Chapter 180: Wars can be fought, but business must be done

After giving instructions on the reception for the troops and sending away the flattering senator, Amystan called Camille to her side again.

Camille had just delivered an impassioned speech to the media, announcing to all of Piltover her determination to fight the evil infiltration of the Windleader.

This marked the official breakup and open confrontation between Piltover and the Guild of Legends, and the official transition from peaceful coexistence to a cold war.

Camille advocates that countermeasures against the leader include but are not limited to banning propaganda, confiscating assets, expelling personnel, destroying the organization, and so on.

"You also seemed to have mentioned trade sanctions and additional tariffs?" Amystan asked suggestively.

"Yes." Camille said, "The Leaders have only inherited Takeda Saito's territory. The industrial structure of their base is very simple, with only military industry, shipbuilding, mining, textiles, parts processing, and alchemy potions."

The arms were sold to Noxus, so she couldn't impose sanctions on them even if she wanted to.

But the ships built by the Windleader, the mines dug, the clothes, mechanical parts, and alchemical potions produced have basically all to be sold to Piltover.

Among these products, except for the alchemical potion, which is considered to be the core technology unique to the former Takeda Group, the technical content of other products is not high and can be easily replaced by "friendly products".

"Zuan is not yet completely under the control of the Leader."

Since liberating the territory of Takeda and Saito, the Leader has been limited by the insufficient number of grassroots cadres, slowing down its expansion.

And because the Leaders Association did such a good job of keeping secrets, and a single faith test made the organization impenetrable, Camille still doesn't know the true relationship between Hilco, Renata, and Levi.

So in Camille's opinion:

"The Wind Leaders have only occupied one district in Zaun. There are other alchemist barons in Zaun who are afraid of and hostile to the Wind Leaders Association. They will all be our friends."

"We don't buy the products of the Leader, and naturally there are other Alchemist Barons who can provide Piltover with what we need."

Camille was confident.

She believes that Piltover only needs to impose tariffs on the goods of the Windrush Base, or even directly refuse to buy the Windrush Base's goods, to easily crush the Windrush Base's economy and cause a large number of people to lose their jobs.

This is a good calculation.

However……

"No." Amystan said so.

"We can fight the war, but we still have to do business." The Emperor of Piltover issued the highest instructions.

"What?!" Camille frowned.

"I have talked to the Wind Leader Association." Amystan said, "The Wind Leader Association agreed to export the 'Disaster-class Rocket Launcher' to the Noxus Empire as a condition for the Empire to ensure smooth trade between the two cities."

Jinx means bad luck and calamity.

Although Levi's original intention was to commemorate Jinx's contribution to this weapon, when the name "Jinx Rocket Launcher" spread, people naturally understood it as "Disaster-class Rocket Launcher."

This name also suits the taste of Noxian people.

Amystan liked it very much, both its name and the powerful rocket launcher itself.

"They agree to sell this decisive weapon to the Empire?" Camille was shocked at first.

"Why not?" Amystan smiled.

Anyway, with Janna around, the Wind Leader is almost immune to any flying props.

Wind can turn a rocket into a missile, and naturally it can also turn a rocket into a Brownian motion missile.

Therefore, even if the Jinx rocket launcher is sold to Noxus, Noxus will not be able to use it to pose any threat to the Leader.

"General Amistan." Camille was shocked, then angry: "You are the governor of Piltover. How can you compromise with the enemy just for a small arms purchase?"

"No, no, no." Amystan said, "Of course, what we have negotiated is more than just a military procurement contract."

"Camille, do you know anything about cars?"

Of course Camille knew that there had been cars in the Twin Cities for a long time.

But they are all coal-fired, gas-fired, or electric-powered. The more advanced ones are equipped with hex gems.

Coal, gas and electric cars either have low power or poor endurance.

The performance of Hexagon is almost perfect, but it is also very expensive.

"The Leader recently invented a new alchemical fuel."

Zaun actually already has alchemical fuel.

Ike's alchemical skateboard and Takeda Saito's alchemical motorcycle both use different types of alchemical fuel developed by each company.

However, this old-fashioned alchemical fuel is either expensive, highly toxic and polluting, or has a complicated process that cannot be mass-produced.

In addition, the steam power and electric power technologies of the Twin Cities were already mature enough, and later on there was the revolutionary Hextech power technology.

Therefore, not only are few people investing in and researching alchemical fuel technology, it has also not been improved or promoted.

But later, after Levi recruited Vi, Jinx, and Vandal's family to join the Leader, he asked them to go to the Wildfire Gang to find Ekko and persuade him to join the Leader as well.

Ike shared with the Leader the high-energy alchemical fuel technology used in his self-developed "Green Goblin Skateboard", as well as Singed's research on alchemical fuel.

