Chapter 270 - 270: Adding Fuel to the Fire

「March 27, 2022.」

The negotiations between Assam and Tianzhu were as dull as they were frigid.

To put it simply, neither side had any intention of negotiating; they were only thinking about how to fight next.

Meanwhile, on the Eastern European Plain, the fighting in the Kyiv Duchy was a complete mess. The two warring sides were flailing at each other like rank amateurs, a spectacle that stunned all onlookers.

Combined with the strange atmosphere in Southeast Asia...

...and America's growing restlessness.

Far off in West Asia, Persia suddenly made a high-profile announcement: they would now allow countries other than Hongsawaddy to use the Jin Yuan to purchase oil and natural gas from them.

The news immediately sent shockwaves across the globe.

「Hongsawaddy.」

「Yangon.」

Li Xingchen of the Huapetroleum Branch Company and Lai Shengli of the Zhongliang Branch Office, among others, were quickly summoned by a man in glasses for a meeting at the Zhongliang Branch Office building.

The moment Li Xingchen entered the small conference room, he said anxiously, "This situation is dire!"

"Team Leader Qin, should we activate the contingency plan?" Lai Shengli asked, having also grasped the precarity of Hongsawaddy's situation.

The man in glasses adjusted his spectacles. "Activate it. Start returning home in batches, or head to Malaysia or Xiangjiang."

"I'll make the arrangements immediately." Lai Shengli nodded grimly.

Li Xingchen, however, asked, "What about the oil pipeline? We can't just abandon it, can we?"

"I hear the United Group is interested in acquiring the oil and gas pipelines?" the man in glasses asked, his eyes glinting.

"Is that a good idea? Their offer is quite low."

"Three billion Jin Yuan is indeed low, but three billion Jin Yuan worth of gold is not an insignificant amount," the man in glasses reminded him.

Li Xingchen understood immediately. He knew if they didn't pull out now, they wouldn't get a single penny once the fighting truly began, let alone three billion Jin Yuan.

He made his decision while secretly feeling a sense of pity for Hongsawaddy.

Li Xingchen, Lai Shengli, and the others departed in a hurry.

The man in glasses stood at the window, gazing down upon the whole of Yangon. His expression was calm, yet tinged with a hint of regret.

'In the end, you're just pawns. If you hadn't been so arrogant and brazen, we could have remained friends. A pity you chose a path of no return...'

Naturally, the subtle movements of the various Huaguo-invested enterprises did not escape the notice of the Homo Sapiens Company.

「Lower Dongzhi City.」

Yang Mengjiao set down the intelligence report just in from Yangon, a sneer gracing her lips. "Heh. 'So afraid to risk their own necks for a grand cause, yet so quick to risk their lives for a pittance.' The ancients really knew what they were talking about."

"Branch Chief, should we...?" Wu Hu asked.

Yang Mengjiao waved her hand dismissively. "Let them go. Send them the gold, too. I just hope they don't regret this later."

At present, the territories with the largest Jin Yuan reserves were Luzon, Siam, and Ceylon, followed by Persia and Malaysia. Huaguo's holdings of over twenty billion Jin Yuan didn't even amount to a fraction of what Luzon had.

Since Hongsawaddy had promised that the Jin Yuan was redeemable for gold, there was no reason to refuse their request to convert it.

This was one of the core tenets of the Jin Yuan's credibility.

What truly impressed Yang Mengjiao, however, was Persia's move to deliberately fan the flames today. They showed no concern whatsoever about their 38.2 billion Jin Yuan in foreign reserves.

With access to a vast amount of intelligence, Yang Mengjiao easily saw through Persia's intentions: they were deliberately provoking America.

If America simply swallowed its pride, Persia would lose nothing. After all, they were already under maximum sanctions; using the Jin Yuan might even be a way to break the blockade.

But if America couldn't resist and took action, Persia would succeed in dragging them into the Hongsawaddy quagmire, thereby reducing the external pressure on itself.

As for the possibility of Hongsawaddy actually winning? Persia hadn't even considered it.

After all, how could Hongsawaddy possibly defeat America?

With that giant cannon of theirs?

What a joke.

