Brother Water, Where Are We Feeding Today?

The gunfire in the distance continued for a short while. Leaving behind a total of seven bodies and three wounded whom they had no time to carry off, the marauders beat a hasty, disorderly retreat in their trucks. The machine guns mounted on the roofs of two trucks sprayed fire into the forest. Further away, another patrolling technical joined in, providing covering fire in controlled bursts as their comrades pulled back. The players did not chase them out of the forest. Their own vehicles were parked to the south, while this was the northern edge of the woods. Beyond the tree line stretched a gentle slope. Without rapid motorized transport, pursuing four wheels on two legs was an impossible proposition. "Fuck, those bastards run fast!" Shouldering a Panzerfaust rocket launcher, Battlefield Hype Group watched the churning clouds of snow fade into the distance. After aiming for a moment longer, he finally lowered the tube. A distance of two to three hundred meters, a vehicle speed above thirty miles per hour—hitting that without an aimbot was genuinely tough. Still, at the thought of bagging a truck for a hundred war points, he could not help smacking his lips. What a shame! If only he had been a second faster! Commander Spring walked up from behind and patted his shoulder. "You did great already. Our objective was to drive them off; repelling the marauders' assault counts as a win. As for secondary objectives, that depends on whether the other side plays along. This AI is pretty sharp. The second things look south, the motherfuckers turn tail and run." To be fair, it was a bit cowardly. Yet that cowardice felt remarkably realistic. If a firefight broke out in this terrain, it could easily turn into a protracted war of attrition, at which point victory would depend entirely on whose reinforcements arrived first. And this was Qingquan City. Without knowing their opponent's true strength, the enemy commander had synthesized the limited intel and made the most cautious choice, which made perfect sense. It was just completely unlike how marauders normally operated. Commander Spring pondered silently, forming his own assessment of these marauders. *These mobs won't be easy to deal with!* *** On the other side of the settlement. Wrench, the guard captain clad in a Type 5 exoskeleton, walked to the center of the village square in Winter Willow Camp and found the village chief. Looking at the deeply wrinkled old man, he said gravely, "...The ones who attacked you were the Bone Chewer Tribe. They've recently expanded from the central part of River Valley Province down into the south. Although we held the upper hand this time, I can't guarantee they won't return." Glancing around at their surroundings, Wrench continued, "I'm truly sorry this happened. We did everything we could." The villagers were dragging the bodies of their fallen kin into the square. A rough count showed at least twenty. Many had died in gruesome, horrific ways that made his brow furrow. What an utter pack of beasts! He could hardly imagine what would have happened if they had arrived just a few minutes later. "Please, my lord, do not say that," Ma Zhanqiu said, shaking his head. "If not for you... our fate would only have been far worse." Beside the old man, a raggedly dressed man came stumbling over. The left side of his face was badly burned, his forehead smeared with grime and blood. As if scared out of his wits, he babbled incessantly under his breath. "I said it from the start... we should have fled this place. The ones who came this time were just lesser devils; the truly terrifying demons are still behind them. No one is a match for them. No one!" Wrench turned toward him. "And this is?" Ma Zhanqiu's Adam's apple bobbed, and he let out a soft sigh. "He's a refugee from Tianshui City, a distant relative of our family named Ma Shan. He's a pitiful soul. His family was destroyed once already, and after barely escaping with his life, who would've thought he'd run into those monsters here again... His mind isn't entirely sound anymore." Wrench fell silent. Running into them twice in a row was something else. Talk about rotten luck. Seeing the man in the exoskeleton looking at him with pity, Ma Shan seemed triggered, his emotions instantly flaring up. "I'm not joking! They have huge, massive guns, and huge vehicles... Worst of all, they've actually enslaved Deathclaws! I know I sound crazy saying this, but I saw it with my own eyes! Without a doubt, they are the minions of the Grim Reaper! Otherwise, there's no way to explain why Deathclaws would stand alongside them!" As the most ferocious beasts on the wasteland, Deathclaws were regarded as harbingers of death, even worshipped as servants of the god of death by primitive tribals. Wrench listened in confusion, his brows knitting tightly. Although he could not make heads or tails of the man's wild ranting, his instincts told him that this fellow might possess crucial intelligence. "I will take you to see the Administrator." Ma Shan looked bewildered. "The... Administrator?" Only then did Wrench realize he had forgotten to introduce himself. He added, "Pardon me, I forgot to introduce us. We are from Shelter 404." "A vault?" Ma Zhanqiu froze, staring at Wrench in astonishment. Clearly, he had never imagined they would be saved by bluecoats. As for the ragged man, a gleam of hope