But everything has two sides; how powerful it is depends on the aspect. That’s why Wang Zhuo wasn't afraid of the country with the biggest fist, the foulest temper, and the highest self-regard in the world. It was like a mosquito to a tiger—so what if you are the king of the forest? In certain areas, you are still helpless against me.

This is where the advantage of being a "small boat that turns quickly" comes into play. Overwhelming power is America's advantage, but Wang Zhuo’s advantage is "absolute authority." Wang Zhuo can deploy his very first cent as he pleases, whereas if the US wants to make any international move, the President, the Senate, the House, the Constitution, and the populace all have the right to voice differing opinions. Furthermore, the Democrats and Republicans often undermine each other, creating constraints that Wang Zhuo could easily exploit.

This discussion is not about the superiority of democracy over dictatorship; it is merely a matter of fact: in this specific area, Wang Zhuo does hold a certain advantage. And clearly, a tiny place like Swaziland isn't significant enough to warrant the United States elevating its policy toward it to a strategic level.

In Qu Jingyou’s view, Swaziland’s regime owes its power to "following America’s lead," making it remarkably formidable. Yang Ru, however, felt such a high-stakes power struggle was too ** complex, offering little opportunity for Wang Zhuo to capitalize on. Yet, though they were both women, their backgrounds gave them considerable insight, shaped by what they had seen and heard since childhood. After Wang Zhuo analyzed the balance of power for them in detail, they realized it was indeed as he said: if handled properly, success might not be out of reach!

As the saying goes, wealth is sought in danger, or how else could one explain that words shape heroes? In peacetime, there is no stage for the bold and audacious to display their prowess. It is precisely in such turmoil that opportunities for a rise emerge; whoever seizes them will be recorded in history!

"You first need to clarify two things," Qu Jingyou analyzed seriously. "The first is what this country needs most, and what you possess. The second is how to connect with a reliable faction within the regime and establish a win-win cooperative relationship."

Wang Zhuo nodded slightly. Qu Jingyou’s questions were penetrating; she truly had depth.

And Yang Ru was clearly no mere decorative vase. She answered the first question directly on Wang Zhuo’s behalf: "Swaziland is one of the least developed nations in the world; what it needs most is money, which happens to be Wang Zhuo's advantage. Secondly, AIDS is rampant there—a quarter of the entire population are AIDS patients. Therefore, what the country desperately lacks are resources in this area, something Wang Zhuo can also easily provide."

"Those two things are manageable, but I think if Wang Zhuo wants to challenge America, he'll need one more very important item," Qu Jingyou mused. "If you don't supply weaponry, the impact of your support will be significantly diminished."

"...........I have considered that as well," Wang Zhuo chuckled wryly. "But I truly have no connections in that area—or rather, I'm completely in the dark. Even if I tried to make connections clumsily on the fly, I probably wouldn't find anyone."

"I doubt I can help you either," Yang Ru smiled, looking at Qu Jingyou. "Little Qu should have some ideas in this area, shouldn't you?"

"What ideas could I possibly have?" Qu Jingyou gave a wry smile, then her expression suddenly stilled, as if she had remembered something.

"Did you think of someone? Tell us!" Wang Zhuo urged.

Qu Jingyou smiled somewhat unnaturally and said awkwardly, "There is actually one person, but I haven't been in contact with him for a while, and I don't know if it's still feasible."

Wang Zhuo immediately became interested and pressed, "An arms dealer? From which country?"

Qu Jingyou offered a dry laugh and remained silent. Wang Zhuo turned to Yang Ru. "You know this person too?"

Yang Ru just shrugged playfully. Qu Jingyou chuckled dryly, "I should be the one to explain. It’s not a big deal."

"Then hurry up and tell us," Wang Zhuo pressed, his curiosity piqued.

"When I was little, I had an arranged childhood engagement, but it fell through a long time ago. That man's family is very well-off now, and he runs an international trade company—which is basically selling arms."

Qu Jingyou's childhood engagement? Wang Zhuo did the mental calculation. That must have been when her grandfather was the Second State Leader. Someone betrothed to her in that era couldn't possibly be a foreigner. Given that the Qu family later declined and Qu Jingyou lost her parents very young, plus the fact she said the other family is "very well-off now"—it was inevitable the engagement would dissolve.

"You must have met him," Qu Jingyou smiled and said. "He took his mother’s surname; his name is Fuzhong Jing."

"Fuzhong Jing?!" Wang Zhuo was stunned. So, it was this fellow? He had indeed met him a couple of times. The last time, on the Royal Princess, if this fellow hadn't interceded for Liu Jieming, Wang Zhuo might have beaten the surname Liu guy into a pulp!

Thinking of Liu Jieming, he instinctively turned his gaze toward Liu’s wife, Yang Ru. Yang Ru had clearly anticipated this reaction when the name was mentioned earlier. She sat there composedly, acting as if she hadn't noticed Wang Zhuo’s stare.

