Chapter 87

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Jifeng let out a light sigh and sat down again, saying, "Alright, you can speak. I'm not being unreasonable, but I really only have one hour. At three o'clock, the American consul, Hamil, will be here, and this was arranged beforehand."

Upon hearing Jifeng's words, although they knew he had suddenly changed his mind, the few people had no choice. Hu Zhendong hurriedly said, "Of course, we definitely won't disturb Mr. Ji for too long. We'll get straight to the point. This time, we came on behalf of the Premier to hear your plans for the Natuna Islands and their waters. You might know that there have been territorial disputes with our South China Sea in that area."

Jin Taehi, who spoke four languages and was only two years older than Jifeng, quickly sent a text message to her colleagues outside after confirming Jifeng's words, informing them to notify Hamil, who was also waiting for a reply.

Jifeng took a puff of his cigarette and, seeing that no one moved, offered it again. This time, two of them took it and lit up. However, Hu Zhendong coughed violently after just one puff. Jifeng couldn't help but laugh and say, "Director Hu, if you can't smoke, just don't. I'm not forcing you. I can't quit, but if you don't smoke, it's better for your health."

Seeing Hu Zhendong nod with a bitter smile and stub out the cigarette in the ashtray, Jifeng continued, "The waters there are basically the same as those around Jeju Island. No military vessels from any country will be allowed to pass through without special circumstances, and they certainly won't be allowed to enter freely. I have full confidence in reclaiming the area. I believe the Indonesian government is trustworthy, and even if they aren't, the United States, as a supervisor, will ensure they fulfill the agreement. I have no doubt about this."

"I can promise you that, apart from establishing a naval base myself, no other country, including the United States, will be allowed to set up military facilities on my territory. As for the territorial disputes you're worried about, let's wait until the waters are returned before we discuss it. I believe the leaders of our country will act according to the rules."

Although Jifeng promised not to allow other countries to set up naval bases there, his stance on the territorial boundaries was vague. The few people's hearts sank. Was Jifeng really going to follow Indonesia's boundaries? That would mean a significant loss of our territorial waters, as Indonesia's exclusive economic zone intrudes into the South China Sea.

"What do you think about the Natuna Economic Zone? Will you retain it or make adjustments after reclaiming it?" Guo Yunlong asked anxiously.

Jifeng tapped his fingers on the table, thought for a moment, and smiled, "I haven't really considered that yet. I'll think about it later. But you shouldn't be worried about me. It seems Vietnam occupies about 30 small islands and reefs there. Why don't you go after them instead of coming to me to take advantage?"

Hu Zhendong, somewhat at a loss, said, "Mr. Ji, this isn't about taking advantage of you. Our country has been negotiating with those countries to resolve the disputes, but there hasn't been much progress yet."

Jifeng smiled, "You said there hasn't been much progress. I say, just send the South China Sea Fleet over and deal with them."

Guo Yunlong laughed bitterly, "If it were that simple, it would be great. We need to consider the series of reactions that would follow any military action. Moreover, our country has promised not to use force to resolve issues."

Jifeng snorted inwardly and shook his head, "Alright, then continue negotiating. By the way, since you're here, I have a complaint. I've noticed several times that your country's fishing boats have been operating in my waters. In the past, I didn't mind because we're all from the same country, but you can't just ignore it. If it happens again, I'll have to take action. They can't treat our laws lightly."

Hu Zhendong was taken aback, looked at the distressed Guo Yunlong, and knew this was likely true. He felt helpless. The domestic fishing grounds were nearly depleted, so some fishermen went to other countries' waters, leading to frequent disputes.

Shortly after taking over the islands, Jifeng announced a two-year fishing ban. Only three ships from the three fishing companies on the island were allowed to operate. For the first offense, they would receive a warning, and for the second, their boats would be confiscated. He had been lenient with the fishermen from our country several times.

Guo Yunlong sighed, "Mr. Ji, you must understand the domestic situation. We have issued relevant notices, but a few bold individuals still try it. Our maritime department is understaffed, so there's not much we can do."

