Fatal Strike: Mercenary Road of Gunfire Ranger-Chapter 967 - 902: Entrustment

Sang Jia never expected Mountain Eagle to be so straightforward, even less so that his efficiency would be so high...

Looking at Mountain Eagle scrutinizing him, Sang Jia knew this was the critical moment. After a few minutes of organizing his thoughts, he straightened his back, looked into Mountain Eagle's eyes, and seriously said: "Our family owned a large copper mine in the Black Peak Mountain area during the South Alliance period...

However, because we supported the formation of the Northern Brigade, and Serbia has always sought to join the European Union, we were labeled as 'enemies' by the EU, and then our family members and assets became targets of sanctions.

The copper mine has been left idle there; we can't use the copper mine to finance mining, and even if we mine it, we can't sell it. We don't even have a way to sell the copper mine at a reasonable price.

Now, the Northern Brigade is on the brink of collapse. The split not only took away our manpower and funds but also our attention, so we can't get support from the outside world.

If this continues, the Northern Brigade won't last long, so I want to transfer part of the ownership of the copper mine and then gain continuous benefits from its subsequent development."

Mountain Eagle blinked at Sang Jia, somewhat incredulously saying, "Copper mine?

Does Serbia still have private copper mines?"

Mountain Eagle's surprise wasn't unfounded because, in his memory, several large copper mines in Serbia had already been acquired by Zijin Mining Group.

The Bo'er Copper Mine in Boer State, Serbia, was once the largest copper mine in Europe. Later, due to the war, the copper mine was abandoned, and the pollution caused by mining made it impossible for the Serbian government to restart mining.

Later, it was the East University Capital Mining Group that acquired the Bo'er Copper Mine, then invested hundreds of millions of dollars to remediate the pollution and restore the mining volume to peak levels.

Many find it hard to imagine that a single Bo'er Copper Mine contributes 3% to Serbia's annual GDP.

Moreover, Zijin Mining Group owns another copper mine of similar scale but higher quality within Serbia, which is the Chukalu Peji Copper Gold Mine.

Copper accounts for 78% of the value of the goods imported by East University from Serbia!

This data is quite astonishing, but a lot can be seen from this data...

East University is very strong, already the world leader in manufacturing scale in name and fact, and apart from a few top-tech products, East University has completed the construction of the entire industrial chain.

Strong?

Super strong!

But why is such a strong East University not welcomed on the outside?

Anyone who tells you that Easterners are very popular abroad is either very wealthy, encountering more good people, hence forming a survivor's bias, or is just imagining wildly.

There are language and cultural differences at play here, but there's one point many overlook or haven't realized...

East University's outward-oriented economic model inherently has a 'dumping' attribute.

This means that all countries with aspirations for independent industries naturally harbor anti-Eastern sentiments.

Why doesn't East University ever meddle in other countries' political policies? Because the political systems built on Europe and America's globalized ideology, aside from occasionally annoying East University with a few words, are actually beneficial to the development of a strong East University's outward-oriented economy.

Because the political and economic systems constructed under Western logic that allow for the free flow of capital naturally limit the industrial development of those countries.

When top talents in those countries all go into finance and politics and place their assets in Europe and America, their product markets will experience a vacuum.

This is why many countries reject East University but can't stay away from it!

For most countries, East University only requires your resources and agricultural products, then cheap agricultural products will flood into East University's market, while these resources transform into goods entering your market, competing with your local products.

The most critical point is that East University's products can always maintain a cost advantage.

As long as the competition is fair, even relatively fair, your own products will inevitably be wiped out.

Who can bear this?

Aside from some countries in Europe and America which can occupy upper positions in certain industrial technologies...

Looking globally, aside from the Middle Eastern oil princes and the impoverished Old Black in Africa, any country with development ambitions has very complex feelings towards East University, hence they behave extremely cautiously during trade and economic cooperation.

The influence competition between East University and the United States in terms of development models began to reverse only after the global financial crisis of 2008.

When the Federal Reserve flooded the world with US Dollars, other countries then realized that the old system they stuck to was unreliable, and accepting East University's aid and conditions was a whole new model.

Even so, many countries will still act capriciously, having accepted East University's aid, but once Europe and America beckon, they immediately abandon East University and run over with flattery.

It's hard for those living in East University to understand this mindset...

