Chapter 923

Initially, when hearing Lanse say the words "I want to acquire your Horseback Mountain silver mine," Vargas still had a smile on his face that said "You're fucking hilarious," and he looked at Gomez.

He meant to ask Gomez, is your friend this... funny?

Who doesn't know that the Horseback Mountain silver mine is Diego's industry, acquiring the Horseback Mountain silver mine?

Isn't this fucking equivalent to reaching into Diego's pocket to take money for one's own pocket?

What is this?

This is courting death!

But he didn't see the expression he wanted to see on Gomez's face; on the contrary, Gomez appeared very solemn and serious.

This made the smile on Vargas's face gradually fade, and then he furrowed his brows, looking at Lanse, "Mr. White, are you not joking with me?"

Lanse spread his hands, "Do you think there is any cell in my body that looks like it is joking with you?"

He didn't understand this quip, but he knew the meaning Lanse wanted to express.

This made him become even more uncertain. He looked at Gomez again; he was a bit unclear now whether Gomez knew or didn't know.

He must know, but why would he want to do this?

To rip off a Federal person?

In a trance, he suddenly thought of this possibility. The words that had reached his lips were swallowed back. His brows smoothed out, and the expression on his face all faded away.

He glanced at Gomez again, quickly reviewing everything that had happened recently in his mind.

He didn't quite understand; now all he could do was figure out the situation first.

"Mr. White, can I talk to Gomez alone?"

Lanse did not refuse. He made a "please" gesture. After giving Gomez a look, he took the initiative to stand up and walked to the door.

Gomez glanced at Lanse, also stood up, and walked toward the door.

The two left the room and stood outside the door. The moment the door closed, Vargas couldn't help but ask, "What the fuck are you doing?"

He even specifically glanced at the tightly closed door, as if sensing whether there was anyone behind the door.

He said this while walking a few more steps to the side, continuing to lower his voice, "We all know the mine is the President's. You are so high, have you considered what consequences it will bring to you and me?"

The property rights document is in the company's office. As the company manager, that is his office, and he also knows the safe's password.

Just like... what he just said to Lanse, in Lapa, no one would make fake property rights documents because it has no meaning.

Likewise, no one cares if the property rights document is lost because it also has no meaning.

Anyway, as long as it is resource development worth some money, it is either the ruling group's or related to the ruling group.

Ordinary people want to open a mine?

Let alone the next life, the next next life, the next next next life have no hope!

Here, everything is decided by the ruling group, so whether there is a property rights document has no direct relationship with whether it can be mined and the ownership of the mineral deposits.

Gomez smiled and soothed his emotions, "Mr. Lanse is a big shot from the Federation. He plans to invest in a large number of industries here. You should have seen the newspapers."

Vargas nodded, "I know, he has already opened several factories, but I heard they haven't started production yet."

The factory construction is almost done; the rest is training. The people here have not been exposed to the Federation's advanced equipment.

They have no way to get on the assembly line without training.

In fact, Lanse also discovered a problem he hadn't considered before after investing in several factories, or rather, a problem that the vast majority of people hadn't considered.

Although Lapa's labor is cheap, these laborers are very typical low-end labor, low-value labor.

If you classify the value generated by a person's work, obviously some people's value will be higher.

For example, technical workers.

They occupy an important and irreplaceable position in the production process.

There are also some who are low-value labor, only engaging in the simplest repetitive labor.

These people in Lapa, they are the low value among low-value labor. They have no experience working on an assembly line at all, so much so that when the assembly line started moving, people quickly started staring at each other, flustered and not knowing what to do.

Now several factories are undergoing training.

It's called training, but it's actually low-speed production. Under the condition of reduced wages, the production efficiency cannot reach the assembly line's production standards. Instead, it is equivalent to Lanse giving them more wages but only getting a small amount of products, which is not quite what they expected.

Gomez obviously knows some inside information. In the short term, within two or three months, there is no hope of normal production.

One can only hope that the machines can all be successfully turned on in the second half of the year.

He looked at Vargas, "It's good that you know these things. Mr. Lanse is a big shot. He wants to buy the Horseback Mountain silver mine, so you should just sell it to him."

Vargas frowned again, "I thought you planned to cheat him out of a sum of money."

Gomez shook his head, "You and I are both small people. Let's not worry about big people's business. I know what you are worried about, and this will have nothing to do with you."

"You sell the thing to him, and then you take the money and leave here for the Federation to live a free life."

"Whether Mr. Lanse can successfully take over the silver mine, whether it can be mined normally, and how the President's side responds, has nothing to do with you, understand?"

Gomez took out a cigarette and handed one to him, "He makes hundreds of thousands in profit a year, and he only gives you sixty thousand Para a year."

