Chapter 978: Refusal and Housing Allocation

The ball had entered the hole; this "sport" was over.

Lanse threw the club to the course manager amidst his praise of "Good shot!", then turned and left with his people.

Diego stood on the lawn, watching Lanse's retreating back. His fists clenched tightly more than once, but opened just as many times.

His expression and his eyes were constantly changing.

Pain, fear, struggle, and the desperate determination of someone who has nothing left to lose.

But in the end, it all became cowardly.

As long as one is a person, one will not want to die, and will hope to live longer.

Regardless of whether this is a worker at the bottom of society, a white-collar worker, or a ruler.

Survival is the most basic instinct and desire of a living being; its right far exceeds other desires and instincts.

All those who can overcome the desire to live to do certain things should be respected.

Perhaps only less than one percent can achieve this; the vast majority of people do not have this courage, and neither did Diego.

The butler walked over. He hadn't heard the final words. He handed the iced juice, still containing ice cubes, to Diego; it was his favorite drink.

But this time, Diego did not drink it.

He took the cup and smashed it hard on the ground. The splashing juice wet his shoes, but he didn't notice at all.

After returning to his manor, he thought for a long time before calling the President of the Republic of Jiede.

"The Federation froze my accounts in the Federation. They won't let me leave Lapa."

Upon hearing these words, the President of Jiede was stunned for a moment, then his expression became serious. Of course, Diego couldn't see this.

In fact, they—the Lapa people, the Jiede people, or others in the Xiang Yalan region—all had one or more accounts in the Federation to varying degrees.

And these accounts held quite a bit of money.

It wasn't that they didn't trust their own country's banks. For example, the President of Jiede—the Republic of Jiede also had tens of millions of Federation Sol in cash stored in the Federation.

He did this because Jiede needed to develop.

Many technologies and materials were only available in the Federation now, especially the "research is not as good as buying" policy currently implemented by the Republic of Jiede, making them more dependent on Federation goods.

Every year they needed to import quite a few things from the Federation, and foreign exchange became a trouble.

The Federation only used Federation Sol for transactions with them and did not accept their local currency. To obtain more Federation foreign exchange, they had also opened companies and the like in the Federation.

These funds were currently stored in these accounts, not in the national treasury, which was also for convenience.

For example, sometimes when they needed to buy some parts or raw materials.

They could directly allocate funds through the Federation bank account, arrive quickly, and then get the goods loaded and shipped.

If it went through the country, it would be more troublesome, and they would have to bring cash, then deposit it into the bank, and then conduct the transaction.

Originally, no one would have thought this was a problem, but now that Diego's account was frozen, it made the President of the Republic of Jiede feel a trace of worry.

The Republic of Jiede was currently the only thing obstructing the Federation's comprehensive annexation of the Xiang Yalan region; they might also do the same thing to the Republic of Jiede.

"I am very sorry for your encounter, but this also reminds me."

"Also, what do you mean they won't let you leave Lapa?"

President Diego hesitated repeatedly. He felt that if there was anyone who could save him now, it was only the Republic of Jiede.

The Republic of Jiede had a staggering number of troops, and its industrial foundation was far, far better than Lapa's—it could be said to be heaven and earth apart.

And they were not afraid of offending the Federation. They called for the promotion of the establishment of the Xiang Yalan Alliance and were the "vanguard against the Federation," so naturally, they didn't care about offending the Federation people further.

Moreover, the Jiede people truly did not want the Federation to intervene in the Xiang Yalan region in such a way. Regardless of whether this was their ambition, or whether they themselves wanted to unify the Xiang Yalan region, in short, they were now on the front line of opposing the Federation.

Only by fleeing to Jiede could he have the possibility of escaping the final curtain call according to the script.

So, when facing the Jiede President's question, he was very careful and detailed. "They want to consume a portion of Lapa's population through civil war. There are too many people in Lapa." This expression was actually inaccurate, but he couldn't be blamed.

He didn't know how to correctly express what he wanted to express.

Listening to these words from Diego, the Jiede President couldn't help but shiver.

As a smart person, a college graduate, although Diego's expression wasn't very precise, he could understand what Diego meant.

Eliminating all warlike people and unstable factors—these were individual lives, but in the eyes of the Federation people, they might just be a string of meaningless, cold numbers.

Twelve million people—how many would be left after this civil war?

Although they weren't killed by the Federation people's own hands, they still had an inseparable connection.

Just as the real "Federation people" said, the current Federation people were demons. Apart from bringing disaster and destruction to the world, they wouldn't bring anything else.

He took a deep breath. "Do you want me to help you, or what do you plan to do?"

Diego gritted his teeth. "I want to go to your place, in the name of political asylum or a government in exile."

"This way... the Federation people's schemes won't succeed. As long as their ideas cannot be realized, I will be very happy. These damn sons of bitches, I've really had enough!"

After hearing this, the Jiede President didn't agree immediately, but was thinking.

The longer he thought, the more Diego's excitement—which had originally arisen because he was going to challenge the Federation's script—kept cooling down.

The playful expression on his face, as if a child were deliberately doing bad things to oppose their parents, also gradually faded, eventually becoming cold.

"You...", he opened his mouth, wanting to ask "What else do you have to hesitate about?", but the words stopped.

Next was another moment of silence. The Jiede President finally refused his request. "This is not a good choice, Diego."

"We simply cannot protect your safety, and once you come to us for political asylum, it means you have completely lost your value."

"Will the Federation people arrange for someone to assassinate you?"

"I think it's very likely!"

"And once you leave Lapa, the situation in Lapa might rapidly deteriorate and spiral out of control, which is also not a good thing for us."

