Why Not Cooperate Even More Thoroughly?

The real world. Somewhere. Following behind the staff member, Gao Jianhui arrived at a spacious room. The decor was somewhat spartan, like a room cleared out on short notice, furnished only with a bookshelf, a coffee table, and two sofas. A young man wearing glasses sat on a sofa. Upon seeing him, he immediately rose to his feet and said politely, "Greetings, Academician Gao! Please, take a seat." Gao Jianhui did not decline. He sat down on the sofa across from the young man, looking him up and down. He had no recollection of the person; presumably, they did not belong to the same institution. At around eight o'clock yesterday evening, he had received an invitation from a renowned domestic academic institution. Yet when he arrived at the destination early this morning, there was no sign of an academic lecture hall. Instead, he was ushered into a chauffeured private car. "Through extensive inquiries, we learned that you are an expert in the fields of rock mechanics and mining engineering. Forgive us for presuming to invite you here—" "Why make such a big mystery out of this? Chauffeured rides, non-disclosure agreements..." Coughing lightly, Academician Gao cut off the lengthy preamble and spoke concisely. "If there's something you need, just say it directly." The man said politely, "It's merely standard procedure. Please understand." "Mind if I smoke?" "Of course not. Go right ahead." Gao Jianhui pulled a lighter from his pocket, lit a cigarette for himself, and slightly narrowed his eyes at the laptop on the coffee table. Just as he was about to ask what this was all about, the bespectacled young man stood up, gripped the mouse, opened a folder of photographs, and said politely, "Please take a look at this." "This is..." The words had barely left his lips when his brow furrowed slightly and a soft gasp escaped him. His right hand, still holding the cigarette, took hold of the mouse and instinctively scrolled down, his gaze growing increasingly astonished. A combined vertical shaft and decline ramp development? Designing a main haulage system like this was a first for him. Of course, it was not just the main haulage system that astonished him. The longitudinal profile schematic of the entire mine didn't look like a mine at all; it resembled a precision instrument. Every block had a clear division of labor and operated in close coordination. However... The problem with this design scheme was also glaringly obvious: it was far too idealized! Under current technological conditions, many of these design concepts were simply impossible to realize. A 24-hour continuous mining cycle was not difficult, and unmanned mining was not unattainable, but an automated, intelligent operation completely divorced from human labor, where the working face moved downward in lockstep with the mining system... He dared say that no mine in the entire world could accomplish such a feat. After a long silence, Academician Gao looked up at the man sitting across from him, a spark of serious interest gleaming in his eyes. "...Where did you get these photos?" The young man did not answer immediately. "Before answering that, I'd like to hear your thoughts on these photos." Gao Jianhui pondered for a moment before offering his assessment. "A very unique design. If I'm not mistaken, the entire mine is meant to employ an integrated intelligent mining system. In terms of design philosophy, it shares similarities with Sweden's Kiruna Iron Mine... But looking at the exterior alone doesn't reveal much. Do you have more photos?" A helpless look crossed the bespectacled man's face. "Apologies, these are all the photos we have for now... Could you tell me where those similarities lie specifically?" "Intelligence and automation," Gao Jianhui said without hesitation. The man promptly asked, "Intelligent automation? Could you be more specific?" Gao Jianhui thought for a moment and replied, "Kiruna Mine is famous not only for its high-grade iron ore, but also for its intelligent mining system, including drilling, charging, loading, hauling, hoisting... Every operational step can be handled by remote control. The entire mine requires only a handful of workers to complete the entire production process." "Aside from intelligence, their research into deep mining below a thousand meters, as well as their experience in dealing with increasing ground pressure, rising rock temperature, mine hoisting, drainage, ground support, ventilation, backfilling, environmental protection, and so forth, are all well worth learning from." The man listened attentively, taking notes the entire time. Once the elderly academician finished, he followed up with the question he cared about most. "Then what about... the mine shaft in this photo?" Gao Jianhui leaned back against the sofa, his tone calm. "I can only speak on the fields I know. As for what's in your photo, I can't comment; it's completely outside my domain of research. Assuming equipment like this could operate successfully, it would require solving at least a hundred problems for which we currently have no solution. Do you know what that means?" The bespectacled man swallowed hard. "What does it mean?" "It means this photo is very likely composite imagery, or CG rendered with cinematic technology." Hearing Academician Gao's answer, the man froze for a moment, then chuckled wryly. "Indeed... we cannot rule out that possibility." Gao Jianhui paused before continuing. "I don't know the nature of your work, but in my opinion, many of the concepts here are quite unrealistic. Let's put it this way: the entire edifice is built on a string of unresolved 'hypotheses,' like patterns engraved on a gold bracelet. What's valuable isn't the engraving, but the gold. That's why I asked if you had more photos or technical data." "If we knew how those unresolved issues were solved, even without using this design scheme at all, we could produce something similar. And solving even one of those technical bottlenecks would bring a massive leap forward to our existing mining and excavation