Middle Eastern tyrants

Chapter 141 Seris

Upon hearing the name "Seres," Lu Lin felt a sudden surge of warmth in his heart.

A feeling that was both distant and familiar quietly spread through me; it was a resonance from the depths of my blood.

Hearing this name from the mouth of this Mughal general brought him a strange sense of comfort.

But Lu Lin didn't forget his current identity, and he quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

Compared to the United States or Australasia, Seres is geographically closer and has more flexible transportation routes, so overall, the cost will undoubtedly be significantly lower.

Furthermore, regarding political stance, if the Mughal, also an Arab country, were to act as an intermediary, with grain departing from Seris, first transported to the Mughal, and then transshipped from the Mughal to Ghanam, this would transform into mutual assistance between Arab countries and their friendly neighbors.

Even though the United States later learned the details, there was nothing they could say.

Of course, the Mughals wouldn't work for nothing; they would take a considerable cut of the transportation fees—this was an open secret.

Thinking of this, Lu Lin didn't hesitate any longer. He looked at General Raja and nodded: "Then please help arrange a meeting between Shuangzhi and Seris. General, both Shuangzhi and Ganam will remember this kindness."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

United States, Baltimore.

Inside the sanatorium ward, all was quiet except for the regular, soft ticking of the monitoring equipment.

Yehena's eyelashes fluttered a few times before she finally opened them slowly.

It took some time for my vision to gradually clear, and the heaviness and subtle pain in my body returned.

The nurses who were waiting nearby noticed the commotion and immediately went to check on her—this patient's monitoring level had been raised to the highest level within a few days. Not only was she being cared for 24 hours a day, but all kinds of feedback had to be collected immediately and then transmitted back to the dual-login system.

"how do you feel?"

"Can you listen to me?"

"."

Yehena could only blink slightly in response.

The nurse breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "It's so good that you're alright. I'll go get the doctor."

As the nurse left the ward, Yehena's gaze wandered aimlessly around the room.

She was a little curious about where she was.

From the pristine white walls to the sunlight streaming through the window, the sunlight finally settles on the bedside table.

There was a familiar written document on the cabinet.

This document...didn't she hide it away a long time ago?

Is it new?
Her heart tightened for no reason.

She tried not to overthink it, but the document drew her gaze like a magnet.

So she pursed her pale lips and reached for the document with the hand that still had the IV tube inserted.

Clumsily, little by little, I pried it apart.

The paper made a faint sound when rubbed together.

A new engagement document.

She saw her family crest and her father's signature, just like the engagement document from years ago.

Her gaze finally settled on the man's familiar name, and all her movements and breathing seemed to freeze at that moment.

"Amir bin Muhammad bin Abdul Al Saud"

She stared at it quietly for a very long time, as if trying to confirm the authenticity of each character.

Finally, she moved her lips very slightly, as if to utter an almost inaudible soliloquy:

"That's it"

Then she buried her head under the covers, her heart seemingly filled with some enormous, light emotion, and in the darkness, the corners of her mouth involuntarily curved upwards.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The Mughals quickly arranged the meeting, choosing Islamabad as the location.

Before coming, Lu Lin had already informed Prince Muhammad, who entrusted him with all the arrangements for the meeting.

They only emphasized the importance of security.

Lu Lin, accompanied by his entourage, arrived at the reception room first, guided by the staff.

For some reason, he felt his heart pounding, and that familiar sense of warmth made his mind more active.

As a conservative monarchy that has not established diplomatic relations with Seris and belongs to the United States camp, the person selected for Shuangzhi must possess both extremely high political trust and extraordinary diplomatic skills, as well as sufficient political standing.

Thinking about it this way, it should at least be at the ministerial level or above, right?
Ministerial level—a term that is both familiar and unfamiliar.

Lu Lin's fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on the armrest.

The Mughal staff assumed that the lieutenant general was getting impatient and apologized slightly, saying, "Due to flight issues, the representative from Seris was a little late. Please don't mind."

“Uh,” Lu Lin came to his senses, “No, it’s okay.”

Footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by a sturdy-looking man with a composed expression, who entered accompanied by several people.

The visitor was a representative of Seris. He was dressed in perfectly pressed clothes, with his collar buttoned up meticulously, exuding a unique, carefully cultivated simplicity characteristic of Seris in this era.

Introduced by the Mughal diplomat, the Seris representative walked towards Lu Lin.

"This is His Highness Amir of Shuangzhi, currently a Lieutenant General in the Shuangzhi Army, Commander of the Northern Border Region, and Governor of the Nur District."

