abcnovels
Chapter 500: Negotiating Survival
Chapter 500: Negotiating Survival
Chapter 500- Negotiating Survival
Translated by: Kun
Edited by: Ulamog, Dedition
Yao Li Hua assessed Bai Xiao Sheng and his party, only to note that Bai Xiao Sheng and his men were exuding a strong killing intent. At the same time, he could faintly feel that every single one of them were a threat to him.
His heart immediately sunk: “Yue Zhong was truly hiding his power, to think he has so many experts under his command.”
At first, Yao Li Hua had assumed that Yue Zhong only had the might of military firepower with him, and were lacking in experts. He was still feeling slightly haughty, that while Yue Zhong may have the firepower, the VPDC had the experts. The moment he saw Bai Xiao Sheng and the 30 experts of Level 40 and above, what little arrogance he had left immediately vanished.
Yao Li Hua entered Thai Nguyen and was immediately treated to a sight of work being carried out on various sites, as a number of heavy machine guns defended the main roads and transport channels. A number of soldiers exuding a palpable fierce aura were coldly observing the people nearby.
It was the first time he had seen such elite soldiers with proper bearing. There were many experts in the VPDC that could hold their own against Mutant Beasts, but they were lacking in conduct and bearing compared to Yue Zhong’s troops.
Seeing the tight and heavy defences, Yao Li Hua sighed softly in his heart: “Truly, he is someone we could not have hoped to win against!”
With the VPDC’s strength, forcefully trying to assail Thai Nguyen would just result in death. Both parties had a huge difference in their might, and Yao Li Hua was made clear of that fact once again.
Under Bai Xiao Sheng’s lead, Yao Li Hua and his party came to Yue Zhong.
Inside the room, Mu Xiang Ling was decked in a neat green military uniform, looking suave and charming. She served tea to Yue Zhong as well as Yao Li Hua’s party, before sitting down beside Yue Zhong.
At the same time, Ming Jia Jia was sitting on the other side, also dressed in military uniform. However, her expression was one of displeasure.
“His taste is abnormal. Looks like the rumors are true.” Yao Li Hua had a strange look as he gazed at the 2 lolis.
Yue Zhong took up the cup and sipped it quietly, before looking at Yao Li Hua and directly confirming Yao Li Hua’s identity: “Yao Li Hua. One of the VPDC’s 7 leaders. What brings you here? Unless memory is failing me, you guys just tried to invade a couple of days ago. Now you’re shamelessly appearing in front of me, what do you want?”
“Leader Yue Zhong, as to the matters previously, I apologize sincerely. On behalf of the VPDC, allow me to express our sincere apologies!” He stood up and bowed, keeping his head lowered.
Inwardly, Yao Li Hua was no different from his comrades, in that he wanted to tear this butcher in front of him into pieces. However, he had no choice but to bow, because he was too weak! Too weak!
In the past, when they were facing the westerners, even after winning the war, they had to lower their heads and compensate.
It was because they were too weak, and had no cards to play, nor rights to bargain.
Yao Li Hua kept his head lowered as he spoke solemnly: “On account of the friendship between China and Vietnam, please aid us by providing 10,000 tonnes of rations. We’re begging you. As long as you provide that aid, the Vietnamese will never forget the goodwill you have shown us, and we will be your most loyal ally!”
The Chinese cared about their face, and Yao Li Hua felt that he had appealed to their better nature. When China had suffered in the past, and its people finding it hard to survive, China had still used its own resources to support Vietnam. They had cared about their face and image as the magnanimous big brother, that a little ration wouldn’t count for much.
Yue Zhong’s gaze turned chilly instantly as he released a huge killing intent that enveloped the whole room: “Just an apology and you expect it to be swept under the carpet? What about the soldiers I’ve lost?! An apology must be sincere! Otherwise, I wouldn’t mind heading over in a month’s time to wipe you out. Since I dare to kill 10,000, another 20,000 isn’t an issue!”
With that billowing killing intent, Yao Li Hua’s expression fell, and a hint of fear arose as he was affected directly.
As for the youthful bodyguard, he took 3 steps back, before falling onto the ground with an expression of horror.
The long-haired beauty beside Yao Li Hua became extremely pale, and her entire body was trembling.
As for the young Vietnamese loli, she was frightened and began bawling.
The moment that cute pixie-like girl started crying, Yue Zhong’s killing intent was doused slightly, allowing everyone to recover slightly from the fury that reached one’s bones.
Yue Zhong reclined back on the sofa and sat quietly, staring coldly at Yao Li Hua. Although he actually didn’t have the intention to deploy his troops, he didn’t mind using it as a threat.
Yao Li Hua’s back was drenched in perspiration. The pressure that Yue Zhong emitted was at least 10 times that of Qian Ming Sheng. He kept his silence for a long while as he collected his thoughts, before replying carefully: “I apologize, Leader Yue Zhong. At our VPDC, we have 300 Chinese beauties, we’re willing to return them to appease your anger.”
