The Northern Expedition Plan

Dimit led his men away. The group continued north, marching toward Xizhou City. Watching the warriors clad in jet-black exoskeletons fade into the distance, a man concealed among the refugees let out a sigh of relief and pulled his hand back from under his tattered cloak. Crossing paths with strangers on the wasteland was never a good thing. Sometimes, the spark for a violent clash took nothing more than a wrong glance. In most situations, both sides consciously gave each other a wide berth. But if one party stopped in their tracks or actively approached... There was no telling what might happen. He had distinctly felt a murderous aura rolling off those men. They seemed to have just suffered a bitter defeat, and for a fleeting instant, the thought of taking out their frustration on the refugees had crossed their minds. The leader of the refugee group had clearly realized that as well. The moment those unwelcome visitors were far out of sight, he hurried to the front of the line and shouted, "Dawn City is right ahead!" "There are houses to shelter us from the wind and rain, and warm beds to sleep in... hot water and food, too! Hold on just a little longer, everyone. We need to pick up the pace and get there before dark!" A grime-caked, disheveled man muttered under his breath, "Will they really share their food with us?" A woman carrying a child on her back looked overwhelmed with anxiety. "How much farther do we have to walk...?" Meeting the desperate gazes fixed on him, the leader remained silent for a moment before answering, "They made a promise over the radio." "No matter what, we have to try." ... Shelter 404. After washing up, Ye Shi returned to his private quarters, climbed into the incubation pod, closed the hatch, and logged out of the game with practiced ease. When he opened his eyes again and pulled off the gaming helmet, the familiar sight of his dorm ceiling greeted him. The whole transition felt like nothing more than the blink of an eye. Here, his "ID" was Ye Wei. He wasn't the top Perception player in *Wasteland OL*, but an ordinary student attending Jiangcheng University. To the chorus of his roommates' snores, Ye Wei sat up, swung his legs out of bed, freshened up quickly in the washroom, and stuffed his textbooks into his shoulder bag. He had an early morning class coming up. Even though he had decided to go pro in the game, he had no intention of completely abandoning his studies. After all, it was a prestigious university that he had worked hard to get into, and he wanted to do right by his own efforts. Having played *Wasteland OL* for so long, Ye Wei had grown thoroughly accustomed to switching between his virtual and real-world personas. In the past, walking past a window would make him cast suspicious glances outside; now, he only felt a profound appreciation for how precious peace was. "Ah-Wei... grab a seat for me..." A groggy voice drifted down from the upper bunk. Ye Wei looked up and was surprised to see Brother Liu actually awake. "Whoa, Brother Liu, you're up early!" "Damn it all... That faucet was rattling like a machine gun; how could I not wake up?" Brother Liu yawned and rolled over in bed. "I'm dead. I have to get a little more sleep." The others were still snoring away, sleeping like logs. Slipping on his shoes, Ye Wei said helplessly, "There's air trapped in the pipes, nothing I can do about it. I barely turned it on... Honestly, with sleep quality as bad as yours, you'd be better off preregistering for the game with me. At least it helps you sleep soundly, and it doesn't cost a dime anyway." Brother Liu shuddered in bed as if struck by PTSD, shaking his head vehemently. "No way, man, no way. Good buddy, I truly lack the spiritual aptitude for it. I can't master that divine art of yours." "Heh!" *Suit yourself!* Ye Wei wasted no more breath. Grabbing three textbooks from his roommates' desks and stuffing them into his bag, he headed out the door to the dining hall. A full day of classes awaited him. And tonight, he had a "long trip" ahead. He and Fang Chang had agreed to pool together forty thousand silver coins to purchase local specialties in Dawn City and transport them to Boulder City to trade for chips. No. 81 Steel Mill and Goblin Technology had simultaneously commissioned them to help procure second-hand machinery, offering to settle the bill in silver coins at an exchange rate of one chip to three silver coins. That exchange rate already factored in a fifty percent markup for freight. The plan was for the Ox and Horse Squad to reach Boulder City first, obtain the auction catalog for the following day from the auction house, take photos, log off, and send them over private messages on the forum. The two clients would then decide what to bid on, specify their target prices, and outline the exact bidding strategy. On that round trip alone, a conservative estimate put their profit at over two hundred percent. At the thought of this, Ye Wei—who normally stuck to a two-yuan cup of plain soy milk—extravagantly upgraded to a three-yuan cup of black sesame soy milk, and swapped out his usual pair of three-yuan vegetable buns for a three-yuan braised pork bun. A single bite filled his mouth with savory richness. It felt fantastic! Munching as he walked, Ye Wei figured he would check the forum once he reached the classroom. Right then, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw