SFS Chapter 650: Striving for Benefits
Chapter 650: Striving for Benefits
Eric van der Velden exchanged thoughtful glances with the other international representatives present. His eyes flashed with a shrewd light, as if he had anticipated the direction of the next conversation. After a pause, he slowly turned his head and looked directly at Su Zhengyang, who was sitting on the other side with a calm expression.
"President Su," Eric's voice was filled with unquestionable confidence, "If China is willing to join our anti-aggression alliance, our allies will spare no effort to give China great rewards." His words revealed that he attached great importance to this cooperation, and also hinted that the conditions to be proposed next would be very tempting.
Su Zhengyang sat on the sofa, holding a cup of tea, and listened to Eric's speech calmly. He did not rush to respond, but gently blew the hot steam on the teacup, as if thinking about something.
Seeing this, Eric continued, "As a representative of the Royal Dutch Bank, our bank is willing to provide China with a large number of low-interest loans. Considering that China is currently in a stage of rapid development, the demand for funds is undoubtedly huge. And our loans will be able to alleviate China's financial pressure to a great extent."
At this point, Eric turned slightly and glanced at Greens, the representative of the US Federal Reserve, who was sitting next to him. Greens immediately understood and nodded slightly, indicating that he agreed with Eric's proposal. Then, he added: "We at the US Federal Reserve are also willing to provide economic assistance to China. We believe that through our joint efforts, China will achieve even greater economic success."
Eric turned to Su Zhengyang again and further elaborated on his proposal: "Mr. Su, our Royal Bank of the Netherlands is willing to provide China with a low-interest loan of up to 1 billion pounds, and the term is 50 years. Such conditions are extremely rare in the world. We believe that such assistance will have a profound impact on China's development."
After listening to Eric's proposal, Su Zhengyang still maintained a calm expression. He gently put down the teacup in his hand, raised his head, and looked at Eric and Greens with deep eyes.
After listening to Eric van der Weerden's proposal, Su Zhengyang fell into deep thought. He knew clearly that according to the current exchange rate, although the value of the pound had declined due to the war in Europe, one pound could still be exchanged for about ten dollars. This means that the 1 billion pounds mentioned by Eric, converted into Chinese dollars, is as high as 10 billion! This amount set off a wave in Su Zhengyang's heart.
Pictures began to emerge in Su Zhengyang's mind: If this money is invested in China's military construction, the equipment and combat effectiveness of the troops will be greatly improved; if it is used for economic construction, China's industry, agriculture and commerce will be developed unprecedentedly, and the people's living standards will also improve accordingly; and in the areas of people's livelihood and education, this money will be able to build more schools, hospitals and infrastructure, and improve people's living conditions and education levels.
At this time, although Greens, the god of wealth of the Federal Reserve, did not give a specific number, Su Zhengyang could also feel the weight of this economic aid from his eyes and attitude. He understood that the Federal Reserve represented by Greens would not be stingy in aiding China.
After careful consideration, Su Zhengyang smiled and broke the silence: "Mr. Weldon, our two countries have always been best friends, haven't they?" His voice was gentle and firm, as if reminding Eric and others present that there is a deep friendship between China and the Netherlands.
Eric van der Weerden was slightly stunned, obviously not expecting Su Zhengyang to respond in this way. He quickly adjusted his mood and responded with a smile: "President Su is right, we are very good friends. But if China can join our alliance, I believe our relationship will be even closer."
"Since we are friends, Mr. Weldon, even if I don't make the decision to join the anti-aggression alliance for the time being, will you refuse to provide economic assistance to China?"
The atmosphere in the room suddenly became subtle because of Su Zhengyang's question. Weldon had confidently expected Su Zhengyang to join the anti-aggression alliance immediately, but Su Zhengyang's question made him fall into an awkward silence for a moment.
A flash of astonishment flashed across Weldon's face, followed by a brief panic. He tried to organize his words to respond, but it was obvious that Su Zhengyang's words had put him in a passive position. At Prince Windsor's suggestion, Weldon had to show a slightly stiff smile and began to deal with this sudden situation.
"Of course not, President Su." There was a hint of helplessness in Weldon's voice. "Even if China did not join the anti-aggression alliance, I would still regard you as my best friend. However, in this case, we can only provide China with a loan of 500 million pounds at most. I hope you can understand."
Although his words were calm on the surface, the helplessness and regret in his tone were obvious. Although the low-interest loan of 500 million pounds was not a small amount for the Royal Dutch Bank, it was obviously a big discount compared to the original expectation of 10 billion pounds. Moreover, it was given away for free without any return. For Weldon, this was undoubtedly a major miscalculation.
Everyone present saw Weldon's embarrassment and helplessness. Prince Windsor shook his head slightly, as if lamenting that the direction of the negotiation was beyond his expectations. Representatives from other countries exchanged glances, admiring Su Zhengyang's wit and strategy.
Su Zhengyang sat on the sofa with a faint smile on his face. He knew that he had successfully used Weldon's pride and self-confidence to defeat him. Although he did not directly refuse to join the anti-aggression alliance, he did not make a clear commitment, but cleverly used negotiation skills to gain the greatest benefits for himself.
In Weldon's eyes, Su Zhengyang's smile at the moment was so dazzling. He was filled with regret and annoyance. Not only did he fail to achieve his goal, but he also gave away a low-interest loan of 500 million pounds in vain. This was undoubtedly a heavy blow to him.
Just when everyone thought that the topic had ended, Su Zhengyang spoke again and turned the topic to Greens: "Mr. Greens, as a friend, are you willing to provide similar economic assistance to our China?"
Greens obviously did not expect Su Zhengyang to throw the question to him so directly, but he quickly adjusted his state and responded with a smile: "President Su, you know that our Federal Reserve has always attached great importance to cooperation with China. If you have any needs, we are certainly willing to provide corresponding support."
Su Zhengyang smiled when he heard this and continued, "Thank you very much. However, I also understand that everything requires corresponding conditions. Mr. Greens, do you also need China to make some kind of commitment or decision before you are willing to provide such economic assistance?"
Greens was slightly startled, and then he understood Su Zhengyang's intention. He pondered for a moment, and then said: "President Su, we at the Federal Reserve do have certain expectations for cooperation with China. But we value the friendship and long-term cooperation between the two sides more. If you are willing, we can jointly explore how to deepen this cooperation, not just based on a specific commitment or decision."
Su Zhengyang nodded in agreement: "Mr. Greens' words make a lot of sense. I also hope that we can establish a deeper and broader cooperative relationship. However, before that, I still want to hear your specific suggestions for financial assistance."
Greens smiled and responded: "Of course, we will develop a corresponding plan based on your needs. However, before that, I also hope to have a deeper understanding of China's current development status and needs so that we can provide more accurate and effective support."
Su Zhengyang nodded with satisfaction, knowing that his words had achieved the desired effect. Both Weldon and Greens had expressed their willingness to provide economic assistance to China.
Although the specific conditions and plans still need further discussion and negotiation, Su Zhengyang has successfully plucked a handful of wool from these two old foxes.