Luo Zheng didn't expect Hook to so firmly stand by his side, using an open invitation to Huaxia Country for extraction to force Sam Country into compromise. He felt deeply moved by his friend's gesture and the benefits of Huaxia openly entering the extraction process brightened his eyes. Turning to Punard, he continued, "Withdrawal of troops, reduction of garrisons and military force, and establishing diplomatic relations — these three points are our core demands. As for the tantalum tals, your country can reach an agreent with Huaxia Country, it is not within the scope of these negotiations."
"What?" Punard didn't expect Luo Zheng to directly set aside his country's core demands, becoming sowhat angry, and his expression turned sour as he looked at Luo Zheng and said, "Sam Country loves peace but is not afraid of war. Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Of course, if you're capable, then fight." Hook instantly replied without hesitation, his eyes full of contempt, coldly saying, "I've heard enough threats, and seen many too. In this prival forest, we fear no one, even if you deploy nuclear weapons."
"Relax; they don't dare use nuclear weapons." Luo Zheng said disdainfully from the side.
"Huh? Why? Is there sothing Sam Country wouldn't dare to do?" Hook asked in surprise.
"This prival forest is the lungs of Earth, pivotal to the planet's ecological balance. If Sam Country dared to use nuclear weapons, it would destroy not only your ho but the entire Earth's living environnt — a ***** cri, making them destroyers of Earth. Other countries would not allow this." Luo Zheng said coldly.
"Then what is there to fear? Bring on the fight," Hook said coldly, and his gaze towards Punard grew unfriendly. Without the threat of nuclear weapons, Hook really wasn't scared of anything.
Punard didn't realize the two were discussing this for the first ti and thought they were just putting on a show for him. His face darkened, and he coldly said, "No problem with low-yield ones, right?"
"You think I'm afraid of low-yield ones? If you've got the guts, just drop them." Hook, fully trusting Luo Zheng's words, was not at all afraid of threats, responding with a casual snort.
"This?" Seeing Hook's stance suddenly beco firm, Punard hesitated, fearing that further negotiation might lead to a breakdown. After a mont of hesitation, he said, "How about this, I'll return and give you both an answer within a day, alright?"
"No problem, and one more thing — after the Hook Tribe establishes a nation, they must join the United Nations. Not only can you not oppose it, but you must also raise your hand in agreent. Regarding compensation, we will send it to you within an hour. Rember, you only have twenty-four hours. As for prisoners, they'll work as free labor for five years and then be released." Luo Zheng calmly reminded, though engaging in talks, one could never be sure Sam Country wouldn't renege. Having hostages could be beneficial.
Hook's eyes brightened at this, and he nodded, "That's all then, go on back, we won't see you out."
Punard's expression was grim, but he did not insist further. He got up and headed toward the helicopter, soon taking off and vanishing into the night sky. Hook and Luo Zheng exchanged a knowing smile and burst into hearty laughter, feeling imnsely pleased — the outco wasn't even a concern.
After a while, as their emotions cald down, Lan Xing's voice ca over the earpiece: "Brother-in-law, the higher-ups have been listening online to the negotiation process. They stated your proposal is very good and will coordinate with relevant departnts like diplomacy to take action quickly, urging you to stick to the bottom line."
Luo Zheng acknowledged with a "hm," then looked at Hook with a smile, "Brother, thank you for your support."
"What're you talking about? Between you and , there's no need to be polite. On the issue of tantalum mining, it doesn't matter what we say to the outside world, but in essence, we won't participate, leaving it entirely to you. Many things need to be done in the tribe, and there's probably no ti or manpower — you know the situation. Whatever can be extracted is yours. I was wondering how to repay you, and here it is. If you like it, take it all," Hook said earnestly.
"Isn't that improper? After all, it's your resource," Luo Zheng said gratefully.
"There's nothing improper about it. You can make use of it, whereas we cannot. Since we don't understand it, keeping it would only tempt others and bring wars. It's better to give it to you. We're friends, and after we establish a nation, we'll be a nation of friendship — let tantalum witness our friendship," Hook solemnly stated.
Luo Zheng pondered for a mont then nodded, "Brother, I'll rember this favor."
"No, it's not a favor. I owe you so much that this little thing can't repay it. If the negotiations succeed and the war ends peacefully, I hope you can arrange for so people to stay and help train the army. While the war has ended, it's only temporary. We need an army to protect our ho and family from being violated," Hook said earnestly, eyes glimring with anticipation.
"I'll suggest it to those back ho," Luo Zheng said seriously. "With a new country established, everything is needed. Discuss thoroughly with your tribe and list what you need; don't be shy to ask Sam Country. They are wealthy, so just ask for as much as you need."
"Understood." Hook beca excited and agreed, taking up the single-soldier radio to contact relevant tribe mbers.
Luo Zheng glanced at Lan Xue, who nodded knowingly with a smile, softly saying in their native tongue, "If things can be resolved peacefully, then let them be resolved peacefully. It's not necessarily a bad thing. Continuing to fight would be detrintal to everyone. Things need to co to an end eventually. Since Sam Country cares about face, we might as well give them that and get the practical benefits instead. Both the Hook Tribe and we get what we need, and our brothers can return ho safely. Why not?"
"Yes, continuing the war would just be acting impulsively, not aligning with developnt needs. Only a peaceful environnt allows for better survival and discovery, which aligns with the interests of the Hook Tribe. Besides, when we extract tantalum here, we'll openly send over troops, essentially planting a stake in Sam Country's traditional interest area while gaining benefits — eting the established strategic objectives," Luo Zheng replied softly in their language.
"Yes, all three parties are satisfied, so why not?" Lan Xue lightly replied, glancing at Hook, who was discussing matters with his people, sighing as she continued, "It's not easy for him, taking care of such a big task by himself. Continuing to fight would greatly disadvantage their tribe — peace is best."
Luo Zheng looked at Hook and chuckled softly, "Yeah, that's also what I admire about him. But never mind, let's not talk about it. If peace can be achieved, let's try to resolve it peacefully. However, we can't be too optimistic about this; Sam Country is not easy to deal with and won't give up readily. We still need to prepare for a long battle."
"True, although Sam Country cares about face, they've always been opportunists. If they don't gain anything after all this fighting, they naturally won't agree to end it. This won't be over anyti soon. If another battle were fought to really hurt them, negotiations might beco easier. Do you have so new ideas?" Lan Xue curiously asked.
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