"Did he agree?"

The President turned around and sat up from his deck chair; he was sunbathing on the balcony of his office.

People, indeed, are interesting creatures.

Not long ago, people complained about the sun's harshness. But now, as October began and the weather cooled slightly, everyone eagerly basked in the sun, as if the human body could store solar energy for the winter.

The beach was filled with scantily clad young people, and some cutting-edge youngsters even caused a big stir not long ago!

Apparently, some young people held a nude beach party on a private beach, where attendees, regardless of gender, weren't allowed to wear anything except shoes. This attracted a large crowd, and the media went wild covering it.

Sights usually unseen were everywhere; people were initially thrilled, openly watching girls without clothes seemed exciting, but soon they found it less amusing.

With so much attention, the quality of the girls coming here notably declined; without pretty girls, people naturally felt bored.

Some prank-loving ugly girls frequently showed up and deliberately wandered in front of people, which was quite unpalatable.

Around the beach, more and more tourists and media with telescopes appeared, ultimately making the number of men participating far exceed the number of women.

Of course, this was just part of it. More critically, during this, a forced encounter occurred — a young man couldn't resist attacking a swimming woman.

He was caught afterward, but the incident left only men on the private beach.

The scandal grew not because of that one case, but due to traditional society's criticism of women's naked bodies in public, leading to strong opposition from gender rights groups.

Both sides hurled insults at each other through the media, and the gender rights activists even held several nude marches, proclaiming that not wearing clothes was an inherent right of women, offering spectators another feast for the eyes.

It's said that the sponsor of these marches was the same person who owned the private beach where the initial nude beach party occurred.

In short, as the Federation's economy slightly recovered, all kinds of interesting news began to surface, unlike before, when reports mostly focused on people dying of hunger or rotting away in their homes.

All these "good news" brought more smiles to the President's face, softening the appearance of his wrinkles.

He was wearing a shirt and vest, with his coat hanging on the rack, lying on the deck chair.

From the chest up, he was in the shadow cast by the eaves, while the rest basked in the sunlight.

Now standing, he took the initiative to embrace Truman; this capable assistant helped him through the toughest times. Now, public approval ratings based on polls were sharply increasing, and harmony reigned within the party.

Previously, the candidate they had launched against him even started campaigning for the President— an act of political gesture indicating he had surrendered vying against the President for the position, and meant to show goodwill.

Such changes are quite normal. Each election involves significant spending and manpower; once capitalists behind the backup runner see no hope for victory, they demand halting the campaign.

Once that individual withdraws from the race, campaign funds, as per regulations, revert back into their accounts, preventing waste of money and energy for an impossible goal.

Everything went so smoothly, all thanks to Truman's help, hence the natural and willing embrace, symbolizing the friendship and bond between them.

"He didn't agree!" Mr. Truman quickly separated from the President and found a seat.

Facing a large balcony, the President's office opened onto the vast lawn of the President's Mansion through pure white floor-to-ceiling windows.

The fresh green color here was vibrant and refreshing; the occasional breeze retained the last hint of summer heat, yet mostly brought the briskness and chill of fall.

A pleasant season, temperature, and wind.

"He will definitely agree!" the President cheerfully encouraged, it should count as encouragement.

Mr. Truman nodded casually; agreeing was only a matter of time. In dealing with such small countries, there are many strategies.

His previous thoughts changed under Lynch's actual practice; international relations are never about courtesies, but stark power confrontations.

From confrontation with Gafura to establishing diplomatic ties with Nagariel, all these played out vividly.

Earlier, Gafura miserably hindered Federation in commercial negotiations, but upon suffering defeat at sea, they promptly dropped their stance, made concessions, and even offered more conveniences.

At the end, it's still the fear of Federation finding an excuse to punch them again.

Nagariel is the same; before the naval battle, nothing worked, but afterward, they lay flat, accepting intimidation, it's not about courtesy or diplomatic maneuvers, it's simply demonstrating strength. Hence, treating that diplomat gently won't work, just be firm.

Of course, this wasn't Truman's main reason for coming here; he came to report another matter, "The Federation United Mining Group discovered two open-pit ore fields in Nagariel's Southeast Region, one gold mine, and one bauxite mine."

The President nodded, acknowledging, "There's no iron or copper mine?"

His focus was evidently away from gold and bauxite mines; regardless of what gold mines Federation Mining discovered, the Federation Government would only get taxes, and he personally gains nothing, unless Federation Mining people send some gratitude to him or his connections.

Compared to gold mines with little industrial value and widely unused aluminum metal, the President hoped for the discovery of iron and copper mines, essentials for national industrial development.

Not long ago, the copper mine in the Amelia Region was destroyed, raising international copper ore prices, and has yet to recover fully. Recently, Federation's funds spent importing copper ore and finished copper hit a historical high, and will continue rising.

While national economic improvement appears lacking, some might not understand the need for large-scale metal ores importation, but industrial progress and development are the least visible.

Right now, positive news in this area, whether for invigorating the populace or stimulating the financial market, would be uplifting.

"They continue moving inward; some previous rumors about Nagariel's rich mineral resources might prove true; however, this could potentially cause some...complications, so I need to talk to you first."

"Complications?" The President frowned, "What could still be considered 'complications' for us now?"

Saying this, the President smiled again, as the president of a world-class superpower, a feeling Nagariel United Kingdom's king couldn't experience.

He could disdain most global leaders; it was his right, he didn't think there'd be any complications.

Mr. Truman wasn't as optimistic as the President, "The copper mine in Amelia Region's yet to resume production, Gafura's copper demand increased instead. They might request jointly developing Nagariel's mineral resources with us, or purchase relatively low-priced copper ore directly."

This argument supports itself evidentially; Gafura initiated many new projects, yet ironically, they lacked basic industrial raw materials like iron and copper.

With Lynch's thoughts on indirect control over the Amelia Region, Emperor Gafura might agree to intervene in Amelia Region's security situation, seeking support from Nagariel.

Regardless of whether Federation's ruling elites regard Nagariel as their backyard; officially, both remain two independent sovereign states with equal diplomatic relations. If Gafura formally submits diplomatic notes to Nagariel asking, it's unlikely Nagariel would decline.

Policy think tanks within International Affairs/Policy Research Office suspect Emperor Gafura might propose a mutually agreeable method to gain a strategic advantage, a commonly accepted approach, and no one cares about Nagariel's stance.

After listening, the President nodded slightly, "What should I do then?"

"We can sell ore, if we discover copper mines, but definitely can't let them meddle in Nagariel's development matters; that's the bottom line."

"Price negotiation's possible, but stance must remain firm!"

Within less than a week, the world knew about this news, Nagariel discovered unexplored gold and bauxite mines, sparking rumors once more about its rich subterranean resources.

Many countries' geological survey, exploration teams, including some natural research scholars, applied to Nagariel's Central Government, hoping to conduct nature research within Nagariel. They casually reported to the Federation too, stating that any vein discoveries would charge minimal fees, mostly aiming for nature study.

Of course, this news naturally reached Emperor Gafura.

In comparison to the constantly smiling, sunbathing Federation President, Emperor Gafura resembled a loaf, seemingly big yet full of air.

And as time passed, the air inside swelled, almost exploding in fury.

"Why hasn't Amelia Region stabilized yet, while Federation thieves get all the good cards?"

Inside Ruler's Hall, Emperor Gafura's roar echoed through the Imperial Palace once more!

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