Hong Kong Island: From a small stall to a global supplier

How powerful is the United States now?
If you replace the US with the US 30 years from now, the US will definitely not be able to beat the US now. The US is currently in an absolute leading position in terms of weapons and technology, and it can crush all other countries. The only basis for confronting the US right now is nuclear peace.

Without nuclear peace, the Americans won't even give you a second glance.

Of course, Wang Yaotang didn't need to tell Camel about this judgment; he couldn't explain why things were worse 30 years later than they are now.

"You asked for my opinion, and I think we should first clarify one point: under what circumstances should we discuss this issue? Is it based on the premise that the United States has completely defeated Saddam Hussein and has a large-scale military presence in the Middle East?" Wang Yaotang asked after thinking for a moment.

"This..." The king and the others remained silent for a long time, but ultimately no conclusion was reached.

Without a definitive conclusion, there is no basis for discussion.

Considering that bringing someone over to discuss issues immediately after landing today would be somewhat contrary to Camel's usual hospitality, he smiled and ended the conversation, asking Prince Banda to entertain Wang Yaotang.

As for when to discuss it next, we'll have to wait and see how things develop. Anyway, the situation stabilized after the 60 logs started being fueled.

The Camel Kingdom's extravagance is unparalleled globally; after all, it's a monarchy, and money is primarily used for enjoyment...

What else can you do if you don't enjoy it? Develop your military like Saddam Hussein?

This is a private estate in Banda, specially designed to entertain distinguished guests. Every maid here is a carefully selected, highly trained virgin, of all skin colors, ethnicities, and ages... there are women of all shapes and sizes, who can satisfy any request from their clients at any time.

It's anything!
Wang Yaotang: I'm so happy here, I don't miss Hong Kong!

Hong Kong still has a lot to learn in this regard!

It's impossible, it's illegal, and there's no suitable environment for it.

Of course, Wang Yaotang wasn't always reckless. Prince Banda conveyed the King's intention to hire "protectors" to conduct reconnaissance and defense operations in the border region to obtain firsthand intelligence.

The actions taken by the "protective umbrella" to eliminate Zhang Qifu left a deep impression on those who followed him.

Wang Yaotang readily agreed, wanting to gain experience in desert warfare, as the future center of the 'security and defense' market lies in the Middle East.

Hmm, North Africa is not bad either.

On one hand, he called Ah Ji and asked him to arrange for someone to fly over, but it would be more troublesome to send the Y-5 over.

The Y-5 is well-suited for desert regions and boasts extremely high mobility.

After arranging things in Hong Kong, Wang Yaotang made another phone call to the mainland, briefing his superiors on his personal experiences, including the reconnaissance and defense missions undertaken by the Umbrella Corporation. He noted that the mainland also lacked experience in desert warfare, therefore…

Anyway, everyone who arrives at Camel is an employee of Umbrella Corporation; that's what they say to everyone.

The authorities are also very concerned about the situation in the Middle East and have asked many questions. Wang Yaotang naturally gave the same answer: the US will definitely take action, which will profoundly affect the situation in the Middle East for decades to come. As an indispensable strategic resource for industrial development, oil will also have a far-reaching impact on national development in the future.

Privately, Wang Yaotang inquired about how his hometown would vote at the UN meeting if Saddam refused to withdraw his troops. He did not receive a clear answer, but it was highly likely that they would abstain. At present, their focus was on economic development, and they would not participate in such international disputes.

However, at the same time, the higher authorities also entrusted the Umbrella Corporation with intelligence tracking and maintaining real-time communication with the domestic authorities. In the event of actual war, they were to closely monitor the developments and details of the war, as well as the performance of our weapons on the battlefield. The higher authorities would also further strengthen the facilitation of weapons procurement with the Umbrella Corporation.

The Honglu Temple stationed in Liaison Office can do nothing in this regard.

Wang Yaotang readily agreed, even though he already knew the outcome.

There is a fundamental difference between having the strength to not participate in such international disputes and not having the strength to participate!

The Gulf War truly shocked the world, forcing a shift in military research and development directions and a reassessment of the status of air forces and missiles.

As Wang Yaotang had predicted, things unfolded exactly as he had expected.

