Zuo Feng's gaze sharpened, and his expression grew serious. He straightened slightly and slowly began, "Oh? Vice Leader Wen, tell me, what kind of special item is it?"
Wen Wudao clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the force, and a faint crackling sound could be heard from his joints.
The item's value was immeasurable, but he was now like a person being roasted over a fire. If he couldn't secure the Super Individual slot and the trading rights for a-grade metal, he would surely die, devoured by Mo Tianya and Pan Yeluo until not even his bones remained!
Although trading that item would definitely be a huge loss, he had no other choice. If his life was gone, everything else would be empty talk.
He took a deep breath, forcing a few words through his gritted teeth:
"Left Leader Zuo, this matter is of great importance. Could we discuss it privately? I need Left Leader Zuo to promise my safety and the fairness of the transaction."
Wen Wudao's voice was low and hoarse, his eyes flashing with a hint of ruthlessness and unwillingness.
He understood that taking this step meant a life-and-death struggle, but he had no other option.
Zuo Feng nodded slightly, his expression growing even more solemn. Even Wen Wudao was so cautious, and it involved his life's safety, so the weight of this special item was absolutely extraordinary.
He stood up and said to Shui Rou, "Shui Rou, please entertain Chief Mo for a bit. Vice Leader Wen and I need to talk privately. I'll be back soon."
After speaking, Zuo Feng looked at Mo Tianya and said, "Chief Mo, please wait a moment. You don't mind, do you?"
Mo Tianya wore a polite smile and nodded slightly, "Left Leader Zuo, please go ahead. This Chief Mo can discuss the specifics with Miss Shui Rou."
He picked up his teacup, his gaze seemingly inadvertently sweeping over Wen Wudao, a shadow flashing in his eyes—what exactly was Wen Wudao hiding! He even dared to talk about increasing the stakes; he had hidden it quite deeply!
Shui Rou maintained her graceful demeanor, nodding gently at Zuo Feng and softly saying, "Okay."
Zuo Feng said nothing more, making a "please" gesture to Wen Wudao, and led the way towards a small door at the back of the reception room. That door led to a more private, soundproof secret room.
Wen Wudao took a deep breath, calming the turmoil in his heart. His gaze swept over Mo Tianya with a hint of malice, then he stood up and followed closely behind Zuo Feng, his steps heavy.
The heavy soundproof door quietly closed behind them, isolating them from the outside world. Inside the secret room, there was only a small table and two chairs, the light was dim, and the atmosphere instantly became even more stagnant, as if the air itself had grown heavy.
Zuo Feng casually sat on a chair, his posture seemingly relaxed, but his sharp eyes were fixed on Wen Wudao, like an eagle staring at its prey, silently exerting pressure.
"Vice Leader Wen, you can speak now. It's absolutely safe here, just the two of us.
I, Zuo Feng, have always been trustworthy. As long as your 'special item' is truly as valuable as you say, I can promise your safety before you become a Super Individual, and a... 'bonus' that will satisfy you."
His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable power, echoing in the confined space.
Wen Wudao did not sit down immediately. He stood in front of the table, his chest heaving violently, seemingly making an extremely difficult choice.
He stared intently at Zuo Feng, his eyes complex, interwoven with unwillingness, fear, and a hint of desperate madness.
After a long while, he slowly sat down, as if all his strength had been drained. His back was stiffly straight, and his hands slowly rested on the tabletop, knuckles white, as he slowly uttered a sentence...
After Zuo Feng heard Wen Wudao's words, his expression could no longer be concealed, filled with shock and disbelief, and his breathing became rapid.
He almost thought he had misheard, but then he was certain he hadn't. He stared intently at Wen Wudao, his voice trembling slightly, "What you said... is it true?"
Wen Wudao's lips twisted into a bitter and distorted smile. He slowly nodded, his voice hoarse as he said,
"Absolutely true. I don't need to elaborate on the value of this item, do I? If I weren't forced, I wouldn't let anyone know of its existence, and certainly wouldn't use it for trade!"
Zuo Feng remained silent for a while before slowly leaning back in his chair, his knuckles unconsciously tapping the tabletop, his gaze shifting. After a long time, he slowly spoke:
"Chief Wen, name your price..." In front of that item, Zuo Feng had no mind to haggle anymore. Any fool could see the value of that item, and Zuo Feng had to acquire it.