instantly flared in his eyes upon hearing those words. He lunged forward, babbling incoherently, "Please take me there!" "As long as we shut the door, those marauders will never get in!" *** At the outpost base. A skinny man sat inside the reception room, fidgeting in his chair with a hollow, unsettled look on his face. His eyes darted nervously toward the window and the doorway from time to time; the slightest rustle of wind outside set his nerves on edge. Through questioning him, Chu Guang had learned that his name was Ma Li, the second son of Winter Willow Camp's village chief. He had an older brother named Ma Yong, though such trivial details hardly mattered. Chu Guang had no desire to profit from others' misery, but he could not deny that the tragedy at Winter Willow Camp had sounded an alarm bell in the hearts of all the northern suburb survivors. After witnessing the carnage there through drone footage, the representatives from the other survivor settlements had been scared out of their wits, finally waking up to reality. The Bone Chewer Tribe had already pushed into the northern suburbs of Qingquan City! They were ruthless, well-equipped, and tactically proficient. Ordinary survivor settlements stood no chance against such a pack of ravenous wolves! Those who had previously hesitated, or even intended to haggle over terms regarding relocation, now made up their minds. They pleaded with Chu Guang for help, hoping to begin the evacuation as soon as possible. From there, things became much simpler. There were thirteen survivor settlements scattered across nearly five hundred square kilometers in the northern suburbs of Qingquan City. Chu Guang quickly drew up an evacuation plan: starting from the furthest settlements and moving inward, divided into three waves. The five settlements closest to the Mid-Continent Aerospace Ecological Experimental Base were slated for the first batch. These included the Chaowei Battery Factory, Mount Hope Cooperative, Scavengers' Home, Highway Town, and Winter Willow Camp... totaling over six hundred households and more than a thousand people, roughly equivalent to six Bet Streets. The outpost could only mobilize nine trucks, and that was counting the four newly captured ones! People did not necessarily have to ride in trucks, but cargo could hardly be hauled entirely on two legs. Especially food. Other belongings could be left behind, but food had to be brought along! Otherwise, once so many people arrived at Changjiu Farm, Chu Guang would have no way to find enough rations to feed them, and famine would strike him down before the Bone Chewer Tribe even arrived. Chu Guang tracked down Liu Ding and mobilized a transport squad of fifty Strength-type players, alongside an escort detachment of one hundred combat players for the evacuation operation. Starting from the outermost settlements, they would assist the local survivors in relocating. All personnel and supplies would first be evacuated to the New United Gas Station, ten kilometers away from Changjiu Farm, before being moved to the farm in batches. As for what came next... They could only cross that bridge when they came to it. The top priority right now was hauling the people and supplies back. If those marauders managed to secure fresh supplies, who knew how many more of them would swarm in! The door to the reception room swung open. Seeing the Administrator walk in from outside, Ma Li immediately sprang to his feet from his stool and hurried forward in a panic. "My lord, my family... are they all right?" Chu Guang looked at him and said, "My men met your father. He is in acceptable condition, but... your village suffered heavy casualties. My people are currently assisting your people with the evacuation. Optimistically speaking, by tomorrow evening at the earliest, you will be reunited with your father at Changjiu Farm." Hearing that his father was alive, Ma Li breathed a sigh of relief, his tense shoulders dropping slightly. Yet as he listened to the rest, his heart clenched once more. This winter was already brutal enough... Now that they had lost their village and their homes, it was plain to see that the days ahead would be even harder than before. Still, no matter how one looked at it, these people had saved their lives. Ma Li lowered his head and said sincerely, "Thank you..." Chu Guang shook his head. "No need to thank me. Helping you is also helping ourselves." Winter Willow Camp had over seventy households, totaling nearly two hundred people when counting the elderly, women, and children. Thinking along darker lines... With that many people, they would have fed those marauders for a very long time. Ma Li looked at Chu Guang and said earnestly, "Is there anything I can do? Anything to be of help to you?" A thought struck Chu Guang. He said, "The outpost's transport capacity is limited. We plan to evacuate the survivors from the first batch to the New United Gas Station, ten kilometers from Changjiu Farm, to assemble before moving them in groups to the farm. If you want to help, you can head there. I can arrange for you to assist in calming and organizing the survivors. That way, you'll also be able to see your father sooner." Of course, that also meant standing on the very front line. Ma Li took a deep breath, conquered the fear in his heart, and nodded solemnly. "I'm willing to go!" Chu Guang gave an approving look to the man who had