Li Songping sat behind his desk, keeping a curled up posture.
His figure was not tall to begin with, but in such a posture, he suddenly looked more stooped, and the previous courage and majesty seemed to have disappeared from him.
Not far from his office is the conference room, which is on the same floor.
When the office was quiet, a faint quarrel came from the conference room not far away. It was chaos, and the sound seemed to be getting clearer and clearer.
Li Songping's face was dull and motionless, thinking of nothing.
The quarrel in the conference room has been going on for a long time.
To be exact, it started at midnight.
No, the related quarrel should have started a few days ago, and it broke out after gathering together in the middle of the night.
Li Songping looked at his watch, it was ten o'clock in the morning.
The long quarrel, the so-called discussion, lasted nearly eight hours.
He sighed softly, scratched his thin hair vigorously, opened his mouth wide, and let out a silent growl.
This hysterical state lasted for about half a minute.
Then he became quiet again, hunched over and buried his face in his hands.
A few hours ago, he was not here, but in a conference room on the same floor.
In those quarrels, he was also a participant and one of them.
However, as the quarrel continued to escalate, he really couldn't stand the atmosphere there. In a rage that almost broke his face, he cursed everyone in the conference room and then returned to his office.
The meeting did not end even after he, the speaker, left the table.
After a brief silence, there was an even more intense quarrel.
Li Songping can feel the complex atmosphere of this building today.
It was a complex atmosphere mixed with resentment, unwillingness and resentment, and at the same time some fear and powerlessness.
This kind of atmosphere is constantly brewing, centered on this building, and spreading throughout Annan, making some people in the entire country panic and restless.
Li Songping had nothing to do about it.
Because the source of this atmosphere and mentality is himself and the people in the conference room.
Those of them who control Annan's destiny have this mentality, so how can they control such an influence?
I can't control it anymore.
To be precise, after the night when the alliance besieged Li Tianlan, the entire Annan began to face the risk of losing control.
Because Annan is really too close to Zhongzhou.
If distance is considered a soft threat, then the existence of the Bloody Lords is equivalent to a sharp sword placed on the neck of the Annan Council.
It was so sharp that it even started to bleed.
The God of Thunder is still outside the capital of Annan and has not left.
What is the situation now?
The Yuxuejun regiment left Nanyun and took the road to Tiannan. The journey south was a complete sweep.
To be precise, crushing.
This was completely done in a dignified manner. During the thousands of miles journey, there was not even a decent obstacle encountered in the whole process. Li Songping's so-called elites all collapsed at the first touch and did not cause any trouble at all.
Now in the entire city where Li Songping is located, all supplies consumed must be given priority to the Bloody Lord Regiment.
Thor is not polite at all.
During this period of time, the treatment of every ordinary soldier in the Bloody Lord Regiment has even been close to that of Annan's generals.
This kind of luxury and even waste must be paid for by Annan.
Not to mention how suffocating their deterrence was, Annan couldn't even afford this kind of consumption.
This is the price they must pay.
If Li Tianlan had died as expected on the night of the siege, the current situation would have been completely different.
They no longer have to worry about the threat from the God of Thunder, and now they have even taken back part of Tiannan.
This was originally a big gamble for Annan. Now that the gamble has failed, he will naturally have to pay the price.
As for how much this price will be...
Specifically, that is how much they expect after winning the bet, and how high the price they have to pay after losing the bet.
Li Songping picked up a document on the table and scanned it absently. He picked up the pen and wanted to comment on something, but he started to be in a daze.
The office smelled like paint.
This is actually not the smell of an office.
It was the smell of the desk in front of him, the sofa next to him, and even the chair behind him.
These items are all newly replaced.
Not only these, the office bookshelves, potted plants in the corner, windows, chandeliers, and even Annan's flags and curtains were all newly replaced.
In just a few days, these things have been replaced several times.
It was night when the alliance besieged Li Tianlan.
About forty hours later, the Bloody Lords approached Li Songping's territory.
The atmosphere of chaos and evil began to spread.
Thor came to this building alone, with great fanfare. Until he entered Li Songping's office, no one dared to intercept him, not even a symbolic interception.
