Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 2691 The Eight Banners of Britain (First Update, Please Subscribe)
To play a greater and more active role.

This is precisely the good news that Thatcher brought here—or rather, a lure.

The Commonwealth, while preserving the face of the British Empire, is, in a sense, merely a facade.

In name, it preserved the British Empire to a certain extent.

But what is this Commonwealth?
Countries with diverse backgrounds have different economic and political systems.

Within the Commonwealth, there are distinctions between close and distant relationships.

The same is true in this world as it is in another world.

With the addition of SEA, many things have changed. The situation in the Kingdom of East Africa is somewhat special, after all, its king is the son of the Queen of England.

However, such hierarchical distinctions are unavoidable in any case.

And where does the SEA, which is not a white-majority country, stand within the Commonwealth?

The British seem to be in a superior position, just like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, since economic status determines the superstructure.

His economic situation and strength determined his position.

After all, this world has always been about strength, and over the years, Britain has long been accustomed to it – we have the SEA.

Whenever SEA is mentioned, even old Londoners will say in a very authentic tone – “Those are our people!”
Those who are genuine Upper Three Banners, with the Heaven-reaching mark on their foreheads, are the most authentic!
The reason why they are willing to "raise the flag" is because the face of the British Empire is entirely supported by the SEA.

Besides, Princess Margaret is there too!

We are all one family.

And what about Li Yi'an?
As for the British Empire, that would be even more lucrative. Of course, he wouldn't mind directly possessing it at the appropriate time in the future.

Since England is unable to shoulder the heavy responsibility, SEA doesn't mind taking on more burdens for Great Britain!
After all, the world belongs to those with virtue.

Whether Great Britain has virtue or not is not important; what is important is that the SEA has more virtue than Great Britain!

This couldn't be kept secret, of course. In fact, London was well aware that the SEA couldn't simply be the second Commonwealth.

So, how should the UK and the SEA maintain this federation in the future, and how should they continue to get along?
This has been a topic of discussion among some political commentators in London.

After all, the SEA's economic size and population are there, and the gap between it and the UK is widening.

In such situations, problems are always unavoidable.

Some people even said with great concern, "One day, my Great Britain will be dyed yellow."

While some people were concerned about the country and its people, most Britons were not particularly resistant, after all, they had become accustomed to the SEA over the decades.

They were used to the honors that SEA brought them and to regarding it as one of the closest members of the Commonwealth.

In fact, when it comes to pragmatism, Great Britain has always been pragmatic. They never limit themselves to saving face, but rather focus on reality.

That's why Thatcher created this candy; it was meant to further strengthen the connection between the two.

"To play a greater and more active role..."

Faced with Thatcher's offer of a sweet deal, Li Yi'an simply smiled and then said directly:

"The time is not right yet. The most important thing now is for Britain to get out of its current economic slump."

You see, Boss Li is always very considerate. Since you say the economy is the most important thing, let's solve the economic problem first.

As for what you said about playing a greater role, is that important? It's very important, but it's not important at all right now.

Because the timing isn't right.

If one is to possess another's body, then there must at least be certain prerequisites for possession.

For example, reaching a certain proportion of the population. Just like turning London into Greentown.

First, the population must reach a certain proportion before possession can occur.

Twisted melons are not sweet.

Moreover, compared to the current attempt to seize control of the UK, Li Yi'an prefers Australia. After all, Australia already has more than 100 million SEA citizens, and it is foreseeable that in the near future, Australia will change from a white Australia to a yellow Australia.

However, all of this will take time. It may take another thirty years to take over Australia. When Australia is "yellowed" and when SEA people make up 50% or more of Australia's population, then even if you don't try to take over, that "owner" will be yours.

As for the UK, it will take at least 50 years, and that would require ensuring that the SEA's fertility rate remains at its current level.

Only in this way will more SEA people immigrate to the UK in the future.

After all, Britain is a vast country with a sparse population, and given the close relationship between the two countries, it would be perfectly normal for immigration between them to continue in the future.

"Economically, we have always been very concerned about the British economy, and I am very willing to provide some assistance to the UK in this regard. Moreover, we have been increasing our investment in the UK over the years."

Li Yi'an wasn't just being polite; he was stating a fact. The fact is that over the past decade or so, the SEA has gradually replaced the United States as the UK's largest source of foreign investment.

To a certain extent, this is also necessary for possession – first, a corresponding economic possession must be carried out before further development can occur.

"It is common knowledge that you have always supported the UK. Thank you very much for your continued support."

Margaret Thatcher sincerely stated that the importance of the SEA to Britain was evident to all, not only because it maintained the reputation of the British Empire, but more importantly because of the substantial financial investment.

Even if Downing Street doesn't always like Li, it still has to like Chang'an's investments. As for disliking him, it's simply because he sometimes criticizes Britain.

For example, regarding immigration, during the war, Britain's "Imperial Citizenship Era" granted Commonwealth citizens the right to free entry, leading to a large influx of immigrants from the Caribbean and South Asia to address post-war labor shortages. However, the terrorist attacks on the royal palace caused Britain to tighten its immigration policies, restricting Commonwealth immigration and introducing work permits. Of course, SEA citizens are not included in this; Britain has separate entry treaties with the SEA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, granting them the right to free entry.