General Raja introduced the two men to each other: "This is Mr. Jin Yuan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Seris, who represents the will of Seris in full."

Lu Lin stepped forward and extended his hand. He felt Mr. Jin's hand; it was dry and strong.

“Welcome, Mr. Jin,” Lu Lin said in Arabic.

Through the translator, Jin Yuan responded with a smile: "Thank you for your trust, General Amir. It is an important opportunity for us to meet with Shuangzhi's friends here."

After both parties took their seats and exchanged brief pleasantries, the conversation quickly got down to business.

During the conversation, Jin Yuan used Seres, while Lu Lin used Arabic.

Several times, Lu Lin almost couldn't help but use Chinese.

The Arabic translators brought by the Seris delegation were clearly somewhat unfamiliar with the language; some military and geopolitical terms were translated haltingly, and some were even misinterpreted.

Seeing that Lu Lin seemed hesitant to speak, Jin Yuan asked, "Is it a translation problem?" Lu Lin thought to himself that he understood everything. He glanced at the translator and simply smiled, "No, his translation was very accurate."

The conversation returned to the grim situation in Ghanam. Lu Lin described the blockade of Al-Ilag, the scorched earth of the downstream fertile land, and the imminent food crisis.

It's worth mentioning that, at this point in time, Seris's political stance on the Middle East supports the Arab countries' struggle against Zion. Furthermore, in both Middle East wars, Seris explicitly voiced support for the Arab side and provided some humanitarian and non-military aid.

“We are aware of your experiences in the Middle East, General Amir, those deeds are admirable,” Jin Yuan said, his gaze carrying a professional scrutiny. “So we would like to hear more about your own experiences and perspectives along the way.”

Lu Lin did not refuse, and began his story from Nukoshir until he completely rescued Garnam from Zion's clutches.

His narrative is concise and powerful, without excessive emotional embellishment, but the facts themselves are heavy enough.

Jin Yuan listened very attentively.

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye, and Lu Lin finally finished recounting everything that had happened in the past two years.

He couldn't help but feel a little uneasy, wondering if everything he had done made his country proud.

After listening to His Highness Amir's story, Jin Yuan's eyes revealed professional sympathy and concern.

"The plight of the people of Ghanam is heartbreaking," Jin Yuan said, his tone calm and professional.

He then solemnly stated, "On behalf of Seris, I express my deepest sympathy for the plight of the people of Canam. Your Excellency, in this time of crisis, you stepped forward to lead the people in resisting foreign aggression and fighting for their right to survival. This is an act of heroism and justice."

This diplomatic praise kept Lu Lin calm. He nodded in acknowledgment: "This is our responsibility, Mr. Jin. What we need now is a solution to the problem."

“Yes, to solve the problem.” Jin Yuan nodded, his expression returning to calm and pragmatic: “We fully understand the urgency that Ghanam urgently needs food. Although our country’s food supply is not abundant at the moment, we are still willing and able to squeeze out some food, such as corn and some wheat, to help our friends through this difficult time.”

At this point, Lu Lin was also a little curious, as he remembered that Seris seemed to be quite sad at this time.

"Wouldn't that be a bit much?" Lu Lin asked instinctively.

Unexpectedly, Jin Yuan was very frank, "But as Your Highness knows, Seres is a developing country, and we are eager to establish friendship and cooperation with all nations in the world that treat us as equals. We hope to exchange grain for resources urgently needed for our country's development."

"oil?"

Jin Yuan's eyes were serious: "Yes, oil is the lifeblood of modern industry. Shuangzhi has oil, and Seris has food. This is a win-win cooperation."

At this point, Mughal General Raja, acting as the middleman, joked: "It's a win-win-win situation! The Mughals are willing to provide transportation channels and necessary logistical support for the friendship between the two sides, ensuring that the supplies arrive safely and smoothly."

After the translation, Jin Yuan and Lu Lin laughed together.

After laughing, Lu Lin returned to the topic of the meeting: "I only have one request, which is to transport the grain to Ghana quickly and in large quantities. Everything else is negotiable."

Jin Yuan hesitated for a moment, then exchanged a few words quickly and quietly with the economic advisor beside him.

After a moment, he looked up and gave a preliminary estimate: "If the shipping routes and security issues can be resolved through the Mughals, we initially estimate that we can provide 250,000 tons of grain to the Ghanam region, mainly corn, supplemented with some wheat and millet."