pulled himself together, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Then go. The pickup point is north of the park. My men will escort you there!" *** Outside the east gate of the outpost. By the entrance of the nomad village, the two sisters Qiu Cao and Qiu Ye stood next to a wooden post stuck with an axe. Each held a wooden basket, craning their necks to look toward the base. Resting inside the baskets was a full load of raw silk wound around wooden spindles. Catching sight of Tengteng walking out from the outpost, the sisters' eyes lit up at once. The outgoing younger sister could not contain herself. Standing on tiptoe, she waved her hand and jogged over excitedly, throwing her arms around Tengteng in a hug. "Tengteng!" "Little sister Qiu Ye, good morning... Ah! No, don't spin me around, that's weird!" Once her feet finally touched the ground again, Tengteng smoothed her messy hair with a blushing face. Qiu Ye looked at her helplessly, like a child who had done something wrong. "Tengteng?" "N-no, it's fine... Just don't do that next time, okay!" Qiu Ye nodded, half-understanding. Though she was still unfamiliar with the language of the vault residents, she could pronounce the two characters "Tengteng" with total fluency. Thanks to the kind and beautiful Miss Tengteng, who had taught them silk reeling and gifted them a complete set of reeling tools, their tribe had not only gained a wealth of durable, pretty ropes, silk ribbons, and fabrics, but also an extra source of income. Every morning, Tengteng would come to buy the raw silk they had produced the previous day. Everyone in the tribe was deeply grateful to this kind soul. The tribal chief had specifically instructed her and her sister to reserve the absolute best raw silk for her. As for the average-quality batches, they could keep those for their own use; after all, they had no need for anything too fancy. Qiu Ye did not care much about the coins, but the pupae of those devil moths were simply delicious! She had never eaten such delectable bugs before. Plump, tender, and white, they crunched satisfyingly with every bite. Whether roasted or boiled, they were amazingly fragrant! Just as Qiu Ye was thinking that she must find a chance to treat Tengteng to her cooking, her older sister Qiu Cao walked over from nearby and tapped her on the head. "Ow!" Qiu Ye clutched her head, looking at her sister with an aggrieved expression. The elder glared at her and scolded softly, "You mustn't be so impolite to her. They are our benefactors." With that, Qiu Cao turned apologetically to Tengteng, bowed her head, and said with clumsy pronunciation, "Sorry... sister... caused trouble." "N-no, it's really fine, you don't have to apologize so formally..." Tengteng, who was terrible at handling such situations, looked slightly embarrassed. Qiu Ye's pitiful expression made her even more helpless, so she quickly changed the subject. "Right, the raw silk." With that, she retrieved a pouch of silver coins from her pocket and handed it to Qiu Cao. Qiu Cao paused slightly, then took it politely and picked up the wooden basket from the ground. "We... finished it. Can help... carry it over." "No, no need, I can take it back myself. It's not far." Looking at Qiu Ye standing aggrievedly behind her sister, Tengteng stepped forward, gently patted her head, and said happily, "Thank you, you worked hard! These materials are a huge help!" With these materials, she could make so many clothes! "Thank you!" Qiu Ye's eyes lit up, and a bright smile instantly blossomed on her face. She understood that phrase! It was an expression of gratitude and approval! Right then, a sudden commotion broke out at the north gate of the outpost. A large detachment of personnel carrying rifles marched northward with overwhelming momentum. It had been like this yesterday, too. The tribals in the village paused their chores one after another, looking north and whispering among themselves. "What happened..." "I heard it's to the north." "The north! Has the chaos spread all the way here?" "May the ancestral spirits protect them. May those warriors return victorious." "I just hope the flames of war don't reach this place... We worked so hard to find a place to settle down." The wandering life had been far too bitter. No one wanted to return to that kind of existence. Looking northward, Qiu Ye shrank nervously against her sister's side. Qiu Cao patted her little head gently, comforting her in a soft voice, "Don't be afraid. The Administrator will protect us." Although Tengteng could not understand what the sisters were saying, she could sense the unease in their eyes. Giving them a resolute look, Tengteng reassured them in an encouraging tone, "Don't worry, nothing will happen. Everyone from the shelter will protect you!" *** At the north gate of the park. Two trucks came to a stop. Shouldering a Scythe assault rifle, Edge Slacker waved to his teammates to climb aboard. "Board up, boys, we've got work! Let's move!" [Quest: Head to Chaowei Battery Factory (In Progress)] [Quest: Cover the Evacuation of Chaowei Battery Factory Residents (Not Started)] Carrying a semi-automatic Scythe rifle equipped with an optical sight, Indebted Big Eye hopped onto the bed and hollered playfully, "Let's go, let's go! Follow Brother Water to put out the fire!" Edge Slacker rolled his eyes. "Fuck off, can't you use a different name? Is it that hard