This game is too real.

Chapter 346 You are the Lord of Dawn City!
"Hello, Mr. Du Long, respected Director of the Boulder City City Hall, I am the City Lord of Dawn City—"

"Luca."

Shelter B4 floor, browsing room.

Luca in a formal suit sat on the sofa.

On the coffee table in front of him, there was a holographic computer pen. The light blue light beams interweaved above the coffee table, forming a tapered surface with three-dimensional imaging.

Through the tapered surface with a light blue background, you can see the bay window of the office of the director of the Boulder City City Hall and the director sitting at the desk.

"The Lord of Dawn City..." Du Long frowned slightly, "Where's your manager?"

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

What the hell is the Lord of Dawn City?

And this Luca...

That old face that had been exposed to the wind and sun, he felt more like a farmer than a city lord.

What the hell are the managers of the new alliance doing!
He couldn't understand it.

Not paying attention to the change in Mr. Dulong's attitude, Luca continued in a gentle tone according to what the manager explained.

"Our administrator is inspecting Dawn City, and may not be able to return to Qingquan City for a short time. Due to the unsatisfactory communication conditions there, in order to show his respect and importance to you, he entrusted me to conduct this telephone conversation with you .”

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

Regarding this high-sounding wording, Du Long's face showed an imperceptible disapproval.

friend?

Boulder needs something like that?
He originally wanted to say "Since your manager is not here, let's talk about it when he comes back", but thinking that it might take a long time, he swallowed the sentence again.

It doesn't matter to him, it's a big deal and wait, but the matter that the Lord of Boulder City has explained can't wait that long.

Dulong can be sure that if the planes of the new alliance appear in the airspace of Boulder City again, the anti-aircraft guns will definitely fire.

If this friction turns into a war, he can be sure that the northern suburbs will be turned into a piece of scorched earth, and the militia group will use steel bars and cement to seal the group of blue gophers in the turtle shell forever, but the outside of Boulder City There is no doubt that the city will suffer huge losses.

Maybe Mr. Fang Ming didn't care what it was like there, just like the inner city never cared about the life of the residents in the outer city.

However, Dulong couldn't help but care.

Not because of his kind heart.

Rather, he is very clear that the nobles in the inner city are his masters, but the factory owners and chamber of commerce bosses in the outer city are his foundation.

"Since you think we are friends, I hope that your plane will not appear in the airspace of your friend's house in the future. Your plane appeared on our radar. This time our soldiers exercised restraint, but it may not be the case next time." gone."

Luca looked at him and said.

"This is a reasonable request. What is the scope of your airspace?"

Du Long said bluntly.

"The area within the Fifth Ring Road of Qingquan City is our airspace, bounded by the Ring Road."

"It's impossible," Luca shook his head. "A part of Dawn 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 security."

Dulong raised the volume.

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

Luka smiled lightly.

"Of course I understand, but our managers have said that if we make concessions on the issue of airspace today, we will have to compromise on the issue of territory tomorrow. We can guarantee that our aircraft will not enter the ring road in the west district of Qingquan City, and only limited to this."

Du Long raised his eyebrows slightly.

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

"Territory? What do I want your piece of broken land for?"

Figure that [-] to [-] mu of land?

How many broken houses are there in the picture?
That would be too much to underestimate them.

Luca replied in a tepid tone.

"Although our place is a bit dilapidated, we are very satisfied with our home."

There was a hint of sarcasm in Du Long's tone.

"You don't think that you are qualified to negotiate terms with us after defeating 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 was wrong.

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

Looking at the head of the city hall with his eyes, Luca continued as a matter of course, "Actually, I'm negotiating terms with 'you' right now, aren't I?"

When he said this, he bit the word "you" very hard.

Du Long narrowed his eyes slightly.

He was suddenly a little uncertain.

"What do you mean?"

Luca said calmly.

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

"And the price must be 'you'."

These words hurt Du Long deeply.

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

Like every wave.

But so what?
This kind of thing needs you to be reminded by a "wastelander"?

Du Long sat up straight and laughed angrily.

"Are you threatening me?"

The atmosphere on the negotiating table instantly dropped to freezing point.

Luka was equally nervous.

