If you really let yourself serve as the Minister of the Navy, although your position and military rank will rise, it will make you a civilian-oriented general, and you will not be able to actually hold a large number of troops now.
At the same time, these words also made Fang Lang feel quite uncomfortable. Although he had a soul from later generations, it did not affect his love for Brazil and regard Brazil as his motherland.
Now an American general tells himself that at least he should be able to serve as Secretary of the Navy. If this was just a joke among ordinary friends, everyone would just laugh and pass it off.
But Marshall was not someone who would joke about such things. The other party's words obviously meant something, if the other party really had the ability to make himself Minister of the Navy.
Fang Lang must be very vigilant, which shows that the United States has a huge influence on the Brazilian military. In Fang Lang's view, this is very dangerous. To put it more seriously, it is even a violation of Brazil's sovereignty.
Although Fang Lang thinks so in his heart, he won't show it. After all, he is also a die-hard pro-American faction. If he easily showed his attitude in front of Marshall, he might be targeted and ostracized in the military circles.
Maybe his qualifications to participate in this European support plan would be ruined, so he could only smile and shake his head:
"Haha... Mr. Marshall is joking. The Secretary of the Navy is not as comfortable as I am in my current position. The feeling of being able to command an aircraft carrier to gallop across the ocean is what I have always longed for.
Moreover, business is business and work is work, so it’s better to keep them separate! "
Marshall understood what Fang Lang meant when he heard this. Fang Lang only agreed to compensate for the business losses. It seems that Fang Lang still did not agree to the compensation proposal of the Morgan consortium!
After knowing Fang Lang's attitude, General Marshall did not show any abnormality. Instead, he said with a smile:
"Haha... Yes, Mr. Fang has seen it thoroughly. With Mr. Fang's current strength in the Brazilian Navy, whether he is the Minister of the Navy or not does not actually have any impact, right?"
The other party just said that he was right and said no more. As for what exactly this sentence means, everyone knows it well. As for the rest of the words, Fang Lang just listened and did not make any transitional interpretation.
Whether it is Marshall, Fang Lang, or the Brazilian military, they all know very well that Fang Lang, the commander of the aircraft carrier battle group, now actually controls more than half of the Brazilian Navy's strength.
But this situation is not what the Brazilian military wants to change now, or can change.
Therefore, Fang Lang just smiled and said nothing more in response to General Marshall's words.
At this moment, there was a knock on the door, and the voice of the butler, Zolph Henry, came from outside the door.
"Sir, Mr. Alvin Rockefeller, chairman of the Rockefeller Company, is here!"
After hearing this, Fang Lang and General Marshall looked at each other, stood up, and walked towards the door. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Wan Chongxin walking to the door of the reception room accompanied by three men in suits.
One of them, a middle-aged white man with a civilized stick and a big beard, looked very imposing. With just one glance, Fang Lang was sure that the other man was the chairman of Rockefeller Company as mentioned by the housekeeper.
Fang Lang also didn't expect that his invitation would invite such a big shot. It seems that the Rockefeller Foundation is also somewhat interested in his Universal Group!
As the host, Fang Lang quickly greeted him enthusiastically and extended his right hand to Alvin Rockefeller:
"Welcome! Mr. Rockefeller!"
Alvin Rockefeller, who was opposite him, casually handed the civilized stick in his hand to the assistant behind him, laughed loudly, grabbed Fang Lang's right hand, and said boldly:
"Haha...Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Fang. I have wanted to get to know you for a long time. But Mr. Fang is really busy and has very little time in the United States, so I really can't find the opportunity.
This time we become neighbors, so we need to move around more in the future. "
Feeling the strength from Alvin Rockefeller's hand, Fang Lang heard the other party's subtext. Unfortunately, the Morgan family was not here at this time.
"Haha...Mr. Rockefeller is right. We are all neighbors. We really need to move around more in the future. Please don't think it's troublesome for me!"
After hearing Fang Lang's words, Mr. Rockefeller was thoughtful, and then said nonchalantly:
"Everybody help each other! Don't talk about whether it's troublesome or not!"