Before 2008, the aid and investment Europe and America provided to Third World countries always came with conditions, including resource transfer, market occupation, and, more importantly, demanding Third World countries to construct political systems per their requirements and accept their ideological inputs.

East University itself has experienced such stages, which led to the emergence of many high-ranking public intellectuals.

Similarly, when East University aids you, it builds bridges and opens trade routes merely to urge you to open up resources and markets.

It seems like perfect conditions are given, but in reality...

In summary, most of the time, Europe and America are 'buyer investors'. I lend you real money and technology. You must organize your political system according to my requirements and accept my cultural input, then, as a buyer market, I can place orders for mid-to-low-end industrial products produced on your soil.

Although most profits are taken by multinational corporations, the country indeed has foreign trade income, which it can use to purchase products and technology fitting its own needs and find ways to develop its own industries.

East University followed this path!

East University is a 'seller market'. I help build infrastructure; you sell me resources and allow my products to enter your market.

In periods when Europe and America could guarantee lip service and substantial benefits, East University's model had little appeal to most countries, except those even poorer nations that Europeans and Americans disdained.

East University has proven countless times that as long as it's industrial products, regardless of quality or price, all products are garbage here.

In any industry, as long as you dare to open up, East University's products will enter and dominate the market.

Small countries like Serbia, unloved by either side, can only rely on East University to sustain their development; yet they have never given up on efforts to join the European Union, while swallowing their grievances on the Kosovo issue for this reason.

Only within the past two years, after East University transferred parts of the automotive component industries to Serbia and supported the development of their own machinery and electronics industries, and most importantly reached preliminary opinions on jointly developing Europe's largest lithium mine, did their relationship gradually enter a honeymoon phase.

However, before these industries bring genuine large-scale societal benefits, Serbia still has to maintain its small country posture, striving to survive by currying favor from all sides.

The Tadic family's copper mine was sanctioned under this backdrop...

The Kosovo issue is a sin of the European Union. The Tadic family, risking everything, formed the Northern Brigade to combat various guerrilla groups in the Kosovo Region, hoping someday Kosovo would return to Serbia.

Doesn't this equate to a slap to the European Union's face?

In a phase where Serbia is seeking favors from the European Union, the Tadic family is doomed to a difficult existence. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

It's not that the Serbian government is unwilling to help them; rather, the pressure from the European Union makes it more difficult for Serbia's government to withstand.

This is where the struggle of small countries lies!

It's not that they lack intelligent people, but they're forced to focus on what's immediately in front of them!

Because they understand clearly, compared to 'possibly glorious future,' the immediate baton that would inevitably strike if any mistake is made, they simply cannot withstand.

This situation is particularly harsh for the members of the Tadic family, as they are destined to be sacrificed and caught in the middle.

Mountain Eagle, observing Sang Jia's complicated expression, waved his hand and said, "I understand, you want to transfer the ownership of the copper mine to avoid sanctions from the European Union and fund the project by mining copper, right?"

Sang Jia, feeling exhausted, nodded and said, "But there are conditions!"

Mountain Eagle nodded slightly, saying, "There are certainly conditions. I don't know the scale of the copper mine you own, but I know that mining copper in Serbia solely relying on manpower is impossible. It requires large-scale investment and the introduction of massive mining machinery.

Most importantly, reliable infrastructure is needed to sell and transport the copper, otherwise operating and transport costs would consume the majority of profits.

And I guess you don't have those…"

Seeing Sang Jia's helpless expression, Mountain Eagle thought for a moment and said, "You need not just a trustworthy person to nominally sell the copper mine, but someone dependable to help bring in external funds for copper mine development and share the profits with you.

I should be that trustworthy person...

But why do you think I can handle such complex issues?

This is not a simple matter that can be resolved with everyone signing a transfer agreement; it involves very complex negotiation for investment...

How can you be sure I won't kick you out partway through?"

Sang Jia lowered her eyelids and said calmly, "Because without us, the copper mine can never start!"

Watching Mountain Eagle's indifferent expression, Sang Jia hesitated and said, "I'm already tired of the current situation, but I know if there's no Northern Brigade, the last assets of the Tadic family would also disappear.

My family has given everything for Serbia, and this is unfair to us!"

After listening, Mountain Eagle nodded appreciatively...

When a country's government cannot protect the interests of such big families, warlords or local political forces are thereby born!

The Tadic family, or more precisely Sang Jia herself, is tired of endless contributions without receiving any rewards, hence she starts seeking political recognition and interests internally.