Blackstone Code-Chapter 382: Agreement Reached

“I don’t care who you consulted or whether you’ve offended them. But the three conditions you’ve raised…” Lynch shook his head and casually tossed a document onto the table.

“First, as two equal and independent nations establishing diplomatic relations, holding each other’s legal tender is already a recognition of each other’s value, status, and power. It provides stability for bilateral trade.”

“Don’t think you’re the only ones absorbing 50 billion Federal Sols. We’re taking in 5 trillion Galliers as well. If you have any basic reasoning left, you should understand which currency is more stable.”

“Second, storing the funds separately is poor management. Nagaryll is an independent sovereign state with a complete government system. The reserves must be managed and supervised by the United Bank, and we will assign personnel to oversee it.”

“As for the third point…” Lynch stroked his chin. “Compared to the first two, this one is not entirely impossible.” At that, Mr. Truman frowned slightly.

He had recently studied the relationship between politics and economics extensively. He knew that if Nagaryll’s currency were pegged to the Federal Sol—say, at a rate of 100 to 1—then all their currency exchanges would follow the fluctuations of the Federal exchange rate.

This would allow them to recklessly print vast amounts of currency, exchange it for Sols, and then convert it into other foreign currencies for immense profit, leaving only the Federation to suffer.

And that was the simple version. If other powers got involved, the Federation’s economy could collapse instantly.

He had assumed Lynch would never agree to the last point. Surprisingly, Lynch firmly rejected the first two—those Truman thought were negotiable—and instead showed flexibility on the most dangerous one.

The Nagaryll delegation was immediately invigorated. Their lead representative even interrupted Lynch, saying, “Mr. Lynch, if we can finalize the third point, we’re willing to drop the other two or fully comply with the Federation’s wishes.”

Lynch nodded ambiguously. Truman glanced at him, but Lynch pretended not to notice. “However, we have one small request…”

The Nagaryll representative smiled—perhaps his only chance to smile during these negotiations. “Go ahead.”

“The issuance and supervision rights of Nagaryll’s legal currency…”

“Alright, let’s get back to the negotiation itself. After a full day to consider, what have you decided?” After a minor dispute, Lynch shifted the conversation back. The other side had played a frivolous card, so he responded in kind—it was all meaningless banter anyway.

Since there was no chance they’d give up control over their currency, those three conditions were dead in the water. The issue returned to the core question from before adjournment: would they recognize the Federal Sol as legal tender within Nagaryll?

“Gentlemen, I must remind you—this may be the last time we sit across from each other at a Federal negotiation table.” 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

His words made the Nagaryll delegation frown, but Lynch remained indifferent. “If we meet again, it will be on Nagaryll soil. We’ll be the victors—you’ll be the defeated.”

“Our government and people have shown you the utmost hospitality, and all we’ve received in return is evasion and indifference. If you won’t show sincerity, then today will mark the end of these negotiations.”

“Your ship tickets are already prepared…” Lynch picked up the same document he had previously tossed and slid it across the glossy table. “Of course, I’ve also arranged some gifts—furniture, electronics, things you might not have at home.”

The folder glided easily to the other side. He gestured for them to open it. After a moment’s hesitation, one representative did.

Inside were ship tickets—for the entire delegation, departing tonight. This wasn’t a bluff.

The Nagaryll delegation still hadn’t realized they had always been negotiating from a position of complete disadvantage. Worse, they tried to demand more despite their weakness. It was foolish.

In the end, they would gain nothing and alienate potential partners.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, the Nagaryll representative requested a recess to consult with his delegation. Mr. Truman, of course, agreed.

After they left, Truman asked, “What if they really go home?”

This question had been weighing on him. What if they were truly fools, and they left? What then?

Lynch smiled casually. “The remnants of the Preyton Pirate Group have fled to Nagaryll. To eliminate this dangerous international criminal threat, our navy will assist in dealing with the stragglers.”

“But…” His easy smile gradually turned sinister in Truman’s eyes. “But we won’t be able to completely eradicate them quickly, so we might need to station our forces there for a while.”

“The Nagaryll government must provide ports for our navy to station in, temporarily placing them under Federal jurisdiction, and supply the necessary resources for operations.”

Truman fell silent. He wasn’t shocked by Lynch’s shamelessness or ruthlessness—he was seriously considering the feasibility.

“What if they refuse?” he asked.

“Ever seen an action movie?” Lynch asked. “Conspiracy, rebellion, suppression.”

“Preyton, using the economic network he built during his monopoly, incites unrest in Nagaryll and plans to establish a Nagaryll Empire or Kingdom with himself as ruler.”

“The whole nation falls into chaos, nobles and rulers are killed, and in desperation they beg the Federation for help. We step in, eliminate the pirates…”

“Eliminate?”

“Yes. Eliminate. He might go somewhere else to cause trouble. Who knows?”

Truman nodded vaguely. Everyone in the room, except two administrators, had military backgrounds. They were trustworthy.

He turned to Lynch. “Let’s talk after the meeting. You previously mentioned economic warfare. With presidential approval, we’ve formed a team of experts to explore that. Some of your recent ideas have been included—we see high feasibility.”

While he spoke, the Nagaryll delegation returned. Their expressions were heavy—not a bad sign for Lynch and Truman.

“We agree…” the representative sighed. “The Federal Sol will be accepted as legal tender within the Kingdom of Nagaryll.”

Lynch smiled normally for once. “See? That wasn’t so hard. If you had agreed sooner, we could’ve already moved on to deeper cooperation.”

He looked to Mr. Truman, who nodded. “This afternoon, we’ll sign the diplomatic agreement at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and make it public.”

“Now, let’s talk about what really interests you—our investments.”

The long negotiation had ended, only to be followed by another drawn-out process.

Having given up their last bit of pride, they now agreed to anything—for their own power and gain. Other interests weren’t their concern.

With no burdens left, the profit negotiations became blunt and naked. Every percentage point, every cent was fiercely debated. Now it truly felt like a negotiation.

Lynch kept mostly silent during this phase. The benefits due to him wouldn’t be forgotten by either Truman or the president. There was no need to state the obvious—it would just annoy people.

By nearly one in the afternoon, they had finished part of the negotiations—the crucial issue of road development.

Infrastructure was key to social progress. The Nagaryll delegation understood that well. Their first proposal had been road-building.

But there was just one problem—they had no money.

At lunch, Mr. Truman and Lynch found a small private room to continue their unfinished conversation.

“The President is closely following the progress of our negotiations, and he’s also asked me to convey a proposal to you…” Truman’s expression was serious. “We intend to appoint you as a special advisor to the National Security Council—this won’t be a temporary position.”

Some of Lynch’s ideas and strategies were not only ahead of their time, but also practical. For instance, the concept of lending money to Nagaryll so they could hire the Federation to carry out development work.

Initially, no one in the Federation had considered such an approach. When Lynch first proposed it, people even found it somewhat… laughable. Lending money so they could pay you? Wouldn’t that mean working for free?

But once they seriously thought it through, they realized it wasn’t so simple.

Lynch’s way of thinking opened one door after another. It made people suddenly realize—money could be used in ways they had never imagined.