messages from his younger sister. Jiu Jiu: [Bro, is this the game you've been playing?] Jiu Jiu: [Link] The bun and phone nearly slipped from his hands at the same time. Ye Wei hastily freed a hand and typed back: [Where on earth did you get that link???] Jiu Jiu: [From a chat group. O_O] Ye Shi: [Close it right now. Little kids shouldn't be playing that.] Jiu Jiu: [You're the kid! I'm an adult! (angry face)] *Crap,* Ye Wei cursed internally. His words had completely backfired. She was definitely filling out the registration form right now! The moment he remembered his in-game ID, a wave of panic washed over him. Wouldn't that be instant social death? [Jiu Jiu, cough, listen to your big brother. The water runs too deep in this game; you won't be able to handle it. Besides, it's brutally unfriendly to beginners. You should focus on your studies.] Jiu Jiu: [Oh.] Ye Wei: [...] *Damn it!* Ye Wei scratched his head in exasperation, yet there was nothing he could do. Should he... Beg Brother Guang to pull some strings and give him a Name Change Card? That felt inappropriate, though. Seeing the classroom just ahead, Ye Wei took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. *Keep calm.* After the Beta 0.2 update, the number of preregistered users had skyrocketed. Millions of hopefuls were lined up in the queue, while activation codes were only trickling out at thirty to forty per day. The chances of her getting picked were practically microscopic. After waiting long enough, she would probably give up on her own. Rationalizing it like that, Ye Wei finally relaxed. He found a row of four empty seats in the middle of the lecture hall, tossed his bag down to claim them, and logged onto the official *Wasteland OL* website with his phone. Right at seven o'clock sharp, Brother Guang's update announcement finally went live. To his surprise, there was even a server-wide announcement pinned at the top. [Server Announcement: Congratulations to "Burning Corps" for becoming the first LV2 Corps in the Closed Beta! (As the Corps Commander opted to make the achievement public, it has been recorded in the Hall of Fame as a collective honor.)] Commander Spring: [Holy shit! Already?!] Brother Edge: [They definitely used third-party hacks!] Tail: [Eeeek! The White Bear Knights just barely reached Red River Town! How is someone already LV2?! ∑(°Д°ノ)ノ] Sisi: [Tail, snap out of it. We're not a corps; we're a merchant caravan registered under the Merchant Guild.] Tail: [Awoo, I mixed it up. _(:з」∠)_] Fang Chang: [Piss off! If we play well, it must be hacks? That's called sheer skill! (smug)] Makabazi: [There is no justice! The Corps System is way too overpowered! Life-profession players are suffering in misery! Wahhh, please devs, nerf it!] Brother Mole: [Damn it! Harming others without benefiting yourself!] Envy aside, Mole's Skeleton Corps was also close to reaching LV2, needing only two more quests. Even though they hadn't snagged the Hall of Fame achievement, the budget granted at LV2 was still incredibly sweet. However— As if answering the cries of life-profession players, the damn game planner suddenly pushed out a "Beta 0.21 Patch." The moment Mole saw the words "Adjustments to the Corps System Gameplay Mechanics," an ominous premonition struck him. [Adjustment Details: 1. Corps now feature a dedicated attribute interface, with two primary attributes: "Scale" and "Logistics." With each level gained, both attributes increase synchronously by 1 point. For example, LV2 grants 2 points in Scale and 2 points in Logistics. 2. Each point of Scale corresponds to 10 points in [Recruitment Cap], while each point of Logistics corresponds to 10 [Logistics Points]. The Recruitment Cap dictates the maximum number of players that can be recruited, while Logistics Points can be used to redeem military equipment. For example: allocating 1 Logistics Point redeems a "Conscript Kit," containing one LD-47 rifle and 120 rounds of 7mm ammunition. Allocating 2 Logistics Points redeems a "Support Kit," containing one LD-47j light machine gun and 500 rounds of 7mm machine gun ammunition. 3. Equipment redeemed with Logistics Points and their ammunition consumption will be borne entirely by the New Alliance. These weapons will ordinarily be stored in armories and transported to the front lines by baggage units during wartime, where quartermaster NPCs will manage their distribution. "Corps Equipment" cannot be used during peacetime or outside special operations. 4. Each level gained awards 1 point, which can be freely allocated to "Scale" or "Logistics," or spent to advance "Doctrines." 5. Doctrines represent a corps' developmental focus. For example, players skilled in large-scale warfare can select the Human Wave Vanguard branch under the "Light Infantry Doctrine," granting a "+100% Scale Bonus" so you can stop treating your teammates like human beings and overwhelm the foe. Alternatively, you can choose Special Operations under the same doctrine, granting a "-50% Logistics Point Cost for Light Infantry Equipment" buff so you and your team can slay anything in your path. Players skilled in blitzkrieg can pick Armored Spearhead under the "Mobile Warfare Doctrine," gaining a "-50% Point Cost for Armored Units" buff. Or you can take the safer Infantry-Tank Coordination option, splitting the point discount evenly with light weapons. The "Superior Firepower" Doctrine is divided into Firepower Saturation and Infantry-Artillery Coordination. We recommend saving skill points for "Logistics" to equip more cannons and ammo crates; after all, you won't need "Scale" anyway. 