282: Chapter 282 The Deal!

Zhao Dezhu had just wanted to put on the airs of a special envoy.

He was about to say a few pleasantries, like "You have kept me waiting," or something similar.

However, the moment he opened his mouth, the young man suddenly turned his head.

What a pair of eyes they were.

Deep and calm, yet seemingly containing a chill even colder than the extreme blizzard outside.

It was an absolute zero originating from the depths of the soul.

Just from a single glance, Zhao Dezhu's body, which had only just warmed up, instantly turned cold again.

He felt his soul trembling, as if with just a single thought from the other party, he would be reduced to dust.

A terrifying Spiritual Power pressure instantly enveloped the entire room, ten thousand times more oppressive than the blizzard outside.

"Ugh..."

Zhao Dezhu's expression changed abruptly; he felt as if two Mount Tais were pressing down on his shoulders.

He gritted his teeth, attempting to use the physique of a high-level Ability User to resist, wanting to maintain the dignity of a special envoy and remain standing.

But in the face of that abyss-like Spiritual Power, his resistance was like an ant trying to shake a tree.

"Crack..."

Accompanied by the crisp sound of his kneecaps buckling under the unbearable weight.

He ultimately couldn't hold on, and his knees slammed heavily onto the expensive wool carpet, causing the floor to seemingly tremble.

"I don't like looking up to hear people speak; this is much more pleasing to the eye."

Lin Yuan gently blew on the steam of the black tea in his cup.

He took a sip, his tone as flat as if he were discussing today's weather.

Zhao Dezhu was drenched in cold sweat, his hands gripping the floor tightly as he gasped for air.

The arrogance in his eyes finally shattered completely, replaced by deep horror.

This was not just some ordinary leader.

This Spiritual Power... even the top powerhouses at headquarters were no more than this!

"Mr... Mr. Lin..."

Zhao Dezhu raised his head with difficulty, his voice hoarse. Though disheveled, he was still struggling to maintain his last shred of reason.

"I am a special envoy from The Authorities... representing The Authorities... Is this... your way of treating guests?"

Lin Yuan set down his teacup and leaned forward slightly, the sense of oppression suddenly intensifying.

It forced Zhao Dezhu to lower himself even further:

"Special Envoy Zhao, letting you stand outside in the wind was to help you clear your head. Letting you kneel now is to make you understand that here, your so-called 'official status' is not worth much more than a piece of waste paper. If you want to do business, you must follow my rules."

The last shred of hope in Zhao Dezhu's heart was extinguished.

The other party did not care about The Authorities at all, and in fact... didn't even take The Authorities seriously.

He took a deep breath and had no choice but to lower his noble head:

"Yes... I understand. It was I... who was impolite."

Beside him, Su Yuyan couldn't help herself.

She let out a "pfft" of laughter:

"Lin Yuan, this guy was acting so tough outside just now, why is he like a plucked, frozen chicken now?"

Lin Yuan smiled faintly:

"Some people are just like that; if you don't show them some color, they always think they are a main course. Little do they know, in this Apocalypse, they can only serve as a side dish for drinking."

He reined in his pressure slightly, allowing Zhao Dezhu to catch his breath.

"Alright, I don't like nonsense."

Lin Yuan leaned back on the sofa, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.

He asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"The Authorities sent you here; what do they want?"

Zhao Dezhu adjusted his breathing.

Although he was still kneeling, he tried his best to make his tone sound like he was conducting an equal negotiation.

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said in a deep voice:

"Mr. Lin, although there were some... misunderstandings in the process, I have come with sincerity this time. My superiors sent me here hoping to establish a long-term cooperative relationship with your base, mainly concerning... food aid."

"Aid?" Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on his lips.

"It's a trade."

Zhao Dezhu quickly corrected himself. Under the other party's piercing gaze, he dared not play word games.

"Although the major shelters of The Authorities have reserves, under this continuous extreme cold, consumption has far exceeded expectations. We understand that your base possesses a perfect ecological circulation system, so we hope to procure a batch of supplies."

Having said this, Zhao Dezhu attempted to show his bargaining chips.

He pulled a list from his pocket:

"We can provide official-certified credit points, residency rights in the shelters, and... this is a sample of our newly developed 'Black Gold' alloy armor. This is currently the top defensive material at the base of The Authorities; its hardness is fifty times that of ordinary steel!"

Zhao Dezhu carefully took out a pitch-black, shiny metal block from his briefcase.

He offered it with both hands, a trace of pride on his face.

Lin Yuan's lips curled into an amused smile.

"Black Gold? Fifty times the hardness?"

He did not reach out to take it, but instead tilted his chin toward Su Yuyan beside him.

"Yuyan, test its quality."

Su Yuyan giggled, orange-red flames dancing at her fingertips, and casually took the metal.

"Is this the treasure of The Authorities? It doesn't look like much."

She suddenly exerted force in her hand, her palm's fire Superpower instantly erupting, the temperature soaring to several thousand degrees.

"Sizzle..."

In Zhao Dezhu's horrified gaze, that "Black Gold" alloy, which was claimed to be impenetrable even by armor-piercing bullets, rapidly softened like a candle in Su Yuyan's hand.

Finally, it turned into a puddle of black molten iron, dripping into the trash can nearby.

"Lin Yuan, this thing's melting point is too low; it's barely good enough to make a spatula."

Su Yuyan shook her hand in disgust, as if she had touched something dirty.

Zhao Dezhu's eye twitched frantically. That puddle of molten iron was a top-tier material that the research institute of The Authorities had spent three years developing!

