I have a debt of 3 trillion, and my creditors are begging me not to die.

The technological gap is the most unsolvable problem, because other things may be compensated for with money, but the technological gap cannot be compensated for with money, and even time may not be able to make up for it. No one can guarantee that they will catch up with a certain new technology in a certain number of years.

Therefore, all these bigwigs can do here is argue and shift blame to each other. Expecting them to come up with a solution is just making things difficult for them.

However, since the boss has spoken, even if I can't think of a solution, I have to say something, otherwise I won't be able to explain myself.

“I think we can follow the previous approach and have Congress allocate funds to domestic companies to focus on overcoming this technology. I believe that as long as there is enough money, we can definitely realize this technology quickly.”

"I think it's a good idea! Aren't the color-changing military uniforms from before the best example?"

"Are you really unaware, or are you playing games with me? Rumor has it that those are all goods ordered by our domestic companies from Yang Chen, which are then assembled and turned into their own manufactured products. You actually believe that you can buy technology from domestic companies?"

"What's the problem? Just tell me whether we acquired the technology and products in a short period of time."

"..."

Damn, that makes perfect sense. Regardless of the process, the result is that they caught up with Yang Chen's technical level in a short period of time. They now have all the technologies and products that Yang Chen has.

They knew in their hearts that if they really relied on their own companies and research teams to catch up with Yang Chen's technology, it would be absolutely hopeless without 10 or 8 years. However, for them, falling behind by 10 or 8 years was a terrifying thing. They would rather turn a blind eye and give money to Yang Chen than let their underlings believe that they were still the powerful big brother.

But a new problem arose. Previously, whenever Yang Chen launched a new technology or product, the United States would heavily encourage its domestic companies to conduct corresponding research, and would give a large amount of financial reward as long as there were results.

Although most of the money ended up in the hands of "Smith Commissioners" at various levels, it was still a significant amount spent by the national treasury.

The bald eagle already owes 35 trillion eagle dollars in debt that it can't repay, and now it keeps spending money on the equipment race. Even the richest family has no surplus.

At this point, the United States had followed the same path as the Soviet Union in the arms race, but they did not realize that this was an arms race.

Meanwhile, the EU is also holding an emergency meeting to discuss the issue of supersonic submarines.

President Tusk looked very serious, while representatives of the member states were arguing fiercely.

"I told you not to be traitors, but you wouldn't listen. Now look what's happened, he's made the submarine supersonic, how are we supposed to play now?"

"What's the point of saying such things now? Let's figure out how to solve the problem. My suggestion is to quickly try to be on good terms with Yang Chen and tell him that we were fooled by the White Eagle and the Great Russian, and that we have now come to our senses. We hope that he can put aside his past grievances and continue to be on good terms with us."

"Nonsense! Even if he develops a supersonic submarine, or even a light-speed submarine, the situation in the United States is still of great importance to Europe's future. We absolutely cannot let him control the situation in the United States."

"I agree with that! No matter how advanced his technology is, he can't use it to fight us, right? As long as it doesn't come to the point of a full-blown war, we have nothing to fear. Da Mao and Er Mao have been fighting for so many years, and we've paid an incredibly heavy price. How can we let Yang Chen reap the rewards now?"

"But Yang Chen is really daring! He intercepted all of Da Mao's shells, and Er Mao will definitely trust his strength even more. Er Mao originally wanted to lease the land in the other three directions to him to form a protective circle, and now that he has seen his power, Er Mao will definitely be even more determined to do so."

"In short, we absolutely cannot let Yang Chen reap the benefits; we must find a way to stop him. If necessary, we can personally send troops to Er Mao's house to seize the spoils."

"Sending troops might have been possible before, but it's a bit difficult now. Er Mao sees how powerful Yang Chen is, and they would never allow us to send troops into their country. In short, we are in a very passive position now, and it's really hard to deal with this."

