148: Chapter 148 This is leeching off others! Does your country need money?

The representative from the Ministry of Finance was surnamed Qian, and he truly lived up to his name. Dressed in a sharp suit, his back was as straight as a ruler, and even the way he set down his teacup carried the precision characteristic of the Budget Department.

The porcelain clicked softly against the tabletop, a crisp sound that caused the previously relaxed atmosphere in the meeting room to tighten instantly.

"Minister Chen, we have studied your report." Representative Qian’s expression remained unchanged as he spoke, his tone flat and devoid of emotion, as if reading from a predetermined document. "To be honest, a billion-dollar interest-free loan... we don't quite understand the basis for this request."

Chen Yuan adjusted his reading glasses, his body remaining perfectly still, looking like a man who had come prepared. "Representative Qian, our Cyber Freedom Republic is located in Africa and is classified among the Least Developed Countries. Based on Huaxia's consistent aid policy toward Africa, we believe this amount is both reasonable and necessary."

As he spoke, he flipped the report to the appendix, which listed Huaxia's aid projects and loan amounts to over a dozen African countries over the past five years, with every figure meticulously calculated.

"Minister Chen, policies are flexible; we must seek truth from facts." Representative Qian tapped his index finger twice on the table, producing a dull thud-thud sound. "According to the information we have, your country just received a one-billion-dollar Series A investment from the Blackstone Group, which is specifically earmarked for building data centers. Your country's Sovereign Wealth Fund is also being established simultaneously, and its startup capital is no small sum either."

He paused briefly, his gaze shifting from Qin Yue's face to Chen Yuan's. "For a country that has just completed a massive financing round and is about to launch the construction of a world-class data center to apply for interest-free development aid intended for the Least Developed Countries... both procedurally and logically, it doesn't quite add up."

These words acted like a floodgate, blocking all of Chen Yuan's prepared scripts for "playing the poverty card." The other party's intelligence work was too thorough; while Blackstone's investment was public information, they even knew about the movements regarding the Sovereign Wealth Fund.

Chen Yuan felt a bit embarrassed, as he hadn't expected the other side's rebuttal to hit so close to home. "That is a commercial investment for a specific purpose; it cannot be conflated with funds for national infrastructure! Our citizens are still living in temporary prefabricated housing. Roads, water, electricity, communications—everything is waiting to be built. These are the areas that need funding the most!"

"Regarding infrastructure," the representative from the Ministry of Commerce sitting next to Representative Qian took over the conversation, "we also understand that your country has mastered a revolutionary Desert Agriculture Technology and is currently collaborating with our scientific research institutions. Everyone here should be more aware of the commercial prospects of this technology than we are. Once promoted, the value it creates will likely far exceed one billion dollars."

It was another precise strike. The other party didn't think the Cyber Freedom Republic was short of money at all; instead, they saw them as a "rich relative" coming to the door with a golden bowl to beg for food.

Seeing this, Qin Yue knew that her side could no longer gain an advantage by clashing solely on the economic level.

She gave Chen Yuan a reassuring look and then smiled at Director Wang. "Director Wang, it seems your side understands us far more deeply than we imagined. Since that's the case, we might as well speak openly. Yes, we have the technology and the investment from Wall Street. But all of that is merely the 'future.' What we are facing now is the 'present' predicament."

"Our country is built on a desert forgotten by the world. Our people, aside from those of us with Huaxia faces, are a group of mercenaries from all over the world who risk their lives for money. We have no history, no cultural heritage. Once the capital chain breaks or the development speed fails to meet expectations, this country could collapse overnight. Wall Street capital is profit-driven; they can invest a billion today, but tomorrow, when your country collapses, they won't hesitate to rush in and feast on the corpse."

Qin Yue's voice wasn't loud, but it was extremely powerful. "Therefore, we need more than just money. We need a form of support from our motherland that carries warmth. This support will provide us with a solid foundation during the most difficult startup phase of nation-building. It isn't just a billion-dollar loan; it's a political endorsement, a gesture to the whole world that Huaxia stands behind the Cyber Freedom Republic."

