Good at Thinking

Mr. Herbert invited everyone over and told them some confidential matters, as well as that he had gone to great lengths to cultivate a relationship with the Gefra Deputy Minister of Finance, and that it was definitely not out of altruism.

In fact, Mr. Herbert's actions were undoubtedly a way of shifting the loss; he wanted to make up for his own losses by taking them from the people in the room.

However, he used a way of speaking that resonated with people's emotional perceptions, thus concealing his true purpose and making the statement less sharp.

So someone asked him what the people in the room would have to give up if they wanted to use his channels to exchange bonds for goods of equivalent value or for convenience.

"Twenty-five percent!" Mr. Herbert's face showed a smile. Apart from the earliest buyers who were making money no matter what, those who followed the trend later had made very little. Now Mr. Herbert was giving them a chance.

Lin Qi sat silently to the side, seemingly understanding Mr. Herbert's thoughts. No matter how he described what was happening and what was about to happen, it was all a prelude to his acquisition of the bonds held by the speculators in the room.

Yes, he wasn't helping the people here. Although he made it sound like he was helping them for a fee, what he was actually doing was indirectly buying up their bonds, selling them at a good price, and making a profit from those bonds.

He wanted to make up for the profits he couldn't obtain by borrowing from other people's bonds. That's what a true capitalist does, and what a capitalist should do—when profits are not enough to satisfy their demands, they will tear apart their own kind, like wild beasts using the flesh and blood of their fellow humans to fill their hungry bellies.

Lin Qi remained silent, but Mr. Herbert would occasionally glance at Lin Qi. As far as he knew, Lin Qi owned one of the most bonds of anyone in the room.

He was bolder than anyone else, and he acquired more bonds. In fact, Lin Qi's massive buying of bonds caused the price of bonds in the secondary market to rise continuously, from less than 20% of the face value to nearly 40% of the face value.

He recovered bonds with a face value of at least tens of millions, and of course, the amount of money he invested was also astonishing.

If Mr. Herbert could get 25% of Lin Qi's money, he would be set for life, so he kept an eye on Lin Qi.

Lin Qi's lack of emotional change puzzled him. While the others were discussing whether this was an effective way to avoid risk, Mr. Herbert spoke up for Lin Qi, "Mr. Lin Qi, as one of the people among us who holds the most bonds, do you have any ideas on how we can help us get through this difficult time?"

His tone was very sincere. "The reason I gathered everyone here is to discuss an effective solution. You seem so calm; do you already have other good ideas?"

"If you have any, and don't mind, could you share them?"

For crazy speculators who are purely pursuing returns, they actually have no stance. If Lin Qi can provide a better solution, Herbert will immediately abandon his solution and side with Lin Qi, as long as Lin Qi can ensure that his returns are higher than his solution.

Many people's eyes were focused on Lin Qi, and every time people looked at Lin Qi, they would exclaim in various ways.

It's amazing how young he is. No one at his age could have achieved what he has now without status or background, and this is not an exaggeration.

People are amazed by his wealth. In the Bayer Federation, people are always interested in how much money a millionaire has. Some have roughly calculated that Lin Qi's assets should be in the tens of millions (short-term market value assessment, not net worth).

Amazed by his good looks... Well, he's rich, young, and on top of that, so handsome. Sometimes God really isn't fair.

Now, people are also amazed by his mind.

Lin Qi picked up his wine glass and took a casual sip, but even that ordinary action gave people an indescribable aura.

When someone is clearly placed in a higher position, their every move becomes mysterious.

"A better way..." he paused for a moment, "Is there one?"

"I believe there is more than one way to solve any problem!"

This statement is absolutely correct; there's nothing wrong with it, and everyone is nodding in agreement.

"For example... creating pressure!"

Lin Qi stood up and casually handed his wine glass to a stranger next to him. But the stranger took the glass like a servant and held it in his hand, which was a bit comical.

No one paid attention to him; all eyes were on Lin Qi. Lin Qi walked to the center of the room, looked around, and first greeted Mr. Herbert, as a matter of courtesy.

