Who would still be a social slave when they are so rich?

Upon hearing the word "port," a look of horror flashed across the eyes of both Grandpa Xiao and Grandpa Jiang almost simultaneously.

They never expected that Su Chen's thinking would be so sharp. You have to know that this plan was finalized by the think tank after more than two hours of repeated deliberation. Old Master Xiao had not mentioned this matter in the previous phone call, yet Su Chen guessed their intentions in an instant.

That insight alone is quite frightening.

Su Chen didn't look at the changes on the faces of the two old men. He knew that they must be shocked beyond words.

He calmly picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup of tea, took a small sip, and then continued:
"If I'm not mistaken, the reason these two old gentlemen are in such a hurry for me to return is probably because of the new port I built in Venezuela, right?"

“If I remember correctly, Venezuela’s largest oil reserves are in Lake Maracaibo, and the port I built is in Coro, which is located right on the important hub connecting Lake Maracaibo to the Caribbean Sea.”

“It can not only serve as a transit point for freight,” Su Chen said, putting down his teacup and looking at the two old men with a half-smile, “it can also be developed into a military base.”

As soon as Su Chen finished speaking, the study fell into a brief silence, with only the faint sound of the wind coming from outside the window.

Grandpa Xiao and Grandpa Jiang exchanged a glance, both seeing disbelief and a hint of embarrassment at having their cards exposed in each other's eyes.

They had prepared a lot of arguments beforehand, and even tried to paint a rosy picture for Su Chen, but they never expected Su Chen to analyze their fundamental situation so accurately, leaving them speechless for a moment.

However, the two old men were men who had experienced many ups and downs, and they quickly recovered from their shock. Old Master Jiang was the first to break the silence, smiling as he raised his right index finger and pointed at Su Chen.
"Good lad, when Old Man Xiao called you a little fox, I thought he was just praising you in front of me. Now it seems he was underestimating you. What little fox? You're a real old fox!"

Upon hearing this, Su Chen chuckled and replied with a smug look, "I'll take it all as a compliment from Grandpa Jiang!"

"You, you~" Old Master Jiang shook his head helplessly. He could see that Su Chen was a shrewd and clever kid. If it were someone who had been in the business world for many years, they would have denied it long ago.

After all, who would want to be called an old fox in the eyes of two great old men? That would mean having to be on guard all the time.

But Su Chen did the opposite, which made Grandpa Jiang very happy.

"Alright, old man Jiang, if you keep praising him, do you believe this guy's fox tail will swirl in the sky, and he'll walk with his head on the ground!"

At this moment, Old Master Xiao interrupted the two's "joking around," saying that if they continued chatting, they didn't know when they would finish dealing with serious matters.

Upon hearing this, Old Master Jiang's smile faded, and he said seriously, "Time waits for no one. Let's talk about serious matters first. We don't have much time left."

Grandpa Xiao picked up the thread and continued, "Xiao Chen, what you said earlier is indeed correct. The reason we asked you to come back to the capital to discuss this is about the port you built in Koro. According to the information I have, you built this port according to military-grade standards."

“Hmm~” Su Chen nodded slightly. “Before, considering the security of that resource island and the future needs for transporting oil, I had Raymond set up an IPS branch in Coro.”

Upon hearing that the port was indeed of military grade, Grandpa Xiao and Grandpa Jiang breathed a slight sigh of relief. After all, time was short and they had only gathered a general overview of the information. They were not very clear about the specific details and needed to confirm them with Su Chen.

"I won't go into the specifics of the plan; you probably already have a general idea. Let's talk about something more practical!" Old Master Xiao tapped his finger lightly on the wooden armrest.

"When I called you before, I also told you that we were preparing to get involved. We have already reached a private agreement with Venezuela to move into Lake Maracaibo and build two mining platforms there. Your port will then become crucial!"

"Of course... we won't take it for nothing. In addition to oil, Venezuela also has abundant mineral resources. We can communicate with the Venezuelan side in this regard and open the door to convenience for your IPS."

Su Chen naturally understood why his port was so important. It was in Latin America, just across the Caribbean Sea from North America, where the bald eagle was located. If there were a military port there, even if it was only for resupply, it could deter certain people.

But Su Chen quickly realized a serious problem. He looked at the two old men with a solemn expression and said, "The port is fine, but... old men, the matter in the southern sea is not over yet, is it? Do we still have the strength to expand overseas?"

He remembered that the authorities had deployed all available fleets in the country to the southern seas, including even the newly launched and untested warships of the Darian.

