Ding Fan glanced at the middle-aged man Smith had introduced.
The middle-aged man was dressed in a suit, his expression extrely arrogant. When he looked around, his brows were tightly furrowed, as if being here was a significant humiliation for him.
"Mr. Thompson, this is Ding Fan, the Mr. Ding I ntioned to you," Smith said to Thompson, who stood beside him.
Thompson clearly had no intention of speaking much with Ding Fan. He simply nodded slightly, which could barely be considered a greeting.
Seeing the man act this way, Ding Fan couldn't be bothered to entertain him. Instead, he gestured politely toward Smith. "Let's go take a rest first."
Smith, of course, noticed that Ding Fan was ignoring Thompson. "Mr. Ding, I'd like to properly introduce Mr. Thompson to you. He is a Congressman from The Stars and Stripes Country."
The Stars and Stripes Country? A Congressman?
Ding Fan made a polite gesture toward Smith before walking inside without saying another word.
Smith was left stunned on the spot.
One must understand that The Stars and Stripes Country is a global superpower. Wherever their congressn went, they were warmly received. Yet, Ding Fan outright ignored him.
"This Ding Fan is simply too arrogant," Thompson said in English.
Smith forced an embarrassed smile. "These people aren't very well-educated; a bit of uncivilized behavior is possible."
"I really don't understand what the people in Congress were thinking, sending to a place like this to et soone like him!" Thompson sighed deeply, sounding highly dissatisfied.
With that, Smith and Thompson followed behind Ding Fan.
The place where Smith and Thompson were being hosted was the conference room at the Municipal Center.
Once they arrived, Hu Jin was already there, warmly welcoming them. After the guests entered, she arranged for refreshnts to be served.
Hu Jin had prepared so fine teas for the guests.
"Mr. Ding, the matters on Yongfan Island have caught the attention of our Congress. We are prepared to offer you assistance…" Thompson, after sitting down, ca straight to the point with no pretenses.
Upon hearing this, Hu Jin and Huang Can, who were accompanying them, widened their eyes in shock. Ding Fan's influence had grown so much that even The Stars and Stripes Country was offering aid.
"Mr. Ding, congratulations. The Stars and Stripes Country is a global superpower. If you really receive their aid, I believe Yongfan Island's military might will step up by several levels," Smith added from the side.
At that mont, Ding Fan understood why Smith had been able to provide him with warships and helicopters—it must have been backed by The Stars and Stripes Country itself.
"I'm not interested," Ding Fan said flatly.
What?!
Everyone present froze in shock upon hearing Ding Fan's response.
Thompson had approached the matter head-on, believing that upon learning of potential aid from The Stars and Stripes Country, Ding Fan would be overwheld with gratitude...
But who would have thought Ding Fan would outright dismiss it as uninteresting?
Even Smith, who had interacted with Ding Fan before, was caught off guard. He had never expected Ding Fan to reject aid from The Stars and Stripes Country.
anwhile, Huang Can and Hu Jin were utterly flabbergasted. Yongfan Island was currently isolated and without allies, yet Ding Fan chose not to rely on such a strong backer...
"Mr. Ding, are you sure about this?" Thompson asked.
Ding Fan nodded. "Sothing like this shouldn't take long to figure out."
Thompson was genuinely at a loss for words. Everything was deviating far too much from his expectations.
One must know that Thompson had co with a specific mission.
Yongfan Island occupied a strategic choke point, capable of suppressing Vietnam, Myanmar, and India—a proverbial wedge driven into this mariti region.
The Stars and Stripes Country had recognized this, which is why they wanted to bring Yongfan Island to their side.
Initially, Thompson thought his mission would be an easy one. But with things developing as they were, the difficulty had skyrocketed.
Thompson glanced at Smith.
Smith imdiately understood that Thompson wanted him to step in and say sothing. Without hesitation, Smith addressed Ding Fan.
"Mr. Ding, the governnt of The Stars and Stripes Country holds you in very high regard. To demonstrate our sincerity, we have brought a significant package this ti: 12 M2 main battle tanks, 20 ard helicopters, one dium cruiser, and 10 patrol boats. Additionally, we've prepared infantry equipnt sufficient to arm at least an entire division. Mr. Ding, won't you reconsider?"
As Smith reported these offerings, his eyes never left Ding Fan.
One must know that these terms were extraordinarily generous. For example, the M2 main battle tanks were currently used by The Stars and Stripes Country itself. Offering twelve of them at once was unprecedented, even for their allies.
However, even as Smith laid out this impressive list, Ding Fan's expression remained unimpressed. It was evident he didn't value these offerings at all.
"Mr. Ding, if you're not satisfied with these terms, I can apply for more on your behalf…" Smith ventured.
Ding Fan waved dismissively. "Mr. Smith, you and I are business partners. I like these items you're offering, so just calculate their cost, and I'll pay."