After everyone finished arguing, they all looked at President Tusk.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Tusk raised his head and said, "We can talk about everything else, but we cannot give up the interests of the Russians. It concerns the future of Europe, and we cannot give up fighting for the interests of the Russians unless absolutely necessary. We will contact Russia to discuss sending troops to help them. If they do not agree, we will make them pay back the money and kick them out of the European system forever."

Meanwhile, Er Mao's family was also holding an emergency meeting to discuss their next move.

"Starry Sky Military Industry's defensive capabilities are simply too strong; all the shells were intercepted by them. I think we can proceed with the plan to lease land to them in the other three directions ahead of schedule, allowing them to build protective rings in four directions and completely solve our internal security problems."

“I agree! And once we get the rent, we can buy equipment and keep going like this with Da Mao, let’s see if we can hold out or they can.”

"We can also buy their newly developed supersonic submarine technology. We don't need to buy submarines, but we can buy bionic sharks, so that we can control the Black Sea."

"Da Mao has such a good relationship with them, so if we can buy the equipment, Da Mao can definitely buy it too."

"So what? At least it guarantees that we can bomb each other. It's better than Russia buying them and us not having any, and us getting crushed by Russia, right?"

"That makes sense. At least we can ensure mutual destruction and not get crushed by them. I think it's a good idea!"

Meanwhile, the Mao family was also holding a meeting to discuss countermeasures.

"Damn Yang Chen, he really stopped all the shells we fired. Even the supersonic missiles were stopped by his super-strong plasma shield. What a waste of all our equipment."

"This can't go on. If Er Mao continues to rent the land to him, won't we be constantly being squeezed out of Er Mao's house?"

"If that's really the case, the consequences would be too severe. We can't be driven back to our homeland, otherwise all these years of effort would be in vain. We've lost so many lives and money, given up so many benefits, and in the end, we've gained nothing. How can we explain this to the people back home?"

“But I’ve talked to Yang Chen, and he wants us to rent out the land on the east side to him for farming. If we don’t agree to this condition, he won’t discuss any cooperation with us. But those lands on the east side are our last resort, and we can’t rent them out unless absolutely necessary.”

“If you can’t talk to him, then talk to his parents. He may not consider the big picture as a businessman, but his parents can’t ignore it.”

All parties devised countermeasures and then proceeded to the next step.

First is the bald eagle.

The U.S. Congress has allocated $1000 billion to domestic companies and research teams to develop supersonic submarine technology as quickly as possible.

Next was Er Mao.

Er Mao immediately dispatched a team to Jiangcheng to negotiate with Yang Chen. They wanted to lease land and mineral resources in the north, west, and south to Yang Chen, and also purchase equipment such as a supersonic bionic shark.

Next came the European Union, which contacted the Russians to discuss sending troops to Russia. However, the Russians refused outright and made it clear that they would never consider sending foreign troops to Russia unless they faced national subjugation.

The EU immediately demanded that Marcelo repay the money, totaling €2145 billion in equipment and funds they had previously provided, including interest, and not a penny less.

The head of the Er Mao family said very generously and confidently, "Don't worry, our team has already discussed a new cooperation with Yang Chen. It's just a small amount of money, we'll pay you back right away. If we cooperate with you, less than 100 billion out of 20 billion will end up in our hands. But if we cooperate with Yang Chen, 100 billion is 100 billion, plus there will be dividends later. If you were in my shoes, who would you cooperate with? I'm hanging up now, wait for my message!"

The EU is in complete panic; this means saying goodbye to the US for good.

On the other side, the Er Mao family delegation, led by military representative Virgil, met with Yang Chen.

“Mr. Yang, we meet again. This time you won’t say we lack sincerity and attitude, will you?” Virgil said with a smile.

Yang Chen laughed heartily and said, "That depends on what you want to talk about. Come on, let's get straight to the point."

“We are very satisfied with Mr. Yang’s construction capabilities. We believe that those 1000 million mu of land and 50 mineral sites will definitely be developed very well under Mr. Yang’s management. In order to develop the national economy and create jobs, we have decided to lease some more land and mineral sites to Mr. Yang. Not much, a total of 6000 million mu of land and 100 mineral sites. I wonder if Mr. Yang has the ability to undertake such a large project?” Virgil said with a smile.

