113: Chapter 113 You want to conduct military exercises? What a coincidence, I also want to train my troops!

Colonel Fatah's "military exercise notice" was quickly transmitted via an encrypted line to Lin Zhou, who was far away in Beijing.

"Live-fire military exercise?"

Lin Zhou looked at the contents of the email and, instead of getting angry, he laughed.

This tactic hadn't changed in decades. It was nothing more than wanting to show off with tanks and artillery at his doorstep, creating psychological pressure to turn his Police Force into a flock of quails cowering in their barracks.

"Leader, this is a naked provocation!" On the other end of the phone, He Jun's voice was taut as a bowstring, his anger almost erupting from the receiver. "They are trying to treat us like monkeys! If we back down, we'll never be able to hold our heads up in front of them again!"

"Of course I know it's a provocation." Lin Zhou's tone remained steady. "Then what do you think we should do?"

"We cannot let them hold the exercise!" He Jun's tone brooked no negotiation. "This is our territory! Without our permission, they shouldn't be able to fire a single bullet! I'll take people to negotiate right now; at worst, we'll have a fight with them! Our men aren't afraid of death!"

"He Jun, calm down." Lin Zhou tapped the table. "You are the Minister of Internal Affairs and Security, not a suicide squad leader. Using fists to solve problems is the last resort, and also the most foolish one."

He Jun fell silent on the other end of the phone. He knew Lin Zhou was right, but he couldn't swallow this insult.

"Then are we just going to watch them fire artillery at our doorstep?"

"Who said we're just going to watch?" Lin Zhou chuckled. "Since they've so kindly invited us to 'observe,' how can we not give them some face?"

"What do you mean?" He Jun was somewhat puzzled.

"Reply to Colonel Fatah." Lin Zhou gave the order. "Tell him that we express our sincere gratitude and welcome the exercise held by the Egyptian side to help us familiarize ourselves with a modern military system."

He Jun became anxious the moment he heard this: "Leader! We can't..."

"Let me finish." Lin Zhou interrupted him. "At the same time, tell him that in order to better learn and communicate, and also to ensure the security of the exercise area is foolproof, our Police Force will dispatch a 'Special Observation and Security Guarantee Detachment' to enter the exercise field together with the Egyptian troops to conduct 'coordinated drills'."

Coordinated drills?

He Jun was stunned on the other end of the phone for a full three seconds before he realized the subtext churning behind those four words.

This wasn't going to observe and learn at all; it was clearly going to crash the party!

You fire your artillery, and I'll drill my troops. If you want to flex your muscles, then we'll stand together and see whose muscles are stronger!

"I understand, Leader!" He Jun's tone suddenly rose. "I guarantee to complete the mission! Our two 'Mengshi' vehicles are fully loaded with shells!"

"Remember, we are 'police'." Lin Zhou specifically emphasized the pronunciation of these two words. "Our mission is to 'maintain order' and 'ensure security,' so the operation must be 'civilized' and 'restrained.' Do not initiate conflict, but if anyone points their artillery at us, you know what to do."

"Understood! Self-defense!" He Jun's reply was crisp and decisive.

After hanging up the phone, Lin Zhou withdrew the smile from his face, and his expression returned to calmness.

He knew that this so-called "coordinated drill" would be the first official appearance of the Cyber Freedom Republic's armed forces, and also a head-on test of strength with the Egyptian side.

Whether it's a mule or a horse, you'll know once you take it out for a walk.

After he finished signing the order and was just about to process the next document, the office door was knocked on.

It was the Minister of Finance, Chen Yuan.

The old man was holding a thick stack of reports in his hand, his expression serious. When Lin Zhou saw the knot between his brows, his heart skipped a beat, and he had a bad premonition.

"Elder Chen, you're here." Lin Zhou stood up to welcome him.

Chen Yuan didn't stand on ceremony, placing the reports directly on Lin Zhou's desk with a dull thud.

"Leader, this is the financial report for the last quarter. Please take a look."

Lin Zhou picked up the report, and after flipping through just a few pages, his expression darkened.

Every number on the report was as glaring as a needle.

Diplomatic activities, legislative expenses, infrastructure construction, official salaries, the formation and equipment of the Police Force... every item was a huge sum of money.

The more than one billion US dollars in the national treasury were evaporating at an alarming rate.

"... Is the situation already this severe?"

"It's even more severe than you imagine." Chen Yuan pushed up his reading glasses and pointed to a line of numbers on the report. "Just a moment ago, Wang Tao sent over the first dividend from the new technology licensing for the atmospheric water collection device, totaling 82.5 million US dollars."

This should have been good news, but there wasn't a trace of joy on Chen Yuan's face.

"This money, added to our previous balance, after deducting daily expenses and high bounties, the available funds in the national treasury have now dropped to around 800 million. The other funds are already allocated elsewhere."

"This 800 million is only enough to support the entire state apparatus for less than another year. If you include the subsequent construction costs for 'Oasis One,' this time will be shortened by half again."

The old man looked up, staring straight at Lin Zhou with those eyes that seemed to see through everything.

"Leader, I must remind you very seriously. All of our current expenses are built upon your previous 'windfalls.' Whether it's donations, loans, or technology licensing, these are all unsustainable, one-time incomes."

"A country cannot live on 'donations' and 'loans.' It must have its own stable and healthy fiscal blood-making capability. Otherwise, everything we are doing now is just a castle built on sand; it looks magnificent, but as soon as the waves come, it will vanish without a trace."

Chen Yuan's words cooled the fighting spirit that Lin Zhou had just stirred up due to the "coordinated drills."

He knew that Chen Yuan was right.

Military deterrence and diplomatic maneuvering, in the final analysis, are competitions of national strength. And the core of national strength is the economy.

Without money, everything is just empty talk.

"The profits from the Seed Project still need time." Lin Zhou said in a deep voice. "This is our most promising industry at the moment."

"Yes, it's promising, but distant water cannot quench immediate thirst." Chen Yuan bluntly pointed out the reality. "From experimental fields to large-scale mass production, and then to global promotion, sales, and capital return, this cycle requires at least one to two years. We cannot wait that long."

He tapped the table heavily with his finger.

"We must find a new, stable source of revenue within half a year that can quickly generate huge cash flow."

"Otherwise, we won't need to wait for the Egyptians to make a move; we will collapse ourselves because we can't pay wages or interest."