章節 1065: Chapter 1065: Some countries want to go to war with the UK...
'Prince Philip, thank you for your welcome. It is an honour to be here at Windsor Castle. The view as I came in was dazzling. It is truly a magnificent building.'
Xia Yu extended his hand and shook Prince Philip's hand, smiling and flattering.
'Uncle Philip, good morning!'
Elena whispered to Prince Philip.
Prince Philip was his highest title, in addition to which he was also the Duke of Edinburgh, the Earl of Merioneth, the Baron of Greenwich, a royal knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, a knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, a noble lord and chief knight of the Order of the British Empire, etc.
As one of the dukes, Prince Philip is a very close friend of Duke Carter Howard. Elena has met him many times and has called him uncle since she was a child.
Watching Elena, who was smiling and quietly staying by Xia Yu's side, like a gentle and virtuous wife, Prince Philip was more and more certain of his earlier guess.
He returned Elena's smile and then invited Xia Yu and Elena to sit down.
'Mr Xia, and beautiful Elena, please sit down!'
'What would you like to drink?'
'I'm fine with anything, everything at Windsor Castle is worth savoring,'
Xia Yu said deliberately in a somewhat exaggerated tone, and glanced at Prince Philip in particular.
As the saying goes, it's fine to be polite to many people, and everyone likes to hear kind words. Just flattering people with your mouth is the cheapest way to gain their favor.
Prince Philip was in a very good mood and laughed heartily. He looked at Elena again.
Elena immediately whispered, 'Uncle Philip, mine is the same as his, thank you!'
'No problem!'
Prince Philip looked at Xia Yu and Elena with some deep meaning in his eyes, and then commanded the servant waiting nearby, 'Use the best coffee.'
'Okay.'
The servant respectfully answered, then quietly stepped down to prepare.
'Elena, how has your father been recently? I haven't seen him in two months.'
'Uncle Philip, thank you for your concern. My father is doing well. When he came, he told me that he really wanted to play golf with you.'
'Oh? That's easy. I'll give him a call later and arrange a time for you to relax.'
...
After chatting casually with Elena, Prince Philip looked at Xia Yu again and asked with a smile, 'Mr Xia, when did you come to the UK? I have met your subordinate Manager George a few times, and when I asked him, he said you hadn't come to the UK.'
Xia Yu replied with a faint smile, 'Prince Philip, I flew into London the afternoon before yesterday. As I hadn't been here for a long time, there was a lot of backlog for me to deal with, and I was so busy dealing with things that I didn't have time to visit you right away. I'm really sorry.'
Prince Philip smiled and waved his hand, saying, 'No need to apologise, I can understand. I'm already very impressed that you were able to get things done in such a short time.'
'If it were me, I probably wouldn't have finished in a week!'
Xia Yu laughed and said, 'Prince Philip, you're being modest. My affairs are certainly not comparable to yours, and with your abilities and experience, you would definitely be more efficient than me. I still have a lot to learn from you.'
'Haha...'
...
In the middle of a casual chat, the maid brought in a steaming cup of aromatic coffee, and Xia Yu used the coffee to pick up the conversation again, and he and Prince Philip chatted at length about the cultivation, production and taste of coffee.
For Xia Yu, a young and capable tycoon and also a partner, Prince Philip didn't put on any airs, and he and Xia Yu chatted very freely, as if they had been old friends for many years.
After another topic was concluded and a short break to drink some coffee, Prince Philip finally asked about the matter that Duke Carter Howard had mentioned to him on the phone.
'Mr Xia, according to Sir Carter, you have something to discuss with me that concerns the prestige and influence of the UK. What is it?'
Prince Philip asked, smiling gently and quietly looking at Xia Yu.
Xia Yu nodded and said with a faint smile, 'Yes, this matter is very crucial.'
'However, I have a request that is not very polite, and I hope that this matter can be linked to another matter.'
Prince Philip's smile slightly froze, and Xia Yu was preparing to make a condition. However, this kind of thing was nothing out of the ordinary, and he had seen it many times before, so he did not show any emotions.
He nodded slightly and said softly, 'Please go ahead, Mr. Xia.'
Xia Yu smiled faintly and continued, 'Prince Philip, you may know that I am from Hong Kong, and my career and foundation are basically also in Hong Kong. The reason why I have been able to invest on a large scale in the UK in recent years is because I have made money in Hong Kong. Therefore, the prosperity of Hong Kong determines the upper limit of my career.'
