Chapter 271: Why Should Long Country Be the One to Shine?!

Five chapters delivered every day; if the book runs out, I'll give everyone another five chapters. That's enough sincerity, right?

……

"Increase production capacity by another 20%! We've received a large batch of orders!" Li Mingyuan stood before the roaring, flame-filled converter and announced to the workers, "Starting today, three shifts, full-speed production!"

The workers looked at each other, not understanding why production was suddenly being increased.

"Chief Engineer Li, we're short on steel ourselves, so why are we still selling it out?" an old worker couldn't help but ask.

Li Mingyuan patted his shoulder,

"Lao Zhang, it's precisely because we're short that we need to produce more. We use steel to trade for oil, rubber, and equipment. Look, isn't this the new type of lathe that just arrived from Beijixiong Guo?"

He pointed to several brand-new pieces of equipment being installed in the corner of the workshop,

"In the future, our steel quality will be better, and our output will be higher. What is this called? This is called a virtuous cycle!"

The old worker suddenly realized, "No wonder the factory has been busy as a beehive these past two days; it turns out we're going all out!"

"Not only that," Li Mingyuan smiled mysteriously,

"I've also heard that Beijixiong Guo has agreed to trade their rare metals for our steel, and several countries in the south even want to trade rubber and tin ore for our steel rails and mechanical equipment."

"For real?" the workers' eyes widened.

"Absolutely true!" Li Mingyuan said proudly, "Our steel is thirty percent cheaper than theirs, yet the quality is a cut above. Who wouldn't want it?"

A burst of cheers erupted in the workshop.

In an era of material scarcity, being able to exchange what one produced for urgently needed resources brought an incomparable sense of achievement.

……

Meanwhile, at the Di Guo embassy.

"What did you say? Long Country is exporting steel to Beijixiong Guo?" Ambassador Maikesen stared at the intelligence officer in disbelief, "Where are they getting the production capacity?"

"According to our intelligence," the intelligence officer flipped through a folder,

"They seem to have mastered some kind of new steel smelting technology, and both their production capacity and quality have significantly improved. Worse, they have already signed a large-scale trade agreement with Beijixiong Guo, exchanging steel for rare metals and advanced equipment."

Maikesen stood up and paced back and forth in his office, "Damn it! Has our 'Resource Encirclement' plan just been cracked by them like this?"

"Not only that," the intelligence officer continued to report, "Several countries in the south have already begun to waver, considering establishing trade relations with Long Country. Even the big spenders are complaining that we are interfering with their freedom of business."

Maikesen slammed his fist onto the table, "These profit-seeking wretches! They promised to cooperate with us one moment, and the next they've been bought off by Long Country's low-priced steel?"

He picked up the phone, "Connect me to the Presidential Palace! I need to speak with the President immediately!"

The secretary's voice came from the other end of the line,

"Sorry, Mr. Maikesen, the President is in a meeting with the economic advisory group. They are discussing the threat posed to us by Long Country's suddenly rising steel industry."

Maikesen hung up the phone powerlessly and looked out the window. This move by Long Country was truly brilliant—using their superior production capacity to trade for resources they lacked, not only breaking the "Resource Encirclement" but also establishing an image as a reliable trade partner internationally.

"It seems we underestimated Long Country's adaptability," he muttered to himself, "especially the young engineer named Li Mingyuan."

……

Small Ba Country, Presidential Palace.

"Is Long Country really willing to provide us with weapons, equipment, and low-priced steel?" President Hasan of Small Ba asked in disbelief.

"Yes, Mr. President," the Minister of Foreign Affairs handed over the draft agreement,

"They have only one condition—we must increase pressure on White Elephant Country to prevent White Elephant Country from interfering with Long Country's southern supply transport lines."

Hasan laughed out loud, "This is practically a pie falling from the sky! We already have a blood feud with White Elephant; now with Long Country's support, we can finally settle the score for these past years!"

He immediately summoned the top military brass, "Get ready, we're going to let the White Elephant people know what the consequences are for angering Small Ba!"

……

White Elephant Country, Presidential Palace cabinet meeting room.

Under the magnificent, gilded dome, over twenty high-ranking officials dressed in luxurious national attire sat around a long sandalwood table.

The air was filled with a mixture of expensive incense and tension.

"Gentlemen, look at these photos." The Military Chief of Staff Vikram slammed a stack of photos onto the table, his expression grim.

The photos were passed among the officials, and everyone's face turned ugly after seeing them.

They were photos of Long Country's recent military exercises and construction—new types of tanks, artillery, and endless factory chimneys.

"Long Country has progressed too fast in these three months," Vikram gritted his teeth,

"Our intelligence shows that not only are they trading blows with Di Guo on the front lines, but their domestic industrial capacity is also growing rapidly. Even more infuriating is that they have now started exporting steel to surrounding countries in exchange for various strategic resources."

President Patel stroked his meticulously groomed mustache, his face filled with unconcealable jealousy and anger.

"This is simply outrageous! A country that was suffering from war not long ago, a country that doesn't even have half our industrial base, actually dares to be so arrogant on the international stage!"

"Mr. President, you might not know,"

The Minister of Foreign Affairs interjected, his voice full of disdain, "Long Country is now promoting their 'Steel Revolution' everywhere, saying things like 'forging the backbone of national industry with our own hands,' making it seem as if they've become an industrial power overnight."

The Minister of Finance, sitting in the corner, coughed lightly, "It is indeed unpleasant. Our White Elephant Country possesses thousands of years of brilliant civilization, and the British left us with a complete industrial system; logically, we should be the leader of Asia. But now... these photos..."

He pointed to the photos of Long Country's busy ports and endless trains, his tone filled with resentment and jealousy.

President Patel suddenly slammed the table and stood up, "This cannot go on! White Elephant Country must never be surpassed by a country that was in ruins just yesterday! We must take action; we must let Long Country and the world see who the true power in Asia is!"

"Then, what should we do?" the Minister of the Interior asked cautiously.

The President and the Military Chief of Staff exchanged a meaningful look.

"It's simple," the President sneered, "Hasn't Di Guo already pointed out the direction for us? Cut off Long Country's southern transport lines and destroy their supply chain. Let them taste what it's like to be isolated."

"But, Mr. President," the Minister of Foreign Affairs hesitated, "Openly becoming enemies with Long Country might..."

"Who said anything about being open?" the President interrupted him, "We can support rebels at the border, fund guerrillas, create 'civilian conflicts,' and destroy their transport lines. We can achieve our goal while maintaining a facade of 'neutrality'."

Chief of Staff Vikram immediately added: "Our special forces can secretly train these guerrillas and provide weapons and tactical guidance. Plus our familiarity with the local terrain, Long Country's transport lines will soon be paralyzed."