Chapter 193: Mr. Heinz, Chief of Staff, Revolutionary Old Area
The idea of establishing a command center is somewhat ideologically influenced.
Bai Ling's goal is not that big. Now he took the initiative to offer to help Niu Ma because he wanted to establish some friendly relations with the other party in advance.
First of all, Niuma represents the main agricultural force of the federation. As the saying goes, "food is the foundation of a country." No matter what era interstellar civilization develops to, as long as humans have not completely evolved the "stomach" organ, they will have to deal with food three times a day.
Therefore, building good relations with federal farmers is equivalent to making friends with the god in charge of grain production, which will definitely be useful in the future.
Secondly, Niu Ma himself is not an ordinary person. According to the development in the previous life, in the next ten years, Niu Ma should work in the Ministry of Agriculture, and then rely on his influence among the farmers to gradually win over votes, integrate forces, and finally form the third largest political force in the federation.
For such a person who will have a say in the Interstellar Food Program in the future, Bai Ling naturally wants to gain his favor as soon as possible.
Strike while the iron is hot. Bai Ling didn't care about the place. He found a steel pipe to sit down on in the abandoned factory area in the suburbs and began to discuss the specific plan with Niu Ma.
"My suggestion is that you should stop protesting." Bai Ling explained, "Although your protest has good intentions, after more than half a month, not only has it not made any real progress, but it has also aroused the disgust of the people of the entire planet. If this continues, a justifiable matter will be dragged down into an unreasonable one."
Niu Ma was stunned for a moment, and was forced to admit: "That's indeed the case..."
Apart from anything else, the people of the capital planet's opinion of them is indeed getting worse and worse.
In fact, when they first came to protest, many people were quite supportive and sympathetic towards them. Not only do they take the initiative to give way to them, but they also go to the streets with food and hot coffee to comfort them in their spare time.
But over time, the impact of traffic congestion has gradually expanded, and people can't help but complain. Some people complained, "You can protest, but it's a bit unfair to disturb our normal travel and work, isn't it?"
Of course, Niu Ma heard these complaints, but he seemed to have no better solution than to apologize. After all this, he felt very guilty and his mouth was covered with blisters from anxiety.
Now that Bai Ling had pointed it out so bluntly, in addition to acknowledging the problem, he also felt a sense of relief.
It seemed as if the stone that had been weighing on his heart had finally been seen by someone, and there was hope that someone would help lift it away.
"So, Brother White, what do you think we should do next?" he asked hopefully.
Bai Ling said succinctly: "Protest somewhere else."
"Ah?" Niu Ma stared at Bai Ling, frowning in surprise. "But you just told us not to protest. Why are you continuing now? Even if we move to another place or planet, the inconvenience it will bring to everyone will still be the same, right?"
The other farmers sitting in a circle also didn't understand. They thought to themselves that this young captain was not very old, and although he was good at driving a mecha, he had no experience in organization and arrangements.
Just look at these words, they are sometimes east, sometimes west, and inconsistent, just like they were spoken out of thin air.
Bai Ling sensed their doubts but didn't care. He smiled and said: "Protests must also abide by the Basic Law. It is definitely not okay to disturb fellow citizens. But causing trouble for foreign guests will not only not arouse people's disgust, but may even gain support."
"You mean..." Niu Ma was stunned for a moment, then blurted out, "Go and cause trouble for the Empire!"
Bai Ling nodded: "That's right."
He only said the briefest thing, but Niu Ma was a smart man and he expanded on this idea to many other things.
Yeah, why didn’t they think of it before! They were so busy asking the federal government for an explanation that they forgot about the culprit.
Originally, this matter was caused by the Empire's breach of contract. When it comes to responsibility, not only should the person who tied the bell be the one to untie it, but every wrong should be committed and every debt should be dealt with by someone else.
And thinking back carefully, the federal government was able to drag its feet and not give them an answer, firstly because it was thick-skinned, and secondly because it really had no money and could not solve the problem, so it had to evade.
Therefore, even if they continue to make trouble and protest for a hundred days, it will be difficult for the federal government to come up with a solution that satisfies them.
After all, the federal Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Foreign Trade only act as middlemen. When it comes down to it, it is the empire that pays for the food.
As long as they can convince the Empire to raise the purchase price, wouldn't they be able to bypass the middlemen and resolve the crisis directly?
However, when he thought of this, a new problem also emerged - "The goal is clear, but the question is, where can we contact the leaders of the empire? We can't just output in the void."
In response, Bai Ling gave them directions: "Go to the Empire's embassy in the Federation and block their commercial counselor."
Generally speaking, in addition to the ambassador, a country's embassy or consulate will also have a commercial counselor, economic counselor, cultural counselor or educational counselor, etc.