In just a few words of exchange, the two sides seemed to have reached some consensus, which made General Marshall on the side have to look at the young and excessive Brazilian rear admiral in a different light again.
It is not easy for such a young man to achieve what he has achieved today, yet the other party was able to reach a consensus with the famous chairman of the Rockefeller Foundation in front of him in just a few words.
Thinking that when he was that age, he was still struggling at the bottom, he had to admire Fang Lang even more, and Fang Lang's status in his mind naturally improved a bit.
After finishing the greetings, Fang Lang certainly did not forget General Marshall on his side, and politely introduced to Rockefeller:
"Mr. Rockefeller, let me introduce you to General Marshall, who is also my distinguished guest today."
Needless to say, Fang Lang knew very well that Rockefeller and Marshall must have known each other. After all, they were core members of the European aid plan.
Although Marshall said that he had just returned from his hometown, it was impossible for him to reach Marshall's status without coming into contact with a big family like Rockefeller.
The facts turned out to be as he expected. After listening to his explanation, General Marshall laughed and said:
"Haha...Mr. Fang, Alvin and I are old friends."
As he spoke, he shook his right hand with Mr. Alvin Rockefeller opposite him and gave him a big hug.
This made Fang Lang couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, thinking that it was no wonder that General Marshall could become the US Secretary of State in the future. Seeing the close relationship and title between the other party and the Rockefeller Foundation, the two obviously had a close relationship.
Mr. Rockefeller opposite also laughed loudly, hugged Marshall and said:
"Haha... George, didn't you say you went to China? When did you come back!"
The hug between the two middle-aged men was short but strong. After hearing Alvin Rockefeller's question, Marshall, who had just let go of each other, said indifferently:
"My mission in China failed, so I had to run back in despair. This time I heard that Mr. Fang was holding a banquet here, so I came over to join in the fun!"
Rockefeller would not believe this. If it really failed, how could Marshall still be in the mood to attend some banquet? It was obvious that he had some purpose.
But obviously the other party didn't want to reveal it directly, so he couldn't keep a close eye on it. He just thought the other party was making a joke and smiled casually:
"If I had known that you would also come to Mr. Fang's banquet, we should have come together!"
When Fang Lang saw that the two of them were almost polite, he made an inviting gesture towards them.
"Haha... Since we are all old friends, it would be great. Please come in."
Hearing this, both of them nodded, and Rockefeller casually said to the two people behind him:
"You guys, find a place to sit!"
The butler Zulf Henry on the side quickly took over the conversation and said to the two people who came with Mr. Rockefeller:
"Gentlemen, please come to me!"
After saying that, he made an inviting gesture and guided the two of them to sit in the next room.
General Marshall and Alvin Rockefeller took the lead and strode towards the room where Fang Lang and Mr. Rockefeller had just come out. Wan Chongxin, who had brought Mr. Rockefeller over, lowered his voice and said to Fang Lang:
"Boss, there is something I need to report to you."
Fang Lang was stunned when he heard this. He didn't understand why Wan Chongxin came to report to him at this time. However, he did not refuse. Instead, he said sorry to the two people who entered the room, and then turned to Wan Chongxin again. Chongxin asked:
"What's wrong?"
Alvin Rockefeller naturally knew what Wan Chongxin wanted to report. He smiled calmly, nodded to Fang Lang, patted Marshall's arm and walked into the room.
You must know that Alvin Rockefeller just sold a huge favor to Fang Lang. At this time, he certainly hopes that the other party will receive the news as soon as possible.
After all, now it seems that this banquet is obviously not a simple neighbor's housewarming party. The sooner the other party receives this favor, the better it will be for him.
Seeing the two people entering the room, Wan Chongxin slowly spoke and told Fang Lang everything that had just happened downstairs.
Hearing that at the banquet he held, someone actually made racially motivated remarks about himself and his woman, he became furious and his face instantly turned livid.
Suppressing the anger in his heart, he asked Wan Chongxin:
"What kind of company is this Cole Industries? How deep is the cooperation with us?"
"Boss, Cole Industries is the company that originally provided us with penicillin production equipment. Now the pesticides and fertilizer production equipment Basinis Company purchases from the United States are purchased from their company."
