Chapter Summaries

Lin Qi promised Cook a share in the transportation company as a wedding gift, then agreed to look into the police arrest of a mechanic at Cook’s company. After speaking with Mr. Truman through the newly connected submarine cable, Lin Qi reflected on how Federation cultural exports could encourage Nagaril to accept economic exploitation.

• Lin Qi told Cook he would make him a Senior Partner and give him dividend rights as a wedding present.
• Cook asked Lin Qi to help after police arrested a mechanic at the company, and Lin Qi arranged to meet the mechanic’s friend, Akumali.
• Akumali traveled to Lin Qi’s office and waited while Lin Qi spoke with Mr. Truman on the new telephone connection.
• Mr. Truman reminded Lin Qi about his planned trip to Gefra in March before ending their call.
• Lin Qi considered how Federation television and stories about the Federal Dream could spread capitalist values in Nagaril.

Lin Qi refused to interfere with the arrest of Akumali’s friend because the police had strong evidence against him, and his respect for the law gave Akumali a new vision for Nagaril. After Akumali left, Lin Qi ordered Sergeant to have him followed.

• Akumali told Lin Qi that his friend had been arrested for allegedly organizing a protest and asked him to help.
• Lin Qi rejected Akumali’s deferential form of address and said he would seek legal help only if the police lacked evidence.
• Lin Qi called the police station and learned that Akumali’s friend was a senior Nagaril Youth Party officer with multiple witnesses against him.
• Akumali left without resentment and concluded that Nagaril needed to respect secular law if it was to become strong.
• Lin Qi ordered Sergeant to discreetly follow Akumali and record where he went and whom he met.

Sergeant asked Lin Qi to approve recruiting local people to help Blackstone Security investigate the Nagaril Youth Party and handle operations that foreigners could not manage. Lin Qi approved the plan and suggested offering recruits the chance to become Federation citizens or pursue their ambitions, leaving Sergeant to carry it out.

• Sergeant told Lin Qi he was not thinking about marriage yet and said he would only marry a woman from the Federation.
• Sergeant explained that foreigners stood out among Nagaril locals and could not easily infiltrate groups such as the Nagaril Youth Party.
• Sergeant proposed recruiting locals who were willing to work with foreigners, and Lin Qi asked how he would ensure their loyalty.
• Sergeant admitted that money, power, and status might not secure the recruits' commitment, so he asked Lin Qi for advice.
• Lin Qi suggested promising recruits a chance to gain Federation citizenship with their families or realize their ideals after meeting certain conditions.
• Lin Qi approved the plan, and Sergeant saluted and left to arrange its execution.

Lin Qi watched the United Development Company expand adult literacy and vocational training in Nagaril while Akumali pursued technical education and organized a study group after the Youth Party’s setback. Lin Qi then departed for Gefra with Little Assistant, Sergeant, and his bodyguards to meet the delegation.

• Lin Qi chose not to give Sergeant a shortcut for gaining local allies, expecting him to understand society through his own efforts.
• Akumali learned that his arrested comrade had received a hundred-year sentence, then concluded that the Youth Party had failed because it lacked knowledge and educated members.
• The United Development Company opened free adult Literacy Classes and advanced technical courses that offered workers the prospect of higher wages.
• Akumali enrolled in excavator-driving training, bought books from the Federation, and formed a study group with like-minded Nagaril People.
• At the end of February, Lin Qi arranged the trip to Gefra and sailed with Little Assistant, Sergeant, and his bodyguards to meet the delegation.

Richard set out for Gefra to pursue a fortune using the core Lin Qi had given him, while Lin Qi arrived ahead of the Federation delegation and explored the port city. The chapter left Lin Qi in a local bar, tipping a dancer as he took in Gefra’s nightlife.

• Richard dressed for his departure, met his subordinates at the port, and boarded a ship bound for Gefra.
• After a voyage of twelve days, Lin Qi arrived in Gefra two days before the Federation delegation and remarked on the new paving stones and the proud locals.
• Lin Qi and Sergeant explored the port city, and Lin Qi paid a taxi driver to take them somewhere entertaining.
• Lin Qi and Sergeant entered an adult entertainment district and exchanged money at a large bar.
• Lin Qi watched a dancer warming up and tucked several bills beneath her cord.

The Royal Steward woke the Emperor at 4:45 with a live orchestra and forced him to begin a packed day of duties. The Emperor resigned himself to the schedule and faced his bath, regretting the palace rules he had imposed on himself.