In their attempt to breach Thai Nguyen, the VPDC had deployed many Chinese as cannon fodder. However, the good-looking ladies were kept back at their base.
Yue Zhong’s pupils narrowed in anger, as he threatened: “They are our people in the first place. Returning them is the natural thing to do. If you want to appease me, return them, on top of that, send 500 Vietnamese beauties over, of which a 100 must be virgins! If you don’t consent, I can lead my troops and do so myself, at that time, don’t blame me for not showing mercy.”
Yao Li Hua immediately agreed profusely: “Ok!! Ok!! I promise you!”
If Yue Zhong really brought his men to invade, the death count would be at least in the thousands. Right now, all they had to do was abide by his demands of 800 people, and it was already as good a deal it could get.
The VPDC had too many dependants, and they had more women than men, giving 800 women over wasn’t going to affect much. If Yue Zhong could be indulged in passion, then Yao Li Hua couldn’t be happier.
Yue Zhong shot Yao Li Hua a cold look: “Alright, you may go. In 2 weeks, I want to see what you have promised. Otherwise....”
In such a society, having many women was more of a means to engage in sexual activities for the common citizen. However, to an established faction, they were a resource meant to ensure the survivability and continuation of the human bloodline. Procreation during an apocalypse was important. By demanding beauties from Yao Li Hua, on one hand, it was to gain valuable resources, the other was to ensure that the VPDC would not easily antagonize him, for fear of their Vietnamese people.
Yao Li Hua heaved a sigh of relief, before hastily adding: “Wait a moment, Leader Yue Zhong. I still have a matter I would like to discuss.”
“What is it?”
Yao Li Hua had already seen how unreasonable Yue Zhong could be, and he didn’t hold much hope for Yue Zhong to offer help. He chose to use a trade: “I hope that you can offer up 10,000 tonnes of rations for exchange, to help the VPDC in getting past this critical situation.”
Yue Zhong immediately replied with his conditions: “Sure! Equipment, skillbooks, steel, ammunition, medication, specialized tools, beauties, ammo shells, mutant beast nuclei, blood, flesh, bones, slaves, fuel, armored vehicles, any of the above can be used as trade.”
Hearing those conditions, Yao Li Hua was almost despondent, every single thing that Yue Zhong had asked for was extremely rare in the current society, plus they were all important resources to an establishment.
Suddenly, he seemed to have thought of something as his eyes lit up and he asked: “Nuclei!! How much would each nuclei be worth?”
The VPDC had a number of these nuclei, as these bright coloured items looked beautiful but had no use. At first, when they appeared, many thought they were valuable, but now they were just like ornaments, and not worth much.
Yue Zhong replied casually: “An ordinary nuclei is worth a jin of rations, Type 2 ones are worth 20 jin rations each, Type 3 ones are worth 400 jin rations, Type 4 ones are worth 4,000 jin rations and Type 5s are worth 40,000 jin rations.”
Not many people knew the usage of the nuclei. It was the perfect time to amass them. That was why Yue Zhong offered such cutthroat prices. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to offer higher, but by offering higher, he might reveal the value of the nuclei.
When Yao Li Hua heard Yue Zhong’s words, he excitedly stammered: “We have over 2,000 ordinary beast nuclei, a 130 Type 2 nuclei and 5 Type 3 nuclei!”
The numbers of experts in the VPDC were not little, and they had hunted a number of Mutant Beasts before. There were a lucky few who met the corpses of Type 3 Mutant Beasts and obtained their nuclei.
Yue Zhong then motioned to Mu Xiang Ling and said: “En! As for the details, you can work it out with her!”
Mu Xiang Ling was wise for her age, and intelligent. Not only was she adept at combat, she possessed the experiences and molding of a rough childhood. She had her ways during negotiations.
If one had to compare Strength and combat ability, she might not be able to surpass Yue Zhong, but in terms of cunning and wit, she was definitely vastly superior to Yue Zhong.
Mu Xiang Ling extended a smile towards Yao Li Hua and said: “Hi! I’m Mu Xiang Ling.”
Yao Li Hua had a strange look as he looked at her, before commencing the negotiations.
After a round of sharp exchanges and negotiating, Yao Li Hua, who by then had a face full of perspiration, finally came to an agreement with Mu Xiang Ling.
In the contract, Yao Li Hua had to pay a huge price, he was forced to hand over 200 sets of equipment, 40 Level 3 Skill Books, 300 tonnes of steel, 2,000 ordinary nuclei, 130 Type 2 Nuclei, 5 Type 3 Nuclei, a 100 blood essences, 20,000 ammunition shells, 8 machine gun mounted vehicles, 1 tonne of fuel, 5 tonne of Mutant Beast bones from various Mutant Beasts, a thousand Vietnamese women, and many smaller items that he couldn’t keep track of just to exchange for 10,000 tonnes of rations.
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TN: Not sure if the author intends to, or was it meant to be a rough guess thrown out by Yue Zhong, but it’s likely we’ll see up to Type 5 Mutant Beasts? And we reached the 500 mark!