Chapter 298: Merchants Have Only One Bottom Line—Profit

"I'm not talking about right or wrong, I'm talking about reality," Thomson said, "The reality is that Lanfang is indeed rising rapidly. Their navy is stronger than we imagined, their industrial capacity is improving swiftly, and… they seem to have a strange foresight. Have you noticed that Chen Feng shows no short‑term anxiety in the conversation; he only talks about long‑term planning."

Jie La De finally spoke: "Thomson is right. Chen Feng is not an ordinary politician, nor even an ordinary merchant. He is a… strategist."

He stood and walked to the porthole. Outside, the lights of Dubai Port reflected on the sea, glittering like a river of stars. Farther away, the construction sites of the New City District were still active, and searchlights sliced the night sky.

"Ten years ago, this was a desert," Jie La De whispered, "and ten years later it has become one of Southeast Asia's most modern port cities. That's not luck, it's planning."

He turned and said, "Harris, if you were Chen Feng, when war broke out in Europe, would you consider doing the business of a war intermediary?"

Harris thought for a moment, shook his head: "Probably not. It's too risky. Offending any side could be a disaster."

"But he did it, and succeeded," Jie La De said, "He not only did it, but used the profits to develop himself, covertly acquire technology, and strengthen his navy. Now he is so powerful that we dare not act lightly."

Thomson added, "What's more frightening is his 'commercial logic.' He reduces everything to transactions, stripping away politics, morality, and emotion. In his worldview, there is no friendship or hostility between states, only the exchange of interests. This mindset… is terrifying, yet hard to counter."

"Why is it hard to counter?" Harris asked.

"Because you don't know his bottom line," Thomson said, "Traditional politicians have ideology, national honor, historical baggage. Those can be predicted and negotiated. But a merchant has only one bottom line—profit. As long as he doesn't lose money, anything can be discussed. And the definition of a loss is known only to him."

Jie La De sat back at the table, picked up his pen: "So our report must reflect this. Chen Feng is not our ally, but he is also not an enemy we must eliminate immediately. He is… a variable. A variable we are currently powerless to control, yet cannot completely ignore."

He began to write. The pen tip rustled on the paper.

"To the Honorable Foreign Minister Edward Gray and the wartime cabinet: Today we met with Lanfang President Chen Feng; the key points are as follows…"

He wrote slowly, choosing his words carefully. The report is divided into three parts: Chen Feng's statements, Lanfang's true intentions, and Yingguo's policy recommendations.

In the final section, he wrote:

"…Chen Feng repeatedly stresses Lanfang's 'merchant nation' character, claiming all its actions stem from commercial considerations. Though this claim is hard to believe, it gives us a framework for dealing with them. Recommendations are as follows:

"1. Refrain from aggressive actions for now. Lanfang's navy is not to be underestimated; before the Deguo threat is removed, opening a second front in the Far East is unwise."

"2. Attempt commercial engagement. Since Chen Feng calls himself a merchant, we can use commercial means to interact with him. Probe whether he is willing to provide certain 'services' to Yingguo, while also asking him to exercise 'restraint' in certain areas."

"3. Strengthen intelligence infiltration. We need deeper insight into Lanfang's industrial capacity, military deployments, and high‑level decision‑making mechanisms. A breach must be made into Chen Feng's inner circle."

"4. Long‑term planning. No matter how Chen Feng argues, Lanfang's rise is unstoppable. The post‑war Asian order will be reshaped, and Yingguo must plan ahead, either courting or balancing, but must not let matters run their course."

"Finally, personal observation: The danger of Chen Feng lies not in his ambition but in his mindset. He reduces international politics to pure tools and transactions; if this pure utilitarianism becomes the common philosophy of emerging nations, the old international order based on honor, alliances, and civilizational hierarchy will face a fundamental challenge. Dealing with this man and this country requires an entirely new strategic mindset."

"Major General Jie La De, Dubai Port, 14 January 1916."

Having finished the last word, Jie La De set down his pen and let out a long sigh.

"Send it out. Use the highest classification."

Thomson took the report, hesitated, and said, "General, do you think London will accept this proposal? Over at Lord Ji Qin Na's side…"

"Ji Qin Na wants war, but he has no fleet," Jie La De said wearily, rubbing his temples, "General Jie Li Ke knows the navy's limits, and Minister Gray understands political trade‑offs. They will accept, because it's the only rational choice."

Harris was still dissatisfied: "Do we just leave it at that? Watch them keep aiding the Deguo?"

"What's left if we don't count it?" Jie La De looked at him, "Major, you must understand, great‑power politics is not children fighting and striking when they're annoyed. It's complex calculation, a weighing of pros and cons. Acting against Lanfang now has more drawbacks than benefits. So we must endure."

He stood, looked again at Dubai's lights outside: "But remember, endurance is not forgetting. Today's account will be settled someday. Once we finish dealing with Deguo…"

He didn't finish, but Harris and Thomson both understood.

The captain's cabin door was knocked. A messenger delivered a freshly received telegram.

Jie La De took it, looked, and his complexion immediately darkened.

"What's wrong, General?"

"Intelligence forwarded from London," Jie La De handed the telegram to Thomson, "Lanfang has just notified the Sakura Nation, activating the third dispatch‑troop plan, with a price five percent higher than the second batch."

Harris gritted his teeth: "That bastard! He's slapping us in the face!"

"No," Jie La De shook his head, "He's telling us that our protests cannot change any reality. He simply conducts the business that should be done."

He walked to the liquor cabinet, poured a glass of whiskey, and downed it in one gulp. The spirit was strong, burning his throat and stomach.

"Let's go back to Singapore," he ordered, "Staying here another minute is a disgrace."

The "Ka Lai Er" ship set sail in the night, leaving Dubai Port. Jie La De stood on the bridge, watching the brilliantly lit city recede behind him.

He recalled Chen Feng's final words: "In Lanfang's eyes, the whole world is a client."

How arrogant, how cold, yet also so… real.

In this survival‑of‑the‑fittest world, morality and justice are luxuries; only profit is the eternal hard currency. Chen Feng is merely the first national leader to openly acknowledge this.

And the British Empire, that sun‑never‑sets empire built on colonial plunder and hegemony, now must endure the humiliation of an Asian merchant.

History truly is ironic.