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

Chapter 1232 We can continue the conversation

When Sergei received the call back, his hands were still shaking slightly. Those hidden coded words pierced his heart like a sharp knife. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

Under the leadership of Zhang Luanyu, he returned to the Presidential Office.

The moment he opened the door, Sergei was stunned.

The sun was pouring in through the French windows. Su Zhengyang was holding a ten-month-old baby with a gentle smile on his face. The baby was babbling and stretching out his little hands, trying to grab his father's nose.

"Okay, okay, Hongan," Su Zhengyang coaxed softly, "Dad still has to work."

This scene was completely different from the cold and strong president half an hour ago. Sergei was even a little dazed and couldn't believe that this was the same person.

"Ah, Minister Sergei," Su Zhengyang looked up, still smiling as if he was teasing a child, "Sorry, my son is asking for me. Come, look at this little guy, his name is Su Hongan."

Little Su Hongan looked at the strange foreigner curiously, his big round eyes blinking.

"Really...really cute," Sergei forced a smile with difficulty. He couldn't connect the loving father in front of him with the cold and decisive politician just now.

"Children are always the most innocent," Su Zhengyang gently touched his son's face, "Aren't we doing all this to give them a better future?"

This seemingly warm word made Sergei's heart tremble. He suddenly understood: it was this determination for the next generation that made this young father so determined to recover the lost land.

"Moscow...has there been any response?" Su Zhengyang asked, his tone still gentle.

"Yes," Sergei handed over the telegram, "His Majesty the Tsar... has agreed to your request."

"Very good," Su Zhengyang nodded, "Zhang Luanyu, let the nanny take Hongan back. Dad still has some things to deal with."

When the nanny took away the reluctant little Su Hongan, Sergei Mo saw that the gentle smile on Su Zhengyang's face slowly faded, and he turned back into the calm and decisive politician.

The transformation was so natural, yet so shocking.

The sun outside the window was still bright, shining on the father and son, forming a warm picture. But Sergei knew that this young father was rewriting the history of the Far East with his tenderness and iron fist.

"Snap." Su Zhengyang snapped his fingers lightly.

"Old Zhang, bring us that set of Ru kiln tea sets."

Zhang Luanyu quickly brought a set of celadon tea sets, which were as warm and smooth as jade. After Su Zhengyang took it, he began to make tea gracefully, as if the strong politician who had issued the ultimatum had never existed.

"This is the newly harvested Mingqian Longjing tea from the south," Su Zhengyang said as he brewed the tea. "The tea has a clear aroma and a long aftertaste."

Each of his movements was smooth and flowing: warming the cup, adding tea, and pouring water, all in one go. The aroma of tea filled the air amid the steam.

Sergei was watching the young man's actions, and he was getting more and more confused. Half an hour ago, he was threatening to send out troops, but now he was making tea with his own hands. This contrast made him hard to adapt for a while.

"In our country," Su Zhengyang pushed the teacup in front of Sergei, "tea is not only a drink, but also a kind of etiquette and culture."

He poured Ivanov another cup: "When enemies become friends, we should treat them with tea."

Sergei picked up the teacup, the temperature of the tea was just right. He took a sip, and it was indeed as Su Zhengyang said, with a pleasant fragrance and endless aftertaste.

"I'll have to ask Minister Sergei to take care of the Far East affairs in the future," Su Zhengyang raised his teacup with a gentle smile on his face, "After all, we are neighbors."

This sentence was said calmly, but it shocked Sergei's heart. Yes, from today on, China is their neighbor. And the young man in front of them who can be so powerful at the negotiation table and can personally make tea for guests will be the reality they must face.

The sun shines through the tea, casting a warm glow on the table. The aroma of tea wafts through the air, and the atmosphere is peaceful, as if the tension just now had never happened.

But Sergei knew that it was this quality of being able to switch freely between thunder and gentleness that made this young man so terrifying.

Because you never know when he is making tea and when he is making plans.

This is perhaps the temperament of China: gentle on the surface, tough on the inside. Just like this cup of tea, its plainness hides an unspeakable deep meaning.

"Let's get back to business." Su Zhengyang put down his teacup and his tone became formal again.

Sergei's heart shuddered. He was too familiar with this kind of turn - when a negotiating opponent said "keep talking" after successfully exerting pressure, it often meant that more conditions were coming.

"Since Tsarist Russia has agreed to return our lost land," Su Zhengyang gently stroked the edge of the teacup, "then let's talk about other details."

Sergei felt a bitter taste in his mouth. His hand trembled slightly as he put down the teacup - after the heavy blow the young man had dealt them, it was clear that he was not done yet.

"For example..." Su Zhengyang glanced at Zhang Luanyu.

Zhang Luanyu immediately understood and pulled out a document from the folder.

Sergei tried hard to suppress his inner uneasiness. He didn't know what unacceptable conditions the young president would propose next. Returning the territory was already the limit of Tsarist Russia. If there were more demands...

Ivanov was so nervous that his palms were sweating. They all knew that the negotiation was far from over.

The sun outside the window was still bright, shining on Su Zhengyang's calm face. The young man had a gentle smile on his face, but it made Sergei feel more frightened than his previous tough attitude.

Because this means that more difficult negotiations have just begun.

The aroma of tea still lingered in the office, but Sergei could no longer taste it. He could only wait, waiting for the young president to reveal the next trump card in the negotiations.

"This war," Su Zhengyang took a sip of tea and said calmly, "was caused entirely by Tsarist Russia's refusal to unconditionally return the territory."

Sergei's heart sank suddenly. He had a premonition that the next words would not be pleasant.

"So," Su Zhengyang put down his teacup, "the cost of this war should be paid for by Tsarist Russia."

"Old Zhang," he raised his hand slightly, "bring me the account book."

Zhang Luanyu immediately handed over a dark blue account book. Sergei noticed that the words "War Compensation List" were written in gold font on the cover of the book.

He felt dizzy.

Su Zhengyang slowly flipped through the account book: "For this war, we mobilized the Northland Division, the Mountain Eagle Division, the Skull Division, and the Thunder Eagle Squadron. The cost of mobilizing the troops alone is..."

He tapped the numbers with his fingers: "Twenty million gold rubles."

Ivanov gasped.