What other fleets are being deployed to Venezuela? Are they planning to send street thugs there instead?
He just hangs around someone's doorstep every day with a few balls on his head, not for anything else, but just to annoy them?

That's definitely not right. The old man and his team have already made moves in Venezuela. They've said they've arranged for a platform to be deployed to Lake Maracaibo. They certainly won't be making small-scale moves!
Upon hearing this, both Grandpa Xiao and Grandpa Jiang smiled. They could see that Su Chen didn't really understand the situation in Venezuela or even Latin America. Thinking about it, that made sense. If you don't get involved in politics, how could you possibly have the time to understand it?

"The situation in the southern seas is indeed not over yet, but there won't be much change in the near future. The bald eagles will withdraw in a month, or even half a month at most. As for your question about whether they have the strength..."

Old Master Xiao's gaze shifted, a relaxed expression on his face as he said, "We are simply engaging in economic cooperation and will not participate in any of their domestic struggles. Besides... there are plenty of people who are anxious!"

These cryptic words left Su Chen completely bewildered; he couldn't understand what Old Master Xiao meant at all.

The "getting involved" thing I mentioned before was the economic cooperation the old man talked about? And what's even more urgent, that's Latin America, who else has the strength to get involved?
Seeing Su Chen's confused expression, the two old men exchanged a smile. They were finally relieved to see him looking so embarrassed.

Grandpa Xiao picked up his teacup and took a sip before explaining slowly, "You only focus on the pieces on the chessboard, forgetting to consider the overall situation!"

The old man tapped his finger lightly on the coffee table. “You need to understand that the situation in Venezuela is not just about us and the Bald Eagle.”

At this moment, Old Master Jiang chimed in, lowering his voice slightly: "Do you think that just because Venezuela has the world's largest oil reserves, no conglomerates or countries are eyeing it? With such a huge piece of meat right here, who wouldn't be tempted?"

"Why is it only now that the bald eagle is thinking of personally taking action against him?"

Upon hearing this, Su Chen couldn't help but roll his eyes. The old man was still keeping him in suspense even after he had already said all that. Wasn't he just taking advantage of the fact that Su Chen didn't understand these complicated international relations?

Grandpa Jiang naturally saw Su Chen's expression and understood that if he continued to beat around the bush, he would probably get a few more eye rolls. So he explained, "Ahem~ Although our relationship with Venezuela is not bad, the one who is really anxious is the bear in the north. If he watches the bald eagle take action against Venezuela and does nothing, I'm afraid the bear's years of planning in Latin America will be gone."

“That’s right!” Old Master Xiao nodded in agreement. “The bald eagle’s move is to test the bottom line of the bear while wanting oil. If the bear wants to preserve its long-standing plans, it will naturally have to step forward!”

"Our involvement, ostensibly for economic cooperation, is actually sending a deterrent signal to the bald eagle."

Su Chen instantly realized, "So... we don't need to send many fleets. As long as we control the most crucial point—Lake Maracaibo—and the ports near the estuary, we'll be invincible." "If the Bald Eagle wants to attack us, it's essentially forcing us to join the Bear's camp, which will only give the Bald Eagle more headaches. If they don't attack us, we can openly and legitimately conduct economic cooperation!"

"All we gave up were two mining platforms and a port, but in return we gained substantial resource benefits and a strategic layout for the future!"

Once they establish a foothold in Venezuela, they can quickly transform Su Chen's existing military-grade pier into an overseas military base, which would provide greater protection for China's future interests in Latin America.

"You get it right away!" Old Master Jiang clapped his hands and laughed, his eyes full of praise. "The main force of the fleet will naturally still be stationed in the southern waters to stabilize the overall situation. As for Venezuela, we only need to symbolically send a capable 'security' team to protect our interests in Lake Maracaibo."

"Just send two fleets out for 'friendly exchanges' to patrol the area regularly from time to time! As for the rest, someone will naturally fill the other gaps!"

Su Chen took a deep breath; he now fully understood the profound meaning behind it.

This goes far beyond a simple commercial game; it is a strategic alliance and cooperation between major powers. His newly built Corro Hill has inadvertently become a lever to influence the global energy landscape and geopolitics.

He truly became what Archimedes described as, "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world!"
Isn't Su Chen the same now?

Su Chen's face broke into that familiar, slightly sly smile again as he picked up the teapot and refilled the two old men's teacups.

Seeing Su Chen's appearance, how could the two old men not see what he was planning? He had figured things out and was now thinking about how to get his hands on the piece of fat that was about to be eaten?

