King Of War: Starting with Arms Dealer-Chapter 679 - 644: Complicated Internal Affairs

Richie Barton stopped smiling and said, "Some guy told me that if I want to work with you, I have to be sincere."

So let me tell you, CACI received a cooperation invitation a month ago, but after our assessment, we concluded that even if we were successful, we wouldn't get enough benefits, so we declined.

Hu Lang, you got one thing wrong. No one inside America wants to replace you because that 'unprofitable contract' would be a burden to anyone who takes it, and not just anyone can take advantage of China Energy Company.

What they want to replace is Steven. As long as they can take the lead, if they can prolong the war in Iraq, they would be able to draw out more funds from Congress.

ISIS is threatening NATO with dirty bombs, making the situation in Iraq very delicate—without NATO's involvement, Iraq would become a haven for mercenaries.

800 million is too little, according to our assessment, if the Iraq war is dragged out for over four months, this funding could be expanded to between 15 and 25 billion.

We are now at a critical time of the election, and that black brother is going to use his last bit of power to bring Iraq to a satisfactory conclusion.

Foll𝑜w current novℯls on ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm.

Steven's position is very crucial right now. Replacing him would give us control over that huge amount of funds, which would generate at least 500 million in pure profit.

Hu Lang, did you know how much pure profit CACI made last year out of the 3.5 billion US dollars contract we got from America?

I'll tell you, 85 million US dollars.

That's the figure our company calculated last year. Our organization is huge, but the massive expenses are beyond the imagination of outsiders.

Now do you understand what Steven truly holds in his hands?"

Joe Ga was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head and said, "You guys think that by getting rid of Steven and taking over the funding lead, you can force me to cooperate with you?"

Richie Barton shook his head and said, "They are the ones doing it; we at CACI did not participate.

And you're forgetting about the Armor Group; they are P·B's alternative plan.

The British Cabinet called people from the Energy Company to discuss England Energy Company's industrial issues in Iraq, with some raising objections.

They want to ride on the coattails, helping Halliburton and MPRI to push for resolving the internal turmoil in Iraq, and then, using terms similar to P·B's, negotiate the handling of the oilfields themselves.

They don't necessarily want to cooperate with the Chinese; Malaysia Energy Company can send people in anytime.

And they seem confident in their methods to handle the issue with the Iraqi militias.

Now, America Energy Group is not particularly keen to work with them because if the English take the lead, their profits would decrease.

Hu Lang, everyone inside America is quite satisfied with you right now; the real conflicts don't lie with you."

Upon hearing this, Joe Ga whistled and said, "Now I understand!

Cameron doesn't seem as formidable as he boasts.

I didn't expect that just by preparing to pull in a few more stakeholders, I would inadvertently create a 'substitute' for myself."

At this moment, Joe Ga fully understood the situation. In fact, everyone shared the same overall direction, but there were differences in how post-war benefits were distributed.

Both Halliburton and MPRI wanted to profit from the war, whereas the Armor Group and their backers sought profits from the oil market and didn't want China to take too much of a share.

Actually, there is no conflict in the larger direction for the situation in Iraq. It doesn't matter if you English don't join in.

But the terms Joe Ga offered in his contract were too generous. If P·B succeeded, it would indirectly drive up the operating costs for the English, and even losing two bucks per barrel would be a huge amount of money.

The nature and functions of England Energy Company and China Energy Company are different, which results in their completely different styles.

A troublemaker is just that—a troublemaker!

These guys aren't thinking about driving away ISIS first but rather messing up P·B's operations first to facilitate restarting the Iraq project in a more profitable manner.

Compared to English companies, American companies are actually much simpler and straightforward!

Because they have the support of the world's strongest nation behind them, they chase quick and huge profits.

This is the problem Joe Ga must face after the stage enlarges; the 'table' he can set up is only so big, and there will always be those who are dissatisfied, who will try to compete.

This is an inevitable problem. Any company at a certain stage will go through this process.

Even a giant like CACI faces challenges from other companies.

Naturally, competition leads to rising costs because you need better equipment and stronger personnel, and both lobbying and operational costs can increase exponentially.

When a company is intervened by big capital and starts to perform according to the logic of capital, prioritizing profit, their operational model naturally tends toward monopolizing the market.

Even if they can't satisfy their own appetite, first they crush the competition, striving for a better competitive environment in the future is the norm.

In pursuit of profit above all else, something like Joe Ga's approach of 'inviting others to dinner' doesn't exist.

As long as I get the project, even if I have to collaborate with someone, I must be the one in control, and I want the lion's share of the profits.

That's the iron law of the capital market and runs counter to Joe Ga's logic of 'inviting guests for a meal.'

That's why so many elite individuals from various industries can't understand Joe Ga's logic!

The inertia and brainwashing power of capital are really strong; it's quite difficult to break away from the framework of capital.

Joe Ga was only able to find his own way because he started with nothing, even having a loss-making iron mine, so he had no choice but to stubbornly get many people involved together.

Understanding the key points here, Joe Ga knew that the blow from the giants was not likely to end that simply.

