Chapter 315 New Year’s Invitation From the King

On the eighth day of the lunar month, Fan Wubing received a notice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, asking him to discuss important matters.

Fan Wubing felt a little strange. When did he get involved with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? Although the last time I went to France, some members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs went with me, but that time it was mainly business negotiations, and the usual diplomatic affairs had nothing to do with me.

Minister Li of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs personally received Fan Wubing and specially invited him to drink a fruit juice he brought back from abroad. It looked like milk in color but tasted a bit like coconut. It was very strange, but it was still very refreshing to drink.

"Minister Li has summoned me, do you have anything to tell me?" Fan Wubing drank the juice for a while and then asked Minister Li.

Minister Li had the opportunity to meet Fan Wubing twice before, but they never discussed matters alone. There was a reason for the rash invitation this time, so he smiled and said to Fan Wubing, "Mr. Fan , have you been to Cambodia?”

Fan Wubing immediately shook his head and said, "It's so noisy, what are you doing there? I only run out for business needs, and now I rarely go out by myself."

Cambodia has always been very uneasy. Although Sihanouk was successfully restored and became king again in September last year, and Cambodia's monarchy system was once again confirmed, the domestic situation was still a bit unstable, with conflicts between various political factions. The struggle for power never stops for a moment.

Under such a political environment, Fan Wubing had no idea of ​​going to Cambodia. Although there is the world-famous Angkor Wat there and many seemingly mysterious ancient cultures, if he goes to Cambodia under the current circumstances, Not a wise choice.

Minister Li didn't expect that Fan Wubing didn't have a good impression of Cambodia at all. He couldn't help being stunned, and then said, "But King Sihanouk personally sent you an invitation letter."

"Invite me? Is that correct?" Fan Wubing was also confused. He didn't know why His Majesty the King, who had lived in China for a long time, would think of inviting him. It was really puzzling.

From the time Sihanouk was deposed in a coup in 1970 and lived in Beijing until he returned to the throne in 1993, Sihanouk stayed in China for twenty-three years. In terms of politics, he is basically the same as a permanent ambassador to China, and the treatment given to him in the country is relatively high.

This time he was able to return to Cambodia and ascend the throne, which also had a lot to do with domestic support.

"Didn't you save his niece, Princess Norodom Sangriya?" Minister Li reminded Fan Wubing.

Fan Wubing nodded,

Finally remembered this matter.

At that time, Lin Xiaotong blocked a shot for Fan Heng and was seriously injured. Fan Wubing sent her to the 3011 Hospital and gave her a blood transfusion. As a result, Sihanouk's grand-nephew Princess Norodom Hassanlia also suffered the same fate. She got into a car accident and it was difficult to match her blood type, so Fan Wubing gave her a blood transfusion.

This incident made Princess Norodom Sangriya never forget it. After returning to China, she always wanted to invite Fan Wubing to Cambodia. However, the situation in Cambodia has been unstable, so she did not find a suitable opportunity. This time, the situation in Cambodia It has gradually settled down, so I asked King Sihanouk to invite Fan Wubing to visit Cambodia.

"So that's what happened -" Fan Wubing finally understood the reason. He pondered for a moment and felt that it would be better to consult the government on this matter, so he asked, "What do you think, Minister Li?"

Minister Li smiled and said, "What advice can I have? But since they have invited you so kindly, it would be a bad idea for us to ignore them, right? Besides, the relationship between China and Cambodia is also very good now, so you don't have to go there." Even if I don’t have anyone to receive me, it would be nice to go and see the scenery of Cambodia, and it can also deepen the traditional friendship between China and Cambodia!”

Ha, you are using me as a diplomatic bargaining chip!

Fan Wubing thought for a while and thought it would be good to visit Angkor Wat. Besides, there seemed to be some interesting things in Cambodia. At least he had never been to the palace, so this time he could go and broaden his horizons.

"If I go, how can I greet him?" Fan Wubing thought of such a thing again, so he asked Minister Li.

This is a big deal. Otherwise, if the old man goes there to show off the etiquette of kneeling three times and kowtowing nine times, he will spit on his face, which will affect the traditional friendship between the two peoples.

"Oh, just cup your hands. When Sihanouk was in China, he always cupped his hands. There was no messy etiquette." Minister Li was an experienced diplomat and immediately knew what Fan Wubing was thinking. This dispelled his worries.

After all, Fan Wubing's visit to Cambodia is also a very important thing. It is also very important for them that a big figure like him, who plays an important role in the business world and the world economic circle, can visit a small country like Cambodia.

