```
"Do you think the price is enough?" the Dwarf countered.
Tang Mo fell silent for about a minute before he spoke, "I've roughly calculated, and there shouldn't be any problems. The current issue is, I feel what you want is not just my technology."
The leading Dwarf pondered for a while, eventually looking at Tang Mo and solemnly stating, "The Ice Cold Kingdom is a young kingdom, having just been born 92 years ago. His Majesty, Ice Cold the Fifth, has inherited his grandfather's ambition to expand territory and hopes he can change his title..."
"I understand," Tang Mo said, slightly taken aback, and then he nodded.
"How do you feel about the title 'Ice Cold Empire' for the kingdom?" the Dwarf asked, somewhat eagerly and nervously.
Tang Mo continued to nod slightly, then gave a noncommittal response, "I think it's quite good."
Then, he looked at the Dwarf, confirming, "I think I understand what you mean. You want exclusive procurement rights to all products of the Great Tang Group... at least, exclusive rights within the Northern Continent."
In fact, the Dwarves had offered no small thing, and it seemed very sincere at face value. Tang Mo knew that if he spoke up now, the Dwarves might offer even more.
However, what they wanted was not just technology and products. They wanted the full support of the Great Tang Group to help the Ice Cold Kingdom expand outward.
This expansion would likely include many Dwarf Kingdoms, which would soon turn to the Great Tang Group, seeking to collaborate.
The Dwarves did not want a repeat of incidents like those with the Poplar Kingdom and the Songmu Kingdom. They wished for a world where... there was only one Dwarf nation.
A Dwarf Empire... a rather interesting notion, Tang Mo thought to himself.
These Dwarves hoped that the Tang Group would support only them, leveraging the Group's technology to absorb the surrounding kingdoms.
Seeing that Tang Mo had grasped their meaning, the Dwarf continued, "If the Great Tang Group fully supports our Ice Cold Kingdom, then within the borders of the Ice Cold Kingdom, or rather, within the territory of the Ice Cold Empire, the businesses of the Great Tang Group will have unfettered access, and you... you will become the most respected individual."
...
Tang Mo said nothing; he was contemplating the pros and cons of supporting the expansion of the Ice Cold Kingdom into the Ice Cold Empire.
By his core interests, supporting a nation's annexation of its neighbors did not maximize benefits. As an arms dealer, only division and war could provide him with a continuous stream of profit.
However, as an arms dealer... he not only had the income from war, but also an immeasurable, vast array of other profits.
Pharmaceuticals, food, finance, cars, ships... all things considered, war and peace could both bring him enormous profits.
A unified nation that supported him might not be such a bad idea after all.
Upon hearing the King speak, the young officer handed his rifle to his subordinate and approached the King, persuasively saying, "Your Majesty! Reinforcements will soon arrive, you must not waver at this moment! Hold on! There is always hope!"
If His Majesty the King wanted to perform, then he must play his part fully, mustn't he? Seeing that their defenses were about to collapse and the few remaining soldiers would not last long, if the King did not speak like this, the frightened guards might soon push him out as a bargaining chip to surrender and save their own lives.
Now that he had asked, everyone's spirits were lifted, and their loyalty bolstered—they could, of course, continue to hold on a bit longer...
Indeed, the King's performance had an effect, as the soldiers behind the young man shouted toward the corridor where the rebels were, "Grandpa is right here! If you've got the guts, come and get in!"
"How, how much longer can we hold out?" The slightly uneasy King of Dorne looked at the door riddled with bullet holes, his pale face asking.
"This place is easy to defend but hard to attack, we can at least hold out for a bit longer, soon, loyalist troops will break through from outside, so they'll be in more of a hurry than us," the young soldier consoled while his gaze fell on the dandelion ring on his hand.
"Will the reinforcements... definitely come?" The somewhat panicked King grabbed at the straw of hope to confirm.
"If not, then I'll also fire my last bullet, Your Majesty!" The young officer fixed his gaze on the eyes of the Dorne King, who for some reason, saw in those not-so-beautiful eyes, a boundless strength.
In fact, the young officer did not know if his damned older and younger 'brothers' would really come to the rescue, as they had not been in contact beforehand.
He only knew that if they sensed danger, they would surely find a way to rush over, fearlessly charging to his side to save him.
It was a trust, which is why his eyes were filled with determination, bursting with infinite power.
"I remember... you're from Brunas..." The Dorne King looked at the young man before him, suddenly asking.
"Yes, I'm a graduate of the 3rd class of Great Tang Military Academy," the young man stated plainly his identity: "I am proud to have studied there."
"After today, you will be the captain of my royal guards!" the King said after a few seconds of silence, it was unclear if it was a promise of promotion or a genuine sentiment.
"Very well!" The young man stood at attention, performing the Great Tang Military Academy salute to the King of Dorne.
He then returned to the doorway, took his rifle back from his soldier, peeked out, and immediately withdrew, "Prepare for battle! It's been half a day without gunfire, they're probably thinking of some bad ideas!"
He hadn't finished speaking when he saw on the corridor side, someone carrying a large table over, hung with all sorts of items, including quilts and cutting boards.
Clearly, after half a day's unsuccessful charges, the attacking rebels had thought up a "siege tower."
"Charge!" Pushing such a shield, the rebel soldiers stepped over the bodies of their companions, continuously wriggling forward.
And the guards of His Majesty the King on this end started to look distressed, with only a dozen of them left, if they lost the terrain advantage, they definitely wouldn't be able to defend this room.
They also had nowhere left to retreat; if there was any other place to escape, they would have already escorted His Majesty the King and retreated.