The God of Thunder didn't do anything to the office, but facing Li Songping's face that forced a flattering smile, he directly put his foot in Li Songping's chest.
At that time, before the blood in Li Songping's mouth spurted out, the pair of boots had already stepped on his face.
This is the first time that Li Songping and even Annan have been humiliated.
And it is a great shame and humiliation.
It was on that day that Annan began to provide massive, almost luxurious supplies to the Bloody Lords.
The next day, several middle-level managers from the Yuxuejun group came and smashed up Li Songping's office.
In the following days, even the middle-level members of the Yuxuejun Regiment were gone, and only a few ordinary soldiers smashed up Li Songping's office again.
This coercive gesture is too obvious.
Thor even said that if Annan's specific attitude cannot be seen yet, he will take over the building next.
Although this series of encounters was a shame for Li Songping, it was actually not a price at all.
But he really didn't dare let Thor take over the building.
If the office is destroyed, it will be destroyed.
Losing face, losing dignity, etc., at least it still spreads within a small area.
But if the building falls into the hands of Thor, it means something different.
This is equivalent to the Star Kingdom suddenly taking over the Hidden Dragon Sea.
What is this concept?
By then it will be difficult to say whether Annan is Annan or not.
Of course, if something like this really happens, Thor himself will not feel comfortable, and Zhongzhou will also be under tremendous pressure.
But that so-called pressure is nothing compared to Annan's situation at that time.
After all, Central Continent is the real overlord now.
Therefore, Annan could only contact the Eastern Palace, and even contact Zhongzhou, and his posture became lower and lower, becoming more and more humble.
This negotiation originally required Annan to negotiate with both parties.
The alliance besieged Li Tianlan, which happened in Annan.
Moreover, Annan also provided considerable convenience and even directly participated.
Until now, Annan has no way to explain what happened that night and the gunfire all over the sky.
It cannot be said that the artillery fire that night had nothing to do with Annan. Li Songping and others did not give the order at all. The artillery fire was launched independently, right?
If you really want to explain it this way, it is not an explanation. Although this is the fact, if you say it, everyone will think that Li Songping is treating Zhongzhou as a fool. Such an explanation is almost equivalent to provocation, and the consequences will be more serious.
Therefore, even if what happened that night was indeed not an order given by them, they can only grit their teeth and admit it now.
They attacked Li Tianlan.
Li Tianlan was not only the master of the Eastern Palace at that time, but also a person from Zhongzhou.
For such a matter, they not only have to give an explanation to the Eastern Palace, but also give an explanation to Zhongzhou.
When contacting these two parties, Annan was already prepared for heavy bleeding.
This is indeed the case.
As of today, they have contacted Li Huacheng a few days ago, and then contacted Donghuang Palace through Li Huacheng.
Qin Weibai was obviously in no mood to argue with Annan now.
Therefore, in this negotiation, the representative figure of the East Palace is Han Donglou.
Who is Han Donglou?
After all, he is a businessman.
Even though he could take advantage, the conditions he proposed were also difficult for Annan to accept.
Li Huacheng, on the other hand, opened his mouth and proposed conditions like a knife, cutting into Annan's bone marrow.
This is also the reason for the current quarrel in the conference room.
Because after they summarized the demands of Zhongzhou and the Eastern Palace, everyone was confused.
The conditions proposed by these two parties sound very simple.
Central Continent needs land and resources.
The Eastern Palace wants money and benefits.
Zhongzhou requires a reasonable amount of money to purchase more than two-thirds of the land in the northern border of Annan.
If Tiannan is included, the total area is nearly 150,000 square kilometers. Even if Tiannan is not included, the area exceeds 100,000 square kilometers.
This means that once Annan agrees, their territory will be directly reduced by one-third.
In this one-third of the area, more than 60% of Annan's various resources are concentrated, of which oil, coal, and gold are the top priorities, as well as a large amount of natural gas resources.
In addition, Zhongzhou believed that Annan's previous actions were extremely serious provocations and demanded that Annan pay Zhongzhou XXXX billion in compensation.
That's right, it's XXXX billion.
There is no specific amount.