He arrived on August 3rd and spent the 4th enjoying a day at Prince Banda's estate.

On the 5th, clutching his back, he contacted all parties. The Umbrella Movement acted swiftly and quickly, mobilizing manpower that day and renting two private jets. They departed on the morning of the 6th, and 300 people arrived in Leyard that afternoon. They didn't need to bring their own equipment, as everything was prepared there.

Just after picking them up at the airport, Prince Sur called to say that the United States had taken action!

At 8:50 p.m. on the 6th, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff officially issued its first deployment order in the Gulf!
Deployment location: Camel Dzahelan Airport.

Prior to August, the US had no organized military presence in Camel.

During the Iran-Iraq War's "ship attack" (1980-1988), facilities such as Dhahran Airport were temporarily used for escort and logistical support. Afterwards, the team mainly consisted of military advisors, weapons sales and technical support personnel, assisting the Saudi army in training and equipment maintenance. The team numbered only a few hundred people and had no combat troops.

Many of them were CIA intelligence personnel.

The US did not communicate with Saudi Arabia before issuing the order, which angered the old king, but he had no way to refuse. The US was using the pretext of rescuing Arab brother countries and protecting the Kuwaiti royal family, so the camel could not refuse.

Especially at this critical juncture, when facing the threat from Old Sa.

Camel had just purchased logs from China, leaving the Americans embarrassed and forced to swallow their pride. This time, Camel was deliberately showing off its power to make Camel understand that it couldn't refuse America's blatant entry!

Instead of provoking the old king, Wang Yaotang changed the original plan and sent Prince Banda's men to receive equipment, vehicles, and supplies, so that they could rush to the border area to carry out the mission as soon as possible.

That's how conscientious and responsible the protective umbrella is!
It was already the morning of the next day when they arrived at the border town of Hafelbatin. As soon as they met with the border garrison, the person in charge there hurriedly told Wang Yaotang that Lao Shi had officially approved the 'Desert Shield' operation plan at 2 a.m.

At that time, the United Nations had not yet approved the deployment of troops, so it was called the 'Shield,' nominally to maintain peace in the Middle East and protect Kuwait.

The king is in a hurry and wants Wang Yaotang to return as soon as possible.

Wang Yaotang readily agreed; it's easier to talk business when there's a gun to his head.

However, the immediate priority is to settle the personnel down. Under any other circumstances, finding outsiders to replace their own troops would be considered an insult to the Camel military, but now Iraq has invaded...

Well, they are naturally good friends of the Camel Army!
The best dormitory, the best food and lodging. Wang Yaotang specifically mentioned the food issue: there can be no pork, but there must be mutton with big ears!

He readily agreed to these suggestions. He had already explained everything to Chen Yuanchao on the way. Now he only needed to familiarize himself with the weapons, equipment, and climate. The specific actions would be discussed after he had finished talking with the king.

Hafelbatin had already prepared a private plane to take Wang Yaotang directly back to Riad. Prince Banda's car drove onto the tarmac, and after getting off the plane, he went straight to the palace. It was already around 5 p.m.

“No rush, let’s have a meal first, and then we’ll go see the King,” Prince Banda said with a smile.

Without mentioning having dinner with the King, it's easy for the conversation to turn to serious matters, which would definitely spoil the dining experience.

Royal Palace, Reception Room.

The king remained calm, smiling as he inquired about the situation of the Umbrella Corporation personnel at the border, asking if they had encountered any problems with food and lodging, and to let him know if they had any needs.

With this opening statement, it was natural to bring up the previous matter. Wang Yaotang said in a deep voice, "Now we don't need to guess anymore. The Americans are already sending troops, and it's said that some have already arrived?"

“Yes, the first advance team of 800 men from the 82nd Airborne Division has arrived. They informed us that the advance team consists of 2300 men, and they will all arrive tomorrow,” Prince Suer said.

"The first batch alone airlifted 2300 people. According to the normal troop structure, the total troop strength would not be less than 10." Wang Yaotang casually estimated a number. He still remembered that the United States had deployed more than 30 troops in total during the Gulf War.

"what!"

These words left everyone speechless, their faces filled with disbelief.

