Southern guerrilla warfare: I led the Red Seventh Army Corps to amassed a million troops.

Yu Qiubai picked up the conversation, "There's nothing unreasonable about it. This list is full of major generals and colonels. In terms of rank, they are much higher than us county-level cadres."

"If Minister Chen feels that this kind of exchange is somewhat unreasonable, we can disregard rank and only consider the number of people."

"We still have 38,000 prisoners of war from your side, including a large number of wounded soldiers, new recruits, and even young men temporarily conscripted. We request that you hand over an equal number of underground party members and political prisoners."

This left the Kuomintang members looking at each other in bewilderment, their faces turning ashen.

Good guy!

It has no advantage in terms of quality compared to cutting-edge technologies, and even less so in terms of quantity.

No matter how I change, I feel like I'm going to lose everything, even my underwear.

Chen Lifu's chest heaved slightly as he forcibly suppressed his frustration and declared decisively, "Alright, the first batch of exchanges will proceed as you've proposed!"

"However, there are very important figures among this group of prisoners, so this cannot be used as a precedent. In addition, I propose that the exchange we have agreed to today should begin its formal handover immediately tomorrow."

Zhou Zeyuan looked at him with a half-smile: "So, you mean we'll talk and then release them, right?"

Zhang Chong, who was standing nearby, quickly interjected, "That's right! Commander Xia and his family are very worried about his safety, and patriots all over the country are also hoping to hear good news. I think it's very necessary to do this."

Zhou Zeyuan nodded, but his tone still carried a hint of mockery: "Think about the worst-case scenario. If your side is planning to make a sudden move during the negotiations, then it would be necessary to conduct the prisoner handover in advance."

Upon hearing this, everyone present changed their expressions.

That's going too far, that's really going too far. Isn't this a clear sign that they don't trust us?

Chen Lifu's face stiffened slightly, but he forced a smile and said, "Commander-in-Chief Zhou, you must be joking. How could our Party do something so contrary to diplomatic principles?"

Zhou Zeyuan picked up his teacup and said casually, "Of course not. I was just stating the worst-case scenario. In reality, the possibility is extremely slim, especially since Minister Chen is still here."

"Liu Jingfu is not Li Jing, and you, Minister Chen, are not Tang Jian. How could he possibly be like the Tang Dynasty's military genius Li Jing, launching a surprise attack while diplomats are away on official business? He doesn't have that kind of guts!"

These words made Chen Lifu, who had been relatively calm, suddenly feel uncertain.

Liu Zhi didn't have the guts, but he was certain that the principal did.

Not only do they exist, but they're also huge!

Although he held an extremely important position within the Party, controlling personnel work within the Organization Department of the Central Committee on one hand and the Party Affairs Investigation Section of the Organization Department of the Central Committee, a secret service system on the other.

His uncle was the principal's sworn brother, so the principal shouldn't have ignored his life or death.

No matter what, we have to wait until the negotiations are over and we go back before we start fighting!

However, while these powers sound impressive, they lack one crucial element—military power.

He did not have a single army that would obey his orders.

This means that if something were to happen to him, no unit would feel resentful.

Looking back, all his power came from the principal's trust. If the principal wanted to abandon him, he would have no power to resist at all.

Despite his unease, Chen Lifu remained remarkably calm: "Indeed, indeed. Let's discuss the exchange of other prisoners. How many officers of second lieutenant rank and above do you have in your possession?"

Zhou Zeyuan put down his teacup and calculated for a moment, "Wow, this number is not small. Roughly speaking, it's about four thousand people."

Chen Lifu's eyes lit up; this number was indeed quite tempting.

Forget filling the gaps in those core units, it's almost enough to build the framework of an army group.

But just as he was about to speak, Zhou Zeyuan changed the subject, adding meaningfully:

"But do you only want officers? We've counted, and many of these prisoners are veterans with over three years of service. These are highly trained, battle-hardened elites. Don't you want to ransom them?"

Chen Lifu felt his head buzzing; this was a complete trap!

No, we absolutely can't go at his pace. He forced himself to say, "Let's do it one stroke at a time."

Zhou Zeyuan leaned forward, crossed his hands on the table, and revealed a wicked smile, but his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's: "Minister Chen, if you want to buy everything, I can give you a wholesale price. But if you insist on picking this group of officers separately, then don't blame me for asking for an exorbitant price."

Upon hearing this, the Kuomintang officials present immediately had a bad feeling.

Commander Zhou's words were like a knife hidden in a treachery, but at least he still maintained a degree of politeness.

Now that he's not pretending anymore, how ruthless must he be?

Not only them, but even the Red Army representatives sitting in the same row felt a chill run down their spines.

Those who have known Zhou Zeyuan for a long time know very well that this young man has a fierce tiger in his heart, but he has built a cage with the spirit of the Soviet Union, trapping the tiger in place.

Don't be fooled by the fact that tigers look like big cats; sometimes they'll act cute after they've had a good meal.

But once they see their prey, their instinctive bloodlust and ferocity are undeniable.

Today, they seem to have the privilege of witnessing the ferocity of this tiger after it was released from its cage!

No matter how chaotic his mind was, Chen Lifu maintained his dignity as a minister, and his tone remained gentle:

"Commander Zhou, as the saying goes, business is business. No matter how you ask, you have to be reasonable! Asking for exorbitant prices and then negotiating when the price drops doesn't seem to suit our status."

Zhou Zeyuan nodded and said calmly, "I don't like to haggle with others, so I'll give you my bottom line: one officer in my hands in exchange for ten prisoners in your hands. And you must guarantee that more than half of these prisoners are registered members of our party."

"impossible!"

Zhang Chong slammed his fist on the table in anger, his eyes wide with fury: "Commander Zhou, this is more than just outrageous! Even a hippopotamus doesn't have such a big mouth!"

Zhou Zeyuan shrugged noncommittally. "How can a hippopotamus compare to me? I'm a human, and at the top of the food chain. Isn't it natural for me to have a bigger appetite?"

"As for Mr. Zhang saying it's impossible, what's impossible about it? You're actually getting a good deal here!"

Hearing such shameless words from the other party, Chen Lifu finally couldn't hold back his anger any longer, and his voice suddenly rose:

"Commander Zhou, one for ten, and you still say we got the better deal? Are you trying to play me for a fool?"

"If you can't provide a clear explanation, I think this negotiation will have to be suspended, and you will bear all the consequences!"