Chapter 1012 Sino-Western Negotiations 2

This "China-West Talks" was arranged in Conference Room 8 on the 2th floor of the Zhongzhou Theater Command Building.

As personnel from both sides entered the conference room, the guides who had arrived in advance quickly arranged the representatives of the Western Theater Command to sit according to their military ranks.

Compared with other executive-style meeting rooms in the war zone, the newly renovated and upgraded Meeting Room 2 is more modern.

A huge liftable ultra-high-definition LCD screen is installed in the center of the huge conference table (usually flush with the desktop).

There is an embedded operation panel in front of each seat that integrates touch control, confidential communication interface, and electronic document retrieval functions.

On the walls around the conference room, multiple high-definition cameras and omnidirectional microphone arrays are discreetly distributed to ensure clear recording of the meeting and remote access.

At the same time, an independent air filtration and constant temperature and humidity system is installed in the corner to ensure that the environment is absolutely comfortable and stable.

For this reason, after entering the meeting room, the representatives of the Western Theater could not help but look around curiously.

The technology used in Conference Room No. 2 was not rare, but compared to the leading cadres of the Western Theater Command who had long been "mole" under the Northwest Nuclear Protection Facility, it was definitely novel.

After all, the apocalypse broke out suddenly, and Factory 221 was a nuclear protection project built in the last century and on the verge of abandonment. It is true that it is solid and safe, but it is also true that the facilities are old and backward.

Therefore, never underestimate the impact of the environment on people. Psychologically, if a phoenix stays in a chicken coop for too long, it will gradually degenerate into a chicken. Physically, scientific research has shown that if mainlanders go to live on a small island, their height will gradually decrease over two or three generations.

The leaders of the Western Theater Command have this mentality at the moment. After being trapped in a cramped environment for most of the past six months, they suddenly came to the Central Plains Theater Command and saw comfortable modern facilities everywhere. They couldn't help but feel envious.

Some leading cadres even couldn't help but imagine in their hearts, if they were cadres in the Zhongzhou War Zone, what kind of life would they live after the end of the world?

But soon this thought turned into shame, and he secretly cursed himself for not having a strong will: I had only been in the Zhongzhou war zone for a few days, and I actually had such a 'happy and reluctant to leave' thought!

.....

After both parties were seated according to the instructions, the only sounds left in the conference room were the low hum of the air-conditioning system and the occasional sound of shuffling papers.

Gu Chengyuan did not rush to speak. He sat calmly in the main seat, his eyes slowly sweeping over each representative from the Western Theater Command opposite him, taking in the unconcealable curiosity, envy, and subsequent awkwardness in their eyes.

This made him more certain of the predicament faced by the Western Theater Command, and there was a reason why the other side was so anxious!

"It seems that the Western Theater is indeed having a tough time, just as the intelligence suggests!" This gave Gu Chengyuan more confidence in the upcoming negotiations, and he even planned to be more aggressive.

A few seconds of silence let the invisible pressure quietly spread...

Only when the representatives of the Western Theater subconsciously gathered their minds, sat upright, and focused their attention on him did Gu Chengyuan lean forward slightly, interlacing his fingers and gently placing them on the conference table covered with olive green velvet.

"Deputy Commander Zou, Director Zhang, and everyone from the Western Theater Command delegation!"

Gu Chengyuan's voice was not loud, but under the blessing of power, it had a strange penetrating power, which could be clearly transmitted to everyone's ears, even drowning out the low hum of the air conditioner:

"Once again, welcome everyone who has come all the way to the Zhongzhou War Zone!"

slap~

This was originally just a simple opening remark, but a major general from the Western Theater Command unconsciously clapped his hands, and then, led by him, the whole audience burst into warm applause.

Pa pa pa pa pa~

After a brief pause, Gu Chengyuan raised his hand slightly, and the entire audience quickly fell silent. Facing the gazes of the senior leaders of the Central and Western War Zones, Gu Chengyuan spoke again:

"Survival and development are the eternal themes of the apocalypse! They are also the ultimate proposition that our two major war zones cannot avoid!"

"We are able to sit here together today because we believe that, based on our common and most fundamental interests, we can and must find a path for cooperation that is candid, pragmatic, mutually beneficial and win-win."

"We are all brothers and sisters in arms, so I propose that today's meeting not consist of empty rhetoric, clichés, or empty words, but only of the truth and what's needed in reality!"

"I wonder what everyone thinks of my suggestion?"

After setting the tone for today's meeting, Gu Chengyuan leaned forward again, spread his hands apart, and pressed his palms down on the table, like a lion overlooking his subjects!

Upon hearing this, the Western Theater Command Deputy Commander Zou Yuan, Director of the Joint Political Work Department Zhang Shouzheng and other members of the Western Theater Command delegation present were naturally overjoyed!

They already have little cards and are in an absolutely weak position. If the other party continues to play some diplomatic rhetoric and make things vague, they will probably be stripped of their financial resources and predicament.

Therefore, Gu Chengyuan's proposal of "only telling the truth and what is needed in reality" was like a ray of light, dispelling the biggest negotiation haze in their hearts - the fear of being repeatedly exploited and robbed!

This incident also gave the leaders of the Western Theater Command a new understanding of Gu Chengyuan!

This ridiculously young Commander Gu...

The ability still needs to be verified...

But this style! This pattern! This righteousness! It is simply a clear spring in the muddy stream of the end times!

