A military shuttle parked conspicuously before the Zhong Tower entrance, especially with the towering soldier standing guard, the gold epaulets on his shoulders flashing dazzlingly. The security guards at the door kept glancing over, hesitating whether to drive him away.

Fortunately, the Chairman and several high-level executives descended, relieving the guards of their awkward predicament.

"A Major, no less?"

Yun Rong and the others immediately recognized the rank insignia of the soldier waiting by the shuttle. Garrisons near Mingzhou City were few, and uniformed officers were rarely seen wandering the urban districts, which struck them as odd. Truthfully, their familiarity with military ranks stemmed from the compulsory military training in university.

The Major had already seen a photo of Zhong Pingjiang before arriving. He recognized him instantly, opened the door, and ushered the four inside before taking the driver's seat himself.

The military shuttle was not only sturdier but also significantly roomier than standard shuttles, and its speed was breathtaking. In less than an hour and a half, they reached Wal City—a pace almost comparable to an aircraft.

The shuttle drove directly to the front of the Presidential Palace. Upon stepping out, Zhong Pingjiang froze. The strikingly characteristic bright yellow wooden carved gate was recognizable to almost every Dawa citizen.

Yun Rong, Huang Jian, and Zhang Du, who had disembarked behind him, also stood stunned, following Zhong Pingjiang’s gaze.

"This way, please." The Major who had driven them made a gesture inviting them forward.

"May I ask," Zhong Pingjiang finally managed, swallowing hard, "Is this truly our destination?"

"Indeed," the Major replied, approaching the main gate. He presented an electronic access key to the guards. Since news of Yang Tianlie's assault, security around the Presidential Palace had visibly tightened.

Only after the guards confirmed their credentials inside did they allow the party entry.

"Please come in," the Major instructed.

Zhong Pingjiang walked in with stiff limbs. The moment his foot crossed the threshold, his head swam, feeling as if he were dreaming.

He bit his tongue, eliciting a sharp sting. This was no dream. It was real.

His chest heaved violently. He had truly stepped inside the edifice representing Dawa's supreme authority. The thought alone made him tremble uncontrollably.

The next second, his stride firmed. There are people who, at the most critical junctures, become extraordinarily composed. Zhong Pingjiang was precisely one of them.

"Hubby..." Yun Rong, following closely behind him, looked slightly pale, her voice thin. "Who exactly did you manage to partner with?"

She had never even visited the city hall before. Suddenly being brought to the supreme Presidential Palace made her frantic. Most unsettling were the fully armed soldiers, who exerted immense pressure upon her.

Though slightly better off than Yun הרו, Zhang Du and Huang Jian were also tense, their palms slick with cold sweat. This was the Presidential Palace; most people would never set foot inside it in their lifetime.

The Presidential Palace was vast, with a substantial garden separating the main gate from the building. Contrary to what they had seen in panoramic videos, security here was extremely tight. Patrols were stationed roughly every few dozen meters.

An atmosphere of palpable tension permeated the entire complex, further straining the nerves of the ordinary white-collar workers visiting for the first time.

Yun Rong couldn't help but grip her husband's arm, seeking a sense of security.

Seeing Zhong Pingjiang walking ahead with such composed steps, completely unruffled, Zhang Du and Huang Jian inwardly admired him. They realized this composure was why he could achieve such a significant position in such a short time; this bearing was unmatched by common men.

With a role model before them, their tension gradually receded. They reasoned that since they were representing the Zhong Corporation and their boss had brought them along, it signified his trust. They absolutely could not disgrace the Zhong name.

With that thought, their rigid shoulders slowly relaxed, and their steps became much lighter, no longer moving like stiff robots.

Inside the building, countless people bustled in and out, paying the five of them no mind, treating them as if they were invisible. Everyone moved with the tension of tightly wound springs, busy with urgent tasks.

The Major leading the way remained silent, and Zhong Pingjiang and his party dared not speak either, proceeding quietly, though their curiosity grew intense. Whom was he leading them to meet?

Finally, the Major stopped and signaled them to wait, stepping forward to whisper a few words to a guard.

They stood before a doorway guarded by over twenty muscular men, each with faces carved hard as stone, seemingly unshakeable by any event.