However, with policies continuously tightening, every time the Labour Party comes to power, it grants amnesty to illegal immigrants and relaxes restrictions on family-based immigration.

Therefore, Chang'an would accuse it of being short-sighted, saying that London, because of the Labour Party, is becoming a curry-flavored London.

Each time such accusations are made, they spark protests in London and even throughout the UK. There's no way around it; old Londoners don't like the taste of curry.

Actually, whether you like it or not depends on what they say on TV. If the TV hosts say they don't like it, old London definitely won't like it either.

Those Indians... do they deserve to be Londoners?

In short, not everyone in London likes Chang'an, and one thing is for sure: the Labour Party certainly doesn't like it here.

In fact, Li Yi'an never cared whether they liked him or not. He only cared about one thing—not letting others beat him to it.

After all, he knew very well how Britain had been gradually taken over by others in the 21st century.

So, what about immigration policies and illegal immigration?

Although these things happened in London, he had always been very concerned about them.

In fact, even his current military action against Lebanon, besides the oil pipeline, has another reason: to prevent a potential future influx of refugees.

In the future, the SEA will establish its sphere of influence in the Middle East, encompassing Lebanon, southern Syria, Iraq, and Iran, after which the situation in the Middle East will tend to stabilize.

The remaining issue is to stabilize the situation and ensure long-term stability in all countries, including Libya, which would naturally prevent a refugee crisis.

As long as there is no refugee crisis, Britain cannot be taken over by others, including other European countries.

Therefore, sometimes, Li Yi'an even felt that a hundred years from now, Europeans should put up a sign for themselves, because they are the true defenders of European civilization!

Of course, Europeans of that era were unaware of this, just as even decades later, they were still unaware of the threat of possession.

They couldn't see it, and neither could Thatcher. Her primary concern at that moment was the economy; the issue of illegal immigration... was merely a trivial matter.
"But relying solely on overseas investment is not enough to revitalize the British economy. If the British economy wants to revitalize itself, it must focus on its own development."

Subsequently, Margaret Thatcher once again expressed her ideas, such as reforming state-owned enterprises and laying off workers.

Yes, that's why when Thatcher died, British pubs were packed with people, and millions cheered.

When she left 10 Downing Street, she told her daughter, "Carole, I think I definitely have a place in history."

Yes, when it comes to attracting hatred, no one can compare to her. When she died, the pubs in England were sold out of drinks, just like the English football team winning the World Cup.

"...Therefore, for the foreseeable future, I believe Britain should focus more on its own economic affairs than on other things!"

Finally, just as Li Yi'an had guessed, the Iron Lady made her request. Although she was not the Prime Minister, she wanted to use this as her political achievement to tell the British that she had ended the war.

In short, politicians will use everything. Their approach to war differs depending on their status.

While the Labour Party used the War on Terror to win public support, the Iron Lady's Conservative Party turned to the economy.

Therefore, who is tough and who is cowardly is always determined by their position.

"So, Mary, you mean..."

Looking at the other person, Li Yi'an asked in return:
"It means withdrawing from military operations in the Middle East."

"Do not."

The Iron Lady said:
"This war on terror started because of Britain, and Britain must win, and victory requires Syria to withdraw from northern Lebanon. Your Excellency, we need victory, but we need to win it in the shortest possible time."

Then she looked directly at Li Yi'an and said in a firm tone:

"Therefore, I hope that Your Excellency can shift your focus to Syria, rather than Saigon. Saigon is certainly important to you, but as everyone knows, Thang Long will not back down before a decisive ground victory, even if you bomb for 200 days and drop a million tons of bombs!"
But in Syria… they will raise their hands.”

When she said "raise your hands," the Iron Lady emphasized her words. In response to her judgment, Li Yi'an said:
"Oh? Why is that?"

“Your Excellency, because what that lion needs is to maintain his rule. If our attack threatens his rule, then he will compromise immediately. Of course, from then on, we will become a more hateful enemy to them than Israel.”

The Iron Lady said with a smile:

"But that's not important. What's important is that they will compromise. I think that's why you didn't carry out the decapitation operation in Damascus. Because you need someone who will surrender, and dead people are worthless."

As the Iron Lady made this judgment, her eyes were fixed on Li Yi'an, and the scene of her first seeing him on television flashed through her mind. He was so handsome, still so now, and so young, even younger than her.

This is simply a miracle.

And the princess, she is so young, do they have some kind of elixir of immortality?

Li Yi'an was completely unaware of what the Iron Lady was thinking, but her analysis made him burst into laughter. He then greeted the Iron Lady and said:
“That’s right, your analysis is correct. The reason for keeping the lion is that he will surrender, but the problem is... I haven’t gotten what I want yet.”

This is why it has been delayed until now, because southern Syria is not yet fully under control. "Is it southern Syria?"

The Iron Lady stated bluntly:

“Sometimes, what we need doesn’t necessarily have to be obtained from the battlefield. If we have an advantage on the battlefield, we can get it at the negotiating table. Isn’t that why we keep it?”

For a moment, Li Yi'an was stunned, and he looked at the Iron Lady seriously.

This woman is really something else!

(End of this chapter)