Chapter 66: Exotic Beauty!

"Mr. Lin, who is it that you wish to meet?"

Old Du wore a flattering smile, his expression carrying that subtle nuance only men truly understand.

"Even if it's the hottest female star in Hollywood, the moment you give the word, I'll have her right here in your room tonight!"

Lin Ran raised an eyebrow.

Having been entirely preoccupied with grand strategies beforehand, he genuinely hadn't considered this aspect yet.

Still... since Old Du was so accommodating... it wouldn't do to dampen the enthusiasm of a business partner.

"Ahem,"

Lin Ran cleared his throat.

"That's not urgent. We can talk about it tonight."

"Yes, yes, yes! Understood! I'll make sure everything is properly arranged!" Old Du was over the moon, nodding and bowing repeatedly.

Physical needs were needs too. Satisfying the financial backer's desires was his top priority.

"Mr. Lin, who is it that you actually want to meet?" Old Du reined in his thoughts and asked respectfully.

Lin Ran smiled faintly and slowly uttered, "General Mac!"

The two powerful figures he had previously selected for cooperation were Old Du and, secondly, Old Mac.

Old Du had found himself in a political dead end, and Old Mac was faring no better, having retired and idling at home.

To dabble in the arms trade, one simply had to have connections within the military.

Lin Ran considered Old Mac an excellent candidate for partnership.

"Gen... General Mac?"

The flattering smile on Old Du's face instantly froze, and his brow furrowed into a knot.

"Mr. Lin, General Mac... he belongs to the Republican Party, not our faction."

Old Du was a Democrat, while Old Mac was a Republican; they were not cut from the same cloth.

Lin Ran smiled slightly. "What, do you think I can't do business with someone from the Republican Party?"

"No, no, no!"

Old Du hurriedly waved his hands.

"It's just... I'm just concerned that General Mac, he has an awfully big ego! With his illustrious family background, he looks down on everyone... Even though he's retired right now, that arrogance of his..."

Lin Ran waved his hand dismissively. "What the hell illustrious family background? Just ask him if he likes money and whether he wants to return to active service, that's all!"

"You're entirely right! I'll contact him right away!"

Old Du nodded repeatedly.

In truth, if he could rope General Mac into the cooperation, it would also be a great boon for Old Du himself.

Right in front of Lin Ran, Old Du made several consecutive phone calls and finally got through to Old Mac.

After a lengthy exchange of chatter, Old Du hung up the phone with an excited expression.

"Mr. Lin, it's settled! General Mac said he's very interested and is rushing over right now. He's expected to arrive early tomorrow morning."

Lin Ran nodded.

He knew full well that no one could resist the temptation of money.

And if there was someone who could, you simply added power to the mix!

Old Du put down the phone, his face once again blooming with an enthusiastic smile.

"Mr. Lin, it happens to be lunchtime. Would you allow me to play the gracious host? The finest steakhouse in Missouri..."

Seeing Old Du's almost obsequious expression, Lin Ran wasn't surprised in the least.

***

Officials in the Eagle Nation were entirely different from those back home.

Take Old Du, for instance; just a few years ago, he was merely an ordinary salesman.

It wasn't until he met a wealthy benefactor that he stepped into the political arena.

As for his original benefactor, that person was currently behind bars. If Old Du failed to win the upcoming senatorial election, he might very well have to go back to selling things.

Therefore, toward Lin Ran, Old Du displayed one hundred and twenty percent enthusiasm—even bordering on subservience.

Lin Ran gladly rose to his feet. He was also curious to see what the Eagle Nation of 1939 truly looked like.

And by the way... to go for a proper ride on a tall horse.

***

Early the next morning.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

Old Du tapped carefully on the door.

"Mr. Lin, are you awake? General Mac is almost here."

Lin Ran opened his eyes and rubbed his head.

With Li Yunlong's side, the Eagle Nation's side, and the real world, the time differences had become absolute chaos.

He pushed away the snow-white, smooth, long leg draped over his body.

Old Du certainly delivered on his word; when he said Hollywood star, he meant a Hollywood star.

