Chapter 296: Cooperation Plan
On February twenty-second, the spring breeze brushed against the face and the warm sun blossomed in full radiance. The northern winter had completely ended, and vigorous vitality had once again returned to the earth.
At this moment, above the outskirts of Qinghui Base, several streaks of light cut across the sky. A few Transcendent-level Experts with differing auras descended upon the castle at the entrance leading into the Underground Cavern.
After a month of preparation, the newly constructed castle had long since been lavishly decorated, and rare trees of various kinds had been planted all around it.
The castle walls were overgrown with emerald-green vines covered in sharp thorns. They served not only as decoration, but also to prevent small animals from intruding.
“I am Su Mei, Camp General Manager, paying my respects to all esteemed lords.”
“My master is already waiting for you in the underground Snake King Fortress. Please follow me into the Underground Cavern—the place that leads into the Dark Domain.”
Dressed in a black evening gown, Su Mei no longer carried her usual strong-willed executive demeanor. Under the accent of the gown, she revealed a rare and resplendent elegance.
Upon seeing Duanmu Ruibo and the others arrive, she stepped forward and bowed in greeting.
“Haha, then we shall trouble Manager Su.”
As Zhou Ming’s trusted confidante, Su Mei’s intelligence profile had long since been delivered into the hands of those present. They knew she was his number one subordinate, responsible for managing the camp Zhou Ming had established.
Thus, their attitude toward her was several degrees more courteous, and they did not treat her as an ordinary Professional Beast Tamer.
Upon entering the castle, a massive passage leading underground came into view—wide enough to allow combat vehicles to pass freely.
As Camp General Manager, Su Mei had already arranged luxurious vehicles for their transport.
In a short while, they arrived at the Underground Cavern, illuminated as brightly as day by towering beacons. At this time, the Snake King Fortress had already been fully completed.
As Transcendent-level Experts, they could naturally sense the spatial changes here, as well as the Small Dimensional Rift concealed within the Snake King Fortress.
At the same time, they saw Zhou Ming standing together with the Camp Senior Leadership, waiting to receive them.
Among them were Qiu Tieyi and five Blood Snake Guards, along with Ding Mowen and Mu Ye. Their presence raised their evaluation of Zhou Ming by several points.
The Catgirl Aina standing beside Zhou Ming made them recall the upheaval that had occurred during the Giant Clan’s occupation of the Panlong Mountain Range.
None of them had expected that Zhou Ming—who had only been a Professional Beast Tamer at the time—had actually managed to seize a Catgirl from the hands of the Foreign Races.
“Honored guests, forgive me for failing to welcome you from afar. I hope you will be magnanimous!”
Seeing the Transcendent-level Experts step down from the transport vehicles, Zhou Ming—rarely wearing a smile—stepped forward to greet them personally.
“Little Friend Zhou Ming, you truly astonish us. I never expected you to have a Catgirl of the Shadow Cat Clan here. Aren’t you afraid your little girlfriend will get jealous?”
The one who spoke was Duanmu Ruibo. Compared to the other three Transcendent-level Experts, the Duanmu Family maintained a closer relationship with Zhou Ming, so only he would tease him to ease the atmosphere.
“Elder Duanmu, please don’t tease me. Aina is merely my personal servant. Lei Yuan would not go so far as to be jealous.”
Zhou Ming showed no concern over the matter. After all, he had indeed never laid a hand on Aina.
Although, in truth, he understood Aina’s body even better than she did herself. Naturally, such matters were not something he would speak of.
Duanmu Ruibo exchanged glances with Chu Yujie and the others, the corners of their mouths curling into ambiguous smiles.
Aside from being Transcendent-level Experts, they were also men. Naturally, they did not believe Zhou Ming’s claim of a pure master-servant relationship. Instead, they assumed he simply enjoyed such a dynamic.
However, they did not continue dwelling on the matter. At Zhou Ming’s invitation, they entered the interior of the Snake King Fortress.
The Snake King Fortress could be regarded as a small town. At its center stood the true Snake King Fortress, the residence of Zhou Ming and the Camp Senior Leadership.
The surrounding districts housed members of various camp departments. There was also a firearms shooting range, a martial training ground, as well as a small hospital and school.
After several years of development, the camp’s total population had now approached ten thousand.
As Duanmu Ruibo and the others entered the Snake King Fortress, they witnessed firsthand the power Zhou Ming had painstakingly built.
Though still lacking their accumulated heritage, it already possessed the imposing bearing of a major force.
Inside the main hall of the Snake King Fortress, the scene of a grand banquet came into view.
Crystal chandeliers, carpets made from Ferocious Beast hides, and furniture crafted from wood capable of calming the mind and focusing the spirit—all had been specially prepared to welcome these distinguished guests.
In addition, the delicacies meticulously prepared by Aina were all cooked using materials from High-tier Ferocious Beasts.
As Duanmu Ruibo and the others enjoyed the feast and learned that all of it had been prepared single-handedly by Aina, they could not help but feel a trace of envy toward Zhou Ming.
A beautiful Foreign Race little cook—such treatment was beyond even them. Moreover, her culinary skills had clearly reached a master-level standard.
After briefly entertaining the guests, Zhou Ming formally inquired about their willingness to cooperate.
“May I ask what form of cooperation Pavilion Lord Zhou Ming intends?”
When business was brought up, everyone’s expressions turned serious. Chu Yujie, President of the Qinghui Base Hunter Guild, spoke directly, asking how Zhou Ming intended to proceed.
“President Chu, I have two plans for your consideration.”
“The first plan is that your respective forces may freely send personnel here, using the passage within the cavern to enter the Dark Domain and collect resources.”
“As collaborators, you would only need to hand over thirty percent of the resources you obtain to me.”
“The price to be paid is that we jointly safeguard the passage into the Dark Domain. When facing enemies who seek to damage our shared interests, we must stand united.”
“As for the second plan, we all contribute manpower and resources together. According to a resource allocation ratio agreed upon in advance, we jointly develop the resources of the Dark Domain.”
Upon hearing Zhou Ming’s proposed cooperation plans, everyone fell into contemplative silence.
The first plan offered greater freedom, while the second plan was relatively fair.
The choice would depend entirely on their respective inclinations.
“Pavilion Lord Zhou Ming, if we choose the first plan, could the submission ratio be lowered somewhat?”
The one who first broke the silence was Shi Baichuan, Commander of the Qinghui Base City Defense Army.
As the Alliance military’s representative in Qinghui Base, he naturally had to consider the interests of the military.
If the first plan were chosen, the City Defense Army possessed a considerable number of Professional Beast Tamers. They could enter the Dark Domain to temper their combat strength while also obtaining large quantities of resources.
Thus, compared to the second plan, he valued the first plan more.
“Commander Shi, to what extent do you wish to lower it?”
Upon hearing Shi Baichuan’s objection, Zhou Ming immediately returned the question.
“Ten percent.”
The moment Shi Baichuan gave his answer, the others became even more interested in the first plan.
Naturally, Zhou Ming was unwilling to accept such a heavily discounted proposal.
Although he knew that the thirty percent submission was not set in stone, ten percent was far too low. After all, the ownership of the passage into the Dark Domain rested in his hands.
For a time, the luxuriously decorated hall echoed with bargaining voices reminiscent of a marketplace.
From the current situation, it was clear that everyone favored the first plan.
They instantly transformed into shrewd merchants, unwilling to yield even a fraction of profit.
Fortunately, under Zhou Ming’s arrangement, everyone else had already left the main hall of the Snake King Fortress. Otherwise, it would have left them with an unforgettable impression.
This round of negotiations ultimately lasted several hours before finally coming to an end.