Because after internal discussions, Zhongzhou believed that this part of the compensation could be offset by the amount of land purchased by Zhongzhou in Annan.
To put it bluntly, Zhongzhou wants to free one-third of Annan and more than half of Annan's various precious resources.
Finally, Zhongzhou hopes that Annan will issue a statement to the outside world, stating that they voluntarily give up this land and a large number of resource extraction rights, and that they must agree with the concept of friendship and harmony between Zhongzhou and Annan.
This means that if I prostitute you once for free, not only can you not be aggrieved, but you must also applaud loudly.
Fortunately, Li Huacheng still wanted to show his respect and did not ask Annan to continue to make statements like "come back next time".
The East Palace, or to be precise Han Dong Tower, is also not very particular and not polite at all.
He also believed that Annan's actions were contempt and humiliation for the Eastern Palace, and asked Annan to pay an astronomical compensation to the Eastern Palace.
This compensation has a clear amount. Unlike Zhongzhou's XXXX, which is in hundreds of millions, Han Donglou has a five-digit number when he opens his mouth, and the first digit is not even one.
And what he wants is Zhongzhou coins.
Conversion between currencies of both parties...
In fact, there is no point in worrying about this anymore.
Because no matter what the amount is, Annan simply cannot get the money.
I can't even get it out even if I lose everything by selling it.
But Annan did not dare to refuse.
Because they simply don’t have the confidence to refuse.
They could only carefully bargain with Han Donglou and try to pay in installments...
Han Donglou indeed did not ask for any more land.
But if Annan pays compensation according to this tree, even if it is an installment payment...
Their tax revenue for at least hundreds of years in the future will belong entirely to the Eastern Palace.
Li Huacheng can only be regarded as a shameless cutter.
What Han Donglou did was to completely control Annan's destiny.
It's not just this compensation.
Han Donglou also requested Annan to provide maximum support for Shengshi Fund’s subsequent investment in Annan.
There are many specific conditions.
To put it simply, if Annan agrees, Shengshi Fund will form a near-monopoly position in Annan's many fields. This will effectively control Annan's lifeline and prevent them from having any chance of comeback.
This approach is completely comprehensive.
If you commit suicide when you are not strong enough, you deserve to have such consequences.
Of course there will be quarrels within Annan.
They kept arguing and arguing.
More than one person in the conference room even dropped his cup completely, and his excitement was beyond control.
If they compromise on this series of conditions, they will not even be considered dogs in front of Zhongzhou from now on.
It can only be regarded as a string puppet.
How could Annan be willing to accept this?
If you just don't want to give in, what can you do?
Although the office door has been closed, the increasingly loud quarrels are still heard.
Li Songping listened expressionlessly until the door was suddenly pushed open, and a middle-aged man in his forties walked in with a tired look on his face.
The moment the door opened, chaotic sounds rushed directly into the office.
Li Songping could even hear a familiar voice roaring at the top of his lungs that he could not agree no matter what.
Then there was a chorus of echoes.
The point of disagreement is very obvious, it's what everyone means.
But other than disagreeing, no one said what to do next.
The corners of Li Songping's mouth raised, and his smile became a little mocking.
"speaker..."
The middle-aged man who pushed in the door saw the smile on Li Songping's face, moved his mouth, and smiled bitterly.
Although he has reached middle age, his appearance is still handsome. Although he is not tall, his every move seems very calm. At this time, even his wry smile does not look ugly, but has a unique charm.
"It's quite noisy."
Li Songping said calmly: "Everyone is so energetic, come here to vent their emotions? Besides venting their emotions, what else can they do?"
Bang bang bang!
Li Songping slapped the table hard, his face turned livid: "What else can they do?!"
The middle-aged man sighed and wanted to say something to comfort him, but he couldn't say a word. He could only say: "After I came out, their quarrel became more intense."
Li Songping's anger stagnated, and his whole person became a little depressed.
He naturally understood what the other party meant.
The middle-aged man's name is Ruan Chenglin, the director of the Annan Exchange Department.
During this period, although the negotiations with Zhongzhou and the East Palace were started by Li Songping, he personally found Li Huacheng.