However, he didn't put his emotions on his face.

Before the negotiation started, the manager had explained to him that he should not show timidity or panic in any case, and should hold his breath at any time.

The opponent is very powerful, and from their standpoint, "forced coercion" will become a convenient option, because security issues are the "pain point" of most survivors' settlements.

Although Boulder City is the spiritual licking dog of Ideal City, they are not rich enough to support themselves after all, so they will not have the so-called moral cleanliness.

Jumping sideways repeatedly near the opponent's bottom line is dangerous, but it can also be fatal if you show too weak.

Grasp the pain points of the other party, stop before the other party feels the pain, give up part of the appeal appropriately, and find a range that is acceptable to both parties.

This is also the meaning of negotiation.

Looking at Dulong, Luca said slowly.

"Of course not. Dear Mr. Director, we sincerely hope that we can live together peacefully. There are already enough tragedies in this world, such as alien species, slime molds, mutants, cultists, and predators... Living in a time when the spark of civilization is lingering in the shadow of barbarism, we really, really don't want to go to that last step."

After a pause, Luca continued.

"...But sometimes, even very, very reluctantly, we have to let others know that we are not intimidated, that the land we cultivated did not come from handouts."

"Therefore, rather than a threat, I would rather you interpret my previous remarks as a response to the threat of war."

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

He is thinking.

We are also weighing.

The conversation fell silent.

Luca waited patiently.

At this moment, Du Long 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 managers ask you to say them."

Luca replied without hesitation.

"Is there a difference? The manager's will is not only the will of the alliance, but also my will."

Du Long didn't say anything, just stared at the old man thoughtfully for a while.

After about half a minute, he spoke slowly.

"I disagree with your sophistry about the 'threat of war'."

Turning the subject, he continued.

"But I admit to another sentence of yours, there are already enough tragedies in this world, we don't need to add meaningless sorrow."

"For the future of the relationship, I think we need to have an open and honest conversation."

Hearing these words, Luca finally breathed a sigh of relief, with a smile on his face.

"I think so too."

……

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

Next comes the bargaining.

Du Long thought that this was his field of expertise. After all, he was a businessman before he became the mayor of the city hall.

However, what he didn't expect was that the opponent's ability to mess around was not inferior to him at all.

At least not as easy to fool as he imagined.

"...The North Third Ring Road of Qingquan City belongs to our airspace, we need to fight against the tide! What's more, our air force has shared part of the pressure for you, which is also good for you!"

"Your air force? Heh, just those paper planes? Why don't you just hire our planes, anyway, you've never used them before. At worst, I'll give you a [-]% discount."

"Yes, we are paper airplanes, so why do you have to worry about us threatening your safety? Don't you have enough space for paper airplanes?"

"... North Fourth Ring Road to North 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 in the future!"

"We can stop expanding to the south, but in exchange, I ask you to stop the ban on the sale of new alliance products, and we haven't banned the sale of your products, have we?"

"The last one is impossible. The ban on the sale of LD-47 is a request of the 'Big Rock City Military Industry'. I can only promise not to add a new list of import and export restrictions in areas other than the 'Military Industry'."

These conditions have met the expectations of the negotiation, but Luca still nodded in embarrassment.

"Alright, let's keep the status quo."

Dulong heaved a sigh of relief, and finally stretched a smile on his tense expression.

"Glad we reached an agreement."

Verbal agreements don't count.

The two parties will then sign a specific agreement.

As for the location of the signing, Dulong requested that it be held in the town hall of Boulder City, and invited him to visit Boulder City.

For such a trivial matter as the signing place, Luca did not insist on much under the manager's instruction, and readily agreed to his request.

In addition to airspace and trade issues, the two sides also discussed and reached consensus on cooperation in various fields.

After the communication was over, Luca reached out and turned off the holographic computer. He leaned on the sofa and let out a sigh of relief as if he had unloaded a thousand catties of covering.

"Good job!"

Hearing the sound of approval coming from the door of the reading room, Luca immediately got up from the sofa and put his right fist respectfully on his left chest.

"Master Manager."

"Don't be too polite, just sit down."

Motioned for Luca to sit down.

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

To be honest, when I rescued him, I didn't think about it that much at all, it was purely out of accidental kindness.