Hearing this, Fang Lang was stunned. Isn't this the company of General Clark's wife's natal family? With the friendship between himself and John J. Clark, coupled with the fact that General Clark is now managing the military underwriting company for him, and Mrs. Clark's help to him, Fang Lang is really in a dilemma.
I wonder if Fang Lang would be grateful to Cole for taking such a big risk to provide him with a penicillin production line. The answer is yes.
But the person Fang Lang was grateful to was indeed Mrs. Clark. The original Cole Industries actually provided this set of equipment because of Mrs. Clark's face.
And I paid the corresponding purchase price according to the market price. It was just a normal trade relationship with everyone.
But this company was indeed Mrs. Clark's natal company, which made Fang Lang hesitate. Suddenly, Fang Lang looked at Wan Chongxin as if he had thought of something:
"If this guy named Charlie Cole is a crazy racist, what does he think of General Clark, his uncle who was born as an Indian?"
Wan Chongxin obviously did not expect Fang Lang's problem. He was not interested in the discrimination incident itself, but instead focused on how this guy viewed his uncle.
He obviously had not understood this situation before, so he could only shrug and said to Fang Lang:
"I'm sorry, boss, I didn't know about this. If necessary, I will arrange for someone to investigate now."
At this time, Fang Lang also calmed down. Although he was very angry at being racially profiled, this kind of thing is actually a common phenomenon in the United States today.
That is to say, I am rich and powerful now, and most people will not and dare not put this kind of discrimination in the open. This young man named Charlie Cole is obviously a brainless idiot, so he would do such a thing. Come.
With his current status, it would be too easy to punish such a fool.
Besides, now is not the time for him to take action. Since something like this has happened, he estimates that General Clark and his good brother John J. Clark will definitely contact him to express their attitude.
You can wait for the matter to further ferment, see the subsequent progress, and then decide how to deal with it!
"You just said that Mr. Rockefeller also expressed his own opinion on this matter, right?"
"Yes, Mr. Rockefeller was in the banquet hall and ordered his assistant to check out the cooperation projects between the Rockefeller Foundation and Kohl's Company. He said that he wanted to take a good look at whether it is appropriate to cooperate with such a company."
Hearing this, Fang Lang understood that Mr. Rockefeller was selling his favor. If a person like Mr. Rockefeller expressed such opinions in public, it would definitely have a very significant impact on Cole's operations.
Otherwise, the company will directly lose a large number of orders.
Thinking of this, Fang Lang nodded and smiled slightly:
"Now that Lilith has expressed her attitude on our behalf, let us first follow Lilith's opinion and re-examine the cooperative relationship with Cole Industries!
Regarding the pesticide and fertilizer production equipment needed by Nice Company, can it also be directly released for bidding? "
Fang Lang couldn't directly take action against Cole Industries now, but since Lilith, as the hostess, had already expressed her attitude on the spot, Universal Group would of course take some actions.
This kind of action is really a normal business behavior, and no one can raise any objections. My company did not retaliate against the other party, it just terminated and discriminated against my company's cooperation. No one can say anything about such a thing.
As for how to deal with this Charlie Cole later, it depends on the subsequent development of the matter.
Just as Fang Lang and Wan Chongxin were explaining how to handle this matter, Lilith and Mr. Morgan appeared at the stairs of the reception room.
Just in time to hear Fang Lang's explanation to Wan Chongxin, it was obvious that Fang Lang did not blame himself for making his own decision, but instead supported his idea without hesitation, which made Lilith extremely grateful.
However, she knew that it was not the right time to show it off, after all, she was taking Fang Lang's distinguished guests with her.
Therefore, he said directly and calmly:
"My dear, Mr. Morgan is here."
Hearing Lilith's voice, Fang Lang quickly looked up and saw the three heads of the Morgan family and their female companions walking towards him with smiles on their faces under the leadership of Lilith.
Seeing this scene, Fang Lang held his hands to several people with a smile on his face and apologized:
"Sorry, sorry, there are many guests today, so I can't receive them at the door. I hope you don't mind."
