The man with the pipe stared at Zhenlan for a long moment. "Survival and dinner," he repeated, like he was making sure that he had heard it right.
"That is what I said," Zhenlan replied with a nod of his head. He knew exactly what was going to come next. It didn't matter if they were in the middle of an apocalypse or in the middle of a boardroom.
Negotiation was always dependent on who blinked first. And Zhenlan had never once blinked first.
"What does that mean?" the man with the pipe continued, his head cocked to the side.
Letting out a long sigh, Zhenlan studied the man in front of him. Given everything, he was willing to put money on the fact that this man and his pipe would be going with him. "It means that people who can do the work we need will be fed, protected, and given a place to sleep outside the base."
He didn't bother to say what would happen to those who didn't do the work. They should know that by now.
