The Fake Brother Guang, the Real Brother Pie

Boulder City was enormous. Not just its infrastructure, but its population as well. To conduct a thorough investigation into the local conditions and customs here, even a week might not be enough. What was more, the "New Map Trial Pass" had only a three-day validity period… On the evening of the second day. Sitting by the window, Fang Chang glanced out at the street, which was gradually growing lively, and put away his notebook and pen. Overall, progress had been fairly smooth. Aside from having no way to enter the inner city, the exploration rate of the outer city had already reached sixty percent, and he had basically investigated everything that needed to be understood. Especially the parts that delved deep into the societal level. And that part was precisely what astonished him the most. "Unlike small survivor settlements such as Bet Street and Brown Farm, Boulder City is not only massive, but its makeup also differs from the 'feudal lord' rule of most small and medium survivor settlements. It functions much more like an intricate collective of interests." "The City Lord is the highest authority here, holding command over the militia, but he does not participate in the city's concrete affairs, nor does he operate any businesses or assets. He is only responsible for dealing with the Tide and other threats, as well as taking money from the City Hall's treasury." "The residents living here established a bureaucratic system tailored to themselves, responsible for handling all kinds of messy affairs and that top priority known as taxation. However, because they cannot directly obtain the support of the apparatus of violence, their governing power over the region is very weak. When resolving certain issues, they even have to rely on the help of certain 'big shots.'" "Interestingly, while interacting with NPCs, I accidentally stumbled upon an easter egg left by the development team." "In the early Wasteland Era, Boulder City wasn't actually called Boulder City, but 'Building Town.' That remained true until, with the help of an ancient organization called the 'Post-War Reconstruction Committee,' they completed their expansion from the first high-rise into the outer city and built an enormous concrete wall to deal with the Tide." "Over the following century, they seemed to have lost the ability to build mega-walls and halted their expansion, replacing it instead with carving out invisible territory through trade. And it was precisely through this approach that they accumulated a massive amount of regional prestige in the southern part of River Valley Province and made 'chips' popular throughout Qingquan City, turning them into the hard currency in the eyes of the locals… which is also the root of most Boulder City residents' arrogance." "Even if that wealth plundered through chips has nothing to do with them whatsoever, and has done nothing to improve their current circumstances." "When dealing with such a faction, winning them over through interests seems to be a much better choice than direct warfare." "However, it must be noted that this is also their greatest area of expertise. The NPCs here are far more cunning than those in the northern suburbs." Combined with the photos he had taken, this should be enough to write an impeccable guide. Taking into account the lifestyle players who had been constantly clamoring about wanting to run trade routes and harvest NPCs like leeks, Fang Chang had also compiled the transaction prices of several major commodities at the trading post. And organized them into a spreadsheet! Thinking of the players on the forum crying out for sustenance, Fang Chang couldn't help letting a faint smile surface on his face. Was this what it felt like to be a top dog? It felt great. Back when he was pioneering in other games, he had written quite a few guides, and several of his alt accounts had posted guides with immense popularity. Yet the sense of accomplishment he gained from those games, even added all together, couldn't compare to the one he was currently playing. Just as Fang Chang put away his notebook and prepared to head to the adjacent room to log off and rest, Liszt's apprentice walked over. "The engineers and equipment are ready. We hired mercenaries, and they'll be responsible for safely escorting us to your outpost base." "We depart early tomorrow morning." Walking over to the table, Qian Lai sat down across from Xu Shun and said with a smile, "This is our last night in Boulder City. Don't you plan on heading out for a stroll? I know a great drinking spot. The beer there is decent, and very cheap." Xu Shun shook his head. "Thank you, but there's no