Munitions Empire

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"Leite, Suthers, and Dorne are all staunch allies of the Great Tang Group. Meddling in these regions would clearly be irrational, so looking across the entire Endless Sea's surroundings, the current sphere of influence of the Great Tang Group is actually inappropriate!" Nangong Hong continued to mention one region after another.

"A single hair can move the whole body; threatening the interests of any one country will cause the other countries to become extremely wary of the Great Tang Group and strengthen their defenses. This would be a loss not worth the gain." After listing these countries, he came to a conclusion, "Therefore, it becomes necessary to look beyond these areas.

Thus, I believe that annexing Zheng Country to the west is the decision that best aligns with the interests of the Great Tang Group."

He then spoke of the reasons, "Overall, Zheng Country is not within the traditional sphere of influence of the Great Tang Group, so moving against it has the least pressure and will not provoke a backlash from the allies. If handled well...

once the Great Tang Group shows a stance of advancing westward, even the countries to the east might breathe a sigh of relief, and it is possible that some Kingdoms might even support the Great Tang Group's westward advance!"

His words caused Tang Mo to nod slightly, as this was indeed something feasible. At least, the Empire of Nanla was eager for the Great Tang Group to show a posture of moving westward.

After all, even saving the life of the Emperor of Nanla could not eliminate his concerns about the Great Tang Group's eastward advance.

Speaking of which, Tang Mo suddenly recalled that the Emperor of the Empire of Nanla, having recovered from his illness, had deliberately bestowed on him the title of Marquis of the Empire of Nanla as thanks for the medicines provided by the Great Tang Group... He had yet to decide which of his subordinates to grant this title to.

"At the same time, taking down Zheng Country would radiate influence towards the Dahua Empire and Shenguo... and could even push its influence as far as the borders of Qin Country..." Nangong Hong gestured with his somewhat greasy hand, outlining a rough area.

"Moreover, capturing Zheng Country would restrain Shenguo and allow the entire Endless Sea to fall into our hands.

Is this not what the Great Tang Group has been scheming all along?" Afterward, he looked at Tang Mo, "Although it might be more difficult to take action here than in the countries already under the influence of the Great Tang Group, it would avoid unnecessary trouble and prevent a chain reaction."

Tang Mo had to admit that Nangong Hong's insight was indeed sharp—he had heard bits and pieces about the regions controlled by the Great Tang Group and was able to roughly deduce the expansion vision of the Great Tang Group, which was quite remarkable.

The Great Tang Group was naturally interested in controlling the Endless Sea, or to be precise, the entire Endless Sea.

Even, in some sense, the Great Tang Group was just a step away from controlling all maritime trade across the Endless Sea.

Nangong Hong was correct; once the Great Tang Group directly took control of Zheng Country in the next step, the group would have formed a closed loop, and the Endless Sea would become the Great Tang Group's inner lake!

Next, Nangong Hong began to detail the benefits of the Great Tang Group's expedition to Zheng Country: since Zheng Country was a vassal of the Dahua Empire, the people there were of Dahua descent, with black hair and black eyes, at least half of Tang Mo's homeland.

By taking over there, Tang Mo would be returning home in glory, at least earning a point for reclaiming his ancestral identity.

Similarly, because of Tang Mo's black hair and black eyes, taking control of Zheng Country would not be met with resistance from the local populace, which also counts as a small advantage.

Furthermore, considering Zheng Country's distance from Brunas, that its military reforms had not fully unfolded, and its armaments were relatively outdated, Zheng Country was actually quite vulnerable in terms of military equipment, which was another advantage for the Great Tang Group.

On the other hand, Zheng Country's internal politics were collapsing, with chaos reigning within, a heartless king, foolish ministers, incompetence at all levels, and utter corruption.

The people were suffering indescribably, and the national strength was extremely weak. The existence of such a country defied the natural order every single day.

Summing up his point, what he meant was: Zheng Country was like a gift from heaven to the Great Tang Group, and not seizing it would be a grave sin in the eyes of heaven and men.

Since he really didn't know whether the Great Tang Group had absolute military power, Nangong Hong once again tossed the question back to Tang Mo, "At this point, it depends on the hard power of the Great Tang Group, whether it has the capacity to withstand the pressure from the Dahua Empire and swallow the fruit that is Zheng Country."

"What if it doesn't?" Tang Mo obviously couldn't reveal his full intentions to Nangong Hong, so he asked in return.

Nangong Hong pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly, expressing regret, "It's alright if we don't have it yet, we just need to gather enough strength within three years."

"Heh... Hahaha! The gentleman's vision is truly unique." Tang Mo laughed heartily, as if in a very good mood.

Nangong Hong stood up, bowed slightly, and lowered his head, "I, Nangong Hong, am of modest talent, but I'm willing to serve as an Attendant Student under Master Tang."