“I can handle any project, no matter how big. What’s the plan?” Yang Chen replied with a smile. Virgil immediately explained their plan in detail.

This time, they skipped the bidding process and directly leased it to Yang Chen for 50 years at a fixed price of 2 trillion Eagle Dollars.

"Fuck you! Do you think I'm an ATM? You dare to offer two trillion Angry Dollars? Is this what you call sincerity and attitude?" Yang Chen mocked.

Virgil quickly said, "Mr. Yang, if you think it's too expensive, you can try to negotiate. Why don't you make an offer?"

“One trillion Eagle Dollars!” Yang Chen said.

Virgil looked shocked and said, "How much? One trillion Eagle Dollars? Mr. Yang, we thought you would only offer 1.5 trillion Eagle Dollars at most, but you're offering one trillion in one go? Mr. Yang, this shows you're not being sincere, really."

Yang Chen laughed heartily, then said with a serious expression, "Neither of us are fools. I can guess what your purpose is in leasing land to me in the other three directions, and you know it too. Isn't the security I provide for you worth 5000 billion Eagle Dollars? The land occupied by Russia is worth far more than 5000 billion Eagle Dollars, isn't it? The reason I was willing to pay such a high price for the 1000 million acres and 50 mines last time was because I needed an opportunity to prove my strength to the world. The fact that you're willing to come and lease land to me in the other three directions today shows that I've already proven my strength. Therefore, I don't need to pay such a high premium to lease your land anymore; 1 trillion Eagle Dollars is already a very high price. If I were to say that I wouldn't interfere with the security issues in the other directions, do you believe that Russia would directly bypass my land and launch a fierce attack from the south at Odessa? Do you believe that the US and Europe could force you to your death?"

Virgil was speechless after Yang Chen's words.

Yang Chen continued, "If you give me the land resources, you will not only receive a large sum of money, but you will also receive dividends to maintain your financial expenditures. If you don't give me the land resources, you will only be divided up."

After a long silence, Virgil said, "I dare not make this decision on my own. I need to report to my family. Mr. Yang, please wait for me."

Yang Chen stood up and said, "Make them coffee, and call me when it's ready."

Chen Xi nodded and immediately served coffee to the foreigners.

Virgil called home and gave a detailed account of Yang Chen's attitude.

The Er Mao family immediately convened a high-level meeting to discuss countermeasures. In the end, they unanimously decided that 1 trillion Eagle Dollars would not be enough, they needed 1 trillion Euros, and they also needed to send them another 100 supersonic bionic sharks.

Virgil quickly went to invite Yang Chen over to continue the discussion and told Yang Chen about the latest offer from his family.

Yang Chen stood up and said, "One trillion Eagle Dollars is the highest offer I can make. Take it or leave it; I won't force you. The supersonic bionic shark is not for sale for now, so don't even think about it. Everyone, if there's nothing else to discuss, let's end it here. Goodbye, and don't bother seeing me out!"

The price Yang Chen gives you the first time is always the best price he can offer; there's absolutely no way you can bargain with him and get a better deal.

They want to use Yang Chen's security forces on one hand, and make a lot of money from Yang Chen on the other. How can they have their cake and eat it too?
Virgil panicked completely and quickly chased after Yang Chen to persuade him to reconsider. Yang Chen was so angry he almost laughed. Shouldn't they be the ones to reconsider?

"My attitude is very clear and firm. You should think it over carefully yourselves," Yang Chen said.

At this moment, Chen Xi hurriedly ran over to report: "Chairman Yang, Mr. Jiang just called and said that he will bring representatives from the Mao family over this afternoon to have a chat with you."

Yang Chen stopped and said to Virgil in English, "The Russian family representatives are coming this afternoon. You'd better think it over before they arrive."

Virgil was stunned, while Yang Chen walked into the elevator and returned to his office.

