Chapter 1015: Lord's Troubles
Though he had prepared himself to be given a hard time, Hirobumi Ito still flew into a rage at the scene before him.
Yet deep inside, a voice kept reminding him to stay calm. This was the enemy's scheme, meant to provoke him...
"Your Excellency the Governor, simply reverting to the prewar situation is far too unfair to us. It goes against—"
Before Hirobumi Ito could finish, Chandler cut him off. "Prime Minister, you seem to have confused the matter. Your negotiating counterpart is over there.
"I am merely offering you a reference suggestion in my personal capacity. Whether you accept it is entirely up to you. In any case, order in the South Seas must be restored before Christmas.
"Your country's troops in the Philippine Islands have now damaged the prosperity and stability of the South Seas. This is something no peace-loving nation can tolerate. If your government lacks the ability to handle it, we can take care of it for you."
I've been played. That was Hirobumi Ito's first reaction. No matter what, since this was the Japanese-Spanish War, the main parties at the negotiating table should have been Japan and Spain.
Yet he had failed to hold back and gone to negotiate with the Holy Roman Empire's representative. Wasn't that like having water in his brain?
And the moment he opened his mouth, trouble came. Chandler had seized the chance to draw out the timeline of the negotiations, throwing him straight into a passive position.
Refuse?
One look at the expressions on the representatives' faces told him not to even dream of it. The sooner this was wrapped up, the better for everyone. Otherwise, if they were delayed from going home for Christmas, that would be a grave sin indeed.
What Hirobumi Ito