Shadow Empire

Chapter 964 After-sales
Seeing that Fernandez seemed to be caught in a state of anxiety, Diego became even more curious.

"What exactly happened?" he asked.

After taking a few puffs of his cigarette, Fernandez finally decided to tell Diego about it, since the federal government had already confirmed it.

He'll realize he doesn't have enough ammunition when he tries to buy more but is refused.

It's just a matter of sooner or later, and saying it now will earn Diego's trust.

"They just told me that something really bad happened."

"The federal government has stopped shipping standard-sized ammunition, bullets, shells, everything overseas; they're not selling any of it."

"Now they only sell non-standard bullets."

After listening for seven or eight seconds, Diego asked tentatively, "What does this have to do with us?"

Fernandez paused for a moment, then couldn't help shaking his head and laughing. "Mr. President, the weapons we use all use federal standard ammunition."

"Whether it's Geed or Lapa, the weapons the soldiers carry are basically from the Federation."

"In other words, once we run out of bullets, our weapons become worthless."

"We have no bullets; they're not even as useful as a knife!"

Diego understood, and his face showed an expression of disbelief, just like Fernandez's expression just now!
"Then what do we do now?"

"Can't we make it ourselves?"

The "we" he referred to did not mean Lapa, but rather Jiede.

He wanted to ask whether the Czech Republic had the capability to manufacture it.

Fernandez's expression was very unpleasant. He pursed his lips tightly, and they turned white and bloodless from being squeezed. "I'm sorry, Mr. President, we can't manufacture them either."

Although the Czech Republic tried to produce its own bullets, they simply couldn't.

Metallurgical formulas, gunpowder formulas, primer technology—these are all things they cannot solve.

They could buy some bullet manufacturing components, such as cartridge cases, bullets, gunpowder, and primers, and purchase them separately from the Federation to assemble them themselves.

There are specialized hand machines that can make this. With simple training, a person can make a bullet in about a minute.

The eleven countries of Asia have a large population. It seems that even if you only fire one bullet per minute and work for twelve hours a day, you will only fire a few hundred bullets, which is very few, but the population here is huge.

This is actually one way to do it.

Ten thousand people can produce ten thousand bullets per minute, which is actually quite good, equivalent to the output of a federal production line in one hour.

But this is unlikely, because they can't produce those parts themselves and need to import them.

He wasn't sure if these accessories were also prohibited from export, but he had a feeling that they were very likely.

They couldn't even handle a single primer, let alone anything else.

If that's the case, they'll have to consider how to deal with this terrible situation.

Upon hearing this, Diego couldn't help but take a deep breath. "Wang Defa?"

"Then what about this war?"

What about those anti-government armed forces?

"Will the Federation stop supplying them with ammunition too?" he asked, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

But all he got in return was Fernandez shaking his head, "I don't think they will stop supplying ammunition to these anti-government armed groups."

“Mr. President, everyone can see this now; we clearly have the advantage.”

"Perhaps this is some kind of method they've come up with to control us."

Two hundred thousand regular troops plus the officers of the German army were to deal with a group of ordinary people who had never even touched a gun a few months ago, let alone fought against government troops. Neither Fernandez nor the president of the German army thought it would be a difficult task.

Some events in the history of Germany have taught them that in the era of war with firearms, even if farmers had the opportunity to obtain weapons, they could not become soldiers.

This is different from the past era of cold weapons, where a farmer could become a qualified soldier as soon as he picked up a weapon, and could be considered an elite after killing a few enemies.

However, this is not the case in the era of firearms. There are systematic combat plans here that farmers cannot handle.

A war system that requires specialized schools to learn is not so easy to master.

But now, their advantage is gone.

Diego patted the armrest and stood up. "I'll contact the federal ambassador."

Fernandez looked at him. "Why did you contact the federal ambassador?"

"Protest!" Diego's face was full of anger. He was just about to teach these people a lesson when the Federation punched him, making him feel very uncomfortable.

He now wants to see the federal ambassador and then spit his saliva in the other person's face!
Fernandez shook his head. "It makes no sense, Mr. President."

"The Federation is not saying they will stop exporting; they will still export, but not the standard-sized bullets."

"All bullets and shells will be a size smaller, they just won't be suitable for our current weapons."

Upon hearing this, Diego seemed to realize something. "So... does that mean all we have to do is buy new weapons and new ammunition?"

He looked at Fernandez, his annoyance now mixed with a hint of irritation directed at the man before him.

