Shadow Empire

Chapter 960 The Beginning of the Craze for Studying in the Federation

Just as the Minister of Industry was about to say something, his son walked in. "Uncle Minister Rabour, and Father, dinner is ready."

The Minister of Industry turned to look at Minister Rabble, and after a moment of eye contact, they stood up almost simultaneously. "Let's fill our stomachs first."

"Let's talk after dinner."

Minister Rabble did not refuse. The two exchanged a few polite words and then went into the restaurant together.

Dinner was plentiful, but it wasn't a family dinner, so there were only two men at the table.

The two sat at opposite ends of the table, on which at least twenty dishes were laid out.

Makan's cooking is similar to that of most countries in the world, mainly using frying, boiling, and grilling. Therefore, multiple dishes can be cooked at the same time, as long as the order is arranged properly and with the help of some apprentice chefs.

Minister Rabble was also a little hungry looking at the delicious food.

Eating and enjoying food is one of the most primal human desires, and to some extent it is even more insane than sex!

After all, sex is something you can handle yourself, or you can choose not to.

Throughout the long history of human civilization, there have been some people who have almost perversely restrained their desires; they can abandon everything, including sex.

But they cannot go without eating.

The terrifying thing about hunger is that the desire to eat can be so strong that it destroys reason!
So even the most idealistic and ambitious person, when he feels hungry, must sit down and eat something.

Besides, these things aren't that bad to eat.

The two cooks began to introduce the evening's dishes to them, and as they did so, they placed the food they had prepared onto the plates of the two ministers.

Each dish was exquisite, like a work of art. It's hard to imagine that such a chef could be found in such a poor and backward region as Yalan.

This also reflects that, whether in developed or underdeveloped countries, men's pursuit of enjoyment is relentless.

Makan's chefs gradually introduce dishes from relatively stimulating to obviously stimulating ones, making them more palatable.

It's hard for people to accept eating highly stimulating foods right from the start.

It was a very lavish and exotic dinner, with more than twenty dishes, most of which were not finished; they didn't have the stomachs to eat it all.

After they left the table, the housekeeper and maids would dump all the food into the trash can and mix it with the other garbage.

As for waste?

For the Minister of Industry, this amount of food was not a matter of waste at all.

Back in the study, the two sat down again and each poured themselves a cup of fragrant black tea.

Having a cup of black tea after a greasy meal is truly a treat.

Neither of them spoke at first, but sat facing each other, seemingly savoring the food they had just eaten, or perhaps reminiscing about the loose ends left from their last conversation before dinner.

After a couple of minutes, the Minister of Industry continued the previous topic, saying, "Giesecke & Decker has invested a lot of resources this time, and has also sent advisors and officers. I believe these are not free."

There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. If it doesn't cost money, then you have to pay for something else.

“I don’t know exactly how Diego negotiated with them, but it’s clear that he had to pay something to get these.”

“We all know Diego. He’s not a generous person. He can’t possibly come up with this money himself, but he hasn’t asked us to share it.”

"Given his recent attitude toward us, I have reason to suspect that he is considering taking a path that none of us want to see."

The Minister of Industry sighed, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and lit one. "Although the Federal cigarettes are technically excellent, I still prefer these simple and straightforward ones."

The strong smell of tobacco filled the entire room with his first puff.

The flavor of raw tobacco is much stronger than that of flue-cured tobacco, with a richer concentration of various chemical components, including nicotine.

There were no filters back then, just cigarettes with openings at both ends, and since they were raw tobacco, the taste was absolutely amazing!
Minister Raboul smiled but said nothing.

After the Minister of Industry took a drag of his cigarette and paused for a moment, he continued, "Unification..."

The concept of unification actually existed for some time before, when Diego's father was still in power, and they discussed it.

The Rapa government appears to be a unified entity, but in reality, it is fragmented.

Everyone has their own interests and demands, so it's impossible for them to truly be a unified whole. That's why Diego's father brought up this concept at the time.

If everyone truly forms a unified whole, it can ensure that the Rapa regime is more stable and has some resistance in the face of the ever-evolving international community with its science and technology.

Diego's father, the previous president, wasn't a particularly brilliant man, but he wasn't stupid either; he saw these problems.

The rise of the Czech Republic, and the hidden ambitions of the father-son presidents whom he considers rivals.

He witnessed the Federation's continuous development, and the awe and fear brought by the occasional docking of those enormous cargo ships—

If those cargo ships were used to transport soldiers, how many could they carry at a time?