How many troops does Saudi Arabia have in total? "It will only be higher, not lower. The airborne troops can't be the main force on the battlefield; they're only responsible for rapid response. The main ground force that will cooperate with them will definitely be more than 20 times larger. In addition, there's the navy; two carrier battle groups will definitely come, that's 2 people. The air force can't rely solely on carrier-based aircraft; it still needs more than 2.5 people. Also, Kuwait is a coastal country, so the marines will definitely participate in the war." Wang Yaotang counted on his fingers, "And that doesn't even include the transport troops."

The king's face was grim. In a monarchical country, where the entire nation is privately owned, it would be a miracle if a large number of fierce robbers suddenly broke into his home!
Prince Suer's expression was equally grim; he was the first in line to the throne...

All 20-plus people present had inheritance rights, just in different order of priority; they were 100% united in their hatred of the enemy.

Wang Yaotang looked around and said, "Now we first need to clarify whether we are prepared to bow down and follow the United States, handing over our development and national security to the United States, or to pursue independence and autonomy?"

It's definitely about pursuing independence and autonomy!

Camels are monarchies that practice pacifism, while the United States is a capitalist country that practices Christianity.

Of course, it could also be Judaism, but it definitely cannot be a religion of peace.

They were happily singing and eating hotpot in the desert when they were suddenly robbed by bandits...

The two countries have irreconcilable contradictions in their systems. The "freedom," "democracy," and "human rights" that the US shouts about all day long have no place in Camel's soil. It is a fundamental denial of the rights of the royal family and the nobility.

The camels wanted to live a peaceful life in a secluded corner, enjoying wealth and luxury, and they didn't mind paying some price for it, but they couldn't let the interests of the royal family and nobles be shaken.

After reiterating the bottom line, Wang Yaotang continued, "Let me summarize: cautious confrontation, provided it does not pose a significant threat to the Camel System, the economy, or religion, right?"

The king thought about it for a moment and nodded with satisfaction.

The camel has put on shoes. The royal family has enjoyed decades of wealth and luxury, and the purpose of the confrontation is to preserve their current wealth and status.

"There are only two kinds of confrontation: verbal and military," Wang Yaotang said with a smile. "Let's forget about military confrontation. With the Russians backing down, I don't think any country would engage in a direct military conflict with the US."

“Old China…” Prince Suer murmured.

"The current policy is to focus on economic development, and we will not take any actions that would hinder economic development," Wang Yaotang firmly shook his head.

A silence fell over the reception room. Suddenly, the old king raised an eyebrow. "Focusing on economic development?"

Wang Yaotang nodded emphatically.

"We camels are very willing to work hand in hand with China and Laos to achieve common progress in the economy!" the king said in a deep voice.

Wang Yaotang clapped his hands enthusiastically and gave two thumbs up. Sharp!

When a rabbit is poor, it will sell anything. It can get away with provoking a rabbit in other places, but if anyone dares to interfere with a rabbit's ability to make money, then that enmity is huge!

The old king burst into laughter, releasing much of the pent-up depression he had been feeling for the past few days, and he felt much more relaxed.

Camels may not be something that can sway the Chinese to directly engage in armed conflict with the US, but as a fully industrialized nation, finding large-scale cooperative projects is too easy for them.

"Oil extraction, transportation, chemicals—do you think these are feasible?" the old king asked in a deep voice.

This is the most presentable thing a camel can offer.

"I need to discuss the specifics with my superiors, but in my personal opinion, there are no problems!" Wang Yaotang said with a smile, "It's just a matter of funding..."

"There's absolutely no need to worry about funding." The old king perked up at this, finally reaching an area where camels excel. With a grand gesture, he declared, "All the funding will be covered by us camels!"

They've already bought $200 billion worth of logs; how much money could they possibly have for related research and collaborations? Besides, this investment is long-term, so there's no need to worry about it at all.

That's what you call domineering!
The camel was so poor that all it had left was money.

"We need China to provide relevant research personnel and support in the manufacturing sector."

"What I want to say is that His Majesty the King is full of wisdom. Unlike some European countries, China is small and has a small population, focusing only on the development of certain areas. China is different; it is in the entire industrial sector. This has led to the excessive dispersion of human and material resources, making it impossible to achieve sufficient breakthroughs in most areas. However, China also does not have many weaknesses. The foundation of the country's development is extremely solid. According to the current development momentum, and looking at China's 10 billion population, this is a market that is larger than the whole of Europe, including Russia."

