Homo Sapiens

As a critical part of this food war, the Marcus Clan, Aquino Clan, and Xu Clan within Luzon must cooperate closely with ABCD.

They must increase the intensity and price of their grain acquisitions within Luzon.

”My clan can help acquire one million tons of rice and two million tons of corn kernels,” Xu Yingming stated, representing the Xu Clan.

The head of the Marcus Clan followed immediately after. ”Our clan can also acquire one million tons of rice and three million tons of corn kernels.”

Kens Aquino considered his clan’s limits and offered a more suitable amount. ”The Aquino Clan will acquire 500,000 tons of rice and one million tons of corn kernels.”

Catherine and the others calculated for over ten minutes based on the quotas from the three clans.

The three clans would collectively acquire 2.5 million tons of rice and 6 million tons of corn kernels from within Luzon.

But this was merely an estimated quota. Once mass acquisitions began, it would quickly drive up the prices of rice and corn kernels inside Luzon.

And as long as ABCD pushed up grain prices within Luzon, they could entice the local farmers to increase the acreage for rice and corn cultivation, masking the problem of rising fertilizer, pesticide, and farm machinery prices.

However, Catherine planned to implement this price hike steadily. She couldn’t be too hasty, lest the Luzon farmers and the Fernando and Lopez Clans catch on.

After arranging things with the three comprador clans in Luzon, Catherine then arranged for the major rice-exporting countries in the Asia Region—Tianzhu, Siam, and An Nan—to have their rice export companies coordinate. They were to reduce their export volumes in the near future to slowly drive up the price of rice.

At the same time, she instructed them to build up their stockpiles, preparing to dump tens of millions of tons of rice on the market when Luzon’s next rice harvest season arrived, thereby crashing global rice prices.

When that time came, the farmers of Luzon would surely be unable to withstand the losses from such a massive, roller-coaster-like blow.

Although rice could be stored for some time, ABCD could use these back-and-forth manipulations to ensure the farmers could never keep up with the fluctuating grain prices.

Small-scale farmers and a disjointed country like Luzon, facing a pincer attack from both inside and out orchestrated by ABCD, along with their three-pronged strategy, would be left with no choice but to be carved up at will.

After stating his position, Xu Yingming sat in his seat, smiling but saying nothing.

Suddenly, he noticed something was off about Catherine’s expression. One of her hands, which had been resting on the table, had now moved underneath it.

’Success...’ Xu Yingming estimated the blood-collecting mosquito had done its job.

The meeting continued for over another hour.

After the meeting adjourned, Xu Yingming and Kens Aquino left together.

On the way to their hotel rooms, Kens said in a low voice, ”Yingming, I heard you’ve been getting quite close to the Lopez Clan?”

”Just business dealings,” Xu Yingming replied calmly.

Hearing this, a flash of displeasure crossed Kens’s face. He offered a warning with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. ”Yingming, they’re going to be finished soon. You should watch your step! I’d hate to see you go down the wrong path.”

”Thank you for the reminder, Uncle-in-law. By the way, my family is planning to make some investments in Borneo. Would you be interested in collaborating?” Xu Yingming’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Kens looked interested. ”What kind of collaboration?”

”It’s a business venture in deep-processing for palm oil. Doesn’t the Aquino Clan have connections with the Malaysian Guo Family? We can go to Borneo together, and you can help arrange a meeting with someone from the Guo Family. I just bought a cruise ship recently, and it’s near Borneo. We could have some fun for a few days.”

Kens didn’t suspect anything, but he wasn’t very familiar with the brothers Guo Zihao and Guo Zixiong of the Guo Clan. He thought for a moment.

”I know Guo Xianfu of the Guo Family. He’s Guo Zihao’s youngest uncle and is mainly in charge of their clan’s shipping business.”

Xu Yingming’s smile grew even brighter. ”That’s fine. As long as he can make the introduction for me. Let’s arrange to meet him in Kota Kinabalu. I’ve prepared a gift for him on my cruise ship that I guarantee he’ll be satisfied with.”

”Oh?” A glint appeared in Kens’s eyes.

Xu Yingming, of course, saw the ravenous wolf-like look in Kens’s eyes. The man was a lecher through and through. He gave him a look that all men would understand.

”I’ve already prepared your share, Uncle-in-law.”

Kens beamed and clapped him on the shoulder. ”We’re all family. You’re too kind.”

When they reached his door, Xu Yingming waved goodbye to Kens. After closing the door, an inscrutable smile appeared on his face.

...

「Meanwhile.」

In the presidential suite on the top floor of the hotel.

Catherine, her three associates, and Li Weixing were all present.

This was a more secretive, smaller meeting. Victor, whose ”stamp plan” had been foiled in Bangkok, was also there.

Li Weixing greeted him respectfully. ”Mr. Victor, it’s been a while.”

Victor, who was smoking a cigar, slowly exhaled a puff of smoke. ”Hhhh... Li. And Catherine. You’d better be careful.”

”Oh?” Catherine looked at Victor, confused.

The big fatty, James, was even more surprised. ”Mr. Victor, has the Black Ship discovered something?”

Victor nodded, his expression grave. ”I was busy with another plan in Siam before. Recently, while reorganizing intelligence from all over Southeast Asia, I discovered that something is wrong in Luzon.”

Something was wrong? Catherine, Li Weixing, and the others immediately fell silent.

”The Black Ship has lost seventeen Lookouts and thirty-two sailors stationed in Luzon Manila. Now, only a few operatives with single-line contact and the captain of the Luzon Black Ship are still accounted for.”

”Who did it?” Li Weixing’s expression changed slightly. He was the second mate of the Xing Island Black Ship; he couldn’t help but be nervous about such a life-and-death matter.

Victor shook his head. ”I don’t know. They all disappeared in Manila. I used some of my connections with the Converts, but not only did I fail to find anything, I also lost several more people.”

Catherine, resting her chin on her hands, looked at Victor and said, ”The only powers that can contend with you are the Cossacks and Torch Fire. The Cossacks don’t have much influence in Southeast Asia, so it must be Torch Fire.”

But Victor shook his head again. ”It’s not Torch Fire. Although the last incident on the Mekong River really angered them, this isn’t their style.”

”You can’t be so sure,” the big fatty James chimed in.

Victor replied with a slight smile, ”Are you questioning my professionalism?”

”I’m just stating the facts. Does the Black Ship not allow others to have an opinion?” James was not afraid of him.

Victor didn’t want to get tangled up with this idiot and continued, ”In any case, something is very wrong in Luzon right now. My intelligence network can’t get a clear picture of the force hiding in the shadows. If you continue with the food war plan, I’m worried uncontrollable factors will emerge.”

But James was completely unconcerned. ”Heh, Victor, you’re overestimating Luzon. What could they possibly use to fight us? Even if some people want to get rid of us, we still have a great many friends in Luzon.”

Although Victor wanted to lay into the big oaf, he had no new intelligence to back up his claims and clearly couldn’t stop ABCD’s plan.

Of course, he also wanted to use ABCD as a proxy to test the waters in Luzon and probe the hidden force behind the scenes.

After the two sides exchanged some information, Victor left the hotel as discreetly as he had arrived.

Not far from the hotel, inside a small shop called the Xinglong Grocery Store.

A pair of calm eyes glanced at Victor.