need." "I still have a mission to carry out." From the moment he stepped out the door, Xu Shun had kept the Administrator's instructions firmly in mind, etching every single word into his heart. Slacking off might happen with anyone else, but it would never happen with him. Seeing Xu Shun politely decline his invitation, Qian Lai said nothing more. He had already experienced these fellows' stubbornness. Last night he had suggested going out to find some fun to celebrate, since all the business they needed to handle was finished, but this guy had refused without a second thought. Not to mention that guy sitting by the window earlier. Utterly impossible to communicate with. Although this wasn't his first time dealing with the bluecoats, it was definitely the strangest. …… The following night. Chu Guang saw Fang Chang's published, complete version of the "Boulder City Market Research Report" on the forum. As expected of the entire server's top know-it-all, Brother Fang Chang's patch comprehension had never disappointed him. This time was no different. Using the style of a travelogue, Fang Chang had recorded in detail what their group had seen and heard in Boulder City, along with the conditions of various industries analyzed through diverse clues. Because they had returned to communication range, the post was also accompanied by a large batch of high-definition pictures. Not only did active players thoroughly enjoy reading it, but the armchair gamers also cheered in awe. Lightning King Professor Yang: "Holy shit! Are these in-game graphics?" Proud Grandpa What Can You Do: "Heh, bragging without even drafting a script!" Keep It Down I'm Braum: "Awesome, awesome. If the finished product has even half this quality when it comes out, I'm whaling all the way!" Fang Chang: "…I'll update the forum later with a price reference table for Boulder City transactions. You guys can use it as a reference, but it's for reference only!" "Wasteland OL's trade system is genuinely very detailed. Haggling ability and eloquence directly influence transaction prices. Especially for certain items with scarcity attributes, bargaining can swing the final transaction price by fifty percent, or even a hundred percent!" "Considering language barriers, if you don't want to get scammed by NPCs, you can try hiring some NPCs with high Charisma and high Trade skill proficiency to haggle on your behalf! This advice is for reference only—if you're the kind of genius who can master a foreign language from a completely different cultural background in less than six months and become fluent in its slang, just pretend I said nothing." Jieyan: "The pro is amazing!!" Commander Spring: "Terrifying! Creating a price list before the new map is even open—this is way too overpowered!" Tengteng: "I want to open a clothing store in Boulder City! Can I hire locals to help me sell clothes?!" Fang Chang: "There's a severe labor surplus over there, so you definitely can. But ordinary people don't have much purchasing power; pretty clothes are probably only affordable for the filthy rich. I suggest trying to craft protective gear like bulletproof vests or sturdy, durable leather jackets to earn money from the mercenaries!" Tengteng: "Taking notes, taking notes! (Furiously_scribbling.jpg)" Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes: "Me me me, I want to open a shop too! I can open a restaurant! A bar works too! (Excited)" OwOw Black Sesame Paste: "I'll handle deliveries! Cat Cat Express, mission guaranteed!" Tail: "Tail will handle escort duty! The Wasteland's number one escort guard is here! Leave monster-slaying to Tail!" Sisi: "Oh! I'll be responsible for keeping an eye on Tail." Makka Pakka: "Cut the Crap will be responsible for chumming the water! (Funny)" Cut the Crap: "Piss off!" Yaya: "Wait, what about mushrooms?! Can mushrooms sell for money?" Fang Chang: "Uh… I only seemed to see people buying Blue Parasol mushrooms? The price offered was quite high though. Supposedly it's raw material for making anti-radiation drugs, but other varieties were rarely seen. Maybe some pharmacies would buy them? I'll ask around for you later." Yaya: "What the heck, does it really have to be that blue mushroom that grows in the sewers? Σ(°△°|||)︴" Elaina: "Tell the truth, did you chicken out? (Funny)" Ye Shi: "On that day, Boss Yaya remembered the terror of being submerged in leeches. (Funny)" Elven King Fugui: "Hahaha! Weakling! Hahahaha! Noob! Did I mimic it well? (Funny)" Yaya: "I'm gonna shark all of you!" …… It had to be said, these players were each a talent in their own right. Chu Guang looked through the forum. He discovered that in just a few short minutes, the topic had