to call me Edge?" Yet his protest only stoked the flames, prompting even more jeers from the people around him. Construction Site Youth and Brick chimed in, "Got it, Brother Water! Where are we spraying water today?" Makka Pakka added, "What spraying water? Brother Water, where are we feeding today?" Edge Slacker sputtered, "@#$%!" Due to an absurdly high casualty rate, Edge Slacker's squad had become somewhat famous on the forum, frequently mocked by players and armchair lurkers alike as a hearse. Back when they fought the mutants, they took heavy casualties in both rounds. In the final battle, if the dev hadn't taken pity and tuned the difficulty by spawning a squad of allied power armor right next to them, they probably would have been wiped out completely! The same had happened during the night raid on the experimental base yesterday. As the feint team, their casualty rate hit a whopping fifty percent. Although everyone knew taking so many losses wasn't really his fault—always running into massive scripted events and getting plot-killed was just an insane stroke of bad luck. Curiously enough, though... He managed to survive every single time. Because of this, many people on the forum debated whether high Perception granted hidden evasion or luck stats; otherwise, it made no sense at all. Once on the truck, Indebted Big Eye's mouth still refused to stay shut. Smiling cheekily, he nudged Construction Site Youth and Brick beside him. "Care to place a bet? Just a friendly wager—one silver coin to guess today's death toll lottery." Without a second thought, Construction Site Youth and Brick held up five fingers with a cool expression. "I bet five." As for why five? Because he only had five fingers on that hand, and he couldn't be bothered to pull the other hand out of his pocket. "Tsk," Big Eye clicked his tongue. "Then I'll bet six." Hearing that, another player nearby shuddered all over. "Fuck, shut your damn trap!" "Seriously! I want off this truck!" A total of ten squads had been mobilized, two of which were led by Edge Slacker toward the Chaowei Battery Factory, twenty-two kilometers away. This battery factory was located in a small town, where it had once produced safe, reliable, and eco-friendly solid-state hydrogen batteries. Its products had enjoyed considerable renown before the war; the town's two public elementary schools and kindergarten had even been funded by it. Now, more than two centuries later, the factory's only remaining connection to batteries was the weathered signboard whose faded letters could barely be made out. Most of the buildings inside the compound had collapsed, leaving only the perimeter walls barely intact. Since there were no dangerous mutants nearby, people had gradually settled here over time. The survivors had built dwellings from scavenged materials, patched up the perimeter walls, and sustained themselves through scavenging and farming, living here for many years. The two trucks pulled up before the factory gates. Carrying large bundles, bags, and even handcarts, the survivors had already gathered at the entrance. Bewilderment was written across many faces. While rumors that the Bone Chewer Tribe was bringing war to the northern suburbs of Qingquan City had been circulating for some time, no one had expected everything to unfold so abruptly. A young guard leaped down from the truck and strode briskly toward the factory gate, where he met the village chief of this survivor settlement. It was a slightly hunched old man, his face etched with the weathered marks of time, though his posture remained hearty and robust. Lü Bei stood firm before him, his expression serious and his words concise. "Lü Bei, Shelter 404 Guard Team! By order of the Administrator, we have come to support your evacuation!" Although the young man's somewhat tender appearance stirred a sliver of concern, the armed soldiers behind him put the old man's mind at ease. Nodding, the elder said, "I am Li Zhong, the village chief here. I've already heard about the situation from the runner. Our belongings are packed, and we can set out at any time." "We will obey your rules, and we hope you will keep your word and honor our agreement." Lü Bei nodded and said loyally, "You need not worry about that. The Administrator has already charted a bright future for you. Now, please follow me—" Before his words could finish, gunfire suddenly echoed from the distance. Bullets whizzed toward the gate, punching a line of holes into the concrete wall in an instant and throwing up plumes of dust. Startled by the sudden gunfire, the surrounding survivors scrambled away from the gate. However, a few calm veterans kept their heads, skillfully grabbing their weapons and crouching near the entrance to return fire in the direction of the shots. Snapping his head to the north, Lü Bei's eyes widened slightly. A pickup truck reinforced with welded steel plates had already pulled to a halt at the bend of the highway. Its dark, gaping gun barrel was aimed squarely at them! Not far away, Edge Slacker was already roaring as he led his men in a charge, opening fire to draw aggro while barking orders for his squad to spread out. "Enemy attack!" "Drivers, stay inside! Pull the trucks into the compound!" "Squad A, set up a defensive perimeter! Squad B, with me! We have to punch out before they surround us!" "Prep the launcher! Zeroed at one hundred yards—fire at will!"