'However, some time ago, due to the instability in Hong Kong, its prosperous economy was directly destroyed. A sudden stock market crash erased all of Hong Kong's achievements over the past decade.
'It is hard to say how much investment and how long it will take for Hong Kong's economy to recover.'
'And now Hong Kong is still being affected by unstable political factors, which is even more detrimental to Hong Kong's economic recovery.'
'So for the sake of our Hong Kong civil society and business community, and also for me to be able to invest more capital in the UK in the future, I hope that Hong Kong can develop stably.'
Prince Philip looked at Xia Yu with a serious expression and burning gaze, and said in a deep voice, 'Mr Xia, do you know? You are interfering with British foreign affairs, and this is a very serious matter!'
Xia Yu remained calm and composed, shaking his head and saying, 'Prince Philip, I am not interfering with British foreign policy. I am merely representing the attitude of the people of Hong Kong and Hong Kong capital. The entire Hong Kong is in a state of panic, with countless families suffering from loss and grief. Many people are still worried about the future of Hong Kong and are continuing to emigrate. This is a livelihood issue for Hong Kong.'
'Hong Kong is now under British rule, and it is Britain's responsibility to manage and develop Hong Kong well. My demands should be reasonable and legitimate.'
Prince Philip looked grave, but he did not speak for a long time.
Because Xia Yu's words were well-founded, no matter what, there was no denying the fact that Hong Kong was currently under British rule, that the citizens of Hong Kong all held British nationality directly, and that the British government was responsible for the poor development of Hong Kong.
This is unquestionable!
But Prince Philip is not stupid, and he is also aware of the deeper issues. If he dares to agree to Xia Yu's request, the British government will be giving up the dispute over Hong Kong's ownership.
Because if there is a confrontation with the mainland, Hong Kong, which is in the middle, will be affected by the political turmoil, and Hong Kong will not be able to stabilise.
And if he agrees to Xia Yu's request, then the British government will not be able to cause havoc in Hong Kong.
Therefore, this is not something he is willing to agree to in his heart, nor is it something he can agree to.
Thinking about this, he was about to shake his head and refuse.
Seeing Prince Philip's actions, Xia Yu said again before he could utter the words of refusal, 'Prince Philip, what if I know of some news that a country is preparing to go to war with the United Kingdom? What do you think about me trading this news for it?'
Prince Philip's eyes widened, and he stood up abruptly, shocked, and blurted out, 'War?'
'Are you sure?'
Xia Yu said with a faint smile, 'I would never lie about something like this!'
'Which country would dare to provoke the majesty of the British Empire!'
After Xia Yu's affirmation, Prince Philip said angrily, staring at Xia Yu with round eyes, hoping that he would give an answer right away.
But Xia Yu was unmoved, still maintaining a smile, and said calmly, 'Prince Philip, I cannot easily say this.'
Prince Philip's breathing stopped for a moment, and he felt a little irritated. He took a deep breath, sat down again, and stared at Xia Yu and said, 'Mr Xia, you are also a British citizen. It is the duty of citizens to safeguard the security of the country. If you want to talk about the issue of Hong Kong, you can do so later. War is involved, and every minute counts.'
Xia Yu didn't smile again this time. He looked serious as he said to Prince Philip, 'Prince Philip, the reason I linked the prosperity of Hong Kong to this matter is also because of my status as a British citizen. If the British government considers me a British citizen with legitimate rights and interests, then the government has a responsibility to maintain the prosperity of Hong Kong and develop it to the best of its ability. I have enjoyed the rights and benefits of citizenship, so I will definitely do my part.'
'If the government doesn't consider me a citizen and I can't enjoy my rights and benefits, then there's no reason for me to fulfil my obligations!'
'Rights and obligations are reciprocal!'
'Isn't that right?'
Prince Philip was speechless.
This was a closed loop, and he couldn't find a valid reason. When high-sounding words failed, he could only use tangible benefits.
Prince Philip frowned for a long time, and then slowly said, 'Mr Xia, I have no right to speak on Hong Kong affairs, and I cannot promise you.'
'I will go with you to meet the Prime Minister, and you can talk to her.'
Xia Yu's mouth curved up into a smile, and he nodded and said, 'No problem!'
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