Ultragenic Warlord

Chapter 214: Cheap Laborers

The other two authorities advised their respective hosts in much the same way that Commandant Wilson advised General Hill, returning agency to Zhang Lie, Su Feng, and Yan Long.

Around half an hour later, there was a knock on the door to Yan Long's suite. Glancing at Hill, Carrey and hosts from the eight other strongest countries behind them, Yan Long began to smile. "Ah, what's going on? You've all come over to visit?"

Su Feng seemed rather surprised that all ten hosts had come over together. He knew that they would approach him or Yan Long sooner or later, but not in such a united fashion.

"Isn't it better for all of them to come together? It means we have to talk less, at least." Yan Long pushed the door open.

"General Yan Long, we haven't disrupted your rest, have we?" Hill inquired politely, his tone now reconciliatory rather than interrogative.

"If I said it did, would you depart?" Yan Long retorted, an ugly expression on his face.

The ten representatives began to frown, but Yan Long was right: they couldn't back down now, not when so much was at stake.

Eventually, Su Feng broke the stalemate, taking his role in their good cop-bad cop routine naturally. "Stop it, Yan Long, they're all guests. Please, enter."

The representatives had successfully entered Yan Long and Su Feng's suite, but the intense aura which had shrouded them had all but dissipated.

There was barely enough space on the large sofa for five people, let alone ten, but everyone still squeezed in together. If they didn't obtain anything from the Chinese delegation today, they were certain they would fall behind the others.

"Are you all here regarding Zhang Lie's research on limit fragments?" Yan Long asked a question he knew the answer to.

The representatives glanced at each other; General Hill replied with a resounding yes.

"Haven't I already explained my thought process?" Yan Long's face turned ugly once more.

"General Yan Long, we apologize. We shouldn't have approached you with that sort of attitude, so please calm down. However, we had no choice. This research on limit fragments is simply too valuable to keep secret, and all our countries need it urgently."

"Right, General Yan, please don't reject us. Give us an opportunity to make things up!"

Hill, Carrey, and the other representatives all suddenly seemed eager to please, causing Yan Long and Su Feng to exchange satisfied smirks.

"Indeed? How convenient it is that you only remembered this now! This research on limit fragments ?is one of China's top-secret projects, developed by the Dragonwolf Zhang Lie himself. Do you think it's something you can get in on just by asking?"

Despite their attitude, Yan Long remained resistant to their plans.

Su Feng jumped in at an opportune moment. "Yan Long, calm down! Perhaps cooperation's out of the question, but we're still willing to accept an equal trade, aren't we?"

Su Feng's words caused the other representatives' eyes to light up. Indeed, they could trade for something of equal value! Everyone began thinking about what research their countries were conducting, and whether it would be significant enough to merit such a trade… but then they slumped back down into the sofa.

Nothing they had could even compare in value to these so-called limit fragments!

Hill, who led the other representatives, murmured uneasily, "General Su, I'm afraid we don't have any research of equal value to Zhang Lie's work on limit fragments, so—"

"So you intend on stealing this research for nothing? Is that it?" Yan Long interrupted impatiently.

"No, no! General Yan Long, you misunderstand my words. We're certainly willing to trade for it, but because we don't understand what this research entails, we don't know what to offer in trade," Hill replied diplomatically.

.

"Let me clarify, then. The result of all this research is a miraculous potion."

"A potion?!" The representatives were rather shocked; After all, pillmaking was still in a fledgling stage of development at this point in time, and most gene-enhancing techniques involved directly editing DNA to correct any deficiencies and perfect one's gene line. This was the case with England's gene-splicing technology.

"Indeed, a potion!" A blood-red potion appeared in Yan Long's hands. "This potion, Potion #1, will raise a hunter's basic gene capacity by fifty points!"

"What? Fifty points?! That's ridiculous!"

The foundational breakthrough that Zhang Lie had promulgated had only raised the basic gene capacity by ten, and it wouldn't be a decisive advantage, but fifty basic gene fragments was a significant amount.

None of them had expected that it would be so easy to obtain fifty gene fragments—all they had to do was down a small potion! If this potion truly were so miraculous, they had to acquire its recipe at any cost!

"General Yan Long, the effects of this Potion #1 are truly mindblowing. Can we verify its results for ourselves?" General Hill proceeded cautiously, hoping to get a free sample or two out of Yan Long.

"Verify? I think not!" Yan Long replied, huffing. "If you don't believe my words, you're welcome to leave."

But what could Hill say in response? If he left now and missed out on such a miraculous potion...

"No, General Yan, I don't mean to doubt you! It's just that—"

"Enough! You all see what you're trading for, don't you? I'm happy to accept anything of equal value," Yan Long broke Hill off brusquely, then restated the terms of the trade.

The representatives of each country began to mull over just what they could provide in exchange; from their perspective, once they acquired the potion, they would easily be able to reconstruct the recipe.

In the end, it was Hill who spoke up again. "General Yan Long, all I can think of is to trade you the herbs that would constitute this potion for the potion itself!"

This was exactly what Yan Long and Su Feng wanted.

"To trade us the herbs?" Yan Long pressed, pretending to be confused.

"Yes," General Hill affirmed. "Put simply, we'll provide the herbs and an additional fee besides to exchange for the potion in your hand!"

The other representatives also began to nod, thinking that this would be a viable proposition. Yan Long hesitated, as though he weren't sure of the proposal. He ultimately turned to Su Feng, as though asking for his opinion.

Everyone's gaze fell on Su Feng.

"This would work, and Zhang Lie's amenable to it, but..." Su Feng seemed to want to say something more, but hesitated.

The other representatives all sucked in a breath, waiting for Su Feng to continue, but he simply shut his mouth and waited.

The impatient Carrey called out, "General Su Feng, what additional requirements is Zhang Lie asking for? We'll do our best to satisfy them!"

"Right, General Su Feng, please tell us!"

In the end, Yan Long finally said, "Potion #1 simply requires quite a lot of ingredients."

The representatives relaxed. This wasn't a serious issue at all! Of course such a miraculous potion would require a considerable number of ingredients, and their countries' treasuries and storehouses did contain quite a decent number of herbs. Before the invention of Potion #1, these herbs were only useful as mediocre substitutes for standard medicine at best, and exchanging them for Potion #1 was surely a worthwhile trade.

"Don't worry, the herbs won't be a problem!" Hill shouted before Su Feng could change his mind.

Su Feng nodded, then handed each representative a copy of the list that Zhang Lie had prepared. "Ten sprigs of each herb on this list will be sufficient to exchange for one bottle of Potion #1. The trade will take place in the Blackdragon settlement in the first realm!"