"Just this?" The Deputy Minister, preparing in the hotel for the evening banquet, stood in front of the mirror adjusting his attire. Though it had only been a few hours, there were inevitably so minor flaws on his clothes.
Of course, these issues were not considered problems by most people. For instance, there were so threads at the seams of the fabric due to large body movents, which were invisible without a magnifying glass.
For example, there was an extra wrinkle on the inside of the elbow of the sleeve.
Or the shoulder pads seed a bit out of place and needed readjustnt.
These were very detailed issues. For soone who pursued details, any slight issue shouldn’t exist, which made the two tailors with bifocals revolve around him repeatedly.
Through the mirror’s reflection, the Deputy Minister’s gaze lingered on Lynch’s face for a mont, then returned to himself. He slightly lifted his chin, appearing sowhat narcissistic.
"I roughly understand your point, Mr. Lynch. I appreciate your attention to these matters, but such things, which we should have ignored, don’t need to be communicated to ."
"This is a diplomatic action between two countries. It’s just a group of rchants; they cannot change any decisions between us, nor can they affect them."
"However, I still want to thank you, Mr. Lynch. I always believe that attitude determines all success!"
His words, his tone, his attitude all silently expressed content opposite to what he said; he didn’t care about these things. However, Lynch didn’t mind, as he was just completing his own task.
As Lynch said goodbye and left the room, a contemptuous expression briefly appeared on the Deputy Minister’s face but was quickly concealed.
He knew Lynch was relatively close to Mr. Truman, which was why he didn’t like Lynch—an instinctive dislike.
Of course, he did believe that the information was unimportant.
Establishing diplomatic relations with Nagariel was a diplomatic order from the President’s Mansion, confird by the Foreign Minister. Once the nation’s power began to mobilize, the rchants’ strength was utterly insufficient.
They might have had so use before, but not now.
After leaving the room, Lynch went to see Mr. Truman. He felt it was better to inform Mr. Truman of this matter, where he experienced a completely different attitude.
"This is important!" Mr. Truman, who had been resting before, had spent the whole morning enjoying the sea breeze and originally planned to rest for a while, but now he couldn’t sit still.
He walked a few steps in the room, then stopped to look at Lynch, "This information is significant. In fact, I’ve been pondering over this issue for so ti—why are so dia always opposing our stance!"
He briefly shared his views. Over this period, although the Federation Governnt had not been extensively promoting the diplomatic exchange with Nagariel, it had been sowhat promoted, and all were positive contents.
But so dia were constantly downplaying this diplomatic exchange, saring the Nagariel governnt from various angles, and vehently criticizing the disadvantages of establishing diplomatic ties with a country like Nagariel.
So even claid that Nagariel would beco a significant factor dragging down the Federation’s developnt. The Federation already had enough issues; if it had to take care of a poorer, more backward country, people’s lives would beco more dreadful!
This viewpoint was quite marketable. There were always so brainless individuals in the world who particularly loved to be unconventional, expressing a unique self-value by following the anti-mainstream crowd.
The most common characteristic of these individuals was that they viewed everything with conspiracy theories, political or civilian. Moreover, they always believed that the governnt was, to so extent, very dark, and officials were evil.
As long as they were given so viewpoints or reasons that could deceive themselves, they could make a big fuss since the Federation is a free country.
If, during this diplomatic activity, so anti-establishnt demonstrators suddenly appeared, even assaulting the delegation’s convoy or finding a way to insult these people and their country, they could easily disrupt this diplomacy.
No costs are needed, just so money, and then let a bunch of idiots charge for them.
"I will handle it imdiately..." he said as he walked to the phone, picked it up, and dialed the Bail Federal National Security Committee’s number, saying without looking up, "Rember to close the door when you go out, and what was that person’s na?"
"Preton!"
As Mr. Truman was contacting the Security Committee, the Preton Mr. they were discussing had already arrived at the Bail Federal and had been staying in Bupen for over a week.
