Darkstone Code

In any negotiation, conditions are flexible and negotiable, and these can be easily changed. What is truly difficult to change is attitude.

Now the attitude of the Nagariel delegation has undergone a new change, perhaps Lynch has scared them.

No matter their own power—a country that can't even produce bullets on its own and needs to import fuel through Pretton Trading Company, what right do they have to talk about "military power"?

They have no power, no power of their own, and their police and soldiers only have the capability to drive away and beat ordinary citizens.

As for going to war with the Bail Federal on the battlefield?

That has always been just a pleasant daydream of their rulers, and when they truly fall asleep, even their subconscious would refuse to acknowledge such a possibility.

If they cannot earn some respect through their own strength, would relying on Gafura's power be a good choice?

Relying on Gafura's military power, much like going to war with the Bail Federal, is not a good choice. By then, the entire Nagariel would become a frontline filled with flying shells, the flames of war destroying their homeland. Whether Gafura wins or the Federation wins, they would face an even more troublesome outcome.

War compensation and the costs of hiring for the war, in fact, are often the same thing, a form of extortion, a form of blackmail.

After much contemplation, the delegation has reached a unified opinion, but what no one knows is that the opinion of the delegation does not actually align with that of the Central Government of the Nagariel United Kingdom.

The Central Government's idea is to continue stalling, until the Bail Federal and Gafura's Royal Navy have engaged in a naval battle before making a decision.

Whoever wins, they would side with them.

Such a decision maximizes the protection of Nagariel's interests. They would not ignite the flames of war on Nagariel's land, nor would they need to pay or compensate too much, and can stand 100% on the side of the victors.

The idea is beautiful, but the problem is they do not have the capability to execute it.

Unknown to all, the Nagariel delegation decided to conduct the upcoming negotiations themselves, which is precisely the main reason for the delegation's change in attitude.

They want to break away from the ideas within Nagariel and negotiate cooperation with the Bail Federal, while also representing the official stance of Nagariel. This is probably the greatest issue with Nagariel's social system, something also reflected in its name—the United Kingdom.

For these people in the delegation to ensure their interests are not harmed, there is nothing they cannot agree to.

Actually, Lynch feels that if Mr. Truman showed a more hardline attitude and found someone to further intimidate the delegation, they might agree to make Federation Sol the legal tender of Nagariel, at least in some provinces.

This doesn't sound like a diplomatic negotiation, but this is precisely the norm in diplomatic negotiations; favor and force always coexist.

"I want to add some supplementary clauses..." After reading the complete minutes of the third round of negotiations, Lynch expressed some of his thoughts.

Mr. Truman poured some wine for both of them, sat opposite Lynch, and took out a notebook and a pen, ready to jot down Lynch's words at any moment.

Seeing him so serious, Lynch found it somewhat amusing, "Doing this makes me feel a bit embarrassed."

Mr. Truman replied earnestly, "This is my respect for you. At least from my point of view, even though you're a merchant, many times you care more about this country than a politician does!"

This statement was a feeling he had during this period. Previously, Mr. Truman's attitude towards merchants and capitalists was not very friendly, not liking those who only ever cared about profits, profits, and profits.

However, recent events gradually changed some of his views on the world. Compared to those politicians who could abandon their stance for money or other things, ironically, it was Lynch whose ideas were more beneficial for the long-term development of the country.

His words caused a slight change in Lynch's expression. He didn't know what had happened during his absence from Bupen, but he could sense that Mr. Truman's mood and attitude were different from before.

If the other party was willing to tell him, then Mr. Truman certainly would. If he did not want to say, Lynch would not inquire.

He abandoned this momentary distraction, organized the content he wanted to express, and began speaking, "First, let's talk about something not quite suitable for exposure..."

Lynch took a sip from his glass. The liquor with ice was no longer so spicy; the low temperature made it easier to drink while still retaining the effect typical of strong liquor.

He gestured casually with two fingers from the hand holding the glass, pointing at nothing in particular, "Preton can't die, or rather, if he dies, we also need to make it appear as though he's still alive."

"I've thought about it these days, a living Preton, alive in any sense, is more in line with our interests in the East Ocean than a dead dog."