And Persia wasn't the only one who believed Hongsawaddy's defeat was certain; other powers thought so as well.

As a result, various factions were rapidly evacuating their assets and personnel from Hongsawaddy.

Meanwhile, on the international internet, rhetoric condemning Hongsawaddy, Siam, and Luzon was spreading like wildfire.

This blatant media campaign was clearly designed to undermine Hongsawaddy and pressure Siam and Luzon to "abandon the darkness and embrace the light."

However, the three parties involved seemed oblivious to these developments, continuing to carry on with their own internal adjustments.

「Siam.」

「Thonburi.」

「Xie Manor.」

Gazing out at the empty manor, Xie Zheng's eyes lingered on the jade-green ripples of the lotus pond. A silver serpent of lightning flashed across the dark, overcast sky.

CRACK...

Raindrops began to patter on the surface of the pond, sending out concentric ripples.

A figure in a sky-blue cheongsam, holding an oil-paper umbrella, glided through the manor's pavilions and appeared behind Xie Zheng.

"West Lake Longjing Tea? Or Ceylon Red Tea?"

The woman's thin, kohl-dark lips parted slightly. "Ceylon Red Tea, of course."

Xie Zheng turned to face the exquisitely cold countenance before him, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "Can you speak for her?"

"There is no difference between us."

'No difference?' Xie Zheng was inwardly startled. 'The distinction between "speaking for someone" and "being no different from them" was vast.'

"And how should I address you?"

"You may call me Ms. Bai," Domino said calmly, her gaze fixed on the lotus pond.

Xie Zheng sat up straight, his posture suddenly formal. "Ms. Bai, may I be so bold as to ask... don't you find this wind to be a bit strong?"

"Patriarch Xie, do you know where you are?" Domino asked, unconcerned. Her gaze remained on the spring scenery of the lotus pond, bathed in the gentle, misty rain.

"But even this manor would struggle to remain unscathed in a typhoon!"

Domino smiled, grabbing a handful of fish feed and scattering it across the pond. A shoal of koi immediately surfaced, scrambling over one another for the food. "The winds of the North Atlantic," she said, "can't reach the Pacific Ocean."

"..." Xie Zheng was left speechless, his mind filled with confusion.

He was an old fox himself, so he could naturally see her brazen confidence.

'Where does this confidence come from? America is coming on strong this time. Do they really think they can play both sides? Or are they planning to abandon Hongsawaddy and defect to America?'

'No, that's not right. Siam has been mobilizing recently, even converting some automotive production lines to military ones. That doesn't look like they're planning to back down. Are they hoping to make America back off after seeing the difficulty?'

'Damn it! What is the source of all this confidence? This situation is far too dangerous...'

At this moment, Xie Zheng was deeply conflicted. A few days ago, he had secretly sent someone to warn Qiu Yingle, intending it as a simple, low-cost gesture of goodwill.

But to his surprise, Qiu Yingle had shown no reaction. He continued to act as if Siam were perfectly safe, secretly strengthening its military and showing no sign of bowing to America or admitting any wrongdoing.

This left Xie Zheng in a state of deep conflict.

In recent days, no small number of people had sought him out in secret. Some came from the north, others from across the Pacific Ocean, and still more were "good friends" from all over Southeast Asia.

Xie Zheng, a man who deeply understood the art of self-preservation, had refused all of them.

He glanced again at Domino. She remained as imperturbable and cold as ever.

"There's no need to be conflicted, Patriarch Xie. Whatever you choose is your own prerogative."

Prerogative? Xie Zheng didn't buy it for a second. If Siam truly managed to weather this storm, they would undoubtedly settle old scores later.

That was precisely why Xie Zheng wanted no part in this—one wrong move, and he could get burned.

Siding with Siam would be an enormous gamble, something Xie Zheng was unwilling to do. A great family like his was already immensely wealthy; there was no need to take such a risk.

Domino stood up. "Thank you for your hospitality. I'll take my leave."

"Take care. Forgive me for not seeing you all the way out."

Still holding her oil-paper umbrella, Domino's figure receded into the fine rain, growing smaller and smaller.

A flicker of unease crossed Xie Zheng's eyes. 'Is playing it safe really the right move?'