"Mr. Ding, you're mistaken… These items are gifts from the governnt of The Stars and Stripes Country," Smith clarified. "They are entirely free."
"Free items often co with the highest price," Ding Fan said with a faint smile. "There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. If you sell these to , I'll gladly buy them. But if they're gifts, you can take them back."
There's no such thing as a free lunch…
Standing to the side, Hu Jin suddenly understood Ding Fan's reasoning.
When you accept sothing from others, you beco beholden to them. Clearly, Ding Fan didn't want to be controlled by anyone, so he refused.
Smith was montarily speechless.
At that mont, Ding Fan stood up. "Mr. Smith, I have other matters to attend to. Please feel free to take Congressman Thompson for a walk."
After speaking, Ding Fan turned to Hu Jin. "Make arrangents to ensure the two guests are well looked after."
With that, Ding Fan left without looking back.
Hu Jin was a bit impressed by Ding Fan. To not give any face to a congressman from The Stars and Stripes Country and simply walk away—it took guts.
Now that Ding Fan had gone, Hu Jin was left to clean up the aftermath. She smiled at the two n. "I'll arrange for soone to show you around Yongfan Island."
Thompson stood up, visibly unhappy. "There's no need for a tour. Just find sowhere for us to rest."
"Alright, I'll arrange it imdiately," Hu Jin said with a smile.
As a Congressman of The Stars and Stripes Country who had visited many nations, Thompson had never before been so casually dismissed by a national leader.
Ding Fan was now acting more commanding than even Japan's Emperor, who wouldn't dare to treat them so dismissively.
Even though Thompson was furious, there was little he could do. After all, his mission was unfinished. Leaving now would make it difficult to report back. For the mont, all he could do was wait.
Hu Jin relocated Thompson and his party to an unused villa on Yongfan Island. After leaving guards and service staff to attend to them, she headed to Ding Fan's residence.
When Hu Jin arrived, Ding Fan was practicing calligraphy.
Cultivation emphasizes self-cultivation, and practicing calligraphy was one such thod.
Hu Jin approached and glanced at the words on the desk that Ding Fan was writing.
Ding Fan didn't stop because of her arrival. He continued writing steadily.
Hu Jin wasn't knowledgeable about calligraphy, but seeing Ding Fan's writing—with its striking rhythms, bold fluidity, and unrestrained openness—left her with a sense of admiration.
Though composed of simple strokes, the words seed to convey a profound realm of clarity and transcendence, one Hu Jin couldn't quite comprehend.
"Have the people from The Stars and Stripes Country been settled?" After finishing the last character, Ding Fan put down the brush.
"Yes, they've been accommodated," Hu Jin replied. "Mr. Ding, there's sothing I'd like to say."
Ding Fan nodded, signaling her to speak her mind.
Hu Jin said, "A Pri Minister of the United Kingdom once said, 'There are no eternal enemies, no eternal friends, only eternal interests in the world.'"
After hearing this, Ding Fan already understood what she was getting at.
"Are you suggesting we accept military aid from The Stars and Stripes Country?"
Hu Jin nodded. "Setting aside all ideological considerations, we should focus on tangible benefits."
Ding Fan looked at Hu Jin. "Then tell , what benefits do you think we would gain from accepting their aid?"
"At the very least, our regional standing would be recognized. We wouldn't have to constantly worry about being caught between Vietnam, Myanmar, and India," Hu Jin said, expressing her thoughts.
"Do you think that with The Stars and Stripes Country's help, things in this region would truly improve for us?" Ding Fan asked. He then began organizing the calligraphy pieces on the table. "Vietnam once fought The Stars and Stripes Country directly with real weapons. Do you think they would respect The Stars and Stripes Country enough to live peacefully with us?"
"Moreover, if we were to accept The Stars and Stripes Country's resources without cost, wouldn't that make us their pawns? I refuse to be soone else's tool," Ding Fan declared.
In the Cultivation World, similar transactions existed. A Great Gate Sect would provide cultivation resources to smaller sects. But als were never free. When push ca to shove, the smaller sect would inevitably be sent forward as cannon fodder.
Ding Fan wanted no part of such arrangents.
Even if it ant slightly delaying developnt, Ding Fan refused.
Hu Jin fell silent, considering Ding Fan's words.
At that mont, Huang Can entered.
"General Ding, three Indian warships have entered our surrounding waters. Despite our repeated warnings, they have not retreated. When our patrol boats attempted to block our coastal areas, the Indian warships opened fire. Fortunately, there were no casualties."
India!
They had only just dealt with Vietnam's warships a few days ago, and now Indian warships were stirring up trouble.
"What's the current situation?" Ding Fan asked.
"Their warships are too strong. We didn't dare confront them head-on. Our forces have withdrawn," Huang Can replied...
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