Zhang Qiongshi was clearly distrustful of Jiang Ye.
After all, Jiang Ye's military was too powerful, and Jiang Ye himself possessed a commanding presence. Although he appeared friendly on the surface, she saw him as an overbearing figure and had to be wary.
Zhang Qiongshi repeatedly reminded herself that this man was cunning and strong, and not to be deceived by his smiling face.
Jiang Ye was also well aware that he was not a kind or honest person by worldly standards, and his methods were sometimes quite ruthless.
His objective in this matter was to make Zhang Qiongshi dependent on him, ultimately achieving a high degree of mutual trust, making her similar to Fu Qiuyan and becoming "one of his own."
However, on the surface, Jiang Ye had to feign being wronged. "I'm helping you with good intentions, how kind and lovely I am, yet you still guard against me. Where is the basic trust between people?"
The small-scale negotiations lasted for three days.
Jiang Ye and Zhang Qiongshi were both exhausted and signed a secret agreement that had been revised more than twenty times.
Jiang Ye and the delegation set off for their return journey, marking the successful conclusion of the visit with fruitful results.
...
Jiang Ye Star, Commander's Mansion.
It was already two in the morning, and the bedroom was dark.
In the pitch-blackness, rapid panting sounds filled the air.
"Enough, enough, my heart is about to explode," Jiang Ye's deep breaths sounded like an overheated car engine about to stall.
"If I die, I die," Cen Yemeng's trembling voice, mixed with ragged, rapid breaths, said, "Let's see who explodes first!"
"Don't say that, my dear wife. We have a long future ahead of us. Let's take it slow. There's no need to rush things," Jiang Ye's tone was tinged with pleading.
After a long silence, Cen Yemeng's panting finally subsided. "Then let's take a break and talk about the results of your visit to Rongping Star."
"How should I put it? The direct benefits I obtained are around fifty trillion. The indirect ones are even more, starting from a hundred trillion," Jiang Ye said proudly.
"My husband has learned to brag," Cen Yemeng giggled. "That money isn't just waste paper. Could Zhang Qiongshi give you that much at once? It would take more than a dozen printing presses working overtime to produce fifty trillion."
"When have I ever bragged? A true man keeps his word. I haven't spoken a false word," Jiang Ye said. "The two major negotiations, one was for Pingdao Star, which I've secured, saving at least thirty trillion. Zhang Qiongshi also agreed to allocate some military funds for the development of Pingdao Star, which could extort at least another ten trillion from her."
"It's because you helped her resolve the mutiny, right?" Cen Yemeng's tone suddenly became resentful. "You have no idea how scared I was when I heard about the mutiny on Rongping Star. I was terrified. After hearing the news, I felt a chill all over my body, and Huang Bingyan even had the fleet load ammunition and prepare to set sail."
"It was a close call, but there was no real danger. That mutiny was like child's play, very basic. They probably just wanted to show Zhang Qiongshi some defiance and force her to change some things, without any intention of actually killing her. If I hadn't been there, it probably would have succeeded. Zhang Qiongshi is a bit naive in this regard, far from as capable as Fu Qiuyan," Jiang Ye said. "This is definitely part of the reason. Before the mutiny, negotiations were very slow, but the day after the mutiny, negotiations proceeded at breakneck speed."
"We've already talked about forty trillion, the price of Pingdao Star plus military expenses. What about the remaining ten trillion?" Cen Yemeng asked.
"The remaining ten trillion is for the hard work of assisting in the gun ban and assisting in the reduction of feudal lords," Jiang Ye said.
"What do you mean?" Cen Yemeng's tone was surprised.
"Zhang Qiongshi has been severely sidelined. She needs to fight back to save her own life. However, she doesn't have reliable armed forces. I'm willing to lend her a unit to serve as a deterrent," Jiang Ye said. "Her plan is to first promote a gun ban program globally, improve planetary security, and cut off the income of major arms dealers through the gun ban. Then, she will launch investigations to force the arms dealers into bankruptcy. Finally, she will declare all mercenary groups illegal and demand that they withdraw within a specified period."
"Good heavens!" Cen Yemeng exclaimed. "There's such a maneuver? Why are you willing to lend her troops, husband? What's your motive?"
"Wife, you're really amazing, to be jealous of something like this."
"How could I be? Am I jealous? I just feel that your attitude towards her is unusually good. I'm curious."
"Our troops can be stationed on Rongping Star and help train Zhang Qiongshi's own army," Jiang Ye said. "In the next twenty years, our troops should be stationed on Rongping Star, which will allow us to capture the economic benefits of Rongping Star."
"My husband is so cunning," Cen Yemeng said. "You're getting more and more wicked, husband. Sister Zhang treats you as a friend, yet you want to control her."
"Control her? Don't talk nonsense. We are strengthening our friendship, enhancing bilateral relations, increasing mutual trust, and deepening strategic cooperation," Jiang Ye said. "This is a mutually beneficial, win-win situation. Don't portray me as so overbearing."
"My husband is indeed an overbearing person," Cen Yemeng said.
"Wife, you are right to criticize me. Then I won't be overbearing. Let's shower and go to bed."
"No, no, no," Cen Yemeng giggled. "I like you to be a bit overbearing. The break is over."
...
Over the next four months, Jiang Ye entered another busy period.
Feng Zhi Shuang's economics course began. Jiang Ye attended every class on time, going to the classroom when he had ample time, and watching the holographic projection in his office when he didn't.
The course content was embarrassing. Feng Zhi Shuang cited many negative examples, all of which were mistakes Jiang Ye had made in the early stages of planetary development.
Whenever Feng Zhi Shuang cited an example, Jiang Ye's expression would become awkward. Especially with many economic reforms that Jiang Ye felt he had handled well, Feng Zhi Shuang's descriptions made them sound like foolish operations.
The classmates in the class were initially cautious, holding back from laughing. Later, when Jiang Ye said, "Classmates, feel free to laugh," the class couldn't hold back and burst into laughter.
Despite the embarrassing nature of the classes, Jiang Ye remained enthusiastic about the course. He was usually too busy with work, and many things had gradually faded from his memory or he had stopped paying attention to them. However, after Feng Zhi Shuang's review, past events became vivid. Feng Zhi Shuang then introduced academic theories and pointed out better approaches. He learned a lot from each class.
Towards the end of the course, Feng Zhi Shuang's survival instinct kicked in, and he delivered a flattering concluding speech:
"Distinguished classmates, our brief course is coming to an end. What I have taught you is very little; I have merely opened the door to academia, and beyond that lies a vast world."
"During the course, many of the counter-examples I cited were mistakes made by classmate Jiang Ye in his youth. Although the classmates in the class laughed heartily every time, I want to remind everyone that the most knowledgeable person in this classroom is actually Jiang Ye."
"You are all sitting here comfortably, discussing theories on paper, while classmate Jiang Ye is someone who has actually been in the trenches. By 'been in the trenches,' I am not referring to military warfare, but to economic reforms relevant to our course."