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Song Yao and her companions had a rather superficial understanding of The Establishment, which ultimately turned the anticipated negotiations into a personal showcase for Yao Da. From the current state of The Establishment to the situation in Land, Yao Jinsong was completely aware of the ins and outs, leaving no room for Song Yao and Wu Wentao to interject. Even Zeng Yadong, who was assisting with the discussions, was left speechless on the sidelines, merely a listener.
Yao Jinsong's knowledge of the situation was indeed far greater than what Song Yao and her group had imagined, even more than they could fathom.
For instance, that Satellite Image—if Yao Jinsong wasn't exaggerating, it would mean that the once barren Gobi Desert had undergone a tremendous transformation. Their previous speculations about Zombie Camp were now harsh realities. They had thought that Zombie Camp was merely laying the groundwork for major cities and still in a preparatory phase; however, this photo delivered a merciless slap to their faces.
The golden-rimmed glasses were already overseeing the construction of high-rises on the desolate plains of the Gobi, with a Zombie City now standing tall.
For The Establishment, former rivals were growing increasingly powerful, while for Song Yao and her companions, it meant that over time, Land would offer less and less space for normal human survival.
A main city stood proudly in the Gobi, Zombie Camp scattered across the mountains and fields, while Urban Forests were rampant with Zombies. Survivors had little room left to breathe.
Just like the Ancient City Ring Road, it would not be the first Survivor stronghold to fall nor would it be the last. Once those struggling Survivors in Land were completely drained of resources, The Establishment, far removed overseas, would truly become like drifting reeds on a vast sea, left with no choice but to surrender their remaining days to the ocean's surface.
From this perspective, the seclusion strategy of Yongshu Reef faction and the counterattack intentions of Taiping Island Faction seemed understandable. A desperate gamble could lead to total annihilation; retreating might preserve some hope. Although the surface had turned into a paradise for Zombies, fundamentally it remained a game concerning humanity's future.
With Kenny stationed in Zombie City, power within The Establishment was split in two. By simple arithmetic—one plus one equals two—it appeared that The Establishment had little chance of winning. Regardless of how these turbulent organizations stirred up trouble, at this moment, they were not the focus; what truly had the potential to decide everything was but a grain of rice from an ocean.
Song Yao felt sweat trickling down her cheeks as her emotions surged. After listening to Yao Da's lengthy monologue, her mind was already in disarray.
What Yao Jinsong intended to convey was quite simple: he did not want to retire in his prime; there was a little brat causing trouble in Gobi Desert, and he wanted to deal with him. Thus, he was recruiting soldiers—those who could provide manpower should come forward; those with strength should lend their might. If they had an island capable of supplying resources but chose not to come forward, they should join him instead; working under him meant sharing in rewards. Once they achieved something significant, titles and honors would be easily bestowed.
In such circumstances, what could Song Yao say?
To be precise, Song Yao regretted her decisions. She realized that her group had made a mistake by assuming that The Establishment had been licking its wounds over these years like those in Gobi Desert while trying to find ways to end this disaster. Therefore, they brought Antibodies here hoping to reach a consensus with The Establishment and truly realize An Zheng's legacy.
However, reality diverged greatly from their expectations. The divided The Establishment had long abandoned research on the Virus Vaccine; Conservatives aimed to distance themselves from reality as much as possible while radicals sought victory amidst chaos by igniting further conflict on the already devastated Land.
Song Yao couldn't help but chuckle bitterly; after all, Yao Jinsong came from a military background and had spent three years as a community director on an island—his inherent war instincts must have been ignited beyond control. Three years had passed; resources had accumulated significantly. With an opportunity falling into his lap now—a transit station from heaven—if not now for battle, then when?
Yet what puzzled Song Yao even more was: three years ago, The Establishment had been forced into retreat by Zombies; where did Yao Jinsong find his confidence to retaliate against them? She knew that besides Zombies now there was also Zombie Camp posing threats and pressures even greater than three years ago. Reclaiming Land wouldn't be simple; it wasn't just about gathering people to shoot down some Zombies. Moreover, treating Yao Jinsong's ambitions as mere warfare raised questions about logistics—could logistics keep up? Killing Zombies required weapons and ammunition; even Cold Weapons needed replacements. What about accommodations for personnel? How would they manage food and sanitation? What if injuries or accidents occurred?
Song Yao couldn't think any further; at its peak population base three years ago Roundabout barely reached three hundred people. Nearby there were Gaoyang's group—not counting solitary individuals like Lin Daozhang—these two factions had occupied Ancient City for three years already. They couldn't even clear out all Zombies at their doorstep; they relied on regular drainage just to maintain some semblance of safety.
And now Yao Jinsong wanted to charge back with Great Sword?
After a long silence, Wu Wentao finally broke his silence with a few coughs and asked: "May I ask how many soldiers you have? How do you plan to arm them? Will you rely solely on soldiers to clear out Zombies or do you have other ground or air forces?"
Song Yao and Zeng Yadong were taken aback, both turning their gazes toward Yao Jinsong. They were not very familiar with this kind of issue and did not know how to ask questions. Fortunately, Wu Wentao was accompanying them today, at least providing some expertise.
"That's not a problem at all," Yao Jinsong said with a restrained smile, his gaze filled with appreciation. "I used to be a soldier."
