Chapter 116: Negotiation x and x Motivation

"Things are quite lively here."

Beside Red Electric, a Han dynasty soldier wearing a helmet, who had approached unnoticed, spoke in a low voice.

On the stage, soldiers were currently receiving their rewards. Following promotions and commendations, Wang Luo's guards carried dozens of chests filled with copper coins and silk onto the platform. According to the merit rolls, these were distributed to soldiers who had displayed bravery in the previous battles but were not suited for promotion or medals.

"It will be the same for us in the future." Despite the quiet tone, Red Electric recognized who the speaker was.

Gettin.

He replied in a low voice, "Wang Luo seems to treat the natives as equals, just like us. By the way, why are you here? Didn't I tell you to come only after crossing the river?"

"Can he take people out? To other scenarios?" Gettin ignored Red Electric's question and continued.

"I don't know." Red Electric shook his head. "Rumor has it that someone once brought a battleship out of a naval warfare world. There are plenty of people who take retainers, and some can summon a small number of warriors. But I've never heard of anyone taking an entire army out."

"The Army of the King... is that it? Heh, even if he brings them out, they wouldn't have much combat power in other eras," Gettin said. "Besides, the Universal Points required for that must be astronomical."

"Speaking of Universal Points, Lin Feirui still owes you a lot, doesn't she?"

"Yeah..." Gettin feigned a sigh. "She promised to give me three hundred thousand at the end of the scenario as compensation for earlier. She even signed a contract, but what should we do now? I'm actually worried for her."

*You, worried?* If a contract was signed, her equipment would be forcibly auctioned off to cover the debt. You wouldn't lose either way. "It looks like she doesn't plan to join Wang Luo's new team, which means she needs to pay an extra fifty thousand," Red Electric calculated. "However, if we break the Yellow Turban army and kill a few of their generals, the earnings could reach that amount."

"And her yield won't be halved since she hasn't surrendered yet," Gettin smiled. "It's entirely possible. Moreover, since you haven't left Wuzhou yet, many of the battle spoils will fall into her hands. Are you really going to hold out until the end of the scenario to quit the team?"

"That's part of the agreement," Red Electric recalled his previous negotiations with Blooming Flowers. "We've known each other for a while, after all, and she helped us a lot in the past. Since we plan to join Wang Luo's new team anyway, we don't need the Universal Points."

"By the way, what does the name of this new team, 'DTPH', mean?"

"I don't know. The name isn't important; I can ask him later if I get the chance."

"So..." After exchanging pleasantries for so long, Gettin finally stated the purpose of his visit. "What about my situation?"

"Pay fifty thousand, or join the team. As you like." Red Electric shrugged. "Wang Luo isn't a petty person. No matter what you did before, since he won, he won't hold it against you. But I suppose you don't plan to abandon your own team, do you?"

"Right, and I don't want to pay that fifty thousand either. When the time comes, you can accept my surrender. I promise I won't come to your main camp afterwards. If I just show up at settlement time, he won't even know who accepted it."

*In your dreams.* "Do you think... if he finds out, what will he do?"

"Fly into a rage?" Gettin shrugged.

"I don't know," Red Electric said quietly. "And I don't want to find out." *Mostly, I just don't want to agree to your plan.* "As a newcomer, I need to keep a low profile. I advise you to just pay the mere fifty thousand. Otherwise, it's hard to say what might happen."

"Is that so?" Gettin looked toward the distant stage, where a soldier holding several strings of copper coins was walking down, his face flushed with excitement. "I remember you still owe me a favor."

"That's right." Red Electric spread his hands. "If you want to use that favor here, I'll accept it. I will honestly tell Wang Luo to transfer your debt onto my head, and I'm sure he'll accept."

"However, do me the favor of getting one thing straight: every time I join a team, I give it my all and fulfill my duties to the utmost."

"You saw how things were previously in Wuzhou. Even in the most difficult moments, I still provided the maximum support to the team."

Gettin remained silent.

"That was my responsibility," Red Electric continued. "And after doing all that, when the team achieved victory, I deserved the appropriate compensation and rewards."

"Team Leader Lin still wanted to keep everything for herself as before—she was the unreasonable one. If anyone betrayed anyone in this matter, it was her. Wuzhou betrayed us, not the other way around. Leaving was the most justified thing to do. And in the new team, I will remain loyal and dedicated until it ceases to be worthy of my loyalty."

"If you understand what I mean..." Red Electric stared directly at Gettin. "If Wang Luo had set excessively harsh conditions, that would be one thing. But this condition is completely reasonable."

"You've changed your tune fast enough," Gettin said sarcastically. "Fine! Just put it on my tab! I'll go find Lin Feirui and make her pay for me, deducted from what she owes me. How about that?"

"As long as she agrees." Red Electric glanced toward Lin Feirui, who was not far away. "Perhaps you can even lend her some Universal Points. Even if the interest is a bit high, she should accept."

At that moment, the surrounding area grew quiet. They were forced to halt their conversation.

Looking up, the reward ceremony had concluded. Wang Luo walked to the front of the stage and began to address the entire army.

"My compatriots!"

"We have won! Glory belongs to you!"

He was met with a roar like a crashing mountain and a rolling sea.

"In this battle, many of our comrades have fallen. But such a sacrifice is glorious and great!"

"Why? Because if we do not fight our enemies—those powerful clans and wealthy landlords—we will die just the same. We will die of disease, die of starvation, be abused by them, and die in unbearable agony. Compared to such deaths, is not striving on the battlefield and dying in combat against the enemy a form of glory?"

"Glory! Glory!" The soldiers raised their weapons high, responding in unison.

"Remember who we are, and who they are! We are people who toil with our hands, hoping to make our lives better! Everyone who does so is our friend! Our ally! Our partner! But they—whether they are the landlords, powerful clans, officials, and emperors of the Han court, or the Yellow Turbans in the north—are all utterly greedy! They are people who want to plunder the fruits of our labor!"

"Those high-ranking officials of the Han dynasty, by what right do they attain such high positions and receive such vast salaries? It is all the product of our labor! But what have they done that benefits everyone? Nothing at all!"

"Those landlords and powerful clans, what have they done? It was their ancestors who achieved merit, not them. By what right are those people born to possess so much land while letting us starve to death?"

"It makes no sense! It makes no sense!" The soldiers below cheered and shouted.