But Ruan Chenglin is in charge of the specific negotiation work.
The purpose of the meeting next door is actually very clear to everyone sitting in the conference room.
Negotiations have come to an end.
Both the East Palace and Zhongzhou have given the bottom line.
This means that the other party will no longer give in.
They had to agree even if they agreed to conditions that were difficult for Annan to accept, and they had to agree even if they didn't agree.
There is no point in saying otherwise.
Because the God of Thunder was blocking their doorstep, and they dared to say no even half a word, it would not be a surprise to see what would happen next.
This time Zhongzhou was reasonable, had enough strength, and made a very face-saving condition.
No matter how harsh the conditions are, it is still to give face.
If Annan doesn't want this face, then he is shameless. Whatever happens next will be deserved.
In other words, this so-called negotiation is actually going to produce results today.
Annan couldn't wait for this either.
Because the pressure brought by Thor is too great.
With him here, everyone can feel the pressure of life and death.
And his daily consumption also makes people feel a little numb.
If he could be sent away, countless people would breathe a sigh of relief.
And what is the significance of their discussion in this meeting?
Zhongzhou, East Palace, Li Tianlan.
They really can't be offended.
Therefore, after the meeting passed through the initial normal stage, it became a time for everyone to vent their inner emotions.
Li Songping couldn't stand it and left the table after scolding everyone. In fact, he had already expressed his attitude.
He was equally angry, equally unwilling, and equally reluctant, but there was nothing he could do.
So no matter how unwilling he was, he could only agree.
He left the meeting room and expressed his attitude. He also expressed that he no longer expected the people in the meeting room to do anything good.
The people in the conference room did not disappoint him.
Not only did they have no good solution, but after Li Songping left, the quarrel became more intense.
Ruan Chenglin's departure was another clear signal.
Li Songping decided to compromise and left.
Did Ruan Chenglin leave with the same meaning?
Li Songping is in front.
If the communication department continues to be weak, it means that this matter has become a foregone conclusion and cannot be undone.
In fact, no one seems to want to save it.
At this critical moment, the so-called recovery is tantamount to going against Zhongzhou and the Eastern Palace.
Restoration is tantamount to courting death.
The remaining people don't want to die, so the only thing they can do is to quarrel.
They kept arguing, getting more and more intense, constantly expressing their anger and... incompetence.
"How long do you think they will continue to quarrel?"
Li Songping asked suddenly.
Ruan Chenglin continued to smile bitterly. He was Li Songping's confidant, and in this special situation, he became even closer to Li Songping, so he sat down opposite Li Songping without any courtesy, took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a big sip.
Suck.
Smoke rises in the office.
Ruan Chenglin's voice was a little dazed: "Maybe... no... they seem to be in high spirits, at least until the treaty is signed, right? Maybe until tomorrow?"
Zhongzhou and the Eastern Palace had formally drafted a series of clauses as early as yesterday. The official name is the "Treaty of Tiannan". There are hundreds of clauses in total. They are serious, rigorous and have almost no loopholes.
People from the Central Continent Exchange Department are currently in this city, quietly guarding the treaty.
Now we are just waiting for Li Songping and Ruan Chenglin to arrive. As long as they sign their names and leave their seals on the treaty, it means that one-third of Tiannan will completely belong to Zhongzhou, and the fate of the entire Tiannan will be determined.
It will also become a toy that can be played with at will in the hands of the Eastern Palace.
At that time, Tiannan and Zhongzhou will simultaneously issue a series of statements to the outside world.
After Tiannan issues a voluntary sale statement, Zhongzhou will announce to the public that the Tiannan Province will be officially established.
Today is destined to be a lively day and even shock the whole world.
When this series of things are done, this storm will be over.
And by that time, the quarrel in the conference room will come to an end.
At that time, those who are still arguing can pretend to be stunned, shout a few words that they have not agreed yet, and there will definitely be something else. Those who are more aggressive and want to speculate, even publicly reprimand Li Songping and Ruan Chenglin.
, no matter what happens in the future, at least his position is saved for the time being.
To put it bluntly, the so-called quarrels going on now are nothing more than evading responsibility after being cornered.
