Chapter 1016: Men's Topics and Requests for Aid

When Diego directly pointed out that he was helping Jiede resist the Federation's invasion, but Jiede still refused to give him any economic aid, he knew that although some things hadn't ended yet, the result was already very clear.

He could only call Lanse, because he didn't want to die.

Not wanting to die became the thing he craved most urgently at this stage.

It's just that he didn't know that Lanse was attending Arthur's wedding at this time and didn't know he had called.

The two realized the call only after Lanse attended Arthur's family dinner in the evening—

Mayor Williams bought him a new villa in New Jincheng, which cost nearly 55,000.

He also complained to Lanse that more than two years ago, in the same community, the price of a villa was only about 30,000, and if the location or layout wasn't that good, it could be bought for 20,000-plus.

But just after more than two years, the comprehensive economic recovery brought by the war economy returned the prices of these houses to where they should have been.

However, this bit of money didn't really count for anything to Mayor Williams; he just complained about the huge fluctuations in the federal real estate industry.

Spending more money to buy this house gave him a feeling of being slaughtered by someone, a feeling people don't like.

Dinner was prepared by Arthur's mother and his wife's mother together. By rights, an outsider like Lanse shouldn't be present at this dinner tonight.

But neither side minded Lanse being here, and they also warmly invited Lanse to join. Lanse could only reluctantly sit on the sofa and chat with the gentlemen about some politics, military affairs, and things happening around the world.

"I heard a very interesting saying recently," said Farman, Arthur's wife's father, Farman Edwards.

He didn't look like a middle-level Social Party member at all; for example, he wasn't cold at all, but very enthusiastic and very good at talking, completely different from the cold and unfeeling middle-level politicians reported in the news.

Their best side is never shown to those below them; those people don't deserve it.

This may be why the higher up people go, the more they feel the world is full of beauty, because he is like a sun hanging in the sky, radiating infinite power.

And those below him are sunflowers, always facing him with their best side.

Lanse and Mayor Williams both revealed listening expressions, which made Farman slightly proud.

Don't they go everywhere in the political arena to inquire about messy news just to take it out at this moment, when they need to take out some topics to prove certain things?

"They say the Federation's current economic recovery is entirely dependent on the world being a mess—war, destruction, people losing their homes, losing food, losing everything."

"The more painful the world is, the happier the Federation is!"

Hearing this saying, Lanse and Mayor Williams were clearly stunned for a moment, and then fell into deep thought.

This is a phrase that doesn't seem to have much content at first glance, but after careful deliberation, one can perceive the content hidden behind these words.

The Federation is like a terrible vampire, lying on the wounds of this world and sucking blood. Now the Federation's economic recovery, the comprehensive improvement of productivity, and the unprecedented easing of social employment problems are not because the federal government and the federal people are hardworking enough.

It is only because this world is suffering, and the more severe the suffering they endure, the more wealth and interests the Federation gains from it, and naturally, the happier the people are.

"The Federation is like a tumor, affecting this world!", Lanse made a summary of Mr. Farman's words.

Mayor Williams listened and kept nodding, "Very vivid. We are harming the whole world!"

For his topic being able to resonate with the two, Mr. Farman was also very satisfied, "So these big figures don't really want to stop this war."

"Look, once the war stops, it means those military groups that are turning into monsters won't have so many orders, many newly opened assembly lines will lose production and stop, and the unemployed population will increase again."

"The reduction of various international orders will cause a large number of factories to close down in succession. Even if the Federation's economy doesn't decline, it will enter a hovering stage—not progressing, not regressing. But for a world that is constantly progressing, not progressing is regressing!"

This viewpoint is very popular among mainstream war hawk politicians because the changes brought about by the war are visible to the naked eye. Otherwise, why would the people support the war?

Is it just because the federal government says... we want to maintain world peace?

And so the people support sending their children to the battlefield to fight a war of uncertain life and death?

No!

The people of the Federation are not that great. The reason they support the war is that the economy has begun to recover rapidly, and factories are producing at full capacity but cannot finish all the orders.

The Federation, which hadn't raised wages for three years, saw income increase by nearly 50 percent in the past two years—this is a huge increase!

And behind the huge increase are countless orders and higher profit margins.

All of this is because of the war.

Not wanting to let the war stop is just to better suck blood from those countries affected by the war.

"The war will always end," Lanse softly expressed his viewpoint, "No matter what benefits it can bring us, the war will eventually have a day when it ends."

"I believe our President, our Congressional masters, already have enough good countermeasures to face the problems and pain points we will face in the post-war economic period."

