HK Composite: Starting from Shenghe Leading

Chapter 587 That’s it?

It's worth mentioning that this so-called palace doesn't feel luxurious at all; instead, it exudes a sense of antiquity in its understated elegance.

When you are there, it feels like you can travel through time and space and vaguely see the unique scenery from hundreds of years ago.

“Mr. Lin, welcome to Amalienborg. On behalf of the people of Denmark, I extend my heartfelt welcome to you.”

Queen Margrethe II did not wear those gorgeous and complicated gowns, but dressed as simply as possible without violating so-called royal etiquette.

Although she is fifty years old this year, and time has left its mark on her face, one can still vaguely tell from her bone structure that she must have been a beauty in her youth. The round glasses on her nose add a touch of intellectual charm to her appearance.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Lin Zehao greeted them according to Western etiquette, and then sat down on the sofa with Paul Schlutt.

Queen Margrethe II, on the other hand, sat on the opposite sofa, showing no airs of a queen whatsoever.

At least, the Queen of Denmark is not as arrogant as the Queen of the British Empire, and her manner of speaking is more acceptable.

As Queen Margrethe II took her seat, the servants beside her tacitly withdrew from the reception room.

In the large room, only three people remained, sitting on the sofa.

"Mr. Lin, could you please explain the actions of your group's merchant ships near the high seas of Greenland?"

Queen Margrethe II deliberately emphasized the word "merchant ship," exuding a powerful royal aura that was quite imposing.

"Since the Queen has already said that it is international waters, I think there is no need for further explanation, is there?"

Lin Zehao showed no signs of being intimidated by the aura, calmly stating the facts with a meaningful smile on his lips.

Upon hearing this, coupled with Lin Zehao's confident demeanor, Queen Margrethe II's face immediately darkened. Seeing this, Prime Minister Paul Schlutt immediately intervened.

“Mr. Lin, since you've traveled all this way by plane to Denmark, it means you definitely want to sit down and talk calmly, rather than make things worse…”

“We have seen and sincerely acknowledge the capabilities of the Hutchison Fleet. The Queen and I personally wish to be friends with someone as outstanding as you.”

Paul Schlutt's words successfully thawed the tense atmosphere, bringing smiles back to both sides' faces.

"Since you say we are friends, the reason I'm visiting you today is actually to help you."

Queen Margrethe II raised an eyebrow and asked, "Coming to help a friend? Does this help mean besieging Greenland with a fleet?"

Regardless, she is royalty, and the first legitimate queen in Danish history.

She has her own pride and her own temper.

She was genuinely indignant at the sight of someone like Lin Zehao, who was all smiles and no action.

Paul Schlütt was about to smooth things over when Lin Zehao nodded and said bluntly, "Of course, that's part of the help we're providing."

"I have always been a sincere person, especially towards my friends."

Lin Zehao's sudden "frankness" left Paul Schlutt and Margrethe II somewhat bewildered, completely unaware of what he was really up to.

After a moment of silence, Margrethe II finally uttered a few words, "As a friend... you really are 'reliable'..."

"Of course, I never deny that."

Lin Zehao shrugged, took out a cigar box from his pocket, pulled out a cigar, put it in his mouth, and lit it with a Dupont lighter in a very cool and flashy way.

As the smoke dissipated, Queen Margrethe II visibly frowned, but for some reason, she did not speak up to stop the behavior.

"Ever since World War II, Greenland has been demanding independence and autonomy. Even though you have made many concessions over the years, giving away almost all the powers you could, what has been the result?"

“Those Greenlanders were not satisfied, and struggles and actions for independence continued to emerge.”

“If this continues, you will only have one path left: return Greenland to the Greenlanders.”

These words may sound like nonsense, but it depends on who is listening.

If Paul Schlutt and Margrethe II were to listen, then there would be a hidden meaning.

It's obvious that Lin Zehao wants to make a fuss about this land.

"I must say, your insight is always so sharp and incisive. In recent years, those guys from the United Nations have been like they've been injected with chicken blood, constantly running to Copenhagen, just so I can return Greenland to its rightful owner."

"I don't understand. There are so many colonies in the world. The British Empire, France, the United States with its global military presence, and even the territories that the Soviet Union seized in the Far East during the Qing Dynasty..."

"Why ignore all these other targets and only come to cause trouble for Denmark?"

When Margrethe II was young, Iceland was part of Denmark, and she witnessed the entire process until it declared independence.

This made her have absolutely no good feelings towards those guys at the United Nations.
"It's simple, because Denmark is too weak."

"If the United Nations dares to cause trouble for any of the aforementioned countries, it is estimated that their funding for the following year will be canceled."

Lin Zehao blatantly tore away this so-called window paper, shattering the last shred of illusion for the Danes.

In fact, during the early and mid-Qing Dynasty, the territory was quite large.

Because the Slavs in Tsarist Russia were inherently combative, they had many conflicts, large and small, with the Qing government, which bordered Russia.

Around the 25th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, a major battle took place between the two sides in Yaksa.

The Qing army routed the Russian army, inflicting heavy casualties.

Seeing this situation, the Tsarist government had no choice but to send an ambassador to Yaksa in order to resolve the predicament. The ambassador took the initiative to request peace talks and even discussed the border issues between the two countries.

As for the outcome of the peace talks, it was the Treaty of Nerchinsk, which we've heard about countless times in textbooks.

Later, until the late Qing Dynasty, due to the erroneous policy of isolationism, coupled with the Empress Dowager who only knew how to build gardens and enjoy herself, the Eight-Nation Alliance was able to advance all the way to Beijing with little formal and effective resistance.