Everyone knew exactly what was going to happen next, but those in the conference room pretended not to understand, at least putting off today.
They may want to do something, but it is certainly true that they are unwilling to do so.
But the reality is that they can't do anything.
"Speaker, is there really nothing we can do about this matter?"
Ruan Chenglin hesitated and spoke hesitantly.
"Are you scared?"
Li Songping glanced at him and said calmly.
Ruan Chenglin's mouth moved. He wanted to bite the bullet and say that he was not afraid.
But in such a situation, there is no point in saying anything.
He nodded dejectedly, his handsome face looking a little dull and stiff.
Once the "Tiannan Treaty" is signed, there is no doubt that he and Li Songping will become sinners through the ages. This kind of thing, this kind of shame and humiliation, is destined to be written down in the history books. By then, they will both be infamy for thousands of years, and will be spurned by countless people in future generations.
They, their family, and their tribesmen will all be unable to hold their heads high.
Just thinking about this makes Ruan Chenglin's scalp numb.
If you say you're not afraid, that's definitely a lie.
but...
"There's no point in being afraid."
Li Songping shook his head: "Some things must be done and cannot be avoided."
Ruan Chenglin remained silent.
"We have thought of all the ways we can think of, and we have tried everything we can. What can we do with this ending? This is fate, Annan's fate."
Li Songping's tone was full of pessimism.
The so-called solution that can be thought of is actually only one from beginning to end.
That is to beg for mercy from Zhongzhou.
If Zhongzhou doesn't let go, their second option is to pretend to be more pitiful and act more humble.
There is simply no second way.
"We can ask Star Country for help!"
Ruan Chenglin gritted his teeth: "They are making great moves now. If they are willing to help us, do we have a chance..."
His voice became lower and lower, but there was still a hint of hope in his eyes.
Star Kingdom is the most powerful country after Central Continent.
Moreover, the quarrel with Xingguo in Feilu is very fierce now.
Even if they follow the principle that the enemy of their enemy is their friend, they probably won't stand idly by.
Ruan Chenglin's breathing became a little rapid.
He really has no choice, and he doesn't dare to face today's ending. He wants to try any method as long as he has the chance.
Li Songping looked at him calmly.
There was a trace of pity in his eyes.
Amid Ruan Chenglin's growing expectations, he said lightly: "Xingguo, do you dare to take care of this matter?
Hundreds of years ago when they were overlords, they might have been able to intervene.
But the current overlord is Central Continent.
Even if Xingguo wants to cause trouble, it only dares to make trouble on the African continent. If they dare to run to the door of Zhongzhou and bark randomly, isn't that asking for death?"
He sighed: "Your approach may bring great pressure from public opinion to Zhongzhou. Under the pressure, Zhongzhou may have a small possibility to temporarily abandon Tiannan. If this possibility occurs,
Then, from now on, it will no longer be a matter of two countries.
It is the collision between the Eastern Palace and Annan, the friction in the dark world.
When the time comes, the conditions that Zhongzhou has given up will also be put forward by the Eastern Imperial Palace and written into the Treaty of Tiannan. If you don't agree, you won't have a chance even if you want to be a sinner through the ages.
Not to mention what kind of moves the God of Thunder will make, if Li Tianlan comes to kill us, how can we stop him? Who dares to talk nonsense?"
There was a strong bitterness in his eyes: "After all, we were the ones who took action against Li Tianlan first..."
Ruan Chenglin was silent and didn't speak for a long time.
"At least, there is still a chance."
Li Songping lit a cigarette and listened to the increasingly fierce quarrels next door. The ridicule on his face turned into an undisguised sneer: "Let them argue, and in the end they will realize that it makes no sense at all."
."
"I'm afraid that they will turn over old scores later, and we will be very passive at that time."
Ruan Chenglin shook his head. Annan and Zhongzhou are completely different. Li Songping's prestige is extremely high. He can be said to be a man of his word here. Most of the people who are arguing in the conference room at this time can be regarded as Li Songping's.
confidant.
If there are no surprises, Li Songping's status is almost unshakable.
Li Songping was able to handle even minor accidents.