• The Royal Steward entered the Emperor's bedchamber with an orchestra and preparations to wake him.
• At the Steward's command, the orchestra played Melesco's Fourth Symphony until the Emperor woke and threw his liquor bottle at them.
• The Emperor threatened the intruders, then pleaded with his older brother for half an hour more sleep, but the Steward refused.
• The Steward recited the Emperor's morning schedule, and the Emperor resigned himself to getting up.
• The Steward summoned two heavyweight female servants to bathe the Emperor, who regretted replacing the palace's beautiful maids.

The Emperor ordered Gefra’s Special Service Department to investigate Lin Qi’s visit to a strip club, while Lin Qi found the establishment closed and deliberately visited another one. The Federal Diplomatic Mission arrived at the port, with commercial cooperation set to drive its negotiations.

• The Emperor learned that Lin Qi had arrived ahead of the Federal Diplomatic Mission and ordered an investigation into the bar, its owner, its bartender, and the dancer.
• The Minister of Foreign Affairs told the Emperor that Gefra’s fleet had met the Federal ships and was escorting them toward port by a deliberately indirect route.
• Lin Qi complained about his soft bed and recalled how customers at the bar had been separated according to nationality and status.
• Lin Qi found the bar closed after police arrested its owner and bartender, then entered another establishment despite suspecting Gefra was warning him to stay away.
• The Federal Diplomatic Mission’s ships arrived at the port, and Gefra prepared to conduct the main negotiations through its Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and business representatives.

Lin Qi joined the Federation delegation in Port City and urged its members to act confidently during negotiations with Gefra after the Federation’s naval victory. He led them to Hundred Flowers Street, and the Gefra Emperor heard of their behavior and swallowed his anger.

• Lin Qi surprised the delegation by arriving at its hotel meeting in Port City, where the Vice Minister introduced him to the principal members.
• Lin Qi argued that the Federation should behave like the victor rather than appear timid, warning that Gefra would exploit any show of weakness.
• The Vice Minister accepted Lin Qi’s advice, and Lin Qi led several lower-ranking delegation members to Hundred Flowers Street to drink and spend money.
• The Gefra Emperor heard about the delegation’s outing, roared in anger, and resigned himself to the Federation’s behavior because Gefra could not defeat it.

After the Special Service Department released the bar owner, Gefra publicized the Federal delegation’s visit to Hundred Flowers Street, turning the incident into a display of Federalers’ arrogance. Mr. He Bosi learned that Lin Qi was a named delegate with access to Gefra’s rulers, and he tried to reassure his anxious partners that their scheme could still succeed.

• The Special Service Department released the injured bar owner after realizing Lin Qi had visited the bars to spend money, not pass messages.
• Gefra newspapers reported the Federal delegation’s visit to Hundred Flowers Street, while the Emperor used the outrage to rally public support and ordered similar establishments closed during the visit.
• At the Port City welcome ceremony, officials introduced the delegation members, including Lin Qi, on the Emperor’s last-minute order.
• Mr. He Bosi saw Lin Qi on television and learned he was a named member of the Federal Diplomatic Mission, giving him access to Gefra’s ministers and a possible route to the Emperor.
• Mr. He Bosi angrily blamed a Federal official for failing to tell him about Lin Qi’s appointment, then reassured his gathered partners that Lin Qi could not easily change the Emperor’s mind and their investment could still pay off.

Mr. He Bosi and the other international bankers realized their contract with Lin Qi could expose them to massive penalties if they tried to reclaim the loan early. Their lawyers also warned that transferring any dispute to an international court was virtually impossible, leaving He Bosi to confront the possibility that his original plan had failed.

• As the bankers’ external means of control failed, Mr. He Bosi urged them to take comfort in the exchange-rate profits and honor the contract with Lin Qi.
• He Bosi had his butler retrieve a contract copy, and the bankers examined its clauses with lawyers from the Federation, Gefra, and neutral countries.
• A lawyer explained that damages would be calculated from the 94.45 million Federal Sol face value of Lin Qi’s War Bonds, amounting to 944,500 Federal Sol per day.
• The lawyer warned He Bosi that demanding repayment before the contract ended would put the lenders in breach and could cost them roughly ten million Federal Sol over 110 days.
• He Bosi asked whether the case could be transferred to an international court, but his lawyers said the Federation and Nagaril would both have to agree and that there was virtually no chance.
• After a lawyer rejected his repeated what-if scenarios, He Bosi was left speechless and recognized that joining the deal might have been the worst decision of his life.