processes." "For instance, the deep backfill mining project my student has been working on recently has a bottleneck in reducing the frictional resistance in the backfill slurry transport pipes. If that can be solved, the energy efficiency and capacity of our backfill mining would increase drastically." "As for what you asked about what this would mean? I can't say for sure, but to make a bold conjecture: if our mining depth could descend another kilometer, if our extraction costs could be slashed by forty to fifty percent, and if all those ore deposits that currently lack the conditions to be mined could be utilized..." "Care to guess whether we could find iron ore right under our feet with higher grades than in Australia or South America? Care to guess what kind of impact that would have on regional economies, national finances, and industrial structure?" "Forget just supplying domestic demand—if we could truly manufacture an extraction system like this, we'd have more than enough capacity for reverse export!" Resource reserves were a relative concept; as extraction and exploration technologies advanced, known resource reserves might very well grow larger the more they were mined. Denser matter was more prone to gathering downward during magmatic activity and petrogenesis. Therefore, the closer one got to the Earth's core, the richer the available resources became. By comparison, the scarce resources on the planetary surface were merely scratching the skin. Looking at the increasingly agitated young man, Gao Jianhui tapped his ash into the ashtray and teased with a smile, "When did you people get so much free time? Humoring an old man like me in daydreaming." He had already made a good guess about the identity and role of the person before him; he just hadn't expected them to come seeking his counsel on matters within his professional field. No matter how you looked at it, his field of study was rather far removed from national security. Perhaps the people next door working on geology and geographic information systems might have had a tenuous connection. Composing his excited expression, the bespectacled man coughed softly. Without answering the question, he reached out and gently closed the laptop. "...Regarding the case we're currently handling, I'm terribly sorry that I cannot say too much. It involves top-secret information. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to cooperate with our work. Now, allow me to escort you back." "Understood." Gao Jianhui stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and waved a hand. "Next time you have a question, just call me directly. All this makes a person awfully nervous." The bespectacled man nodded and was about to get up to open the door for the old academician. Right then, however, something occurred to him. He tore a slip of paper from a notepad beside him, jotted down a string of letters, and handed it to the old man. Gao Jianhui reached out, took it, and glanced at it. "What's this?" "A web address." The bespectacled man smiled and said, "While I cannot disclose further details about our case, these photos were all found on the discussion forum of this website." The key was that they couldn't block it even if they wanted to. The entire website was like a black box; any information leaked from it was what the black box was willing to let them know. Any attempt to crack open the black box had proven futile, and blocking the site was impossible unless the entire Internet was shut down along with it. At present, the most probable hypothesis was that the website and the game Wasteland OL were an enlightenment or perhaps an assessment of human civilization by an advanced civilization. Considering that many of the technologies showcased in the game far exceeded—and were even completely decoupled from—Earth's current level of civilization, the entire case had already been classified as a "Close Encounter of the Third Kind." As for what motive this civilization "codenamed X" had for making contact with humanity in the solar system, that remained to be investigated. For now, however, it was at least a neutral or benevolent contact. To avoid triggering widespread panic, they had decided to temporarily withhold news regarding an extraterrestrial civilization, maintaining cautious observation. "A website?" Interesting. Academician Gao raised his eyebrows and casually slipped the paper into his pocket. He would take a look when he had time. ... The wasteland. Xizhou City. Setting down the communicator, Wu Chengyi leaned back in his chair, his expression rather solemn. Just a few minutes ago, using the communication equipment provided by the Burning Corps, he had established contact with the Administrator of the New Alliance. The other party hadn't beaten around the bush and had laid out the New Alliance's stance plainly— The New Alliance would incorporate Xizhou City into the Restoration Zone and construct a survivor settlement near Xizhou Lake to shelter slaves liberated from the marauders as well as survivors willing to join the New Alliance. Rather than a negotiation, it sounded more like a notification. Recalling that man's phrasing over the phone, Wu Chengyi looked down at the notebook in his hand. The few lines of scrawled handwriting were what he had just jotted down. [Xizhou City Industrial Zone Development Plan and Reconstruction Draft for the New Restoration Zone and Survivor Settlement] In his eyes, This looked a lot like drawing a pie in the sky. No one even knew how long the war against the Fang Clan would last, yet the people from the New Alliance were already envisioning the future with them. Still, Wu Chengyi had to admit, The pie smelled undeniably tempting. "Go call my deputy... and all the other senior officers of the resistance movement here," Wu Chengyi said, tossing the notebook onto the desk and looking at his assistant. The assistant nodded and immediately turned to leave the office. Before long, a dozen people walked in from outside. Standing here were both administrative officials of Hope Town and guerrilla