Shadow Empire

Chapter 1027 Reverse Adjustment
The president's secretary sat on a sofa in the hotel lobby, and a hotel waiter brought him a glass of ice water.

In the Alam region, the environment is hot and humid for about ten months of the year, so people love ice water.

It's not just President Diego who likes iced juice; most people in the Alam region, if they can afford iced juice or ice cubes, will enjoy drinking iced water.

Even in winter, when the temperature in the Czech Republic is only around ten degrees Celsius, ice water is still the choice for most people.

He held a newspaper in his hand, the News Daily, a relatively authoritative official newspaper in the Czech Republic, which published a lot of official news.

Even he, the president's secretary, sometimes couldn't possibly know what happened every day.

Reading newspapers became an important way for him to obtain this information.

When he saw that in the second half of this year, the Republic of Germany had seen an increase in foreign investment, mainly from federal investors who began to frequently invest in various projects.

The overall economy of the Czech Republic has seen significant growth, very significant.

They compared the economic growth in the third and fourth quarters of the past five years, and last year's third and fourth quarters were arguably the two fastest-growing quarters in the history of the Czech Republic.

The journalist who wrote this news article believes this is a very good performance, as the federal government, as the center of world capitalism, receives recognition from federal investors, which is equivalent to capital recognition.

This will lead to more effective and valuable investment projects.

In this article, he illustrated this point with examples, such as how several federal investors brought some light industry technologies, filling the gap in this area in the Republic of Germany and achieving a huge leap from "nothing to something in local production"!

There are many other investment projects like this.

Not everyone came with money; many came with technology. This journalist believes that the authorities of the Czech Republic should place more emphasis on technological investments than on financial ones.

As long as there are people, and as long as people continue to reproduce, there will always be countless people, which means that countless amounts of wealth will gradually emerge in the future.

However, technology is something that either exists or it doesn't. Even technologies that might be considered outdated in the Federal Industrial System are still leading technologies here, in the Republic of Geedelberg.

These technologies are what the Republic of Germany needs for its current development, both economically and in terms of the accumulation of local technology and industry.

However, the author of this article, this journalist, also offered a reminder.

As many federal investors entered the Republic of Czedica in search of opportunities, some federal "poor people" and "scammers" also came to the Republic of Czedica.

They have committed numerous frauds, swindling money from many people.

We must maintain a high level of enthusiasm for federal investors, encouraging them to invest their funds and technology, while also remaining vigilant about all their actions to avoid being deceived by them again.

Upon reading this, the president's secretary nodded, saying that the report was very well written.

There was none of the blatant flattery of federal investors found in some second-rate newspapers, as if the Republic of Germany could achieve economic take-off simply because of these federal investors.

In their mouths, the Federation people are angels sent by God to help the Republic of Geed, but in reality, the Federation people are a hungry wolf.

It was starving, eyeing the fattest piece of meat, Yalan!

Every country has some people who are clear-headed and rational about society, but there are many more ordinary people who can only see the superficial aspects.

The elevator bell suddenly rang with a crisp "ding," and the gilded elevator doors were opened by the elevator operator, who then stepped out. A very stylish young woman walked out.

Her style of dress is very "Federal," because the arrival of federal investors also brought a lot of federal culture and books, including some fashion magazines.

Some of the inherent human traits of admiring strength are unleashed without people even realizing it.

They would be very keen to buy Federal magazines and then imitate Federal fashion based on the content of those magazines.

For example, it was like... the president's secretary's eyes lit up; this girl was the typical "Federal Modern Girl," and of course, you should add "imitator" after that.

However, they would refer to these girls as "modern girls," omitting the word "federal."

These girls are very famous in the Czech Republic, though their reputation is mixed.

The girl who came out of the elevator had just been beaten by Engineer Smith, and her legs were still a little weak. If Engineer Smith didn't have to go to work, she would rather stay on that bed, no matter what he did!
In this girl's mind, she would like any foreigner who is a member of the Federation, a foreigner with hair, or a foreigner who is like an ape or a human who has degenerated somewhat.

It seems that by having these men inject their freedom from the Federation into their own bodies in this way, they can also become free-spirited Federation citizens!
As she felt a gentle flow of heat, she suddenly caught sight of the presidential secretary sitting on the sofa, his eyes shining as he looked at her.

She didn't know the young man, but she didn't like him because he exuded the decadent and boring aura of the Geeddah Republic.

