To be honest, even Nelson felt that this was already giving Xu Zhengyang a huge favor, even if you were God.
After all, as the world's leading superpower, has the government of Country M ever negotiated with you personally? In the global context and even in history, has there ever been such a precedent? Even a small country has probably never negotiated with an individual because of some conflict.
He did indeed get in touch with Xu Zhengyang.
"Mr. Xu, hello, I'm Nelson."
"Oh, hello." Xu Zhengyang smiled and said, "Do you have any good news to tell me? This is already the second day. The day after tomorrow, I will go to Diaoyu Island to survey the terrain and prepare to build a villa estate there. I will invite you and your country's president to be my guests."
“No, no, Mr. Xu, please calm down,” Nelson quickly said. “You should understand that the Diaoyu Islands are a sensitive issue right now, involving a sovereignty dispute between two countries. If you act as you do, it could trigger a military conflict, or even a local war…”
Xu Zhengyang said casually, "Who dares?"
Upon hearing this word, Nelson shuddered, a chill running down his spine. He quickly said, "Mr. Xu, we can sit down and talk about the Diaoyu Islands issue. It's not impossible for you to agree, but we should try our best to avoid escalating the conflict. What do you think?"
"I don't want to talk to the Japanese side. Did you inform them?"
“Of course, we have now reached an agreement with the Japanese government and can sit down and talk,” Nelson said quickly. In fact, the US and the Japanese government had not reached an agreement at all, and Japan could not accept such a thing. However, Nelson received a call from his superior informing him that this was guaranteed, and in order to deal with any sudden events that might occur before the US was fully prepared, they would take a tough stance to force Japan to agree.
Xu Zhengyang said calmly, "I'm not an unreasonable person. Since it's a disputed area, well, I won't be biased. I'll accept a little loss and buy it for double the price... You can tell the Japanese government that I'll pay for it, that's all."
"Pay money? How much?" Nelson almost blurted out, because this really surprised him.
Is this a matter of money?
It is a disputed island and a vast area of sea, and its strategic location is extremely important!
“Oh, I contributed one dollar from our country,” Xu Zhengyang said calmly. “Then, I can also give one dollar to the Japanese government.”
"ah?"
"Alright, that's fine then."
The call ended.
Volume 7, Emperor Chapter 384: Ready to Strike
Tomorrow, Xu Zhengyang will be going to the island!
Today alone, this news has become a global sensation...
Xu Zhengyang originally didn't want to make a big fuss about this matter. In his opinion, both the United States and Japan would hesitate and then remain silent. The reason was simple: the incident had already drawn global attention to the region, and the situation was critical, even on the verge of exploding several times, with the maritime surveillance vessels of the two countries confronting each other and on the verge of war.
Everyone is afraid of accidentally escalating the situation and losing control.
Xu Zhengyang's arrival on the island was undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire. The question is, who can stop him?
Therefore, the outcome of Xu Zhengyang's landing on the island will most likely be suppressed by the three parties, and the news will not be made public.
Unfortunately, the incident was leaked the morning before Xu Zhengyang was scheduled to land on the island, causing a huge uproar in international media.
An urgent investigation by various parties revealed that a high-ranking Japanese official had leaked the information that the United States had been forced to keep secret.
Well, that guy is an extremist.
All three parties held emergency meetings to discuss measures to deal with this unexpected situation. In particular, this concerns a nation's dignity!
The Chinese side was naturally the quickest to react to this issue.
They held an emergency press conference to clarify the facts of the news: Xu Zhengyang is a Chinese citizen, a well-known entrepreneur and investor, and he legally applied to develop the Diaoyu Islands and surrounding waters; after careful consideration, relevant departments of the Chinese government decided to agree to and support the investor's beneficial development and utilization; to demonstrate the government's support for investment and development by enterprises and individuals in the economic and commercial fields, only a symbolic rental fee of one yuan will be charged; however, it must be stated that the ownership of the Diaoyu Islands still belongs to the state, not an individual.
This statement was naturally approved by Xu Zhengyang.
Actually, regarding the last question about ownership, the top levels of the Chinese government originally didn't care. Because Xu Zhengyang is a citizen of this country, regardless of what happens in the future, the island and the surrounding waters belong to him, and from the perspective of any country or individual in the world, that's equivalent to our country.
Xu Zhengyang initially thought the same way, trying to be vague and ambiguous to appease various parties' emotions, as long as it was ultimately his personal decision. From a selfish and factual standpoint, Xu Zhengyang preferred a more assertive, direct, and reasonable approach, clearly helping the country reclaim the ownership of the Diaoyu Islands.
