After stocking up at the maximum level, all the handsome men in the apocalypse are looking for suppo

Chapter 164 The Negotiator

Su Wanqing sat at the simple conference table, holding a portable folder in both hands, her head never leaving the data terminal.

Several boxes of packed medical equipment were piled up outside, along with spare communication devices that had been wiped clean until they shone.

She glanced at the negotiation memorandum she had just drafted, stood up, and her heels made a few soft, light sounds as they hit the ground.

She handed Xiao Ran a set of map data: "There's an abandoned gas station three kilometers outside the base. It's in a low-lying area with two high points on either side for cover, and there are no residential areas nearby. Take a sniper rifle there beforehand and set up your vantage point."

Xiao Ran picked up the map. "I'll go in at two o'clock and ambush from the rooftop of the west building. Your negotiation position is right in the center of the gas station, at the main entrance of the building, outside of the old gas station shed, forty-five meters from the nearest hiding spot... Are you sure you're only bringing a single-line communication device?"

Su Wanqing tapped the portable walkie-talkie: "Only connect you and Lu Zhao to avoid military eavesdropping."

She glanced at Lu Zhao again. "Lu Zhao, monitor all channels at the base. Record any changes to their communication methods immediately."

Lu Zhao nodded and pushed the analyzer. "Set the blood sample processing interval here to two hours. I will intercept all suspicious data."

Su Wanqing put on her dark gray trench coat and touched the neatly folded negotiation documents in her pocket again.

She glanced at her watch and told herself that there were less than fifty minutes left until the scheduled time.

Xiao Ran picked up his rifle, put on his headset backpack, bent down to quickly check his equipment, and then went out the door.

With an order, the entire team cleaned up the scene. Xiao Ran quietly passed through two side doors and went to the perimeter of the gas station.

Su Wanqing walked along the abandoned street for nearly twenty minutes, stepping on cement debris, without stopping for even a second.

Upon arrival, Xiao Ran had already climbed to the top of the ruined West Building and was observing the scene with binoculars.

Su Wanqing didn't go into the oil-stained workroom; she only waited outside for two minutes.

At the exact hour, a middle-aged man dressed in civilian clothes with stiff military posture walked onto the main road on the south side.

He was carrying nothing in his hands, his clothes were clean and without any military markings.

He looked at Su Wanqing for two seconds and nodded: "I am Fang Yike, code name Fang Shide. You can also call me Major General Fang."

Su Wanqing didn't exchange any pleasantries. She pushed half of the prepared folder towards her and asked, "How long have you been following us?"

Major General Fang didn't sit down. Instead, he pulled over a chair that reeked of gasoline, sat down, and continued staring at her file folder: "From the time you first disappeared on the southern line of the main city, it's been six days and four hours—that's a minimum estimate. We have records of your team's frequency modulation techniques and rooftop data overwriting. I personally have no intention of dwelling on these details. Compared to these, what does that girl mean to you?"

Su Wanqing didn't look at him, but simply pushed the file folder further away. "She's an individual at the base, and also the intersection of all our efforts. Do you really know what's inside her?"

Major General Fang clasped his hands together: "We're tracking you because the special signals are related to immune serum, and the highly active elements in that girl's body have extremely strong biocompatibility. Our military analysts have said that her blood can be made into any type of advanced antibody. Have you detected the periodic changes?"

Su Wanqing gritted her teeth and asked, "What do you want to trade?"

Major General Fang remained calm and composed, raising his chin slightly. "You need resources? We have them. You want safety? We can provide passes and designate safe zones for support at any time."

Medical equipment, constant temperature experimental platforms, real-time gene sequencing instruments, and the entire energy supply for the western warehouse are all on the list.

But all of the girl's blood sample data, vital signs samples, and the relevant progress of your virus experiments—must be shared.

You can require medical personnel to operate under complete isolation; our military is not allowed to forcibly remove anyone.

Su Wanqing's fingers rested on the table as she asked in a low voice, "What specific level of permission is required for shared archives?"

Major General Fang recited the specific departments and authority codes, each one perfectly matching the description without leaving any gaps.

His tone was steady. "Your squad retains independent analysis and operational authority. However, strategic data—the special element extraction plan and the virus control group's technical code—must be synchronized with command in real time." Xiao Ran coughed through his headset, and a whisper came through: "That guy was telling the truth. There are two men with rifles on standby to the left rear, but they haven't moved. There are no sniper signals to the west of the gas station."