He should have said earlier that he could continue buying weapons and ammunition; otherwise, he wouldn't have let himself be controlled by him like a fool.

He sat back down in his chair, his face clearly showing his displeasure with Fernandez. "You should have explained yourself to me more clearly!"

Fernandez shook his head. "Mr. President, don't place too much hope on the fact that we can still obtain these things from the Federation in large quantities and systematically."

"They might deliberately create some trouble for us."

“For example!” he emphasized, realizing that Diego was truly emotional and incredibly stupid.

He decided to take the time to look at the intelligence files and see how Diego had been chosen; his mind was simply not suited to be a ruler.

He patiently waited until Diego's attention was drawn before continuing, "If they sell us a hundred rifles, but only the ammunition for twenty, do you think that's a good thing?"

"Or, they might ask you to buy certain weapons along with some overpriced items that don't help the war effort."

"For example, if you were asked to buy a bunch of expensive marching tents, would you buy them?"

This situation is still possible, as Fernandez now has no reservations about the federal government's bottom line.

These people have absolutely no bottom line!

Upon hearing this, the president looked somewhat troubled. If that were the case, he wasn't sure whether he would buy it.

Do the soldiers need tents?

No need at all!
All they need is a place to lie down.

Even in winter, the temperature in Lapa is quite nice, around 10 degrees Celsius, and it's even warmer in summer.

As for mosquitoes, there's no need to worry about them; the locals know how to deal with them.

So he doesn't need a tent at all!
No, no other bundled sales are needed.

But now, he seemed to have no other choice. He looked at Fernandez, who was looking at him in return, and both of them saw helplessness in each other's eyes.

They had done such unreasonable things before, and they didn't feel uncomfortable at the time, but now that others are starting to dominate them, they are starting to feel uncomfortable.

"Right now, let's focus on eliminating the anti-government forces within our borders. Also, you could contact the federal ambassador or the federal secretary of state. Perhaps there are other clauses or conditions we are unaware of in these agreements."

Diego could only nod in agreement.

After returning to his office, he slumped into his chair and stared blankly for a while before dialing the federal ambassador's number.

This presidency is becoming less and less interesting.

The call was quickly connected, and the Federal Ambassador's voice came through the receiver, "This is the Federal Embassy Ambassador's Office." "Hello, Your Excellency, this is Diego."

The man on the other end of the line seemed surprised by the call, pausing for three or four seconds before saying, "Your Excellency, I didn't expect you to call me."

"So, is there anything I can do to help you?"

Diego sighed softly. "I heard the Federation has now banned the sale of standard-specification ammunition?"

“Lapa and the Federation are friendly allies, and our relationship is solid and reliable. Perhaps we are not on that potential list of prohibited transactions?”

The federal ambassador was surprised by how quickly the news spread; he thought it would take at least two or three days, or even five days, before these people learned about this newly promoted policy.

He did not deny it, saying, "Yes, there is indeed such a policy."

"Mr. President, is there a problem?"

Diego immediately complained, “Almost all the weapons we have are federal standard weapons, from 1010 bolt-action rifles to a few new semi-automatic rifles now.”

“We’ve just expanded our army to 200,000 men, and each of them is equipped with these weapons. If you don’t sell them the ammunition, won’t our weapons become useless?”

"This makes me suspect that this policy you have formulated is targeted at us in Lapa."

"I don't know what caused such a big misunderstanding between us. We are diplomatic allies, we should be friends, not enemies."

He suppressed his emotions and communicated using what he considered to be relatively mild and stable emotions.

Although at this moment he felt a deep disgust and hatred for these people.

The federal ambassador's hearty laughter came through the receiver, which only fueled his annoyance.

He doesn't like these people.

He had never been so submissive before. Now he was doing so. He was clearly very angry and wanted to explode, but he had to pretend that everything was fine.

The heads of state of small countries feel more hopeless when facing large countries than ordinary people when facing officials!

After laughing for a while, the ambassador calmed down and explained to him, "President Diego, you've misunderstood."

“We don’t mean to target anyone, because there have always been anti-war voices in the Federation. You know, no matter what you do, there will always be someone who stands up and criticizes you for doing it.”

“If it were just simple anti-war sentiment, we wouldn’t really pay attention to them, but when they say that federally produced weapons and bullets ultimately became accomplices in killing federal soldiers, that’s when the focus of society shifted.”

"They needed a topic to discuss, and this topic just happened to appear, and some of them even started spontaneous marches and demonstrations."

"Therefore, in order to resolve this issue as quickly as possible, the federal government and Congress made this decision after discussions."