When Tsarist Russia realized that the once mighty and warlike Qing Dynasty was long gone, they immediately tore up the Treaty of Nerchinsk and demanded that the Qing government sign a series of unfair treaties.

The contents of these treaties will not be repeated here, but the result was that Tsarist Russia seized more than 1.7 million square kilometers of territory. This included the port city of Vladivostok, Sakhalin Island, and a large area south of the Outer Khingan Mountains and north of the Heilongjiang River.

In addition, the vast territory of Outer Mongolia, covering more than 3.3 million square kilometers, was eventually separated from the Qing Dynasty and became independent under the instigation of Tsarist Russia and the Russian alliance.

People generally believe that the Eight-Nation Alliance caused the most damage to the Qing government, but in fact, the number one culprit was definitely its neighbor in the Far East, Tsarist Russia.

"Mr. Lin's words may be somewhat... blunt, but they are indeed true. From a certain perspective, so-called diplomatic work is based on national strength."

"Given the current trend, those guys at the UN will definitely not let this opportunity pass them by, using it to demonstrate their presence..."

Paul Schlütt also stepped forward to confirm that Lin Zehao's words were true.

As the Prime Minister of Denmark, he deals with the United Nations almost every day.

For those major powers, the United Nations is merely a tool or a mascot, something to be used when needed and set aside when not.

In order to prove that the United Nations is necessary, they target these relatively small countries to demonstrate their presence.

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister is very wise. Since you understand the UN's style so well, what do you think will be Greenland's ultimate fate?"

The purpose of negotiation is never to create new enemies, but to find a balance within a range acceptable to both sides.

After a long silence, Paul Schlüter finally spoke with difficulty, "It's simply that Denmark couldn't withstand the pressure and returned Greenland to the locals."

"Anyway, they never consider themselves Danish..."

Upon hearing this result from the Prime Minister, Margrethe II became very depressed.

Such acts of ceding land are bound to cause sadness, anger, and a sense of frustrating powerlessness among the country's ruling class.

"Is there... no other way...?"

Queen Margrethe II had already experienced what it felt like for Iceland to leave Denmark, and she really didn't want to experience that feeling again.

The territories that Denmark's ancestors conquered through wisdom and force are now disappearing one by one under her watch...

This is undoubtedly torture, a near-destructive torture...

"There are solutions, it just depends on whether you're willing to try."

Just as the atmosphere was becoming somewhat somber, Lin Zehao suddenly spoke up.

Paul Schlutt and Queen Margrethe II exchanged a glance, the latter nodding slightly, and the former immediately asked without hesitation, "Mr. Lin, please speak freely."

Lin Zehao gracefully flicked off the ash from his cigarette and said, word by word, "Sometimes, the general trend is irreversible, but there is also favorable fortune within adversity. It all depends on how you look at the issue."

"The problem in Greenland begins with people, and since we cannot control the thoughts of tens of thousands of people, we cannot change their desire for independence and autonomy."

"However, we can use this opportunity to turn adversity into advantage. Rather than letting Greenland eventually secede completely with the intervention of the United Nations, we can take advantage of the initiative we still hold and exchange it for some other resources."

"So, what do you think?"

Paul Schlutt and Margrethe II were both intelligent men, and after careful consideration, they naturally understood the meaning behind Lin Zehao's words.

But is there really any room for maneuver in this?
"Is there any business in the world that makes such a good profit by using land that originally belonged to someone else?"

Lin Zehao seemed to see through their thoughts, and with just one sentence, his eyes lit up.

That's right. Ultimately, Greenland does not belong to Denmark, and the locals are now crying and shouting for independence and autonomy, with the United Nations and other such unhelpful organizations relentlessly pursuing them...

If Greenland could really be sold, not only would we get rid of all those troublesome problems, but we could also reap huge profits.

Such a transaction seems like a win-win situation no matter how you look at it.

"Mr. Lin's statement suggests that he had a plan in mind."

"Otherwise, you would never have traveled all the way to Denmark in a private plane and used such a powerful weapon as the Hutchison Fleet."

"You probably don't know this, but ever since the Hutchison Fleet appeared, countless top intelligence agencies around the world have been trying to figure out the specific details."

After figuring out Lin Zehao's true intentions, Queen Margrethe II immediately became assertive and proactive, attempting to break down his defenses and seize the initiative.

Unfortunately, who is Lin Zehao?

Of course, he wouldn't fall for that.

"Sorry, I'm just a businessman. I don't want to know about such things, nor am I interested in knowing them."

"Furthermore, I hope the Queen can understand that even though Greenland belongs to Denmark, I am absolutely the only interested and capable buyer."

"If you think you can gain the upper hand by using some underhanded tactics, then we'd better talk another time."

"Anyway, those US dollars won't get moldy or spoiled in a bank account, but Greenland could declare independence at any moment."

After saying that, Lin Zehao stood up and prepared to leave, showing no respect whatsoever to Queen Margrethe II.

Do not!
This behavior goes beyond simply being disrespectful; it's practically rubbing the dignity of the royal family into the dirt repeatedly.

Think back to those times, whether it was political figures from various countries or wealthy businessmen and nobles, who didn't treat Margaret II with utmost respect but also a little nervous?

The inherent mystique surrounding royal power earned her considerable favor and respect.

In contrast, Lin Zehao seems to be someone who doesn't believe in authority from the start!
“Mr. Lin Zehao, I am a queen, and this is Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen, the royal residence!”

"Before you leave, you'd better figure out who you're talking to!"

Queen Margrethe II stood up abruptly, her face dark, as if she wanted to re-establish her royal demeanor in this way.

"That's it?"

"I thought you were going to say that you were Daenerys Stormborn, the Unburnt, Queen of Meereen, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Ruler of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Mother of Dragons."

(End of this chapter)