So he thought of this problem, so that the divided Lapa could truly achieve unity and that everyone could be closely united.

But this idea ultimately remained just an idea; it had no basis for being realized.

Every family has its own interests and demands, and some of these interests are irreconcilable and conflicting.

So this matter was never brought to fruition until his death.

But now, the Minister of Industry sees a possibility in Diego's eyes.

But for those of them who aren't exactly die-hard fans of the Lavila family, this isn't a good thing.

“I wouldn’t have thought this way before, but the situation is changing too fast now!”

"International ones, AsiaBlue's internal ones, and our own internal ones."

"This civil war was indeed a terrible catastrophe, but for him, for us, and even for those anti-government armed forces, wasn't it also an opportunity?"

He didn't understand what "breaking down class barriers" meant, but he understood this truth: when people start to speak with weapons, then true equality for all can be achieved in the face of bullets and death.

The lowly die with a single shot, and so do the lords.

At this moment, nothing could stop a bullet from taking a man's life—his status, position, wealth, power, and any other material or non-material possessions that could demonstrate his nobility.

They're treated like outcasts!
So in the face of death, they finally achieved equality for all.

After everyone is equal, some people will be eliminated, and those who survive, those who have influence and dominance, will set new rules and start a new cycle.

The broken social classes will quickly reform, become hardened, and eventually become unbreakable, closing every upward path and entering the next cycle.

The Minister of Industry did not want to be among those eliminated by this era; he hoped to stand on this land for as long as possible, protecting the wealth, power, and everything his family had inherited.

Minister Rabble listened to what he said and nodded repeatedly. "You've described a very real situation. We don't know how far Diego will go." "What you've said does make me realize that he's becoming increasingly dangerous, and if we don't consider countermeasures, he could become a problem for us."

“But!” Minister Rabul’s tone suddenly became more serious. The “but” made a big shift in the context, and the solemn expression on his face softened considerably. “Whether he can defeat those anti-government forces is still an unknown.”

Minister Raboul also needs allies, and since the Minister of Industry has already made his thoughts and opinions very clear, he will no longer mince words.

However, he didn't speak too directly. Instead, he answered the Minister of Industry with a confident smile and this sentence.

The Minister of Industry frowned slightly after hearing this. "You mean, he will lose the civil war?"

After saying that, he immediately started shaking his head, saying, "That's impossible!"

“With officers and advisors from the Republic of Chiddes involved, his army will no longer resemble the Lapa army. The anti-government forces cannot defeat him unless…”

He said "unless" subconsciously, his mind was making a habitual deduction, but he didn't say the rest aloud, his brain reacted.

Then he gave Minister Rabble a meaningful look, “Unless the federalists are backing those anti-government armed groups.”

Minister Rabble smiled ambiguously, not to say that he had any special feelings for the Minister of Industry, but to describe his attitude towards the Minister of Industry's words.

Neither admitting nor denying it leaves much room for imagination.

The Minister of Industry was not surprised or even frightened by Minister Raboul's "statement." A smile gradually appeared on his face. Wasn't this exactly the answer he wanted?

"The Federalists now have several different teams here."

"The Federal Ambassador to Lapa, some civilian exchange teams, the Imperial Chamber of Commerce and Lance White, as well as the Federal official delegation, the International Economic Cooperation Agency, and those experts."

"Who do you think is the easiest to approach among them?" he suddenly changed the subject.

Minister Rabble raised an eyebrow, his legs crossed in a relaxed posture. "I don't quite understand your question, but if I had to choose, I would definitely choose Lance White."

“The federal ambassador is too high-ranking. Your conversation with him will be very official and formal. You may not be able to express what you want to say, nor may you get what you want from him.”

"The International Economic Cooperation Agency doesn't engage with our official channels on many issues; they mainly focus on the private sector. If you go to them, you might not be able to reach any agreements."

“Lance White is a good choice. I’ve heard he has great connections and influence in the Federation, and he’s quite a formidable figure himself. If you go to him, you’re sure to get something out of him.”

Hearing this, the Minister of Industry breathed a slight sigh of relief. "I'll visit him in the next couple of days."

The two looked at each other and saw something in each other's eyes, but there was still something between them.

The Minister of Industry was a very efficient person. The next morning, he went to see Lance for a very simple reason.

After Minister Raboul left, he had already prepared his excuse—

Lapa needs to develop basic industries, but he lacks all the necessary supporting facilities and technologies. Therefore, he wants to communicate with the Imperial Chamber of Commerce to see if he can introduce some basic industrial facilities.

