Another Harvest

Several hours' drive later, the capital of Salito Province.

Outside the general's residence.

Zhang Yang led Chairman Luo through the heavily guarded general's mansion as if it were empty.

Throughout the journey, Chairman Luo was surprised countless times.

Originally, he had only heard rumors about Zhang Yang's identity and status, without any personal experience, but now he truly understands Zhang Yang's identity and status.

This is truly... below one person.

Look at the soldiers and officers along the way; the respect they showed was simply...

He didn't dare say it aloud.

"Hello, Mr. Zhang." Ahead, several stunningly beautiful black women suddenly stopped and greeted him respectfully.

"Where's General Zabol? Is he inside?" Zhang Yang asked casually.

"The general is inside," they replied respectfully.

Zhang Yang nodded, then turned to look at Chairman Luo, whose face still showed some shock and surprise. "Chairman Luo, I won't accompany you inside. Please."

"Okay, Mr. Zhang, thank you." Chairman Luo came back to his senses and said solemnly.

A moment later, Chairman Luo entered Zabol's living room in front.

Zhang Yang watched him go for a while, then turned around and strolled around the general's mansion for a while.

What general's residence?

It had essentially become one of his residences long ago.

He walked along, stopping frequently, until he reached the lion enclosure. He casually opened the cage and pulled the lion out with one hand.

The lion trembled all over, obediently pulled out by Zhang Yang, and lay prostrate at his feet, letting him stroke its mane.

··

Later that evening, Zhang Yang met with Chairman Luo, who had just finished meeting with Zabol.

"Come on, Mr. Luo, I'll take you."

Zhang Yang smiled.

He didn't care what the two talked about or how their conversation went.

Everyone outside thought that Zhang Yang was General Zabol's spokesperson, but in reality, who could know that Zabol was the puppet he had put forward?

That evening, Zhang Yang hosted a private dinner for Chairman Luo.

For Chairman Luo, meeting Zabol was business, while having dinner and drinks with Zhang Yang at this moment could be interpreted as a private gathering.

The kind that brings you closer together.

"Mr. Zhang, there's something I need to discuss." Chairman Luo downed a glass of wine. "A few years ago, I and some friends in the industry started a club. We often get together to exchange ideas and knowledge. Would you... be interested?"

Domestically, top entrepreneurs naturally have their own circles and business groups, but they exist in the form of clubs and alumni associations.

Such as the Taishan Association, the Huaxia Alumni Association, and so on.

These clubs have extremely high entry requirements; only business leaders and industry leaders can join. Their members are frequent visitors to the Forbes rich list and CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. They are a small group of people who truly stand at the top of the business world in China.

The club that Chairman Luo mentioned at this moment is called the Yangtze Club.

The name sounds impressive and intimidating, and in reality, it truly lives up to its reputation.

The council members include top domestic economists and industry leaders, including many of China's top billionaires who are frequently featured in the news. The club has only about thirty members, but the total market value of the companies they lead is in the trillions. They are truly figures who can lead the market economy and guide the times.

At this moment, Zhang Yang was somewhat surprised by the invitation.

Then, it dawned on me.

Yes!

At this moment, he was no longer the novice he once was; he was a true tycoon with countless assets both domestically and internationally.

Putting aside everything else, the mines he currently controls bring him substantial net profits of several billion yuan a year. And this is only the result of his restraint. If he didn't restrain himself and swallowed up all those unclaimed mines, he would definitely be a true mining tycoon, the kind who reigns supreme globally.

In terms of total assets alone, it far exceeds 100 billion.

If he's not qualified, who is?

Compared to this club, which gathers top business tycoons, the previous elite second-generation circles seem like small-scale operations.

After all, one is a father and the other is a son; they are naturally worlds apart.

"It's my honor," Zhang Yang said with a slight smile.

Looking at President Zhang, who was incredibly young yet exuded a powerful aura and charm in every gesture, Chairman Luo couldn't help but feel a moment of disbelief.

A true dragon among men, he truly deserves his title.

That evening, with Chairman Luo's introduction, Zhang Yang submitted his application to join the Yangtze Club. According to Chairman Luo, he only needed to go through the formalities with the board members and the chairman.

In this way, he can be considered to have entered the circle of the most elite business tycoons in the country.

··

The new president's inauguration ceremony was delayed until the end of June.