"According to the current exchange rate, that's only eight hundred Federal Sol."

"If you work for fifty years, it's only forty thousand."

He took out a lighter, and the two lit their cigarettes at the door, "Mr. Lanse told me that he is willing to pay you one hundred thousand Federal Sol and help you settle your Federal status, letting your whole family go to the Federation to live."

"Even if the President is angry, he can't do anything to you."

"In Lapa, he is the President."

"In the Federation, he is just an ordinary person, even worse than an ordinary person!"

Gomez understands these people very well. He himself is also a part of these people. He knows how to persuade these people.

Vargas was obviously moved. Just as Gomez said, he works his whole life, and that's only that much money.

Now this old master from the Federation can give him two lifetimes of income at once, and it's a one-time payment, and he helps his whole family immigrate to the Federation. This is indeed somewhat tempting.

However, he didn't agree immediately. He still needed to think seriously for a while, and Gomez didn't urge him.

In the process of thinking, Vargas kept looking up at Gomez, and Gomez also kept responding with a smile.

After a while, he suddenly asked, "Why?"

Gomez was stunned for a moment, "Why what?"

"Why betray the President?"

"Betray Lapa?"

Two questions, but they are the same question, which made Gomez silent for a few seconds, "I didn't betray anyone; I just want a better life."

"Although he is the President, he has no right to decide my future!"

"No one can!"

Gomez suddenly became a bit excited. He walked back and forth twice, "That guy Diego has absolutely no rules!"

"One day he might be hugging your shoulders calling you brother, and the next day he might have your head come to see him!"

"Just because I ran to the Federation twice more, he already has suspicions about me."

"And do you think, in this situation, how long can he last?"

"The Federal people have already arrived; who is coming next?"

"Federal officials, or the Federal army?"

"He can't hold on, and the Ya Alliance can't hold on either!"

Listening to these heartfelt words, Vargas's attitude also softened a lot, "So you defected to the Federal people?"

Gomez pinched the cigarette butt with his index finger and thumb, took a final puff, and then threw it hard on the ground.

The moment the cigarette butt touched the ground, the vibration made the red light of the cigarette butt shine brightly, sparks flying, but it was quickly extinguished and fell into silence.

He exhaled the smoke that had circled in his lungs, "I didn't defect to the Federal people; I just chose the best path for me."

"If there were other better choices, then I would choose them too!"

"You think about it carefully, think about the recent unrest. I have always treated you as a friend! After this unrest, Diego's control over areas outside the vicinity of Zhuolan will gradually decline..."

Vargas hesitated for a while, and he asked a question he was very concerned about, "You, you aren't afraid that I will tell the President about this?"

This looks like a very stupid and meaningless question, but it is precisely the key factor in facilitating the entire transaction.

This is like those bad boys on the street; when passing by them, some people might actively blackmail you.

Demanding you give them some money or do something else.

What really makes you yield is not that you can't beat them, but that you know they have plenty of ways to deal with you!

They can find trouble for you, find trouble for your family, find trouble for you at work or school, and make your life a mess!

This is the core threat, not them standing there telling you that if you don't give them two dollars, they will beat you up.

Vargas wanted to know, if he didn't obey, what means did they have to deal with him?

This is critical.

A look of disdain appeared on Gomez's face, "You have been a Lapa person for too long and have forgotten that Mr. Lanse is a Federal person, and a big shot in the Federation."

"Even if you call Diego now to tell him what happened here."

"Diego will only act as if nothing happened, but do you know yourself what you will face next?"

"Think about it, can someone who dares to deal with Diego in Lapa be a pure businessman?"

This is indeed a question worth pondering. Vargas's eyes changed at this moment.

A few minutes later, the two walked in from outside. Vargas's face was still full of smiles this time, but it was much more natural than before.

"Mr. White, can I hear how much you are willing to pay to buy the Horseback Mountain silver mine?"

Lanse looked him up and down and said with a smile, "One hundred thousand, Federal Sol, this is an astronomical price for you!"

It is indeed an astronomical price. According to the current exchange rate, it is eight million Para. He could never earn that much money in his whole life!

However, Vargas said, "Not enough, Mr. White."

"After I sell the Horseback Mountain silver mine to you, it will be very difficult for me to gain a foothold in Lapa. I need to leave here and go to the Federation."

"I heard that the consumption level there is very high. A meal can cost dozens of dollars. One hundred thousand dollars also has to buy a house, and it will be gone very quickly."

He stared at Lanse, not concealing his greed at all, "I have an iron mine in my hand, added together, three hundred thousand, all for you!"

Iron mines are not very valuable, and the Federation itself is not short of iron mines, but just as the team leader said, when the number of mines he holds reaches a certain level.