"China's GDP is already ranked 8th in the world, and China is a de facto oil-poor country. In the future, China will earn even more from China."

"Isn't China ranked eleventh in GDP?" someone suddenly interjected.

To cooperate with Laos and China through Wang Yaotang, it is essential to collect various data.

“The data released by institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF seem authoritative, but…” Wang Yaotang smiled and shrugged, “This data includes the output of the financial services industry. Due to China’s conservative monetary policy, the relevant services are state-run and cannot be included in the statistics.”

"In addition, this data does not include Russia, so it is also impossible to count trade with Russia."

"Finally, there's the method of calculating GDP. The Chinese use the 'production method,' while capitalism uses the 'expenditure method.' One focuses on the output of the real economy, while the other focuses on consumption, investment, government spending, and net exports. There are significant differences."

"Speaking of this, the majority of the Chinese and Lao population are farmers. There are 8 million people. The self-sufficient economy of farmers is impossible to quantify, so the number is even larger."

“From a cultural perspective, we don’t like being famous, nor do we like being ranked too high on the charts. The tallest tree in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind.” Wang Yaotang said the last sentence in Chinese.

The GDP issue has both advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, it can conceal one's true intentions and reduce the vigilance of Europe and the United States. On the other hand, it can also have a negative impact on people like Wang Yaotang who work in overseas markets.

There's nothing we can do; they're barbarians who don't understand the meaning of being low-key.

Many things are just there, but nobody mentions them, and nobody thinks about them. They just mechanically believe what the media reports. Now that Wang Yaotang, a person of outstanding reputation, has said something, everyone immediately believes it.

Of course, who wouldn't want to believe something that's in their favor?

Seeing the smiles on everyone's faces, Wang Yaotang continued, "I have another suggestion for Camel. We could definitely do some infrastructure construction, such as highways, railways, hydropower facilities, docks, etc. It would greatly stimulate the economy and effectively improve people's living standards. Laos and China have incredibly rich technology and experience in this area, after all, they have experience in meeting the needs of 10 billion people."

"The largest bulk cargo port I built in Hong Kong, Tuen Mun Port, was built by Chinese people. This year, I will also participate in the expansion of the Chao Phraya River port in Siam. Several major ports, such as Shanghai and Guangzhou, are ranked among the top ten in the world. When it comes to trade with Arabs, we can trace it back to more than 1000 years ago. They have a wealth of experience."

Everyone agrees on this point. Many ceramic artifacts from China have been unearthed in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. From this perspective, the relationship between the two countries has a long history!
The old king nodded repeatedly in agreement, praising the tangible benefits of the improved infrastructure, which he saw as both present and future, and his mood improved considerably.

While China's arrival means it can't militarily confront the US, the US can't use its military to attack China either. Only when two major powers exchange weapons can the camel survive in the middle.

From this perspective, Prince Banda has made outstanding contributions by finding such a capable intermediary as Wang Yaotang.

"So Your Majesty is also in the port business. I wonder if you'd be interested in investing in a port for camels?" Prince Sur asked with a smile after receiving a look from the old king.

Wang Yaotang must be brought onto the war machine so that Saudi Arabia can feel at ease.

“Thank you very much, Your Majesty. It is an honor to participate in the construction of the camel port.” Why would he refuse money offered for free? Wang Yaotang smiled and accepted.

Once the framework was set, the atmosphere improved considerably, and both sides became interested when the topic of ancient trade exchanges was brought up.

Arab and Chinese civilizations are both ancient civilizations with orderly inheritance and long history, yet everyone is now mocking the United States as a cultural wasteland.

What cultural relics does the United States have?
Native American scalp?

Both sides reached a consensus on this point...

They chatted until 10 p.m., then had a late-night snack together before Wang Yaotang finally left the palace. It was quite interesting.

Old Sa was truly a remarkable figure. The camel suffered an undeserved misfortune, while he and his hometown could only accept the benefits with tears in their eyes… (End of Chapter)