In the hands of this beautiful woman, it was actually as fragile as mud?

Lin Yuan looked at Zhao Dezhu, a trace of mockery in his eyes:

"Special Envoy Zhao, put away your sense of superiority. In the face of absolute strength, your so-called invincibility is nothing but a joke. If this is the sincerity you bring, then there's no need to talk."

Zhao Dezhu was silent for a moment.

Although his heart ached, he realized that the other party was a thorough pragmatist.

He quickly adjusted his strategy; the empty reputation and hard currency of The Authorities would not work here.

"Then... then what do you want?" Zhao Dezhu asked cautiously, his voice trembling.

Lin Yuan did not answer directly, but beckoned to the maid outside:

"Bring Special Envoy Zhao a cup of ginger tea, so he doesn't freeze to death on my turf later; it would be bad luck."

Soon, a beautiful girl in a black and white maid outfit walked in carrying a tray.

The thin outfit and the exposed fair skin made Zhao Dezhu's eyes widen.

Isn't she cold wearing so little?

Oh right, it's really warm here!

But that wasn't the point.

The point was the fragrance wafting from that cup of ginger tea.

It wasn't brewed with ordinary ginger powder, but with fresh, aged ginger, paired with brown sugar, and a hint of... was that the sweet scent of mutant honey?!

Beside the teacup was a plate of steaming, freshly baked egg tarts, golden and crispy, overflowing with the aroma of milk!

Gulp.

Zhao Dezhu swallowed again, and this time the sound was loud enough for the whole room to hear.

Although he was a high-level official in the base of The Authorities, he hadn't seen fresh eggs or milk for several months.

Usually, he just ate compressed biscuits as hard as rocks and strange-tasting synthetic energy bars.

This kind of freshly baked dessert was simply something for the gods to eat!

"Eat, consider it my treat to you." Lin Yuan made a gesture of invitation.

Zhao Dezhu tremblingly picked up the ginger tea and, not caring whether it was hot or not, took a big gulp.

The boiling hot ginger tea slid down his throat, and in that instant, a warm current exploded, dispelling all the lingering cold in his body.

He felt as if he had come back to life.

Tears uncontrollably streamed from the corners of his eyes, mixing with snot as they flowed into his mouth, but he didn't care at all.

"It's... it's so delicious..." Zhao Dezhu choked out, grabbing an egg tart and stuffing it into his mouth, devouring it greedily.

He even picked up the crumbs that fell on his clothes and ate them.

Lin Yuan watched this scene, sneering inwardly.

This was the reality of the Apocalypse.

A cup of hot tea and an egg tart were enough to shatter all the dignity and psychological defenses of a so-called "big shot."

"Since you've had your fill, let's talk properly." Lin Yuan's voice became low, like the low pressure before a blizzard.

"What I want, you can afford to give, but it depends on whether you are willing to bleed for it."

Zhao Dezhu set down his teacup and sat up straight, his eyes filled with longing and awe:

"Please speak! As long as we have it, we will definitely give it!"

Lin Yuan extended three slender fingers.

"First, I want evolution cores. For all transactions, I only accept evolution cores, no lower than A-grade, and the exchange rate will be set by me."

"Second, I want rare metals and special mutant seeds. Don't try to fool me with that scrap metal, especially seeds for cold-resistant plants."

"Third..." Lin Yuan paused, his eyes becoming sharp, as if he could see through people's hearts.

"I want intelligence. All top-secret intelligence regarding unusual movements in the coastal areas."

Zhao Dezhu froze for a moment, his expression changing slightly:

"The first two are easy to discuss, but intelligence... that is top secret... the situation in the coastal areas is very complex..."

Lin Yuan's eyes turned cold, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop by ten degrees instantly:

"Then you can go back. It just so happens that my dogs are hungry. Although those two snowfield dogs are a bit useless, their meat should still be quite firm. Why not chop them up and feed them to my dogs?"

Zhao Dezhu's face turned pale.

Intelligence sharing was a bottom line, but compared to the mission failing or even losing his life, the bottom line could be flexibly adjusted.

He weighed the pros and cons, finally gritted his teeth, and nodded heavily:

"Fine! I can agree! I have special-level clearance and can open a partial intelligence-sharing port. But I need you to guarantee that these supplies must be delivered on time and in full!"

Watching Zhao Dezhu still trying to secure "guarantees" for The Authorities while in a position of absolute disadvantage, Tang Shiyun, standing to the side, pushed up her glasses, a flash of amusement in her eyes.

Although disheveled, this person could be considered a qualified politician, knowing when to back down and when to preserve the big picture.

This is what you call using force before courtesy, killing the person and then crushing their heart.

Using the warmest tea to discuss the coldest business.

Lin Yuan's lips curled slightly; this was just the beginning.

Since this big fish had delivered itself to his door, if he didn't make it work to his advantage, then he wouldn't be Lin Yuan.

"Alright, stop kneeling and get up to speak." Lin Yuan waved his hand as if shooing away an annoying fly.

"By the way, wipe the egg tart crumbs off the corner of your mouth; it's off-putting to look at."

Zhao Dezhu felt as if he had been granted an amnesty; he struggled to support himself on his knees and stood up.

Although his legs were still trembling, he still tried his best to tidy up his messy clothes.

He bowed slightly to Lin Yuan, recovering some of the etiquette of a special envoy.

At this moment, the momentum of offense and defense had shifted.

In this freezing Apocalypse, whoever has food, whoever has heat, is the master.

And Lin Yuan was not just a master; he was the god who held the lifeline of everyone.