"We all know he's the leader of the Pirate Group. To prevent his and the residual forces of his Pirate Group from retaliating against us, we need to establish safe routes on the East Ocean for the merchant ships coming and going, including but not limited to our country's and Nagariel's merchant ships..."

Truman's subordinate, writing feverishly, suddenly stopped and looked up at Lynch in astonishment, "For a moment, I almost thought I was sitting in Gafura's Ruler's Hall right now!"

The Ruler's Hall is where the Emperor of the Gafura Empire conducts affairs, and it's part of the Imperial Palace. Every few days, the most powerful people in the Gafura Empire gather there to discuss some state affairs.

When he said this, he meant that Lynch's statement lacked the essence of the Federation and sounded more like an imperial minister speaking with full imperial hegemonic rhetoric.

Establishing safe routes on the East Ocean is essentially armed cruising by warships when not in a state of war.

The advantages of doing this are evident; the Federation Navy can clearly grasp the situation of every place on the entire East Ocean, while also having a clear understanding of some nations' coastal defenses and the resource distribution in some areas.

On the other hand, when needed, these warships can immediately rush to the war zone, and this makes them more concealed, serving as a deterrent to all countries.

No one knows where those warships are at any given moment; they may be very far away from a certain area, but within minutes, a coastal town might be under bombardment.

It's just that these actions are not very federated; the Federation has never shown such aggression.

However, Lynch found some reasons for his ideas: Pretton cannot die, his Pirate Group cannot be completely wiped out. With these excuses, the Federation's warships are always in a state of military readiness, and no one can find any fault with it.

Mr. Truman had some feelings; who could be more patriotic than Lynch?

While those politicians discuss how much benefit they can gain by speaking for interest groups, Lynch thinks about expanding the nation's influence and power in the East Ocean, which made Mr. Truman change his views on merchants.

Lynch smiled, "Should I take that as a compliment?"

The two laughed and raised their glasses; Lynch continued, "We need a supply point, not to mention other places; we need to designate a deep-water port in Nagariel as a supply and repair port for the Federation Navy in the East Ocean."

Mr. Truman, who had just resumed recording, stopped his pen again and frowned, "This might not be easy. If we place the Navy at Nagariel's doorstep, they'll definitely be worried because we can attack Nagariel anytime, anywhere."

At this moment, Lynch's brain was racing, and he said directly, "What if the Pretton Pirate Group continuously harasses their coastal areas, carrying out retaliatory looting and attacks?"

He leaned back in the sofa, crossed his legs, and patted some inconspicuous dust off his pants, "Continuous harassment; they don't have the capability to attack a coastal city, but they can loot resources, set fire to burn important city buildings."

"They can tolerate it once, twice, three times... but this is the United Kingdom, where every province is like..." Lynch suddenly paused, shook his head, "No, every province is an independent kingdom; someone will agree."

"Once we obtain this naval port in Nagariel, our armed deterrent range in the East Ocean will greatly increase!"

Mr. Truman continued, "Pretton and the pirate forces he joined have been chased around by us, so we established naval ports in more places, protecting more people, is that right?"

Lynch nodded, "Yes, it is. It's a great spirit of selfless international contribution!"

"Yes, yes, great morality, you really look like a politician when you're shameless!" Mr. Truman laughed heartily. Sometimes he himself felt strange that he could become quite close friends with Lynch, who was much younger than him.

It was magical; he also tried to understand and make friends with other young people, like his children, but he failed.

Perhaps only Lynch was special, the only one.

As his laughter gradually subsided, he looked at Lynch, with somewhat twinkling eyes, "Have you ever thought about entering politics?"

"The Federation Charter and laws allow politicians to have jobs besides government work; they can also engage in commerce." His tone and expression were somewhat expectant, "You don't need to give up anything in your hand to become a politician; being a politician will bring you many benefits and conveniences!"

"If you can become a Member of Parliament... No, you will definitely become a Member of Parliament, then you can make your voice heard without relying on anyone's political influence, wouldn't that be good?"

Initially, he was not very keen on forming cliques; there were too many small political circles in Bupen, and he didn't join many.

But recent events made him realize that being alone is not enough. To really do something for the country and the people, one must have someone standing by their side.

Lynch is a great choice; they collaborated well on some issues and there's no conflict of interest.

Facing Mr. Truman's gaze, Lynch shook his head, "No, I haven't considered it, at least not for now."