"The slowdown in economic growth, and changes in international social relations."

Mayor Williams' thinking mode on such grand issues is not as good as Lanse's. He just echoed Lanse's viewpoint, whereas Mr. Farman had some of his own insights.

"Actually, if we have to say what other direction is a good choice, I actually think we can consider going to war with the Empire."

Mayor Williams looked at him somewhat unexpectedly, and then turned to look at Lanse.

For most people, Lanse is a native-born federal person, and has a very legendary and adventurous childhood.

Trafficked, forced labor, rescued—from then on, he embarked on the peak of his life.

Everything he experienced in these short twenty-plus years is not enough to be filmed in one movie; it would take several. This is also one of the reasons why ordinary groups regard him as an idol.

This might be the most primitive "fantasy"—a person whose background is even more miserable than one's own can walk higher through his own efforts. Putting oneself into it is like a spiritual painkiller, which can make some people sleep more sweetly at night.

But Mayor Williams knows that Lanse is an Imperial person. He feels that the topic Mr. Farman said is slightly sensitive.

Lanse actually doesn't have such thoughts. Although he has the bloodline of an Imperial person, he was on the ship when he "woke up," and everything that happened in the Empire is just in his memory.

Whenever he recalls those things, it's like watching a movie or having a dream; it's not real.

He doesn't have a clear sense of belonging to the Empire either, otherwise he wouldn't have supported the little Earl's resistance in the Empire.

As long as there are benefits to going to war with the Empire, he also supports it.

After thinking seriously for a while, he said, "This is a good direction, but if we go to war with the Empire, either the intensity of the war might not be as high as the current war."

"Or it will be a total war."

"The collision between two powerful countries will shake the foundation of the world political landscape. It can indeed bring about the war economic growth like the current one, but it may also bring uncertain things."

"For example, destruction."

After listening, Mr. Farman nodded, "What you said makes some sense. This idea seems too naive now."

He accepted Lanse's viewpoint. Lanse continued with a smile, "And now there are no actual conflicts between us and the Empire, so wanting to start a war is not an easy thing."

"And even if we want to launch this war, the Emperor of the Empire might not necessarily fight back. Many crises in their country haven't been resolved yet!"

Men always like to chat about these things, whether it's the President and his aide friends, or the Senator masters sitting together, or like the homeless people sitting together on the street.

The things they discuss often cannot be separated from politics, and things related to politics.

People love to discuss these!

Four men sat in the living room chatting about completely irrelevant topics. Just now they were discussing the positive effects of the war on the Federation, and later they started chatting about some politicians' privacy, scandals, and so on.

These are topics that are very attractive for people to discuss and explore. Not only homeless people, street shrews like them, but the politician masters here also like them. Dinner was very sumptuous. After the three women and Arthur were busy together in the kitchen, the chef they brought made a sumptuous dinner. Of course, they also kept a small portion of the food they made themselves—just a small portion, as a... embellishment, or decoration. For them, making dinner, and making a sumptuous feast, is too difficult.

Because this house is Arthur's villa, they took the initiative to leave after dinner. They all had to return to their own homes.

By the time Lanse returned to the villa, it was already past ten o'clock in the evening. It wasn't late in Lapa time, still eight o'clock in the evening.

They told Lanse that after Diego made a call, Lanse immediately dialed back.

Diego was actually a bit muddled and about to fall asleep. He has been particularly sleepy recently, especially after eating lunch or dinner, he couldn't help but doze off.

If he was really too sleepy, he would lie on the bed and sleep for a while.

Sleeping is not a problem, so he hasn't looked for a doctor, and he feels that he has lost so much weight recently, it must be because he hasn't rested well.

Plus, sleeping itself is indeed a very comfortable thing, so he doesn't reject taking a nap after eating.

Originally he was about to fall asleep, but being woken up by the butler, he naturally carried a trace of dissatisfaction and anger.

As the president and ruler of this country, it has been a long time since anyone disturbed his rest like this.

"If you can't give me a reasonable reason, you know me!", he rubbed his cheeks while looking at the butler with slanted eyes.

The butler bowed calmly, "Sir, a call from Mr. Lanse White."

Diego was stunned for a moment, and quickly stood up, "Transfer the call to the study."

Soon he arrived in the study. The study was not far from his bedroom, just a minute's distance.

After he sat down and drank a glass of iced fruit juice, he picked up the phone.

The stimulation brought by the iced fruit juice at this time made his sleepiness dissipate quite a bit. After he put the receiver to his ear, he asked, "Lanse?"

"It's me. I had something to do outside and just got back."

"What happened?"

