Manhattan Reborn 1978

new York.

Evening~

LaGuardia Airport.

David, Mr. Tianniu and Toby Olga took the car that came to pick them up and drove quickly to the city.

on the way.

Mr. Gardener, who temporarily served as a private car driver, told David some of the latest pieces of information he had received today.

"At noon today, many of the world's shipping giants announced the suspension of Red Sea sailings, and some shipping companies have notified them to stop cargo pickup and new bookings."

"It is said that these cargo ships were attacked by armed pirates continuously when passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, causing damage to the ships and cargo. As a result, these shipping companies had to be cautious."

"Pirate?" David asked funnyly when he heard this familiar yet unfamiliar word.

"Is it a mess over there? Why are pirates so rampant?"

Mr. Gardener glanced at Mr. Tianniu sitting in the passenger seat: "Come and tell the boss."

"Okay~" Mr. Tianniu raised his eyebrows and nodded.

"The Suez Canal-Red Sea-Mandeb Strait-Gulf of Aden forms an international shipping artery that guards the maritime traffic routes in Asia, Africa and Europe. It connects the Red Sea and the Mediterranean and is one of the busiest waterways in the world."

"The Strait of Bab el-Mandab is located at the southern end of the Red Sea, connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. It is a must-pass for ships traveling between the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. Its strategic position is very important."

"Usually the Asia-Europe route, especially the European route, mainly takes the Red Sea channel, which is the main channel for Asia-Europe maritime trade."

"Currently, more than 1 ocean-going cargo ships pass through the Suez Canal every year, accounting for about 20% of the world's maritime trade, mainly container ships and oil tankers. Passenger ships account for less than 1% of the channel's traffic."

"Oil? Is it the maritime channel for exporting crude oil from the Middle East to Europe?" David immediately reacted and asked.

"Yes!"

“Oil tankers originating from oil-producing countries such as Iraq, Kuwait, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, and Yemen in the Middle East need to pass through the Gulf of Aden → Bab el-Mandeb Strait → Red Sea → Suez Canal → Mediterranean Sea, and then pass between Spain and Morocco. The Strait of Gibraltar reaches the main seaports of Western European countries.”

"On this relatively narrow and important trade route, there have always been various armed pirates harassing cargo ships and oil tankers passing by."

"Because the countries around this waterway are very poor and chaotic..."

"For example: Yemen, a country located to the north of the Gulf of Aden, and Somalia, a country to the south, have been in various wars all year round, with almost no cessation."

"Yemen?" David deliberately repeated the name of the country and looked at Mr. Tianniu curiously.

Mr. Longhorn turned around and glanced at Toby Olga, who was dozing next to David, and smiled.

"In the 40s, the British valued the natural harbor of Aden in southern Yemen and found the local chief to rent it as a colonial supply port for fleets to dock."

"The Gulf of Aden is also named after this."

“In the following thirty years, the British used various means to annex more than thirty tribes to the east and north, established the Aden Protectorate controlled by puppet chiefs, and declared the area to be an area protected by the British government. "

"The Port of Aden, with heavy investment from the British, soon developed into the second largest trading port in the world after the Port of New York."

"The Port Colony of Aden + the Protectorate of Aden are now collectively known as South Yemen."

"And in the northeastern part of South Yemen, North Yemen, adjacent to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, was occupied by the Ottoman Empire at that time."

"After World War I, the Ottoman Empire collapsed."

"North Yemen officially establishes the Yemeni Kingdom of Mutawakkiriya."

"However, when North Yemen was first established, local people generally saw no hope for the future and migrated to Saudi Arabia in the north, settling in Jizan on the border between Saudi Arabia and North Yemen."

"Jazan is currently the area with the highest population density in Saudi Arabia."

"It has always been a disputed territory between the ancient Saudi chiefs and the ancient Yemeni chiefs. It was later occupied by Saudi Arabia and became its own territory, which continues to this day."

“In the early 60s, young military officers in North Yemen launched a military coup during the anti-colonial and independent wave proposed by Egyptian leader Nasser, when the old king passed away and the new king just came to the throne, making North Yemen the first Arab country to free itself from A country declared independent by feudal rule.”

"North Yemen became independent, but the internal royalists and independent factions started a civil war."

"The independence faction supported by Egypt and the royalist faction supported by Saudi Arabia have been in confrontation and conflict in North Yemen for many years. It was not until the outbreak of the third Middle East war that Egypt and Saudi Arabia announced that they would no longer support the civil war in North Yemen."

