Warlords: Rising from the Northwest Border and Sweeping Across the Powers

Chapter 1281 Reconciling Conflicts

"Chairman," Chen Tong put down his chopsticks, his voice calm but with a hint of majesty, "No matter what, Mr. Song Yi is my guest today."

Sukarno turned to Chen Tong, his eyes still full of anger: "General Chen, don't tell me that you don't know about the feud between me and the Song Yi family!"

"Of course I know," Chen Tong calmly poured each of them a new glass of wine, "It is precisely because I know that I specially arranged this meal today."

"and you......"

“But,” Chen Tong interrupted, “in my place, at my table, I hope the Chairman can control his emotions.”

His tone was still gentle, but there was no doubt in his words: "After all, this is not very polite to the guests, don't you think?"

Sukarno clenched his fists, his chest rising and falling violently. He knew that what Chen Tong said made sense, but he could not calm down when he thought of what Song Yiminde had done in the past.

"General Chen," he said, suppressing his anger, "how do you think I should face this person who humiliated me in the past?"

"At least," Chen Tong said with a smile, "we can sit down and have a good talk first."

Song Yi Mingde said nothing, but there was a hint of displeasure in his eyes. When had the head of the Song Yi family ever been treated like this?

"Chairman," Chen Tong's voice suddenly became meaningful, "Don't you want to know why I invited Mr. Song Yi?"

Sukarno was stunned.

Yes, with Chen Tong's character, he would never arrange such a situation for no reason.

"Sit down," Chen Tong pointed to the chair, "let's have a good chat."

Sukarno looked at Chen Tong's confident expression, then at Song Yiminde's uncertain face, and finally sat down slowly.

But he knew that there must be a deeper story behind this meal.

Chen Tong picked up his chopsticks again, as if nothing had happened: "Come, try this fish, don't let it get cold."

"Look at this fish," Chen Tong picked up a piece of fish slowly, "the heat for steaming needs to be just right. If the heat is too high, the meat will be tough, and if the heat is too low, it will be raw."

Although Sukarno and Song Yiminde had their own thoughts in their hearts, they couldn't help but look at Chen Tong.

"The chairman is now the president of India and the chairman of the Asian Development Bank," Chen Tong savored the fish meat carefully, "he can be said to be the hottest new noble in South Asia. Mr. Song Yi's family has been operating in India and the West for three generations. They are rich enough to rival a country, and their shipping network covers the whole of South Asia."

He raised his head and glanced between the two of them: "To be honest, neither of you can live without the other."

"What does General Chen mean?" Sukarno asked coldly.

“Just like this fish,” Chen Tong continued, “it can’t survive without water. But what’s the point of water without fish?”

Song Yimingde nodded thoughtfully: "General, what you said makes sense."

"The chairman has power, the army, and the influence of the Asian Union. But," Chen Tong said meaningfully, "without an economic pillar like the Song Yi family, how can this influence be transformed into actual power?"

He turned to Song Yimingde and said, "Similarly, no matter how rich Mr. Yimingde's family is, how can they keep their wealth without the support of the government and the protection of the army?"

Both fell silent.

"So I say, the relationship between you two is like that between fish and water," Chen Tong picked up a piece of fish for each of them, "On the surface, you seem to be in opposition, but in fact, you complement each other."

He put down his chopsticks and said, "It's normal for the Chairman to care about the humiliation he suffered in the past. But Mr. Song Yi has humbled himself and apologized today, which shows that he has seen the situation clearly. Why not let go of the grudges of the past?"

"What the general means is..." Sukarno frowned.

"What I mean is," Chen Tong said with a smile, "instead of dwelling on past grudges, it is better to think about future cooperation. After all, if the fish is out of water, and if the water is without fish, it is not good for anyone, don't you think?"

These words were flawless, not only pointing out the interests of both parties, but also giving the two men a way out.

Sukarno and Song Yiminde looked at each other and saw a hint of hesitation in each other's eyes.

Chen Tong, on the other hand, was sipping tea leisurely, as if everything was under his control.

