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At this moment, the Thin Black Man led Xin Yi to the core of the palace, standing outside the door of a grand hall. A few armed soldiers stood at the entrance, and their sharp gazes indicated that they were more than just soldiers; even without their weapons, they would still be formidable killing machines. The Thin Black Man was stopped outside the grand hall, while Xin Yi was escorted inside by one of the soldiers.
The grand hall was indeed grand, but surprisingly empty with hardly any furnishings. The only piece of furniture was a long table at the back of the hall, piled high with mountains of books and documents, nearly two feet tall. Other than that, there was nothing else. As Xin Yi wondered where Lord Toast was, the soldier who had brought him in called out loudly to the table, "Lord Toast, the person has been brought here!"
A loud voice came from behind the table, saying, "Hmm, you may leave now."
"Yes!" The soldier replied and turned to exit the grand hall.
"Please come forward to speak!" The loud voice called again from behind the table. Xin Yi stepped towards the table and climbed onto the platform. It was then that he saw the owner of the voice—Lord Toast of Guokan District. Lord Toast was sitting in a chair, deeply engrossed in reading documents. Due to the sheer volume of items piled on the table and Lord Toast's relatively short stature, it was impossible to see that anyone was behind the table from a distance.
Hearing Xin Yi's footsteps on the platform, Lord Toast finally lifted his gaze from his documents and said lightly, "Please have a seat; I will be with you shortly." After saying this, he returned to his papers. Seeing this, Xin Yi took a seat in front of the table and began to carefully observe this king of Guokan. He was quite short; judging by his upper body while seated, he was probably around five feet tall. However, despite his small stature, he exuded an air of authority—a demeanor cultivated from long-term high office that others could not easily imitate. Analyzing his focused attention on the documents suggested that he was a diligent official. Lord Toast appeared to be in his forties, with neatly combed hair styled into a standard "political hairstyle." His square face lacked any excess flesh typical of long-serving officials; his forehead was full and his jawline firm yet slightly drooping, indicating that he was stubborn and would stick to his opinions. Most striking were his eyebrows, which slanted sharply towards his temples—clearly someone who pursued goals relentlessly without giving up until achieving them. Although Xin Yi did not understand physiognomy well, he knew enough about basic traits inferred from appearances to gauge someone's character. With some understanding of Lord Toast's personality now established, Xin Yi knew how to approach their conversation.
Finally putting down his documents, Lord Toast looked up at Xin Yi and said, "Mr. Xin, is it? I am Yang Wencai, Chieftain of Guokan. I hear you wish to see me?" As he spoke, Yang Wencai's sharp eyes scanned Xin Yi up and down as if trying to see through him completely.
"Yes, I wanted to meet you. But does Lord Toast not wish to meet me?" Xin Yi replied with a smile.
"I want to meet you? Why would I want to meet you?" Yang Wencai raised his head high as if Xin Yi's words surprised him. After pondering for a moment, he continued, "Tell me what you want me to do for you."
Xin Yi couldn't help but chuckle inwardly; this old fox certainly had a way with words. He had clearly agreed to meet because he wanted something mutually beneficial but twisted it into making it seem like Xin Yi needed his help. So Xin Yi continued smiling and said, "I don't need any help from Lord Toast; I want to partner with you on a business venture. Business is always mutually beneficial; I'm curious if Lord Toast is interested?"
"Hahaha... Business? What kind of business? Tobacco or drugs?" Yang Wencai laughed heartily.
"Why would I seek your help for such trivial matters? The business I'm talking about is substantial—so substantial that Lord Toast might not even have the courage to undertake it."
"Oh? What business are you talking about? Do tell me what kind of business I might not have the courage to engage in?" Yang Wencai leaned slightly forward in his chair, and from this subtle movement, it was clear that Xin Yi's words had piqued his interest.
"Taiwan!" Xin Yi slowly uttered these two words, carefully observing the changes in Yang Wencai's facial expressions, hoping to find a hint of his inner thoughts. Unfortunately, Yang Wencai's face remained unchanged; it seemed this old fox's skills were even more refined than Xin Yi had imagined, having reached the point of keeping his emotions hidden.
"Oh? I don't quite understand what you mean," Yang Wencai said. "But that's not important. If we are to partner in business, I should know who you are. Also, how much capital can you contribute?"
"Who I am and how much capital I can contribute is not important. What matters is that the returns you can gain will be unprecedented. Isn't that the best reason?" Xin Yi replied.
"Why do you think I would agree to this? Isn't my current situation just fine?" Yang Wencai said nonchalantly.