Jifeng waved his hand, "I don't care about your reasons. They can't come into my waters anymore. I've already given orders to the defense forces. If any foreign fishing boats are found, the crew will be detained, and the boats will be sunk. No negotiation. I'm warning you now, don't blame me if something happens."

Hu Zhendong frowned, "Mr. Ji, isn't that a bit extreme? Can't we discuss this calmly?"

Jifeng shook his head, "No, the fishing resources in my waters belong to me and the people of Jeju Island. If they're all taken, what will we eat? Besides, my waters are tiny compared to yours. We need to be reasonable."

Hu Zhendong thought, "Great, now I'm the unreasonable one." But thinking about the troublesome fishing issue, he couldn't help but complain inwardly. "Alright, we'll convey your request. You mentioned building a naval base in the south. Do you have any designs? What about the equipment?"

Jifeng smiled lightly, "I'm not being unfair. I'll put it out to tender. The construction of the naval base, the escort ships, patrol boats, and everything else will be handled by one company. I'll choose based on the best price and the most advanced technology. As for fighter jets, I'll stick with domestic ones. I don't want to complicate logistics. I'll equip with F-15s, and for helicopters, I'll go with Apaches."

Hearing Jifeng's plan to tender, the two were delighted, especially after hearing his full statement. They knew Jifeng was more inclined towards domestic options, or he wouldn't have mentioned the fighter jets and helicopters separately.

The latter two, the domestic options, were not expected to win, but the southern ships were also valuable. Most importantly, it included a naval base and future ammunition supplies, a perfect way to project military power abroad, a one-stop service.

After chatting for a while, it was already three o'clock. Jifeng stood up, "Gentlemen, time is up. Let's end it here. We can continue our discussions later."

Guo Yunlong and the others didn't insist, standing up and smiling, "Alright, thank you, Mr. Ji, for your time. We hope to meet again. This time, I and Xiao Liu will stay here. We hope you will take care of us."

Jifeng was slightly surprised, and Hu Zhendong explained, "Director Guo has been promoted to the consul here, and Xiao Liu is the commercial counselor. She is the most beautiful diplomat in the Foreign Ministry. You'll be in for a treat."

Liu Qianyu had been sitting quietly, elegant and beautiful, with a nearly perfect 165 cm figure, long black hair, and light makeup. When Jifeng entered, she caught his eye. However, Jifeng, who often saw beautiful women, was somewhat immune and merely nodded in greeting.

"I hope you both enjoy your work and life in Jeju Island!" Jifeng smiled, shook hands with them again, and had Jin Taehi see them out.

A moment later, Jin Taehi led Hamil in. Hamil, who had met Jifeng several times, bowed slightly upon entering, "Respected Island Lord, I represent President Obama in greeting you. We hope you can visit the United States as the Island Lord soon. The President knows you smoke, so he sent you these hand-rolled cigars."

Jifeng smiled, shook hands with him, and took the bags of cigars, "Thank you for the President's gift and invitation. However, as you know, my first daughter is about to be born, so I won't have time in the near future."

Hamil smiled, "Congratulations, Island Lord. You're about to become a father. This is a cause for celebration."

After exchanging pleasantries, Jifeng had Hamil sit down and discussed the new southern waters and islands. The message to the United States was almost the same as to our country.

Hamil was naturally delighted. Although the naval base and equipment would be tendered, and the United States didn't seem to have an advantage, it wasn't the case. The United States had the highest technological content in military equipment and had been battle-tested. There was ongoing debate within the United States about exporting more advanced equipment to Jifeng.

The last time Jifeng visited the United States, he gave President Obama a cold sweat. In the heavily guarded White House, Jifeng moved freely, making Obama nervous during their discussions. In the end, Obama didn't dare to pressure Jifeng to raise prices.

Fortunately, Jifeng's visit was brief. After he left, Obama, furious, ordered a thorough investigation of the security system but found no vulnerabilities. It was only after a joint investigation by several intelligence agencies into Zeng Fu's past that they discovered "X-Men" was based on Zeng Fu.

(Ah~~~~~ My upstairs neighbors came back late last night, around midnight. A young couple started making noise without closing their windows, and the rhythmic sounds were very loud, waking up my brother. Ah, you should consider that my wife is pregnant when you do such things...))

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