Knowing the predicament of his own war zone, he didn't even think of taking advantage of the situation?

This "noble" behavior moved Zou Yuan, Zhang Shouzheng and other old soldiers who had been immersed in the power field and the art of hypocrisy for most of their lives. At the same time, they couldn't help but feel a strong sense of unreality and deeper vigilance in their hearts!

Is there really such a selfless person in the world who holds such a high position and commands such a large number of troops, yet refuses to take the fat meat at his fingertips?

have! Of course!

One is the legendary saint...

The other type... is a chess player whose goal is bigger, deeper, and more terrifying!

This Commander Gu...which type is he?

...

"Commander Gu!" Zhang Shouzheng, director of the Joint Political Work Department of the Western Theater Command, stood up from his seat almost immediately. His voice was loud and full of an almost urgent sense of recognition:

"On behalf of the high-level delegation from the Western Theater Command, I firmly support and fully agree with your proposal! Being open, honest, pragmatic, and truthful is exactly what we hope for on this trip!"

"Okay!" Gu Chengyuan smiled approvingly, but this smile was like the surface of a calm lake, bottomless. He clapped his hands lightly on the table, making a crisp sound, with an unquestionable decisiveness:

"Director Zhang is quick-witted and decisive. True soldierly demeanor! That's the right attitude for solving problems!"

He leaned forward again, his eyes like lightning, piercing the core of the Western Theater Command delegation:

"Now that the tone has been set, to demonstrate our sincerity, we must speak openly and honestly, laying out our respective core interests! Seek common ground while reserving differences, and find the greatest common denominator!"

He raised his hand and made a "please" gesture, his movements quick and decisive, his eyes fixed firmly on Zhang Shouzheng:

"Director Zhang, the guest should follow the host's wishes, but today, I'll let you speak first!"

At this point, Gu Chengyuan raised his lips in a meaningful arc, his tone carrying a hint of lighthearted ridicule:

"I believe that you all have come all this way here, not just to visit our Zhongzhou War Zone... to get a few good meals, right? Haha!"

After the words fell, Lieutenant General Zhang Shouzheng's face showed no embarrassment at all, but instead showed a sense of relief.

He met Gu Chengyuan's teasing gaze, his voice steady and with the directness typical of a Northwest soldier:

"Commander Gu has a sharp gaze! As expected... nothing can be hidden from you!"

He took a deep breath and finally decided to use his ultimate move, sincerity, to completely expose the most vulnerable side of the Western Theater:

"To be honest, we came here with the intention of seeking help!"

His tone became heavy, with fatigue and anxiety that were difficult to conceal:

"I'm sure you've heard about the plight of the Western Theater."

"Before the apocalypse, although the northwest was barren, the army's food, wages, ammunition, and bedding were all supported by the great tree of the country. We only needed to focus on training and preparing for war!"

"But now..." Zhang Shouzheng's voice suddenly dropped, like knocking on a rusty iron plate:

"In this apocalyptic world, the logistical lifeline of our entire Western Theater has been cut off for over half a year! Hundreds of thousands of soldiers, along with the millions of civilians struggling to survive within the base, have long been living... living beyond their means, unable to sustain themselves!"

His gaze swept across the conference room window, and a mixture of extreme shock and naked desire instantly flashed in his eyes:

"All I've seen and heard along the way in your war zone..." Zhang Shouzheng's voice was filled with disbelief.

"The abundance of supplies and the solid security simply... overturned our imagination of survival in the apocalypse! Warehouses are full, military forces are plentiful..."

At this point, even Zhang Shouzheng, a veteran who had experienced many years of ups and downs in the Northwest officialdom and had developed a thick skin, couldn't help but choke up a lot in his throat.

He lowered his gaze slightly, as if gathering his courage, because what he was about to make was an extremely heavy, even "greedy" request:

"So..." He uttered these two words with difficulty. When he raised his head again, his eyes were filled with a desperate determination and an almost humble earnestness.

"We, the troops, are so shameless as to ask your war zone, Commander Gu, to provide us with a long-term and stable supply of combat supplies."

In the end, Zhang Shouzheng himself felt that he had gone too far, and blushing, he threw out the last and only bargaining chip of the Western Theater:

"For this, our Western Theater Command is willing to give our all and pay whatever it takes—any price!"

The four words "at all costs" seemed to be squeezed out from the chest with blood foam, so heavy that the entire conference room was silent.

It is no longer just diplomatic rhetoric, but a desperate cry from millions of soldiers and civilians in the northwest facing desperate survival situations!

What was the price? Resources? Sovereignty? Dignity? Or...the future of the entire Western theater? Everything was weighed down by these four weighty words, weighing heavily on the negotiating table.

After Zhang Shouzheng finished speaking, his body remained straight, but his eyes were fixed on Gu Chengyuan's face, waiting for the final decision of this young commander who held the power of life and death.

At this moment, the air seemed to freeze, leaving only the heavy and suppressed breathing of the members of the Western Theater delegation.

ps:

Three chapters combined into two chapters, which can be considered a small extra chapter. Dear readers, please stop scolding me!

As for the problem of water, it is really difficult to change the style of writing. It is my writing habit to strive for full characters, and I also strive to be smooth in every detail, so that everyone can see the exciting points they want to see as much as possible, so it is inevitable that it appears a bit cumbersome.

I was thinking about finding a way to improve the plot, trying to streamline unnecessary plots and move forward to the completion as soon as possible.