Chapter 345 You will be the Lord of Dawn City!

"Hello, Mr. Dulong, respected Mayor of the Stone City City Hall, I am the Lord of Dawn City--"

"Luca."

Browsing room on the B4 floor of the shelter.

Luca, dressed in formal clothes, sat on the sofa.

On the coffee table in front of him, there was a holographic computer pen, and light blue beams intertwined above the coffee table, forming a three-dimensional cone surface.

Through the light blue cone surface, you can see the bay window of the office of the Mayor of the Stone City City Hall, and the Mayor sitting at the desk.

"Lord of Dawn City..." Dulong frowned slightly, "Where is your manager?"

If the news is correct, he remembered that the highest authority in the alliance should be the manager.

What the hell is the Lord of Dawn City?

And this Luca...

That old face that was weathered by the wind and sun, he felt more like a farmer than a Lord.

What on earth is the manager of the new alliance doing!

He was a little confused.

Without taking the change in Mr. Dulong's attitude to heart, Luca continued to speak in a gentle tone according to the manager's instructions.

"Our manager is inspecting Dawn City and may not be able to come back to Qingquan City in a short time. Since the communication situation there is not satisfactory, in order to show his respect and attention to you, he entrusted me to have this telephone conversation with you."

"When the manager explained this matter to me, he specifically told me that Boulder City is a neighbor and friend of the Alliance, and asked me to show our friendship in the talks."

For this high-sounding wording, Dulong's face showed a subtle disapproval. .

Friend?

Boulder City needs that kind of thing?

He originally wanted to say "Since your manager is not here, let's wait for him to come back and talk", but thinking that it might take a long time, he swallowed the words back.

He didn't care, at most he would wait, but the things that the Lord of Boulder City had told him couldn't wait that long.

Du Long was sure that if the New Alliance's planes appeared in the airspace of Boulder City again, the anti-aircraft guns would open fire.

If this friction turned into a war, he was sure that the northern suburbs would turn into a scorched earth, and the militias that came out in full force would use steel bars and cement to seal the group of blue gophers in their shells forever, but the outer city of Boulder City would undoubtedly suffer huge losses.

Perhaps Mr. Fang Ming didn't care what happened there, just like the inner city never cared about what kind of life the residents of the outer city lived.

However, Du Long couldn't help but care.

It wasn't because he was kind-hearted.

But he knew very well that the nobles in the inner city were his masters, but the factory owners and chamber of commerce bosses in the outer city were his foundation.

"Since you think we are friends, I hope your planes will not appear in the airspace of friends' homes in the future. Your plane appeared on our radar. This time our soldiers remained restrained, but next time it may not be the case."

Luca looked at him and said.

"This is a reasonable request. I want to know what your airspace is?"

Du Long said bluntly.

"The airspace within the fifth ring of Qingquan City is our airspace, with the ring road as the boundary."

"That's impossible," Luca shook his head, "A part of Shuguang City is also within the fifth ring of Qingquan City. We will respect your security needs, but it must be based on not sacrificing our own safety."

Du Long raised his voice.

"Mr. Luca, let me get straight to the point. This is the request of our city lord. Do you understand the meaning of the word request?"

Luca smiled faintly.

"Of course I understand, but our manager said that if we give in on the issue of airspace today, we will have to compromise on the issue of territory tomorrow. We can ensure that our aircraft will not enter the ring road of the western district of Qingquan City, and that's it."

Du Long raised his eyebrows slightly.

As if he heard something interesting, he said with a smile.

"Territory? What do I need your broken place for?"

To those 10,000 or 20,000 acres of land?

To those shabby houses?

That's too much of an underestimation.

Luka replied in a tepid tone.

"Although our place is a little shabby, we are very satisfied with our home."

Dulong's tone was a little sarcastic.

"You don't think that you are qualified to negotiate with us just because you beat a few primitive people with fire sticks."

It was beyond Dulong's expectation.

The old man in front of him actually nodded.

This made him even wonder if he had seen it wrong.

"Of course, I have no doubt that we are qualified."

Looking at the director of the city hall, Luka continued as a matter of course, "In fact, I am negotiating with 'you' now, am I not?"

When he said this, he emphasized the word "you".

Dulong narrowed his eyes slightly.

He suddenly felt a little unsure.

"What do you mean?"

Luka said calmly.

"It's meaningless. Your army is strong, but we are not weak either. Boulder City may be able to defeat us on the front battlefield, but we can guarantee that our opponents will pay a heavy price."

"And this price must be 'you'."

This sentence deeply hurt Du Long.

The inner city has long neglected the outer city, and everyone knows it, and he is no exception. He has no doubt that if a war really breaks out, they will become cannon fodder.

Just like every wave.

But so what?