Just keep pretending, Wang Zhuo thought, an amused helplessness crossing his face as he turned back to Qu Jingyou with a smile. "Not only have I met him, but I even gave him face last time. I actually get along quite well with him, but I never imagined he was engaged to you as a child!"

"It was just something the adults joked about when we were young," Qu Jingyou shrugged helplessly. "He’s a businessman on the surface now, but he's essentially an arms dealer who is already notorious; many international arms runners know him."

Fuzhong Jing’s grandfather was also a Second State Leader. After he retired, Qu Jingyou’s grandfather took that position. But one family flourished while the other declined, so the engagement was long dead.

Qu Jingyou was somewhat embarrassed because she and Fuzhong Jing held some mutual affection. However, Young Master Fu was a playboy, and due to certain family reasons, he couldn't marry her. Moreover, she was a strong-willed woman who preferred to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix, so she certainly couldn't accept being kept as a mistress. Thus, they were destined to be star-crossed lovers.

Wang Zhuo’s super-vision could detect the subtle anomaly in Qu Jingyou’s seemingly calm expression, allowing him to guess her thoughts with about eighty percent accuracy. He couldn't help feeling secretly pleased. Even a dashing figure like Young Master Fu had such a past romance that now only elicited a sigh, while the woman he liked was already part of Wang Zhuo's harem—how ironic!

His little moment of triumph betrayed itself in the slight upturn of his lips, exposing his slightly vulgar thoughts. Qu Jingyou both admired and felt exasperated by him, shooting him a sharp glare.

"Then I'll look him up later. Since he's an arms dealer, there's no reason he shouldn't profit from this war-like situation," Wang Zhuo said happily with a chuckle. "It doesn't matter if the Swazis can't afford weapons; I can sponsor it!"

"Weapons are one thing, but you also need to consider how to get relief supplies delivered," Yang Ru interjected at the right moment. "Swaziland is an inland country surrounded by South Africa and Mozambique; both air and land transport require crossing borders."

"What of it? Money makes the world go 'round," Wang Zhuo scoffed arrogantly, behaving like a nouveau riche.

The two women exchanged glances, unable to help but silently disdain the parvenu, yet they had to admire Wang Zhuo’s integrity. America wouldn't invest heavily in such a minuscule nation. If the competition were purely based on wealth, Wang Zhuo could easily disregard America, perhaps even being unrivaled globally.

The parvenu shrugged, letting out a gloating, mischievous laugh. "My apologies to Marshal Ma. The world is about to lose another country supporting Taiwanese independence."

Mamoun indeed proved to be a prince with "too much time on his hands." He seemed to do nothing all day but travel for pleasure and find ways to spend the wealth of the rich oil kingdom.

In just one day, Prince Mamoun returned with the latest intelligence from Swaziland. At this time, domestic news had just reported a coup d'état in that country. Because no formal diplomatic relations had been established, Xinhua reporters could not set foot on the nation’s soil in an official capacity. Thus, the news relied on scattered reports from other nations, with foreign media logos meticulously scrubbed from the broadcast footage via pixelation.

Because the pronunciation of Swaziland is similar to that of Switzerland, it had inadvertently earned the moniker "The Switzerland of Africa." Yet, this beautiful land bathed in year-round sunshine was the most "poisonous" nation in the world. Its adult HIV infection rate consistently hovered above 25%, and among women aged fifteen to twenty-nine, the viral carriage rate exceeded a staggering 50%!

Their average life expectancy was only thirty years. In life, they were sources of infection; in death, they left over thirty thousand AIDS orphans to the country!

The nation was incredibly poor, with an unemployment rate nearing fifty percent, yet the royal family lived in opulent palaces enjoying fine silks and rich food, making class conflict extremely pronounced.

It was an absolute monarchy where the King maintained dozens of wives, and polygamy remained prevalent in backward villages and tribes. Although having multiple partners was becoming less common for men in large cities, it was replaced by young men and women often having several concurrent sexual partners, which they viewed as perfectly acceptable.

And the condom, which had achieved heroic status on the front lines of AIDS prevention, was useless here. Regardless of age or gender, people preferred risking their lives for the thrill of direct bodily fluid exchange or refrained from suggesting its use out of propriety. What a headache!

The actual situation in this country was far worse than Wang Zhuo and the others had initially imagined or learned. Only after seeing the firsthand data provided by Mamoun did Wang Zhuo realize that "reporting only the good news and never the bad" was a standard ruling tactic for all regimes worldwide. Compared to this nation, outwardly smooth but inwardly scorched, the blissful news broadcasts watched by the populace every evening seemed as pure as a little white flower!

"My dear Mamoun, I formally accept your suggestion," Wang Zhuo replied, using a tone that was both formal and playfully mocking. "Please help me establish contact with the coup organizers over there. I intend to engage with them, and if possible, offer this country various forms of gratuitous aid."