He occupied the main position in Mr. Herbert's room, and he needed to show a certain respect to the host, which was what a proper gentleman should do. Although he "stole the spotlight," he was still a well-mannered person.

Mr. Herbert also voluntarily gave up his central position and walked to the side of the sofa. He did not sit down, but just stood there holding his wine glass.

"Create pressure and divert Gefra Emperor's attention from the upcoming naval battle to other things."

"When the consequences of conflicts elsewhere are greater than the impact of a naval battle like this on Gefra, our chances of winning are much greater!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have integrated into the International Community. We are no longer on our own. We need to mobilize more international forces to stand on our side. This is the new way of playing in the New Era."

He paused for a moment, giving those who hadn't yet grasped the concept, or those who were in the process of doing so, time and opportunity to understand his words.

After waiting for about ten or twenty seconds, he continued, "I don't know if you have noticed, but after the war ended, Gefra shifted its main development focus from the domestic to the construction of the Amelia Region, which also triggered some protests in Gefra, although they were later suppressed."

The tyrant and his actions seem to have become a mockery of backward feudal rule in civilized society. It's not a funny joke at all, but the ladies and gentlemen in the room still laughed elegantly.

Laughter lightened the atmosphere, and Lin Qi laughed too. "They're too concerned about the development of the Amelia Region. What if unrest or even a rebellion breaks out in Amelia Region at this time? How will Gefra deal with it?"

His tone shifted abruptly, becoming sharp and each word like a dagger, making it hard to look away.

"The Amelia Region was originally ceded territory. They say it was a lease, but I believe that if they (the original sovereign states) cannot resist the Gefra Empire in 120 years, this region will have another lease term of 120 years or longer, until it becomes a territory outside the Gefra Empire forever."

"So far, there is still some resistance in the Amelia Region. The indigenous people in the area are very dissatisfied with Gefra's rule. Even though the Amelia Governor has shown a more tolerant attitude than the previous rulers, the local people do not like them."

"Gefra has invested too many resources and attention in this region, and if problems arise in Amelia Region, it will immediately shake their plans, which are tantamount to national policy."

Gefra's emphasis on the Amelia Region stems from their desire to further expand the empire's external influence through this area. Simultaneously, this region will become the front line of the next war, allowing them to advance directly from Amelia Region and ignite the flames of war deep within the enemy's territory.

Of course, as the Defeated Country and the country that ceded the region, if they were to launch the first war, Amelia Region would be the first strategic location they had to reclaim and would be attacked from all sides.

Therefore, this region is important both for Gefra and for the countries that lost in this World War.

Its political, economic, cultural, and military significance far exceeded that of the cities within Gefra, which is why Gefra Emperor overruled objections and focused his main efforts on the development of the Amelia Region.

Lin Qi's words made people start to think and consider whether, if the Amelia Region were to become unstable, Gefra would still take such a naval battle, which was actually not important to them, seriously.

Definitely not. Their purpose in participating in this naval battle was merely to test the strength of the Federal Navy; they wouldn't even fly the flag of the Gefra Royal Navy.

Compared to this test of military strength against allies, the safety of the Amelia Region is clearly more important.

Mr. Herbert, sipping his drink, was the first to recover and asked a question, "Mr. Lin Qi, but doing this won't bring us any real benefit. I mean, even if we avoid this naval battle, Gefra still won't honor the bonds at face value and the promised interest..."

"Then we'll force them to do it!" Lin Qi reacted quickly and answered decisively. "Once the Amelia Region becomes unrest, apart from their governor's limited use of force, the Gefra mainland cannot send more armed forces into the Amelia Region."

"Their actions will trigger high alert or even armed confrontation in some countries. If, by accident, a soldier accidentally discharges his weapon, it will inevitably lead to another war."

"Gefra can't continue fighting, and neither can the Defeated Country nations. They need someone to solve these problems for them."

"And we are the best choice!"