Zhong Pingjiang instinctively glanced upward above the entrance, feeling a pang of disappointment—there was no signage.

Since establishing the Provisional Operations Department, Shi Jinfan had ordered the removal of the plaque labeled "Presidential Office" from his door. His intent was to prevent his presidential status from undermining the authority of the temporary department.

Suddenly, Zhong Pingjiang felt an almost physical gaze bore into him. He turned and saw one of the guards stationed near the door, watching him with alertness.

His hand tightened; Zhong Pingjiang felt Yun Rong tremble, clinging closer to him.

Under the vigilant eyes of these fiercely loyal guards, all four of them felt their scalps prickle, their bodies stiffening. They dared not move, suspecting that if they made any careless gesture, these guards might immediately leap forward and tear them apart.

Fortunately, this sensation did not last long. The guiding Major rescued them. "Please enter now."

The lead guard had sought instruction and received the order to let them pass.

The four of them bolted forward as if granted amnesty, only realizing as they followed that their clothes were already soaked with sweat.

Terrifying.

That was the collective thought echoing through Zhong Pingjiang’s group.

The Major knocked once, and the door opened. Zhong Pingjiang adjusted his clothes before stepping across the threshold. The moment he saw the man rising from the sofa, a kindly smile gracing his face, his mind went blank, his mouth agape, unable to utter a word.

Stunned.

The three who entered afterward seemed struck by lightning simultaneously, freezing in place, staring blankly at the man. Their expressions were a masterpiece of shock.

Zhong Yun, still seated on the sofa, clamped a hand over his face—how embarrassing, how utterly mortifying, to be so disgraced right in the Presidential Palace! All the psychological advantage he had painstakingly built up was likely shattered.

"Heh-heh," Shi Jinfan chuckled before speaking, stepping forward to clasp Zhong Pingjiang's hand. "Mr. Zhong, a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I have heard your name many times. I am deeply grateful for Mr. Zhong's sponsorship of the Quartermaster Department."

Zhong Pingjiang’s stupor lasted only an instant; he quickly recovered, gripping the President's hand firmly. "Mr. President, you are too kind. The nation is facing a critical juncture; I am merely offering a small measure of assistance."

Shi Jinfan looked at him with appreciation. "Dawa needs people like Mr. Zhong right now."

To say Zhong Pingjiang was not nervous would be a lie, yet in this world, there are always individuals capable of concealing their emotions completely from others.

His gaze swept past the President to settle upon his son standing near the sofa. Regarding this son, he hardly knew what to say anymore. If he could even secure a connection with the President, what couldn't he achieve?

"Come, sit," Shi Jinfan beckoned him and the three others still reeling from the shock.

They moved like puppets and settled onto the sofas.

They had never imagined meeting the supreme leader of Dawa under such circumstances. It was… absolutely insane.

The moment they entered the Presidential Palace, they certainly hadn't anticipated being invited into the President's personal office. This was largely an issue of expectation; had they known they were coming to see the President from the start, they would never have lost their composure like this.

Zhong Yun hadn't mentioned it during his call because of his cautious nature. It was unsafe to discuss sensitive matters over the phone, and he also feared his father wouldn't believe him, given how extraordinary the situation was.

So, he had omitted the detail. He assumed the military personnel sent to collect his father would inform him, lending more credibility than if he had said it himself.

Who knew that the military, bound by extremely strict confidentiality protocols, would be unable to disclose anything to Zhong Pingjiang beforehand? This resulted in the current fiasco.

Seeing her son, Yun Rong was even more stunned than when she saw the face that frequently appeared on the news—her mind turned to mush, one question cycling incessantly: How is my son here?

Fortunately, the three generations of the Yang family had already departed; otherwise... Zhong Yun offered a wry smile.

Are these people truly fit for negotiation? Zhong Yun privately felt he had miscalculated, vastly overestimating their psychological fortitude. It was just a President; did he deserve such a reaction? he muttered internally.

He glanced at his father, whose expression remained calm, and Zhong Yun breathed a sigh of relief. At least one person was clear-headed.

This made things much easier. He had summoned his father and the others purely so they could make an appearance before the President, sending a message: These are my representatives for interests.