6. LV2, LV10, and LV20 corps will each unlock one doctrine slot. Each corps can carry only a limited number of doctrines, allowing players to mix and match according to their needs. However, please remember: once a major doctrine category is chosen, you cannot select exclusive branches from other categories. Whether charging on the front lines or acting as an artillery battery tool in the rear, you must make your choice. ] Ye Wei read the announcement from beginning to end, grasping the general gist of the update. Put simply, the damn game planner wanted players to make strategic trade-offs in their playstyles to maximize their respective strengths. Still, that Armored Spearhead... Did they even have tanks? With a peculiar expression, Ye Wei flipped through the website's database. The only things that currently qualified as armored units in the New Alliance were the few flatbed trucks mounted with quad anti-aircraft guns. Or were tanks coming in the future? Naturally, those were minor details. The game was still in closed beta, so it made sense that not everything had been developed yet. What truly caught Ye Wei's eye was the point system. Previously, whenever they went to war, ammunition was issued before the battle. Once the official allowance ran out, players used their own reserves, and the battle settlement screen would allocate twenty percent of the earnings as compensation for gear wear and tear. This update introduced a fundamental shift in gameplay mechanics: it separated private equipment from corps equipment. "...Corps equipment can be redeemed with points, with quartermasters appointed by the New Alliance responsible for armory management and restocking inventory." "They're drawing a hard line between private gear and corps gear?" That meant players could no longer use leftover munitions from military campaigns to run non-campaign quests. A flicker of surprise crossed Ye Wei's face, and he immediately switched over to the forum comment section. Sure enough, everyone was buzzing about it. Elaina: [Though there are tons of details, it all boils down to one sentence: 'Corps are forbidden from doing business.' (doge)] Elven King Fugui: [You can still take on other jobs outside your military duties, but you can't use public guns and armor. (doge)] Scavenger Lv99: [Hahaha, two express orders incoming, make way up front!] Brother Mole: [Finished reading! Let me summarize it briefly. This change has two key points: first, logistics authority is centralized, shifting assigned budgets to centralized procurement and unified distribution; second, corps equipment is separated from personal gear. Going forward, gear purchased with supply points will be stored in designated armories, monitored and inspected by quartermaster NPCs, and used only under specific conditions!] [Equipment redeemed with points is bound to the corps and cannot be traded. Normal wear and tear will be replenished, but malicious damage requires double compensation, as adjudicated by the AI.] Lightning King Professor Yang: [Holy crap! Handing out points instead of silver coins? This is an epic nerf to the Corps System! (terrified)] Brother Mole: [It's not really a nerf. As the server population grew, they simply closed the loopholes in the rules.] In the past, when budgets were issued, players could allocate military funds freely to purchase equipment themselves. That worked fine when the player count was small, but with more people on the server now, opportunities for rent-seeking were inevitable. For example, Corps A could conspire with Player B: *We'll buy from you if you give us a kickback,* siphoning money from military funds straight into private pockets. Now that military funding was converted to points—with procurement, logistics, and weapon maintenance handled collectively by the Alliance—the issue of using military funds to line personal pockets was eliminated. For those who had never intended to play petty tricks from the start, this adjustment was hardly a nerf. If anything, handing the logistics over to the AI allowed players to focus more purely on the front line. Lightning King Professor Yang: [Damn it! With so many restrictions, who the hell would bother with the Corps System? I'd rather leave you guys to charge the front lines while I run trade caravans. Wouldn't that be sweet?] Ye Wei chuckled when he read that and couldn't resist typing a reply: [Let me take a blind guess: your last name is Liu. (doge)] Lightning King Professor Yang: [?] Brother Mole: [Didn't you fail to get beta access anyway? You can't even enter the game, so who the hell are you speaking for? (doge)] Lightning King Professor Yang: [I'm talking hypothetically! Hypothetically, what would I do if I were in the game! Sigh, you lucky bastards! You just got luckier than me. If I got in, I'd have hit max level and acquired full endgame gear long ago!] Fang Chang suddenly chimed in: [In a state of war, fighting for the Alliance is the duty of every citizen. Forsaking that duty means forsaking everything—and that 'everything' includes all in-game property. Don't always assume you're the clever one, and don't always think you can speak for others. Your life should amount to more than pulling slick tricks. There's really