Mr. He Bosi visited Lin Qi in Gefra with expensive gifts and tried to gauge his intentions about their loan and the negotiations. Lin Qi accepted the gifts, agreed to attend a party, and hinted that he had a huge surprise prepared for Mr. He Bosi.

• After a day of legal consultations, Mr. He Bosi decided to visit Lin Qi and assess his intentions.
• Little Assistant told Lin Qi that Mr. He Bosi was waiting, and Lin Qi invited him to the suite.
• Mr. He Bosi gave Lin Qi a valuable watch and fountain pen, which Lin Qi accepted appreciatively.
• Mr. He Bosi questioned Lin Qi about his presence in Gefra and raised the rumor that Lin Qi had planned to take both the principal and interest of their loan.
• Lin Qi denied intending to cheat a friend but called Mr. He Bosi his business partner, then agreed to attend his party.
• After Mr. He Bosi left, Lin Qi told Little Assistant that he had prepared a huge surprise for him.

Lin Qi arrived in Gefra’s imperial capital with the federal delegation and attended a welcoming banquet before negotiations. Gefra’s officials used Jenia, an imperial family member and actress chosen to suit Lin Qi’s preferences, to probe the Federation’s intentions.

• Lin Qi reflected on past losses and his grudge against He Bosi, then traveled with the federal delegation toward Gefra’s imperial capital.
• The delegation arrived at the Imperial Hotel, where Gefra’s nobles hosted a party ahead of negotiations.
• At the banquet, the Vice Minister discussed scientific and technological exchanges with Gefra’s Royal Academy of Sciences officials and nobles.
• Jenia introduced herself to Lin Qi and spoke with him about his books and films, revealing that she was an imperial family member who had become an actress.
• Gefra’s observers watched Lin Qi and Jenia, having arranged their meeting to learn more about the Federation’s intentions and limits.

Lin Qi and Jenia shared a flirtatious conversation about her past and moved to a private room, where their intimacy escalated. The chapter ended with Lin Qi unzipping Jenia’s clothing at her request.

• Lin Qi admired Jenia’s mature charm and praised her courage in entering the film industry.
• Jenia recalled fleeing the Gefra succession struggle by joining the film industry and explained how the Emperor later punished her but allowed her to continue acting.
• Lin Qi suggested they find somewhere quieter, and Jenia led him away from the surveillance personnel.
• Lin Qi and Jenia drank and talked together in a private room until Jenia asked him to loosen her tight bra.
• Lin Qi stood behind Jenia and pulled down the zipper on her clothing.

Jenia reported to the Gefra Emperor after carrying out his order to approach Lin Qi, and told him Lin Qi claimed he could solve the problem with Amerilia. Her report left the Emperor with a new lead to consider as the empire’s negotiations and internal tensions continued.

• Lin Qi and Jenia spent the night together, and he described his work as solving problems for a fee.
• Lin Qi returned to the hotel exhausted, where Little Assistant teased him and offered to massage his head.
• Jenia returned to the imperial palace and told the Gefra Emperor that she had gathered information about Lin Qi’s wealth and ties to the delegation.
• Jenia made clear she did not want to be repeatedly used for such assignments, then told the Emperor that Lin Qi had claimed he could solve the problem with Amerilia.

Lin Qi took part in the Federation’s first round of talks with Gefra, where the two sides exchanged demands and Gefra rejected cooperation on a secret metal formula. Afterward, he left with Jenia, whose renewed invitation suggested his plan to pass information through her was working.

• The Federation and Gefra exchanged lists of demands, and Lin Qi praised a young delegate’s objections to several Federation proposals.
• The Regimental Commander rejected Gefra’s request for the Federation’s special submarine-hull metal formula but offered to sell finished metal and provide engineers.
• Jenia met Lin Qi after the talks, and he recognized that she had likely completed her first assignment for the people gathering information.
• Jenia took Lin Qi to a restaurant owned by her uncle, an Imperial Family Member who had devoted himself to cooking.

Lin Qi spent the evening with Jenia, and a newspaper turned their time together into a sensational romance. The next morning, Lin Qi proposed adding cultural exchanges to the Federation’s negotiations with Gefra, leaving him set to discuss the idea with the Gefrans himself.