"I like it here..." At this mont, he dressed in very tourist-appropriate attire—a very "fashionable" but not formal floral shirt and a pair of formal shorts, which might sound odd, but undeniably this was becoming trendy.
Not everyone could always wear a neat suit in the scorching heat, especially those fat people; the natural temperature was enough to cause them suffering. If they dressed tightly, they could be in danger of a heatstroke at any mont and be taken away.
So appeared a type of formal shorts, which were similar to all shorts, only with half-length pants legs but designed in a formal style.
This gave it a certain incongruity—a perspective of Lynch—yet it was quite popular.
Mr. Preton lay on a water-filled sofa, tapping it. The ripples created by the palm pressing on the sofa spread across, amusing him greatly.
A few people sat around, these people were major partners or top shareholders of Pretton Trading Company.
From the mont Lynch appeared in Nagariel, Mr. Preton noticed this young man. He was different from those who previously went to Nagariel looking for opportunities.
In a sense, most rchants seeking opportunities in Nagariel were failures in their own country and many carried enormous debts, having to go overseas to find opportunities.
But Lynch was different. Mr. Preton imdiately had soone investigate Lynch’s background. When he learned that Lynch had a pretty decent business in Bail Federal, he knew this wasn’t a "good kid."
He was a wolf or so other predator, whatever it was, a at eater.
He wouldn’t simply pay off his debts and be satisfied as a nouveau riche in Nagariel; he must have aid for more profits.
After a third-party test, this was confird. Lynch was not interested in joining Pretton Trading Company and earning stably through "quotas," which also predetermined that they were not on the sa path.
Until so people in Nagariel began to discuss whether it was necessary to engage more actively with developed countries to help Nagariel transform from a nearly primitive agricultural society to a partially industrialized society, Mr. Preton knew Lynch had done sothing.
So he ca, after obtaining more information, he arrived at the Federation.
As a businessman with international fa, he had so connections here, and during this ti, he frantically signed checks, donating these to the Conservative Party, Socialist Party, various news dia, and social activists, propagating that establishing diplomatic relations with Nagariel would harm the Federation’s developnt without benefits.
It had to be admitted, he liked this place; this statent was not a lie.
In Gafura, when officials saw checks, they were worried. They had to consider whether the Empire’s Ministry of Internal Affairs would discover their bribery actions and whether others would accuse them of favoritism, but here, there were no such worries.
As long as everything was donated under the na of "political contributions" to specified accounts, such conduct was not only legal, but it was also protected by Federation law—politicians must work for the contributors once they receive money, unimaginable for people from countries with strict laws.
This filled Mr. Preton, who was born in a monarchy state, with fondness for everything here, and envy for the rchants here.
"A relaxed environnt, a populace ready to accept new things, and an inactive governnt, this place is indeed suitable for business developnt. Unfortunately, we discovered this too late."
"But this wouldn’t stop from liking it here. Look at this water sofa and that water bed; rember to remind to take so back when we leave. After sleeping on it, I don’t want to touch spring mattresses anymore!"
Mr. Preton marveled at everything here, "If it weren’t for those traitors betraying my friendship, perhaps I wouldn’t have co here. Should I thank them?"
The people around laughed to appease, though the words weren’t truly funny.
After laughing for a while, Mr. Preton gradually silenced, looking at the faces on the television, all too familiar to him, he went quiet completely.
Mr. Preton consistently denied a perception, not admitting that Pretton Trading Company was, after the Nagariel’s regi and Divine Authority, the third ruling class. Yet, even if he persistently denied it, it wouldn’t change this reality.
He often prided himself on the fact that politicians or priests needed favors from him, but now this pride was about to be shattered, which he couldn’t allow.
Once Nagariel established diplomatic connections with Bail Federal, Pretton Trading Company would find itself in an extrely awkward position. They could directly place orders with Bail Federal, making Pretton Trading Company’s existence in Nagariel aningless and unfounded.
The cornerstone built by these people with years, one to two decades of hard work would turn to dust upon the signing of a diplomatic agreent. How could they allow such a thing to happen?
He intended to stop it all from happening, using every ounce of strength!
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