"Chairman," Chen Tong put down his teacup, "Have you ever thought about what would happen if Song Yi's family supported you?"

Sukarno frowned slightly.

"The entire South Asian shipping network is in the hands of the Song Yi family," Chen Tong said slowly, "If they fully support the Asian Union and you, then the lifeline of these ports from Malacca to the Bay of Bengal, from Siam to Indo-West will be in your hands."

Sukarno's eyes flickered.

"Not only that," Chen Tong continued, "the financial network and business system of the Song Yi family can be used by you. By then, you will not only be a president with military power, but also a strong man who truly controls the economic lifeline of South Asia."

These words made Sukarno fall into deep thought.

Chen Tong turned to Song Yi Mingde again and said, "Mr. Song Yi, do you think the Chairman will let you go once the situation in India and the West stabilizes?"

Song Yimingde's expression changed slightly.

"The chairman remembers the humiliation clearly," Chen Tong said meaningfully, "when he really gets his foothold, do you think he will let the Song Yi family continue to monopolize the shipping between India and the West?"

Song Yimingde's fingers trembled slightly.

"At that time, a decree can make the Song Yi family lose all their privileges. If there is another antitrust investigation, what do you think the result will be?" Chen Tong's voice became lower and lower. "Three generations of foundation may be destroyed in an instant."

The expressions of both of them became extremely complicated.

Chen Tong's words were like a sharp knife, cutting through their minds:

Sukarno saw an opportunity to strengthen himself with the help of the Song Yi family, but he could not let go of his original hatred.

Song Yimingde realized that if he could not resolve this feud, a greater disaster would be waiting for him.

"So," Chen Tong raised his glass, "why not take this opportunity today to start over?"

The restaurant was silent.

Both of them were weighing the pros and cons and thinking about countermeasures.

Chen Tong, on the other hand, was leisurely sipping wine, waiting for the outcome of the game.

He knew that he had planted the seeds in their hearts.

Next, it depends on how they choose.

The silence lasted for a long time.

"Twenty million," Sukarno suddenly said, his voice much calmer, "not enough."

Song Yimingde raised his head.

"I have 300,000 troops under my command," Sukarno looked directly at Isommingde, "and the military pay alone is an astronomical figure every month. If Mr. Isom really wants to resolve the past grievances, he will need at least 50 million."

These words were both a request and a test.

Song Yimingde was slightly startled, then smiled knowingly: "Chairman is right, 20 million is indeed too little."

He put down his glass and said seriously, "How about this, I am willing to take out 80 million Xinhua yuan, 30 million of which is cash, and the other 50 million..."

He paused. "It's 15 percent of the shares of Indo-American Bank."

This number surprised Sukarno as well.

Indo-American Bank is one of the largest financial institutions in South Asia, and a 15 percent stake means that it can directly participate in the bank's decision-making.

"Mr. Song Yi, are you trying to get me onto the board of directors?" Sukarno sneered.

"No," Song Yimingde said seriously, "This is sincerity. With these shares, the chairman has the right to speak for the Indo-American West Bank. This is also an important bargaining chip for the Asian Alliance."

Chen Tong nodded slightly: "Mr. Song Yi is very generous."

"If we want to resolve the grudge, we must show sincerity," Song Yimingde said, "not to mention that this is beneficial to both of us."

Sukarno remained silent. Eighty million plus shares of Indo-American Bank was far beyond his expectations.

"However," Song Yimingde added, "I also hope that the chairman can give me a promise."

“What promise?”

"The Somni family's shipping privileges in Indo-West Asia," Somni Minde looked directly at Sukarno, "I hope they can continue to be maintained."

So that's it, Sukarno thought, this is Song Yiminde's real purpose.

He looked at Chen Tong, who was sipping tea leisurely and seemed to care nothing about the transaction.

But Sukarno knew that it was this man who seemed to be an outsider who made all this happen.

"Okay," Sukarno finally said, "I promise you."

Song Yimingde showed a satisfied smile: "Then it's settled."

They both looked at Chen Tong at the same time.

Chen Tong put down his teacup and smiled, "Come on, how about a toast to this happy decision?"