was that he felt Lin Qi's statement lacked any Federal characteristics and instead sounded like the words of an imperial minister full of imperial hegemony.

The so-called establishment of safe shipping lanes in the East Ocean is nothing more than armed patrols of warships in peacetime.

The benefits of doing this are obvious: the Federal Navy can have a clear understanding of the situation in all parts of the East Ocean, and at the same time have a clear grasp of the coastal defense of some countries and the distribution of resources in some regions.

On the other hand, when needed, these warships can be deployed to the battlefield immediately, are more covert, and serve as a deterrent to all countries.

No one knows where those warships are right now. They may be very far away from a certain area, or they may be shelled in a few minutes.

These practices are not Federal; the Federal has never shown such aggression.

However, Lin Qi also found some reasons for his ideas: Preton could not die, and his pirate group could not be completely destroyed. With these excuses, the Federal's warships would be on standby at all times, and no one could find any problems.

Mr. Truman remarked with some emotion, "Who could be more patriotic Lin Qi?"

While those politicians were discussing how much they could gain by advocating for interest groups, Lin Qi was thinking about expanding the country's influence and power in the East Ocean. It was he who changed Mr. Truman's views on businessmen.

Lin Qi laughed. "Should I take that as a compliment?"

The two men raised their glasses with smiles, and Lin Qi continued, "We need a supply point. Let's leave other places aside for now. We need to designate a Deep-water Port in Nagaril as a supply and maintenance port for the Federal Navy in the East Ocean."

Mr. Truman had been taking notes for a short while, stopped writing again. He frowned. "This may not be easy. If we put the navy at Nagaril's doorstep, they will definitely be very worried because we can attack Nagaril at any time."

Lin Qi's mind raced. He said directly, "What if the Preton Pirate Group keep harassing their coastal areas, carrying out retaliatory plundering and attacks?"

He leaned back on the sofa, crossed his legs, and patted off some inconspicuous dust from his trouser legs. "The constant harassment means they don't have the capability to attack a coastal city, but they can plunder resources and set fire to important buildings."

"They can tolerate it once, twice, three times... But this is the United Kingdom, and each province is like..." Lin Qi suddenly paused, then shook his head. "No, each province is an independent kingdom, and someone will agree to that."

"Once we acquire this naval base in Nagaril, our armed deterrent range in the East Ocean will increase dramatically!"

Mr. Truman continued, "Preton and his pirate forces were driven around by us, so we built naval bases in more places and protected more people, is that right?"

Lin Qi nodded. "That's right, it's a great and selfless international spirit!"

"Yes, yes, what a noble sentiment! When you're shameless, you really do look like a politician!" Mr. Truman laughed heartily. Sometimes he himself found it strange that he could become such a close friend with Lin Qi, who was much younger than him.

It's amazing that he also tried to get to know and befriend other young people, such as his children, but he failed.

Perhaps only Lin Qi is special, and the only one.

As his laughter subsided, he looked at Lin Qi, his eyes flickering slightly, "Never thought about going into politics?"

"The Federal Charter and laws allow politicians to have jobs outside of government and to engage in business," he said, his tone and expression somewhat expectant. "You don't need to give up anything you have to become a politician; being a politician will bring you many benefits and conveniences!"

"If you could become a member of Congress... no, you definitely will become a member of Congress, and then you won't need to rely on anyone's political influence to make your voice heard. Wouldn't that be great?"

He wasn't initially very enthusiastic about forming factions; there were too many political cliques in Bu Peien's circle, and he didn't join many of them.

But what happened during this period made him realize that he couldn't do it alone. If he wanted to truly do something for the country and the people, he needed someone to stand with him.

Lin Qi is a good choice; they work well together on certain issues and there is no conflict of interest.

Facing Mr. Truman's gaze, Lin Qi shook his head. "No, I haven't considered it, at least not at the moment."