A Dream of Jinling Chapter 354 The Profit-Seeker (11)

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Mozambique was hours ahead of Portugal, and when Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, shivered under the ravages of Uncle Maputo, the Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Kingdom of Portugal's Cabinet, John ? Farrell was having dinner in the evening with his cabinet colleague and father-to-be, the foreign secretary.

John? Farrell was also a young man, with some of his ancestors being famous navigators and a strong military background. The only fly in the ointment is that this handsome first wife died tragically after giving birth, although she is also married by Ming Media, but the foreign minister still feels that his daughter has suffered a loss. John? The little girl born to Farrell's ex-wife is not only healthy, but also growing up day by day. In the opinion of the Foreign Secretary, if John? Farrell was a complete widower, and that would be perfect.

Of course, you can't say such things at the dinner table. The foreign secretary used the latest news about Mozambique as a talking point. The Colonial Ministry did not take the matter lightly and quickly brought the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in for a talk. The Foreign Secretary sipped his rum and said helplessly: "The Chinese actually want us Portugal to oppose the British, I really don't know what they think." ”

Not to mention the enormous influence of Britain on Portugal, the strong Catholic power in Portugal alone made it impossible for China to get Portuguese support during the Sino-American War.

"The government of the Republic of China is officially putting pressure on us?" John? Farrell also listened to this as a talking point, so he said playfully.

The Foreign Minister shook his head and smiled bitterly: "No, it's not the government of the People's Dynasty, if it is the government of the People's Dynasty, it will be easier to deal with it." In Mozambique, it was a company called Gem Wine. ”

"Jewel Wine?" John? Farrell was stunned, and after thinking for a moment, he hurriedly asked, "Are you sure it's Gem Wine?" ”

"What's wrong, John?" The Foreign Secretary's reaction to his son-in-law was puzzled.

John? Farrell picked up the rum bottle, pointed to the label on the bottle and pointed it at his father-in-law and said, "Gem Liquor is the business that produces these wines. ”

"Oh?" The Foreign Secretary was stunned, the wine was John? Farrell brought it, and the foreign secretary didn't expect that the strength of the gem wine industry was actually not weak.

Looking at his father-in-law-to-be's expression that he couldn't keep up with the shape shì, John? Farrell could only put it bluntly, "That company is said to have tens of thousands of private soldiers in Africa, and I heard that they are very happy to use their forces in Africa. In other words, the company's threat meant an ultimatum, and whatever they did, the government could explain it with private action. But do you think we have enough troops in Mozambique to deal with these artillery-armed private soldiers? ”

After all, the foreign minister is a character, and after hearing such straightforward words, he subconsciously frowned and thought for a while before continuing to ask his son-in-law, "John, do you think this is their ultimatum?" ”

John? Farrell was the one who had dealt with the Gem Wine Company, and some of his friends had struggled with the company at various levels. In the face of his own father-in-law's stupid words, John? Farrell smiled bitterly, "Your Excellency, how much concession do you think the Chinese will have to make to make us Portugal side with China in the subsequent conflict?" ”

“…… No amount of concessions made by China could get Portugal to support Britain. After only a second of thought, the Portuguese foreign secretary replied.

Seeing that the prospective father-in-law is on the way, John? Chancellor Farrell continued: "Since it is impossible for Portugal to support China through diplomacy and concessions, and the Chinese only need a private army to capture Mozambique, why do you think China does this? ”

The Foreign Secretary's face was cloudy, but after a moment it was completely sunny again, and he smiled cheerfully: "John, you are really joking. The Chinese have already offended Christendom, can they no longer provoke Portugal meaninglessly? ”

Look at the Foreign Secretary like this, 32-year-old John? Minister Farrell also smiled calmly, and he said in an equally hearty and relaxed tone: "Even if China does nothing, will we in Christendom have any good feelings about China, an atheistic country?" ”

The Foreign Secretary was very upset by this-for-tat remark, and he was puzzled that his daughter could be so fond of such a widower who lacked respect for the elderly. Did his daughter see John more than once? Farrell has mercilessly ridiculed many people, including the foreign secretary.

