paranoianovel Chapter 375 Trap
Chapter 375 Trap
Chapter 375 Trap
When Michael Joseph arrived at the Fussac Empire's embassy in Ruen at noon, he found it bustling with people and traffic, including many social celebrities, nobles, and wealthy businessmen.
Wasn't this supposed to be a press conference? Why are so many important figures here? Looking around, Mike Joseph even saw Prime Minister Lord Agushid, Defense Secretary General Buck, and Foreign Secretary Pelosi. Sensing something was amiss, Mike Joseph took out the invitation his editor had given him, entered the embassy, and was then led inside by a waiter to the area where reporters from various newspapers were gathered.
"Hey friends, wasn't this supposed to be a press conference? Why are there so many important people here? This is more like a diplomatic dinner than a press conference."
After shaking hands with many colleagues, Mike Joseph directly asked the question that had been on his mind.
The media circle isn't actually that big, and everyone knows each other. Although they often fight like cats and dogs over what they report, they still maintain a polite distance. They also share information that is easy to find out.
"At first, we thought it was just a regular press conference. It wasn't until the leader arrived that we realized something was wrong. We then interviewed some staff at the Fussac Embassy and learned that it seemed the Fussac Empire and the Kingdom government had reached an agreement, so the press conference was temporarily upgraded."
A reporter who knew Mike Joseph well and had a good relationship with him later revealed to him the information that the reporters had gathered in advance.
"Oh, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, and the Defense Minister are all here together. This means this agreement must be very important. Have you found out anything about it?"
As a journalist, Mike immediately realized that the agreement to be announced today was very important; it was big news!
So he couldn't wait to find out more information, but the familiar reporters just smiled and remained silent.
Mike Joseph slapped his forehead, chuckled, and said:
"I'm sorry, I was confused. I owe you a favor, I'll pay you back next time!"
The other party told him that, on the one hand, the two sides were quite familiar with each other and had a good relationship, and on the other hand, the news was no longer a secret, so there was no harm in telling him.
However, the specific details of the agreement had to be discovered by each individual using their own ingenuity.
At this point, the two sides become competitors, maintaining a relationship of mutual distrust.
However, Mike Joseph still owed the other party a favor. Although the information the other party provided was no longer a secret, it prevented him from being completely clueless at the outset and having to repeatedly inquire about the information, thus wasting his precious time.
Just then, a commotion broke out at the embassy entrance, attracting everyone's attention. Michael Joseph followed the crowd and saw that it was the Conservative leader, Earl Hall, who had arrived with his heir.
Upon seeing this, Mike Joseph was delighted. He had been commissioned by Earl Hall some time ago to investigate the impact of factory pollution on the air and workers, which led to the establishment of the Air Pollution Control Committee. Therefore, he could strike up a conversation with him.
Seeing that Earl Hall was surrounded by a group of people and there was no way to get any information, Mike thought for a moment, then took a glass of wine and approached Lord Hippo, whom he also knew well. As long as he could get detailed information, it didn't matter who he asked.
Hilbert Hall was also impressed by how quickly Mike Joseph had produced an irrefutable report, leaving opposing members of Congress hesitant to offer any direct rebuttal.
Even his father, Earl Hall, had privately praised Michael Joseph's abilities, so he was very willing to associate with him.
So he was very pleased that Mike Joseph had taken the initiative to inquire about information, and said in a low voice:
"Actually, there's nothing much going on. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been in contact with the Fusak Empire, trying to ease the current tensions. After all, this year, the two countries not only had a large-scale war break out in the Southern Continent, but there have also been constant frictions at sea."
The two sides' asking prices have always been far apart, making it impossible to reach an agreement.
But this morning, the Fussac Empire suddenly announced that it was willing to set aside its disputes with the Kingdom on the issue of Ayoun Island and jointly develop it.
Therefore, not only will my father be attending the banquet later today, but His Majesty will also be sending a prince to attend.
Mike Joseph looked at Lord Hilbert in astonishment; the news was so surprising that he wondered if Lord Hilbert was talking in his sleep.