Hearing Lanse's voice, President Diego breathed a sigh of relief. This meant he could at least live until after the New Year.

But at the same time, he felt some hatred. If it weren't for these people, his days wouldn't be so hard to endure now.

The appearance of anti-government armed forces, those people who call themselves insurgents, and the strategic and tactical advantages they have now achieved are rapidly forming a storm—an ideological storm!

In the past, in the minds of Lapa people, rulers were sacred and inviolable. The reason they could become rulers was all God's will!

Although theocracy had long since fallen in Lapa, people's thoughts hadn't changed much, because they were born with the power to rule the people, so they were rulers.

And the people themselves were born with the fate of being ruled, so they were the people. They didn't resist, didn't struggle, just because everything was already destined.

Maybe some people had resisted before, but the facts eventually proved that resistance was futile.

For many years, Lapa people had firmly believed in this point, until this time, when a large number of insurgents rose up with the support of the federal people, able to confront the government army head-on and begin to occupy the advantage.

This would give people a huge ideological contrast. They began to think: is the ruler's power really born with them?

Is it really inviolable?

What if these insurgents go a step further?

If they really fought to Zhuolan, caught Diego, put the noose around his neck—which was almost invisible—and then pushed the mechanism, would he die?

Would his rule, the rule of the Lavila family, end completely here?

Before, they might have felt that no one could do this, but now, they were thinking about what they should do when this day comes.

This ideological storm made the ruling class no longer feared by people. The eyes they looked at the rulers with also became somewhat uncertain, somewhat confused, and somewhat greedy!

These are all bad changes. Diego had a feeling that even if he could survive this crisis, he would die in the next crisis.

The appearance of the federal people changed everything.

But now he had to rely on the federal people to solve the trouble in front of him. The help of the federal people is like bowls of highly toxic water.

Not drinking water will lead to death by thirst, but drinking water will still lead to death.

"We recently encountered a failure in battle, suffered heavy losses, and they are approaching Zhuolan."

"I need help."

"Weapons, ammunition, medicine, money—in all aspects."

He even used a pleading tone, "I can use the money in my own account..."

Sometimes he would be very annoyed, regretful—regretful why he let everything collapse to this point because of a moment of greed.

If he hadn't been tempted by the federal people at that time and sold all the grain, there wouldn't have been such a terrible famine.

Without famine, people would still be able to endure everything they had experienced for generations. There wouldn't be insurgents, they wouldn't be holding weapons and marching toward Zhuolan, and he would still be the ruler of this country.

Unfortunately, there are no ifs.

After listening, Lanse laughed twice, "Whose money?"

"Those accounts involve some legal and moral risks and have been frozen for the time being."

"As for when they can be enabled, it's meaningless to ask me. You have to ask the Federal Bank, or ask the President."

Diego remained silent. He actually knew that no matter how he opened his mouth, he wouldn't get what he wanted, but he still couldn't help but open his mouth.

"I need money, Lanse, and weapons and ammunition, everything to deal with the upcoming crisis."

Back to the original topic, Lanse didn't continue to talk to him about things unrelated to this matter, directly asking, "How much do you want?"

"I want at least 200,000 weapons, and enough bullets for them to use, preferably some other equipment, medicine, food."

"The total budget is around 100 million."

Last time he felt he asked for too little, so this time he took the initiative to ask for a bit more.

Anyway, he had already paid the bill.

Lanse didn't agree immediately, nor did he refuse, "I have to report this matter to Congress. After all, 100 million, I can't take out so much all at once."

Actually, he could, but this money obviously wouldn't be paid by him; it had to go through federal fiscal appropriation.

After listening, Diego couldn't help urging, "Then you have to be fast. I don't know how long I can hold on."

After Lanse put down the phone, he rubbed his temples. He drank a little wine in the evening and was a bit tipsy now, but since the matter had already happened, he couldn't pretend he didn't know.

He dialed Senator Cleveland's phone number. Senator Cleveland hadn't arrived home yet.

After waiting for more than an hour, he contacted Senator Cleveland again, and it was connected.

After he stated some of Diego's demands and mentioned some of his own ideas, Senator Cleveland indicated that he would bring up this matter in Congress as soon as possible.

After all, involving a fiscal appropriation of 100 million, one always has to go through a process and a formality. ===== CHAPTER 1017 =====

After he finished relaying some of Diego's requests, he mentioned some of his own ideas, and Senator Cleveland indicated that he would bring this matter up in Congress as soon as possible.

After all, since it involves a fiscal appropriation of one hundred million, it must go through a process and follow the formalities.