As expected, Su Chen put down the teapot and chuckled, then looked at the two old men with a smile and asked, "Gentlemen, what do you think about how to handle this port? Should it be handed over to you directly, or should my people manage it openly while you are in charge secretly?"

Grandpa Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly. He had a strange feeling that Su Chen was up to no good, so he didn't rush to give Su Chen an answer. Even Grandpa Jiang, who was about to speak, was stopped by a look from him.

He knew Su Chen too well and always felt that Su Chen was plotting something.

After taking a sip of tea, Old Master Xiao slowly said, "Tell me your thoughts first. If they are feasible, we will do as you say."

Upon hearing this, Su Chen unconsciously rubbed his teacup with his fingers. He didn't remain silent for long before replying, "Actually, it doesn't matter. Anyway, I built this port for the sake of my resource island and the IPS branch!"

“But if your oil extraction in Lake Maracaibo gets on track, you will definitely set up a dedicated oil reserve base and refinery. Anyway, we have a cooperation, so the oil extracted from the resource island can be sent directly there, which will save a lot of trouble.”

"If I hand over the port to you, it will save me a lot of trouble. After all, you have a close relationship with Venezuela, which will make things much easier for you!"

"Furthermore... if IPS's manpower were freed up from the port, they could be better engaged in Venezuela's vast and boundless mineral resources, wouldn't you say, Mr. Xiao!"

As he finished speaking, Su Chen looked at Old Master Xiao with a slight smile on his lips.

This time, Su Chen didn't resort to any tricks; instead, he directly stated his thoughts.

"He who eats another's food is bound to him; he who takes another's money is bound to him"—this is an age-old truth. Since the higher-ups have taken a liking to his port, there must be a corresponding price to pay for it. Similarly, it's good to take shelter under a big tree.

With tall people standing in front, all you have to do is work hard behind them!
"You little rascal!" Old Master Xiao looked at Su Chen with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. He had figured out what Su Chen was up to: how to maximize profits and... save trouble.

To put it bluntly, the idea is to have them act as "oxen and horses" while they hide behind and happily count their money.

“We’ll do it your way. The port of Koro will be handed over to us, and we will be in full charge of it. However, it will still be nominally under the name of IPS. This way, we can avoid provoking certain people and also expand IPS’s influence in the local area!”

"Furthermore... I hope you can have your IPS team assist us in managing the initial related matters and stabilizing the relevant industries. This way, you can fully focus on mineral resources!"

Su Chen thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. He understood that he couldn't pocket all the benefits; there would always be some price to pay.

"Let's do as you say, sir!"

After reaching a preliminary agreement, Su Chen was basically not involved in the rest. The three of them chatted casually, and Su Chen learned from the two old men that the reason they got involved, besides energy interests, was to keep the United States in Venezuela and give its country enough time to develop.

Following this incident in the southern seas, the central government has set the tone for a shift in development focus, moving from improving people's livelihoods to developing the military industry.

Su Chen could already foresee that there would be a major surge in domestic military development in the next few years.

This gave Su Chen a new idea...

Just then, Xiao Chen strode into the study. Seeing the two old men chatting and laughing with Su Chen, he knew they had finished their business and immediately said, "Grandpa, the late-night snack is ready. Why don't you eat and chat at the same time?"

"Finally, we can eat! I'm starving!" Su Chen jumped up and patted his stomach with anticipation.

The two old men stood up with a smile. "Let's go, eat and chat. These old bones of mine, Old Man Jiang and I, need to replenish our energy!"

The group moved to the restaurant. There were no fancy dishes on the table, just a few simple, exquisite side dishes and a congee that looked quite elaborate. This catered to the appetites of the two old men and satisfied Su Chen's rumbling stomach.

Without needing anyone to take care of him, Su Chen served himself a bowl of porridge and began to eat it heartily. Seeing this, Grandpa Xiao and the others smiled and also picked up the porridge that Su Chen had served and began to eat it in small bites.

Halfway through the meal, Su Chen suddenly asked, "Brother Chen, are you free tomorrow? If you are, how about we go out and have some fun to relax?"

Xiao Chen, who had just sat down, hadn't expected Su Chen to pull this stunt. After a brief moment of surprise, he nodded and agreed, "Okay~ I'll come to the courtyard to find you tomorrow!"

Su Chen nodded without saying anything and continued to eat.

Seeing this, Grandpa Xiao and Grandpa Jiang exchanged a glance, a hint of relief flashing in their eyes. (End of Chapter)