Do you, a "wastelander", need to remind me of this kind of thing?

Du Long sat up straight and laughed in anger.

"Are you threatening me?"

The atmosphere at the negotiation table instantly dropped to the freezing point.

Luca was also very nervous.

However, he did not write his emotions on his face.

Before the negotiation began, the manager told him that he must not show timidity or panic in any case, and he must keep calm at all times.

The other party is very strong. From their perspective, "force coercion" will become a convenient option, because security issues are the "pain point" of most survivor settlements.

Although the Stone City is the spiritual licker of the Utopia, they are not rich enough to eat and have nothing to do, so they don't have the so-called moral cleanliness.

It is dangerous to jump back and forth near the opponent's bottom line, but it is also fatal if you are too weak.

Grasp the opponent's pain point, stop before the other party feels pain, give up some demands appropriately, and find a range that both parties can accept.

The meaning of negotiation lies in this.

Looking at Duron, Luca spoke slowly.

"Of course not, respected Mr. Director, we sincerely hope that we can get along in friendship and peace. There are already enough tragedies in this world, alien species, slime molds, mutants, cultists, and predators... The fire of civilization is lingering under the cover of barbarism. Living in such an era, we are really very reluctant to go to the last step."

After a pause, Luca continued.

"...But sometimes, even if we are very reluctant, we must let others know that we are not scared, and the land we reclaimed is not obtained by charity."

"Therefore, rather than threats, I would rather you understand my previous words as a response to the threat of war."

Dulong's eyes have narrowed into a slit, staring at Luca in the holographic image.

He is thinking.

Also weighing.

The meeting fell into silence.

Luca waited patiently.

At this moment, Dulong suddenly blurted out a sentence that had nothing to do with the negotiation itself.

"Did you come up with these words yourself, or did your manager ask you to say them?"

Luca answered without thinking.

"Is there a difference? The will of the manager is both the will of the alliance and my will."

Dulong didn't say anything, just stared at the old man, thinking for a while.

After about half a minute, he slowly spoke.

"I don't agree with your sophistry about the 'threat of war'."

He changed the subject and continued.

"But I agree with your other statement. There are already enough tragedies in this world. We don't need to add meaningless sadness."

"For the sake of future relations, I think we need to talk openly."

Hearing this, Luca finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

"I think so too."

...

Although the other party's arrogant attitude has not changed at all, being willing to solve the problem through dialogue is at least a good start.

The next step is bargaining.

Dulong thought this was his area of ​​expertise. After all, before he became the mayor of the city hall, he was a businessman.

However, what he didn't expect was that the other party's ability to make trouble was not inferior to his.

At least not as easy to fool as he imagined.

"...The area of ​​the South Third Ring Road in Qingquan City belongs to our airspace. We need to fight against the tide! What's more, our air force has shared some of the pressure for you, which is also good for you!"

"Your air force? Ha, just those paper planes? You might as well hire our planes directly. Anyway, you have hired them before. I can give you a 20% discount."

"Yes, we are paper planes, so why should you worry about us threatening your safety? Can't you even accommodate paper planes in your heart?"

"...South Fourth Ring Road to South Fifth Ring Road, this is our bottom line! At the same time, I need you to promise that the border of the New Alliance will not continue to expand southward."

"We can stop expanding southward, but in exchange, I ask you to stop the ban on the sale of New Alliance products. We don't ban the sale of your products, right?"

"The last one is impossible. The ban on the sale of LD-47 is the requirement of 'Jiangshi City Military Industry'. I can only promise not to add new import and export restriction lists in areas other than 'Military Industry'."

These conditions have met the expectations of the negotiations, but Luca still nodded with difficulty.

"Okay, let's maintain the status quo."

Du Long breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense expression finally relaxed into a smile.

"I'm glad we reached an agreement."

A verbal agreement is not valid.

The two parties will sign a specific agreement later.

As for the signing location, Du Long requested that it be held in the City Hall of Boulder City and invited him to visit Boulder City.

For such a small matter as the signing location, Luca did not insist much at the instruction of the manager, and readily agreed to his request.

In addition to the issues of airspace and trade, the two sides also discussed cooperation in multiple fields and reached a consensus.

After the communication ended, Luca reached out to turn off the holographic computer, and the whole person seemed to have unloaded a heavy bag, leaning on the sofa and letting out a long breath.

"Good job!"

Hearing the praise from the door of the browsing room, Luca immediately stood up from the sofa and respectfully placed his right fist on his left chest.

"Mr. Manager."

"No need to be polite, sit down."

Motioned Luca to sit down.

Chu Guang sat on the sofa opposite him and looked at him with satisfaction.

To be honest, when he saved him, he didn't think about it at all. It was just out of kindness.

