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

Chapter 1229 Threat

Su Zhengyang slowly lit a cigarette without even glancing at the map. The smoke curled in the sunlight, reflecting his calm face.

"Mr. President," Sergei swallowed hard, "Over the past 70 years, we have invested a lot of effort in the Far East. Railways, ports, cities... the investment in infrastructure alone exceeds..."

"Heart's blood?" Su Zhengyang suddenly laughed and blew out a puff of smoke. "Minister Sergei, are you sure you want to use the word 'heart'?"

He stood up and walked to the window: "Let's count these 'hard work'. The railways you built are to transport our resources faster. The ports you built are to plunder our wealth more conveniently. As for the cities..."

He turned around, his eyes sharp as a knife: "Who live in those cities? They are the colonists you immigrated from Europe. Is this the hard work you mentioned?"

Sergei's voice trembled a little: "But these years of operation..."

"Manage?" Su Zhengyang sneered, "Are you talking about how to exploit this land more effectively?"

He walked back to his desk and flicked the ash off his cigarette. "Minister Sergei, put away these rhetoric. You and I both know that those so-called investments and constructions are just for better plunder. Now, we just want to take back what belongs to us."

Zhang Luanyu silently handed over the ashtray.

"Moreover," Su Zhengyang continued, "Compared with your efforts in the Far East and the combat effectiveness of the Northern Division, which one do you think is more convincing?"

The office was eerily quiet, with only the faint sound of burning cigarettes.

Sergei looked at the meaningless map and suddenly felt exhausted. All the carefully prepared arguments and all the painstakingly crafted arguments seemed so pale in the face of real strength.

This is the reality, this is the power of strength.

"I'm very busy," Su Zhengyang put out his cigarette, "I don't have time to continue to dwell on these meaningless topics. Tsarist Russia has only two choices: either return the 1.6 million square kilometers of land and we continue the talks; or there is no need to talk."

Sergei clenched his fists. He suddenly realized that from the breakfast at the beginning to the current negotiations, he was completely led by Su Zhengyang. This passive situation must be changed.

Taking a deep breath, he adjusted his mentality: "Since the president knows everything, I will no longer hide it. If the Bird Empire ceases fighting on the Western Front as agreed, Tsarist Russia can completely free up its hands..." He paused, "Fight a protracted war with China."

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the office suddenly became tense.

However, unexpectedly, Su Zhengyang smiled: "Fight a protracted war?"

He stood up and walked slowly to Sergeimer: "Minister Sergei, do you really believe what Sekt said? Or..." He leaned over and whispered in Sergeimer's ear, "Are you just bluffing?"

"I..."

"Let me tell you a piece of news," Su Zhengyang straightened up, "Just three hours ago, the Bird Empire launched a new offensive on the Western Front. Your 'old friend' Seckt is now enjoying The Valkyrie at the Berlin Opera House."

Sergei's face turned pale instantly.

"So," Su Zhengyang sat back in his seat, "Do you still want to talk to me about a protracted war? Do you want me to let the Beidi Division conduct a drill first, so that you can see what a real war is?"

Zhang Luanyu put down a telegram at the right time. Su Zhengyang glanced at it and said, "Ah, the latest news. You lost another armored division on the Western Front."

There was deathly silence in the office.

Ivanov's hands shook even more violently, and the map fell to the ground with a "pop". Sergei felt that his last card was easily resolved by Su Zhengyang.

"It's getting late," Su Zhengyang looked at his watch, "I have a meeting this afternoon. Minister Sergei, are you going to give me an answer now, or do you want to wait until the Northern Division reaches Vladivostok?"

"Mr. President," Sergei forced himself to calm down, "According to the latest intelligence from our KGB, Hitler has established a Far East Operations Planning Organization. They have begun to regard China as the biggest threat, even more than the Anti-Will Alliance."

He looked directly into Su Zhengyang's eyes: "What Sekt said may not be groundless."

"Oh?" Su Zhengyang smiled, "Go on."

"The intelligence department of the Bird Empire believes that China's industrial strength is growing rapidly. Especially..." Sergei paused, "especially the new weapons displayed by the Northland Division, which has aroused Berlin's high vigilance."

Su Zhengyang lit up the second cigarette and motioned for him to continue.

"So Sekt's proposal last night was probably a test by Hidler. If China expands too fast in the Far East, the Bird Empire will have to..."

"Have to what?" Su Zhengyang suddenly interrupted him, "Have to give up the victory that has already been won to help their mortal enemy?"

He stood up and walked to Sergei Mo: "Let me guess the source of the KGB's intelligence? Is it a mid-level official in Berlin? Or an adjutant of a general?"

Sergei's pupils shrank slightly.

"Your KGB," Su Zhengyang chuckled, "hasn't it received a lot of news about the Bird Empire's vigilance against China recently?"

The office suddenly became quiet.

"Poor Sergei," Su Zhengyang shook his head, "You didn't even know you were being set up. The so-called intelligence was nothing but a carefully designed trick by Sekt."

He walked back to his seat: "Just yesterday, our intelligence department intercepted a telegram. Hitler's instructions to the embassy in China: 'At all costs, create the Chinese threat theory and interfere with Tsarist Russia's negotiations with China.'"

Sergei felt his back was soaked with cold sweat.

"So," Su Zhengyang exhaled a smoke ring leisurely, "Do you still want to talk to me about KGB intelligence? Or..."

He looked at Sergei meaningfully: "Would you rather believe those two bottles of vodka from Sekt?"

For the first time, Sergeimo really looked at the young man in front of him who was only 26 years old.

The sunlight shines through the French windows onto Su Zhengyang, outlining his tall figure. He looks so young, even a few years younger than his son. But those eyes... those calm eyes contain wisdom and insight that makes people's heart palpitate.

Hidler was a madman, a charismatic madman. He shocked Europe with his hysterical speeches and crazy ambitions. But the man in front of him... Sergei suddenly realized that Su Zhengyang was more terrifying than Hidler.

He is so calm.

From the bowl of soybean milk and fried dough sticks at the beginning to every word and every look afterwards, everything was under his control. He was like a perfect chess player, who had already seen through every move of his opponent, even the opponent's self-righteous "clever moves" were all within his expectations.

At some point, Su Zhengyang lit another cigarette. In the smoke, his eyes seemed to be able to penetrate all disguises and see through everyone's thoughts.

"What are you thinking about, Minister Sergei?" Su Zhengyang suddenly spoke with a faint smile on his lips.

This smile made Sergei's heart tremble. Yes, even his thoughts at the moment could not escape his eyes.

Twenty-six years old... Sergei silently recited this number in his mind. At this age, he was still studying at the Diplomatic Academy. But he was already playing a big game that affected the entire Far East.

What's more frightening is that he never seems to lose control. There are no Hidler-like roars, no hysterical threats, only calm statements and unquestionable power.

"Time is running out, Minister Sergei," Su Zhengyang looked at his watch, "Let's get back to the original question."