no need to be like this over a game. (side-eye)] Brother Mole: [Agreed with Brother Fang Chang. Besides, the gameplay adjustments don't diminish the Corps System's profitability. Campaign rewards are reflected on the settlement screen—population, resources, land, and so forth are all possibilities. Here's a bit of trivia: silver coins are only one of the New Alliance's currencies. The Alliance keeps track of your contributions far better than you do. (doge)] Professor Yang went quiet. Yet he still couldn't wrap his head around it. Why was it that when this update stripped the corps of their logistical authority, these Tier 0 and Tier 1 players didn't feel aggrieved in the slightest? Instead, it was an armchair spectator like him, who didn't even have beta access, crying foul on their behalf. Didn't they want to make more money? Silver coins could be exchanged for real cash! Ye Wei could roughly guess what was going through the guy's head, even if he vehemently disagreed. That person might possess a bit of street smarts and worldly cynicism, but his perspective was narrower than a student's. Suppose an open loophole appeared in the rules and someone profited from it. If you didn't exploit it, you lost out and were eventually eliminated in the competition. Thus, even knowing that exploiting loopholes harmed the collective good, an individual pursuing their "optimal personal outcome" would inevitably make the choice most detrimental to the whole. When everyone was trapped in a prisoner's dilemma, nobody emerged as a true winner; the final outcome was inevitably a lose-lose. For the Alpha testers, the New Alliance was a utopia they had built brick by brick with their own sweat upon a barren, deserted wasteland. The meaning of this game went far beyond an ordinary title, and their sights reached far beyond a handful of silver coins. Even with zero rewards, they were willing to shoulder their rifles and face death without hesitation to defend the land beneath their feet. Losing some gear and experience was infinitely better than having the server wiped. ... Shelter 401. After toiling for an entire afternoon, Master Yin finally installed the new fuel rods and restarted the shelter's reactor. As the air filtration system whirred to life, light returned to the shelter, and Chu Guang finally received the notification that the mission was complete. [Administrator clearance for Shelter 401 acquired.] "All set... Speaking of which, what do you plan to do about the Administrator clearance?" Yin Fang looked at Chu Guang. "The Administrator here is already dead. If they left no final testament, it usually defaults to being inherited by surviving residents according to their roster number—" Just as Yin Fang was offering his suggestions, Chu Guang raised a hand. With a gentle wave, he shut off the overhead lights, and with another gentle wave, he turned them back on. Yin Fang stared, dumbfounded. "...When did you get that?" "You're reacting like this is the first time you've seen me use Administrator clearance in another shelter. Wasn't it the exact same back in Shelter 117?" Chu Guang shot him a puzzled look. Yin Fang's expression turned odd. "Wasn't Shelter 117 because of the previous Administrator's final testament...? Whatever, it's not important anyway." Letting go of the trivial detail, Yin Fang followed Chu Guang to the Administrator's office to retrieve the black box. The Administrator's office in Shelter 401 looked completely different from the one in Shelter 117. The decor here leaned toward minimalism; rather than an executive office, it felt more like a laboratory or an archive room. The moment Yin Fang stepped inside, his eyes locked onto a boxy, silver coffee machine on the desk. He looked as ecstatic as if he had discovered a new continent, eagerly scooping it into his arms and refusing to let go. "A model KW-8241T! I saw this in a magazine! Unbelievable... to think it was right here!" "A magazine?" Yin Fang chattered on without pause. "A pre-war magazine, of course! Compared to the prototype KW-8241, this model features four additional specialized roasting processes, and its exterior was tailored specifically for researchers with an academic aesthetic! Look at this sleek, sci-fi design—a layman wouldn't even know where the water spout is! Uh, it seems to have a minor malfunction, but that's no big deal. A quick repair should get it working... Can I take it with me?" As he spoke, he looked over with pleading eyes. "...Suit yourself," Chu Guang said, casting him a sideways glance. He had no hobby of collecting such trinkets anyway. If the man wanted it, he could have it. ... A coffee machine added negligible weight. After securing the black box, Chu Guang led Yin Fang back to the surface. The shelter had been restarted. Once he returned, he would arrange for personnel from the logistics department to clean the facility and install newly manufactured hibernation pods into the various chambers. The reborn Shelter 401 would serve as the starting village for a portion of the newcomers in the Beta test, accommodating at least a thousand new players. As for the agricultural sector inside the shelter, Chu Guang intended to use it for seed cultivation, supplying high-quality seeds for the expansive farmland west of Changjiu Farm. Mounted on Neko's back on the way back to Shelter 404, Chu Guang activated the data transmission function on his power armor helmet