In the middle of the Fifth Era, the Kingdom of Rune fought three far-reaching wars, the first of which was the famous Twenty Years' War.
The Kingdom of Rune and the Empire of Fusak spent an entire generation fighting for the island of Sonia, but unexpectedly lost to the Empire of Fusak in the naval battle. They had no choice but to sign a ceasefire agreement and admit defeat, completely losing the island of Sonia and nearly falling into a state of collapse.
Since then, the Kingdom of Rune has never set its sights on Sonia Island again.
Ayoun Island is not within the territory of Sonia Island, so it was not ceded and has always been part of the Kingdom of Rune.
However, Ayoun Island's geographical location is very important, making it an excellent springboard for monitoring and attacking Sunia Island.
When the ceasefire agreement was being negotiated, the Fusak Empire demanded that the Kingdom of Rune cede the island, but the Kingdom of Rune refused to budge.
But unexpectedly, just one week after the ceasefire agreement was signed, the Fussac Empire sent troops to occupy the island.
At that time, the Kingdom of Rune was exhausted from fighting, and a ceasefire agreement had been signed. Everyone from top to bottom did not want to fight anymore, and there was a strong sense of war-weariness. Therefore, the Kingdom of Rune could only protest diplomatically and acquiesce to this fact.
Later, the Kingdom of Rune defeated the Kingdom of Intis through the White Rose War, recovered, and began an endless conflict with the Fusak Empire over Ayoun Island, a conflict that continues to this day.
Therefore, the Fussac Empire's sudden concession on Ayoun Island, though only a small one, was still a significant event.
It's important to know that Ayoun Island is still in the hands of the Fussac Empire, which has always claimed that geographically, Ayoun Island is part of Sonia Island and became Fussac territory after the signing of the armistice agreement of the Twenty Years' War.
The Fussac Empire has always valued strength above all else and is extremely greedy for land. When have they ever made concessions on land issues without suffering defeat?
So it's no wonder that Michael Joseph's first reaction upon hearing this was, "Is Lord Hibbert talking in his sleep?"
Hibbert Hall looked at Mike, who was dumbfounded and incredulous, and completely understood his surprise.
When he heard about this today, he was even more surprised than Michael Joseph, as was his father, Earl Hall. After a secret meeting within the kingdom, everyone could only attribute this to the outstanding performance of the ironclad warships during the naval clashes between the two sides, which shocked the Fussac Empire.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain why the Fussac Empire would suddenly make concessions.
In the end, it was King George III who made the final decision, ordering everyone to attend the press conference at the Fussac Embassy at noon today, to make this matter a fact in front of everyone, so that the Fussac Empire would have no way to deny it.
That's why Backlund celebrities gathered at the Fussac embassy.
This time, the Fusak Empire seemed genuinely sincere, wholeheartedly supporting the Rune Kingdom's decision and showing no resentment towards their sudden attack.
"If that's the case, it would be a great thing for the kingdom!"
Mike Joseph, being a seasoned journalist who had seen many ups and downs, quickly composed himself and excitedly remarked.
It's no wonder Mike Joseph was so excited. The Twenty Years' War is an eternal pain in the hearts of everyone in the Kingdom of Rune, which has not been erased to this day. It was also the starting point of the endless struggle between the Kingdom of Rune and the Fusak Empire.
Although Ayoun Island was not fully recovered, any progress made in this matter would greatly boost the morale of the Kingdom of Rune and bring some comfort to the long-suffering Backlund, especially during this special period.
Just then, the waiters outside led several high-ranking political figures into the main hall of the embassy.
These include a series of important figures such as Earl Robert Horn and Duke Charles Negan.
Their arrival made the embassy hall even more lively, and Ambassador Fussack also appeared at this moment to greet the guests.
Both sides chatted enthusiastically, their faces glowing with health, the atmosphere harmonious, laughing and joking, seemingly inseparable. To an uninformed person, it might seem as if long-lost relatives had reunited.
The arrival of His Highness the First Prince, representing King George III, brought the atmosphere to a climax.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, everyone got down to business. Ambassador Fussac, along with members of the secret negotiation team, and His Highness the Crown Prince, along with Foreign Minister Pelosi, jointly hosted the press conference.