"Then I shall humbly accept your service," Tang Mo stood up, "Help yourself to some food, I will have a further discussion with you later."

Having said that, he left the room with Yulin and Wes.

"Master, are you really moved by his words?" Once they were in Tang Mo's office, Yulin couldn't wait to ask.

Tang Mo waved his hand dismissively, "How could I be swayed by a few words from one person to change my established strategic objectives..."

He took off his coat, and Yulin took it and hung it on the coat rack, "Moreover, this person comes from Dahua, and his identity is quite suspicious. Thinking he can sway me with just a few words is a bit too childish."

"Then… what do you mean?" Yulin, after hanging up the coat, turned back to ask Tang Mo.

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"Regardless of whether he is an undercover agent or not, his words still hold some truth," Tang Mo said as he sat down in the chair and gestured for Yulin to give him a shoulder massage. "So, it's no big deal to keep him in a sinecure... Just one more mouth to feed, no matter."

"It's time to prepare an alternative development plan for the Great Tang Group. We could use his plan as an option and discuss it at the meeting," Tang Mo explained the reason behind keeping Nangong Hong around.

"Should we investigate him...?" Yulin's slender fingers kneaded Tang Mo's shoulders as she asked softly.

"Hmm, let that independent intelligence network you set up get to work. Consider it a trial run. Go to Dahua and investigate this Nangong family," Tang Mo commanded comfortably with his eyes closed, enjoying Yulin's massage.

This person was recommended by Li'ao, so having Silver Fox investigate might embarrass Li'ao. Therefore, Tang Mo still decided to let Yulin handle this matter.

"Investigate thoroughly, ask carefully, and take the opportunity... to plant someone inside the Dahua Empire... Money is not an issue, but they must be able to play their role when it matters most!" Tang Mo continued.

"Yes! I understand," Yulin replied, intensifying her efforts, and Tang Mo could feel a comfortable power emanating from his shoulders.

Tang Mo, with eyes still closed, was contemplating his strategy towards Zheng Country. He had previously viewed Zheng Country as a market he planned to operate in.

However, Nangong Hong's speech had made him start to consider whether his own strategy was too conservative.

Frankly speaking, his stubborn focus on building his power into a military empire of this world was influenced, albeit slightly, by his previous life.

He had been an arms dealer before, so in this life, he kept being an arms dealer—only now with a golden touch and the advantage of foreknowledge, he was doing it better and on a much larger scale.

It must be said that he was lacking in strategic planning and vision. Before his transmigration, becoming a king-making figure was not something he would even dare to dream about.

With five major benefactors above him, the thought of becoming an emperor or controlling a country was impossible, and there was no space for such ideas.

An empire where the Emperor's word is absolute, in the context of Earth's big picture, was not something that could emerge against the odds, nor was there any support for it. As for monarchic constitutionalism and the like, Tang Mo had no interest in it.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

One could go through a lot of trouble and at most create a misfit country, playing president for one's own amusement. But then, how could one engage in politics in a notable country without coming under the influence of the five benefactors?

Still, if one doesn't dare to run for office in a major country, what's the point of being a president of an obscure small country?

This life was different. Tang Mo truly had the opportunity and the capability to become a real monarch of a country! A monarch whose word is law! A monarch who could determine the fates of countless people!

Just thinking about it, doesn't it seem nice? Tang Mo mused to himself, somewhat influenced by Nangong Hong's speech.

"Let him stay here for a few days, let him look around... then... after the expo ends, send him to Hotwind Port... let him get a feel for urban construction..." Tang Mo didn't specify who because he knew Yulin would certainly figure out whom he was referring to.

This was Tang Mo's way of preparing to cultivate the Dahua strategist who had come to seek refuge with the Great Tang Group. It also signified that Tang Mo was willing to give Nangong Hong a chance.

Sure enough, Yulin responded softly, "Understood. What about his Attendant Student?"

"If he is willing, let the Attendant Student study at Brunas University. If not, let Nangong Hong take him away!" Tang Mo thought for a moment before responding.

After a few seconds of silence, Tang Mo seemed to change his mind and continued to instruct, "Send a message to Li'ao for me, ask him to also investigate this Nangong Hong."

He had realized something. If he was going to use Nangong Hong, an investigation was necessary. If there was no such action from Silver Fox's side, Li'ao would surely guess that Tang Mo had activated another information system.

This might also make Li'ao uncomfortable, so it would be better to let Silver Fox investigate openly, as this would also be a sort of routine investigation.

"What about my end?" Yulin hummed in acknowledgment and then asked for confirmation.

"Investigate as well," Tang Mo paused for a few seconds before giving the answer.

"Yes! I will select someone to go," Yulin bowed her head as she continued the massage, answering in a gentle voice.

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First a makeup post. Yesterday my child made me half-dead with anger, not a physical issue... Thank you for your concern, will continue to make up posts tomorrow if nothing unexpected occurs...