The Blacklist

Chapter 124: Changing the Negotiation Process
Annika obviously felt the pressure. On the second day after the attack, its representative Dean came to the hotel and demanded to negotiate with Ruslan in the presence of the FBI to resolve the current problems.

In response, General Kushen acquiesced to the matter and withdrew the surveillance personnel from the hotel.

However, to Donald and others, Kushen and his men were obviously incompetent. There was an underground passage hidden in this hotel in the city center that led directly to the outside of the city, but they had not discovered it for such a long time. One can imagine their level.

After discussing the negotiation with Mira and Nawabi, Donald felt that it would be a good thing if they could obtain compensation for the villagers harmed by the oil pipeline leak through negotiations. So they notified Reddington and asked him to seek Ruslan's opinion.

Ruslan originally didn't want to trust Annika Company anymore, but under Reddington's persuasion, he decided to fight for the suffering villagers.

In order to prepare for the negotiations, Reddington and Ruslan took people to a suburban church and captured Zabin who came to confess...

Zabin was originally a very cruel and evil person, but at the same time he was very devout to religion. After retirement, when he learned that Annika's oil pipeline had leaked and killed hundreds of people, he became more and more regretful. In the past two years, he went to the church every week to confess and whip himself to atone for his sins... When Reddington and others caught him, they found that his back was covered with whip marks!
Zabin, who was originally very resistant to Reddington and Ruslan, immediately changed his attitude when he heard that they were going to negotiate with Annika Company and seek compensation for the victimized villagers. He not only revealed the secret that Annika Company had always wanted to cover up, but also took the initiative to participate in the negotiations as a witness!
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That night, in a confidential meeting room in the hotel, with Donald, Mira and Nawabi acting as witnesses on behalf of the FBI, negotiations began between Ruslan and Reddington on one side and Dean and his lawyer, the representative of ANIC, on the other.

Dean claimed that Anika had not violated any regulations, and Ruslan's accusation that their company's oil pipeline was leaking was totally untrue. Even if there was a leak, it was destroyed by Ruslan and others...

Ruslan was so angry that he was about to jump up, but was stopped by Reddington. The hot-tempered Donald next to him said directly: "Mr. Dean, if you keep saying these useless words, then there is no need to talk anymore!"

Reddington knew Dean very well and said, "Mr. Dean, I agree with what Agent Lesler said. If you keep making trouble, then we really don't have to negotiate...

"Since your company has already started using mercenaries to kill my client and his relatives and friends, then Ruslan and his men have the right to indiscriminately attack all the people and assets of your company!"

Dean said disdainfully without changing his expression: "If they dare to do this, more mercenaries will come to this place..."

"Stop talking!" the lawyer next to him interrupted him hurriedly.

"Nothing!" Dean said nonchalantly, "This is overseas, not in the country. We have enough rights to protect our company, employees and assets! Don't you agree, FBI agents?"

"Who is this? It's rare to see someone so arrogant!" A voice suddenly sounded, and everyone present was stunned. They turned around and saw that the door of the conference room was opened for some reason, and a man in casual clothes walked in. Reddington, Donald and others were all happy to see him, but others were a little confused. "Who are you? How did you get in?" Dean asked in surprise. There were four bodyguards he brought with him and four of Ruslan's men guarding outside the door. How did this person get in?
"Hi! Hello everyone, let's chat later!" Kerry greeted his friends, pulled a chair and sat at one end of the conference table. He looked at the side of the long table and said in a cold voice: "Steen Dean, 48 years old, director and senior vice president of Anika Petroleum Company, in charge of overseas business, suspected of hiding huge amounts of assets and evading taxes..."

"Who are you?" Dean had a bad feeling.

"Deputy Director of the IRS Special Audit Division!" Kerry took out his ID and gestured, "Don't worry, I have enough authority to arrest you at any time, seal up all your personal accounts, freeze all your assets, and make it impossible for you to afford a private lawyer. Of course, the tax court will assign you a lawyer to assist you!"

Dean was sweating and said hurriedly, "Deputy Director Kerry, tax issues can be resolved through negotiation. There's no need to do this!"

"Negotiations take time. I'm very anxious." Kerry put away his ID, took the unopened bottle of mineral water in front of Nawabi, opened it and took a sip. "Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you that I am also the deputy director of an FBI department. These FBI agents are my subordinates and comrades. I don't like them to encounter danger or unhappy things while performing their missions!"

Dean lost all his previous arrogance at this time, and said, "I understand, Deputy Director Kerry!"

The subsequent negotiation process went smoothly...

Zhabin testified that as early as 1988, before the dramatic changes in Eastern Europe, Annika Company obtained oil mining rights in Tashkent through bribery and coercion, and built the first oil pipeline. At that time, in order to put it into use as soon as possible and generate benefits, it started operating without waiting for the completion of safety measures, which brought disastrous consequences to the villages along the line. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union and Uzbekistan's autonomy, Annika Company bribed Zhabin to cover up these crimes, built another oil pipeline, and destroyed all evidence of the existence of the first oil pipeline...

Faced with the original evidence produced by Zabin, Dean dared not argue anymore and could only propose compensation and settle the matter; but Reddington, on behalf of Ruslan, made a more stringent request: after making reasonable compensation, ANIC Company should dismantle the oil pipeline and completely leave Uzbekistan.
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After the negotiations, the people from Annika Company left through the main gate, Ruslan and his men left through the secret passage, and Reddington, Donald and others surrounded Carrie, asking him excitedly how he got here?
"I missed you guys, so I came here!" Carrie spread his hands. He didn't intend to tell anyone about killing the mercenaries.

This made everyone laugh, except Reddington, who curled his lips and said, "Okay, we'll just take it seriously! But thank you anyway."

Seeing his expression, Carrie was sure that he already knew that those mercenaries were killed by him, which he should have analyzed from the information Ruslan told him.

(End of this chapter)