Even God would have to agree that this reason is reasonable, so he's not afraid of Diego's people finding out.

Even if we knew, what could we do?
Eat him?
The Minister of Industry's "rash" visit to Lance was not unexpected, because Minister Rabble had called him the night before to tell him about it.

So when Lance heard that he was coming, he invited him into the reception room.

He also brought some gifts, some local specialties, and a few gold nuggets the size of footballs.

For gold prospectors, a "dog head gold" is simply raw gold of insufficient purity, but for wealthy individuals, it is a unique and valuable collectible.

“I really like these things, thank you!” Lance had the items taken to the vault and put away. Then he looked at the Minister of Industry and said, “We don’t seem to have any prior relationship, and I don’t know what I can do for you.”

The Minister of Industry felt relieved after seeing Lance pack up his things, and a relaxed smile appeared on his face. "I am very interested in the factory and production line you are building!"

"Lapa is an industrially underdeveloped country with almost no industrial base or traces of industry."

"We have only a small amount of industrial machinery, and it is very backward, so we can only produce some equally backward goods."

"Although I am the Minister of Industry, I am very ashamed to say that I have not fulfilled the role that this position should have played."

"I would like to visit your factory, and if possible, I would also like to go to the Federation for study and exchange."

As if remembering something, he quickly added, "Just like Minister Raboul!"

Lance didn't agree immediately. He considered it for a moment. "I would welcome you to do so, but I've heard that President Diego has some misunderstandings about us. If you go to inspect our factory or even go to the Federation for exchange and learning at this time, wouldn't it cause some unnecessary trouble?"

"Perhaps President Diego will think you are betraying Lapa?"

The Minister of Industry immediately became somewhat angry, "He's just a member of the Lavila family; he doesn't represent the entire Lapa, nor can he represent us!"

His expression softened as he spoke, "Mr. White, the Federation is the center of the world's industrial technology, possessing the most advanced theories and technologies in the world!"

"I really yearn for these things, and I also long to go to the Federation to see, learn, and exchange ideas, and to gain a deeper understanding of the Federation and everything there."

Seeing his somewhat anxious look, Lance didn't beat around the bush any longer. "I'll help you make the contact, but before that, I need to remind you, Minister."

"Once you make a decision, you can't change it."

"You can't afford the consequences of fraud!"

The Minister of Industry immediately agreed, without hesitation!
The fact that Diego might take action against them, and that the Unions had completely manipulated the Civil War, made him absolutely determined and unwavering in his decision. He agreed without the slightest hesitation.

That afternoon, the Minister of Industry of Lapa led some of his staff to visit and inspect the factory that the federal government had built in Zoran.

I visited their construction site and the assembly line where production was in full swing.

After the visit and inspection, the Minister of Industry was amazed by the advanced level of the Federation's technology and believed that the only way to change the current predicament of Lapa's industry was to shed its burdens, recognize reality, and actively learn from the Federation.

The Minister of Industry stated that he will organize an industrial delegation to conduct a three-week visit to the federal government to observe and learn about industrial achievements.

At the same time, negotiations were conducted with potential partners to support the development of Lapa's industries.

This report didn't take up much space in the newspaper, but in some people's eyes, it was already extremely astonishing!

At this time, when Diego's lust for power was at its peak, why did he suddenly decide to go on a federal inspection?
In fact, many people in the ruling group could see this clearly, and at the same time, they also understood something else—

Minister Raboll went to the Federation not long ago, and now the Minister of Industry is also going to the Federation. So who will be next?
Why did they go to the Federation? Did they reach some kind of agreement with the Federation people?
This is intriguing.

After learning about this, Diego unusually remained silent, simply saying, "I know." He is now focusing all his energy on the civil war!

He believed that as long as he won this civil war and killed all the anti-government militants, the country would become his country completely!

The "unification cause" that his father failed to complete will be accomplished by him, the son who is not favored by the old president. He will become the "restorer" of Rapa, just like the two presidents of Jede!
Once he's dealt with those anti-government scoundrels and lackeys, he'll turn around and deal with these fence-sitters and opposition rulers.

Lapa doesn't need so many voices; his own voice is enough!
At the end of July, the battle officially began, and the area surrounding Zhuolan was engulfed in fierce fighting.

It was obvious that the officers and advisors of the Czech Republic did not have any advanced technology in urban warfare; they were even there with a learning attitude.

Ultimately, these men were more capable than the officers in Lapa, and the results were quite good.

(End of this chapter)