Out of male self-esteem, the foreign minister couldn't help but retort: "Then what do you think the Chinese are thinking about?" ”

John? Farrell poured himself a glass of rum from the Gem Liquor Company, filled it for the Foreign Secretary, and raised his glass. Farrell said, "I've been reading Occam's book again, and the book says Occam's razor's law that don't add substance unless you have to. Our time tends to think too much, what religion, tradition, morality. The qiē we consider is actually meaningless to the Chinese, and it is all our own imagination and then deducted on the Chinese. What the Chinese want is victory in the war, and from any point of view, I cannot find a reason why China needs to curry favor with Portugal. The Chinese want to maintain an advantage in the war, and it is enough to give an order to their wrongdoing. That's all. "After that, John? Farrell drank the wine from his glass and exhaled comfortably. The air was filled with the smell of wine.

Does the Foreign Secretary know John? Farrell is a top student at Oxford University, and his hobby after work is to read quietly under the prying eyes of beautiful girls. The Foreign Secretary was completely unaware of Occam's razor's law, so to John? Farrell's words were not fully understood. More importantly, the Foreign Secretary does not want to accept this theory of weakness and strength, even if he knows that the relationship between countries is purely immoral and only about interests, but the last thing the foreign minister wants to accept is this theory. Because Portugal is a weak country in terms of national strength and strength. In the face of China, Britain, and France, there is only a share of slaughter. Even Spain can bully Portugal. If we admit the truth of the law of the jungle, it is to admit that Portugal is predestined to be bullied.

Perhaps this effect made the Foreign Secretary's expression solemn. He asked his son-in-law-to-be, "John, do you think China will do anything to Mozambique?" ”

"I don't see a reason why they shouldn't do it." John? Farrell replied. But after all, he is facing his future father-in-law, and the foreign secretary's wife is an intellectual and older beauty, if it really makes everyone have no possibility of reconciliation, John will not be able to take his future wife to see his mother-in-law. So John? "Your Excellency, I think that what we are pursuing at the moment is Portugal's interests rather than Portugal's position. From the point of view of Portuguese interests, it would be good for China to abandon a hostile position with China, and they would probably coordinate with us because of such benefits. That's the only thing I see that can de-escalate the situation. And what good is Portugal now tied to the British boat? If Britain turns to China in the future for their benefit, what benefit does Portugal have? ”

"Do you think Britain will work with China?" The Foreign Secretary was frightened by the astonishing words of his son-in-law-to-be.

John? Farrell shook his head helplessly, he had always believed that Portugal had begun its voyages earlier than the British, and ended up with nothing, because the British valued culture and science far more than the Portuguese. Britain has Occam, Newton, and Bacon, and the culture and science they created are the backbone of this empire on which the sun never sets. And his father-in-law doesn't read much, even if he doesn't read much, his logic is also problematic. What Occam said was "if Britain turned to China in the future for their benefit", and the premise was that the British were defeated. If the British beat the Chinese to the point of looking for teeth, then the British Empire had no reason to cooperate with China at all.

Such a perception made John? Farrell strengthened his previous judgment, the reason why his fiancée is so cute and smart is undoubtedly the credit of his mother-in-law and Oxford senior sister, and with his father-in-law's talent, he must not be able to educate such an excellent child.

Thinking of this, John? Farrell said: "Your Excellency, if tomorrow we receive a telegram from the Chinese who are still waiting to negotiate with us, I beg you to hurry up and make Portugal and the colonies neutral in the war." If the Chinese have already done it, then I also hope that you will be able to recover the losses by stating that Portugal is neutral in the war. ”

The Foreign Secretary thought for a while before he spoke, "John, you just think that with the strength of Portugal, you cannot be recognized by China. ”

"Yes, I think so now. However, there is a basis for this view, which is that when Portugal follows the international order established by the British, Portugal's power cannot be recognized by China at all. But if Portugal joins ......, I don't think it has to be to the point of joining. As long as Portugal agrees with the international order established by China, then China formally recognizes the power that Portugal possesses. ”

"You mean Portugal is going to change its position?" The Foreign Secretary said thoughtfully, frowning.

John? Chancellor Farrell didn't want to continue picking on the eggs, no matter what his father-in-law's old brain thought, John? Minister Farrell's position has always been very consistent, that is, to protect the interests of Portugal and then take a piece of the pie. As for religions, sects, and all sorts of things that are artificially imagined with the mind, since they don't actually exist, they have no value in believing.

As a compromise, John? Minister Farrell said softly: "I think Portugal's position should serve the interests of Portugal. ”