Mike Joseph quickly said goodbye to Hibbert and rushed to get the best angle for taking the photo. If he didn't get a good picture, he would be in big trouble when he got back!
After the reporters took their positions and everyone quieted down, Ambassador Fussac first spoke about the main content of today's press conference. He said that in order to maintain good neighborly relations with the Kingdom of Rune, the Fussac Empire took the initiative to back down and was willing to set aside the dispute over Ayoun Island with the Kingdom of Rune and jointly develop it. However, he emphasized again that the Fussac Empire's attitude toward sovereignty over Ayoun Island had not changed.
Then His Highness the First Prince, on behalf of King George III, praised the pragmatic attitude shown by the Fussac Empire, but also emphasized that the Fussac Empire had not done enough. He also recounted the historical context of Ayrone Island, emphasizing that the sovereignty of Ayrone Island has always been clear and unambiguous.
However, considering the well-being of the people of both the Fusak Empire and the Kingdom of Rune, the Kingdom of Rune is willing to set aside the dispute over Ayoun Island and jointly develop it.
These words were well-reasoned, well-supported, and measured, clearly prepared in advance. They not only stated the attitude of the Kingdom of Rune but also emphasized its position. They said everything that needed to be said, leaving no room for criticism, which made the reporters from Backlund below applaud.
Regardless, in the eyes of the Rune people, this agreement clearly showed that the Fusak Empire had backed down, so they spoke with a somewhat arrogant tone.
In this somewhat upbeat atmosphere, the young Earl of Akhova looked at Ambassador Fussac, who was always smiling, and a sense of foreboding welled up in his heart, but he couldn't figure out where things might go wrong. Moreover, this feeling grew stronger and stronger as time went on.
In fact, during the high-level meeting this morning, Robert opposed making peace talks with the Fussac Empire rashly.
It wasn't that he wanted to continue the fight between the Kingdom of Rune and the Empire of Fusak, but rather that he genuinely felt that his current advantage in the naval skirmish was simply insufficient to force the Empire of Fusak to make concessions, even if those concessions were merely symbolic. There must be a conspiracy behind it all!
However, his opinion was not adopted by his colleagues, and even George III suspected that he was obstructing the matter because of the Horn family.
Being a suspect and unable to reveal what conspiracy the Fussac Empire was plotting, he could only remain silent and abstain from voting.
But he still couldn't let go of the matter, and after careful consideration, he decided to go to the Fussack embassy to see if he could investigate the conspiracy behind it.
Thinking of this, Robert couldn't help but curse Evan inwardly. Why did he take the new recruits out for field training at this time? Now he can't even find someone to talk to.
In Robert's eyes, Evan is a genius of the "Hunter" path, as well as a born "schemer," whether it's using Lanius to help the military cover up their debts or helping the Horn family gain deeper control over Tingen City.
He's still maneuvering among various forces, dancing on several eggs, and he's still doing it steadily.
Or perhaps he brought in Bernadette, a powerful ally, and devised a plan to eliminate Burke Einhorn, a Sequence 3 "War Bishop," all of which unequivocally confirm this point.
Robert believed that if Evan, a top schemer, were here, he would definitely be able to uncover the Fussac Empire's conspiracy and know what they wanted to do.
Unfortunately, Evan was not in Backlund at that time.
This made Robert even suspect that the Fursac Empire had already discovered that Evan had been promoted to "Iron Knight", so they deliberately waited for him to leave Backlund when they were plotting against him.
Just as Robert was lost in thought, and the warning signs in his mind were growing stronger, Ambassador Fussac suddenly took over the conversation and said to the eldest prince:
"Since His Majesty so highly praises this agreement, let's take advantage of the presence of all our media friends and formally sign it. It just so happens that your Foreign Minister, Lord Pelosi, is also here."
At this moment, the prince, who was engrossed in his speech and the center of attention, was overjoyed to hear this.
The thought that this agreement was signed in his presence made it difficult for him to feel any credit, so he didn't even consult anyone else and simply nodded, saying:
"Of course, that's exactly what the Kingdom of Rune wants to do!"