Chapter 1403: Jiang Xuan in Action

"You're dreaming!"

Nashadier said bluntly.

Dike laughed, spread his hands, and looked at Jiang Xuan and Nashadier, saying, "So that means there's no deal?"

After saying this, Dike stood up and prepared to leave.

In any case, it was Longyan begging them now, not them begging Longyan.

Without their help, Longyan's reach was too short to touch France's second port city in Egypt.

Longyan's main territory in Egypt was near the Suez Canal, located in the east.

However, France's port city in Egypt was in the west, a great distance away; if Longyan sent troops to attack this French port city on their own,

they would have to cross Egypt, stretching their supply lines extremely thin.

Under these circumstances, not to mention whether Longyan had enough troops to deploy,

even if they did, Longyan did not have many cities in Egypt.

It could even be said there were very few, and there were few strongholds along the march to replenish supplies.

But Britain had stationed a great many troops near France's second port city in Egypt, and they also knew that France relied heavily on this port city in Africa now.

As long as they massed heavy troops nearby and cut off the road traffic to this city, France would be plagued with headaches.

Right now, France was like a tortoise in Egypt, huddled together and afraid to stick its head out.

Jiang Xuan glanced at Dike; he was trying to squeeze them, but Dike's methods were still a bit too green.

"Since you in Britain won't cooperate, then we have no choice but to occupy Cairo. I don't think your business and wars in Europe will be affected by us in Longyan repairing the Suez Canal, right?"

Jiang Xuan revealed a faint smile.

Having dealt with Britain for so long, Jiang Xuan was exceptionally clear about their weak points.

Hearing this, Dike stopped in his tracks, turned back to look at Jiang Xuan, frowned, and said, "What do you mean?"

"Cairo was only temporarily lent to you in Longyan; do you in Longyan want to swallow it whole?"

Dike didn't mention the Suez Canal at all, only Cairo.

Cairo was nominally British, but in reality, it was already controlled by Longyan.

But as long as Cairo nominally belonged to Britain, Britain would never use that as an excuse to attack their own city.

As for who the city ultimately belonged to, that would depend on whose guns were harder.

However, that would have to wait until the war ended.

The current Franco-Austrian Alliance was still powerful; this alliance formed by European nations had real strength.

Now, as Britain's ally on the European continent, Prussia was constantly teetering on the edge of national annihilation.

If Prussia were destroyed, there would be no need for this war to continue.

Both Britain and Longyan would lose their foothold on the European continent.

It was nothing more than protecting their own interests in Europe.

Therefore, as Prussia's allies, Britain and Longyan still had to pretend to sit together and discuss cooperation.

But everyone knew what was in their hearts.

"No, no, how can this be called swallowing it whole?"

Jiang Xuan laughed: "If it's our Longyan doing it, it can be called swallowing it whole; it's just changing the name from Britain to our Longyan."

"Moreover, the Suez Canal is a maritime lifeline connecting three continents. We in Longyan have the obligation and the right to maintain it, so as to avoid any quality issues."

"If one day some blind country runs aground in the Suez Canal and sinks to the bottom, it wouldn't be good to turn around and blame us in Longyan."

Jiang Xuan smiled, looking into Dike's eyes.

Hearing this, Dike sat back down at the negotiation table with an expressionless face.

Although Britain's homeland was far from Europe and it didn't rely much on this Suez Canal,

that was in peacetime.

Now it was wartime, and their own British troops were still fighting the Franco-Austrian Alliance at sea.

Their own fleet was docked at a port near the Suez Canal.

That was not just one or two ships.

In order to compete with France in the Mediterranean, Britain had brought out the majority of its own fleet.

They wanted to seize and blockade France's shipping lanes in the Mediterranean.

They wanted to force France to submit and give up its hegemony at sea.

Choosing to join forces with Longyan now to blockade France's connection to Africa was indeed a good deal.

"Mr. Dike, since you've returned to the negotiation table, I hope you can show a little sincerity."

"The French port city can be ceded to you, but you must pay a certain amount of money or something else," Jiang Xuan said calmly.

A port city, although a Mediterranean port city, didn't have much impact on Britain.

But it was definitely not dispensable.

Britain's Colonial Area was blockaded outside the Mediterranean, which meant Britain currently didn't have a single port city of its own along the Mediterranean coast.

Therefore, whether it was their fleet or their Merchant Ship, they had to rely on other countries' ports to dock.

Every year, they had to pay exorbitant docking fees to foreign countries.

If they had a port city in Egypt, they wouldn't need to be dependent on others anymore.

Dike weighed the pros and cons, looked at Jiang Xuan, and said in a deep voice, "We can provide money to purchase this city from Longyan."

"But the specific amount must be reported to Britain."

Jiang Xuan pondered for a moment; money...

British money, in fact, was no different from toilet paper to them in Longyan.

Jiang Xuan sneered and said, "Is money the only sincerity you Britain have?"

Dike raised an eyebrow: "What else does your Longyan want?"

"This is already the greatest sincerity from us Britain."

"Mr. Dike, we are both sensible people; are you not clear on the rules of trade between great powers?"

"Barter!"

Dike's face sank at once; of course he knew that the rules of trade between great powers meant that using money, a thing that can be repeatedly produced, for trade between great powers...

... is completely useless.

You cannot spend another country's money within your own country; you can only take that money to Britain to use it.

Therefore, whenever great powers conduct any trade, it has always been by barter.

Only when both sides feel it is appropriate can the transaction continue.

"Barter... then what do you Longyan intend to exchange this port city for from us Britain?" Dike said in a deep voice.

Now it was his turn to be manipulated.

A port city, after all; though he said he didn't want it, his heart was actually very honest.

What they in Britain currently lack are mid-sized cities; if their relationship with Longyan turns sour, it will be much more difficult for Britain to target mercenaries on the European continent in the future.

Jiang Xuan looked at him with interest and let out a laugh: "That's more like it; the most important thing in a transaction is fairness."

"Look, our port city is a city, too; its value is also very high, so you Britain must at least bring out a city to trade."