These counselors are equivalent to senior staff members, and their duties include negotiating on behalf of their country and local institutions, departments, and enterprises.
Therefore, the Commercial Counselor should have stepped in to resolve the matter. There is absolutely nothing wrong with settling accounts with them, both legally and theoretically.
While everyone was thinking about the feasibility, Bai Ling further threw out his trump card. He analyzed:
"Besides, if you go to the Empire to ask for an explanation at this time, they won't dare not respond. The highest authority in the Empire besides the Emperor, the Chief of Staff of the Imperial Palace, Heinz, just got off the spaceship today and is going to attend the funeral of your former president tomorrow."
"Leaders from all countries are present at the funeral. If the Empire gives you the cold shoulder, it would be a public disrespect to the Federation."
"When the time comes, the little brother countries that follow the Federation will see, 'Wow, big brother, you are not good enough.' The Federation countries will lose face and will be inferior to the Empire. In this way, it will be very difficult to negotiate diplomatic agreements with the Empire in the next few years."
"So, don't worry. As long as you charge, the Federation will have to be tough for you even if it doesn't want to."
Bai Ling told the story slowly, while a group of farmers looked at him and were so shocked that they were speechless.
This young man...how does he know so much! He saw the big picture from the small, and took a bird's-eye view of the whole picture, and analyzed the interstellar situation clearly to them. He criticized current social ills in a sharp and direct way, and his tone was so calm that it seemed as if he was explaining a game of chess.
You know exactly how to act, which step to take, and how your opponent will attack.
Someone couldn't help but ask: "Little Master, what exactly do you do for a living?"
Just as Bai Ling was about to evade the question, he heard Niu Ma explain in a mysterious and low voice:
"You don't know, this friend is from the old revolutionary base area."
Everyone suddenly realized: "Oh, it's from Yexing, no wonder."
To them, Yexing is a relatively mysterious place. Perhaps because Commander Bai and General Sava’s styles are too distinctive when they appear on screen, they always have a feeling that everyone in this small country is a soldier. If you catch a kitten on the road, it will biubiu and shoot bullets.
So the young "Captain White" can speak so clearly and reasonably.
Bai Ling: “…”
Old revolutionary base. Is that what they are called outside now?
He didn't know yet that in the minds of the people of the Federation, his territory had already become "that mysterious little Western country."
·
It was getting late now, and everyone went to rest after a busy day. After all, there was a big battle to be fought later, and only by conserving their energy could they perform better.
It was almost time for dinner when the show ended, and Niu Ma insisted on treating them to a meal. Unable to refuse the kind invitation, Bai Ling and his group followed.
After a while, a medium-sized transport ship rumbled in from outside, landed majestically, and sucked the Gorgon-brand agricultural mecha on the ground into its cabin.
Transport ships are different from aircraft. The former can perform space jumps and are interstellar tools, while the latter can only fly within the atmosphere and have limited space.
The difference between the two is like that between a car and a Boeing 787. The same goes for price.
Bai Ling was familiar with the models of various flying ships and recognized at a glance that this was the "Sharma" professional cargo ship produced by the Federation, which cost at least 1 billion yuan.
After that, the interior decoration is no longer based on the manufacturer's template, and the customization fee will cost at least tens of millions.
Niu Ma pretended to be annoyed and said, "My boat is also very annoying. It's too big and can't be parked in the city."
Bai Ling looked at him and knew that he was trying to show off secretly, so he didn't expose him and said with a smile: "It is indeed quite big."
Behind him, E Yu heard this conversation and burst out laughing. Others may not know, but she knows the truth. Commander Bai has a fleet and a national-level star mother. What is there to show off to him?
But when Bai Ling said “big”, it really came from the bottom of his heart. And this "big" is relative to private farmers like Niu Ma.
If one could abandon his job at home and bring people to the capital, he certainly had to have a strong family background - at least, if he was arrested, he had to be able to afford an expensive lawyer to bail him out.
Of course, Bai Ling was still a little surprised by Niu Ma's wealth.
Being able to afford a transport ship worth 1 billion - and most importantly, applying for a route to the capital planet - is enough to show that Niu Mammoth is definitely not an ordinary farmer.
Sure enough, on the way, Niu Ma revealed to them during a casual chat: "My father is the founder of the United Canning Company. He left me a lot of shares, so I live a relatively leisurely life."
"United Canned Food?" Sava repeated subconsciously.
"You must have eaten our canned food." Niu Ma said confidently.
It's no surprise that he has this confidence. Because United Canning Company can be called the Nestle of the interstellar age. It sells canned food, not just pre-prepared meals. It also sells canned candy, canned biscuits, canned tofu, canned jellyfish, canned caterpillars...anything that can be put into a can.