In addition, he just needed an honest and obedient person to help manage the warehouse and find out some things he didn't know, so he took out a chip to bribe the farm guard who was executing the execution.

Chu Guang didn't expect much from him at that time.

If nothing unexpected happens, his greatest achievement in this life is probably to help manage the warehouse for the outpost base of the New Alliance.

Just like Guo Niu, Guo Ma and other liberated serfs who also joined the new alliance very early.

However, the performance of old Luca at work was beyond Chu Guang's expectations.

Not only loyalty, but also accurate understanding of his orders and hardworking qualities far exceeded Chu Guang's initial expectations.

Although he was born a serf and was less flexible, compared with other wastelanders, this flaw was not a big deal.

Now it seems that the chip was worth it.

"I'll have to trouble you to go to Boulder City later."

"No trouble, it's my honor to serve you." Luca said respectfully.

Chu Guang smiled.

After a pause, he restrained his joking expression and continued in a serious tone.

"In addition, when you come back from Boulder City with a friendly agreement, you will be the mayor of Dawn City."

Hearing this, Luca was stunned.

Lord of Dawn City?

Didn't they say that it was just a title during negotiations?

Luca said timidly.

"Sir, but I--"

Knowing what he wanted to say, Chu Guang interrupted him.

"Okay, I've decided on this! I see your ability, and no one is more suitable for this position than you."

Luca had always been in charge of Changjiu Farm.

As for origin.

In Chu Guang's view, it was not a problem at all.

Rather, it could be a banner for propaganda.

In the new alliance, equality is not just a slogan. As long as you can prove your ability and loyalty to the alliance, you can become the lord of the settlement even if you are of humble origin.

Not bad.

Chu Guang was getting more and more satisfied with his arrangement.

When he came back, he would take the time to write a press release that would make people's blood boil and throw it to the people at the alliance radio station to promote it.

Although he still had some concerns about whether he could handle this important task, seeing that the manager had chosen him so firmly, Old Luca said nothing more, but silently hid his gratitude in his heart.

After taking a moment to calm his breath, he looked at the manager and said seriously.

"Sir... there is one thing I don't quite understand, can I ask you for advice."

"What is it?"

"Boulder City... why are they obsessed with the airspace of Qingquan City?" Luca's eyes were a little confused, "They obviously don't take our planes seriously at all."

The kind of indifference in his bones can't be hidden.

The mayor of the city hall even used "paper airplanes" to describe the alliance's aircraft.

Although he was angry, Luca had to admit that this arrogance was not without reason.

The aircraft of Boulder City may not be good enough in front of the enterprise, but it is a product of the pre-war era after all. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the big guy with a sense of science fiction is not at the same level as the small aircraft of the new alliance.

"It's good that you can think of this."

Looking at the old Luca who was slowly coming to his senses, Chu Guang nodded approvingly, "The reason is actually very simple, because you are right, what they really care about is not the airspace at all."

Luca was stunned.

He didn't quite understand the meaning of this sentence.

Chu Guang didn't explain immediately, but reached out and gently pressed on the holographic computer pen.

The city map of Qingquan City was projected in the light blue light cone, and the edge of the three-ring line was flashing a few intermittent green dots.

"Because the center of Qingquan City is their real core of interest."

"Mutated slime mold, evolutionary bodies, ancient battlefields, and equipment left over from the pre-war era... One fragment cannot restore the entire puzzle, but countless fragments piled together can always restore something useful."

A hint of surprise appeared on Luca's face.

"In that case, then the wave is not..."

Chu Guang nodded.

"It may not be a complete disaster for them."

"Our researchers have been studying the evolutionary bodies that spread to the northern suburbs in the last wave, both from a biological and engineering perspective. It's just that we started too late. Even though we have excellent researchers, our progress is still far behind theirs."

Looking at Luca, who looked enlightened, Chu Guang said slowly.

"As you said, they don't care about our planes at all, because that thing is not even a problem for them."

"Their real purpose is probably to restrict us from getting our hands on their treasures."

...

On the other side, the City Hall of Giant Stone City.

Du Long, who hung up the phone, breathed a sigh of relief.

While feeling relieved, a smug smile rose at the corner of his mouth.

The New Alliance's planes will no longer enter their core area of ​​interest, and the respected city lord will definitely be satisfied with this result.

The LD series of weapons are still on the list of restricted imports, and the trade between the two sides will not be affected, and the military industry group will not say anything about him.

As for other fields outside of military industry?

What does it have to do with him?

Moreover, trade itself is beneficial to both sides. It is not a bad thing that Boulder City can buy cheaper consumer goods and industrial raw materials.

In Dulong's view, he only took out a little honey, and exchanged it for a result that made all parties happy.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but praise himself in his heart.

I am really a genius!