Virgil hurried back to his companions and said, "What do you all think we should do? The representatives of the Mao family are coming to negotiate with Yang Chen this afternoon, and we don't have much time left."

Everyone expressed their opinions.

"One trillion Eagle Dollars plus a 30% dividend is already quite a lot; let's not be too greedy."

“If we give it to Bald Eagle, we won’t get a single penny, let alone any subsequent dividends. It’s really worthwhile to rent it to Yang Chen.”

"Isn't what we want his security forces? We also get 1 trillion Eagle Dollars and a 30% share of the profits. What are we hesitating for?"

“If they reach an agreement with Russia, we’ll be in a passive position. Rather than being divided up by the UAE, Russia, and the EU, we’d better lease it to Yang Chen as soon as possible. We can not only gain economic benefits but also security protection.”

Virgil still didn't dare to make a decision on his own, so he quickly called home to report the situation. In addition to explaining Yang Chen's firm stance, he also reported everyone's opinions and the arrival of the Da Mao team in the afternoon, asking his family to make a decision as soon as possible.

This greatly worried Er Mao's family, as they had no time to continue negotiating with Yang Chen.

Yang Chen is now in control and has the leisure to wait for both sides to quote prices. He will cooperate with whoever offers the more favorable terms.

After a brief discussion, the Er Mao family decided to accept Yang Chen's "blow": 1 trillion Eagle Dollars to lease a total of 6000 million acres of land and 100 mineral sites in three other areas for a term of 50 years, with payment to be made in a lump sum.

Upon receiving the latest orders from home, Virgil immediately called Yang Chen.

“Mr. Yang, we accept your offer, but the money must be paid in full upfront, and the contract must be signed and officially announced immediately. Is that alright?” Virgil said anxiously.

Yang Chen laughed and said, "Haha...Okay! But before signing the contract, shouldn't I know the exact coordinates of the land you're renting out? I also need to have my staff conduct an on-site inspection to make sure everything is in order before I can sign the contract with you."

Virgil immediately said, "No problem! Come over here, I'll give you the coordinates, and you can immediately have your staff go and conduct an on-site inspection so we can sign the agreement as soon as possible."

Yang Chen hung up the phone and returned to the reception room.

Virgil immediately told Yang Chen the exact coordinates of the 6000 million acres of land and 100 mineral deposits.

Yang Chen handed the coordinates to Chen Xi and instructed, "Have them check these coordinates via satellite, then notify Guo Hu to have Er Mao's staff conduct an on-site investigation. Also, tell them to submit a report as soon as possible!"

Chen Xi nodded and said, "Understood! I'll do it right away!"

At 3 p.m., Jiang Wenming, accompanied by representatives from the Mao family's military, arrived at Sihai Group to meet with Yang Chen.

"I'm just here to act as a go-between; I won't participate in your negotiations. Everyone, you continue your discussion. I'm going out for some fresh air. Call me back when things are settled; don't call me if they aren't. Thank you," Jiang Wenming said with a smile, then turned and left.

The authorities are unwilling to get involved in this matter to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and trouble.

We will maintain our previous approach: purely commercial cooperation, without involving anything else.

Yang Chen gestured for the Russian representative to sit down and asked with a smile, "Mr. Kirill, why are you talking to me again? There shouldn't be anything between us to talk about, right? You know my attitude."

Kirill said, "I know... Mr. Yang is a very difficult negotiator, I understand that. But we still want to talk to Mr. Yang. We hope that Mr. Yang will not get involved in our struggle with Er Mao, okay?"

Yang Chen immediately said, "I didn't participate in your struggle! But you can't attack my assets. I spent 3700 billion Eagle Dollars to lease the land and mines. You think you can just blow them up like that?"

Kirill immediately said, "We won't dwell on these issues. Mr. Yang, name your terms, and we'll do our best to agree. Forget about the land to the east; it will absolutely not be rented out."

Yang Chen immediately stood up and said, "Then what are you all doing coming all this way to talk to me? Your time is worthless, but mine is. I don't want to waste my time on you. Goodbye!" (End of Chapter)