Li Xin'er shrugged, spread her hands helplessly, and stuck to her initial decision.
"I can give you some pointers when I have time, but I'd rather not become your apprentice."
"Those who join my side all share a common characteristic: regardless of the time limit, as long as they are with me, they need to be absolutely loyal to me, and my orders are their top priority."
She turned her head to look at Lu Jin'an and said seriously:
“Lu Jin’an, you can’t do that, and I don’t have a penchant for cultivating talented people for others.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Jin'an lowered her eyelashes slightly, concealing the disappointment in her eyes.
Yes, he can't do it.
Besides being a member of the Lu family, he was also a soldier, and he had the country and the people in his heart.
Any one of them, taken individually, would be ranked before the master.
"I'm sorry, I underestimated the situation."
Li Xin'er waved her hand dismissively, "Let's not bring this up again."
Neither of them seemed sleepy; they sat around the fire, chatting idly.
From the far north to the far south, to the current apocalypse...
Meanwhile, people at the Xinghuo base were also working overtime late into the night.
As pillars of the nation, they were the first to evacuate to the safe zone, but they also bore even greater responsibilities.
Their race against time is aimed at minimizing casualties and returning to normalcy as soon as possible.
In the large conference room, a long oval table with a silver metallic feel was surrounded by more than thirty leaders from various departments, including Lu Zheng and Lu Qi.
Lu Zheng, dressed in military uniform, sat in the head seat. To his left was Du Zhiyuan, dressed in a black suit with a badge pinned to his chest.
The people sitting on the left and right sides, judging from their clothing, clearly indicate a division into two factions.
Lu Zheng had some gray hair at his temples, but his resolute face, coupled with his spirited eyes and strong voice, made him look very young.
"Communication must be restored, as it affects the efficiency of our previous reconstruction and information sharing. I have already found a way to purchase the necessary equipment, which is expected to arrive within this month."
As soon as Lu Zheng finished speaking, Du Zhiyuan's expression turned ugly. His eyes flashed with anger as he said with dissatisfaction:
"Commander Lu, this is no small matter. Why didn't I receive any news about it before?"
"Furthermore, given the current crisis, we have the primary authority to use and allocate all supplies. I wonder what the base commander's so-called purchasing channels are all about?"
When he said these things, his tone became particularly sarcastic whenever he called out the name of the base commander.
Everyone knew perfectly well that the two were equals before the apocalypse, but now Lu Zheng was the base chief of the Spark Base, while Du Zhiyuan was the deputy.
In addition, the two factions are now severely divided, and such situations can occur at any time.
Lu Zheng certainly wouldn't tell him; he wasn't telling him to prevent him from causing trouble.
"This matter has just been settled, and I am informing everyone immediately. Also, this batch of supplies did not come from our country, but from the Warwing Legion, which you are already aware of."
He tapped his fingers on the table, his sharp eyes scanning the people present.
"As you all know, given our current situation, it will be very difficult to gather these supplies. Even if we could gather them from various places, it would take a lot of time, manpower, and resources."
"And we can't afford to wait any longer!"
"They only need us to pay 200,000 zombie crystal cores, and the supplies will be delivered to our doorstep. Why not take this deal?"
After Lu Zheng finished speaking, someone below quickly chimed in.
"The base commander is right. Time is money. Getting this done as soon as possible will be entirely beneficial to us."
"It's just some zombie crystal cores. We haven't figured out what's useful for them yet, and besides, 200,000 isn't a lot."
Du Zhiyuan had actually heard rumors that Lu Zheng seemed to have some trading channels, but he had not been able to find out the specifics.
Now that Lu Zheng has brought this matter up, shouldn't this channel be made public?
The Warwing Legion? He didn't believe a mercenary group could have such capabilities.
He pondered this in his mind, while outwardly displaying a worried expression.
"That's one explanation, but can the base commander guarantee that this deal isn't a trap or a scheme by the other party?"
"The Warwing Legion is ultimately stationed in Country Y, and we are not exactly friendly countries with Country Y."
After Du Zhiyuan finished speaking, his followers, not to be outdone, echoed him, saying:
"Indeed, and these supplies would be highly sought after in any country."
"Why would they go to such lengths to do business with us, even though it's so far away?"
"Preserving the communication signal is about seizing the initiative. It's only 200,000 crystal cores; I think every country will be scrambling to buy them."
Inside the meeting room, a debate arose about whether the deal was a conspiracy.
Du Zhiyuan was happy to see it happen. Although he also wanted to restore communications as soon as possible, he didn't want Lu Zheng to complete the task smoothly since it was Lu Zheng who proposed it.
If Lu Zheng successfully completes this task, his prestige and influence in the base will be greatly enhanced.
This is not the outcome he wanted to see.
After Lu Zheng finished speaking, he remained silent, allowing the people below to discuss the matter.
He observed the reactions of everyone present without making a sound, and he also understood Du Zhiyuan's thoughts.
Ever since the Lan family from Kyoto came to the base and got involved with Du Zhiyuan, the two sides have reached a cooperation agreement and have been making constant underhanded moves.
Did they think that having a powerful backer would allow them to take action against the Lu family?
Ha, naive or just too presumptuous.
After everyone had finished their discussion, Lu Zheng slowly began to speak.
"This transaction was made through my personal contacts and was conducted in my personal name. Whether it succeeds or not, it will not affect the base."
“Okay, the equipment has arrived. We’ll start launching the satellite and restoring communications. I’ll reimburse you then. If it doesn’t work, I’ll personally lose 200,000 crystal cores.”
After hearing what he said, there was no reason for anyone to keep pressing the issue.
Lu Qi then spoke up in support, saying, "Even if this deal falls through, we won't suffer much loss. On the contrary, we'll make a huge profit. I think it's feasible."
The others nodded in agreement, "Yes, the base chief doesn't need to make up for the problem with the crystal core base's existence."
“Indeed, the base chief has already put in a lot of effort in finding trading channels. We are sitting here for the sake of China, and restoring communications is also for the better protection of China. This matter should be funded by the base.”
Hearing what everyone was saying, Du Zhiyuan's face turned as black as ink, his eyes were gloomy, and he couldn't even manage a fake smile.
He barely spoke until the end of the meeting.
When he returned to his office, he flew into a rage, then summoned his assistant and gave him harsh instructions.
"Send people to keep an eye on the road to the base. If you see any convoys transporting goods, stop them and inspect them thoroughly!"
He said the word "inspection" through gritted teeth, emphasizing it greatly.
He wanted to see who they really were. Even if it really was the Warwing Legion, he couldn't let them get away with it as long as they sided with the Lu family.
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