First arrival
Ohio and China share borders, but each has vast territories. After flying from the base for the better part of a day and circling for a long time, we finally found the Ohio base Lawson had mentioned.
The base is located in a desert. The scorching sun shines on the land, illuminating the rolling sand and dust.
The plane landed a few hundred meters away from the base. Lu Tingxiao gave an order and the entire White Eagle team got off the plane and walked to the base gate.
This is a steel city that seems to have been forgotten by history, surrounded by blue-black steel walls that seem to have no end in sight.
At the front of the base is a steel gate carved with intricate patterns. It is about five or six meters high and as wide as four military heavy trucks driving side by side.
On one side of the gate, there is a small guard booth, which is a place for the soldiers on duty to take a rest.
At this time, two Ohio soldiers were standing on both sides of the gate on duty, one on the left and one on the right.
Seeing Ling Shi and his group, the two soldiers on duty immediately raised their rifles, pointed them at them, and said something incoherently.
Qiu Bao, who rarely spoke, suddenly exclaimed, "Ah!" "The last time I was on the team, they asked me to learn English. I haven't even finished learning English yet, so are I supposed to learn Oklahoma?"
"Goodbye." Lu Tingxiao led everyone forward: "There's no need to always compete with yourself. There's no bonus either."
Everyone laughed.
When he reached the door, Lu Tingxiao also muttered something to the two soldiers on duty.
Only now did Ling Shi feel a little relieved.
Earlier, Lu Tingxiao boasted to him that he was proficient in multiple languages.
Ling Shi was skeptical. After all, this guy had a history of lying without thinking. But for an ambassador who had been posted abroad for many years, it didn't seem outrageous.
Now that I see that he can really talk people down, I finally feel relieved.
After hearing Lu Tingxiao's words, the two soldiers on duty were stunned for a moment and then started mumbling.
Ling Shi touched Lu Tingxiao's arm and couldn't help asking, "What are you talking about?"
He himself was fluent in English and African languages, but knew nothing of Oktober.
"They won't let us in." Lu Tingxiao said, "Tsk, they said this is a strategic location in Ohio."
"Haha, I haven't even mentioned my beef with Steven, Lawson, and the others."
He took two steps forward, not paying any attention to the spear in the other's hand, and muttered back.
This time, the two people opposite looked at each other.
One stayed behind, holding his spear in defense, while the other turned around and ran towards the gate.
A small black intercom is attached to the large dark blue iron gate.
The soldier pressed the button and reported to the people in the base.
Ling Shi asked curiously, "What did you say?"
"What else can I say?" Lu Tingxiao stretched his muscles, relaxing them from the long flight. "As we agreed, we'll use the information we found in Country M as bait to see if they'll take the bait."
Everyone stood at the door and waited for about 20 minutes.
The door clanged and the lock on the back of the door opened. With a heavy groan, the door slowly opened, revealing the scene inside.
A young officer walked out quickly with two deputies.
He glanced around and immediately set his sights on Lu Tingxiao. He extended his hand and blurted out in fluent Chinese: "Nice to meet you."
"This should be...Captain Lu, right? Welcome, welcome."
Lu Tingxiao also extended his hand and shook hands politely with the other party.
"My name is Artyom Smirnov, and I'm General Dostoyevsky's adjutant," the young man said. "I've come to greet you on the general's orders. Please follow me."
"What?" Zuo Hao muttered softly, "Why is the name so long? Who can remember it?"
Chu Yi whispered to him, "All the names of people in Ohio are so weird. I didn't ask you to remember them, so what can you remember with your stupid head?"
"Shhhhh!" Ling Shi turned around to stop them: "Be quiet. It doesn't matter if you lose face for yourself, but if you lose face for your team, wait for him to beat you up!"
The two men quickly shut their mouths.
The group followed Lu Tingxiao and walked into the gate of the Ohio base.
Unexpectedly, as soon as I entered the door, there was still a similar heavy metal door opposite.
They followed Smirnov and passed through three such gates in succession before entering the base.
Looking around, you can see a row of buildings of varying heights, arranged so closely together that it makes people feel a little uncomfortable.
The buildings have a uniform black-gray exterior, which looks a bit depressing.
On the wide roads, patrols of soldiers could be seen everywhere, each armed with a rifle, creating a tense atmosphere.
Ling Shi was about to take a closer look when he saw Smirnov turn a corner and go right along the wall. "Everyone, please go this way."
He looked forward and saw a staircase extending underground.
"Sorry, you need a pass to walk around the base." Smirnov walked down the stairs. "Since this is your first time here, you can only use the underground passage."
"You, General Dostoyevsky, don't seem to be very sincere." Lu Tingxiao stopped at the stairs. "Aren't the passes still in your hands?"
Smirnov turned sideways, looked up at them, and gave them an apologetic smile. "Issuing a pass requires several checkpoints, involving identity checks and confirmations. Even for Ohio residents, it takes several days."
"You are all distinguished guests from China, so identity verification will take more time."
"Why don't you settle down first and then apply to the general, okay?"
Ling Shi pulled Lu Tingxiao and said, "Forget it."
He walked towards the underground stairs first and spoke naturally, "Is your General Dostoyevsky the highest commander of the base?"
Smirnov smiled gratefully and continued walking forward. "The base is currently being jointly governed by three generals."
"The highest-ranking officer is General Alexander Pushkin."
"The second is General Mikhail Sidorov."
He paused, as if thinking for a moment, before saying, "Dr. Steven and Dragon Warrior Lawson, who were sent to China before, were General Sidorov's men."
As soon as these words came out, Ling Shi was shocked.
In just a few words, the young adjutant not only explained the political situation in Ohio thoroughly, but also brought Steven's case to the table.