The problem is, he is a god, and if he's going to do this, he has to consider the global impact.
He wanted to be a fair deity, avoiding any absurd or ridiculous controversies. To put it bluntly, he wanted to consider the future reputation of the Heavenly Court, and indeed, of him, as a deity among mortals.
Unfortunately, the news was leaked, and by a high-ranking Japanese government official.
No wonder Xu Zhengyang is so domineering...
After China confirmed the news, it immediately caused a huge uproar. Well, a symbolic one yuan lease indefinitely to your country's citizens is tantamount to slapping Japan in the face!
Subsequently, the M country held a press conference, solemnly declaring that it would abide by the protection treaty previously signed with Japan, including the Diaoyu Islands; and claimed that in order to deal with the possibility of a military crisis and the possibility of conflict in the region, three aircraft carrier groups had been sent to the area.
The Japanese government also declared that it would spare no effort to defend national dignity and territorial sovereignty, and to combat any acts of aggression against its territory by any country, organization, or individual.
Xu Zhengyang certainly wouldn't hold a press conference. He simply called Nelson Buck, instructing him to relay a message to their government and military, as well as to Japan: if you dare to launch a threatening attack against me... then be careful with your aircraft carriers, warships, fighter jets, and submarines; of course, I would like to remind you that for the safety of innocent soldiers, you should prepare emergency rescue measures, such as lifeboats, rescue helicopters, etc.
Things have escalated to this point, tantamount to war. There is no possibility of reconciliation.
Governments from various countries called the three parties, hoping they would exercise restraint and return to the negotiating table... while major media outlets rushed to the region in hopes of obtaining firsthand news materials.
Around 5 PM, China held another emergency press conference, stating in strong and solemn terms: "The situation on the Diaoyu Islands is currently at a critical juncture. We hope that Japan, the United States, and Xu Zhengyang personally can calm down, exercise restraint, and sit down at the negotiating table. We want de-escalation, not tension; we want dialogue, not confrontation; we want peace, not war..."
What kind of talk is this? It's like you're shirking responsibility and saying it has nothing to do with your country?
A reporter immediately asked: "Isn't Xu Zhengyang a citizen of your country? Isn't the Diaoyu Islands your country's territory?"
The spokesperson replied curtly: "Neither I nor my government are at liberty to answer this question. Please consult the US and Japan; I think they will know the answer. That concludes this press conference. Thank you..."
That's the answer. Take it or leave it.
As a result, major media outlets around the world quickly sent people to contact the United States and Japan, racking their brains to try every possible way to obtain some news leads.
Meanwhile, major media outlets urgently contacted various parties in China, hoping to interview Xu Zhengyang, this little-known entrepreneur and investor.
Unfortunately, all attempts to interview and investigate Xu Zhengyang in this regard were unsuccessful.
...
In a high-class guesthouse of the Jiangjing Military Region.
Xu Zhengyang sat leisurely in the living room, sipping tea. On the sofa next to him, Li Ruiqing, Li Ruiyu, Ye Rongchen, two senior generals from the Jiangjing Military Region, and two other high-ranking officials from Beijing were all frowning and whispering among themselves.
The incident occurred suddenly, causing tension and unease on all sides.
Because no matter how grand or unreasonable the words may sound on the surface, a huge underlying crisis still exists.
Xu Zhengyang is, after all, a citizen of this country. If he were to forcibly land on the island and encounter violent obstruction from the other side, and then use violence to forcefully land on the island, who can guarantee that it wouldn't trigger the danger of war?
Ultimately, aside from the US and China, no one would really target Xu Zhengyang personally.
Because it is simply... too insignificant.
Xu Zhengyang, who appeared relaxed and carefree, was actually quite nervous inside, though this nervousness was mixed with a strong sense of excitement.
Since becoming a god eight years ago, it has been nine years now, the ninth year of the new divine calendar!
When did Xu Zhengyang ever possess such powerful divine strength and authority, and hold such a high position? He had no idea exactly how powerful his divine strength had become, but he knew that he was very strong now, to a degree that he himself could not even imagine... Your Majesty!
Although, to be precise, he is only temporarily acting as the Emperor, he can clearly feel that he has already achieved the same level of strength as the Emperor!
As for whether it would trigger a war, Xu Zhengyang was certain it wouldn't.
Because he had disregarded the rules of the Heavenly Laws, he dispatched Li Haidong to personally lead a group of ghost messengers to the United States. They were stationed by the President and the Minister of Defense to prevent them from issuing orders to attack the Japanese mainland at the most critical moment. On the Japanese side, Su Peng was leading a group of ghost messengers to monitor and keep a close watch on the relevant high-ranking personnel. In addition, the commander of the only US aircraft carrier group currently in this sea area was accompanied by Wang Yonggan and several ghost messengers.
