On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Chapter 1294: Stupid People with Lots of Money

Upon hearing Lin Zhen's question, the atmosphere on the bridge became lively.

"Gold! Your Highness!"

Elizabeth was the first to speak, her azure eyes gleaming with a primal desire for wealth.

"We just acquired the Iwami Silver Mine; the silver there is enough to buy ten East India Companies! If we send a few ships over, the governor will probably come and lick our boots in person!"

She gestured excitedly, as if she could already see the enemy bowing and scraping.

After listening, Lin Zhen tapped her knuckles lightly on the table and shook her head with a smile.

“Elizabeth, you underestimate your enemy.”

His voice was steady, carrying a calm that penetrated the surface.

"The East India Company was a war machine disguised as a merchant, and the wealth they accumulated through plunder was already astronomical."

"Gold and silver may make them envious, but they are not enough to make them lay down their weapons against a fleet of unknown origin."

Lin Zhen's gaze fell upon the enormous holographic geomantic map, his eyes growing deep and unfathomable.

"Moreover, behind them is the 'Nihilist Party,' a group of madmen who attempt to steal the origin of the world, and worldly wealth is meaningless in their eyes."

Elizabeth's fervor cooled; she realized she had been oversimplifying things.

Yue Fei, standing to the side, pondered for a moment, his gaze falling on the marker of the "Victory" ship's wreckage on the geomantic map, and said:

"Your Highness, since money won't work, then let's draw our swords."

"We can tow the defeated enemy ships to the port of Novobadavia and show them our strength. Absolute force will be enough to instill fear in them and prevent them from making any rash moves. Then, when we talk about trade, they will have no grounds to refuse."

This is the mindset of a general: using strength to create the right to negotiate.

But Lin Zhen still shook his head.

"General Yue, this method is inappropriate."

"Our purpose in this trip is to conduct an infiltration investigation, not to show off our military strength."

“Dragging the corpses of their companions to knock on the door is not intimidation, it is blatant provocation.”

“If we do that, we won’t even be able to get close to the port, and we’ll be met with a saturation attack from the coastal defense artillery.”

Yue Fei frowned, lost in thought.

If bribery fails, coercion will only alert the enemy.

What key is needed to open that gate to New Batavia?

The bridge fell silent for a moment.

Just then, a clear and pleasant voice rang out, breaking the deadlock.

“My lord, Elizabeth and General Yue’s ideas are actually the two most important pieces of the puzzle.”

Murong Yan, who had been quietly nestled beside Lin Zhen, spoke slowly.

All eyes immediately turned to her.

She was still wearing that phoenix-adorned gown today. The dark black brocade dress didn't look out of place in the futuristic bridge; instead, the extreme contrast gave rise to a timeless majesty and beauty. The giant phoenix embroidered in gold thread on the hem of the dress seemed to possess a penetrating power, its eyes gleaming as she moved.

"They just haven't found a way to perfectly put these two puzzle pieces together."

Murong Yan walked to the holographic map, and with her fair, jade-like fingers, she gently drew a route on the screen that pointed directly to Neo-Batavia.

"The 'Nihilists' are searching for the 'core of the world,' which shows that they have a morbid craving for all powerful, unknown, and special 'objects.'"

"And we happen to have two 'treasures' that they cannot refuse."

Her gaze first fell on the direction of the interrogation room, where a blonde female officer was being held.

"The first is a living, direct heir from the Rothschild family in the 'second quadrant'."

Then, her fingertips landed on the map, on the marker for the wreckage of the "Victory".

"The second one is a warship that we defeated with overwhelming force and that was equipped with what they called 'divinely gifted technology'."

"Oh my God……"

Upon hearing this, Elizabeth's blue eyes shone with a light of sudden enlightenment, a mixture of shock and fervent adoration!

She finally understood why this seemingly aloof Eastern empress could win the heart of a god-like prince.

This vision and wisdom are unfathomable!

"Yan'er, what we think is exactly the same."

Lin Zhen's face was filled with undisguised pride and doting affection. He stepped forward, pulled Murong Yan into his arms, and, following her words, began to fully unfold the entire plan.

"Our new identity is no longer that of businessmen."

“We are a mysterious, secluded kingdom from the East, possessing power no less than, and perhaps even surpassing, that of the ‘Nihilistic Party’.”

"In a chance conflict, we defeated another faction of the 'Nihilism Party' and won a great victory."

"We captured their warships and took their commander prisoner."

“We came to New Batavia precisely to ‘sell’ these priceless ‘spoils’!”

"We need to find a new, equally powerful partner who is hostile to the faction we defeated!"

As Lin Zhen spoke, the corners of his mouth curved into a playful yet dangerous smile.

"You guys say it."

"Faced with a group of 'cross-river dragons' like us, who not only flexed their muscles but also brought 'pledges of allegiance' and actively offered themselves up for cooperation."

"That arrogant governor, and the greedy 'nihilists' behind him."

What will they choose?

"They will pounce on us without hesitation, like vultures smelling carrion!"

Elizabeth blurted out, her azure eyes gleaming with bloodthirsty excitement, as if she could already see the face of the new governor of Batavia, a face etched with greed and scheming.

"Yes."

Lin Zhen snapped his fingers, his voice carrying a hint of cold laughter.

"They will not only open their doors to us, but they will even lay out red carpets and greet us with the highest level of hospitality, as they see us as 'fat sheep from the East' carrying priceless treasures!"

"At that time, we will enter that city of sin without shedding a drop of blood."

"Then……"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and said, word by word, "Let's play a deadly game of cat and mouse with them!"

Upon hearing this, the air inside the bridge seemed to grow colder.

As everyone watched the two peerless empresses working together so seamlessly, deciding the fate of a vast colonial power with a few words, they felt a pang of genuine pity for their enemy for the first time.

The plan is finalized.

The massive Zhenyuan fleet did not head straight for New Batavia, but instead, led by Elizabeth, sailed like a ghost into a natural labyrinth of countless islands and reefs deep in the South Seas.

This place will become the fleet's main base and support.

Lin Zhen personally selected three Fujian ships captured from the Japanese fleet and entrusted them to Elizabeth's most cunning craftsmen for modification.

The sturdy hull of the Oriental Fortune Ship was painted in dazzling gold and red, exuding a nouveau riche ostentation.

The addition of Western-style triangular sails made it look out of place.

The bow of the ship is adorned with a flamboyant dragon head statue made of pure gold, as if proclaiming to the world, "Foolish people, rich people, come quickly."

Yue Fei and his most elite veteran soldiers of the Shenji Battalion changed into exotic warrior costumes sewn with black silk, playing the role of the royal guard of the "Kunlun Kingdom".

The iron-willed general looked at his attire and felt extremely awkward, as if he had been forced into a theatrical troupe. His face was filled with helplessness.

But military orders are absolute, and he had to obey.