In the months since taking office, the new president has been busy integrating his armed forces, absorbing the strength of the former president, and building his own team.

Only after everything was in order were invitations sent out widely.

Ambassadors from all embassies in Gango, including those in charge of the provinces, all received invitations.

Whether or not to go is the question.

Not going would be tantamount to openly breaking off relations.

As for going, security is another issue, since the capital, Jinsa, is within the president's sphere of influence.

If they really wanted to cause trouble, Zhang Yang could simply leave, since he had many trump cards. But Zabol was a different story. This golden puppet was hard-won, and it would be a pity to lose him.

"Go ahead, and make preparations beforehand," Zhang Yang decided.

With ambassadors from various countries present at the inauguration ceremony, the new president is unlikely to make any major moves.

As for minor actions...

Zabol's guard team must be brought along. In addition, a separate elite team should be arranged to infiltrate Jinsa in advance to deal with any possible situations.

Jinsa is large and chaotic.

It wouldn't be a big problem for a team to break into smaller groups and infiltrate.

Prepare for the worst... a coup...

The rise of the new president Gango, was like a child's play; a mere hundred people were involved in overthrowing the previous president. If this time it really turns out to be a dangerous place, then we'll have no choice but to take that step.

Control the president's core leadership team, control the broadcast media, and prepare for possible small-scale skirmishes.

As for his speeches and pronouncements after taking the stage, which were based on a sense of righteousness.

The current president came to power through a coup, and was subsequently overthrown by another coup; it's perfectly normal.

Of course, he wouldn't want to take this step unless absolutely necessary.

After several days of planning, everything was ready. The advance team quickly dispersed and went into hiding, heading towards the capital, Jinsa.

Zhang Yang and Zabol boarded a military plane and headed Gango Jinsa, the capital of Gogo, to attend the presidential inauguration ceremony.

Returning to Kinshasa International Airport.

Zhang Yang's eyes glazed over for a moment, vaguely recalling the day he first landed in Gango, preparing to take over his first business in Africa.

Now, when he returns, he is the behind-the-scenes ruler of the three provinces, possessing countless mineral resources.

As for his publicly revealed identity at this moment, he is the general's advisor and confidant, second only to the general himself, and above thousands of others.

"General Zabol." A staff member came forward to greet him.

Outside the airport, a line of luxury cars arranged by the president were waiting to pick them up, a truly impressive display of pomp and circumstance.

Zhang Yang and Zabol got into the same car and headed straight for their official residence.

At this point, everything seemed calm and peaceful.

Sitting in the car, Zhang Yang looked out the window at the banners, promotional photos, and huge posters of the current president all over the streets. The atmosphere for the presidential inauguration seemed to have been set up.

Everything is ready, except for the final push.

··

As night fell, inside the official residence, Zabol changed into the uniform of a general in the Gangge National Defense Forces.

His burly frame was so bulky that his military uniform was bulging out of shape, almost bursting at the seams, and the front of the uniform was covered with various badges.

It's a bit dazzling.

Zhang Yang glanced at it, showing little interest, and simply looked through the French windows of the official residence at the bustling crowds on Jinsa Street and the guards stationed outside the residence.

"Mr. Zhang, the president wants to see me," Zabol reported as he approached.

"So eager to see you?" Zhang Yang blinked, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Sure, I'll go with you."

The pre-deployed troops have dispersed in small groups and are prepared to deal with anything.

It would be fine if he went with Zabol; I reckon there shouldn't be any major problems.

Zhang Yang analyzed that although the president was wary of Zabol, he should still have the intention to win him over at this critical juncture. After all, Zabol's current apparent strength is unparalleled. He is the one with the largest number of troops and the largest sphere of influence among all the local rulers in Gango.

If we can win them over, then our presidency will be secure.

Later that evening, the presidential limousine that had come to pick them up arrived—a jet-black Mercedes-Benz S-Class 600 bulletproof Pullman. It was rather rare to see such a car in this area.

Zhang Yang, as a close confidant of Zabol, accompanied the group, but the accompanying guards were not allowed to go.

It seems the current president is quite concerned about his security, after all, he understands this better than anyone else.

Unfortunately, what he didn't know was that Zhang Yang, this seemingly harmless confidant, was actually a super weapon.

The saying "within arm's reach, everyone becomes an enemy" is not just a figure of speech.

