210: Why do you want everything?

Tian Ming pushed the door open to find Ouyang Ling and Qin Feng already there, conversing in low voices about something unknown.

Upon seeing Tian Ming, Ouyang Ling and Qin Feng immediately stopped talking and smiled, nodding at him.

Tian Ming nodded slightly, then sat at the other end of the conference table. Soon after, Shen Yuan arrived, carrying a notebook, and sat next to Tian Ming.

Subsequently, Meng Xian, Ji Ruping, and Wang Ze also entered. Wang Ze knew that Tian Ming’s Shelter had joined the Anti-Zombie Alliance, and his expression was not good.

The Anti-Zombie Alliance was the former government, an existence that even the families behind Life Origins dared not provoke. The intelligence Wang Ze had gathered indicated that Tian Ming's Shelter was not a member of the Anti-Zombie Alliance, which was why he came personally, intending to win him over.

The appearance of Anti-Zombie Alliance personnel made Wang Ze's heart sink. It would be much more difficult for the company to deal with matters concerning Tian Ming in the future.

Wang Ze was displeased, but he showed no emotion on his face. He sat in the conference room, his eyes occasionally glancing at Tian Ming, seemingly deep in thought.

Tian Ming stood up and said, “Miss Ouyang, Mr. Qin, let me introduce you. This is Wang Ze, the general manager for the eastern region of Life Origins.”

After speaking, he turned to Wang Ze and said, “These are two representatives from the Anti-Zombie Alliance’s Dongshan Base, Ouyang Ling and Qin Feng.”

Tian Ming didn't understand negotiation rules; he went straight to the point, introducing both parties. In this situation, both sides could only cooperate and play along.

Playing both sides, Tian Ming primarily intended to leverage the Anti-Zombie Alliance's deterrent power to make demands of Life Origins. After all, if he could introduce those advanced foreign technologies, it would be a surefire profitable deal for him.

Both parties exchanged routine pleasantries, a scene as fake as could be. Tian Ming chuckled inwardly, while Wang Ze was speechless with frustration. The three-party situation was clearly two entities ganging up on the multinational company, Life Origins.

“Everyone, let’s begin,” Tian Ming said first.

Lin Yue, who was beside Ji Ruping, stood up and distributed copies of the contract details and relevant mutual aid Anti-Zombie Alliance clauses that had been discussed that morning to everyone present.

Ouyang Ling and Qin Feng exchanged glances, then looked at Tian Ming, wondering what was going on with him. This Shelter was already a member of the Anti-Zombie Alliance, so why was he showing all these terms and conditions to the third party, Wang Ze?

Wang Ze, however, was intently studying the clauses, as well as the related detailed rules concerning aid construction and technical mutual assistance.

Wang Ze naturally understood that he had no right to promise Tian Ming anything. Headquarters placed great importance on Tian Ming, almost to the point of being impatient, wanting to uncover the truth about Ability Users evolution from him.

Therefore, Wang Ze knew that the initiative was not in his hands at all. Tian Ming showing him the terms they had agreed upon with the Anti-Zombie Alliance was undoubtedly an implicit suggestion for Life Origins Company to raise their offer. If Life Origins offered less than what the Anti-Zombie Alliance could provide, then apologies, but making Tian Ming a test subject was simply impossible.

Once everyone had finished reading, Tian Ming finally spoke, “Gentlemen, these are the terms we finalized this morning. If you have no objections, we will proceed according to these rules.”

Actually, these terms had already been confirmed that morning. Ouyang Ling and Qin Feng saw Wang Ze's deep frown and immediately understood, quickly joining Tian Ming in playing along.

“Yes, no problem!” Both of them nodded.

Tian Ming then turned to Wang Ze of Life Origins Company and said, “Old Brother Wang, I am now a member of the Anti-Zombie Alliance. Therefore, the strategic partnership you mentioned earlier needs to transition. Now, it’s a strategic cooperation between your side and the entire Anti-Zombie Alliance.”

Meng Xian and Ji Ruping remained poker-faced, but inwardly, they admired their boss. This tactic of passing the buck directly gave the Shelter the Anti-Zombie Alliance as a backing. Although the method was extremely simple and crude, the effect was immediate.

Wang Ze’s face was not looking good, and he asked in a questioning tone, “Brother, you’re not playing fair. We haven’t even finished discussing our matters, and at this critical juncture, you joined the Anti-Zombie Alliance, becoming one of its members. How… how are we supposed to continue negotiating?”

Tian Ming smiled and waved his hand, saying, “I told you, I’m short on many technologies, especially in energy. You kept equivocating, saying you couldn’t make decisions, so I took a trip to Dongshan Base. You see, that very night, technical personnel, equipment, and everything else were all brought over. You Life Origins are too stingy, not at all generous, so you can’t blame me. It’s true I’m negotiating with you, but there’s no rule that says I can’t join the Anti-Zombie Alliance while negotiating with you.”

There was a hint of shamelessness in Tian Ming’s words. The meaning was clear: if they wanted to negotiate, they had to show more sincerity than the Anti-Zombie Alliance.

“I need to go back and report this to headquarters before I can give you an answer,” Wang Ze said with a dark expression.

Tian Ming waved his hand and said, “Alright, you can go back, but you’ll still take our plane. Your two advanced aircraft can stay; I like them very much, so consider them a gift to me. Oh, leave the pilots too, otherwise no one will know how to fly them, and they might rust.”

Everyone in the room except Wang Ze was secretly laughing. Tian Ming wasn't negotiating at all; he was being a rogue.

Wang Ze's face grew even uglier, and he said with great displeasure, “Lu Tianming, aren’t you going too far? I feel like I’ve come to a bandit’s den. Why do you want everything?”

Tian Ming sneered, “I’m poor, and I want everything I don’t have. Your headquarters will send someone over in the next two days. You can take a copy of this contract and see how your masters make their decision!”

“Alright, you just wait. Don’t think being an Ability User makes you so great; we have plenty of ways to deal with you.” Wang Ze finally exploded. Tian Ming’s repeated coercion meant that even if they reached an agreement, the cost would exceed the authority headquarters had given him.

Tian Ming, however, said with a cold face, “No need to bluster. If you’ve got the guts, have your headquarters send people to deal with me. I’d like to see if your methods for dealing with Ability Users will work on me.”

Tian Ming glanced at Meng Xian and said, “Meng Xian, send Wang Ze to the harbor and let him report to his master.”

Now that he was an Anti-Zombie Alliance member, Tian Ming no longer needed to detain Wang Ze. And the Shelter’s safety was also assured. Life Origins would not dare to risk offending the entire Anti-Zombie Alliance by wantonly attacking the Shelter. In terms of weapon delivery, even thousands of miles away, the Anti-Zombie Alliance had the power to send the opponent to meet their maker.

Wang Ze left with a cold expression. Ouyang Ling and Qin Feng exchanged glances, both with wry smiles.

Tian Ming smiled and said to the two, “Sorry for dragging the Anti-Zombie Alliance into this. I alone really can’t protect this Shelter. But with you standing behind me, I estimate that even if they had ten times the courage, they wouldn’t dare to launch a large-scale attack on my Shelter.”