After Fan Wubing agreed, Minister Li immediately arranged for him to accompany him on the trip. At the same time, Fan Wubing also mobilized twenty of his bodyguards to visit Cambodia together.

On the twelfth day of the first lunar month, a visiting team of more than seventy people took a special plane to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.

On the plane, a staff member sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to accompany Fan Wubing cheerfully told Fan Wubing some diplomatic jokes to fill the boring time.

"During the Cultural Revolution, after classes resumed for revolution, I walked into the school gate with my classmates, but we didn't have much class time, because we always had to go to factories to study work or to study agriculture in the countryside. Once I went to a factory in the suburbs to study work, and every morning Several friends got on the suburban bus and rushed to the factory in the suburbs." The staff said to Fan Wubing, "There are many famous doctors in our city, and some VIP-level foreigners will come to seek medical treatment. But at that time, foreigners Once we arrive, there must be martial law and cheering in the aisles, which makes us always late. Every time we are late, the teacher will definitely blame us. If we respond to the truth, the teacher will hold us accountable."

Fan Wubing sat there, drinking coffee and listening to his story with a smile.

"For a while, Prince Sihanouk always came to us for medical treatment. This annoyed the Municipal Revolutionary Committee, so they fixed his residence and driving route, and the suburban buses they took every day were no longer blocked. ." The staff member continued, "However, we now go to a fun place halfway by bus. We often get off the bus to play for a while and then get on the bus to go to the factory. Therefore, we are often late. In order to deal with the teacher's questioning, several of us The friends caught him and decided who would deal with the teacher. A certain classmate was really unlucky and won the bid twice in a row, so he told the teacher that he met Prince Sihanouk’s motorcade on the way. A few days later, another After playing for a long time on the way, we drew lots in the car again, and a certain classmate won the bid again. So everyone reminded him that we can no longer talk about Prince Sihanouk today, let’s talk about Prince Binnu today, and talk about Haier today. Emperor Silas, let’s talk about President Kaunda today——”

Fan Wubing nodded. The figures the staff member mentioned were all heads of state of countries that had good relations with China at that time. For example, Prince Binnu was the Prime Minister of Cambodia, and Haile Silas was the Emperor of Ethiopia. President Kaunda is the President of Zambia.

These people were all international friends of that era. The older generation, especially people like Fan Heng and others, were familiar with these people. As for the younger generation, few people knew about them.

"When I got off the car, I saw an angry teacher standing at the gate of the factory. My friends walked over together. When they got closer, the teacher asked angrily, what's the reason for being late today?! Our unlucky classmate trembled "Well, it's Sihanouk -" the staff continued, "before he finished speaking, the teacher said angrily, it's Sihanouk again, right?! This morning's news broadcast said that Sihanouk Going to North Korea!”

Fan Wubing laughed. This man almost hit the muzzle of a gun. This shows that lying also requires skill.

The plane soon reached Cambodian airspace.

At this time, Cambodia's airspace is still not fully open to foreigners. After all, the situation here is still a bit turbulent. However, for Chinese guests, Phnom Penh's airspace is open, so Fan Wubing and their special plane quickly stopped in Phnom Penh. airport.

The main airlines in Cambodia include Reap Air and Angkor Air. There are two international airports, Phnom Penh International Airport and Siem Reap Airport. Sihanoukville, Battambang, Stung Treng and other airports are domestic airports with regular flights. Taking off and landing medium and small planes, Fan Wubing and the others landed at Phnom Penh International Airport.

There are already people lining up on the ground to greet them. After all, their lineup for this trip is quite strong. There are more than 30 people from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a dozen business figures who are hitching a ride. They are here to inspect. What kind of business can be done with Cambodia?

The welcoming team on the ground was roughly divided into three parts. One part was naturally the staff of the embassy, ​​and the other part was the Cambodian people. Fan Wubing guessed that they were captured temporarily, and the other part was the Cambodian military guard. There were about a dozen people. More than a hundred people looked like they were all fully armed and stood there with clear flags to welcome their arrival.

When Fan Wubing saw this lineup, he felt a little excited in his heart, thinking that he was already receiving diplomatic treatment at the level of a small country!

Under the spotlight, Fan Wubing, wearing sunglasses, walked out of the cabin first, walked briskly down the gangway, and shook hands cordially with the embassy staff.

The officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who followed behind were a little stunned when they saw Fan Wubing's demeanor, thinking that this man really regarded himself as the brains of this trip!

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