The value of the mine itself and the social value are two different things.

"I am a person who doesn't like to haggle; it has no meaning."

"Two hundred thousand, I will help you settle your Federal status. If you encounter trouble, I can also help you solve it."

Vargas didn't hesitate for too long and agreed.

He thought very clearly. Gomez, who can be considered a subordinate relatively close to Diego before, has now defected to the Federation. What does this explain?

This explains that they have already felt that the Diego government might not be reliable.

Vargas is considered a distant relative of Diego, a very distant one, but there is a little connection.

He has no loyalty to Diego or Lapa; he just wants to live a good life.

After discussing that Vargas would hand over the property rights certificate to Lanse when they meet next time, he took the initiative to leave.

He came for a trip and now has to "flee." He has to make all preparations before the whole thing is exposed.

Let his family prepare, and as soon as he gets the money, he will leave immediately!

After Gomez sent Vargas away, the team leader asked curiously, "Mr. Lanse, there are two gold mines in Lapa that are currently being mined..."

He didn't finish his sentence, meaning to ask why Lanse didn't take action against the gold mines first, or it was a kind of reminder.

Lanse shook his head, "Gold mines are too sensitive. Diego must have arranged his own confidants there."

"The current situation cannot pry these people away; we have to wait a bit longer."

The team leader was a bit puzzled, "Mr. Lanse, there are some things I don't understand."

Lanse signaled for him to continue, and he went on to say, "Mr. Gomez mentioned that these property rights have no value. Why do you still want to spend so much money to buy them?"

In the team leader's view, since these things are actually Diego's private property, and Diego is also the ruler of this country.

Then even if Lanse buys these property rights certificates, the Diego government can reclaim these assets for state ownership at any time or deny the legality of these property rights certificates.

After all, here, he is the one who has the final say.

Lanse shook his head with a smile, "When you stand in a superior position and reason with someone stronger than you, and it will harm the other party's interests, he will only reason with you with his fists."

"But when you possess power stronger than the other party, and you don't want people to think you are a barbaric person, you need a reason to hit him."

"That property rights certificate is the reason!"

The team leader seemed to understand a little, but didn't fully understand. He just nodded subconsciously and then thought slowly.

The industries Lanse wants to buy are not just a silver mine, but also some other mines.

At the same time, he has too much money in his hands that needs to be cleaned. These mines are also good channels for money laundering, and they are simple, clean, and pure.

How much metal there is from ore to smelted finished product and finally sold is entirely up to the company itself.

Once these monies are taxed, they are legal income.

The hundreds of thousands of profits generated every day can be laundered through these methods, and its value is not just here; there are more ways to play and benefits!

When Gomez came back, Lanse waved at him and then pointed to the sofa next to him, letting him sit down.

"There is something I need you to do."

Gomez didn't hesitate at all and immediately nodded in agreement, "Please say it."

"I want you to report some people...", he handed a list to Gomez, "The people on this list are suspected of looting the food aid provided by the Republic of Jiede to Lapa. Diego is looking for them, but doesn't know who they are."

"You don't have to report them yourself; you find a way to let Diego know that these people did it. Do you understand what I mean?"

Gomez's brain was already not enough; he even only knew at this moment that the food aid from the Republic of Jiede had been looted!

But he quickly reacted, "No problem, I will arrange for reliable people to report these people."

Lanse nodded slightly, "Do it well. On the ship leading to the next era, there will definitely be a place for you!"

Gomez's actions were fast. That afternoon, someone reported these people, saying they saw them carrying food through the jungle, and some people said they discovered some of them selling food privately, and one could tell at a glance that the source was not right.

Diego's people were also just collecting intelligence in this regard. Originally, these people had gained nothing.

With Lapa's tens of millions of people, who the fuck knows which people looted this food.

But now that someone has reported it, it means their work has "progressed." Whether it was investigated by themselves or said by others, at least there was a target.

Diego quickly saw the information on these people, and after reading it, he was even more furious!

If the people who hijacked his food were some privileged classes, or even other people in the ruling group, for example, done by some minister.

He could accept it.

This is equivalent to someone on the same level giving him a punch, evenly matched.

"But what the fuck are these people?"

"These are all untouchables!"

"They actually dare to hijack my food?"

"It seems people have underestimated me, whose country this really is!"

He was so angry that his chest was heaving; it was too embarrassing!

He could feel the mockery hidden behind the expressions of those ministers!

These mud-legged people jumped up and gave him a slap. This slap didn't hurt him, but it left a mud handprint on his face.

This mud handprint made him more furious than hurting him!

"Let the army move out, find these people, and bring them all to Zhuolan. I want to watch them die in front of me with my own eyes!"

He said this with his eyes red!

(End of chapter)