She rolled her eyes at the president's secretary with a slightly disdainful and impatient expression, and even pulled up her low-cut top a little, as if afraid that if she exposed too much flesh, she would be taken advantage of by this poor local who could only scam ice water in the hotel.

She seemed to have forgotten that not long ago, a guy she didn't know, but who she heard was from the Federation, had almost seen her naked. She didn't feel any shame or embarrassment at all; instead, she stretched out her body very generously, as if to tell him that she was in heat and needed to be filled.

The president's secretary, who was inexplicably given a disapproving look, smiled and shook his head. He wasn't angry; this kind of situation was becoming more and more common.

These young men and women, who lack discernment, always believe that the Federation is the future, which may be related to the promotional films shown to them during previous cultural exchanges with the Federation.

They portrayed themselves as great heroes who saved the world; if it weren't for them, the Dantras would have stolen the world's security, become evil rulers, and reigned supreme over everyone.

They used a lot of content that was difficult to verify to promote the various advantages and benefits of the Federation. Now the authorities have realized this and are reducing the frequency of cultural exchanges, while also increasing the scrutiny of exchanged cultural works.

He didn't know what would happen if things continued this way, but he knew that if most people, especially young people, preferred the Federation to the Republic of Germany, it would be a disaster.

The president's secretary folded the newspapers, but he was no longer in the mood to read them. The arrival of the federalists had brought too much chaos to the country, and sometimes he admired the president.

Despite the dire situation, he persisted, which gave him an urge to dedicate everything to the country!

About ten minutes later, Engineer Smith and his partner came out of the elevator. The president's secretary immediately stood up and greeted them with a big smile.

He intended to shake hands with Engineer Smith, but the other man unexpectedly gave him a hug, to which he could only respond in bewilderment.

“You…”, he wanted to ask what was wrong, but he didn’t ask.

Engineer Smith was an "honest man." He said, "The fact that you came to me means you accepted my quote."

"Isn't this good news for me?"

"I will make some profits, and there will be a continuous stream of revenue sharing. I'm very excited!"

The president's secretary seemed to accept his statement and smiled as he invited him to leave, saying, "We've already made preparations elsewhere, and everyone wants to talk to you again before paying this money."

"You know, that's fifty million, which is a considerable sum for us!"

Their foreign exchange reserves were already very tight, and if they withdraw another 50 million federal soles, the country's total federal sole foreign exchange reserves might be less than 100 million.

If something major happens that requires external support, their foreign exchange reserves may not be enough!
Engineer Smith also seemed very open-minded, saying, "Of course, of course, I don't think it's offensive."

"Then...shall we go now?"

"I hope to get this sorted out as soon as possible and not let it drag on any longer."

He fanned himself with his hand. "I'm getting a little annoyed."

The president's secretary said with a half-smile, "Perfect, me too." He then led the two to the presidential car and drove them to a very beautiful river bend on the outskirts of the capital.

The president built an estate here. From the main building of the estate, one can overlook most of the city and see the river below, which is not turbulent but certainly not calm, lapping against the rocks on both sides of the river in the bend.

It has a unique flavor.

Soon they were seated on opposite sides of the negotiating table. Once everyone was seated, the president's secretary, as the main negotiator for this negotiation, naturally took charge of most of the content.

"Engineer Smith, we have agreed in principle to obtain these two production lines through your method."

"But regarding the price... we think we should perhaps adjust it again."

"The current price is unreasonable!"

Selling items worth less than seven million for fifty million?
Is there anything darker than this?
He had expected Engineer Smith to object, but to his surprise, the other engineer kept nodding, saying, "That's what I think too."

A defense official who was accompanying the talks said with a smile, "It's great that you think that way. It seems that our negotiations will go very smoothly, at least we have the same goal on the same issue."

The president's secretary nodded in agreement. "That's true. I have a feeling we'll be able to conclude these negotiations soon, and both sides will be satisfied!"

Engineer Smith, maintaining that somewhat... off-putting smile, looked at them and said, "You might have misunderstood something."

"I'm saying the price needs to be adjusted, not downwards, but upwards."

He still had that same carefree, grinning look, but anyone could see the mockery and arrogance on his face. "Your distrust of me hurts me deeply. Now their offer is sixty million."

The president's secretary paused for a moment, raised his hand, but instead of slamming it on the table, he placed it on the table with a serious expression, almost standing up. "I don't understand!"

“You understand!” Engineer Smith retorted firmly.

“If you had only talked to me from the beginning, and you were not satisfied with the price, perhaps we could have discussed it further.”

