172: Last Chance

"Do you think the new leader of Utopia will readily accept?" Xu Ning pointed out the crucial point pointedly.

Since Skorlov was born in Moscow, his only remaining affiliation now seems to be with that once glorious but now crumbling Arctic Bear country.

Skorlov's gaze became even more gloomy, almost spitting fire: "Whether they agree or not, I will never hand over my life's work to you."

"Are you willing to watch the new regime dismantle your life's work with your own eyes?" Xu Ning's words struck Skorlov's heart.

Skorlov was silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said: "If that day truly comes, I accept my fate."

"Don't be in a hurry to draw conclusions, Mr. Skolov." Xu Ning said gently: "Why not take a look at this agreement first. Perhaps it can give you a completely new perspective."

Zhao Zhide timely handed over the document that Xu Ning had prepared in advance, which detailed the acquisition terms and generous compensation.

At this moment, the old empire was disintegrating, and the various alliance countries were busy with internal strife and had no time to spare; but even so, they were actively reorganizing resources and clearing out assets that no longer belonged to them.

Nikolaev Shipyard was in such an awkward position; for the nascent Utopia, maintaining such a behemoth was too luxurious, and for Skorlov, who was about to lose control, this might be the last chance.

While the situation was still uncertain, Xu Ning hoped to persuade this stubborn old captain to secure ownership of this future warship for himself.

Time was pressing, every minute and second was crucial.

In this tense atmosphere, Skorlov seemed to have seen through Xu Ning's calculations.

He didn't even bother to glance at the agreement on the table, his face grim.

"Take your people and that ridiculous proposal and leave immediately." His voice was low and powerful, "Before I have the guards expel you."

"Or do you want me to arrest all of you on espionage charges?" Skorlov said unequivocally.

Big Brother and the others rushed forward upon seeing this, wanting to form a barrier for Xu Ning, but Xu Ning just waved his hand lightly, signaling them to step back.

"Alright, Mr. Skolov, since you are unwilling to read it yourself, I will read it for you." Xu Ning said, calmly picking up the agreement, completely ignoring the other party's almost erupting anger, and began to read aloud to himself.

"This agreement has many clauses, and I know you might not have the patience to listen to the entire content, so I will only highlight the key points." Xu Ning said calmly.

"Firstly, the Arctic Bear can buy back the 'ulyanovsk' aircraft carrier at any time at a fair price; secondly, this right has no time limit; furthermore, if the agreed amount cannot be paid after ten years, equivalent value in oil can be used instead; and also..."

"Guards..." Skorlov's call, which was about to blurt out, stopped abruptly.

As Xu Ning continued to read, a trace of hesitation quietly crept into his eyes.

Indeed, such conditions were extremely attractive to Skorlov.

It meant that even if the aircraft carrier temporarily fell into the hands of Great Xia, it would ultimately have a chance to return to the embrace of the Arctic Bear.

As Xu Ning said, the Utopoonia would never allow this precious warship to fall into the hands of the Eagle Country.

However, if it could be indirectly bought back through Great Xia, that would be a completely different matter.

"This young man actually offered such generous terms." Skorlov thought to himself, "How did this proposal, which is almost a giveaway, get approved within Great Xia? Have they lost their minds?"

When his gaze focused on Xu Ning again, he saw that the latter still maintained that calm smile, neither overly humble nor arrogant, as if wearing a mask that made it difficult to discern his true intentions.

At this moment, Skorlov fell silent.

He was carefully weighing the possibilities behind this agreement.

No matter how he analyzed it, the result was that the Arctic Bear had the upper hand, and it was a complete victory.

But he did not know that the reason Xu Ning could confidently propose these seemingly unfavorable terms was because he had a clear understanding of the future.

After experiencing two decades of economic turmoil, the Arctic Bear not only failed to recover but also grew weaker day by day, barely managing to maintain its existing fleet, let alone repurchase the aircraft carrier.

Until his last moment, Skorlov might never realize that the so-called buyback plan was actually just a beautiful illusion, a trap meticulously designed to lure him in.

In the silence of the conference room, Skorlov was like prey waiting in a meticulously set trap.

Behind Xu Ning, Teacher and Baldy both looked puzzled, seemingly confused by the scene before them, as if Xu Ning had suddenly lost his mind.

Unlike them, Big Brother and Zhao Zhide appeared exceptionally calm.

Big Brother's mind was simple, and he didn't notice anything amiss with the complex clauses in the agreement.

Although Zhao Zhide had doubts when he first saw this plan, out of trust in Xu Ning, he quickly convinced himself to accept it all.

As Xu Ning finished reading the agreement, the atmosphere in the conference room fell into silence once again.

Finally, Skorlov broke the silence, his voice no longer carrying the previous contempt: "Do you really believe the Utopoonia leader will let you take this aircraft carrier away?"

"If it were a fully built aircraft carrier, then I really wouldn't be able to guarantee it." Xu Ning replied: "But now it is only 38% complete, and it will take many years and enormous funds to finish.

The Utopoonia government is now eager to get rid of this hot potato, or completely destroy it."

"We currently maintain an alliance with the Eagle faction." Xu Ning continued: "As a nascent country, the Utopoonia might dare to refuse the Arctic Bear's request, but they would not be so bold towards us."

Skorlov smiled bitterly upon hearing this, and then agreed to sign the agreement, "Alright, give it to me, I'll sign."

The moment he saw Skorlov's name on the paper, the heavy stone hanging in Xu Ning's heart finally dropped.

"So, when will you come to take this half-finished product?" Skorlov asked.

"As soon as possible, preferably today." Xu Ning replied, mentioning that the aircraft carrier's nuclear power system was already installed and it could leave the port on its own once launched.

To reduce variables, Xu Ning hoped to transfer the aircraft carrier to a safe area as soon as possible, and then make further arrangements upon reaching the Black Sea.

However, Skorlov informed him that it would take at least a dozen hours of preparation before the aircraft carrier could be launched.

So the two parties agreed to act the next morning.

Xu Ning then left the scene and immediately instructed his subordinates to go to the hospital to meet Xie Biao, preparing for the upcoming mission.

After returning to the hotel, Xu Ning sat on the sofa by the window, his mind filled with thoughts. Although the negotiation had achieved unexpected success, he was still worried.