With the combined efforts of the two talented scientists and Zaun's existing alchemical fuel technology foundation, they soon successfully developed and improved a perfect new alchemical fuel.

"The leader named this new type of alchemical fuel 'gasoline'. It has low toxicity, high yield, low cost , and high calorific value, making it very suitable as a power fuel for cars."

"This type of gasoline-powered vehicle has strong power and long driving range, and is very suitable for long-distance land transportation tasks."

"Although it can't carry as much as the Empire's dragon lizards, it's cheaper, faster, and can be mass-produced."

Who needs mass-produced long-range transport vehicles the most right now? Of course, the Noxian Empire is killing everyone.

With the fuel trucks provided by Leader, the logistics efficiency of the Imperial Army can be greatly improved.

Putting aside the small twin cities, now in the world, except for the Noxus Empire, which has a basic road network throughout the country, it can be said that "all roads lead to the immortal fortress"...

Other countries in Runeterra do not even have the most basic industrialization, and there is no road network, so cars cannot run at all.

Therefore, the fuel truck invented by the Leader can only be sold to Noxus.

One wants to buy, the other wants to sell.

The seller has a monopoly on the product and the buyer has the only market.

Of course, the two sides hit it off immediately.

"So..." Amystan shrugged, "I agreed to form a joint venture with the Leader Association to produce and provide fuel vehicles for the Noxus Empire on a long-term basis."

Camille: “…”

Joint venture? Joint venture?!

"Please explain what a joint venture is?!" Camille was angry.

She hired Amystan as a bodyguard.

In the end, this bastard actually took advantage of both sides and reaped the benefits from both ends? !

"A joint venture is a joint venture , literally." Amystan smiled.

She then added: "The Leaders are very smart. Not only did they form a joint venture with me, they also used Miss Mel to get the Midalda family and even many big figures in Noxus to participate in this."

"Camille, the water is very deep here, you can't control it."

"So I kindly advise you not to meddle in other people's business."

Camille remained silent.

She finally realized something—

Although she had never seen a gasoline car, she knew it with a little business sense...

If fuel-powered cars are as useful as Amistan says, the changes they bring to the transportation industry could be revolutionary.

How many cars will such a huge Noxus Empire need in the future?

What kind of amazing profits will such a huge demand for cars bring?

No wonder Noxian warlords like Amistan and Medarda couldn't help but want to have a piece of the meat.

And if this fuel car business is successful and expanded, Leader will be able to easily support more than 2 million people in Zaun just by selling oil and cars in the future.

By then, Piltover will probably lose all its economic and industrial advantages in front of Zaun.

"Okay, I can temporarily lift the trade sanctions on the Leader..." Camille finally gave in.

"But General Amistan, I still hope you can sober up."

The Leader originally got the land, Walkman and music publishing businesses, and bought out a large number of Piltover seed families.

These seed benzene manufacturers made a lot of money by jointly investing with Leader, so they cheer for Leader every day and promote Leader as being mild and harmless.

But what is the result?

The Wind Leader only grew slightly stronger and took a bite out of their flesh in Zaun.

Now they are using the same old tricks again, using the car business to bribe Amistan and the high-ranking nobles of the Noxian Empire.

"You are raising a tiger to cause trouble!" said Camille.

"Raising a tiger?" Amystan smiled: "Noxus is the tiger, they are just foxes."

"In that case," Camille sneered, "Why don't you go to Zaun now, destroy the Wind Leader's base, and steal their fuel-powered car technology?"

“Isn’t this more profitable than a joint venture?”

"You?!" Amystan frowned, looking unhappy.

So she simply stopped talking to Camille and just turned to look at the sea in the distance.

Her expression quickly became relaxed, as relaxed as if she was just enjoying the scenery.

Well, there are indeed beautiful views on the sea——

For example, there were dozens of huge Noxian Empire warships, and Noxian soldiers who were constantly disembarking from the warships and landing like a group of lions out of a cage.

In the face of this red and black wave, Piltover is like an isolated reef on the sea that could be submerged by a tsunami at any time.

"..."Sure enough, as soon as Camille saw this "beautiful scenery", her mood calmed down.

Why didn't Amystan destroy the Wind Leader?

It’s almost the same reason why she doesn’t dare to speak now.

"The Leader will not cross the canal. This is my promise." Amystan suddenly emphasized.

Camille knew what she meant.

Apart from ensuring that the leader did not cross the canal, she was not responsible for anything else.

"Do you understand?" Amystan asked for confirmation.

"I understand." Camille's eyes turned cold.

She quietly looked at the endless Noxian army, her eyes deep and far-reaching.

Whatever.

The Noxian army had arrived at least.