172: Chapter 172 The Moscow Peace Conference

Moscow, early spring.

Outside the Kremlin, the cold wind was still biting.

A black sedan with diplomatic license plates glided to a stop in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Russia.

Qin Yue, Chen Yuan, and Zhang Zhe stepped out of the car, accompanied by personnel from the Chinese Embassy in Russia.

Qin Yue wore a dark blue women's suit today, her steps steady and her expression composed.

Chen Yuan was still dressed like an old cadre, hands clasped behind his back, surveying the magnificent Stalinist-style building before him.

Zhang Zhe carried his briefcase, habitually observing the security details around them.

Just as they were about to enter the main gate, another group arrived at the scene. It was the delegation from Sudan.

At the head was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sudan, a solemn-looking elderly black man.

His purpose for this trip was clear: the small-scale military defeat was the price paid for a seat at this negotiating table.

The officials and generals behind him, though all looking indignant, were forcibly suppressing their dissatisfaction.

When the Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs met the eyes of the spirited Qin Yue and her team, the ripples in his eyes flashed and vanished, replaced by a composed, calculating calm.

The two sides met at the entrance; without unnecessary pleasantries, they simply nodded to each other with tacit understanding under the guidance of the Russian protocol officer, then walked into the building one after the other.

The negotiations were held in a spacious conference room at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.

On the long conference table sat the nameplates for the four parties: Cyber Freedom Republic, Sudan, China, and Russia.

At the start of the negotiations, as the host and mediator, the Russian diplomat cleared his throat and spoke first: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Moscow. We are sitting here today for the sake of peace, not for arguing. We hope that both sides can communicate candidly in the spirit of looking toward the future, and end this unfortunate conflict as soon as possible."

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sudan spoke immediately after. His tone was steady, but every word carried an indisputable weight: "Our side hopes to seek a peaceful and just solution regarding the unfortunate incident that recently occurred in the town of Khadijli. Any infringement upon our national sovereignty is unacceptable to us." This formulaic statement sounded more like an explanation for his domestic audience.

Qin Yue listened quietly, not rushing to refute.

She glanced at the Chinese representative beside her, who gave an almost imperceptible nod.

Thus, Qin Yue spoke, her voice calm and clear: "Mr. Minister, we are also here for the sake of peace. But to build a true peace, we must first clarify the facts. Your so-called 'infringement' was a limited counterattack carried out by our side to eliminate a threat after your side issued a '72-hour ultimatum' to us and failed in a proactive attack with mobilized troops. The entire process did not exceed two hours, and our troops have long since fully withdrawn."

Her statement stopped at the appropriate point, without using any sarcastic or extreme language.

The situation seemed about to reach a stalemate, so the Chinese representative sitting in the main seat tapped the table lightly, drawing everyone's attention.

"Alright," he said in a gentle yet weighty voice, "there is no need to dwell repeatedly on the details of the past. The facts are clear; the conflict has already occurred. What is most important now is how to end it and ensure it does not happen again. As mediators, China and Russia do not wish to see African brothers taking up arms against each other. What we would rather see is development and cooperation."

The Russian diplomat took the opportunity to continue: "Well said. Looking forward is the key. Based on our multilateral communication beforehand, and incorporating the opinions of our comrades from China and the Cyber Freedom Republic, we have jointly drafted an agreement aimed at achieving lasting peace and common development. Please take a look."

After speaking, the Russian assistant distributed the documents to the delegations of Sudan and the Cyber Freedom Republic.

The Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs took the document, his breathing steady. He flipped through it quickly, his expression showing little surprise, only a realization of 'as expected.' The terms in the document confirmed his judgment—using a controllable military defeat to exchange for the external aid and political recognition urgently needed for national development.

The so-called 'defeat' was just for show; the terms in the agreement were the real substance.

After about half an hour of symbolic discussion and detailed consultation, both sides formally signed the agreement under the joint witness of the Chinese and Russian representatives.

The agreement was titled "The Moscow Agreement on Ending Armed Conflict and Establishing a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership."

Its core contents included:

Permanent Ceasefire: Both sides shall immediately cease all hostile military actions, establish a military hotline, and commit to never infringing upon each other.

Investment Binding: The Cyber Freedom Republic will lead special investments in Sudan's agricultural and mining sectors over the next ten years, with a total amount of no less than one billion US dollars. Sudan will plan a trade zone along the new road leading to the Cyber Freedom Republic and lease it to the Cyber Freedom Republic for 10 years at the price of 1 US dollar.

Infrastructure Support: The Cyber Freedom Republic will assist and help Sudan build an atmospheric water collection system covering its major cities to solve its severe freshwater crisis. Sudan will fully support the construction of a high-grade road from the port to the Cyber Freedom Republic.

Port Sharing: Sudan agrees to provide some berths at a port along the Red Sea to the Cyber Freedom Republic in the form of a long-term lease to ensure the smooth flow of its maritime trade routes.

War Reparations: Sudan shall pay 1 billion US dollars as war reparations, to be paid in installments over 10 years. (They wouldn't be able to pay it all at once anyway.)

After the signing ceremony ended and the camera flashes died down, the Chinese and Sudanese delegations left first. At the invitation of the Russian side, the three from Qin Yue's side stayed behind and were taken to another private meeting room.

In the meeting room, the Russian diplomat from earlier poured them black tea, beaming with joy.

"Ms. Qin," he said, putting down the teapot, his tone casual and direct, "congratulations. Your opening in Africa was spectacular. One counterattack not only established your prestige but also secured such a favorable long-term agreement."

"What we seek is cooperation, not confrontation," Qin Yue replied politely, picking up her teacup.

"Of course, of course," the Russian leaned back on the sofa, spreading his arms, "but we all know that in the face of this big cake that is Africa, cooperation also needs strength as a backing. Russia's Africa policy is open; we do not wish to see new colonizers, but we are happy to see capable partners."

He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice:

"Ms. Qin, my superior asked me to pass on a message: if you encounter trouble in certain 'non-traditional security areas,' such as needing to handle issues where it is inconvenient for official channels to appear, the gentlemen of the Wagner Group would be very happy to provide their 'professional' services."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the meeting room tightened suddenly.

Chen Yuan and Zhang Zhe both paused. This was a probe, and also an olive branch with considerable weight.

Qin Yue's smile remained unchanged; she gently set down her teacup and looked directly at the other party.

"We appreciate the goodwill and candor of our Russian friends. The Cyber Freedom Republic has always adhered to the path of peaceful development, seeking win-win outcomes rather than a zero-sum game. We have noted your valuable proposal and sincerely look forward to deeper cooperation in more official areas in the future."

Upon hearing this, the Russian diplomat laughed and raised his teacup.

"To peace and cooperation. Cheers."