As the seasoned senior ambassador, Suren was all too aware of what this meant: Desert North Country had only one dilapidated, aging refinery, with a capacity that couldn't even meet a tenth of the domestic demand.
They had always relied on exporting crude oil to Dragon Country to keep their economy afloat.
Worse still, another neighboring country, Bear Country, was a major oil producer itself, with prices lower than Desert North Country. If they lost Dragon Country, their sole major customer...
Suren's forehead was beaded with fine sweat.
He discreetly glanced at the young director of the animal rescue station opposite him, suddenly gripped by fear—if she really could command the animals to "abduct" Desert North Country's remaining wild horses and birds of prey...
The image was terrifying: vast grasslands devoid of galloping steeds, the azure sky missing its soaring eagles, leaving only yellow sands and humans in the entire country...