“In 67, as the last batch of British troops stationed in South Yemen withdrew from the Port of Aden, the winners of South Yemen’s three-year internal armed struggle announced the establishment of the South Yemen State and publicly expressed their desire to learn from Xiong Daguo. , in order to obtain more international support.”

"But the situation in Yemen is very different. As its neighbor, Oman's ruler, the latest generation of King Qaboos bin Said of the Said family, deposed his father in 70 years by launching a palace coup. Throne, ascend the throne and become the king~"

"Subsequently, he announced that the country would be renamed the Sultanate of Oman, and after many negotiations with the United Kingdom, the troops stationed in the country were withdrawn from the new Oman."

"Oh?" David asked with great interest in the new king of Oman named Qaboos.

"Where is his father? Is he under house arrest?"

"No~" the beetle shook his head in amusement.

"He sent the old king to France, saying that the medical conditions and natural environment there were more suitable for the elderly to live."

"Hahaha~ interesting!"

"This guy is really... quite filial!"

The driver, Mr. Gardener, heard David's joke and laughed.

"This new King, His Majesty Qaboos, was specially sent to Europe by the old King to study for many years when he was young, and he made friends with many powerful people in Europe because of his status as the Crown Prince."

"The reasons behind his ability to successfully take over the throne are extremely complex."

"But the most important thing is that there are people who are secretly supporting him to replace the old king and make Oman an important chess piece in the Middle East."

"Because the father of young His Majesty Qaboos is a rare conservative."

"After he came to the throne, he advocated that the country should avoid participating in international disputes, especially the condemnation of Israel by Arab countries."

“When the old king was on the throne in 58, oil fields with rich reserves were discovered in Oman.”

"The British came forward to help Oman train its army, and helped him get rid of the prying eyes of Saudi Arabia and Iran, so that Oman's oil fields were not taken away."

David glanced at Mr. Gardener and Mr. Longhorn, seeming to understand something, and asked with raised eyebrows.

“Is Oman’s crude oil production high?”

"It's okay." The gardener slowed down the car a little, looked at David in the rearview mirror, and explained.

"Odis Parker was very familiar with King Qaboos when he was in Europe."

"If he comes forward, you can..."

"Oh~"

"So you have gone in such a big circle just to say this?" David shook his head slightly and smiled.

Mr. Tianniu glanced at the smiling gardener and did not immediately explain.

The gardener slowly parked his car on the street, turned to look at David, and asked seriously.

"When you come back this time, is there anything we can continue to do for you?"

"..." David tilted his head and looked at Mr. Gardener, quickly understood, and smiled.

"Are you afraid of me... continuing to write books without doing your job?"

"Uh... no!" The gardener would not admit that he thought David was not doing his job properly by writing a book, and shook his head.

"I and we all know that it is not easy for you to step from an ordinary person to where you are today!"

"But you should also understand that if a group of us..."

"I understand!" David quickly sorted out his emotions and said equally seriously.

"Because I understand this, I will become more and more careful and cautious."

"Your job is to frequently come into contact with all kinds of intelligence every day."

"And my job is to find the right direction for myself, my family, my loved ones, and those who trust me, and move forward steadily!"

"Writing a book is very important to me now."

"It's far more important than me attending social events with various celebrities or getting to know more big shots!"

David saw the thoughts on their faces and shrugged: "There are some things that others can give me, but I can't take them!"

"Their price is too high~"

"Some things must be fought for by myself to realize their value and give me the greatest satisfaction."

"There are still some things that others can't give, and I can't get them despite my best efforts. Why not take a step back and watch quietly~"

"When I can see clearly, I can move forward faster!"

"The benefits of writing a book are obvious to me."

“But it needs to be widely recognized by people, it needs to be well received by most people, and it needs time to prove its significance!”

David pointed to the front right side of the car and said with a smile: "There is a close relationship between education and national economic development!"

"The United Nations Headquarters, right next to the East River in Manhattan."

“One of its direct departments, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, referred to as UNESCO) headquartered in Paris, is mainly responsible for allowing governments to discuss issues related to education, science and culture.”

“For example: What kind of education, science, culture and communication will the world need tomorrow?”

“What knowledge development, dissemination and exchange should be given priority in the work?”

"Which knowledge or science and technology mainly rely on research, training and teaching and cannot be fully popularized for the time being?"

“What knowledge and technologies can be provided to member states in the form of technical cooperation to formulate development policies and plans?”