"Discharged," Wu Wentao casually replied, squinting as he added, "Not a problem means you have already resolved these issues and have countermeasures in place."
"Of course," Yao Jinsong nodded.
"So everything is ready, just waiting for the transfer station," Wu Wentao remarked with a hint of mockery in his eyes.
Yao Jinsong leaned back against the chair, flicking off the ash from his cigarette, and chuckled lightly. "It can save a lot of time."
"I don't quite understand," Wu Wentao said as he reached over to take a cigarette from Old Yao's box, unceremoniously stuffing the remaining half-pack into his pocket. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "If you only need an island, you could just bring your troops directly here. It seems unnecessary to discuss this with us personally."
"You are right; some steps can indeed be skipped," Yao Jinsong said seriously, nodding. After a moment of silence, he continued, "But before reaching Land, I don't want to waste a single bullet."
Song Yao's expression changed slightly; she felt that something was off.
"The Establishment is about to split. Leaving Yongshu Reef will inevitably take away some resources. The reserves on Taiping Island are insufficient to support a large-scale transfer and subsequent supply. I could easily take your island, but I wouldn't have enough personnel to maintain its operation. My people need to carry guns; they need you for cooking and laundry," Yao Jinsong said, his expression returning to a smile as he extinguished his cigarette and leaned on the table. "I need an island that can provide stable logistical support—whether for transfer landings or future operations on Land. What I need is stability and continuity. If you can provide that, then you can state your demands."
Song Yao and Zeng Yadong became mere bystanders, listening in confusion as they had no idea how to interject.
Wu Wentao smiled, taking a deep drag from his cigarette and speaking through the swirling smoke. "It's more reliable to save your bullets for dealing with the people in the Gobi Desert. As for Zombies, we have ways to help you deal with them—provided we have a laboratory and a complete research team."
What Goes Around Comes Around; Song Yao was stunned for quite some time, her expression nearly numb. Finally, Wu Wentao managed to regain some ground against Yao Jinsong's composed demeanor.
Zeng Yadong was completely bewildered; he had thought both sides were discussing topics from previous days but realized that neither party was playing by the usual rules and were instead bringing up unheard-of matters.
"Although my time isn't particularly precious, I still don't want to waste it on meaningless exchanges," Yao Jinsong said as he straightened up, his expression turning cold. As a member of The Establishment, he was certainly familiar with laboratories. Upon hearing that term, Yao Da immediately guessed Wu Wentao's intentions, leading to an immediate change in attitude. The research team of The Establishment had been conducting experiments since the onset of the disaster, occupying numerous high-quality resources and expending countless manpower and materials—only to end up disbanded. After finally accumulating resources over several years, another research entity appearing now felt like an unwelcome disruption.
"Like you, we didn't cross oceans just to engage in idle chatter," Wu Wentao sneered repeatedly, showing no regard for the authority of this leader from The Establishment. His smile carried unabashed sarcasm as he continued, "Do you have organized ground forces? Do you have mechanized units? Do you have airstrike capabilities? Do you have strategic military reserves?"
Yao Jinsong's face darkened with anger; his gaze grew colder.
Wu Wentao pretended not to notice and continued, "Let's assume you do have those capabilities—do you have enough personnel? After The Establishment splits in two, assuming all your subordinates are elite fighters capable of taking on hundreds alone—how many do you really have? A thousand or eight hundred? You have satellite surveillance; do you know how many Zombies can be found in even a small town? No offense intended—I personally admire your ambition and courage—but unfortunately, that won't kill Zombies. If you want to achieve the grand blueprint you've just described, establishing a laboratory is your only option."
"Otherwise," Wu Wentao chuckled coldly despite Song Yao's warning glance urging him to stop, "don't even think about taking down Gobi Desert; you won't even be able to hold onto your port."
Song Yao let out a long sigh. He had always known that Wu Wentao was formidable with a gun, but he never realized how smooth-talking he could be. It was no wonder that Wu Wentao, being much older than Song Jiu, could get along so well with him; they both had an unrestrained wildness in their bones. After all, Wu Wentao was the big boss of Taiping Island; couldn't he be a bit more tactful?
Wu Wentao clearly had no idea what tact meant. Instead, he became more animated as he spoke, and by the end, the disdain and contempt in his tone were almost splattering onto Yao Jinsong's face. Watching Wu Wentao's insufferable expression, Song Yao felt like crying without tears. She exchanged glances with the equally bewildered Zeng Yadong, and both women lowered their heads, having lost all hope for the outcome of today's negotiations.
Meanwhile, the person at the center of it all seemed completely oblivious to the unusual atmosphere. He continued to smoke and drink tea as if nothing were amiss, exuding an air of superiority as if to say, "I'm the top dog here; who do you think you are?" His demeanor remained calm and collected, as if he were waiting for the ever-changing expression of Yao Jinsong to come begging at his feet.
The air in the room felt thick and suffocating, as if it had been drained of life.
After a long pause, Yao Jinsong, whose face was brewing a storm, finally spoke in a low voice: "Seeing is believing. I want to see where your confidence comes from."
"Of course," Wu Wentao replied with a cheeky smile as he stood up and extended his hand toward him. "Pleasure doing business."
Yao Jinsong squinted at Old Wu for a long moment before his icy expression suddenly softened. He burst into hearty laughter and shook Wu Wentao's hand.
The two women nearby nearly had their eyes pop out of their sockets.
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