Halliburton and MPRI are American companies; they can't afford the title of 'traitors.'

But the Armor Group is different; they have an English background and now represent the interests of the British Energy Group.

What a joke, England and Malaysia together hold up to 38% of Iraq's oil extraction rights—a profit from even an extra point would be an astronomical figure.

Steven spilled the beans, but whether it will affect them or not is another matter.

With the plethora of issues within NATO, the events surrounding Steven may not necessarily influence the Armored Group.

Joe Ga looked at the man in front of him, Richie Barton, and extended his hand to shake with the elder, saying, "Thank you for bringing me this news. I am very much looking forward to seeing CACI's presence in Iraq."

"As a giant in the intelligence industry, CACI plays an irreplaceable role in our fight against ISIS."

This was the effect that Richie Barton wanted, and the value of intelligence lay herein.

It sounded like just a few analyses without much pain or itch, but the interests involved were enormous. If Joe Ga didn't grasp the ins and outs, his impulsive way of doing things could easily lead to problems.

After shaking hands with Joe Ga, Richie Barton said with a smile, "I still suggest you accept the peace offer from MPRI. Just give the nod, and I can make them show some sincerity . . .

"How about renting Predator drones to you at a low price?"

Joe Ga was taken aback for a moment and then shook his head with a fierce grin, saying, "These guys want to use the assistance provided by NATO as a bargaining chip for peace, how could that work?

"Let them send someone over. I've heard their board is full of generals; send me a lieutenant general along with three Predator drones to work with us.

"I have a ready-to-use airbase in Baghdad; just let them station there.

"I'll let Steven offer them a $20 million military contract. I won't let them lose money, but they have to serve from now until the end of the war in Iraq!

"I hear MPRI has deep ties with the Pentagon; getting some cheap Hellfire missiles shouldn't be a problem."

Richie Barton was stunned for a moment and then reassessed Joe Ga . . .

$20 million was a price that would make MPRI uncomfortable, and the duration of the war in Iraq was visibly stretching longer.

MPRI's people were thinking of renting Predators to P·B at a low cost as an indirect way of admitting fault and putting an end to the mess, but now Joe Ga was demanding their participation in the war, meaning MPRI had to invest both funds and manpower.

In the end, they might make a small profit, but for that little money, MPRI would also need to send a retired lieutenant general over.

This general would act as a hostage to ensure MPRI stays in line, being at Joe Ga's beck and call.

Could they refuse?

No!

Would it be uncomfortable?

Uncomfortable!

How does it compare to facing the lawsuit and investigation from Steven?

Definitely, this situation is better; at least there's some money to be made!

Who could they complain to?

After all, would MPRI's people need to thank Joe Ga?

In the end, MPRI is still a giant in the industry, particularly influential within the Pentagon.

Facing such an opponent, Joe Ga made a hardline offer that was exceedingly uncomfortable for the other party, clearly expressing his own stance while not allowing MPRI to lash out—this was an impressive negotiating skill.

The ability to price just at the edge of someone else's bottom line was extremely formidable, and the money being spent wasn't even Joe Ga's.

As long as MPRI agrees, the mercenary coalition will have air support, and MPRI's low bid, in fact, frees up even more funds.

Richie Barton laughed heartily and nodded, saying, "I'll make a call to my old friends; I'm particularly keen to see the look on their faces when they get the call.

"Hu Lang, you are an impressive young man; I believe you will be successful in Iraq."

Joe Ga shrugged his shoulders and said, "Of course, I will be successful. Now, it's just the Armored Group and Halliburton left. If we were in England or on American soil, I might not be their match, but in Iraq . . .

"Honestly, I never thought about making money from Iraqi oil fields, but many people just don't believe that.

"This time, I will completely shake off the English and show them what my business acumen is really like!

"When they come begging to me!"

As he spoke, Joe Ga looked at Richie Barton and smiled, "Now that MPRI has surrendered, but Halliburton hasn't made a move.

"What do you think? Is CACI interested in joining us to tear a piece off them?"

Upon hearing this, Richie Barton smiled and shook his head, saying, "How could Halliburton not be making moves?"

With that, Richie Barton gazed toward Eric, who was coming over holding a phone with an iron blue face and said with a laugh, "Look, Halliburton acts quickly!"

Joe Ga turned his head to look at Eric and heaved a sigh . . .

Only his former boss could make Eric's face look so ugly.

The fact that such a significant figure would get involved in the heat of an election campaign showed that Halliburton's connections were far beyond Joe Ga's imagination.

Seeing Eric coming to him wanting to speak, Joe Ga waved his hand and said, "Go to Steven; he's the 'victim'!

"As long as Steven agrees, I actually don't care, after all, it's their people who are dead!

"You guys are old hands at this; you'll always get enough compensation!"

Joe Ga then looked at the extremely shrewd Richie Barton and said with a smile, "With the above issues resolved, ultimately who wins and who loses still comes down to fists, right?"

Richie Barton nodded and said, "For mercenaries, the one with the bigger fist is never wrong!"