Xu Zhengyang's instructions were: as long as they did not issue orders to attack our homeland, then do not stop them.
My officer!
I!
I need to personally give them a taste of their power!
Therefore, Xu Zhengyang, in his slightly agitated state of mind, did not listen to anyone's advice or reminders, nor did he interrupt the military and government personnel's discussions on how to deal with any possible emergencies.
He was now inwardly both amused and exasperated, thinking about the argument he had had with Li Bingjie, Ouyang Ying, and his family during a video call.
The argument stemmed from Xu Zhengyang's excessive magnanimity as a deity. To ensure the Heavenly Court maintained a fair image in the eyes of the world's nations and people, and to prevent accusations of favoritism, he proposed an unreasonable and domineering condition: if he leased the property for a symbolic one dollar in his own country, Japan would purchase it entirely for one dollar.
For Xu Zhengyang, this was already the biggest concession he could make.
How could Japan tolerate such an insult?
Moreover… family and friends expressed strong indignation and dissatisfaction: “What do you mean by this? Isn’t this, from another perspective, an admission, as a citizen of China, that Japan has sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands and surrounding waters? You should take back that statement!”
Xu Zhengyang was quite surprised that even his usually sensible and virtuous wife cared so much about it.
Originally, Xu Zhengyang's family, especially his parents, were unaware of these matters and his current position as the highest deity. However, the news media exposed the truth, making it impossible for Xu Zhengyang to hide it any longer. Moreover, people from his hometown village and acquaintances called, strongly supporting Xu Zhengyang's trip to the island.
Of course, most of my friends and villagers were unaware that the one-dollar plan included a one-dollar donation to Japan.
But my family found out.
That's why it aroused dissatisfaction and indignation among family members. Goodness, you can't tell from normal times, but when something really happens, everyone's patriotic sentiments really soar!
Xu Zhengyang felt slightly ashamed, but at the time he also thought to himself, is it really necessary? I am a god, and all people in the world are equal. Just because most of the Japanese are beasts and scum, does that mean I should hurt the hearts of the very few pitiful good people? Gods are boundless and infinitely loving.
Now that his parents and wife have spoken out, Xu Zhengyang will naturally tell them the truth without being coy.
After he said that, his family understood the situation, but they still felt uneasy. Finally, it was Xu Neng, usually honest, kind, and taciturn, who said, "Then, once we take it back, our country will be allowed to develop the surrounding waters, but Japan won't be allowed..."
"Of course," Xu Zhengyang said with a smile.
"Let's just wipe them out," Xu Xiaotian said, grinning and gesturing wildly in the computer video.
"Nonsense!" Xu Zhengyang immediately rebuked.
After hearing her son's explanation, Yuan Suqin's displeasure vanished, replaced by worry for him: "Zhengyang, you have to be careful. Bullets don't discriminate..."
"Don't worry, nothing will happen."
The others then realized that Xu Zhengyang's landing on the island was indeed a very dangerous thing. Even though they knew his identity as a god, they still felt fear towards those high-tech weapons with powerful destructive capabilities.
So they all offered their advice and expressed their concerns.
Xu Zhengyang waved his hand dismissively: "It's alright..."
...
When Nelson called again, it was already past 1 a.m.
Although he knew he would receive many more calls that night, Xu Zhengyang thought it over for a long time and decided not to turn off his phone.
Just as Xu Zhengyang had guessed, Nelson's purpose in calling was naturally to urge Xu Zhengyang to remain restrained and not to go to the island tomorrow. He said that everything could be discussed and resolved, and that no one wanted a conflict to break out. You wouldn't want a war to break out, would you? After all, no matter how much you take responsibility for things, there is still a country behind you, and you shouldn't drag them down with you.
Xu Zhengyang said calmly, "Is this the intention of your president and the military?"
“Mr. Xu, I hope you don’t mind. Okay, okay, you should understand… This is indeed our government’s stance,” Nelson said helplessly.
“Then tell them to immediately return the aircraft carrier to its base, or evacuate all personnel on board. I heard there are over six thousand people, is that right?” Xu Zhengyang said coldly. “Transmit my words verbatim. Regardless of whether you launch an attack or not, I will raze your aircraft carrier to the ground as punishment for having such thoughts… If you attempt to attack, then I will let all your weapons smash your own homeland. I can tell you with certainty that I do not wish to cause the deaths of innocent civilians.”
Nielsen was terrified by Xu Zhengyang's words: Destroy the aircraft carrier? Attack our own homeland? Or with our own weapons?