"You will agree because, in reality, your situation is not good at all. You understand the situation in Taiwan better than I do. Perhaps for now, you can barely protect yourself in this small territory, but in a couple of years, it may turn into a battlefield. With your current strength, you might be able to fend off an attack from the Mingguo Party's army for a while, but ultimately, you will be defeated. Therefore, taking the initiative is your only option unless you want to spend the rest of your life as a prisoner of the Mingguo Party," Xin Yi confidently analyzed the current situation and dangers facing Guokan. Yang Wencai was no fool; as the actual ruler of Guokan, he had long seen through the sinister intentions of the Taiwan Authorities. The frequent espionage activities within Guokan over recent years were clear evidence of their efforts to gather military intelligence. Once the time was right, the Taiwan Authorities would undoubtedly strike without hesitation, and no one in the international community would object since Guokan was merely a region under Taiwan's administrative jurisdiction. Who would bother to intervene in someone else's domestic affairs? Moreover, the Taiwan Authorities could easily claim they were suppressing rebels, so once war broke out, Yang Wencai would surely face inevitable defeat.
Given this situation, the only solution was to strike first before the Taiwan Authorities were fully prepared to attack him. In a surprise attack, there might still be a slim chance of success. However, with only over thirty thousand troops compared to the Mingguo Party's claimed three hundred thousand soldiers, even if he mobilized all his forces, victory was unlikely. This dilemma had troubled Yang Wencai for a long time; he didn't expect Xin Yi to bring it up so pointedly with just a few words. But why should Yang Wencai trust Xin Yi? He asked, "What you say may be true, but why should I believe you? My military strength is less than one-tenth of the Mingguo Party's. What makes you worthy of me risking the lives of all Guokan people to do business with you? No, this isn't business; it's gambling!"
"First of all, you're not gambling with the lives of all Guokan people because of me; sooner or later, you'd reach this point anyway, right?" Xin Yi said slowly. "Of course, unless you plan to abandon Guokan and no longer be its Chieftain. Secondly, even if you could drag this out for a few more years and strengthen your forces during that time, the Taiwan Authorities are not fools either; they will also bolster their strength. You simply cannot match their pace of expansion. So delaying further will only put you at a greater disadvantage. Thirdly, you should trust me because having my help is better than having no help at all. Moreover, because my power is limited, you need not worry about me posing a threat to you; this is also a prerequisite for your trust in me. Fourthly, when I talk about doing business, I don't mean for you to directly engage in war with the Taiwan Authorities; I will defeat them using other methods while you only need to provide some cooperation at appropriate times. There’s no need for you to gamble with the lives of all Guokan people; this is key to our cooperation."
"What? No need to go to war with the Taiwan Authorities?" At this point, Yang Wencai stood up from his chair; clearly, Xin Yi's last point had caught his interest. If what Xin Yi said was true—that he only needed to provide some cooperation at appropriate times to defeat the Taiwan Authorities—then he was indeed interested in such a business arrangement. But was it really possible? Conquering a country with three hundred thousand troops without shedding blood seemed like a pipe dream. Yang Wencai couldn't help but doubt the authenticity of Xin Yi's words. "Then tell me your plan; I'm curious how you intend to achieve your goals without going to war," Yang Wencai said.
"Hehehe... Lord Toast is also a powerful lord in his own right; I have a few questions I'd like to ask," Xin Yi did not reveal his plan but instead chuckled and asked Yang Wencai something else. Yang Wencai paused for a moment but quickly realized that there must be deeper meaning behind Xin Yi's questions and replied seriously: "Please go ahead."
"Good! I want to ask Lord Toast: What is the foundation of a nation? What is its lifeblood? What serves as its eyes and ears?" Xin Yi suddenly posed these profound questions.
Yang Wencai held the title of Chieftain of Guokan and was essentially its ruler; thus he had to consider how to ensure peace and stability for his territory and people. These questions were naturally taught by elders since childhood. After pondering briefly, Yang Wencai answered: "In my view, national reserves are fundamental; economy is lifeblood; as for ears and eyes of a nation—my understanding is that it refers to intelligence-gathering departments. But what do you mean by asking these questions?"
"Xin Yi said, 'Lord Toast is right. If we cover their ears and eyes, cut off their lifeline, and exhaust their foundations, what do you think will happen to this country?'
'Naturally... covering their ears and eyes leads to chaos, cutting off their lifeline leads to internal strife, exhausting their foundations leads to war... Are you suggesting what I think? What a brilliant strategy to pull the rug out from under them! By doing this, you are effectively forcing the Taiwan Authorities into a corner! Impressive! Brilliant!' Yang Wencai had already walked up to Xin Yi's side, excitedly grabbing his hand."
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