Opening game, American Tycoon

"They think beautifully!"

Just when General Pauly vowed to take Johannesburg and cut off the financial supply of the Boers, Qian Zizhuang spoke directly in the building of the Investigation Department of the Central Capital on the other side of the ocean regarding the actions of the British army.

"Notify the trading company to increase the transportation to South Africa and be more flexible in the payment method. In a word, we need South Africa to persist until at least..."

After a pause, Qian Zizhuang told the time.

"Persist until Sidley's 25 years!"

Sidley has been around for 25 years, that is, in [-].

In [-], this was a critical juncture!

As the person in charge of the investigation department of the empire, Qian Zizhuang knew very well that the present was the most important thing for the empire.

time!

In fact, time is very important for the empire, and for other countries, they also need time!
Everyone needs time to expand their armaments.

……

April 23, [-], at Zhongdu Railway Station.

A train of "American Star" was parked next to the platform, and the smoke from the streamlined front hidden chimney filled the vicinity of the platform.

Despite the smog, the platform was quite lively. Reporters from various countries were crowded on both sides of the corridor separated by the railway marshals. Spotlights flashed and white smoke came and went.

A thick red carpet was laid between the VIP waiting room and the special train bound for Ecuador. Zhuge Jun, Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, was walking on the carpet surrounded by a dozen of his entourage.

As soon as Zhuge Jun walked out of the waiting room, the reporters surrounded him one after another.A reporter was the first to ask:
"Excuse me, Your Excellency, I heard that you are going to Ecuador to sign a "merger treaty" with it. Once the treaty is signed, Ecuador will become a province of the empire, and the merger process will be completed, right?"

Treaty of annexation, Ecuador, procedure...

This seemingly simple question contained too much information, Zhuge Jun nodded slightly to the reporter, looked around the crowd, and said:

"The reporter asked me a question that I cannot answer right now. My answer is: the empire has absolutely no territorial claims on Ecuador. As far as the empire is concerned, the empire has no intention of implementing territorial expansion, but the empire absolutely respects The choice of people in other countries, including Ecuador..."

What is the people's choice?

Just a month ago, Ecuador held a vote on whether to retain the republic. The result of the vote was that the vast majority of Ecuadorians did not think it was necessary to retain the republic. From the outside, it seemed that Ecuador was paving the way for the incorporation of the empire.

It is precisely because of this that the outside world pays so much attention to Zhuge Jun's visit to Ecuador. Even among the embassy group in Zhongdu, they believe that Zhuge Jun's visit is to prepare for the annexation of Ecuador.

Although Zhuge Jun's answer was very official, the reporter still asked persistently: "Master Military Minister, you haven't answered my question yet..."

Clearing his throat, Zhuge Jun said:
"I don't know where Mr. I heard about the so-called "merger". My visit to Ecuador this time is a normal diplomatic visit."

The reporter who was busy taking notes was quickly squeezed out by others, and another reporter who rushed to the front asked directly:

"Your Excellency, in the past year, the British government has been accusing the Empire of being the biggest black hand in the "Boer War". Since the outbreak of the war, the Empire has provided Boer with a large amount of military and financial support. It is the support of the Empire that has led to endless wars. With the extension of the period, tens of thousands of British soldiers shed blood on the battlefield, some British officials claimed that the empire should be responsible for this, what do you think about this?"

Zhuge Jun, with a professional smile on his face, replied directly.

"Black Hand? As we all know, the empire has always advocated a peaceful settlement of the Boer issue. His Majesty the Emperor has repeatedly called on Britain to end the Boer War through negotiations instead of barbaric invasion. Why did those British soldiers die? In the final analysis, it was because of the actions of British politicians and military officers. Ambition! If there is any responsibility, it is the greedy British politicians and military officers who are responsible for the deaths of those British soldiers! The empire was, is and will always be on one side - peace! The empire believes that the Boer war must be resolved through negotiations Let peace come to that land again, and the Boers have the right to live in peace on their land!"

Peace - this is Daming's appeal, and of course it is also an image, an image that must be maintained.

"Your Excellency, how long do you think this war will last? Will the empire further mediate?"

Zhuge Jun thought about it and said.

"Actually, I can't tell you exactly when the war will end, because it's not our problem, or even the Boers' problem, the Boers are protecting their country and their freedom, and now they're on the invasion side The British side is the key. The empire has repeatedly and clearly told the countries of the world that the war in southern Africa is draining the blood of the civilized world, and that for the sake of world peace, the British must stop invading... But it is a pity that we have not seen There is no semblance of British desire for peace, and as long as the British government continues to persist in its greedy ambitions for the South African Republic, the war cannot be stopped."

At this point, Zhuge Jun paused. He adjusted his mood and continued to explain the foreign policy of the empire to everyone in an amiable manner, focusing on South Africa instead of Ecuador, the destination of his trip.

As an excellent diplomat, he is undoubtedly successful in this regard. Under the guidance of Zhuge Jun, most of the reporters asked questions about the South African War. It seemed that everyone had forgotten about Ecuador, that is, they were asking questions about the upcoming At the end, when Zhuge Jun was about to walk to the train, a European journalist in the crowd asked loudly.

"Your Excellency, I am a reporter from The Times. May I ask whether the empire will annex Ecuador through the so-called vote?"

The Times?
That's the British!
Facing the British reporter's question, Zhuge Jun answered directly.

"Mr. Reporter, I'm sorry that I can't answer this question. You should go to Ecuador and ask the Ecuadorians what they think about this. I can't answer this question for hundreds of thousands of Ecuadorians."

Breaking away from the siege of the reporters, the officials who came to see him off swarmed up again. Zhuge Jun raised his head and happened to meet Fang Zhanbo, the assistant minister of the empire.

"It's a long way, please take care."

Fang Zhanbo stretched out his hand.

Zhuge Jun took hold of the assistant minister's farewell, and said:

"Your Excellency, Associate Minister, please take care when I'm not around."

The whistle blew, and the special train bound for Ecuador slowly pulled out of the platform, and when the crowd gradually dispersed, Fang Zhanbo stood there, watching the train going away, as if he was thinking about something...