fast-forwarded from opening a clothing store and forming a caravan all the way to culturally conquering the wasteland. Conquering the wasteland with modern consumerism? Did this count as a renaissance? Umm… At any rate, they certainly couldn't win technologically. At least in the short term, the gap between the two sides wasn't something a few black boxes could bridge. Not to mention other people might have such things as well. However, consumption was indeed their weak point, especially consumer culture. The nobles in the inner city were infatuated with products from Ideal City and had detached from common tastes in their pursuit of pleasure. Outer-city residents were squeezed breathless by the factories; although their basic needs for clothing, food, housing, and transport were met, they possessed no surplus purchasing power. Mercenaries, this massive and motley group, had instead been consistently overlooked by the caravans focused on external markets. Though they were also poor, once spring arrived and trade routes resumed, many would strike a windfall. Just looking at Boss Xia made that clear. Most mercenaries couldn't save money. Those who could save either rose to become mercenary leaders, evolved into caravan bosses, or entered other trades. These mercenaries' needs weren't limited to guns and food; not everyone kept a cool head and invested all their earnings into themselves. Aside from buying ammunition and supplies, as well as maintaining weapons, the rest of their money either went into casinos or was spent on tobacco, alcohol, and women. Chu Guang felt that he could completely find them some avenues for spending money that possessed a bit more aspiration. If his little players could design clothes, shoes, gun belts, protective gear, and weapons that were not only sturdy and durable but also contained "elements mercenaries loved to see," products from Shelter 404 might very well become popular throughout the bars of Boulder City. If they could establish a brand effect in the minds of mercenaries, they might genuinely be able to harvest a wave of profits. What was this called? It was called selling skins! Who said only players could buy skins? Of course, the difficulty in this would certainly be immense. No matter how tightly Boulder City residents lived, their basic needs for food, clothing, housing, and transport were still met; they were definitely not as miserable as the wastelanders outside the wall who never knew where their next meal was coming from. That sense of superiority could be felt just by listening to their radio broadcasts. *How about… slapping an Ideal City label on the goods sold over there?* Chu Guang's eyes rolled as a few mischievous ideas came to mind, but those would have to wait until caravans from the East Coast arrived before they could be implemented. Besides, he felt that even if he didn't intervene, with those players' cleverness, they would definitely think of it. "These are all matters of detail." "The pressing matter at hand is getting the caravan system rolled out quickly!" Chu Guang created a new folder on his desktop and casually typed a title. [Alpha 1.01 Version Update: Chamber of Commerce System] "The B4 floor unlock quest hasn't been triggered yet, so more players can't be activated for now. The closed beta round will have to wait a bit." "Let's tentatively set this update's version number to Alpha 1.01!" Once done. Chu Guang took a screenshot, pixelated the version number, and tossed it onto the forum. Guang: "Working on it, working on it. Work hard, everyone! Once the 'Swords into Plowshares' expansion ends and the farming system testing is complete, we'll immediately open the new map and brand-new game content! Testing the trade system you guys have been clamoring about for ten patches!" Almost the instant the post went up, the reply count surged into double digits, and in the span of a single refresh, it was heading straight for triple digits. Jieyan: "Wait, why is there only a folder?" Sisi: "Where's the stuff inside? Lemme see!" Ye Shi: "The fake Brother Guang, the real Brother Pie. (Funny)" Yaya: "Dammit, if only our game designer could be half as kind as the heartwarming Administrator bro! T^T" Looking at the replies below, Chu Guang's brow twitched violently. These brats! Did arranging NPCs capable of communication not require time? For a place a two-and-a-half-day journey away, did they not need save points? Did they not need to set up a communication base station as well? Did those things not consume electricity? And most crucially of all, if all of you ran off to raise hell in the new map, who was going to plow the fields? Setting aside sowing seeds for now. At