Due to the special features of interstellar long-distance transportation, its canned foods are very popular in some remote planets where crops cannot be grown.
The company's advertisements were also outrageous, claiming that the product could last a hundred years, "From birth to death, the seas run dry and the rocks crumble, United cans will never rot!"
Coincidentally, in the previous battle that Bai Ling fought, the canned food sent by the purchasing department was United brand.
Bai Ling said with deep understanding: "Your canned chickpeas are a bit salty."
Niu Ma smiled and said, "I will help to provide feedback to customers, but I can't guarantee whether it will work or not. After all, I am just a shareholder."
Sava folded his arms, leaned aside and teased, "Oh, a dandy boy."
Niu Ma was not convinced and said in defense: "Brother Gu, you are embarrassing me. How can there be a playboy like me? I am obviously an honest and upright farmer."
Somehow, Bai Ling couldn't help laughing.
"What's wrong?" Niu Ma asked.
"Nothing," Bai Ling's brows relaxed, "I just remembered that there is someone in my family who wants to be a farmer."
He also remembered that the AI butler had mentioned to him last year that when Yu Chen was a child, he was sent to a noble family as a hostage, and he was self-reliant and even drove a tractor.
At that time, he could not imagine what a prince would look like driving a tractor.
But now, when I put the postman’s appearance into that picture, everything seems reasonable and cute.
The transport ship glided silently across the night sky. When it was approaching the city, it hovered in mid-air and spit out a paper airplane-like aircraft from its wide-open mouth.
The aircraft turned a corner, leaving a light blue tail flame, and sank into the tide of the sky track.
Bai Ling originally wanted to visit various tourist attractions when he came out this time. On the way, he met a group of people led by Niu Ma, which delayed his journey.
Upon learning this, Niu Ma played the role of a good host and arranged a tour for them. He also took the initiative to act as a tour guide, introducing the scenery along the way in detail:
"That fifty-story-high 'Golden Toad' that spits out gold coins is the headquarters of our Federal Bank... This big sculpture is the Wisdom Mother, and the halo behind it rotates. In fact, it is a Ferris wheel... Oh, and this side, the tallest building is the embassy and official residence of your empire. It's very majestic—"
Bai Ling looked over and found that the building was not square. Its shape was very different from ordinary skyscrapers. At first glance, it looked like a monument.
The sharp lines and rough materials are out of tune with the noisy and colorful environment filled with advertisements. Its light grey exterior is clean and solemn, and after looking at it for a long time, it has a kind of utopian roughness.
"Every time I look at it, I feel that it really looks like a tombstone." E Yu said while lying by the window.
A tombstone standing in this place of entertainment to death and psychedelic prosperity. It is so abrupt that anyone who doesn't understand semiotics will subconsciously feel that it must have some symbolic meaning.
His eyes inadvertently swept across the flag on the top of the building, fluttering in the wind, but it was not the original one.
Bai Ling lowered his eyes slightly and raised the corners of his lips, "It's not our empire."
Hearing this, Niu Ma was stunned for a moment, then realized that he had said something wrong, and quickly apologized: "I'm sorry, I always get it mixed up, always thinking that Yexing is also part of the Empire, so it's all part of the Empire. By the way, you Yexing should have an office here too, right? Do you want to stop by and take a look?"
Bai Ling smiled and said, "The Third Human Experimental Country and the Federation have not yet established diplomatic relations. As for the office, I hope there will be a chance to complete it in the future."
Having said that, the aircraft soon arrived at the reserved restaurant.
The Federation is indeed a major producer of meat, eggs and milk. The quality of its meat is extremely high and is strictly graded according to its place of origin. Take beef for example. Beef from different origins has different flavors, and its tasting is as complex as that of wine.
Niu Ma introduced them one by one. This is beef with a nutty flavor, this is meat with a light orange scent, and that is "Flaming Mary", a kind of cattle with a very strong bloody smell. We sometimes use it to make wine...
Bai Ling thought of the large bags of labeled meat in the mermaid's cold storage, and during this time he was able to chat with Niu Ma about the differences in origin and flavor.
Niu Ma asked curiously: "Brother White, are you also a playboy? I see you know a lot about these things."
Bai Ling folded the napkin elegantly, with the corners curved perfectly. "No, I come from a common family. I learned this from chatting with people during meals. It's the one I just mentioned, the one who likes farming."
Niu Ma was curious and asked, "Are they a couple?"
Bai Ling did not hide anything and said frankly: "Family members."
"I didn't expect that," Niu Ma opened his eyes wide, a little bit unbelievable, "You are such a young alpha, but you already have a family. Hey, I originally wanted to introduce a few beautiful omegas to my brothers--"
Bai Ling was sipping his wine and almost choked.