··

As night fell, the presidential residence, which had been owned by countless people, was splendid and brightly lit.

The current president, still in his military uniform, walked over laughing and gave Zabol a hug first.

A president who rises to power from the military naturally doesn't possess any extraordinary qualities.

As he watched the two men embracing, he vaguely saw two large, burly black bears embracing.

"General Zabol, it's been a long time."

"Your Excellency the President, greetings," Zabol said with a formal smile.

During the current president's tenure as Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Forces, the two were nominally in a superior-subordinate relationship and naturally had a lot of interaction.

"This..." The president looked at Zhang Yang.

In Africa, China has many cooperative projects. The Gangge Republic and China have a considerable amount of economic and trade exchanges and infrastructure aid projects. So, seeing a foreigner with black hair and black eyes here doesn't seem out of place.

"My advisor, Mr. President," Zabol said briefly.

The president nodded, not finding it too strange.

In the blink of an eye, he pulled Zabol aside and got down to business.

Zhang Yang stood outside, waiting and listening to the conversation inside.

A full hour.

Zabol then came out from inside.

On the eve of his departure, the president shook hands with Zabol and patted him on the shoulder, acting as if they were very familiar with each other.

Seeing this, Zhang Yang knew what was going on.

This trip is undoubtedly an attempt by the new president to win over potential allies; it remains to be seen what incentives the other party has offered.

As night fell, the official residence where Zabol and Zhang Yang were staying was brightly lit.

"You're offered the positions of Vice President and Commander-in-Chief of the National Defense Forces? I hope you'll stand firmly on his side?" Zhang Yang was slightly taken aback by the conditions offered by the current president, then smiled and shook his head.

The reputation is indeed impressive, and it can't be considered entirely undeserved.

Take the position of vice president, for example. This is a truly official position with diplomatic powers. Even though General Zabol's influence spanned three provinces, he could not represent Gango's official status externally.

No country or international exchange can bypass the current ruling government and communicate with it.

But the vice president's position is different.

In a sense, they can represent a country in diplomatic activities between countries and have certain official rights.

Most importantly, if the president is unable to perform his duties due to an accident, the vice president has the right to assume the presidency, which is what truly attracts Zhang Yang.

As for the identity of the Commander of the National Defense Forces.

This is not very useful. In any case, very few provinces actually obey the orders issued by this commander of the National Defense Forces. It's basically an empty shell, and he can only command the armed forces stationed in Jinsa.

"I can agree, but it's nothing more than some insignificant support. Even if I support him, what difference will it make?"

Take the benefits first, since there's no real price to pay anyway.

That's it.

"Yes, Mr. Zhang, I will reply to the President as soon as possible."

That evening, Zabol quickly gave the president a clear response.

The following day was the presidential inauguration ceremony.

The event was broadcast live on the Gangge Republic National Television, with ambassadors from various countries gathered together.

The current president of the Gangge Republic, dressed in formal attire, walked onto the podium to the accompaniment of the Gangge Republic's national anthem. Facing the cameras and all the guests present, he solemnly swore an oath to assume the legal presidency of the Republic of Gangge Republic.

Following his inauguration, he announced his new cabinet team.

This includes ministers and other department heads.

Zabol made a grand entrance and was appointed as the Vice President of the Gangge Republic and Commander of the National Defense Forces.

Of course, his sphere of influence remains unchanged.

Regarding his old territory, the three provinces under his actual control were unanimously and collectively acquiesced.

Bite!

The system detected that the host has achieved a new milestone: Zabol was inaugurated as Vice President and Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Forces.

One thousand elite soldier titles will be awarded as a special reward.

Note: This quota of one thousand can be used to buff any soldier or officer in the national government army, excluding senior commanders at the rank of commander-in-chief and excluding all defense forces in the capital, Jinsa.

"Really?" Zhang Yang, who was on the viewing platform, suddenly widened his eyes.

Because of Zabol's new position, the system actually gave him a reward, and it wasn't a small one—another thousand slots for the title of Loyal King of Soldiers.

Moreover, this time it can bolster the national government forces.

In other words, all provincial government troops across the country, except for commanders or senior commanders who cannot receive blessings, and those under the current president's command, can receive blessings from soldiers, junior officers, and even senior officers in all provinces.

On average, each province can benefit several dozen people.

It may seem like a small amount, but if used wisely, especially on officers in key positions, it can be surprisingly effective.