Chapter 297: Typical Eastern Crooked‑Merchant Thinking

"That's sophistry!" Major Harris couldn't help but interject.

Chen Feng looked at him, his gaze still calm: "Major, if you bought a knife at a shop in London and then used that knife to hurt someone, is it the shop's responsibility or yours?"

Harris was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Third, regarding arms trade," Chen Feng continued. "Lanfang Armaments Factory is a legitimate defense enterprise; the weapons and equipment we produce are sold worldwide. The German government is one of our clients, that's all. We also sell weapons to other countries—shall I list them for you?"

Gerard sneered, "For example?"

"For instance, the Kingdom of Siam ordered two hundred light machine guns from us last year. The Chilean Navy ordered two destroyers. And… oh, right, the British East India Company, in August last year, through a Singapore agent, purchased five hundred tons of special steel from us for warship repairs. General, are you aware of this deal?"

Gerard's complexion shifted. He didn't know.

"You see," Chen Feng spread his hands, "this is business. The buyer pays, the seller supplies. We don't care who the buyer is, only whether the check clears."

"But Germany is at war with us!" Gerard raised his voice. "Your weapons are killing English soldiers!"

"General," Chen Feng's tone remained calm, "if we follow that logic, then the American steel bought by England, the Russian grain bought by France, the Swedish iron ore bought by Germany—all indirectly cause deaths. That's how war works; it turns the whole world into a massive supply chain. Every nation is on that chain; no one can remain untouched."

He paused, leaning forward. "Do you know Lanfang's total foreign trade last year? Eight hundred million Lanyuan. Of that, trade with Germany accounted for fifteen percent, with England and its colonies twenty percent, with the United States twenty‑five percent, and with other neutral countries forty percent. You see, Germany is just one of many of our clients."

Gerard stared at him. "So you mean Lanfang has no political stance, just a pure merchant?"

"You could say so," Chen Feng nodded. "In Lanfang's view, the whole world is a client. German marks, pounds, dollars, francs—all have equal purchasing power in Dubai banks. We don't care whose portrait is on the currency, only how much it can buy."

The statement was so blunt that even Wang Wenwu felt a bit uneasy. Yet Chen Feng spoke so calmly, as if stating an utterly natural truth.

"What about technology exchange?" Gerard pressed. "Germany hands over core military technology to you; is that not also a business transaction?"

"Of course," Chen Feng smiled. "We trade our advanced artillery design and manufacturing techniques for some of Germany's industrial technology. It's an equal exchange, each getting what they need. The Germans obtain the weapons they urgently require; we gain the chance to upgrade our industry. A win‑win."

"But those technologies are the result of centuries of Europe's industrial revolution!"

"So what?" Chen Feng raised an eyebrow. "Knowledge and technology should be humanity's common wealth, not monopolized by any nation or race. If the Germans are willing to share, we are willing to learn—what's the problem?"

Gerard fell silent. He realized all his accusations paled before Chen Feng's "business logic." The Chinese leader employed an almost shameless pragmatism, dismantling every political and moral consideration.

"His Excellency the President," Gerard finally said, "your theory won't work in London. Parliament and the public won't accept it; our soldiers bleed and die on the front lines, while you profit in the rear by doing business with the enemy."

"That's your problem, not ours," Chen Feng's tone grew a bit colder. "General, let me be clearer. Lanfang is an emerging nation; we need development, we need survival. In Europe's war we saw an opportunity—not a political one, but a commercial one. We seized it, that's all."

He stood up and walked to the world map on the wall. "You see, the world is vast. Europe is at war, Asia is developing, the Americas are watching. Each nation has its own path. Lanfang's path is to build a nation through commerce, to prosper through trade. We don't seek territorial expansion, we don't interfere in other countries' internal affairs; we only do business."

Gerard also stood. "But what if your business harms our interests?"

"Then we'll offer better terms," Chen Feng turned to look at him. "General, I said, we are merchants. What do merchants value most? Profit. If Britain can give a better price than Germany, we can also do business with Britain. Weapons? Supplies? Transport? Even… intelligence?"

The last two words he uttered lightly, yet Gerard heard them clearly.

The room fell silent again. Wang Wenwu and Zhou Tieshan exchanged a glance; neither had expected Chen Feng to speak so bluntly.

"You are provoking, His Excellency the President," Gerard's voice was cold.

"No, I am stating facts," Chen Feng walked back to his seat. "General Gerard, please return and tell London: Lanfang is neither England's nor Germany's enemy. We are merely a merchant nation seeking survival and development in chaotic times. If Britain is willing to treat us as a commercial partner, we can cooperate. If Britain insists on treating us as an enemy…"

He paused, his voice still calm, but each word struck the table like a nail.

"Then Lanfang will make a corresponding choice. I can assure you, that choice will not be what the British Empire wishes to see."

The talks ended at five p. m. Gerard declined the dinner invitation and returned directly to the Karael.

In the cruiser's captain's cabin, Gerard sat at the desk, the report sheet before him still blank. Vice Consul Thomson and Major Harris sat opposite, both looking grim.

"General, how shall we write it?" Thomson asked.

Gerard gave no answer. He lit a cigar, took a deep drag, then slowly exhaled a ring of smoke. The haze curled in the dim light.

"What do you think of Chen Feng?" he suddenly asked.

Major Harris spoke first: "Arrogant, cunning, utterly without a moral compass. He treats war as business, soldiers' lives as merchandise. A typical Eastern merchant‑crook mindset."

Thomson hesitated. "But I must admit, his logic… is hard to refute. If we stood in his shoes, we might make the same choice. Lanfang needs development; Europe's war provides an opportunity. He seized it."

"So you think he's right?" Harris asked, displeased.