A brief silence fell over the meeting room. Director Wang stopped smiling; Qin Yue's words had elevated the negotiation from "haggling" to the level of national strategy.

However, Representative Qian still maintained his professional composure. "Dean Qin, sentiments are one thing, but the fiscal system is rigid. Without sufficient guarantees and reciprocal cooperation, this massive interest-free loan indeed poses significant difficulties in the auditing process."

The atmosphere fell into a deadlock once again.

Seeing this, Chen Yuan knew that "soft-soaping" had reached its limit and he had to throw down a real heavyweight bargaining chip. He exchanged a glance with Qin Yue, then pulled a top-secret map that had been hidden at the very bottom of his folder and slowly pushed it to the center of the table.

"Since Representative Qian mentioned 'reciprocal cooperation,' let's talk about this." Chen Yuan pointed to an area circled in red on the map. "This is a super-large gold mine recently surveyed within our territory. According to preliminary estimates, its reserves and grade are rare across the entire African continent."

The eyes of Representative Qian and the Ministry of Commerce representative narrowed slightly.

"We are well aware that the Cyber Freedom Republic currently lacks the capacity for large-scale industrial mining. Therefore, we have decided to grant the full development rights of this gold mine to Huaxia enterprises." Chen Yuan's voice was steady and powerful. "We will not participate in operations; we will only hold shares. The Cyber Freedom Republic will hold a 20% state share. The corporate income tax is normally 25%, but we can offer a massive discount and only charge 18%, plus a 2% royalty. This is an extremely favorable condition by global standards."

This proposal was like a bombshell, instantly neutralizing the previous debate over the "billion-dollar loan." The development rights to a gold mine, especially one led by Chinese enterprises, meant not only economic gain but also control over strategic resources.

Director Wang stared at the red circle on the map, his finger lightly stroking his chin. After a moment, he looked up at Qin Yue and Chen Yuan, his gaze filled with a sense of caution and re-evaluation.

"Minister Chen, Dean Qin, the weight of this 'proposal' has indeed exceeded our agenda for today." Director Wang stood up, his tone becoming formal and grave. "Gold mine development involves energy strategy and multi-party coordination; this is not something we representatives can decide on the spot. We need to report to our superiors immediately and have the relevant expert groups conduct an internal assessment."

He glanced at his watch and then gave Qin Yue a slight nod. "This round of negotiations will end here. Please return to the embassy to rest. Once we have clear feedback, we will notify you immediately."

"No problem, we await your good news." Qin Yue stood up calmly and extended her hand.

The two hands shook, and the tension in the meeting room finally eased for the moment. The ball was now entirely in the other party's court.

After the adjournment, the delegation returned to the lounge arranged by the embassy.

Chen Yuan slumped onto the sofa and let out a long breath. "Those people are truly airtight! They've practically scrutinized our background down to the bone!"

Zhang Zhe also sighed. "A professional state machine is indeed different. The cards we thought we had hidden well were no secret at all in their eyes."

"Lord," Qin Yue dialed Lin Zhou's secure line and briefly reported on the negotiations. "We've played the sentiment card; now it depends on their reaction. I estimate that a full interest-free loan will be difficult, but they might compensate us in other forms."

On the other end of the phone, Lin Zhou's voice paused for several seconds.

He had originally been considering whether to throw out another of those two pieces of Black Technology he hadn't had time to digest yet as an exchange. But he quickly dismissed the thought.

The "Miracle Seed" hadn't even been fully implemented and digested yet. If he threw out another disruptive technology, it wouldn't be something a "genius" could explain away; he might actually be treated as an alien and taken away to be sliced up for research.

"Well played," Lin Zhou's voice came through. "Keep going down this path. Remember, we are family, and between family, it's not entirely about interest exchange. Sometimes, attitude is more important than money. Just stay there and wait for them to come to you."

"Understood."

After hanging up, Qin Yue's chaotic thoughts settled down.

She gazed out the window at the solemn Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, waiting for the next round of confrontation.