In addition, I happened to need an honest and obedient person to help manage the warehouse, and asked about some things I didn't understand by the way, so I took out a chip and bribed the execution farm guard.

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

If nothing else, the greatest achievement in his life is probably helping the outpost of the new alliance manage the warehouse.

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

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

Not only loyalty, but also a precise understanding of his own orders, as well as the characteristics of hard work and hard work, all far exceeded Chu Guang's initial expectations.

Although he was born as a serf, he was a little less flexible, but compared to other wastelanders, this flaw was innocuous at all.

Now it seemed that that chip was worth too much.

"I will trouble you to go to Boulder City later."

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

Chu Guang smiled.

After pausing for a moment, he restrained his joking expression and continued in a serious tone.

"In addition, after you return from Boulder City with an agreement that symbolizes friendship, you will be the lord of Dawn City."

Hearing this sentence, Luca was taken aback.

The lord of Dawn City?
Didn't it mean that it was just a title when negotiating?
Luca said in trepidation.

"My lord, but I—"

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

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

Originally, Luca had been taking care of Changjiu Farm.

As for origin.

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

Rather, it can become a propaganda banner.

In the new league, equality is not a slogan.As long as you can prove your ability and loyalty to the alliance, you can become the city lord of the settlement even if you come from a humble background.

Not bad.

Chu Guang became more and more satisfied with his arrangement.

When he turned around, he would take the time to write a press release that would make people excited, and throw it to the people at Union Radio to promote it.

Although he still has some concerns about whether he is qualified for this important task, seeing that the manager has chosen him so firmly, the old Luca didn't say anything, but silently hid his gratitude in his heart.

It took a moment to calm down, and he looked at the manager and said seriously.

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

"what's up."

"Big Rock City...why are they obsessed with the airspace of Qingquan City?" Luca had a look of confusion in his eyes, "They obviously didn't take our plane seriously at all."

That deep-seated contempt cannot be hidden.

The mayor of the city hall even used the term "paper airplane" to describe the Union aircraft.

Although angry in his heart, Luca had to admit that this arrogance was not without reason.

The flying machines in Boulder City may not look good enough in front of the enterprise, but they are products of the pre-war era.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 plane of the new alliance.

"It's nice of you to think of that."

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

Luka froze for a moment.

I don't quite understand the meaning of this sentence.

Chu Guang didn't explain immediately, but stretched out his hand and pressed lightly on the holographic computer pen.

The city map of Qingquan City was projected in the light blue light cone, and there were a few intermittent green dots flashing on the edge of the third ring road.

"Because Qingquan city center is their real core of interests."

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

A look of surprise floated on Luka's face.

"In that case, isn't that wave..."

Chu Guang nodded.

"It might not be a total disaster for them."

"Our researchers have been studying the evolutionary bodies that the last wave spread to the northern suburbs, whether it is at the biological level or at the engineering level. It's just that we started too late. Even with our excellent researchers, the progress Still way behind them."

Looking at Luka who was stunned, Chu Guang said slowly.

"Like you said, they don't care about our plane at all, because it's not even a problem for them."

"Their real purpose is probably to limit our access to their treasures."

……

On the other side, the Boulder City City Hall.

Du Long who hung up the phone let out a long breath.

While feeling relieved, the corner of his mouth could not help but curl up into a smug smile.

The aircraft of the new alliance will no longer enter the core area of ​​​​their interests, and the respected Lord of the City will definitely be satisfied with this result.

The LD series of weapons are still on the list of restricted imports, the trade between the two sides will not be affected by this, and the military industrial group will not make irresponsible remarks on him.

As for other fields besides military industry?
What does it have to do with him?

What's more, trade itself is something that is beneficial to both parties. It is not a bad thing that Boulder City can buy cheaper consumer goods and industrial raw materials.

In Du Long's view, he just took out a little bit of honey in exchange for a result that made everyone happy.

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

Lao Tzu is a genius!
Looking around in the past, the entire southern part of the River Valley Province could not find a decent opponent in Jushi City, and the Great Rift Valley to the north was too far away, so everyone looked down on each other.