and took a moment to browse the forum. A pale blue window projected directly onto his retinas. Chu Guang skimmed through several threads posted by familiar IDs. Players held diverse interpretations and perspectives regarding the Beta 0.21 update. Regardless of their opinions, however, reforming the Corps System had been an imperative step. The New Alliance was a united collective that required disciplined soldiers, not a pack of warlords fighting their own separate battles. Centralizing logistical authority under the Alliance and having a dedicated logistics department handle unified distribution was only the first phase of Chu Guang's military reform plan. Moving forward, he would implement further measures to ensure seamless coordination among the corps on an institutional level, providing players who chose the Corps System with a superior gameplay experience. What caught Chu Guang somewhat off guard was Commander Spring's post. The man rarely wrote game guides, yet this time he had typed out a lengthy piece. Beyond providing an in-depth analysis of the various doctrine branches in the Corps System, he boldly asserted at the end of the post that the Beta 0.21 adjustments were laying the groundwork for a new expansion. And that expansion's content... Was very likely tied to a "Northern Expedition"! Reading the post to the end, Chu Guang's lips curled into a faint smile. "Quite sharp." Even if it was glaringly obvious. ... The following day. North of Dawn City. Beside the level runway of the airfield stood the New Alliance's military encampment. Currently stationed here were the reorganized First and Second Corps, along with the Guards Corps equipped with light and heavy exoskeletons. Unlike the players, these soldiers not only wore standardized uniforms, but also carried uniform weaponry. Standing beside Chu Guang, Vannus asked with visible pride, "What do you think?" Gazing across the drill grounds at the dense forest of rifles and banners, Chu Guang, clad in his power armor, nodded approvingly without holding back his praise. "Excellent!" A total of 397 soldiers stood assembled. Under the rigorous training of former Legion officers like Vannus, their physical conditioning and combat resolve had undergone a night-and-day transformation compared to several months ago. A few had even awakened their genetic sequences. As regular standing corps, these native soldiers were primarily tasked with defense, yet that did not mean Chu Guang lowered his standards for them. The perils of the wasteland extended far beyond marauders. Having clashed with the Church of the Torch, Chu Guang realized this more acutely than ever. While the players possessed formidable combat prowess and the singular advantage of "immortality," developing a regular standing army could not be neglected because of it. Players could not remain online twenty-four hours a day. There would always be things players could not accomplish. And those duties had to be carried out by the people of this world. With the inspection concluded, Chu Guang convened a military briefing while everyone was present. Beyond the commanders of the First and Second Corps, high-ranking officials of the New Alliance—including Luka from the logistics department—were in attendance. Dispensing with introductory formalities, Chu Guang got straight to the point. "Armed forces from the Torch ambushed our convoy escorting the fuel rod, and their surviving remnants fled north. Though only eight men remain, they are well-equipped and rigorously trained. If they are allowed to link up with the Bone Chewer tribe, they will cause immense trouble for us this autumn." "Presently, the Snake Clan and Red River Town are locked in a stalemate, leaving the clan no room to move against us. If I were in their shoes, I would almost certainly choose to back the Fang Clan currently resting in Xizhou City, instigating them to march south and resume the campaign that was cut short last year." "Since this battle must be fought sooner or later, we might as well fight it on their turf." A fierce excitement washed over the faces of the officers in the barracks, their fists clenching involuntarily. Wrench in particular was gripped by emotion. During the offensive at the start of the year, the militia holding Changjiu Farm had suffered heavy casualties; many of his brothers had fallen in that battle. Yet when those cunning bastards saw Black Snake collapse, they had tucked their tails between their legs and fled! He had waited for this moment for far too long! Looking at his morale-charged subordinates, Chu Guang planted both hands firmly on the map and continued in a resolute voice, "The Northern Expedition will commence next month. The objective is to purge every single member of the Fang Clan entrenched in Xizhou City!" "Before the expedition begins, we must prepare at least thirty aircraft, fifty trucks, five million rounds of ammunition and artillery shells—and extend our railway all the way to Yuanxi Town!" "This war will completely reshape the landscape of southern River Valley Province, and it concerns far more than our own destiny. I expect you to overcome every obstacle and commit all your strength to our preparations." "Since neither the Great Rift Valley nor Boulder City is willing to deal with those piles of filth—" Chu Guang slammed his right fist onto the map, his eyes blazing with conviction. "Then we will do it ourselves!"