But this accident was really too big.
Li Songping couldn't bear it at all.
Everyone has selfish motives, especially those who stand at a certain height. Who doesn't have some desire for power?
At present, Li Songping's status is shaky and his prestige has been greatly reduced. Even his confidants will inevitably have some ideas now.
Regardless of whether they are sure of replacing it, they definitely have the intention to give it a try.
The fact that they are still in the conference room arguing is enough to illustrate the situation.
They just wanted to take advantage of this quarrel and delay time.
Once the Tiannan Treaty is signed, they can accuse Li Songping of not agreeing to discuss this.
Naturally, they would not dare to accuse Zhongzhou, but facing Li Songping, they could put pressure on him unscrupulously.
If Li Songping can be driven out by then, they will have something to say to the outside world. At the same time, Ruan Chenglin will naturally not be able to escape, and the two of them will naturally become the scapegoats of the Tiannan Treaty.
"Is Tiannan's old debt so easy to settle?"
Li Songping smiled, his eyes a little cold: "Don't worry, I have been in Annan for many years. Even if I am under pressure, I will still be fine for two years."
"What about in two years?"
Ruan Chenglin couldn't help but ask.
Li Songping took a deep look at him and said tiredly: "Annan, where is the next two years? Two years later, Annan has become the back garden of the East Palace."
He thought about the series of clauses of the Tiannan Treaty.
If everything goes well...
No, with the strength of Shengshi Fund, all this will definitely go smoothly.
In two or three years, the food, clothing, housing and transportation of everyone in Tiannan, the information they receive, the way they view public opinion, the living and working environment, everything will be under the control of the East Palace.
To put it more exaggeratedly, when the time comes for them to have a meal and a drink of water, they may even need a nod from the Eastern Palace.
after?
Judging from Li Tianlan's current age and life span, Annan will not need to think about the future for at least fifty or sixty years.
"There's only one thing we have to do next."
Li Songping said in a calm voice: "Be obedient.
Just be obedient.
Consider the will of the Eastern Palace as the highest order.
As for Annan, no one can shake me within two years. In two years, as long as the Eastern Palace is satisfied with me, no one can shake me either.
In this position, I may be able to find other opportunities to loosen the bonds of Annanson, at least it will be better than those few incompetent and furious idiots."
"so..."
Ruan Chenglin was silent for a while: "Signing the contract today?"
"Sign it."
Li Songping nodded: "Go there in person. The welcome ceremony must be well arranged, all uneasy factors must be eliminated, and the scene must be solemn and solemn.
I will communicate with Zhongzhou."
When the treaty is officially signed, Li Songping must attend.
As for Zhongzhou and the Eastern Palace, Li Huacheng will definitely not come, but at least a heavyweight will come.
The same is true for the East Palace.
After the important people from both parties arrive, the contract can be signed.
Li Songping looked at his watch, calculated the time, and sighed: "Let's inform the media, we can promote it now.
The signing ceremony will start at six o'clock in the afternoon, and there will be a dinner after the end. I will attend, and the pace must be controlled, and you can handle it."
"Understood."
Ruan Chenglin nodded.
His meaning was expressed clearly, but he sat still and didn't move.
Li Songping looked at him with some confusion.
Ruan Chenglin's lips moved and he smiled bitterly: "Although I understand, but... I still don't want to go."
The facts are so clearly in front of us, and so-called comfort cannot be effective.
If he takes this step today, he will be a sinner through the ages. No one can deny this.
Li Songping was silent for a long time and then said with difficulty: "We have no choice."
The swords from Central Continent and the Eastern Palace are just outside the city.
If Li Huacheng is smart enough, even if they don't want to go to today's signing ceremony, someone will soon pressure them to go.
"We have to be this sinner."
Li Songping spoke slowly: "Otherwise, when things really don't turn around, those idiots might even compete with us for this opportunity.
No matter what, at least it is better than death."
Ruan Chenglin took a deep breath.
He didn't say anything, stood up, and walked hard to the door.
The door was closed.
Li Songping smoked a cigarette silently, stretched out his hand, and personally dialed the communication with Li Huacheng.