He hadn't expected them to hash out the cooperation details so quickly. Those specifics had already been discussed with Xiao Ling while they were en route. Having been burned once by the Zhong Corporation, Zhong Yun placed great emphasis on these protocols.

"Are these people sufficient?" Shi Jinfan asked Zhong Yun, looking him over.

"They are enough," Zhong Yun replied.

Shi Jinfan nodded and cut straight to the point, activating his desk communicator. "Tell them to enter."

Shortly after, a dozen people filed in orderly rows...

The Presidential Office was spacious and provided ample seating. The two parties sat opposite each other, commencing the protracted negotiations.

Zhong Pingjiang and his group served merely as window dressing; Zhong Yun handled the entire negotiation solo.

The scope of the four technologies was incredibly broad. For instance, the Zhong Corporation absolutely lacked the production capacity to meet wartime demands.

Through Zhong Yun’s efforts, the solution was divided into two parts: First, the State Bank would grant the Zhong Corporation a massive special loan to help them maximize production capacity in the shortest time possible. Second, authorization would be given to other companies for production.

Then there was the patent issue for the four instruments. Beyond the instruments themselves, the most critical aspect was the final assembled products, such as the "Energy Amplifier." This device could be incorporated into countless pieces of equipment; integrating it created a new device, which constituted a new patent.

The State absolutely could not allow a single company to monopolize all these patents; such a monopoly would be too terrifying.

These points required negotiation.

The Presidential Palace was never an autocracy but a collective of various interest groups. All representatives present in the meeting were delegates from the major power blocs; without their participation, the President could not sign any agreement.

This became a lengthy process of haggling, with neither side willing to yield, often arguing fiercely over a single number trailing a decimal point. One should never underestimate such a minuscule figure; in this negotiation, even such a small digit represented immense wealth.

These major factions only agreed to negotiate with Zhong Yun out of necessity. They were in the midst of a critical wartime emergency, urgently needing these technologies to defeat the invaders; every extra day the war dragged on meant greater losses for them.

Aside from military contractors like the Giant Machinery Group, few established interest groups actually welcomed war.

This was Zhong Yun’s greatest leverage. Naturally, the ambiguous stance of the Yang family was also a major factor compelling them to the negotiation table.

Dawa could not afford internal chaos now. The leaders of these major powers, who had developed their influence to this extent, were far from fools. In this fiercely competitive era, any faction lacking long-term vision would have already been ruthlessly eliminated.

In the past, they would have had countless methods to carve up this cake, and given the Zhong Corporation’s existing strength, the share they could secure would be meager.

Therefore, this war represented the golden opportunity for the Zhong Corporation to rise. Of course, there was always the risk that some factions might take drastic measures. However, Zhong Yun believed the risk was worth taking.

He wasn't without means of self-protection. Even in the worst-case scenario, the most he could lose were the four technologies. With Xiao Ling present, he wouldn't lack for technology.

Fortunately, things progressed smoothly.

Although the negotiations involved many disputes, Zhong Yun was too shrewd to try and take every advantage. One must leave some broth for others if one eats the meat. Four of these items, excluding the "High-Intensity Alloy," were entirely novel technologies that did not directly threaten the interests of any existing faction.

Novel technology meant novel industry, which meant a new piece of the cake, rather than fighting for scraps in someone else's bowl. Consequently, the representatives of these factions showed little resistance, which was one reason they agreed to negotiate.

As for the "High-Intensity Alloy," it was destined to render the "Ancient Alloy" obsolete. And the patent for the "Ancient Alloy" happened to be held by the Fei family. When dealing with the Fei family, did one need to be polite?

Zhong Yun never believed he could keep the murder of Fei Yingming a secret forever. Since he had killed a member of the Fei family, there was no expectation of peaceful coexistence.

The titans of the metal industry were the Fei and Chen families. Given Zhong Yun's relationship with the Chen family, the Fei family's tragic fate was already sealed.

The negotiations concluded after eighteen hours. After both sides exchanged contracts, Zhong Yun stood up and let out a long sigh.

The Zhong Corporation, like a fledgling eagle, had officially spread its wings, ready to soar into the sky.

P: Six thousand characters complete. Seeking monthly tickets and recommendation votes.

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