Since it must be brought up eventually, it was better to deal with it sooner rather than later. Or by the time they resolved the conflict, the two sides would then fight over the same issue which would hurt their relationship.
Jiang Chen took a sip of the tea and said.
“Of course, there is no free lunch.”
“I understand. Then, what are your conditions?” Looking at Jiang Chen, Ding Liwei went on to say, “To avoid unnecessary disputes in the future, we should discuss this matter first. What do you think?”
Jiang Chen smiled.
“Since Mr. Ding already brought this topic up, I certainly have no disagreeing opinion.”
After a pause, Jiang Chen extended a finger. “First, the military expenses of the expeditionary army will be borne by you.”
Ding Liwei, in a relaxed tone, responded, “This is not a problem. After all, you came so far to help us. We certainly will not let you do this for free. I just want to know how much the military expense will be?”
“Not much,” Jiang Chen laughed, “Ten million crystals sound about right.”
The conference table entered a strange silence.
Ding Liwei’s relaxed expression froze, Wan Peng’s mouth began to twitch, and Xu Tiannan, who was drinking tea, almost spat it out of his mouth. All the survivors in the room had an unnatural expression on their faces.
Ten million crystals!
That’s enough to buy more than two hundred power armors!
They could certainly afford the crystals. But by the time they raise the amount, their treasury would be empty!
“Ahem, Mr. Jiang, we’re in a serious setting.” Xu Tiannan wiped the tea off of the corner of his mouth, as he unnaturally smiled. “Ten million crystals… This, this is a bit too much.”
“Is it?” Jiang Chen revealed a very helpless expression. “But I’ve already given you a discount.”
“A discount?! Even the most powerful mercenary group in Shangjing has an employment price of only one hundred crystals per soldier, and you directly ask us for ten million?! Mr. Jiang, we are sincerely trying to meet your offer but you don’t have to be this greedy,” Wan Peng burst out.
“Do the mercenaries have kinetic skeletons?”
Jiang Chen used just one sentence to stuff back all of Wan Peng’s words.
“Do they have power armors?”
“Do they have tanks?”
“Do they have airships?”
Looking at increasing awkward expressions of the survivor executives, Jiang Chen opened his hands.
“Since they don’t have those things, how can you expect us to charge the same price as them? Our NAC expeditionary force has equipped every soldier with a kinetic skeleton, and we have two companies of power armors. Do you still think ten million crystals is too expensive?”
Jiang Chen shook his head, touched his chin, and then muttered to himself, “Hmmm… now I feel that I’m losing money.”
“Ten million is good, no loss at all,” Xu Tiannan eyed Wan Peng and Ding Liwei and then quickly accepted the offer. Finally, he smiled at Jiang Chen. “It’s just ten million is a lot. I don’t think we can get the money ready for you right away.”
If the crystals are gone, they can send a hunting team to the suburbs for a round and at least make ten thousand crystals back. But if their lives are gone, the warehouses full of crystals would just be gifts for those barbarians from the north!
“Archbishop Xu is very easy to negotiate with,” Jiang Chen laughed and looked at the other survivors. “What about everyone else?”
“I have no opinion,” Someone said with a blank expression.
“Ten million is fine… Everyone will pay together anyway,” Someone said while bitterly laughing.
“I suggest that the money will be paid in proportion to the number of people. There are only six hundred survivors in my settlement. We just don’t have that many crystals.” Someone held a difficult expression on his face.
“Garbage! Your building is the richest in the Dongcheng District! Six hundred people? Heh, I am afraid you have not counted the slaves as people?” Someone immediately revealed the truth.
“…”
Listening to the quarrel around the conference table, Jiang Chen waved his hand and signaled them to quiet down.
“As to how the ten million will be paid out and by who, you can go back and discuss on your own. It’s okay if you don’t have crystals. Real estate and industrial equipment are all accepted. We are not picky.” With a bright smile, Jiang Chen paused, then in a serious tone, he went on to say, “In addition, there is intelligence that CCCP tanks may use the nearby subway lines. Before they become familiar with the lines, I suggest you transfer your personnel and assets to Pingan Street.”
Jiang Chen noticed that when he finished the sentence, the faces of the survivors didn’t show panic and fear, but they all shared a peculiar expression.
“What’s wrong?” Seeing the survivors all stared at each other in confusion, Jiang Chen asked, “Is there a problem?”
“Are you sure they will use the subway line?” Ding Liwei said with a strange expression on his face.
“If nothing goes wrong,” Jiang Chen reached out and opened his watch, magnified the holographic screen, and gently pushed it to the center of the conference table. “From a geographical point of view, they are next to the subway entrance of Line 35 Badaling Station. Unless they think their armor’s thickness can overcome our air superiority, the subway network in Shangjing is their only choice.”
“The subway lines are not a good choice,” Xu Tiannan, with a vague expression on his face, said. “I can guarantee it.”
“Why?” Jiang Chen frowned.
Wan Peng sighed.
“You may not be clear since it is your first visit to Shangjing. It is no exaggeration to say that the subway network is the most dangerous place in the whole city…”
…
Wan Peng was not exaggerating, he was even being modest.
It was no exaggeration to say that the subway network in Shangjing is definitely the most dangerous area in the entire Pan-Asia Cooperation region.
Intuitively, once a disaster arrived, where else would be safer than the subway line? Chu Nan even suggested to Jiang Chen that if the nuclear winter continued to deteriorate, it would be a good choice to simply transfer the NAC underground. Not to mention that after the renovation of the subway lines in Shanghai in the early 21st century, it was originally used as a strategic civil defense facility and military mobilization infrastructure.
If the more than 40 subway lines in Shangjing could be used, why would Pingan Street not change its name to Subway Street? Why don’t survivors hide underground?
The explosion of shells echoed in the dark subway tunnels.
“Why are there so many fu*king zombies!” With half of his body peaked out from the Polar Bear Tank. Yegor looked at the flood of zombies in front of him and cursed out. “Hold on tight, we’re going to roll over them!”
A dozen tanks in attacking formation accelerated to maximum horsepower and rolled toward the flood of zombies.
As soon as his reconnaissance team engaged in a battle with survivors of Shangjing, after he studied the map of Shangjing, he aimed his sight at the entrance of No. 35 Subway Line near Badaling. He quickly sent soldiers to gather information on the subway line, then he ordered the whole army to set off and moved the camp to the vicinity of the subway station.
When he saw the steel airships floating in the sky, he didn’t say anything and ordered the entire force to move into the subway station.
In the 22nd century, the subway line in Shangjing was really spacious. There was no problem fitting eight tanks side by side. After the engineers made some modifications, the waiting hall was a good place to set up camp.
However, the smooth trip didn’t last long.
They soon encountered the first flood of zombies…