He sits in the office of the city hall every day, either stamping or dozing off, and few people take him seriously.

Now finally someone can set off his ingenuity!
At this time, a voice from the side interrupted his thoughts.

"Mr. Director."

"What's the matter?" Looking at his deputy Jaeger, Dulong, who was in a good mood, said kindly.

"I don't understand, why do we have to talk so much nonsense with a group of scavengers?" Jaeger had a look of displeasure on his face, "Their population is not even as large as our slum."

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

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

Negotiating this matter with them made him feel uncomfortable.

Dulong guessed what he was thinking, and also thought about how to answer this question.

"They are not as strong as us, but they are far less weak than we imagined. Do you remember the look in that person's eyes?"

Jaeger chuckled lightly.

"Can eyes kill?"

Du Long said in a gentle tone.

"No, but it is not easy to make them submit. Isn't it good to negotiate to solve the problem? If there is a real fight, we will be cannon fodder again."

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

He patted his deputy on the shoulder, and he continued to talk happily.

"Be happy, don't hang your face."

……

Qingquan City, on the edge of the North Third Ring Road.

The slanting sunset elongates the shadow of the viaduct pier.

As night fell, the nibblers wandering in this area gradually became manic and became more aggressive.

Shops along the street not far from the viaduct.

Crouching on the edge behind the window, paddling, with an assault rifle in hand, cautiously watching the street outside the bunker.

Besides him, there are nine teammates hiding nearby.

The alien corpses lying here and there in the street, and the densely packed bullet holes on the wall, tell the intensity of the previous battle.

Four hours ago, he and his team members received the task and walked to the edge of the North Third Ring Road in Qingquan City to meet the cattle and horse team that had withdrawn from the "new map".

After a fierce firefight, they successfully cleared the street of alien species.

But seeing that dusk was about to fall, and more and more alien species began to spread from nearby buildings to the street, it was hard to say how long the tranquility could last.

The construction site boy and Brick, holding the machine gun, suddenly muttered.

"It won't be for nothing again."

Just hearing this, Kakarot glared at him.

"Less crow's mouth!"

The indebted big eyes gave a look to the edge brother next to him.

"How long?"

Just as he was about to answer while paddling on the edge, there was a sudden movement at the intersection.

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

At this moment, a familiar voice suddenly came
"It's me, don't get angry."

Looking at the person who appeared at the intersection, he froze for a moment while paddling on the edge of the water, and a surprised expression suddenly appeared on his face.

"Fuck!? Old Bai?"

"How did you become like this?"

At this moment, Lao Bai's situation can only be described by the word embarrassment.

He held a parachute-wrapped package in his left hand, and a blood-stained rifle in his right hand. Not only was his chemical protective suit gone, his body was covered in mud, and there was a piece of almost burnt-through bulletproof vest hanging on his chest. hole.

The whole person seems to have rolled out of hell.

Facing everyone's surprised eyes, Lao Bai gave a wry smile.

"...something went wrong."

What's that called? !
Everyone looked at each other.

Leaving aside smoking cessation, Old Fangchang Bai and the others are already considered the ceiling of the entire server's combat power.

What is the situation, even these guys are so tricky!

Lian Dayan swallowed his saliva.

"……What about the rest?"

Lao Bai didn't speak.

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

"died."

With a heavy expression on his face, Fang Chang's condition is similar to that of Lao Bai, with the same disheveled look.

He probably lost his rifle, and he was holding a mechanical arm tied with a VM in his right hand, and half of his shoulder was still hanging from the bloody joint, which looked shocking.

Edge paddling recognizes this guy.

It seems to be the arm of the wind...

"In any case, the task is finally completed."

Throwing the bloody package on the ground, Lao Bai raised his arm and wiped the mud and sweat off his forehead, "This thing... Please help me carry it, I'm really exhausted."

"What the hell is this?"

The construction site boy and Brick walked forward, opened the package curiously and took a look, and found a pile of strange parts and dark red bacteria lying inside.

Many of them have tentacled fungus, still wriggling slowly, like freshly cut beef.

"The remains of the evolved body, the ghost knows what it is."

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

"You'd better not rummage through the contents of this with your hands... That's how our quit smoking brother died."

(End of this chapter)