Chapter 146: Zhao Ze's Dilemma

Carrying her deep resentment toward Lin Feng, Murong Xue's expression softened slightly after listening to Wang Man this time, lacking her previous fierce resistance. Seeing Murong Xue's reaction, Wang Man felt there was a chance and intensified his persuasion. In the end, perhaps under the influence of alcohol, Murong Xue actually agreed to Wang Man's request to join forces against him to deal with Lin Feng, completely unaware that this decision would eventually drag the Murong family into an irreversible abyss.

Lin Feng was entirely unaware of the plot hatched between Wang Man and Murong Xue. Even if he had known, given his personality, he would not have taken the two of them seriously.

During this period, Lin Feng finally managed to relax a little. Having resolved the Microsoft issue, he believed he could enjoy some peace for a while, especially since Microsoft had suffered a heavy blow and was now keeping a much lower profile. However, this calm was merely temporary; Bill undoubtedly hated him to the bone, and the moment Lin Feng made a misstep, Bill would certainly stab him in the back.

Three months passed quickly, and China's National Day was fast approaching. Aside from occasionally visiting the Future Technology Company, Lin Feng spent the past three months practically immersed in the laboratory, closely monitoring the growth of the new trainees alongside Sun Long.

It had to be said that the aptitude of the new trainees selected by Sun Long was noticeably inferior to the previous batch, largely because Zhao Ze had already cherry-picked the absolute finest candidates during his prior selection. The disappointing progress of the new recruits frustrated Lin Feng. Remembering that he still had a few bottles of immortal nectar left from the previous batch, and managing to scrape together a total of seven bottles through his own efforts, he finally initiated the marrow-cleansing and meridian-transforming process for the new recruits.

Transformed by the immortal nectar, the new trainees did not disappoint Lin Feng this time. The changes in them were nothing short of earth-shattering, ultimately reaching a level that satisfied him greatly.

Whenever training grew tedious, Lin Feng would step into the laboratory to inspect the research progress of Zhang Wen and his team on the new data technologies.

As for Zhao Ze and his group, whom Lin Feng had dispatched to Iraq months ago, news finally trickled in. The commotion they caused was by no means small; at the very least, Lin Feng frequently saw reports about them on the national evening news, confirming that they were doing exceptionally well in Iraq. In just over three months, they had evolved into the largest armed faction in Iraq, firmly establishing a foothold and gradually expanding outward to recruit mercenaries.

At this very moment, among the top state leaders in Yanjing, some were closely monitoring this group.

"Old Xie, what kind of people do you think these are? Look at the footage on this screen. Not only is this band of mercenaries quite large, but every single one of them is a top-tier martial arts expert! According to our intelligence operatives, they appear to be citizens of our nation." The Chairman stood in the conference room, pointing at the international news broadcast and speaking gravely to Minister Xie.

"I find it baffling myself. How did this group suddenly appear in Iraq without any prior warning? It is rumored that even the United States attempted to contact them and tried to co-opt them, only to be flatly refused," Minister Xie replied, equally curious.

"What a pity. If only they were our people, we could use Iraq as a breakthrough point to rapidly secure our interests in the Middle East!" The Chairman gazed at the world map hanging on the wall with a hint of lingering reluctance, speaking helplessly.

Minister Xie stood beside him, staring at the map with equal frustration. Since these individuals were not part of China's official military forces, they could only gaze at this massive cake without being able to take a bite. If Minister Xie had known that these people were dispatched by Lin Feng, he likely would have dispatched agents immediately to drag Lin Feng back to Zhongnanhai in Yanjing for negotiations.

Inside Iraq, despite how smoothly things seemed to be going for Zhao Ze—retaining his prestigious position as the commander of the formidable Fierce Wolf Mercenary Corps surrounded by numerous experts—outsiders had no idea that this lofty, prominent figure was currently plagued by severe headaches over the mercenary group's continued expansion.

"Sigh, I originally thought we could handle this ourselves without troubling Young Master Lin, but it turns out we still have to bother him in the end!" Zhao Ze sat on the sofa, massaging his throbbing temples and muttering to himself.

With that, he pulled out a specialized satellite phone and dialed Lin Feng, whom he had not contacted since leaving the country.

Back in China, Lin Feng was currently watching Sun Long put the overly energetic new trainees through their paces. Suddenly, he felt a vibration against his chest. Reaching into his pocket, he drew out a black smartphone—a satellite phone that Lin Feng had handed to Zhao Ze before his departure, intended precisely for crucial communication when necessary.

"You've got some nerve. You've been gone for ages and are only calling me now? If I hadn't seen news reports about you on television, I would have assumed you were dead." Lin Feng pressed the answer button on the satellite phone and immediately scolded Zhao Ze with displeasure.

"Ha-ha, Young Master Lin, it wasn't very convenient for us! Besides, with all the chaos and warfare going on here every single day, who had the time to make phone calls?" Realizing Lin Feng was unhappy and knowing he was in the wrong, Zhao Ze hurriedly offered an apology.

"Is that so? Then why are you calling now?" Lin Feng demanded, still irritated.

"Uh, well, this, this..." Choked up by Lin Feng's retort, Zhao Ze found it exceedingly difficult to state his actual purpose.

