ebookland Chapter 1146 There is no escape
Chapter 1146 There is no escape
"This steak is cooked to perfection," Su Zhengyang elegantly cut off a piece of meat and put it in his mouth to taste it carefully. "Mr. Chesterfield, I heard that England's Yorkshire pudding is very special. It should taste very good, right?"
Chesterfield nodded mechanically, barely holding the knife and fork in his hand: "Yes... yes, Yorkshire pudding is indeed... indeed very special..."
His steak barely moved, just pushed back and forth on the plate. Every time he looked up and saw Su Zhengyang's smiling face, he would think of the scene in the conference room just now, and his throat would suddenly tighten.
"Mr. Silva," Su Zhengyang turned to the Portuguese representative, "I heard that Portuguese seafood dishes are very famous in Europe. Lisbon's grilled octopus is said to be a specialty?"
Silva suppressed the discomfort in his stomach and forced a smile: "Mr. President is right, our Portuguese seafood... is indeed..."
His voice became quieter and quieter, because from his seat, he could just see the direction of the conference room. Although the door was closed, the shrill screams seemed to still echo in his ears.
"Ms. Dubois," Su Zhengyang raised his glass and gently shook the dark red liquid, "Burgundy red wine and French foie gras should be a perfect match, right?"
Du Bois forced a smile and responded: "Mr. President is right..."
Her hands were clutching the hem of her skirt tightly under the table, her knuckles turning white. She had wanted to say something for Romanov just now, but now, she dared not say a single word.
"Mr. Wilson," Su Zhengyang put a piece of perfect steak into his mouth, "I heard that the beef produced by the farms in Texas is very good, with a delicate texture and a mellow taste?"
Wilson quickly agreed: "Yes, yes, Mr. President is right..."
Cold sweat was already seeping out of his forehead. Although Su Zhengyang acted politely, everyone knew what kind of cold heart was hidden under this elegant mask.
"Come on, don't just listen to me," Su Zhengyang said with a smile, "This steak is at its best eating temperature. If you don't eat it now, it will get cold."
The envoys had no choice but to force themselves to use their knives and forks. But whether it was the tender steak or the mellow red wine, it tasted like chewing wax in their mouths, with no taste at all.
Su Zhengyang seemed not to notice the discomfort of the crowd, and continued to enjoy the food elegantly, and from time to time he talked with everyone about the food culture of various countries, as if they were really just having an ordinary diplomatic dinner.
"Ms. Dubois," Su Zhengyang wiped the corner of his mouth and turned his gaze to the French envoy, "This dark blue dress suits you very well today, especially the pearl necklace, which is very elegant."
DuBois' fingers unconsciously touched the pearl necklace on her neck, and she forced a smile: "Thank you...thank you, Mr. President."
"Speaking of which," Su Zhengyang gently shook his wine glass, his eyes suddenly becoming meaningful, "I am also interested in some Chinese artworks in the Louvre."
This sentence made Dubois's hand tremble violently, and the wine glass was almost knocked over. The other envoys also held their breath, and the air seemed to freeze in an instant.
"Especially those bronzes," Su Zhengyang's tone was still gentle, but every word hit Dubois' heart like a hammer, "Those collections from the Old Summer Palace are well preserved in the Louvre."
"Mr. President," Du Bois' voice was trembling, "this..."
"Don't be nervous," Su Zhengyang interrupted her with a smile, "I just said it casually. After all, there is a long way to go."
The words "there is a long way to go" gave everyone present a chill. They all understood that this was not just idle chat, but a naked warning.
Dubois's face turned pale. She suddenly realized that today's Hong Kong City and Macau City might just be the beginning. The ambition of the Chinese president was obviously more than that.
"Come on," Su Zhengyang raised his glass, "let's toast to French cuisine and art."
Dubois raised her glass tremblingly. She could sense that there was something predatory in Su Zhengyang's eyes. Just like when he dealt with Chesterfield and Silva just now, he was waiting for the best time to strike.
"Mr. Wilson," Su Zhengyang said while slowly cutting the steak. Suddenly, he changed the subject. "Speaking of which, you have an island in the Pacific Ocean. I'm very interested."
Wilson's hand shook violently, and the fork made a crisp clash sound: "You...you mean..."
"It's Oahu," Su Zhengyang's eyes were still on the steak, and his tone was as relaxed as if he was talking about the weather, "The location there is very good, Huaguo likes it very much."
Wilson felt his back soaked with cold sweat. Oahu Island, where Pearl Harbor is located, is one of the most important military bases of the United States in the Pacific.
"If possible," Su Zhengyang raised his head, the knife and fork in his hand were still cutting the tender beef, the blade flashing coldly under the light, "I hope to buy it."
The other envoys held their breath at the same time. They all heard the threat behind this sentence.
“This…this…” Wilson stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.
Su Zhengyang suddenly stopped, his knife and fork stopped in mid-air: "Why? Mr. Wilson doesn't want to?"
This sentence was said lightly, but Wilson felt as if he had fallen into an icy cave. He looked at the knife and fork in Su Zhengyang's hand, and remembered Romanov's screams in the conference room. A chill instantly spread throughout his body.
“No, no, no!” Wilson waved his hands quickly. “I will report to Washington immediately and will definitely make this happen!”
"Very good," Su Zhengyang nodded with satisfaction and continued to cut the steak. "I knew Mr. Wilson was a sensible man."
Wilson felt relieved, but the cold sweat on his forehead kept coming out. He knew what this meant - China was no longer satisfied with taking back the occupied territory, and their ambitions were spreading to the entire Pacific Ocean.
Chesterfield and Silva exchanged a look of horror. They suddenly realized that the changes in Hong Kong City and Macau City today were probably just the beginning.
Du Bois and Wilson sat there, bitter.
"It's simply naked robbery!" Du Bois was indignant in his heart, "First it was Hong Kong and Macau, then the collections of the Louvre, and now it's Oahu..."
She clenched the napkin in her hand, but she forgot how the French army broke into the Old Summer Palace a hundred years ago. She seemed to have completely forgotten the treasures that were looted, the buildings that were burned, and the works of art that were wantonly destroyed.
Wilson's heart was in turmoil: "Too arrogant, too domineering! They actually want to buy Oahu blatantly. Isn't this a naked threat?"
He thought angrily, but also forgot how America used warships to open the door to Hawaii, how it overthrew the Hawaiian Kingdom, and how it turned the island into its own territory.
"This Su Zhengyang is simply a bandit!" Dubois cursed in his heart, "He uses such despicable means to threaten us..."
She forgot how the Eight-Nation Alliance used their powerful ships and artillery to blast open China's door, how they burned, killed and looted on Chinese land, and how they forced China to sign one unequal treaty after another.
"How can this be called a diplomatic negotiation?" Wilson thought to himself, "This is clearly the logic of a bandit!"
He also forgot that it was this kind of bandit logic that allowed the Western powers to act rampantly and do whatever they wanted throughout the world in the past hundred years.
Now, when this logic is used against them, they feel deeply humiliated and angry.
But at this moment, what else can they do except put on a smile and follow Su Zhengyang's "advice"?
This is the irony of history. The gate they opened with their powerful ships and cannons has now become a channel for China to counterattack. Those countries that were once bullied by them now have the ability to fight back.