"Small-caliber weapons are relatively less lethal, so even if Federation weapons and ammunition fall into enemy hands, more people will have the opportunity to receive medical treatment while they are fighting the Federation."

"So this is not an action targeting you or Lapa, President Diego, you can rest assured!"

"We are friendly allies, and we will not use such means or measures to restrict your development."

"As for your concern about insufficient ammunition, that's actually easy to solve."

"You can directly purchase new export weapons and matching ammunition, without any limit, just like before!"

He was surprised to hear that the federal ambassador had actually given him an excuse, and he even found it quite plausible.

After all, the people of the Federation are crazy, and nothing they do will seem strange to others.

This made him want to get angry or complain, and he lost his goal.

"Your Excellency, if you or your army need these new weapons and ammunition, I can help you contact some sales personnel who will provide you with the best solutions."

“From the helmets they wear to their shoes, including their weapons, you have a lot more options.”

"Believe me, Your Excellency, your troops will look more like a modern, professional army than they do now."

These words sounded perfectly reasonable, but Diego felt that the federal ambassador was mocking him, mocking his army for being unprofessional and unmodern!
He was silent for a moment. "So, that means I can't buy the rifle bullets we use now, right?"

"anyway!"

The federal ambassador confirmed with some regret, "I'm afraid so, Mr. President."

"However, I need to remind you that this isn't just targeting you; it's the whole world!"

Diego was losing his temper. "Do you know how much I'll lose by doing this?"

"I just armed two hundred thousand men with your weapons, and now you're telling me those weapons are unusable? Fuck!"

Taking advantage of a lull in his rant, the federal ambassador interrupted him, saying, "Mr. Diego, if the weapons your 200,000 soldiers are using were sold to you by us, the federal government, or the federal military-industrial complex..."

“You can have the person who sold it to you submit a written document to Congress, and Congress will certainly make some policy adjustments for you separately.”

"However, I have not heard of any military industrial group having a large-scale arms sales plan in Rapa, or having completed an arms sales plan."

"Equipping 200,000 soldiers is no small business!"

"But if you didn't buy these weapons from the Federation, then whoever you bought them from, shouldn't you hold that person responsible?"

"Instead of calling me and asking us to take responsibility for arms sales that have nothing to do with us?"

These words kept Diego's profanities and complaints to himself, because he hadn't actually bought them from the federal government; he had traded them for Lapa state-owned resources from Jedd.

State-owned resources aren't ours anyway, so giving them away is fine, but these weapons and ammunition are the real deal.

Moreover, if he can win this civil war, he may gain control of some of the resources previously held by other ruling families.

He gave away a portion of what had nothing to do with him without feeling any remorse.

If he can't handle this civil war and is eventually overthrown, then so be it!

But now, he was a little speechless.

Upon hearing Diego fall silent, the federal ambassador chuckled twice. "So, Your Excellency, when it comes to buying weapons, it's more reliable to come to us."

"At least we offer after-sales service. If you buy our weapons, even if there's an embargo on bullets, you won't be included!"

Do you have any other questions?

"No, I have a meeting later."

He had made it clear to President Diego that he was going to hang up.

This left President Diego seething with anger but unable to vent it; it was incredibly frustrating!
Anger is not like a belly full of tadpoles, which can be vented in many ways, such as by squeezing glue or other methods.

The flames of rage have only one path: destruction.

It's either destroy yourself or destroy your enemy!
Hearing the busy tone coming from the receiver, President Diego slammed the receiver heavily onto the telephone stand!

He summoned the head of the logistics department, who was in charge of logistics, and asked, "How many more days can our ammunition support our fighting?"

"Based on the current scale and intensity."

The Minister of Logistics is not a separate department; the Logistics Department is part of the military system and also handles some affairs of the Rapa government.

Those who are qualified for this position all share the same surname as Diego.

"We can only hold out for a little over a month at most before we need some supplies."

Both sides were actually new recruits. New recruits get nervous and can't keep their aim, just like novices.

They wasted too many bullets in blind, aimless shooting.

Sometimes, just hearing gunshots makes me instinctively raise my weapon and fire at the place I suspect is inhabited.

In each battle, each person fired anywhere from dozens to hundreds of shots.

Each soldier carried two hundred rounds of ammunition, and many ran out of bullets before even finishing a single battle.

It's rumored that someone is secretly selling bullets to the public, and these things are more stable than the ever-decreasing currency!
Upon hearing the one-month deadline, Diego was somewhat... incapacitated.

(End of this chapter)