"Affiliated to UNESCO's Paris headquarters, there is a research and training institution called the International Institute for Educational Planning."

"International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) was founded in 1963."

“Mainly responsible for contributing to the social and economic development of UNESCO member states by increasing people’s knowledge of educational planning and providing competent experts in this field, aiming to improve the educational planning capabilities of developing countries and provide countries with bridge the gap and provide expertise on important issues in education.”

David raised an index finger to the two of them, narrowed his eyes and smiled: "IIEP, as an autonomous multidisciplinary institution, organizes educational planning experts to hold advanced training courses (eight months) and special crash training courses (six weeks) every year. ) and special training courses (about four months), etc.”

“It also provides briefings, training, preparation of teaching materials, lists of teaching and learning strategies and plans, organization of discussion meetings, etc. for experts serving in UNESCO and other international organizations.”

“Is economic development important?”

"It must be important!"

"With the rapid economic development of various countries, are the financial investment industry, banking industry, insurance industry, etc. that are closely related to it important?"

"of equal importance!"

“Without this professional knowledge and without the active coordination of IIEP, it would have been impossible to complete this work of extraordinary historical significance just by relying on academic exchanges and discussions among universities around the world!”

"So~"

David put down his hand, put away his smile, stared at the two people with burning eyes and said.

"My ultimate goal in writing a book has never been to become famous only in the domestic economics and financial circles."

"What I want is for economics and finance practitioners around the world to know my name, my ideas and the direction I am working towards~"

“Only cooperation that seeks common ground while reserving differences can truly achieve win-win results!”

"..." Mr. Gardener tilted his head and glanced at Mr. Tianniu, and nodded speechlessly.

The beetle pursed his lips and patted him, then smiled and said, "Are you... relieved?"

"Yeah!" The gardener breathed out a relaxed breath and smiled.

"If he had been born 50 years earlier, he would probably be a big figure relied on by the highest level of the country's government by now."

"Hahaha~" David smiled and put his hand on Toby Olga's wrist, tapping the base of her thumb with his index finger.

"The King of Oman, His Majesty Qaboos, you are talking about, I want Odis Parker to be the intermediary and introduce Mag Ludwig to him."

"Maag's lobbying firm in Washington will be officially opened soon."

"He will definitely be willing to meet His Majesty the King, who has received a European education."

"Okay, we'll have someone go and notify Mr. Mag Ludwig." The beetle nodded and responded.

David felt the "pulsation" coming from between them, turned to the gardener and said.

"Brotney Mecia, how are you doing?"

"Did her recruitment process go smoothly?"

The gardener smiled and put the gear back on, nodded: "She recruited a dozen CIA overseas agents who will be laid off."

"Just raising these people requires millions of dollars in expenses every year."

"Are you sure you want her to continue recruiting?"

"One million meters?"

"not much!"

David took back his hand, tilted his head and looked out the window, and whispered: "Without effort, there will be no gain."

"I believe that Mecia will not let me down."

"..."

The gardener glanced at Toby who was "dozing off" in the rearview mirror, with an unknown smile on his lips.

The beetle was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked to the back row: "Do you still remember the dragonfly?"

"Dragonfly? The lady who came to New York with you?"

"Correct!"

"What's up with her?"

The beetle turned back to look at David: "She recently told me that she wanted to work with Mecia."

"Oh~" David asked casually.

"Is she familiar with Mecia?"

"Ah."

"As long as Mecia is willing to accept her, I have no problem with it."

"Ok."

----

the other side of the Pacific Ocean.

Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture, in the central and western part of the island country.

night~

Yuri Orlov was wearing a nightgown he brought, standing by the hotel window looking at the night scene outside, and asked.

"Are you... hiding something from us?"

On the sofa not far behind him, Marat Poyezhnev shook the wine glass in his hand and smiled.

"Yes."

"Aren't you going to tell me?"

"Yes."

"..." Yuri was speechless.

Marat smiled even more and explained: "I don't want to lie to you, and I don't want you to worry about it."

“There are many things that you don’t know that are better than what you do know.”

"..." Yuri turned back to look at him, walked to him silently and sat down, staring at him closely and asked.

"Then do you plan to continue hiding it?"

"Of course not~"

Marat took a sip of his drink: "Nothing can be hidden forever."

"I will take a flight back to New York tomorrow and talk to my boss in person."

"Okay!" Yuri took a deep breath, and the alertness and vigilance in his eyes slowly disappeared.

Marat looked at this "silly boy" with a playful look, and his evaluation of him couldn't help but improve a bit.