the very least, they had to finish the land reclamation work. Did land reclamation really require your Administrator to do it personally? Chu Guang felt his hint had been obvious enough. "Dammit!" "I clearly just updated, why do you want me to update again!" Cursing under his breath, Chu Guang closed the forum, finished the glass of homemade sparkling water on his desk, opened a Paradox game, and went to observe the world map in peace. …… The next day. South of the outpost base's sanatorium. A mature-looking man was stroking his chin, scrutinizing the surrounding buildings while murmuring something to himself. Because he wasn't wearing a VM on his arm, many players were curious about him, but few paid him much attention. As everyone knew, an NPC without a VM couldn't hand out quests normally. "…Ever since defeating the Bone Chewer tribe's invasion on the frontal battlefield, the morale and confidence of the northern suburbs survivors have reached a peak, and the local leader's prestige has attained an unprecedented height. A rising survivor faction is emerging, which may very well change the long-standing chaotic layout of the northern suburbs." "There is a massive amount of undeveloped land here, as well as sufficient labor. Although the infrastructure is backward and lacks supporting industries, it is precisely because of this that immense commercial opportunities lie hidden within." Not long after Brother Fang Chang had published his "Market Research" on Boulder City on the forum, Liszt had likewise completed his investigation of the territory under Shelter 404's jurisdiction. However, he didn't use a notebook. Instead, he used a flexible-screen computer carried on his person. This gadget was exceedingly convenient. When folded away normally, it resembled a fountain pen; when needed, one only had to unroll it like a scroll, and the screen size could be adjusted according to usage habits. This high-end product, integrating large quantities of carbon-based optical and electronic components, was not something Boulder City possessed the capability to manufacture. However, every year merchants traveling from the East Coast brought such rare novelties over from distant Ideal City. "…Right, I also need to add the title of Permanent Enterprise Partner." This was also the part that interested Liszt the most. Just a few hours ago, he had confirmed through his own channels that Shelter 404 had indeed obtained that exceedingly rare honor—or rather, "contract." Across the entirety of River Valley Province, there were only two east-west plain corridors; the northern one had already been cut off by the Bone Chewer tribe. It was almost foreseeable that a massive wave of caravans would pass through here this year. Thinking of this, a trace of anticipation couldn't help surfacing on Liszt's face. If he could seize this historic opportunity, he might very well earn an unimaginable sum of chips compared to past years, watching his assets skyrocket as if strapped to a rocket! What was that word again? Right! Win-win! "How was the survey?" A familiar voice came from behind. Liszt turned around and saw Chu Guang walking toward him. Beaming with delight, he said, "Already completed! Truly surprising—the situation is far better than I expected, though there are still many problems that need solving. For example, you lack stable electrical power, though it's commendable that you actually managed to erect an iron and steel plant among the ruins." Chu Guang said pleasantly, "The power supply issue will be resolved before the end of the month. Our engineers are already designing the industrial zone's power grid and constructing a centralized thermal power plant. Anything else?" "There's also the drainage system," Liszt pondered for a moment before continuing. "If you plan on having caravans stop here next year, you must at least ensure that when they walk down the street, they won't step on something unpleasant—like excrement." Chu Guang was taken aback. *The hell?