Su Wanqing ignored the earphones and flipped through the folder again: "We have a bottom line: girls cannot be forced to participate in human experiments, nor are they allowed to leave our supervision."

Major General Fang nodded: "I won't waste time negotiating. We understand your concerns. But the situation is beyond our control. You also received the encrypted briefing on the movements of the rebels in the southeast of the city, right? We just intercepted intelligence that they have assembled a new force of special infected beings."

The virus's second mutation has begun to spread widely. This time, if you don't combine your technical parameters, you won't be able to protect her, and we won't be able to protect anyone either.

Su Wanqing remained silent. She pulled out a draft and silently memorized several technical clauses from the contract.

After a while, she finally spoke: "How can you guarantee that our lives and tagging information will not be accessed at will? And how long will it take to fulfill the equipment supply commitment?"

Major General Fang handed over an encrypted USB drive, indicating that the list of firearms and medical equipment supplies could be viewed immediately. "Passes will be issued immediately, and supplies will be allowed into the city within 48 hours. As for your safety, as long as you do not engage in any acts of sabotage against the main city's elite, all team members' files will be placed in the X-0 exemption list, and only I can personally issue authorizations."

He waved his hand, "Time is of the essence, we can't afford to delay. Name whatever conditions you want, and we can sign a preliminary agreement right now."

Xiao Ran sped up his recording from the high vantage point, repeatedly scanning the entire surrounding area.

He whispered, "A patrol vehicle just passed by on the east side of the highway, but it didn't get close."

Su Wanqing carefully put away the documents and slipped the USB drive into her inner pocket. She didn't answer immediately, but instead looked up at Major General Fang, "You actually already knew the core instructions for the virus, right?"

It's not absolute control yet, but it can partially regulate the behavior of the infected. However, the elements in a girl happen to amplify the precision of this regulation—that's why we proactively sent you here; you were afraid the rebels would get their hands on it first.

Major General Fang did not deny it, but slightly raised the corner of his mouth. Instead, he slowed down his speech: "The rebels have launched several surprise attacks this year, and more than once, their data experiments have been highly consistent with those of yours. The virus signal has become active again on several old city routes that you have traversed, and there is some overlap in the core equipment and personnel. You and I both understand that this is not a time for anyone to escape unscathed."

Su Wanqing lowered her voice: "You're asking us to trade our lifeline for the city's temporary stability, is there anything you can't say outright?"

Major General Fang handed over the paper and said, "I'm only responsible for implementing the agreement. You leave your signature, and we'll arrange for the transfer of all necessary resources within forty-eight hours, after which we'll discuss the specific division of labor."

Su Wanqing did not immediately begin writing. She blocked her right-side view with her hand, intentionally slowing down her pace.

The atmosphere became tense.

Far away at the base, Lu Zhao sat in a dimly lit corner, leaning against an analyzer, repeatedly adjusting the blood sample testing valve.

He renumbered each collection tube and pushed them into the equipment one by one.

His movements were neither fast nor slow, as if he were examining some extremely complex abnormal signal.

He looked at the real-time data curves on the computer screen a couple more times. One parameter, as if by prior agreement, slowly rose and fell in a six-hour cycle. The content of highly active elements in the blood sample was extremely stable but changed regularly.

Lu Zhao stroked his chin and pulled up the data from the day before yesterday and today for comparison.

He frowned and picked up the previous set of temperature test reports. Two sets of data popped up from the instrument, and the time points of the body temperature rise were almost perfectly aligned with the periodic changes of a specific element.

He copied the data into his notebook and jotted down a simple deduction: "Periodic fluctuations are presumably related to a mechanism similar to the biological clock. The rise in body temperature corresponds to the peak of elemental activity, which may be due to signal transduction or autoregulation pathways."

Just then, the walkie-talkie next to the terminal crackled to life. Su Wanqing's voice was brief: "Get the data ready. See you in fifteen minutes. Lu Zhao, if there are any new changes to the data, immediately lock down the analysis room."

Lu Zhao hummed in agreement and added a new line to the newly generated data: "Cycle and body temperature synchronized."

The negotiations at the gas station were still unresolved. Major General Fang looked at the agreement on the table and slowly reached out to push the paper closer to Su Wanqing.

The conditions agreed upon by both sides piled up in silence, forming a temporary chasm.