CHAPTER 329: 0327 DELEGATION

Standing at the port, Lynch, as an important participant, naturally became one of the welcoming personnel.

This time, the promotion of establishing diplomatic relations with Nagariel was not very grand; on the one hand, Nagariel is a backward feudal country, and the people of the Federation instinctively dislike them.

As certain matters progress, the Federation Government will certainly need to popularize some aspects of Nagariel. Even showing its good sides is difficult for the Federation’s citizens to accept as it remains an oppressive society. They dislike this country and its rulers.

Yet, they are full of sympathy and pity for the people at the bottom of this country.

On the other hand, the final outcome of this negotiation is still unknown, and until a definitive result is achieved, the Federation Society will not expand its promotional efforts.

If the promotion is too positive but the result is disappointing, such a contrast will induce an unbearable sense of humiliation, especially considering that Nagariel is just a small backward country.

The Federation, which is asserting its value in the international community, and its people do not believe they are inferior to Nagariel, making it even harder for them to endure any significant disappointment and reality.

Instead, the current minimal promotion could become a pleasant surprise if a good result is achieved.

Watching the distant cruise ship appear in people’s sights more than an hour later than scheduled, some gentlemen walked out of the port’s bars.

The wind by the sea is strong, and some citizens curiously look over, as "watching foreigners" seems to have become an interesting activity popular around the port.

These foreigners differ from those seen on television; they are more real and hold a higher status.

As the cruise ship docked, a group of Nagariel natives, distinctly different from Bailians, disembarked.

Their skin was darker than that of Bailians, with most having dark brown or black hair. They were not very tall, seemingly shorter than the average Federation person.

To showcase some aspects of Nagariel culture and to reflect their identity, they wore traditional Nagariel attire, akin to long skirts with a coat.

They donned various animal-made ornaments, such as bird feathers, animal teeth, or other items, as well as gold and gemstones.

When these people appeared in the public’s view, some visibly showed discomfort, possibly feeling they were too barbaric. A recent report mentioned...

The report stated that Nagariel people would pluck the feathers of a beautiful bird alive to make exquisite decorations.

The birds, which had lived freely in the forest all their lives, eventually encountered humans, losing not only their freedom to fly but also ending up as food on people’s plates.

The Federation people, who cherish freedom and regard it as more precious than life, detest such barbaric behavior, which is one reason why some animal protection organizations are hostile towards the Nagariel people. Incidentally, most people in these organizations are not vegetarians; they also consume meat, and with great relish.

Among the crowd, Lynch quickly noticed the Provincial Governor, who followed in the middle of the procession.

The person there to welcome was the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, a forty-six-year-old middle-aged official, who graduated from Saint Harmony Alliance Schools and was also one of its members.

This is an official with a promising future. It is generally believed that if the President wins against the Progressive Party’s radical faction representative in the electoral race one year and seven months from now, this Deputy Minister is likely to advance further.

Lynch cast a glance at Mr. Truman, who lagged a step behind, and Mr. Truman’s face showed a subtle, unexplainable look of ridicule, seemingly not very impressed with the Deputy Minister leading him.

Possibly due to Lynch’s particularly noticeable gaze, Mr. Truman quickly sensed someone watching him and soon identified who it was.

Seeing it was Lynch, he slightly curled his mouth into a discreet smile and then diverted his gaze. The hidden ridicule on his face disappeared, and he stood there with a humble demeanor, blending into the background.

In truth, Lynch did not know that the President had some ideas, having only been in office for three months, with almost no control over the President’s Cabinet and various domestic departments.

Although he placed some "trusted individuals" in key positions, these "trusted individuals" were actually "party members" and not his true confidants. In dealing with some issues, he held different stances than these officials.

For instance, he recently advocated for Mr. Truman to take on more important responsibilities, but some differing views within the Progressive Party made it difficult for him.

