Strongest Soldier King Chapter 1807 1807: Second Negotiation

An hour later, on the outer periter of the Sam Country base at the edge of the forest.

Inside the defensive works built from rows of sandbags, a unit was on duty, watching the surroundings warily. Many n were leaning against the sandbag piles smoking, talking in low voices. The late-morning sun was already quite hot, and the soldiers were all dripping with sweat. On any other battlefield they would have taken off their bulletproof helts, even loosened their Tactical Bullet-Proof Vests, but here no one dared, afraid of being attacked.

It was not the first ti the base had been raided. Even Advanced officers had been kidnapped straight out of the barracks, and there had been no prior warning at all. The enemy's mysterious and terrifying thods kept the soldiers on edge. Just then, soone saw two people appear up ahead and froze. He stared hard and realized it wasn't an illusion; his face changed and he hurriedly shouted. Hearing the alarm, the others quickly ducked into the trenches, working their bolts as they peered over, on guard.

Very soon they saw that only two people were walking over. They were in combat uniforms but carried no guns, and looked like they were strolling without a care, showing no sign of hostility. The troops couldn't help feeling puzzled and wary, trading glances with one another, but no one dared relax and they remained on alert.

At that mont, an off-road vehicle sped out from the center of the base. Soone was shouting loudly not to open fire. This order made the defending troops even more curious, but they still obeyed, lifted the alert, put away their weapons, and stood up in surprise, watching as the off-road vehicle raced toward the newcors.

Soon, the off-road vehicle stopped in front of the two n, picked them up, then turned around and drove back toward the center of the base without saying a word. The defending troops grew even more curious at the sight and began speculating, but with no clues, no one could have imagined that the arrivals were actually their sworn enemies' leaders, Luo Zheng and Hook.

After getting into the vehicle, Luo Zheng and Hook didn't talk again. They calmly observed the surroundings instead, morizing the enemy's defensive disposition. The one who had co to et them was a Major. He didn't say much either, only looked at Luo Zheng and Hook with curiosity. The driver asked nothing at all and focused on driving.

The off-road vehicle soon stopped in front of a huge tent. The Major gestured for Luo Zheng and Hook to go inside. Luo Zheng jumped out, rolled his neck, and casually swept his gaze around, morizing the terrain. Then he shot Hook a look and strode into the tent first.

Inside the tent stood a table covered with a white cloth, with two empty chairs in front of it. On the opposite side sat an old man in a Sam Country major general's uniform—Punard. When Punard saw Luo Zheng and Hook enter, he showed not the slightest panic, which made Luo Zheng think a bit more of him. Punard politely stood to greet them and said with a smile, "Welco, you two. I didn't expect you would really co."

"Compared to you we're still a bit behind. You ca alone with your head on your belt; we ca with two n—still not as bold as you. So, did you call us here because there's been progress in the peace talks?" Luo Zheng walked up and sat down without ceremony, speaking calmly as his eyes swept over the other man from head to toe, quietly on guard.

Hook also ca forward and sat in the empty seat, speaking in an even tone, "We all know the score, and ti is limited. Let's be direct. What's your position?"

"Straight talk and fast action—soldier's style. I like that." Punard smiled, but his gaze rested on Luo Zheng, his expression gradually turning serious as he went on, "All conditions are negotiable, but Sam Country needs a dignified way to end this war. Otherwise, we can only keep fighting."

"Dignified—what's that supposed to an?" Hook said unhappily.

"It ans giving them a way to step down," Luo Zheng explained dismissively. "Brother, you decide."

Hook thought about it, felt unsure, and said, "You're the big brother. You have the final say."

"Fine by ." Luo Zheng smiled indifferently, t Punard's appraising gaze and continued, "What kind of dignity are you looking for?"

"The Hook Tribe assists us in wiping out the terrorists. As a token of gratitude, Sam Country will support the Hook Tribe in founding a tribal Chiefdom. The na cannot include 'Hook' because Hook is defined by us as a terrorist. Of course, we'll provide a batch of supplies as a founding gift to commorate the friendship between our two countries." Punard said solemnly.

When Luo Zheng heard this, he laughed. For a mighty military powerhouse to be forced to this point by him was enough to be proud of. Hook understood as well and laughed, but said nothing, throwing Luo Zheng a look to indicate he would leave it all in Luo Zheng's hands. Seeing Punard give a sowhat embarrassed wry smile, Luo Zheng dropped his sneer and said seriously, "I said before: it's Sam Country and Huaxia Country jointly assisting in founding the state. It's not a tribal Chiefdom, but a People's Republic."

"This…" Punard hesitated.

Hook did not understand the difference between a tribal Chiefdom and a People's Republic, but he trusted Luo Zheng would not harm him, so he did not interrupt or ask more, silently backing Luo Zheng's decision. Luo Zheng, however, was very clear about the ga Sam Country was playing. A tribal Chiefdom ant a state founded by a coalition of tribes under a democratic federal system, with the President chosen by the tribal chiefs. At that point, Sam Country could prop up a certain tribal chief to the top, replace Hook, and keep the entire country firmly in Sam Country's own hands.

Though Luo Zheng was not well-versed in politics, he knew how troubleso that kind of political system was and naturally would not agree. Only with centralized authority and high autonomy could Hook absolutely control this newly founded country, and that was also in line with Huaxia Country's interests. On this question, Luo Zheng would not compromise at all.

"A country needs democracy, not dictatorship. Your approach is rather authoritarian. With so many tribes, what gives you the right to fuse everyone into one?" Punard said, trying unwillingly to persuade him.

"In tis of chaos, dictatorship, iron rule, and centralized authority make unification easier. A Chiefdom is just another way of saying tribal alliance. That kind of alliance is highly fragile; tribes can leave the state at any ti. Then you face war and secession again. That's sothing peace advocates don't want to see." Luo Zheng said coldly.

Hook picked up on the implications as well. It was true the prival forest held many tribes; if they established a state on a tribal alliance model, it would not suit a great unification at all. Only centralized authority could achieve real unity. With that clear in his mind, Hook gave Luo Zheng a grateful look, then stared at Punard and said, "What political system we establish in our country has nothing to do with you. There's no need to discuss this issue."

"Move on to the next point. If you insist on this issue, then there's no need to keep talking." Seeing that Hook had caught on and made his decision, Luo Zheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief and urged coldly.

"This issue is the major premise; it's important. It'd be best if we can have a conclusion on it." Punard insisted.

Luo Zheng snorted contemptuously. "Is that so? What you're doing is a crude interference in internal affairs with ulterior motives. Since that's the case, there's nothing to talk about."