Miss Beautiful C.E.O and her system-Chapter 693: Ling Qingyu’s Solution

"Oh? Perhaps I heard everything wrong," Ling Qingyu said with a tone of schadenfreude. "I heard there was a group planning to threaten me during my visit—by showing force and exploiting my youth to instill fear, hoping I would accept your proposal. Am I wrong?"

"That…" The President paused, unsure whether to admit or deny. He knew Ling Qingyu wasn't bluffing—she had clearly received solid intelligence.

This woman had demonstrated a deep intelligence network embedded within Country E—so much so that she had uncovered things even their own agencies couldn't find. Her awareness was no longer in question.

As she had stated, similar conspiracies had been discussed—radical voices had even considered using direct force after discovering that Ling Qingyu's identity was "nothing special."

He had been among the conservatives—those who advocated for a peaceful approach or a wait-and-see stance until more information could be gathered.

This meeting was always meant to test her depth and resolve. But the President now realized the stakes were far higher.

Besides, they already had unknown enemies lurking, whose intentions only sowed further instability in the nation. Just one Ling Qingyu was enough to threaten their collapse. What if there was more?

Everything urged him to appease her. He could sense her disapproval—her dissatisfaction radiated beneath her calm demeanor.

Maybe it was his past attitude toward foreign terrorism that had worsened this dialogue.

As for her words about not being interested in the country's mineral resources, the President dismissed them as a polite farce.

After all, Country E had nothing else to offer. Its economy and international relevance hinged almost entirely on its natural resources.

Ling Qingyu's buyout had temporarily boosted the economy and brought prosperity. But no sane person—especially a businessperson or a capitalist—would operate without profit in mind.

In her speech, she had mentioned benefits multiple times. He knew better. Even the possibility of monopolizing the entire country's network was higher than generosity.

Still, the President was silently grateful for his own indecisiveness—it had stopped him from allowing the group to outright provoke Ling Qingyu.

After all, what kind of person treats trillions of dollars like toilet paper?

Only a fool would assume someone like that could be ordinary. Those idiots in his circle had been too deceived by appearances.

When gods fight, mortals suffer.

Now, Country E had become the playground for one god who was snooping around… and another godlike existence who seemed utterly dissatisfied.

"There must be some mistake somewhere," he finally said. "Extremists exist in every country, and I have to balance multiple parties with conflicting interests." He tried to excuse himself. "You have to understand my predicament, Madam."

He had no desire to probe further into the intel she had received. The deeper they went, the more it would cost him. Of that, he was sure.

Ling Qingyu didn't even bother acknowledging his pitiful attempt at feigned innocence.

A flock of birds wouldn't gather without sharing similarities.

From the start, this man had seen her as nothing more than a young businesswoman—someone who could be molded at will by powerful hands.

She recognized that look—the same one seen in tyrants wielding guns at civilians and scholars alike. Like Politicians who considered merchants as sheeps.

In their minds, force was the supreme truth. Once they issued commands, others would obey out of fear.

Right or wrong could be twisted and imposed as they pleased.

Perhaps it hadn't reached that extreme with Ling Qingyu, but their plans had involved underhanded means—just as she had stated openly.

"Frighten me. Coerce me into signing your deals. Then even if I fly out of here, the deal is done—you've already pocketed the money and secured annual revenue before I even take control of the medical city. Happy cooperation!" Ling Qingyu mocked, mimicking their wishful fantasy.

"I don't care if you were instigated by others to test my depths, or if you intended to devour my wealth without spitting out even a bone. Even the slightest thought is an offense to me. And I will remember it—and repay it, sincerely."

Noting the silence, Ling Qingyu chuckled and continued,

"How about I narrate your few options? For instance—subtly placing me under house arrest until an agreement aligned with your interests is reached.

"Formally, you might've just considered my entourage—barely a dozen people—easy targets to handle. But your initial plan failed when you realized my guards' capabilities and numbers.

"So, you resorted to increasing your troop presence to apply pressure, attempting to replicate your strategy… until you saw things through and changed your mind.

"But from the beginning—despite all your caution—you were already walking down the same road."

Seeing him about to interrupt, Ling Qingyu raised a finger and gently wagged it.

"Please, don't quibble that the increased troops are meant to protect important guests from further terrorist attacks. Flexibility in interpretation never changes.

"Maybe those guards are for safety.

"Maybe I'm just overthinking.

"Who knows… but yourself? I'm not interested."

"Then, Madam, what do you wish for? What compensation do you desire from our poor state?" the President asked blandly.

Ling Qingyu's assertion of dominance laid the foundation for negotiations. As long as he satisfied her conditions, the status quo could be maintained.

"Please don't portray the situation as if I were a pirate squandering a poor town to the brink of collapse. I have a clear conscience," Ling Qingyu stated firmly, cutting off any future narrative that might frame her as the aggressor.

