Chapter 339: Saving World Peace?
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Malton Raphael was an insightful, middle-aged man with a tough face. He was the chief adviser to the newly elected President of the M nation, Lanfelord. He made great contributions in the election and was deemed the President’s right arm. He was also the most trusted and important confidant of President Lanfelord.
At this moment, he was sitting opposite of Chen Jin. His expression was stern, and his profound eyes were full of worries.
“Mr. Raphael, may I know the purpose of your visit?”
After some simple greetings, Chen Jin went straight to the point.
“To resolve and cooperate,” Malton replied. “We will push Congress to lift the sanctions against Xing Hai Technologies in the hopes that both sides can initiate cooperative measures. I have come here out of the greatest sincerity and I’m eager to reach an agreement with you as soon as possible.”
“Cooperation?” Chen Jin shook his head. “The M nation is a good consumer market which bears certain appeal to Xing Hai Technologies, but your business environment is not friendly to us. You have driven away many excellent companies from the Z nation like ChinaSat, Hua Yao, Da Mi, and many others. The M nation is not welcoming towards enterprises from the Z nation. Why are you now inviting Xing Hai Technologies back?
Chen Jin found this proposal to be out of line with M nation logic.
Malton realized the sarcasm within Chen Jin’s words, but he replied seriously.
“We cannot lose our shared future! Xing Hai Technologies is the future. If you are shut out, the gap between the M nation and the mainstream world will soon expand to 10, 20 or even 50 and 100 years. If the gap widens to the extent that the threat of nuclear weapons can be ignored by other nations, the M nation will be wiped out. We cannot continue to trail behind.”
Chen Jin looked at him with surprise. Malton continued.
“This time, I have brought along with me three guarantees from President Lanfelord. First, we will push to lift sanctions against Xing Hai Technologies. Second, we will improve the business environment and protect the legitimate interests of all Z enterprises in the M nation, including Xing Hai Technologies. We will provide the most friendly and considerate services and will not allow any of our government departments to harm the interests of tech companies from the Z nation for no reason. We will no longer use security as an excuse to willfully conduct investigations. Third, we will give Xing Hai technologies special treatment, providing certain taxations and land concessions. In short, Xing Hai Technologies will enjoy our utmost preferential treatment. We are willing to give our green light and provide any back-door services for Xing Hai Technologies, even immunity to the law!”
Malton Raphael looked to Chen Jin was a solemn expression.
“Mr. Chen, we have offered all the sincerest measures we can come up with and we only hope that both sides can reach an agreement.”
Chen Jin shook his fingers.
“This is far from enough. You still owe us a sincere apology. Apologize for your politicians that slandered Xing Hai Technologies. Wash away that despicable sewage and return us our innocence. As for the rumor-mongering media in the M nation, Xing Hai Technologies hopes that they will be severely punished by law! It would be best to shut them down altogether and let the upstanding media sources reveal the truth.”
Malton’s face grew dark, but Chen Jin continued.
“Mr. Raphael, my request is not over the top. Xing Hai Technologies has a notorious reputation in the M nation. If we expand our business to the M nation, what would the ignorant M’s do to a company they consider a ‘thief?’ They might pull out guns and shoot down our employees! How exactly in this an environment in which we could grow? Make an official apology, punish some media outlets, and return Xing Hai Technologies our innocent name. Only after doing this could it become possible for us to cooperate. Otherwise, we will not step foot in a country with more than 300 million guns.”
Upon hearing Chen Jin, Malton’s face clouded even more.
“Mr. Chen, I know that Xing Hai Technologies has suffered a lot of defamation. I would like to personally apologize. President Lanfelord is also willing to give you a call and sincerely apologize to you in that matter, but the M nation cannot apologize on behalf of all the M’s. The M’s are divided into two factions, one is the rational M’s, composed of intellectual elites who are willing to apologize to Xing Hai Technologies. The other faction is the sensitive and irrational M’s, composed of ignorant madmen. They will not apologize and will stop the other faction from doing so. They might even become extremely outraged and riot.”
Malton did his best to remain composed.
Mr. Chen, President Lanfelord just barely won with 50.6% of the votes. The opposition still consists of half of our voters. President Lanfelord’s seat is very fragile. If he makes a move that is detrimental to the dignity of the M nation, the supporters of the opposition will quickly rise to more than 70%. He will lose power and even his life. Apologizing to Xing Hai Technologies is by no means a small matter of saving face, it is a matter of life and death.”
Listening to Malton Raphael, a word popped out in Chen Jin’s mind: populist. In the Western democratic world, public support rating was the root of life. To maintain the support of the people, politicians could only do the right things and not the wrong things. If they made even the smallest of mistakes, it would be greatly exaggerated by the media, their public support rating would plummet and they would be forced to resign.
Apologizing to Xing Hai Technologies at this moment in time would be the wrong thing to do. If Lanfelord did it, it would be tantamount to political suicide. An apology was impossible.
“In that case, Xing Hai Technologies cannot enter the M nation. We dare not risk putting ourselves into a dangerous country.”
Chen Jin spread his hands. Accommodating voters was what politicians should do, but he was a mere businessman, so he had no reason to accommodate the voters. Why should he even do so? Xing Hai Technologies would not enter the M nation without the promise of clearing their name!
“Mr. Chen!” Malton stood up abruptly with his hands on the table. “In the name of G.o.d, please help the M nation! I’ll just be frank with you, if Xing Hai Technologies is not willing to help us, the M nation will be thrown into living h.e.l.l. The very planet will be destroyed!”
Malton Raphael’s face had gone from solemn to desperate.
“Jefferou is not satisfied with his loss in this election. He is preparing to mount a comeback. He acquired the support of the military, the military-industrial groups, and most of the media. His supporters are still above 50%. After Lanfelord took office, the military-compet.i.tive complexes, which made a fortune through war, lost the most since our military expenses will now be cut in half.”
Malton’s hands shook slightly as he spoke.
“This is a tumor that is growing on the M nation. President Lanfelord is going to eradicate this tumor and abolish those war groups, but they also intend to get rid of the President. If President Lanfelord hurts their interests, they will find a way to exterminate him. This tumor must not stay! The President is ready to sacrifice his life, but once Jefferou takes office, war will inevitably erupt and the whole world will plunge into darkness. Nuclear weapons are within their a.r.s.enal.”
At the thought of nuclear war, Maton shuddered.
“We need help from Xing Hai Technologies. We need your products to improve our education, improve our work efficiency, increase our economic growth rate, and divert our people’s attention to outer s.p.a.ce. As long as everything is improving, the high support rate from our people will be enough for us to hold off any demons. Mr. Chen, please help us! Please save the M nation and the world!”
Malton bowed to him deeply. Chen Jin was stunned. At the moment, he was dumbfounded. The mission of saving the M nation, saving the world, and maintaining peace on this planet had fallen onto his shoulders. Was this a joke?