Zombie Apocalypse: Reborn With A Farming Space Chapter 847: Negotiation ( 13 )

Both Wen Hanli and Mo Junlong possessed extensive experience in the realms of politics and negotiation.

Wen Hanli was acutely aware that Mo Junlong intended to utilize supplies secured from the Lin’an City Base to bolster his faction. There was even a distinct possibility that he aimed to corner the market and exert control over neighboring strongholds.

While the Lin’an City Base remained unaffected for the time being, the Mo family’s influence was bound to swell over the long term. Eventually, they might pose a genuine threat to the dominance of the Lin’an City Base itself.

Should such a scenario manifest, they would be relegated to a subservient position, forced to cater to the Mo family’s whims. Consequently, Wen Hanli remained committed to never parting with supplies exceeding their current necessities.

In this desolate age, the one who commands the food and water supply holds the ultimate authority. No matter how formidable a base might seem, survival remains an impossibility without the basic essentials.

Jin Xuyan and Jiao Lizhi were equally cognizant of this reality. They scrutinized Mo Junlong without managing to glean any insight from his impassive demeanor.

His status as the future patriarch of the Mo family was certainly well-earned; he was far from a simple adversary.

Mo Junlong set aside his cutlery and declared with a thin smile, “I understand your apprehensions, but I can guarantee that my family will never distribute the supplies we procure from you to any other parties.”

Following this statement, he offered a brief nod toward Mo Lingzhen.

Acknowledging her brother’s cue, she extended her palm, and a folder materialized instantly. The onlookers immediately recognized her as a space-type mutant.

Mu Junlong handed the document to Wen Hanli and remarked, “Vice Commander Wen, please review these population metrics regarding our base.”

Wen Hanli perused the contents. While the figures were slightly less granular than those provided by Chen Qianxiao’s team, the totals remained remarkably consistent.

A rough tally indicated that the inventory requested by Mo Junlong exceeded the annual survival needs of his people by only 10%.

He weighed the implications briefly before folding the file. “Comrade Mo, I shall relay your request to our Commander, though I cannot promise that your requested quantities will be approved.”

Mo Junlong offered a polite nod. “That is completely understandable. Please inform me as soon as a final decision is reached.”

“It would appear that the situation at your base is rather precarious, Comrade Mo,” Wen Hanli observed.

“To be frank, our reserves are nearly depleted. The relentless snowfall has made scavenging operations nearly impossible. Any items we manage to uncover are frequently either spoiled or contaminated,” Mo Junlong sighed.

Wen Hanli merely offered an enigmatic smile in response. The world was already overflowing with tragic stories; he was not about to grant concessions simply because of a sob story.

With the professional negotiations concluded, Jin Xuyan interjected, “Since your business is settled, it is time to divide the crystal cores.”

“Captain Jin, have your people already consolidated all the salvaged crystal cores?” Wen Hanli inquired with genuine surprise.

“With the combined efforts of the Mo family’s mutants and your own personnel, completing the task on time was to be expected,” Jin Xuyan replied.

Jiao Lizhi then gestured, revealing the entire haul of collected crystal cores. They were packed into wooden crates stacked so high they occupied half the presidential suite.

Mo Lingzhen stared, stunned by the sheer volume. She had long harbored a bias against mercenaries, viewing them as mere hired guns.

As the eldest granddaughter of the Mo family, she had been raised in opulence, constantly surrounded by sycophants.

Even during the apocalypse, the protection of her family had shielded her from any genuine hardship.

She had remained convinced that no matter how hard others struggled to compete, her family’s superior resources would always keep her leagues ahead.

Only now did she realize there were individuals who stood well above her own capabilities.

Sensing a fixed gaze, Jiao Lizhi turned to meet Mo Lingzhen’s icy glare. This was hardly the first time she had faced such scrutiny, and she promptly ignored it.

Jin Xuyan noticed the tension and squinted. “Does the Mo family need to verify the count of the crystal cores first?” he asked.

Mo Junlong noticed his sister’s visible jealousy. He drummed his fingers on the armrest and noted, “That is unnecessary. Lingzhen, tell Junzi to deliver our collection.”

Despite her mounting frustration, Mo Lingzhen did not dare defy her brother’s order. She nodded and reached for her communication device.

While they waited, Wang He arrived accompanied by two of his personal space-type mutants. They produced the crystal cores gathered since the previous day. The haul consisted of thirteen crates of level one, seven crates of level two, three crates of level three, and half a crate of level four cores. Each crate held approximately 120,000 units.

Compared to their contribution, the haul brought in by the Phantom Team was nearly triple that amount.

Half an hour later, Mo Lingzhen returned alongside Mo Junzi. It took her thirty-five minutes to empty the contents of her spatial capacity. Unlike Wang He’s team, they utilized large polystyrene cooling containers.

The moment Jiao Lizhi spotted the containers, her expression brightened. She tugged on her fiancé’s sleeve and whispered, “Brother Yan, those containers are quite useful. We could use them to keep our provisions from spoiling during the summer.”