They once had a fierce conflict with Steven and Lawson, and drove them out of the Chinese base like dogs.
You let them in? And you're so honest with them?
What does this Smirnov want to do?
Or, what does General Dostoevsky behind him want to do?
"My superior, General Sergei Dostoyevsky, is third," Smirnov added.
Ling Shi glanced at Lu Tingxiao and found that he was squinting his eyes, listening calmly and without any expression.
Well, since this gentleman is here, let him take care of it.
Don't bother yourself with this.
Ling Shi nodded: "Thank you for your honesty."
Smirnov waved his hand. "Not really. The General has instructed us to treat our distinguished guests well."
A group of people walked into the narrow underground passage.
Although the road here is narrow, it is brightly lit and there are soldiers standing guard every few meters.
Along the way, the terrain is complex and we have to go up, down, left and right from time to time.
After walking for about ten minutes, Smirnov stopped.
They arrived at a not-too-large conference room.
"Come in." Smirnov pushed open the door. "The general is busy now and will come as soon as possible."
Lu Tingxiao nodded and walked in first.
The others followed in.
Smirnov nodded to them and said, "Excuse me." Then he closed the door and left.
The conference room is small, with a long table and three chairs on each side. There is another row of about five or six chairs against the wall.
With about ten of them squeezed in, the place was almost full.
"Come and sit down." Lu Tingxiao sat down on the middle chair on one side. He patted his left side and said, "Here."
Ling Shi glanced around the room and slowly walked over: "Stand for a while. There's no room for others."
When he got closer, Lu Tingxiao suddenly grabbed him and pulled him to sit on a chair: "Do you understand negotiation?"
"I'm sitting alone, and you guys are standing around me? Do I need to stand on a chair, put my hands on my hips, and hold a toothpick in my mouth?"
"This isn't an international negotiation; it's a street fight over territory."
Ling Shi smiled and sat down: "Okay, okay, I'll listen to you."
"Then..." Zuo Hao pointed to the chair on the other side: "Who will sit here?"
Lu Tingxiao gave him a sidelong glance.
Zuo Hao slapped his mouth consciously and stood obediently behind the wall.
Ma Minghong and others sat on the chairs behind Lu Tingxiao, and Muye Chu Yi sat on the chairs behind Ling Shi.
Peng Gaoxuan and the others all squeezed towards Zuo Hao.
There are too many people and it’s a bit crowded.
"Brother Peng," Ling Shi waved his hand and pointed to the other side of Lu Tingxiao: "You sit down."
Lu Tingxiao made a "tsk" sound and said nothing.
Peng Gaoxuan nodded and sat down confidently.
Not to mention, no matter his height, body shape, or even the solemn expression on his face, he is quite suitable to sit in this seat.
There was a lot of noise in the conference room for a while, and then the door was knocked twice and pushed open.
A middle-aged man strode in.
He was about forty years old, with a slightly receding hairline, but he had a very straight body and it was obvious that he came from a military background.
Smirnov followed behind him. As soon as he came in, he nodded to Lu Tingxiao and the others: "The general is here."
Lu Tingxiao and Ling Shi stood up together.
"Welcome, friends from afar." The general, with a faint smile on his face and speaking fluent Chinese, introduced himself: "I am Sergei Dostoyevsky."
Lu Tingxiao extended his hand and shook hands with the other party: "I am Lu Tingxiao. The general speaks fluent Chinese."
Sergei invited them to sit down. "Chinese culture has long been internationalized. Our elementary schools all have Chinese classes. I've been learning it since I was a child, and I never thought I'd actually use it."
The two sides exchanged a few pleasantries and sat down.
"I'm a soldier, so I tend to be direct in my words and actions." Sergei intertwined his fingers, rested his arms on the table, and leaned forward. "I heard you brought research data from Country M? This isn't free of charge, is it? What are your conditions?"
"General, you are sincere." Lu Tingxiao said with a smile, "Then I will get straight to the point."
He pointed at Ling Shi and said, "The person next to me is China's top dragon horn researcher."
"He came here this time because he encountered some doubts in his research. So, he wanted to come to Ohio and borrow your dragon horn to take a look."
Sergei narrowed his eyes and paused for several seconds before saying, "What do you think?"
Ling Shi leaned forward a little: "If I can see and touch it, you can take a small amount of tissue."
"Impossible." Sergei immediately refused. "Dragon Horn research has always been top secret. Even among Oregonians, only a few top spiritualists have access to it. There's no way I'd open it up to a Chinese like you."
"Alright." Lu Tingxiao stood up immediately. "If we can't reach an agreement, forget it. We won't force it. We'll just have to return with the top-secret information from Country M."
"Wait." Sergei quickly stood up and held out his hand to stop them. "You've come all this way, it's a waste. How about... making another request?"
Lu Tingxiao snorted, "General Dostoyevsky, China is a vast country with abundant resources and talented people. We have everything we need and everyone we can find. Do you think, besides the Dragon Horn, there's anything else worth our trip?"
"I originally thought that although people in Ohio were a bit poor, they were all straightforward. I didn't expect them to be so secretive. Are they trying to take advantage of me?"
Sergei's face looked a little unhappy.
"General Dostoevsky," Lu Tingxiao turned around and said, "After the apocalypse, the second cooperation between China and Ohio officially broke down."
"I hope that in a few years, if humanity still survives, we will forgive our intransigence today."
"Wait." Sergei took two deep breaths and lowered his voice. "You are guests from afar. It's not right for you to leave right after arriving."
"I'll arrange for you to stay and rest first. We'll discuss other matters later."
Lu Tingxiao smiled and said, "I'll listen to the general."
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