The most critical conflict lies in the overlap in jurisdiction between the "International Policy/Studies Office" and the "Ministry of Foreign Affairs." Enhancing the office’s authority would inevitably encroach on the Foreign Ministry’s power, hurting the interests of the Foreign Minister and Deputy Minister.

Wherever there are people, there are conflicts of interest and disagreements; these two, appearing calm on the surface, already have some opposition brewing.

What Mr. Truman now lacks is a "title," or he would be the one leading this foreign affairs initiative, not this "young" Deputy Minister.

Once the Nagariel delegation fully disembarked, the young Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs proactively greeted them, delivering greetings from the Foreign Minister and President, leaving enough impressions in front of the media, which would serve as a splendid part of his resume!

Subsequently, both parties began mutual introductions, and Lynch was fortunate enough to be the last member in the reception lineup.

According to the plan, after publicly welcoming the foreign delegation, they would proceed to escort them to a local hotel for rest and preliminary discussions, after which the delegation would split into three groups to visit and negotiate with the Federation.

Of these, the most crucial group, officials from the Nagariel Central Government, would head to Bupen with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, as it is the country’s political, economic, and cultural hub, making it more suitable for handling such affairs.

The second group would tour and observe the Federation’s customs and local conditions, a more official term, but these individuals were members of Nagariel’s ruling class, and their purpose for coming to Bail Federal was quite simple - to have fun.

They would not participate in any official or commercial negotiations; they were here to spend money, though, ostensibly to learn about this potential diplomatic partner country.

Thus, closely engaging with the local lifestyle and everything here posed no problems.

The third group, consisting of commercial negotiators, would tour the Federation’s major industrial cities, visit key factories, and strive to secure some technology introduction contracts to lay the industrial foundation for Nagariel.

This is also the main driver for this diplomatic initiative. As a country that relies on Pretton Trading Company even for bullet imports, witnessing the rapid development of other countries, they have grown increasingly restless, feeling an urgent need to achieve some degree of self-reliance.

One might not have to produce everything themselves, but at least they should manage to handle manufacturing bullets?

Lynch was responsible for this third delegation, to host and reach some trade intentions; Mr. Truman implied obtaining just a little would suffice.

However, the Deputy Minister held a different view. He had talked with Lynch earlier, insisting on facilitating some high-stakes trade deals. The reason? Perhaps to demonstrate the success of the negotiations he led!

As everyone prepared to leave by car, Governor Drag from Magulana Province approached Lynch, "About those things you mentioned..." he glanced around, "Are they stored here as well?"

Lynch nodded slightly, "They’re in the adjacent warehouse; would you like to take a look?"

Drag nodded, saying, "Wait a moment," then went to speak a few words with some others, returning with two additional members of the delegation beside him.

The skin tone of these two was noticeably lighter than the others’, or rather, fairer; they appeared to be mixed race.

"My assistants, shall we take a look at those embargoed devices?"

Facing Governor Drag’s request, Lynch reported this matter to the Deputy Minister, who approved it, and then the group, in two vehicles, arrived outside a warehouse Lynch had rented.

Bail Federal has more than one deep-sea port open to the outside world, but this one is the most convenient, as it has a shorter direct distance to Nagariel, requiring less sailing time, thereby naturally saving on various expenses.

With the help of workers from the Warehouse District, the group entered the warehouse and opened the dust covers.

The two brought by Governor Drag immediately approached the machinery, notebooks in hand, examining the models and names of the devices while inspecting some key areas.

Lynch did not obstruct them; he openly allowed them to inspect, knowing that not long ago, these machines had produced a batch of products, and since then, dedicated personnel have been maintaining them, making them ready for immediate use.

After randomly checking some pieces of equipment, the two conferred with Governor Drag in Nagariel dialect for a few minutes before Governor Drag nodded to express his satisfaction.

On the way back, both men sat in the same car, and Governor Degra shared some information with Lynch, revealing that Pretton Trading Company plans to sabotage this diplomatic visit.

This information was crucial, and whether or not it was true, Lynch decided to treat it as such, believing there was a high possibility of its truth!