Inside the spacious Oval Office, Poul and Jonathan anxiously awaited President Cleveland's return from his press conference. The room was filled with an air of tension as they sipped their coffee, its aroma mingling with the scent of freshly baked peanut butter cookies, which had been thoughtfully prepared by the White House staff.
Poul nervously tapped his fingers against the armrest of the plush chair, while Jonathan absentmindedly stirred his coffee, lost in his thoughts.
"Let's have a bet, Poul," Jonathan said with a mischievous glimmer in his eyes.
"A bet?" Poul repeated, tilting his head to the side.
"For a thousand bucks, President Cleveland would think that this issue is you sabotaging his presidency by forcing him into a situation such as this, and for that, he would be very angry at you."
Poul scoffed. "For a thousand bucks, I'd say that Cleveland is going to be calm and collected. He's a seasoned politician, and he knows how to handle delicate matters like this."
Jonathan chuckled, amused by Poul's confidence. "Well, we'll see about that. A thousand bucks on the line, remember?"
As they continued to banter, the door to the Oval Office opened once more, and President Cleveland re-entered the room, followed by his Chief of Staff. The atmosphere in the room shifted as they took their seats around the imposing desk.
"Mr. President, it is a pleasure to see you," Poul began.
"A pleasure? Well for me it's not, Mr. Nielsen. What your company did in Hanseong is just unacceptable," President Cleveland interrupted, his voice laced with frustration. His eyes bore into Poul's, his disappointment evident.
"Woah woah…" Poul raised his hand. "Calm down. The private military company of ours is a legitimate company with a clear and specific goal," Poul quickly interjected, trying to defend his company. "Hanseong asked us to kick the Japanese out of their soil, and we did just that."
"I don't care about the Joseons or the Japanese, I cared about my presidency here, Mr. Nielsen. Are you trying to kill me? Are you still bitter because you lost the presidential election against me?"
"Woah…why are you bringing that one up? No this isn't personal, Mr. President. This is just business with the media distorting the truth. You can see from our reports that we have given to you three days prior, that our private military troops only exterminated Japanese soldiers. There are no civilian lives lost."
"And yeah thanks to that the Japanese are enraged by the fact. Do you have any idea how delicate our relationship with the Japanese is?" President Cleveland's voice trembled with frustration as he continued, "We've been working tirelessly to foster diplomacy and build trust with Japan, and now this incident threatens to unravel all our progress."
"If they haven't incurred the Joseon's sovereignty, this wouldn't happen," Poul said.
President Cleveland's anger surged, his face turning a shade of crimson. "That's not for you to decide, Mr. Nielsen! And I don't know why you are helping that primitive nation. There's nothing lucrative in the Joseon Kingdom. Thanks to you, our market shares in Japan are dropping, and that also goes for your company if I need not remind you."
Poul waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, they'll still be dependent on our products. It's not like the Japanese can completely ban Avalonian products entirely, doing so would cause them to lag behind the Western powers. Also, Jonathan and I have come up with a way to resolve things."
"Oh yeah, what is it?" Cleveland asked, his gaze shifting between Poul and Jonathan, his curiosity piqued despite his lingering frustration.
Jonathan reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver pipe, gently tapping it against his palm. With a thoughtful expression, he began packing the bowl with fragrant tobacco. After a few moments, he struck a match and lit the tobacco, taking a deep puff and exhaling a cloud of smoke that filled the air around him.
President Cleveland watched the smoke dance in the room, momentarily captivated by the swirling patterns. "Well, don't keep me waiting, Jonathan. What is this plan you've devised?"
With a calm demeanor, Jonathan leaned back in his chair, the smoke from his pipe lazily curling around him. "Mr. President, we believe that the key to resolving this delicate situation lies in technological exchange. If you allow us to sell military aircraft that are less advanced than what we were supplying your Army, we believe the Japanese are going to let it go."
"So we are to sell sophisticated technology to Japan with an aircraft I saw in your demonstration?" Cleveland asked.
"That's correct, Mr. President. And remember, a plane that is subpar to what we are building for the United States Army."
"How subpar?" Cleveland pressed.
Jonathan glanced at Poul, prompting him to take over.
"Well, the aircraft that we are building for the United States Army is made of lightweight materials such as aluminum alloys but for the Japanese, it'll be a wooden frame and fabric construction," Poul explained. "The Japanese will receive a reliable and functional aircraft, but it won't possess the advanced capabilities and durability of the ones we're developing for this beloved country. It will be a compromise that allows us to address the current crisis while ensuring that our superior technology remains in our hands. What do you think?"
"But what if the Japanese didn't want wooden frame aircraft but the ones you are building for us?" Cleveland asked.
"The Japanese are resilient and adaptable, Mr. President. For sure, giving them that wooden aircraft would allow them to think outside the box. They will improve the design and enhance its capabilities. In fact, since they saw the aircraft that we demonstrated, they'll simply copy it. Just like how they copied British warships. But the key here is that we are controlling the starting point."
Cleveland sighed, seemingly considering the proposal put forward by Poul and Jonathan. He weighed the potential risks and benefits in his mind, aware of the delicate diplomatic situation and the consequences of any missteps.
After a moment of contemplation, President Cleveland leaned forward, his expression serious yet contemplative. "Gentlemen, I must admit, your plan intrigues me. So let's go forward with that. Oh, as for your private military company, I want you to release a statement supporting the statements that I gave the press earlier."
"Consider it done," Poul and Jonathan intoned.
"Okay, there's nothing to talk about now. You may go, Mr. Axelsen. Mr. Nielsen."
Follow current nov𝒆ls on freew(𝒆)bnov𝒆l.(c)om