Victor Stone's declaration—the demand to purchase a sovereign nation—was the logical, terrifying apex of the T-Rank imperative.
"Dominance is not static, Counselor," Victor stated, looking at his multi-million-dollar portfolio. "We have removed the external competition, but the internal political friction remains a threat. I must acquire a nation that I can govern under T-Rank efficiency principles. Find me a small, bankrupt island nation."
Joshua stared at the immense task. This was not a business transaction; this was international diplomacy, a minefield of treaties, and a direct negotiation with global financial powers. He needed the highest level of systemic knowledge available.
Acquire Diplomatic Protocol (S-Rank), Joshua commanded mentally, deploying nearly all his saved points.
[SKILL ACQUISITION INTERFACE (SAI)]
[Current SP: 350]
[LEGAL UTILITY]
Diplomatic Protocol (S-Rank) [Cost: 300 SP]
Description: Grants comprehensive mastery of international diplomacy, UN charters, treaty negotiation, political leveraging, and the legal framework for sovereign debt acquisition. Allows the user to navigate and manipulate the global political structure.
[ACQUISITION CONFIRMED. COST: 300 SP. BALANCE: 50 SP.]
[INSTALLING: DIPLOMATIC PROTOCOL (S-RANK)...]
A tidal wave of geopolitical history, trade agreements, and legal precedents flooded Joshua's mind. He instantly understood the leverage points of every major world power and the precise legal pathway for a private entity to acquire influence, if not outright control, over a debtor nation.
The Target: The Isle of Aethel
Using his new Diplomatic Protocol (S-Rank) and Economic Insight (G-Rank), Joshua quickly identified the perfect, most vulnerable target: the Isle of Aethel.
The Isle of Aethel was a tiny, remote nation crippled by massive foreign debt, political inertia, and failing infrastructure. It was currently unable to pay its bondholders—a consortium of major global banks and state funds.
"The Isle of Aethel is the perfect target, Victor," Joshua reported. "Its total sovereign debt is valued at $200 million, far exceeding your current liquid capital, but its total assets are minimal. The creditors are desperate to offload the debt."
"Then we will purchase the debt," Victor declared, grasping the strategic implication immediately. "We become the primary creditor. We own the nation's survival."
Joshua initiated the complex financial maneuvers. Over the next week, Stone Acquisitions LLC quietly purchased a controlling majority of Aethel's distressed sovereign bonds for a fraction of their face value. Victor had spent approximately $2.5 million of his capital, instantly increasing his Tangible Honor to the national level.
The Negotiation
Victor had a private, controlling stake in a nation, but the true T-Rank objective was governance and efficiency—applying his system to the entire society. He needed more capital to do this, capital he didn't currently possess.
Victor now addressed the core problem: Aethel was a failed state because it was fundamentally inefficient. He looked at Joshua, ready to dictate the strategy to the UN and the remaining creditor nations.
"The Isle of Aethel is a demonstration of Terran systemic failure," Victor stated. "We will propose a deal to the United Nations and the remaining creditors: Full operational control of the nation for a fixed period. In exchange, we will apply T-Rank Societal Optimization to erase the $200 million debt and turn the nation into a flawless, self-sustaining economic engine."
"This is a proposal to run a country like a corporation, Victor," Joshua replied, feeling the complexity of the S-Rank diplomatic challenge.
"A nation is a corporation, Counselor, but one that currently runs at a catastrophic loss," Victor countered. "Our proposal will guarantee the remaining creditors their principal back, provide the Terran world with a model of perfect efficiency, and grant me the ultimate Tangible Honor of commanding an entire society."
Victor paused, his eyes gleaming with the potential for perfect, T-Rank order. "We require a flawless blueprint for the governance itself. Use the leverage from this acquisition to secure the funds necessary to purchase the ultimate operational blueprint."
[TASK COMPLETE: ACQUISITION OF PRIMARY SOVEREIGN DEBT AND LEVERAGE FOR GOVERNANCE.]
[CRITICAL SYSTEM REQUST: SECURE FUNDING VIA DIPLOMATIC LEVERAGE TO ACQUIRE SOCIETAL OPTIMIZATION (S-RANK).]
[CURRENT SP: 50]
The Blueprint
Joshua now had the ultimate diplomatic challenge: convincing world powers to allow an alien-owned private corporation to run a sovereign state. To even present the proposal, he needed the perfect governance model to prove the concept would work—he needed the Societal Optimization (S-Rank) skill.
"Victor, I can secure the final capital for the blueprint, but it will require a dangerous act of diplomatic audacity," Joshua stated. "I will use our leverage over Aethel's debt to force an immediate, high-value consulting contract from the UN's Economic Stabilization Fund. That contract will give us the $50 million we need to purchase the blueprint."
"Execution must be flawless, Counselor. Failure means the collapse of the greatest T-Rank acquisition," Victor commanded.
Joshua opened the diplomatic communication channels, preparing to leverage the debt he controlled against the world's most powerful economic bodies.