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

Chapter 1145 An Unforgettable Dinner

The atmosphere in the banquet hall was tense.

"I told you so long ago!" Wilson slammed his fist on the table, causing the wine glass to clink. "Instead of negotiating with Su Zhengyang, it's better to keep the last bit of dignity! Look at it now, Romanov may not survive!"

"That's easy for you to say!" Chesterfield blushed. "America has no interests in the Far East, so of course it can talk without any worries!"

"Yes," Silva echoed, "You are rampant in the Pacific Ocean, who dares to touch you? How can we small countries have such good conditions as you?"

"Bullshit!" Wilson stood up suddenly, "What does this have to do with the size of the country? You are too greedy! Hong Kong City and Macau City, these are stolen lands, and now the owner wants to take them back, but you are bargaining with them?"

"You!" Chesterfield pointed at Wilson's nose, "When did America become so righteous? When you occupied Hawaii, did you ever think about these great principles?"

"At least we know how to judge the situation!" Wilson sneered, "Look at the faces you showed just now. You still want to negotiate with Su Zhengyang? You want a ransom? You want a concession? You really don't know how to write the word death!"

Du Bois stamped his feet anxiously: "Enough! Now is not the time for internal strife, we have to find a way to save Romanov!"

"Save?" Wilson sneered, "Didn't you see the look in that madman Su Zhengyang's eyes? Romanov dared to play a delaying tactic with him. Isn't this courting death?"

"But he is a diplomatic envoy after all!" Du Bois screamed.

"Diplomatic envoy?" Wilson said coldly, "In front of this madman, diplomatic immunity is a joke. Have you forgotten the envoy whose hands were broken half a year ago?"

The conference hall fell silent for a moment, and everyone remembered the bloody scene.

"What's the point of saying this now?" Silva sat down dejectedly. "We can't even protect our own territory, so how can we talk about saving our allies..."

"You!" Dubois glared at Silva, "How can you, as an ally, say such a thing?"

"Allies?" Chesterfield laughed bitterly. "In the face of absolute force, allies and non-allies are just bullshit!"

Just then, a shrill scream came from the direction of the conference room, and everyone shuddered involuntarily.

"Look," Wilson picked up the glass and drank it all in one gulp, "This is the result of not knowing the current situation."

Chesterfield and Silva sat in a corner of the banquet hall, both looking distraught.

"It's over, it's all over," Chesterfield muttered to himself, "London has made it clear that China must accept our conditions. Now..."

He smiled bitterly and shook his head, then drank the whiskey in his glass in one gulp: "I signed the agreement before I even finished stating the terms."

"Me too," Silva's voice was filled with despair, "Lisbon's order was to get at least 34 million in ransom. Now, not only did we not get a penny, but we also lost the city of Macao for nothing."

The two looked at each other and saw fear and helplessness in each other's eyes.

"How do you think we'll explain this when we get back?" Chesterfield poured himself another glass of wine, "Those bigwigs have no idea what kind of lunatic Su Zhengyang is. They still think that now is a hundred years ago, they can scare off China with a few warships."

"That's right," Silva said with a wry smile, "They sit in the office and give orders, how can they know what's going on here? That Li Yunlong's hammer..."

He shuddered and said nothing more.

"I'm afraid our good days are over," Chesterfield sighed, "Once the port city is lost, our influence in the Far East will be gone. Those merchants will definitely not let me go."

"At least you still have India," Silva said even more frustratedly, "This is the only piece of land Portugal had in the Far East, and now it's gone. When I go back, I don't think I'll even be able to keep my position as ambassador."

Both of them fell silent and just kept drinking.

The screams coming from afar made them shrink their necks involuntarily.

"You said," Chesterfield suddenly said, "Are we too cowardly? We signed without even protesting..."

"Resist?" Silva sneered, "Do you want to end up like Romanov?"

&34;But...&34;

"Don't say but," Silva interrupted him, "It's better to go back alive than to have your limbs broken. At least you can find a way to get out of this in a decent way."

Chesterfield was silent. Yes, in that situation, who would dare to resist? He was a madman who didn't even care about human life.

&34;You all seem to be having a good time chatting? &34;

Su Zhengyang walked into the banquet hall humming a little tune with a gentle smile on his face, as if the bloody negotiation just now had never happened.

Everyone stood up immediately and forced a smile.

"Su...President Su." Chesterfield's voice was trembling.

"Sit down, sit down," Su Zhengyang smiled and waved his hand, "Today is a day worth celebrating, we should enjoy this dinner."

He sat elegantly in the main seat, like a gentle host: "In order to cater to your tastes, I specially asked someone to prepare the top red wine from the Burgundy region in 34. Ms. Dubois, I remember that you are French, so you should be familiar with this year, right?"

Du Bois forced a smile: "Yes... yes, Mr. President. This vintage is indeed... very good."

"And this Kobe steak," Su Zhengyang continued, seemingly oblivious to everyone's discomfort, "was specially flown in from Fuso, A34 grade, with perfect marbling. Mr. Wilson, I remember you liked this very much?"

Wilson nodded quickly: "Mr. President, you are so polite..."

The waiters began to serve the dishes, and the exquisite tableware made a crisp clash of sounds. But no one dared to start, and everyone was secretly observing Su Zhengyang's expression.

"Come on," Su Zhengyang raised his glass, "let's toast to the agreement reached today. Mr. Chesterfield, Mr. Silva, you two are the protagonists today."

Chesterfield and Silva's hands were shaking and the red wine was almost spilled.

"By the way," Su Zhengyang suddenly said, "Mr. Romanov is feeling unwell and will not be attending the dinner. Please don't mind."

This sentence made everyone's backs break out in cold sweat. They all heard the shrill scream, but at this moment they had to smile along and raise their glasses.

"Come on," Su Zhengyang said with a gentle smile, "I wish us a pleasant cooperation in the future."