"But you turned around and contacted the group company through domestic channels, trying to bypass me and buy it directly from them. You have seriously hurt my feelings!"

“I feel very uncomfortable. Your attitude makes me feel that if I maintain the original price, it would be an insult to myself.”

"So, its current asking price is 60 million."

The president's secretary took a deep breath and slowly sat back down. "Engineer Smith, you said it yourself, we can look into it."

Engineer Smith did not deny it, "Indeed, that's what I said, but I didn't tell you to buy them. I just asked you to inquire about the prices, but you were thinking of buying them directly."

"You were the ones who broke the contract first. Even if you had rejected my offer and then did this, I wouldn't be this angry."

“But while you were keeping me hanging, you were trying to buy things from other places. Now that you can’t buy them, you’ve thought of me again.”

"how?"

Am I really that worthless?

Seeing Engineer Smith's almost unreasonable attitude, the president's secretary's expression changed several times. After a dozen seconds, he stood up, bowed to Engineer Smith, and said, "I apologize for my decision, Engineer Smith. These were my personal decisions, and I feel ashamed of them and apologize to you."

Engineer Smith shook his head. "I accept your apology, but the price won't change. If an apology and a bow can make me ask for ten million less, then I'll bow to you too, and then I can ask for ten million more, right?"

The president's secretary rarely encountered such a shameless and unscrupulous person, especially since the other party also possessed the most crucial and core information about the entire plan.

What's more troublesome is that the entire project is now halfway done, and they've spent millions building that factory that even the architects thought was unreasonable.

Even if they stop pushing the project forward now, it means that the initial construction costs and public relations expenses, including the costs of paying the claims made by the two companies, may have been a lot of money wasted.

So much foreign exchange has gone down the drain; the cost is too high. He can't make the decision, and neither can anyone in this room.

Engineer Smith watched as the president's secretary's face flushed red and then turned pale, then red again, and his tone suddenly softened.

"To tell you the truth, your inquiries about whether you can buy a bullet production line have already been exposed to some people."

“You have also attracted the attention of some federal departments, which has made it much more difficult for me to transport them out of the federal government, and there are more key channels that need to be cleared.”

"As for the military industry group, I need to silence them, change the two production lines from 'inventory' to 'scrap' and 'destroy', and then I need to make some of the congressmen who can decide the final outcome of this matter selectively ignore it."

"Next, I have to deal with those greedy hyenas at customs. If they randomly inspect our containers, it means our losses will be huge."

"So in order to shut them up, we must make it 100% impossible for them to conduct random checks on these things."

"This might require help from other people, since I don't know any members of Congress, and all of this requires money!"

"I'll tell you the truth."

"I only made a maximum of two million from this deal, and that was split between the two of us. The rest of the money didn't end up in our hands."

“Because you buy things everywhere, you attract the attention of some people, and these people need extra money to keep them silent.”

"If you think my offer is unreasonable, you can try finding someone else."

It sounds... somewhat reasonable, but the president's secretary knew that even if what he said was true, it would definitely cost more than sixty million.

What the hell does PR need to cost so much money for?
But at this moment he couldn't refute it, because Engineer Smith "again" said, "If it doesn't work, go find someone else to try."

He believed that if he went to find someone else, the money he would get back might not be 60 million, but 70 million, 80 million, or even more!

He could only put on a conciliatory expression and say, "We really don't have much foreign exchange left. If you can accept Larry's payment, I can agree to this."

According to the official exchange rate, 60 million Federal Sols should be equivalent to 600 million, but in reality, 60 million Federal Sols can be exchanged for about 800 million, which means they saved some money.

Engineer Smith shook his head. "That's impossible. Although I currently live in the Republic of Geed, it doesn't mean I'll live here forever."

"It must be paid by Federal Sol, and have you considered this question?"

"How can I convince those people in the federal government to take Larry, which they can't use at all and which the federal domestic banks don't value, instead of Federal Saul?"

The president's secretary sighed. He knew that this negotiation was really difficult because they were on the defensive.

This isn't a game; you can just passively attack and get through.

This was a business negotiation, a business negotiation with political undertones. The result of being completely passive was that they could only "obey" the other party's demands, rather than "negotiate" or "judge".

Since the amount of money was unchangeable, the president's secretary focused his efforts on supporting services.

“I will report this new price to the president, but since we have already paid so much money, could we add a few minor requests to the original plan?”

“For example…” He glanced at the weapons designer next to Engineer Smith, “…could you design a new weapon with us?”

(End of this chapter)