Warlords: Rising from the Northwest Border and Sweeping Across the Powers

Chapter 603: First courtesy, then force, to cut the Gordian knot

"I specially asked the best chef in Beilong City to prepare this dish." Su Zhengyang waved his hand and signaled everyone. His voice was neither hurried nor slow, like the flowing water in the mountains, calm and leisurely, "Everyone must taste the delicious food of China."

His eyes fell on the most eye-catching dish, which was a famous dish called "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall". The ingredients in the porcelain pot were steaming hot, with attractive colors and rich aroma. He whispered: "This dish is called Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, and it is one of the representative dishes of China. You see, these 18 rare ingredients are integrated with each other to form an indescribable deliciousness. One bite will make you feel the breadth and depth of Chinese cuisine."

As Su Zhengyang spoke, his eyes slowly swept across the faces of ambassadors from various countries.

Fu Jiang stepped forward at this time, holding a wine jar in his hand, and poured wine for the ambassadors from various countries present one by one. The aroma of the wine and the aroma of the dishes intertwined, forming a unique atmosphere.

However, in this warm and beautiful atmosphere, Johnson and others felt a little dazed. They originally thought that Su Zhengyang would take advantage of this banquet to put on a high profile and forcefully demand that they make concessions on the concession issue. However, to their surprise, during the entire banquet, Su Zhengyang did not mention a word about the concession.

Johnson looked at Su Zhengyang's indifferent smile and calm attitude, and an inexplicable emotion rose in his heart.

Su Zhengyang's easy-going and calm personality is more like an unfathomable power that people dare not underestimate.

The banquet continued, and while ambassadors from various countries were enjoying the food, they could not help but begin to re-examine Su Zhengyang's attitude and guess his true purpose.

Su Zhengyang always maintained a calm smile and a relaxed attitude, as if everything was under his control.

After three rounds of drinks, most of the delicacies on the table have been tasted, and the atmosphere is gradually heating up as the glasses clink.

Su Zhengyang waved his hand gently, indicating that the banquet was over. Then, the staff of the banquet hall quickly came forward, removed the delicacies on the table, and replaced them with fresh tea sets.

Exquisite teacups were placed on the table, with tea leaves stretching and fluttering in the water, emitting a faint fragrance. Su Zhengyang picked up the teacup, took a sip, and after putting it down, his eyes became firm and deep, as if they could penetrate people's hearts.

"Ambassadors, now that we have had enough wine and food, it is time to talk business." Su Zhengyang's voice was clear and powerful, breaking the silence after the banquet. He continued, "China is a country with a long history and culture. We cherish friendship with all countries and do not want to make enemies with any country except Fuso. However, the concession issue is the bottom line we must stick to."

At this point, Su Zhengyang's speech slowed down slightly, but his tone became more resolute: "The concession is China's territory, there is no room for negotiation. We demand that all countries return the concession unconditionally. This is our principle and our bottom line."

After Su Zhengyang finished speaking, the entire banquet hall fell into a brief silence. Ambassadors from various countries looked at each other, and saw each other's shock and uneasiness in their eyes. They realized that Su Zhengyang's previous easy-going and relaxed attitude was not a concession on the concession issue, but a way of using courtesy before force to pave the way for the next topic.

Johnson was the first to break the silence. He frowned slightly and asked tentatively: "Mr. Su, do you mean... we have to make a decision at this banquet?"

Su Zhengyang shook his head and replied: "No, I am not asking you to make a decision immediately. However, I hope you can clearly understand that China's position on the concession issue is firm and clear, and there is no room for compromise."

Su Zhengyang's words doubled the pressure on the ambassadors present. They knew that this dialogue would directly affect their country's interests and status in China. However, in the face of Su Zhengyang's firm and powerful words, they had to reconsider their attitude and position on the concession issue.

Under Su Zhengyang's firm and majestic gaze, the ambassadors of various countries looked at each other, seemingly seeking some kind of tacit understanding or signal of support. Finally, the French ambassador, Françoise Dubois, an elegant lady, spoke softly to break the silence.

"President Su, please understand that our French expatriates and merchants have established a stable living and trade network on the land of the concession. Decades of harmonious coexistence have made them deeply rooted here. It's not that we are unwilling to return the concession, but the interests involved are complicated and involve a large number of personnel placements and asset transfers, which will take time to properly handle."

There was a subtle sense of compromise in François Dubois's words, as if suggesting that China should give them enough space and time to deal with this issue.

Then, Italian Ambassador Marco Imperato followed up and said, "Ms. Dubois is right. It really hits the nail on the head. President Su, the concession issues of our countries are indeed not something that can be resolved in a short period of time. We all hope that the relationship between the two countries can be peaceful and friendly, and that unnecessary conflicts will not be caused by the existence of concessions. I have always been full of respect for President Su."

As the Italian ambassador spoke, ambassadors from other countries nodded in agreement, as if a consensus had been reached that the concession issue was a complex issue that required long-term negotiation and resolution, and was not something that China could decide unilaterally.

However, there was no sign of hesitation on Su Zhengyang's face. He smiled slightly, but there was a hint of coldness in his eyes. He had already seen the probing and delaying of these foreigners. He knew that they were trying to deal with his tough stance by procrastinating, trying to seek more benefits and space on the concession issue.

But Su Zhengyang knew clearly that the concession issue concerned the country's sovereignty and dignity and there was no room for compromise.

Su Zhengyang's sudden change made the atmosphere tense. His tone was cold, as if he had become a different person, completely different from his previous easygoing and relaxed self. While gently playing with the exquisite teacup in his hand, he scanned the ambassadors from various countries with his cold eyes and slowly said:

"I know that in the concessions, the capital, business houses, and nobles of your countries have extraordinary status and influence. They are deeply involved in the local society. You are worried that once the concessions are returned, it will take too long to deal with these complicated relationships, which will affect the interests of all parties."

He paused, his tone revealing an unquestionable firmness: "But I want to tell you that this problem must be solved by China, and it is urgent. Therefore, I decided to send someone to assist you and properly handle all this."

At this point, he smiled slightly, but there was no smile in his eyes: "In fact, we have already started to implement this plan."

This sudden news made the ambassadors look at each other in bewilderment. Johnson, as the leader of the group, frowned slightly and asked tentatively:

"President Su, what do you mean?"