* "Is that happening??" Liszt coughed lightly. "No… I'm just giving an example. After all, your new settlement already has a scale of two thousand people, yet I discovered there are only five toilets that rely on manual dung-carrying. True, the locals can relieve themselves in the fields, but what about visiting travelers? What about traveling merchants? And their guards, retinues, and servants—they can't possibly be so disciplined as to always go to the fields." Chu Guang stroked his chin. "That is indeed an issue. Anything else?" "That's all for now?" Liszt hesitated for a second before saying, "Still, these are all trivial matters. I was just speaking off the cuff; don't take it too much to heart." "There are no small matters with me," Chu Guang shook his head, saying solemnly. "This issue will be resolved within a month." Liszt was slightly surprised, then smiled and said, "It seems the northern suburbs have met a wise Administrator. No wonder the people here are brimming with confidence about the future." Chu Guang: "Thank you for the compliment." Liszt: "This isn't a compliment; it's a reality confirmed with my own eyes. I have many kinds of clients: farm owners like Brown, local tyrants like your old rival, as well as slaveholders and mine bosses in Red River Town… Very few people treat ordinary people's problems as issues that need solving. From my perspective, I naturally hope your residents live better lives, so they'll have the money to buy my goods." Clearing his throat, Liszt continued confidently, "Perhaps I should have a bit more confidence in your future as well… Right, you seem to be very short on agricultural machinery? I happen to know a factory owner who primarily makes engines and various power components. A large batch of agricultural machinery and wood-fired engines is stockpiled in his warehouse. I use his products in my own southern plantation, and the quality is very reliable." "If you need them, I can help you order a batch! For the sake of our friendship, I can give you a ten percent discount." A ten percent discount, huh. So the price he would show would actually be the one that already had the discount applied? If this fellow hadn't brought it up, Chu Guang would have almost forgotten. However, now wasn't the time to reminisce. Chu Guang immediately asked, "You have a plantation in the south?" To display his strength to his partner, Liszt made no attempt to conceal it, smiling as he said, "That's right. Not just a plantation—I also have long-term contracts with local survivor settlements. The rubber produced belongs to me, and the biomass fuel belongs to them. Every quarter, I bring the daily necessities they need and head over, picking up some goods Boulder City needs on the way back. If you're interested, we can cooperate in the same manner. You provide the land and handle security, I provide the manpower for farming, and we can split the output fifty-fifty." What caught Chu Guang's attention wasn't his proposal, but the information revealed within it. The development environment south of Qingquan City seemed to be better than here; quite a few Boulder City merchants owned properties like plantations down there. And that was a blind spot in his vision. Perhaps with spring arriving and trade routes resuming, he should send a few people to thoroughly scout the surroundings of Qingquan City. Chu Guang pondered for a moment before saying, "That sounds like a very attractive proposal, but for cash crops, we plan to adopt more efficient centralized farming. Let's talk about those agricultural machines instead." "No problem." Liszt wasn't surprised by Chu Guang's tactful refusal. He had strolled around the northern suburbs and hadn't seen a single slave—at most prisoners of war. Clearly, slavery was not popular in this survivor settlement. In fact, compared to wage labor, slavery was indeed an inefficient means of production. Even under the same living standards, the work enthusiasm of freemen noticeably surpassed that of slaves. Therefore, even in Boulder City, which recognized the legality of slavery, very few factories arranged slaves on assembly lines. Chu Guang gave Liszt a list, procuring ten "Iron Horse 60" locomobiles. Although this contraption didn't utilize particularly advanced technology, it was genuine heavy equipment, and its price was naturally far steeper than spindly gear like the KV-1 exoskeleton. According to the data Liszt provided, this locomobile had a total weight of around five hundred kilograms and could deliver a maximum of sixty horsepower. Compared to the eight- to ten-horsepower locomobiles replicated and improved by the players, and the 20 to 30 models commonly seen on the Legion's light trucks, a five-hundred-kilogram engine delivering a maximum of sixty horsepower truly qualified as black tech. Shelter 404 didn't lack light power equipment, but heavy power equipment like this was sorely needed. Whether used on engineering machinery or in land reclamation work, these machines were enough to more than double their original efficiency. Compared to fuel engines, the advantages of such machinery were obvious: easy to manufacture, simple to maintain, with fuel readily available everywhere, making them quite popular across the wasteland. Correspondingly, however, the price was also quite steep. A single unit had a staggering price tag of 5,000 chips, equivalent