Wen Wudao slowly raised his head and said,
"Left Leader Zuo, with all due respect, whether it's an A-level metal weapon or a Super Individual, at most they are at the 'level nine' transaction grade. Compared to that item... they are not even one ten-thousandth of its value. What kind of bargaining chips can Left Leader Zuo offer in exchange?"
Zuo Feng was silent for a moment, then slowly took a breath, suppressing the shock in his heart. Zuo Feng spoke in a low voice:
"Wait a moment, I need to discuss this with my woman."
Before his words finished, Zuo Feng had already stood up and walked out of the secret room. As soon as Zuo Feng's figure disappeared at the door, the air in the secret room seemed to freeze for a moment.
Wen Wudao sat alone in the secret room, his eyes flickering with uncertainty, his face a mix of reluctance and unwillingness.
His fingers tapped lightly on the tabletop, the rhythm rapid and chaotic, like a reflection of his inner struggle.
Not long after, Zuo Feng led Da Bai Tu in. Zuo Feng hadn't expected Wen Wudao to throw out such a priceless treasure. If its value were truly calculated, Zuo Feng simply couldn't offer anything equivalent.
His negotiation skills were not as good as Da Bai Tu's; he could only rely on Da Bai Tu to negotiate now.
Da Bai Tu gently pulled a chair and sat down, her gaze lingering on Wen Wudao's face for a moment, then she slowly began, her voice charming yet with a hint of scrutiny:
"Chief Wen, my name is Yun Qianqian. Let's get straight to the point. The item is indeed tempting. To be honest, if we're talking about value alone, we don't have equivalent bargaining chips."
At this point, she paused, her slender fingers lightly tapping the tabletop, a shrewd glint flashing in her eyes.
Wen Wudao immediately let out a cold laugh at her words, his eyes narrowing slightly, "Since Miss Yun understands this, then just say it directly. How do you plan to negotiate?"
Yun Qianqian smiled slightly, retracted her tapping fingers from the tabletop, and slowly crossed her hands on the table:
"Vice Leader Wen is indeed straightforward, so I won't beat around the bush. Although that item is precious, it's a dead object.
And, no offense to Vice Leader Wen, no matter how precious that item is, at least for now, neither Vice Leader Wen nor we have any way to deal with it. It can be said that it is a priceless item with no actual practical use at present.
You wouldn't disagree with that, would you?"
Wen Wudao's eyes flickered, but he didn't deny it.
Seeing this, Yun Qianqian smiled even more deeply and slowly continued:
"Since that's the case, why don't we change our approach? Vice Leader Wen, what you value might not be the immediate profit, but rather the potential future value of this item.
But the future is too distant, with too many uncertain factors. We are willing to proceed in a more pragmatic way—how about you sell this item to us in exchange for a long-term cooperation opportunity?
If Vice Leader Wen has enough trust in us, we can provide Vice Leader Wen with equivalent resource support, but when it comes to a one-time payment, we naturally cannot afford it. How about installments?"
Wen Wudao's eyes moved slightly, clearly interested in the proposal, but he remained calm: "Installments? How exactly?"
Yun Qianqian's lips curved slightly, a calculating glint flashing in her eyes:
"For a period of ten years, with one-tenth paid annually. During this period, all of Firefly's externally sold resources will be prioritized for you, Vice Leader. Of course, there are also some higher-value, non-externally sold materials that we can also provide and sell to you in appropriate quantities. What do you think?"
She leaned slightly forward, her tone soft yet with a hidden edge,
"Of course, Vice Leader Wen can also propose his own installment plan. As long as our Firefly can afford it, we will naturally do our best to cooperate." A hint of probing showed in her eyes, as if she was waiting for Wen Wudao's reaction, while also gauging the measure of this negotiation.
Wen Wudao was silent for a moment, his fingertips lightly caressing the tabletop, his gaze slowly wandering over the surface. Suddenly, he looked up, his gaze like a knife directly at Yun Qianqian:
"A ten-year installment plan can be considered, but you haven't told me what price you plan to give me for that item? Also, I need to know the details of the materials you sell externally, and what the non-externally sold materials are, as well as their value!"