When he and Sava came out, they were sprayed with enough barrier agent, so Niu Ma mistook their gender.
Calculating the time, the barrier will lose its effectiveness in two hours. It’s better to leave quickly.
After the meal, the two parties said goodbye. Niu Ma said enthusiastically: "Will you still be here tomorrow? The one in your family likes to grow flowers. It just so happens that my farm is rich in a kind of giant slug, which is two meters long. Its body can be minced into top-notch fertilizer. I'll get a bag of it later and you can take it back to grow flowers."
Bai Ling agreed.
On the way back, they passed the monument building again and encountered traffic jam for a while. After asking about the real-time cloud-based reporting of the onboard AI, I learned that it was the Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs who had come to personally pick up Chief of Staff Heinz to attend the dinner.
The accompanying advanced aircraft were mighty and cleared the field in the busy evening sky, giving the empire enough face.
And when they returned to Ambassador E's house, they happened to run into her who was about to go out.
She was alone, with no one to accompany her, and no special plane to pick her up. She put on a dignified and appropriate makeup, and wore an ankle-length dress that she bought ten years ago. She held the invitation letter herself, and her posture and demeanor were meticulous. She didn't look like she was going to a dinner party, but rather like she was going to a battle alone.
Bai Ling couldn't help but think that ten years ago, when Ambassador E was still serving the old empire, he should have been treated the same as Heinz today, with respect, courtesy, and courtesy.
Not like today.
She returned to the diplomatic circle, but fell from an envoy of a great interstellar power to a clerk of a tiny country - she did not even have a legal title and could not be honored as Madam Ambassador.
The federal government did not send a special plane to pick us up as required, which was nothing more than a deliberate act of neglect.
Bai Ling knew that this snub might have a double effect after Ambassador E arrived at the dinner.
E Yi seemed to see the worry that flashed across his face, and his originally polite and calm tone became a little softer:
"It's good not to have a title. It brings me back to the feeling of 40 years ago when I first came to the embassy as an intern translator. At that time, they all called me Ms. E."
This is an unobtrusive consolation.
Bai Ling and Sava looked at each other.
Bai Ling smiled and said, "Ms. E, everything is well prepared, but I think you are still short of a driver."
Sava put two fingers together in front of his forehead and raised them up casually, revealing a handsome face with a three-dimensional nose. He stood by the door of the aircraft and bowed like a gentleman: "Please get in, Ms. E."
Our ambassadors do not have a special plane to pick them up.
But her driver is the best heavy mecha bombardier in the world!
Young Master Diao Owl was born into a prominent family and received the most authentic aristocratic etiquette education. When she arrived at the scene, Sava, in keeping with her upbringing, opened the door for the elderly ambassador in public and considerately took off the hem of her skirt by the door.
As a result, everyone present witnessed with their own eyes that the man at the other end of the crimson carpet froze. His face darkened, and the gloomy smell of deep-sea creatures spread throughout the reception area.
Sava raised his head, his orange eyes rolled, and the feathers in his hair stood up. But it was not disgust, resistance, escape or any negative emotion, but a reaction of feeling fun.
When they met again, he was a powerful official second only to the emperor in the old system, and he was the second-in-command of the military of the emerging country.
When the leaders of two hostile countries meet in a third country, they will of course exchange friendly greetings.
Sava took the initiative to extend his hand. The silver cufflinks on his military uniform reflected dazzling light under the crazy flash lights of the media. The light stung Heinz's eyes and he squinted uncomfortably as if he were a leech in a gutter.
"Your Excellency Chief of Staff Heinz."
Familiar voice, unfamiliar accent. The tone is a bit too formal.
Heinz held it in perfect condition, without revealing a single expression, but in an instant he read the three large calluses, four small calluses and six healed scratches on the young master's fingers... and I don't know how many of the new, fluffy little chicken feathers had fallen off while I was away.
"Marshal Savoy II," Heinz said modestly, "I hope you are doing well. I never thought you would inherit your grandfather's legacy and serve as a marshal in a small country so soon. Marshal Savoy I would be very pleased if he knew about this."
It's false and hypocritical, full of sarcasm, and is very suitable for being punched ten meters away in public under the eyes of the media.
Heinz was ready for everything and turned his right face.
"Thank you for your blessing. My grandfather has always been proud of me, and this time will be no exception." Sava answered seriously, looked forward at Ambassador E's figure, and said politely, "See you later, Your Excellency."
He was about to catch up, but as he took a step, a hand suddenly grabbed his sleeve. Heinz came very close and almost whispered, "Master—"
Savoy said as a matter of course, "It's all business, I won't make a fuss about it."
After saying that, she pushed his hand away and left.
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