In the past, Boulder City could not find a decent opponent in the entire southern part of the River Valley Province, and the Great Rift Valley in the north was too far away, so everyone looked down on each other.

He sat in the office of the City Hall every day, either stamping or dozing off, and few people took him seriously.

Now there is finally someone who can set off his intelligence!

At this time, a voice from the side interrupted his thoughts.

"Mr. Director."

"What's wrong?" Looking at his deputy Jaeger, Dulong, who was in a good mood, said with a smile.

"I don't understand why we have to waste so much time talking to a group of scavengers?" Jaeger's face was a little unhappy, "Their population is not even as large as our slums."

The outside of the city was crowded with people who wanted to enter the city.

Even the dirt flowing out of the city was enough to feed tens of thousands of people.

Negotiating with them made him feel unhappy.

Du Long guessed what he was thinking and thought about how to answer this question.

"They are not as strong as us, but they are not as weak as we imagined. Do you remember the look in that man's eyes just now?"

Jaeger chuckled.

"Can eyes kill people?"

Du Long said in a gentle tone.

"No, but it is not easy to make them surrender. Isn't it good to solve the problem through negotiation? If a fight really breaks out, we will be cannon fodder again."

"Besides, the city lord's request is to keep their planes away from the fourth ring road of Qingquan City. We not only completed the task, but also exceeded it."

Patting his deputy's shoulder, he continued with a beaming face.

"Cheer up a bit, don't look so sullen."

...

Qingquan City, the edge of the South Third Ring Road.

The slanting sunset stretched the shadow of the viaduct pier.

As night was about to fall, the gnawers wandering around the area gradually became manic and began to become more aggressive.

A shop along the street not far from the viaduct.

He squatted on the edge behind the window and paddled in the water, holding an assault rifle in his hand, carefully monitoring the street outside the bunker.

In addition to him, there were nine teammates hiding nearby.

The corpses of the aliens lying in all directions on the street and the dense bullet holes on the wall told of the fierceness of the previous battle.

Four hours ago, he and his team members received a mission to walk to the edge of the South Third Ring Road in Qingquan City to meet the cattle and horse team who withdrew from the "new map".

After a fierce exchange of fire, they successfully cleared the aliens on this street.

However, as dusk was approaching, more and more alien species began to spread from nearby buildings to the streets. It was hard to say how long the tranquility could last.

The young man and the brick holding the machine gun suddenly muttered.

"It won't be given away for nothing again."

Kakarot glared at him when he heard this.

"Stop talking nonsense!"

The debt-ridden man glanced at the old man on the edge next to him.

"How long will it take?"

Just as the edge was about to answer, there was a sudden noise at the intersection.

Everyone's nerves were instantly tense, and the weapons in their hands were aimed at the past.

Just then, a familiar voice suddenly came

"It's me, don't fire."

Looking at the man who appeared at the intersection, the edge was slightly stunned, and a surprised expression suddenly appeared on his face.

"What the hell!? Old White?"

"Why are you like this?"

At this moment, Old White's situation can only be described as embarrassing.

In his left hand, he held a package wrapped in a parachute, and in his right hand, he held a rifle covered in blood. Not only was his chemical protective suit missing, but his body was also covered in mud, and there was a hole on his bulletproof vest that was almost burned through.

He looked like he had rolled out of hell.

Facing everyone's surprised gaze, Lao Bai smiled bitterly.

"...something went wrong."

What the hell is a little bit? !

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Quitting smoking aside, Lao Bai and Fang Chang were already the ceiling of the entire server's combat power.

What was going on? Even these guys were so difficult!

Debt swallowed his saliva.

"...Where are the others?"

Lao Bai didn't speak.

At this time, Fang Chang's voice came from behind him.

"Dead."

With a heavy expression on his face, Fang Chang's condition was similar to Lao Bai's, and he also looked dirty.

He probably lost his rifle. In his right hand, he held a mechanical arm with VM tied to it. Half of his shoulder was hanging on the bloody interface, which looked shocking.

I recognized this guy by swiping my finger.

It seemed to be Kuangfeng's arm...

"Anyway, the mission is finally completed."

Throwing the bloody package on the ground, Lao Bai raised his arm to wipe the mud and sweat on his forehead, "This thing... Please help me carry it, I really don't have the strength."

"What is this?"

The construction site boy and Zhuan walked up, curiously opened the package and took a look, and found a bunch of strange parts and dark red fungus blocks lying inside.

Many of the fungus blocks with tentacles exposed were still slowly wriggling, like freshly cut beef.

"The remains of the evolutionary body, who knows what it is."

Sitting on the hood of the scrap car, Fang Chang looked at the fungus blocks in the hands of the construction site guy and kindly reminded him.

"You'd better not rummage around in here with your hands... That's how our brother who quit smoking died."