You are ordered to support the War of Resistance against Japan; China enters Level 1 combat readines

Yu Manli changed out of her simple clothes and put on a well-tailored moon-white soft satin cheongsam.

The cheongsam perfectly accentuated her curvaceous figure, with the slit revealing glimpses of her fair and straight calves.

Her long hair was styled into a gentle bun, revealing her slender and elegant neck. Her face was lightly made up, and she lowered her eyes and looked demure. She had lost some of the coldness of a secret agent and gained more of the gentleness and charm of a woman from the old days.

She gently placed the tray on the square table next to Shen Wang.

The tray contained several delicate home-style dishes, a bowl of glistening rice, a plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, a bowl of tender braised pork, and a small pot of steaming chicken soup.

Although not luxurious, the food was delicious and visually appealing, creating a stark contrast to the bowl of steamed buns and pickled vegetables in the conference room.

"Sir, it's time for dinner."

Yu Manli's voice was as soft as a feather, and she bowed slightly, her posture as submissive as a young wife serving her husband in the old days.

Shen Wang looked up at her, his gaze lingering for a moment on the curves of her body wrapped in the cheongsam, and smiled.

The system didn't issue any warnings, which means it's not poisonous, and besides, this woman... does have a certain odor.

A thought suddenly flashed through Shen Wang's mind: what if this cheongsam were paired with a pair of black stockings...?

Seeing that Shen Wang was smiling and seemed to be in a good mood, Yu Manli became even more attentive in serving him.

She first served the rice with both hands, then stood aside and served the dishes and soup as needed.

Her movements were gentle and skillful, and her eyes were always focused on Shen Wang's needs. When she saw which dish his gaze swept over, she would immediately use serving chopsticks to put some into his bowl.

Seeing that his soup bowl was almost empty, he immediately and silently refilled it.

She herself barely touched her chopsticks, focusing solely on serving the guests.

The meal was eaten slowly and comfortably.

Yu Manli's cooking skills are indeed excellent. The braised pork is fatty but not greasy, the seasonal vegetables are refreshing and delicious, and the chicken soup is fresh and warm.

More importantly, it's the feeling of being pampered that's so enjoyable.

Even women in later generations who were kept by sugar daddies could not possibly serve their sugar daddies with such dedication.

Especially beautiful women.

Because beautiful women never lack wealthy suitors.

As for Yu Manli, she was the most beautiful of all women.

Suddenly, Shen Wang thought that if even Yu Manli had appeared, then was the intelligence chief, who was troubled by love, also in this world?

That woman has a great figure!

Beside her, Yu Manli occasionally whispered a few unimportant words, her voice soft and charming.

Or she would look at Shen Wang with those expressive eyes, filled with just the right amount of admiration and concern.

To be fair, this former top agent was truly exceptional in his ability to "serve people," possessing a profound understanding of how to satisfy men's psychological and physiological needs, making them feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze.

This meal, eaten slowly and deliberately, took more than an hour to finish.

When Shen Wang put down his chopsticks and took the warm towel from Yu Manli to wipe his hands, it was already completely dark outside the window.

He glanced at his watch, a meaningful smile curving his lips.

The heat is almost done.

. . .

It was still that same simple meeting room.

The representatives from the four countries had already "resolved" the bland dish of steamed buns and pickled vegetables.

After all, there's really nothing to savor about that stuff; it's mostly swallowed whole, just to fill your stomach and make a statement.

At this moment, they are communicating in hushed tones and at a rapid pace, using a mix of English, German, and some Soviet languages.

Despite their tired faces, their eyes gleamed with shrewdness.

The initiative in the negotiations has undoubtedly been lost to them; the other side has already shown enough alarming signs by revealing only the tip of the iceberg.

But this does not mean they should lie down and submit to being slaughtered.

They must form some kind of temporary, tacit alliance, unify their bottom line and statements, and absolutely not allow that greedy, unconventional Mr. Shen to make exorbitant demands and swallow all the benefits!

At the very least, they should strive for the most favorable terms regarding the acquisition price of core technologies, the proportion of cultural relics to be returned, and the specific list of those relics.

"That condition can never be fully agreed to! This is a matter of principle!"

"But we absolutely must get the blueprints for the jet engine, at least some of them! The pressure from home is immense!"

"The tank's transmission and armor technology are also crucial..."

"And what about the design concepts of those individual weapons..."

Just as the hushed debate and compromise were about to reach some kind of consensus, the simple wooden door to the conference room was pushed open.

A young communications staff officer, dressed in a Eighth Route Army uniform and with a serious expression, walked in and his gaze fell directly on the German representative.

"Mr. German representative, Mr. Shen requests your presence here now."

The hushed conversation in the conference room abruptly stopped.

The representatives were all taken aback, exchanged glances, and were all somewhat surprised.

Should we discuss this separately?

The American representative raised an eyebrow, the British representative's lips twitched, and the Soviet representative narrowed his eyes.

This is not too surprising, since it is common in complex diplomatic and commercial activities to negotiate such important transactions that involve the core interests of each country separately.

This would prevent them from ganging up to drive down prices, and would also give the man surnamed Shen the opportunity to target different customers based on their characteristics and needs, thereby maximizing his own profits.

However, this also sends a clear signal: that guy surnamed Shen is really ready to start substantive negotiations!

The representatives of the four countries breathed a sigh of relief, and even felt a strange sense of "gratification".

Thank goodness, after a long, humiliating, shocking, and agonizing day of waiting and presentation, we're finally getting to the main event!

As for the potential risks of discussing things separately... didn't they already "reach an understanding" just now?

I believe my colleagues know how to uphold our shared bottom line.

The German representative straightened his slightly wrinkled suit and tie, took a deep breath, nodded to his companions to reassure them, and then followed the communications officer out.

. . .

Shen Wang's "office" was in a relatively independent mud-brick house, with extremely simple, even crude, furnishings.

An old wooden table, two chairs, a filing cabinet, and a huge, hand-drawn battle map of North China hanging on the wall.

The only "luxury" was the bright kerosene lamp on the table.

Shen Wang sat in the only chair with a backrest behind the table, in a relaxed posture.

Yu Manli stood quietly to his side, slightly behind, still wearing that moon-white cheongsam. Her figure was graceful, and her face looked even more beautiful and charming in the dim light of the oil lamp.

Her eyelids were slightly lowered, like a delicate and quiet ornament.

The German representative pushed open the door and immediately saw Shen Wang behind the desk. His gaze was then involuntarily drawn to Yu Manli behind Shen Wang.

An unbelievably beautiful woman.

A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, and then, the corners of his mouth turned up involuntarily.

Do you like women?

That makes things much easier!