Chapter 156: The Strongest Surface Combat Power - Mega Corporations!
After speaking, Myers handed over the glass of red wine. Li Ang accepted it smoothly but did not immediately drink it.
Smiling, he looked at Myers and responded, "No, Mr. President, this is a historic moment for both of us."
"If it weren't for your unwavering support, the LA Corporation wouldn't be where it is today. I sincerely wish you success in completing unification and restoring New America."
Li Ang wasn't just being polite. He was genuinely grateful for Myers ' insistence on funneling funds into LA Corporation's accounts, despite opposition from Washington's congressional representatives.
Without this support, Li Ang couldn't guarantee that he would have accumulated so many corporate credits or unlocked as many mission rewards.
The rapid rise of LA Corporation was inseparable from Myers , a fanatical war criminal and an ambitious politician.
"Mr. Li Ang, it's New America's fortune that you think this way. We must continue our close cooperation, as always!"
Myers was ecstatic, toasting and finishing his glass of red wine.
The recovery of lost territories in the eastern North American region and the army's swift westward advance had skyrocketed Myers ' authority in Washington's Congress.
Now wielding immense power, Myers no longer had to bow to congressional representatives. Her inflated confidence inspired her to pursue even greater strategic goals.
The first step? Secure Li Ang's allegiance to keep LA Corporation aligned with New America!
In the current world, there were only three major LA Corporation s: the Eurozone Consortium, SoSino Petrochemicals, and LA Corporation, which had recently replaced Arasaka as a dominant force.
The Eurozone Consortium consisted of multiple companies with monopoly-level capabilities in high-tech fields. Core members included Orbital Aerospace, Trauma Team, International Electronics, and Netwatch.
Surprisingly, the Eurozone Consortium was highly unified, showing no signs of fragmentation or internal conflict.
When these united European companies came together, they formed the most comprehensive and powerful corporate force on the planet.
Meanwhile, Petrochemicals was a corporate superpower spanning Eurasia. It controlled vast amounts of global land and ocean territories.
With rich resources like oil, minerals, mountains, and rivers under its control, Petrochemicals was undisputedly the foremost resource-driven LA Corporation .
As for LA Corporation, it reigned as the strongest military-industrial LA Corporation , wielding cutting-edge warfare technologies.
While some had doubted whether LA Corporation's only rival could be Cantao Group, the emergence of polymer devices dispelled all uncertainty.
The king of weapons from Little Chinatown remained an unrivaled powerhouse in the arms industry.
Not even Arasaka and Cantao Group combined could shake Li Ang's dominance.
This was precisely why Myers was determined to keep Li Ang on her side. She needed LA Corporation's factories running at full capacity to fuel her ambitions for New America, even if Congress was struggling to feed this insatiable beast.
Myers smiled and confessed, "Since we've collaborated so many times, I won't hide my intentions from you anymore."
"I plan to designate Night City as LA Corporation's private property after the Metal Wars end."
"This is a small token of gratitude for LA Corporation's glorious contributions to New America!"
Li Ang couldn't help but smile at Myers ' boldness. He shook his head, thinking how generous she was to offer Night City's assets as a gift.
Only someone as thick-skinned and cunning as Myers could so shamelessly make such a gesture with someone else's resources.
The entire world knew Night City was the private property of the Night Corporation. By openly trampling on New America's founding constitution, was Myers being reckless or deliberately trying to frame LA Corporation?
This also revealed how far Myers was willing to go to secure LA Corporation's support—even to the extent of allowing Li Ang to establish a corporate state within her unified territory.
Seeing Li Ang shake his head with a smile, Myers thought he was dissatisfied with the offer and added:
"Of course, a small place like Night City hardly reflects LA Corporation's extraordinary contributions. Perhaps even a whole state wouldn't suffice!"
This implied that Myers was willing to offer California, where Night City was located, as her ultimate concession.
However, if Li Ang dared to demand more, she would refuse.
As a shrewd and stingy politician, Myers originally didn't intend to use land as a bargaining chip. But with her treasury emptied into LA Corporation's accounts, she had little else to offer.
Even if she wanted to continue paying Li Ang, she'd have to wait for tax revenues to roll in. At this point, further payments would leave citizens impoverished and force her to target other corporations—a self-destructive move.
"Mr. President, thank you for your support of LA Corporation."
Li Ang neither politely declined Myers ' offer nor greedily demanded more. Instead, he gave an ambiguous response.
This made Myers unable to discern his true thoughts. If Li Ang didn't want Night City or California, what did he want?
Before Myers could probe further, Li Ang asked, "Mr. President, once your troops advance to the western front, what's your next move? Will you pause to observe or push forward decisively?"
Li Ang's inquiry aimed to gauge Myers ' intentions. If she sought negotiations through warfare, she was likely collaborating with European financial groups, potentially pausing the conflict.
But if she intended to press on for unification, it would confirm that LA Corporation had nearly drained her resources.
The Metal Wars dragging on would only strengthen the rebels. Myers , knowing the importance of striking while the iron was hot, responded decisively, "Of course, we'll push forward!"
She explained her plans to linger near Night City's airspace, drop propaganda leaflets, and exert psychological pressure on local corporations. The aim was to force their withdrawal, leaving the city defenseless.
Myers then added, "Mr. Li Ang, I hear Mayor Lucius Rhyne is your friend. Could you persuade him to surrender? If he complies, he can remain mayor of Night City. Otherwise, I can't guarantee my agents will behave themselves."
Li Ang smiled calmly, deflecting her probing. "Mr. President, I'm just a businessman. I have no authority over Mayor Rhyne's decisions. I simply run my business."
Satisfied with Li Ang's answer, Myers smiled. She feared he might aspire to meddle in politics, potentially threatening her leadership.
"Mr. Li Ang, I enjoy working with sharp minds like you. If we work together, even the Eurozone Consortium won't stand a chance against us!"
Myers , as usual, painted an optimistic picture, but Li Ang dismissed it as empty talk.
From her tone, however, Li Ang sensed a deeper plan—Myers might be aiming for more than just unifying North America.
"Mr. President,the Eurozone isn't so easily dealt with. I hear they've stationed guard dogs right at your doorstep."
Li Ang referred to the Cuban syndicates and their Aguilar assassin squads, which had been wreaking havoc for Myers ' intelligence agents.
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