Though she probably wasn't a major celebrity.

Lin Ran didn't recognize her name either.

The only starlet he actually knew from that era was Marilyn Monroe.

Yet that particular person was apparently still just a young girl of thirteen or fourteen right now.

Getting up from the oversized Simmons mattress, Lin Ran glanced back.

A minor star was still a star.

Especially in this era, devoid of beauty filters and digital retouching—everything was completely authentic!

The foreign beauty had also woken up and snuggled close to him.

"Lin, you were amazing!"

Lin Ran shook his head.

The exact same words had been spoken to him on different beds, by countless different women.

Well, consider it contributing to the glory of the nation.

Dressed and groomed, Lin Ran opened the door.

Old Du had been waiting for a long time.

"Lin, General Mac is almost here. Should we go to the station to welcome him?"

Lin Ran shook his head. "No need, just wait right here."

These foreigners all shared the exact same temperament; the more polite you were, the more they would presume upon your kindness and climb over your head.

And yet, deep within our own bones, we carried the traditional virtues of gentleness, courtesy, restraint, and yielding—which, more often than not, inadvertently fueled the arrogance of the other side.

Lin Ran had no intention of spoiling them with such tolerance.

There were roughly hundreds of thousands of Chinese people in the Eagle Nation now, and since he had guns, cannons, and big mushrooms in his hands, what was there to be afraid of?

He wouldn't even feel any heartache if the whole place got smashed to pieces.

Seeing Lin Ran's attitude, Old Du felt somewhat surprised.

In his impression, those Chinese people were never like this.

Yet, recalling the clamor that had echoed through half the night, he immediately understood.

"Lin, you're different from the other Chinese people," Old Du remarked.

Lin Ran smiled. "What, must Chinese people always grovel before you white lords?"

"Hahaha, Lin, you know I didn't mean that."

Old Du laughed heartily.

Between men, there were certain bonds forged through shared experiences.

By finding him a Hollywood star last night, Old Du felt they had forged one such bond.

Their relationship was now somewhat closer, and exchanging a bit of banter did no harm at all.

Without paying any further heed to the white man, Lin Ran walked straight toward the dining room.

After finishing a breakfast of milk and eggs, Old Mac arrived precisely on time.

Inside Old Du's office.

Looking at the arrogant middle-aged man wearing dark sunglasses, biting down on a pipe, and putting on airs, Lin Ran's lips curved slightly upward.

If he had truly been that proud, he wouldn't have rushed over overnight.

This old fellow was a genuine careerist at heart.

After a round of intense bargaining and verbal sparring, Lin Ran offered the exact same terms:

A 5 percent stake in the pharmaceutical factory, along with a 5 percent sales commission on that ton of penicillin powder.

The three parties—Lin Ran, Old Du, and Old Mac—officially reached an agreement.

"Lin, do you really think the little Japanese will attack our mainland in a little over a year?"

Old Mac was extremely intrigued by this prospect.

It directly concerned whether he could return to active service.

Given his age, he had already retired.

Yet should a war break out, all rules could be broken.

Lin Ran smiled faintly. "Perhaps... it won't even take that long!"

The reason the little Japanese would launch a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor was precisely because they kept making no headway on the mainland battlefield, causing all kinds of internal conflicts and contradictions to erupt within their imperial headquarters.

That was why they intended to pivot toward invading Southeast Asia.

However, prior to that, they had to eliminate the Eagle Nation's navy to secure their rear.

With him in the picture now, the little Japanese would find things even more difficult on the mainland battlefield.

The outbreak of the Pacific War would only happen all the sooner.

Old Mac stared at Lin Ran for a moment, then nodded.

"Very well, I believe you!"

He then added, "I will help you contact buyers for the penicillin as soon as possible, but I want a quantity of at least 500 kilograms!"

Old Du also chimed in eagerly, "I want 500 kilograms as well. Finding buyers won't be a problem."

Lin Ran smiled.

Split evenly between the two political factions—that was just fine.

"Then I'll leave it in both of your hands!"