Chapter 1014: Negotiations between China and the West (Legion)

The second issue is the garrison.

The Zhongzhou Theater requires the deployment of garrisons at core lifeline nodes such as energy extraction, production, and transportation.

This is not just a transfer of control over resources, its deeper meaning is the substantial transfer of governance and military power in the Western theater!

The issue of garrison has long gone beyond the purely military realm and has become a fundamental political issue!

Frankly speaking, with the overwhelming combat power demonstrated by the Central Plains Theater, once its troops arrive, it would be acceptable if they only adhere to the responsibility of energy security. However, if they have other intentions, the Western Theater will fall into an extremely passive situation or even be at the mercy of others!

Military power has always been an extension of political will, and wherever the military presence covers, political influence will follow and gradually penetrate.

This is by no means a narrow-minded defense of one's own territory in the Western theater of war.

In the face of the end of the world, survival is of course the top priority, but driven by human instinct, we can control our own destiny. Who is willing to put their life and property in the hands of others?

What's more, the Western Theater Command and the Central Plains Theater Command had only made preliminary contact. Not to mention understanding the character of their leadership, Zhang Shouzheng had never even heard of the core leadership team that controlled the Central Plains Theater Command in his previous decades of military career!

This in itself is extremely abnormal and weird!

You have to know that a deputy theater-level general is an extremely important figure in Zhou Bang's military.

Even if he couldn't recognize them all, it was impossible for him to be completely unfamiliar with the core layer of the theater that had seven or eight deputy theater-level generals!

This unfathomable intelligence vacuum instinctively arouses the deepest vigilance and suspicion.

In this context, any rational person would be hesitant to make a decision when negotiating the troop stationing.

However, Commander Gu's silence just now made its meaning clear - he was waiting for his own war zone to express its position first. In other words, the demands of his own war zone must be discussed after the demands of the Zhongzhou war zone are met!

This means that the Western Theater’s response to the Central Plains Theater’s demands will directly determine the other party’s attitude towards its core demands.

The situation is more powerful than people. In the current situation, if we refuse the request of the garrison, our request for material assistance will most likely come to nothing...

As Zhang Shouzheng's inner struggle intensified, one thought gradually became clear: the demands put forward by both sides seemed to be quite harsh in nature.

One side immediately demands enough supplies to sustain a massive war zone; the other side immediately demands a garrison at the other's home...

In terms of the degree of "excessiveness", they are about the same.

But after careful comparison, the demands of our own war zone are actually more excessive...

After all, oil itself cannot fight zombies, and the combat supplies provided by the Zhongzhou War Zone can not only fight zombies, but also get more oil...

So after this calculation, Zhang Shouzheng couldn't help but feel a little absurd: the other party could have just taken it away, but they were still willing to trade on an equal and mutually beneficial basis, even at a disadvantage...

I have to say that Commander Gu and the Zhongzhou War Zone are truly benevolent and righteous. What's the difference between this and poverty alleviation?

After this painful weighing, Zhang Shouzheng has been inclined to accept it in his heart - this may be the survival path with the lowest cost and greatest benefit in the end times.

However, even though he had convinced himself rationally, when it came to actually making a statement, Zhang Shouzheng was still unable to make a decision for the entire war zone.

This is a serious matter... The war zone is not his alone, and the decision cannot be made by just him and Zou Yuan, two members of the Standing Committee...

All he and Zou Yuan could do in this matter was to send back a message with their own opinions. Whether it would succeed or not depended on the final decision of the war zone...

So after initially sorting out the interests involved, Zhang Shouzheng exchanged views with Zou Yuan in a low voice, and finally the two agreed: they decided to send the Zhongzhou War Zone's request back to the war zone headquarters intact, with their opinions attached, and ask the war zone standing committee to make a decision!

However, just as Zhang Shouzheng took a deep breath and prepared to make a difficult statement on behalf of the Western Theater Command regarding the issue of garrison troops, Wu Bin, the Chief of Staff of the Central Theater Command, suddenly spoke up:

"Commander, I remember that the 77th Group Army under our theater of operations seemed to be under the Western Theater Command before the apocalypse broke out?"

As soon as these words were spoken, it was like throwing a huge rock into a calm lake!

The members of the Western Theater Command delegation, led by Zhang Shouzheng and Zou Yuan, suddenly looked at each other in surprise and confusion.

Don't understand why the other party suddenly brings up this extremely sensitive topic that they deliberately avoid at this time and place?

Regarding the issue of the 77th Regiment, the Western Theater Command Standing Committee had given clear instructions before the trip: "Pretend to be unaware and never bring it up."

The reason is simple: the matter itself is a huge vortex of embarrassment, which is very likely to cause embarrassment to both parties. What is the purpose of bringing it up? What can be done?

Please return the Zhongzhou war zone?

What a joke, let alone a legion-level troop, even if it is an adopted son, there are many people who are unwilling to return him to his biological parents.

Why did you go early?

I raised you up, invested so much emotion, resources and energy into developing this account, and now you say you are the owner of this account?

Just relying on the original email address to appeal the account? ! What the hell?

The same situation applies to the Zhongzhou War Zone. The enemy has probably invested a huge amount of resources in the 77th Legion, otherwise it would be impossible to attract the 77th Legion to join...

In this situation, you want to get the troops back through negotiations? It would be better to just go south and fight in the Zhongzhou War Zone.

If they weren't asking for it back, what was the point in bringing it up? Were they trying to imitate the toad that crawls on your feet—not biting, but simply annoying you? And simply ruining the hard-earned negotiation atmosphere?

Therefore, regarding the affiliation of the 77th Army, the strategy of the Western Theater Command is to keep it a tacit understanding and completely handle the issue coldly. This is the only solution to avoid embarrassment and conflict.

But no one expected that the Zhongzhou War Zone would take the initiative to break this window paper!

What's the purpose? Are they using the 77th Legion as leverage?

But the Zhongzhou Theater dared to offer such a huge bargaining chip, and the local theater did not dare to accept it! The huge interests and potential risks involved were enough to overwhelm any fragile agreement.

Just as the Western Theater Delegation was thrown into disarray and uncertainty by this sudden move, Gu Chengyuan, who was sitting at the head of the group, seemed to be awakened by Wu Bin's words. With a touch of perfect realization and "apology," he spoke:

"Oh no! If Chief of Staff Wu hadn't mentioned it, I would have really overlooked this!"

He turned his gaze towards the Western Theater Command representative, his tone tinged with a hint of self-blame:

"Look at what's happened. We really didn't think it through. If we had known this would happen, we should have invited Commander Yu Zhengguo of the 77th Group Army to participate in the reception!"

Gu Chengyuan's smile was gentle, yet it seemed to carry a profound meaning. "After all, we're all veterans and old comrades from the Western Theater Command! Director Zhang, Deputy Commander Zou, I'm sure you can catch up with Commander Yu and the others and keep in touch. How wonderful!"

As soon as these words were spoken, alarm bells rang in Zhang Shouzheng and Zou Yuan's hearts, as if they had been doused with ice water. They shuddered instantly! The two of them exchanged glances, each seeing a solemn look in the other's eyes.

"Could it be that they're afraid their own war zone will argue about this matter later, so they're taking advantage of their absolute advantage in the negotiations to bring it to light and put an end to any future trouble?"

"If that's the case, then that's fine. I'm afraid there might be some deeper motive!"

"It's okay that the 77th Legion can't come back, it's gone anyway. If we force them to build something, that would be a huge loss for our family!"

...