• Jenia told Lin Qi she had accepted an adventure movie that would film in Nagaril, and he invited her to accompany him to a party the next day.
• A reporter photographed Lin Qi and Jenia, but Jenia said he did not need to retrieve the reporter because the press would avoid defaming the Imperial Family.
• Lin Qi and Jenia went to a movie and then returned to the hotel, and the next morning a newspaper published photos and an account portraying them as lovers.
• The Regimental Commander told Lin Qi that Gefra’s negotiation demands had become more restrained after its naval defeat.
• Lin Qi proposed adding cultural exchanges to the negotiations, and the Regimental Commander agreed that Lin Qi could negotiate the details with the Gefrans.

Mr. He Bosi arranged a party to make Lin Qi lower his guard, after securing the Minister of Finance’s promise to delay redeeming War Bonds. Jenia’s presence turned the planned revelry into a dull gathering, and Mr. He Bosi began to realize the evening had not gone as intended.

• Mr. He Bosi called the Minister of Finance and secured his assurance that the Emperor would not reverse course on the War Bonds.
• The Minister of Finance revealed that he already knew about Mr. He Bosi’s wager with Lin Qi and explained that delaying bond redemptions suited Gefra’s strained finances.
• Mr. He Bosi invited celebrities and other guests to a party designed to make Lin Qi complacent and underestimate him.
• Lin Qi spent the day with Jenia, visiting the Royal Academy of Sciences’ exhibition hall and watching two of her movies before going to the party.
• Mr. He Bosi welcomed Lin Qi and Jenia to a club decorated for a strip-club-style party, but Jenia’s presence made the guests cautious and the gathering dull.

Mr. He Bosi struggled to understand Lin Qi’s motives after the party, then began to suspect warnings about Galil’s currency might matter to their deal. Back at the hotel, Jenia questioned Lin Qi about the Ameria conflict and his proposed solution, but he kept its details secret and wondered what the Emperor had promised her.

• Mr. He Bosi told his associates that Lin Qi had deliberately brought a female companion to the party as a signal, though he could not decipher its meaning.
• A younger gentleman mentioned warnings from small survey agencies that Galil’s currency was dangerously overvalued, and Mr. He Bosi noted that such agencies had once predicted events correctly.
• Jenia accused Lin Qi of bringing her to the party to embarrass Mr. He Bosi and his associates, and Lin Qi acknowledged his goal of using their capital to fuel his own expansion.
• Jenia told Lin Qi that an independence organization in Ameria had attacked the garrison and asked why wars happened; Lin Qi blamed ambitious people.
• Jenia asked Lin Qi how he planned to solve the Ameria problem, and he joked that the solution would not come cheap before wondering what the Emperor had promised her.

Jenia told the emperor that she had obtained Lin Qi’s ideas for addressing problems in the Amelia Region, revealing the personal price she had paid for them. Lin Qi refused a private meeting until negotiations concluded, leaving Gefra’s ministers to assess his proposals and press for negotiations to finish quickly.

• Jenia explained that she had obtained Lin Qi’s suggestions by performing a sexual act, and the emperor thanked her before apologizing when she objected to being asked to do it again.
• Jenia said Lin Qi had withheld his more complete methods and suggested the emperor meet him, so the emperor asked her to invite Lin Qi to dinner.
• Lin Qi declined the invitation because he would not privately meet Gefra officials before the negotiations concluded.
• The emperor presented Lin Qi’s ideas of encouraging lower-class immigration to the Amelia Region and giving locals opportunities, education, and advancement to his trusted ministers.
• The Defense Minister judged the proposals useful only once the region was stable, while the Army Minister urged the emperor to speak with Lin Qi.
• The emperor told the ministers Lin Qi would not meet them until negotiations ended and urged them to reach an agreement promptly.

The editor-in-chief of International Observer explained to He Bosi why he believed Galil would collapse: Federal Sol was replacing it in circulation across Nagaril. He Bosi recognized the danger to his bet with Lin Qi and began gathering information to limit his losses.

• The editor-in-chief worried as Galil’s exchange rate kept rising, despite his magazine’s bearish assessment.
• He Bosi called the magazine to ask why it predicted Galil’s collapse and whether it accepted investment.
• The editor-in-chief argued that workers in Nagaril were switching to Federal Sol, which could leave Galil worthless and make Nagaril financially dependent on the Federation.
• He Bosi asked how likely the theory was, and the editor-in-chief said it seemed unlikely by conventional reasoning but was consistent with events.
• After ending the call, He Bosi weighed the risks of breaking his agreement with Lin Qi and mobilized his resources to gather information.