Holding the phone, Lin Feng waited for a long time, hearing only stuttering and hesitation from Zhao Ze without getting to the point. Growing impatient, he snapped at the other end of the line: "You brat, you've barely been abroad for a few months and you've turned into a stammering coward. Can't you speak like a man?"

Provoked by Lin Feng's words, Zhao Ze finally blurted out his true intentions in a rush: "Young Master Lin, we've run into a snag. We can't purchase weapons and equipment abroad, and the Iraqi government is being threatened by Western nations, leaving them unable to sell armaments to us. Do you have any channels on your end to resolve this issue?"

Lin Feng fell silent upon hearing this. The problem was indeed extremely sensitive, and even he did not possess the vast influence required to immediately promise a solution.

During Lin Feng's silence, Zhao Ze assumed he was placing him in an impossible position and quickly apologized in embarrassment: "Young Master Lin, if there's no way, it doesn't matter. Don't stress yourself over it; I'll figure something out abroad."

"You really are getting more long-winded by the day. Fine, that's enough. Wait for my call, I'll think of a way." Without waiting for a response, Lin Feng abruptly uttered those words and hung up, terminating the call.

With the call ended, Lin Feng paced back and forth near the laboratory, his head pounding as he racked his brains for any possible method to help Zhao Ze resolve the weapons shortage. He understood Zhao Ze well; the man would never have reached out unless he had truly hit an insurmountable wall. Moreover, this directly concerned the expansion of Lin Feng's overseas influence, meaning he had to do everything in his power.

"Idiot, doesn't your Lin family wield massive influence domestically? Your grandfather has enormous clout, and your eldest uncle is in charge of weapons and equipment research. Besides, don't forget Old Master Xie; he is the Minister of National Defense. These are all resources—why aren't you utilizing them?" Mo Tian's voice resonated from within the jade pendant, breaking the silence to guide the troubled Lin Feng.

"Sigh, you think I don't know all that? But we don't have any bargaining chips to negotiate with them. How can negotiations proceed under such conditions?" Lin Feng helplessly lifted the jade pendant hanging from his chest and retorted to Mo Tian inside.

"Who says we don't have bargaining chips? We have plenty of items to trade with them. Don't forget who I am—I hail from the Federation Plane. The technology on this planet of yours is far too primitive; any random piece of weaponry I toss out will be more than enough for you to negotiate with the state." Mo Tian replied with a tone of utter disdain.

Those words finally jolted Lin Feng awake. Excitedly, he brought the jade pendant to his lips and planted a fierce kiss on it. Turning around, he strode back into the laboratory, grabbed his laptop, and rushed out to drive toward the Zhanhai City Airport.

Lin Feng needed to fly to Yanjing immediately; this matter could not be adequately explained over the phone and required a face-to-face discussion with the top government bosses.

While driving, Lin Feng pulled out his phone, dialed Xia Ruoxi, and said, "Ruoxi, an urgent matter has come up requiring me to fly to Yanjing right away. I'm leaving immediately, just wanted to let you know." Without waiting for a reply, he hung up, effectively briefing her to prevent any unnecessary panic or worry from her inability to reach him.

His car swiftly arrived at the Yanjing Airport, and Lin Feng smoothly boarded the earliest flight bound for Yanjing.

Seated in the first-class cabin, Lin Feng immediately relaxed his mind, preparing to let Mo Tian take control of his body to replicate the design blueprints of a Federation-grade laser energy rifle. This plan had already been discussed and agreed upon between Lin Feng and Mo Tian during the drive to the airport.

Fortunately, the flight from Zhanhai City to Yanjing took three to four hours. Utilizing Lin Feng's body during this time, Mo Tian frantically pounded away at the laptop's keyboard, successfully completing the duplication of the energy rifle blueprints onto Lin Feng's computer just as the aircraft touched down.

Regaining control of his physical form, Lin Feng grabbed his luggage and walked through the Yanjing Airport terminal alongside the other passengers. Lowering his head, he spoke in a low murmur to confirm with Mo Tian inside the pendant: "Mo Tian, you're certain there are no flaws, right? If I present this thing and it turns out to be defective, I'm going to look like a complete fool."

"Rest assured! Anything produced by Mo Tian is guaranteed to be a masterpiece! The weapon I've provided you with will undoubtedly shock your nation's leadership to their core, making them willing to pay any price to trade with you." Knowing Lin Feng's lingering anxiety, Mo Tian offered a solemn guarantee from within the pendant.

Aside from Xia Ruoxi, no one else knew about Lin Feng's impromptu trip to Yanjing. Furthermore, Lin Yu was currently developing his career in Zhanhai City, meaning there was no one available in Yanjing to drive to the airport and pick him up.

Ultimately, Lin Feng had no choice but to hail a taxi back to the Lin family's residential compound in Yanjing. The taxi driver refused to drive any further when they were still a few kilometers away, claiming the area ahead was a restricted military zone. In the end, Lin Feng had to walk the final three kilometers on foot to reach the Lin family estate.

When Lin Feng appeared in the grand hall of the Lin family courtyard, Elder Lin happened to be present. Staring in absolute astonishment at the figure suddenly materializing in the doorway, the old man was left completely speechless by the abrupt arrival.