to one hundred pipe rifles or thirty automatic rifles. At a quoted price of 5,000 chips per unit, if Chu Guang wanted to purchase this equipment, he would need to pay Liszt 50,000 chips. Chu Guang naturally didn't have that many chips. Nor could he fork over that much "foreign exchange reserve" to him. Yet it didn't matter. Paying directly in cash was a strange thing to begin with; bartering was the norm on the wasteland. In the outpost base's warehouse, the stockpiled spirit leaf amounted to well over a hundred tons, all harvested from the greenhouse ruins. After some haggling, the transaction was finalized at ten locomobiles for 1,000 kilograms of spirit leaf. Even though Liszt repeatedly insisted that fifty chips per kilogram of spirit leaf was the Boulder City price, and that it couldn't be sold at that rate all the time. Hauling these goods back to Boulder City, he couldn't possibly earn not a single chip. Yet Chu Guang naturally wouldn't believe his nonsense, retorting bluntly, "Five thousand chips for an Iron Horse 60 locomobile—isn't that also the Boulder City price? And that was the price you quoted me." "Furthermore, I don't believe 1,000 kilograms of spirit leaf can only sell for fifty chips per kilo in your hands. It's still winter right now. Spirit leaf is a summer crop, with quite demanding requirements for environment and soil. Can you get this much stock from anywhere else?" "The pharmaceutical plants in Boulder City will beg you to sell this batch to them. Just as you trust my managerial ability, I likewise trust that your business acumen certainly knows what to do." Chu Guang believed Liszt wouldn't be foolish enough to quote an absurd price and jeopardize cooperation worth over a million for a mere fifty thousand chips. Yet he equally didn't believe Liszt was giving him the ex-factory price. Just as this fellow said himself, this round trip had a straight-line distance of over forty kilometers on the map, and the actual route pushed toward a hundred. Both personnel and transport vehicles cost money. He couldn't possibly be doing charity. "Managerial ability? It's truly a waste of talent that you didn't go into business!" Looking at the order in his hands, Liszt couldn't help grumbling under his breath, even though there was still profit to be made, before quietly tucking the order away. Chu Guang smiled. *Heh.* *How do you know I haven't?* "I'll take that as a compliment." Spirit leaf had wide applications: it could be brewed into tea, rolled into cigarettes, and processed into spirit water with stronger sedative effects and more pronounced pain-dulling properties. Alongside Great Strength Pills, Mint, rad-away, anti-radiation drugs, and various antibiotics, it was among the most popular pharmaceuticals on the wasteland. Although not every mercenary had the habit of using performance-enhancing drugs, even if the proportion was only a third, it was still a considerable market. A quantity of one ton shouldn't be enough to cause drastic price fluctuations. Considering the outpost base's caravan hadn't been formed yet, Chu Guang had made a slight concession on the price. Once the caravan was established, he would earn this money himself. "This batch of goods will be delivered within a week. Once my assistant returns, I'll have him make another trip immediately! To think I could see a major order over ten thousand chips in the northern suburbs—truly a rarity… Looks like I'll have to expand the caravan's scale this year." Speaking up to this point, Liszt's tone couldn't help carrying a hint of wistfulness. In the past, scouring the entire northern suburbs would only yield a stingy ten to twenty thousand chips. How could it compare to now? Earning this much in a single deal. And not just chips, but the resources behind it. Perhaps before long, he could enter the inner city and live the high-society life he dreamed of. Hearing Liszt's wistful remark, Chu Guang's heart stirred. "Do you need guards?" Lost in his daydream, Liszt answered without thinking, "Of course. Quality guards are always in short supply. Even if we occasionally hire mercenaries to fill the numbers, we can't let the entire team be made of filler. Those mercenaries have uneven combat capabilities and mediocre discipline. Only a few mercenary groups are decent; most are barely better than marauders." A radiant smile surfaced on Chu Guang's face. "That's wonderful." Liszt was taken aback. "…Pardon, I didn't catch that. You mean?" Chu Guang cleared his throat and said earnestly, "I mean, in addition to providing quality products, we also offer logistics and outsourced security services." "If your caravan needs guards, I can provide them right here!"