Chapter 1138 Meeting 4

"To be honest," Zhou Wei took over, his expression becoming bitter and solemn, and he began to truly "complain" and "seek help":

"The situation we face in the Eastern Theater is extremely dire. Due to a lack of fuel and maintenance, only one-third of the fleet is operational. The frequency of fighter jet training has been repeatedly reduced to conserve precious aviation fuel for emergencies. The troops' ammunition reserves, especially heavy artillery and missiles, have dropped to a dangerously low level. The food rations for millions of soldiers and civilians are mainly dependent on pre-war reserves and limited seafood, which is unsustainable..."

As he enumerated these difficulties, he closely watched the reactions of Gu Chengyuan and the members of the Zhongzhou War Zone Standing Committee, trying to catch a hint of sympathy or cooperation from them.

"We know full well that in this end times, there is no free lunch." Zhou Wei changed the subject and lowered his tone:

"Although our Eastern Theater is currently facing difficulties, it is not without value. We have one of the best deep-water port complexes in Zhoubang and even in East Asia. We have the most complete naval fleet and experienced naval officers and soldiers in existence. We have the most in-depth understanding of the hydrology, waterways, and distribution of industrial facilities along the eastern coast."

"Therefore, we sincerely hope to establish a comprehensive and in-depth cooperative relationship with you!"

"We urgently need your strong support in fuel, ammunition, heavy equipment parts, and even food!"

Wang Zhiming then added a detailed proposal for the collaboration, his tone tentative:

"At that time, we are willing to open our ports and share our maritime intelligence and naval experience. We envision joint operations to gradually eliminate offshore threats and preserve a valuable seaport and forward base for a possible large-scale counterattack in the future."

...

Throughout the entire process, although the generals in the Eastern Theater tried their best to remain calm, the urgency and anticipation in their words could not be completely concealed.

They are in a low position and need help from others, so they are cautious in every proposal they make, for fear of angering or making the other party feel dissatisfied.

On the other hand, over in the Zhongzhou war zone, Gu Chengyuan remained calm with deep eyes. He listened to the other party's statement, occasionally picking up the teacup in front of him and taking a sip, without showing much emotional fluctuation.

Most of the Standing Committee members beside him, such as Wu Bin and Shao Gang, also maintained a serious and attentive listening attitude, did not express their opinions easily, and no one showed arrogance or impatience.

This nonchalant and neither humble nor arrogant attitude was like an invisible wall, which not only expressed the sincerity of listening, but also firmly controlled the rhythm and initiative of the talks, making the representatives of the Eastern Theater, who were eager to obtain commitments, even more uncertain and more aware of the huge gap in strength and status between the two sides.

The game has quietly begun with a seemingly peaceful opening.

Everyone knows that the real battle lies in how Gu Chengyuan responds to these "complaints" and "proposals" next.

After Zhou Wei and Wang Zhiming successively stated their difficulties and expectations for cooperation, the attention in the conference room once again focused on the main seat.

Gu Chengyuan did not respond immediately. He pondered for a moment, as if weighing something. This brief silence made the representatives of the Eastern Theater even more nervous.

Finally, he raised his eyes, his gaze clear and firm, and slowly spoke, his voice echoing in the quiet conference room:

"General Zhou, General Wang, fellow comrades in the Eastern Theater, I and my colleagues in the Central Plains Theater share the same difficult situation you face."

He first showed full empathy and spoke in a sincere tone, which instantly narrowed the psychological distance between the two parties.

This made the generals in the Eastern Theater feel a little relieved. At least the other party did not directly reject or ignore it.

Then, Gu Chengyuan's tone rose slightly, taking on a sense of grand narrative:

"The end of the world isn't just a disaster affecting one city or one place; it's a catastrophe faced by our entire Zhou state, and even all of human civilization!"

"In this critical moment, any remaining force, especially those like the Eastern Theater, which were once the pillars of the nation and still hold strategic positions, will be overturned due to lack of resources. It will be a huge loss that the entire civilization cannot bear, and it will be a loss that the survivors like us will be unable to make up for!"

His words were sonorous and powerful, full of a sense of responsibility and mission, as if he was examining the issue from a higher historical dimension.

This statement of concern for the world moved the generals of the Eastern Theater Command present, and a feeling of warmth and respect welled up in their hearts.

"Therefore," Gu Chengyuan declared decisively:

"For both public and private reasons, and for both reason and morality, the Zhongzhou Theater Command cannot sit idly by! Lending a helping hand to our fraternal units is our unshirkable responsibility!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wei, Wang Zhiming and others' eyes suddenly burst into irrepressible joy, and it was as if a huge stone fell from their hearts!

With this promise from the opposing commander, the survival crisis in the Eastern Theater at least saw the dawn of a solution!

However, Gu Chengyuan immediately changed the subject, his tone becoming pragmatic and specific:

"However, I'm sure you all understand that in the apocalypse, mobilizing any resources and providing support is no easy task. While our Central Plains theater has some reserves, we also need to maintain our operations and respond to threats from all sides. Pure, unconditional aid is unsustainable and incompatible with the principle of efficient resource utilization."

He paused briefly and presented the plan that the theater authorities had discussed in advance:

"Therefore, I propose that our cooperation be based on 'barter' and follow the principles of fairness and sustainability."

"We can provide you with urgently needed combat supplies, including fuel, various types of ammunition, heavy equipment parts, medical supplies, and even some food."

"And you will need to pay us the corresponding 'equivalent'—" Gu Chengyuan's gaze swept across the people in the Eastern War Zone and said clearly: "That is, the crystal cores produced by zombies or mutated sea beasts."

"Crystal core?" Zhou Wei and Wang Zhiming were stunned almost at the same time and repeated it subconsciously.

They naturally knew of the existence of the crystal core, and the Eastern Theater had also conducted research on this energy crystal. However, due to limited conditions and living environment, although there were some clues, no effective way had been found to convert it into actual combat power that could be used on a large scale.

So considering the massive inventory in the Eastern Theater, crystal cores are somewhat useful, but because the quantity is too large, they are only slightly more useful than stones in their eyes.

Now the Zhongzhou War Zone is willing to exchange precious combat supplies for these "stones"?