250,000 tons!
This figure has exceeded Lu Lin's expectations. Even with losses during transportation and under various conditions, this amount of grain is enough to support Ghanam until it can restore its arable land to self-sufficiency.

“That’s wonderful,” Lu Lin said, his voice filled with obvious joy. But he quickly remembered his current status and straightened his face, becoming serious again. “This number is more than enough to solve the problem. On behalf of the people of Ghanam, I would like to express my gratitude to you and Seris.”

Jin Yuan also smiled and said, "Serily also hopes to deepen cooperation with Shuangzhi, and hopes that this will be the beginning of friendship between our two countries."

Next comes the crucial price negotiation stage.

Jin Yuan held up four fingers, preparing to announce the price agreed upon internally by Seris: "We hope to get it for four tons of grain."

Before he finished speaking, Lu Lin was already completely absorbed in the number "four" and the four outstretched fingers.

Before the translator could speak, Lu Lin interrupted Jin Yuan without hesitation, his tone resolute and decisive: "Okay, at this price, four tons of crude oil for one ton of grain!"

Upon hearing this, an eerie silence instantly fell over the room.

On the Seris delegation's side, apart from Jin Yuan, almost all the accompanying economic officials instantly showed undisguised shock on their faces.

Their original plan was to offer an extremely favorable price, with the aim of establishing a long-term friendship and opening up the market.

What did they hear? Four tons of oil for one ton of grain?!
The immense surprise struck every member of Seris like an electric shock, but their high level of discipline kept them firmly in control of their expressions.

Everyone was bursting with excitement. 25 tons of grain, but that's 100 million tons of oil!
Jin Yuan was momentarily stunned after receiving the offer, but his surprise quickly subsided. He confirmed again, "You mean four tons of oil for one ton of grain?"

"Was my expression unclear enough?" Lu Lin frowned and looked at the translator.

He certainly knew what was going on, but in the eyes of oil tycoons, oil was like water in the ocean—inexhaustible.

“Then it’s a deal!” Jin Yuan shook hands with Lu Lin again. This time, he couldn’t help but elevate Shuang Zhi and this lieutenant general named Amir to several diplomatic levels in his mind.

Lu Lin held Jin Yuan's hand, his tone becoming domineering: "I'll say it again, the food must be delivered to Ghanam as quickly as possible. We won't owe you a single drop of oil, and you can't owe me a single grain of food!"

Jin Yuan gripped his hand even tighter.

The deal was then completed in a way that far exceeded Seris's expectations.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The meeting drew to a close in a friendly and efficient atmosphere. After finalizing the details and timing of follow-up coordination, both sides rose to say goodbye.

Jin Yuan extended his hand to Lu Lin again: "General Amir, please rest assured, the Seres people are trustworthy and will deliver the grain to Ghanam as quickly as possible."

“I believe in the promises of the Seres.” As they shook hands, Lu Lin had a sudden inspiration: “This is a rare opportunity, Mr. Jin, how about we take a picture together? I’d like to keep it as a personal memento.”

Jin Yuan hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Since it's from the general's private collection, let's take a picture." He turned to his assistant, who handed him a simple brocade box.

Upon opening the box, one finds a dark blue silk-bound book titled "The Art of War" with gold lettering, and a small badge lying quietly beside it.

"This is a small token of our appreciation." Jin Yuan handed the gifts to Lu Lin, his voice steady and strong: "May they become a bridge connecting the cultures and friendship between our two countries."

Lu Lin accepted the gift and looked at the familiar words, barely managing to resist reading them aloud.

He closed the book and laughed, "I've decided, I must learn Seres language from now on."

Jin Yuan smiled and said, "That's good, but this language is not easy. General, you should be prepared."

The accompanying staff stepped forward and recorded the scene with their cameras.

Jin Yuan and the Arab prince in military uniform looked at each other and shook hands, their bodies slightly tilted forward. The prince held a gift from Seris, and the background was the simple wall of the reception room in Islamabad.

"I came in a hurry, I'll make up for Shuangzhi's gift next time we meet," Lu Lin said. "Mr. Jin, please take care of yourself."

These words came from the heart, but fearing it would damage his image as a decisive and ruthless general, he could only disguise his concern as a farewell and speak casually.

Mr. Jin was slightly taken aback; his keen diplomatic sense allowed him to sense a sincerity that transcended mere etiquette.

It was only our first meeting.

He smiled, gently patted Lu Lin's hand, and replied in a gentle tone, "Thank you, General. The road ahead is fraught with danger, please be careful."

(End of this chapter)