"I bought the islands—territory over which you have no total control or governance—at a fair price, with additional fees, precisely to ensure we could meet and secure our deals. It opened the opportunity for your people to profit from the sale."

"I only hope our sellouts don't reach the public. The loss of land to a foreigner would jeopardize our image as national leaders. Sovereignty is a sacred word."

"I agree, Mr. President. We don't want unexpected variables spiraling the situation out of control. It's because of that mutual respect that I came here when I got the chance."

"I'm pleased we are settling terms peacefully, Madam Ling," the President replied with a renewed smile. His worries seemed to fade—though the sweat beading on his forehead betrayed the strain beneath his composed facade.

Now, he believed he understood Ling Qingyu's goals.

"I assure you, our previous agreement will be honored and respected."

"So long as disguised pirates and questionable 'safety concerns' don't tarnish the reputation of my medical city," Ling Qingyu added casually, subtly exposing the underhanded tactics of certain politicians—throwing dirty water while maintaining plausible deniability.

She wasn't afraid of such moves. She could protect the island without any cost. Maybe they wouldn't attack her directly but isolate the island so that important resources would be cutoff. Airlifting them would cost a huge toll even with the presence of Athena's moneyprinting machine.

But why waste effort on bandaging symptoms… when she could eliminate the root?

Besides, she had better uses for her strength.

"I can assure you with my position that such problems will never occur in the first place," the President swore.

"What if you're no longer sitting in that chair?" Ling Qingyu teased, though her words carried weight.

"Then… I'll do my best to advise those who are."

His confidante—the only guard present—frowned slightly as the conversation deepened.

Though he tried to remain composed, Xiao Yue had already read his thoughts.

Unwillingness? Anger?

After all, to him, this felt like a capitalist oppressing a nation.

A shameful theater. A public entity kneeling before a private one.

Xiao Yue stifled a giggle, amused by his fragile pride.

Did he even comprehend the benefits Ling Qingyu had already delivered?

It wasn't her robbing the national wealth—it was the elites.

The money she had invested was more than enough to sustain Country E's growth for two, maybe even three decades—if managed properly.

Once development stabilized, incomes would soar, and GDP would spike like never before.

If anything, Ling Qingyu could one day become the patron saint of this country.

Besides, the islands they sold hadn't brought the slightest benefit—aside from a marginal increase in land and sea control. Their maritime trade and ports lacked the necessary infrastructure and talent for expansion.

The coastline wasn't stable enough to foster prosperity, and numerous unresolved issues continued to hinder progress.

If there had been valuable minerals beneath the waters, foreign mining companies would have already arrived long before Ling Qingyu took over—exploring the seabed and extracting every ounce of wealth available.

Any future battles Ling Qingyu might have to face for the sake of the medical city would only bring unwarranted disasters—headaches she neither needed nor welcomed.

Unless, of course, this entire region had been deliberately reserved for her by Miss System—twisting the threads of national destiny to conceal untapped, precious resources.

After all, Ling Qingyu was the daughter of destiny, and it was only fitting that she received the same divine favoritism as those protagonists in stories.

Xiao Yue had witnessed firsthand just how spoiled she truly was—the more time they spent together, the clearer Miss System's intentions became.

…

"Not enough," Ling Qingyu said, shaking her head.

Did she need to fly here every time someone else took office?

Country E's strength just wasn't there yet.

"Not enough?" The President blinked, confused. What more could this woman want? Had he misread her again?

"What if your nation goes back on its sacred words? Where would I go to cry?"

"I don't think you need to worry that much, Madam. By that time, your network will be so entrenched in our systems that politics won't be able to separate from your businesses," the President replied smoothly.

A beautiful picture.

What he really meant was that, over time, Ling Qingyu would come to control nearly everything.

"Unfortunately, you're forgetting the extremists you mentioned earlier, Your Excellency," Ling Qingyu replied, folding her arms as she gazed at the faint reflection of the President on the glass wall.

"If you never solve the root of the issue, it will regrow and stir up trouble again and again. And you expect me to believe that your nation won't turn on me in the future for control?"

Her voice was calm, but the warning was clear.

"No matter what, I'll always be at a disadvantage—as a foreigner.

If I were truly exploiting this place, swallowing benefits without even spitting out the bones, then fine, I could accept being dragged into the tug-of-war of your political arena.

But you—along with anyone who has even a sliver of understanding—know exactly what I've paid here."

Her tone dipped a notch colder.

"And you still haven't explained how you plan to persuade your vested interest groups."

She let the silence hang for a second. Then, she offered a solution.

Calmly. Even kindly.

"In case you have trouble persuading them… how about I convince them in your stead?"

"Elena?"