"The Federation people have funded so many anti-government armed forces. If they rule Lapa, is it possible they will immediately hand Lapa over to the Federation people?"

"The situation within the Xiang Yalan Alliance is also very tense now. The Federation people have put too much pressure on others. Lapa has become the key to this game!"

"This is like a domino. The moment the first domino falls, it means all the dominoes will eventually fall!"

"So, my dear brother Diego, what you should do most right now is hold on!"

Diego felt a headache listening to him say these things.

Hold on? Anyone can say nice words, but the problem is how to hold on?

What to hold on with?

Hold on with one's life?

Just at this moment, his emotions rose again. His originally peaceful mood suddenly became intense. He directly interrupted the Jiede President's words. "Even if I hold on, is it useful?"

The Jiede President was stunned for a moment and asked, "What?"

"What are you saying? What do you mean?"

As a very emotional person, Diego was always controlled by his own out-of-control emotions. Originally, he made this call wanting to save himself, but now, he was full of dissatisfaction with the Jiede President.

This change in mood made him speak without thinking at this moment. "I mean, if we hold on like this, can we stop the Federation people from eyeing us?"

The Jiede President didn't speak, falling silent again. They actually all knew this.

Don't look at how the "confrontation" between them and the Federation is unfolding intensely right now.

In fact, everyone knows very well that they are ultimately no match for the Federation people. The current struggle is just pushing this time back continuously.

The Jiede President sighed over the phone. "What you said is the truth. We just hope it comes later."

"As long as we work hard, perhaps it will be delayed until five years later, ten years later, or even twenty or thirty years later!"

Diego suddenly interrupted him. "After the war ends."

This again made the Jiede President unable to react. "What war ends?"

"Are you referring to the civil war in your country?"

Diego said in a cold tone, capable of seeing all reason, "No, after the war on the Tanfeite continent ends."

"Right now, the Federation people have no energy to take care of our affairs here, so we still have a chance to resist."

"Once the war ends and they free up their hands, how long do you think we can hold on?"

Sometimes Diego would have some suddenly bursting intelligence, as if his emotions and IQ collided, sparking sparks.

Brilliant, radiant, but fleeting.

The Jiede President didn't quite know how to answer, because this was also the result of his discussion with the cabinet.

They were full of unwillingness about this. The Republic of Jiede's development momentum was very good. Give them another twenty or thirty years, even if they couldn't become a developed country like the Federation.

At least they had a high probability of unifying the Xiang Yalan region in name.

And all of this was destined to have an ending the moment the Federation people revealed their greedy fangs.

The two's conversation naturally ended unhappily. However, no matter how unhappy the Jiede President was, he still promised to support the Lapa government with 8 million Federation Sol in economic aid.

This 8 million was still a long way from what Lapa wanted to do next, or what the script required.

But in the end, it was 8 million.

These damn Federation people!

The damn Federation people were currently engaging in social activities.

The community rebuilt from the slums they had torn down was already completed, also built using steel structural frames, which was already the crystallization of the Federation's highest technology.

The structure was stable, the construction time was very short, and the more workers there were, the shorter the construction time.

Lanse was allocating new owners for these houses that had already been built.

Standing on a high platform, there was bulletproof glass on all four sides, and there were Lanse's riflemen at the high points. Everything at the activity site was under control.

"This is yours!", Lanse handed a set of keys to Juan.

Lanse used the Federation's property certificate format. Although this area hadn't been "purchased" or "leased" yet, Lanse didn't care anymore.

He was the master of this area now, and he even gave the territory he controlled a very loud name—New Federation Center!

As for whether Diego would object or protest?

He didn't care much.

Juan, excited and at a loss, grabbed the keys in Lanse's hand under someone's reminder.

He still felt like he was dreaming!

A few days ago, he had heard that Mr. Lanse was going to allocate houses to everyone who had registered their identity information.

These houses currently still belonged to Mr. Lanse and his company, but those living in these houses, as long as they could live there for fifteen years.

Then they could buy out the house for a symbolic one Federation Sol, completely owning its property rights.

One dollar!

At most a week's wages, and one could own an apartment of one's own, and it was at least sixty square meters. Damn it!

Such a large, clean, and tidy apartment was enough for a family of four or even five to live in, and it only cost one dollar!

After living there for fifteen years, they could own it.

Many ordinary people living nearby felt this couldn't be true. How could such a good thing fall on their heads?

Until this moment, they didn't believe it was true, but they had to believe it.

Watching those people on the stage stand in a row after getting their keys, teeth baring, the people below were filled with envy and jealousy.

What made them even more envious and jealous was that those with numbers one through ten received 120-square-meter apartments.

The first fifty were all 90-square-meter apartments, and after that, they were 60-square-meter apartments.

While envious and jealous, people also felt regret that they hadn't thought about actively joining in the beginning.

This activity issued a total of 1,000 houses, and some houses were still being built and renovated. From the news Lanse provided, they knew that only the first 3,000 families could use the free gifted houses.

For those after number 5,000, if they wanted to live in an apartment, they needed to pay money, but it wasn't expensive, also just one Federation Sol.

But there was another prerequisite, which was that they must work in factories invested in by Lanse or the Imperial Chamber of Commerce.

That information registration certificate didn't just register their identity information; it also counted as a kind of "work card."

This rule also applied to those who had obtained the right to live in these houses for free. If a family lost their job for three consecutive months, they had to leave the house, and the "time" they had accumulated would also be voided.

Clutching the brand-new keys, Juan was choked with sobs. After his father died, everything finally got better.

"Thank you, thank you, Mr. White, who shines upon us like the sun!"

Juan put his hands together, revering Lanse as if he were a deity.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 979 =====