officers. Those present exchanged glances and whispered among themselves, not understanding why the mayor had summoned them. Scanning the crowd, Wu Chengyi spoke slowly. "Ten minutes ago, I established contact with the Administrator of the New Alliance." The words were like a bomb dropped into the crowd. Astonishment surfaced on every face in the room. Without waiting for his subordinates to ask questions, Wu Chengyi continued, "Overall, the call went quite smoothly. The New Alliance extended an olive branch to us and promised to provide aid supplies worth 500,000 silver coins, including food, medicine, and even weapons that we desperately need... These supplies will be delivered via airdrop." He had no concept of what 500,000 silver coins meant. But an automatic rifle cost 200 silver coins, and a kilogram of green wheat cost only one to two silver coins... That was the benchmark provided to him by the Administrator named Chu Guang. With this aid, they would undoubtedly weather their immediate crisis much more smoothly, and the food shortages and disease caused by the plague of rats would also be addressed. At least to a certain extent. The offer could be called remarkably generous—in fact, so generous it was hard to believe. Yet that was precisely why it felt abnormal. "I want to know, is this without strings attached?" the adjutant standing beside Wu Chengyi asked cautiously. "Of course not." Wu Chengyi paused for a moment before continuing, "After the war ends, the New Alliance will incorporate Xizhou City into the Restoration Zone." The room fell silent for a moment. Everyone looked at one another. Although they had no idea what a Restoration Zone was, judging by the wording... did the New Alliance intend to bring this place into their territory? Or to put it more bluntly: annex it. Wu Chengyi continued, "In the future, the New Alliance plans to turn Xizhou City into their heavy industrial base. He promised me that once the war is over, any survivor willing to join them can obtain New Alliance resident status and enjoy equal legal rights with the residents of Shuguang City... including receiving education, participating in civil service recruitment, and so on. If they aren't willing to join the New Alliance, they won't interfere at all, so long as we don't disrupt their work." The adjutant beside him pressed further, "What about us?" Wu Chengyi replied, "They recognize the guerrilla forces' bravery in resisting the Fang Clan. If we wish, they will integrate us into their ranks. Of course, if we want a different way of life, they will provide a severance package as appropriate, leaving the decision to stay or go up to us." Hearing this, many of the guerrilla commanders breathed sighs of relief, their expressions relaxing slightly. That the New Alliance was willing to take them into its ranks rather than confiscate their weapons indicated they at least viewed them as their own. And if someone didn't want to fight anymore, they could take severance pay. That gave them a fair answer to offer the fighters who had risked their lives alongside them. However, not everyone was so optimistic. One high-ranking member of the resistance frowned slightly. "This sounds like charity." Wu Chengyi smiled wryly. "Does it only sound like it?" In truth, having someone willing to offer charity wasn't a bad thing. Wu Chengyi knew full well that they were essentially no different from beggars right now. Getting hung up on petty pride was meaningless. The adjutant looked at him and asked, "What do you intend to do, Mayor?" Wu Chengyi remained silent and lit a handmade rolled cigarette. "I haven't made up my mind yet..." "I called you all here because I wanted to hear your thoughts." At that moment, the logistics director, who had stayed silent the entire time, suddenly spoke up. "Personally, I don't think joining the New Alliance is a bad thing... In fact, it might be our only choice." Everyone turned to look at him, Including Wu Chengyi. The logistics director paused and continued, "The survivors captured by the Fang Clan number at least in the tens of thousands... Among them are not only our own compatriots, but also people abducted by those marauders from the central regions of River Valley Province. If the New Alliance goes home with their spoils after the war, the situation we face will probably be far worse than it is now." A massive throng of starving people. Coupled with the raging plague. If they took in those rescued compatriots, the food crisis would crush them. And if they ignored those people, no matter how they explained it to the survivors who supported them, they would lose all legitimacy as a governing authority... Staring at the cigarette burning down in his fingers, Wu Chengyi sank into deep thought. After a long time, he spoke. "You're right." ... Chu Guang had originally thought that the guerrilla leader named Wu Chengyi would agonize over the offer for at least a week before accepting. To his surprise, however, he received a return call that very evening. "I have a better proposal," was Wu Chengyi's first sentence when the call connected. Hearing the voice on the other end, Chu Guang, who was reviewing documents, paused what he was doing and raised an eyebrow with amusement. "Oh?" "I've discussed it with the other members of the resistance. We are in unanimous agreement that Xizhou City will have a brighter future under the New Alliance's leadership. You need population and territory, while we want to live with dignity. Since you're willing to accept us, why don't we cooperate even more thoroughly?" Pausing for a beat, Wu Chengyi said in a solemn, grave tone, "This is our unanimous decision." "Please allow us to join your cause!" Hearing this, Chu Guang was slightly taken aback. Truth be told, he was a little surprised. Previously, considering the various complications of forcibly annexing Xizhou City, he had put forward a relatively gentle proposal, intending to replicate Shuguang City's development model there and allow the halo of civilization to draw the local survivors in, prompting them to willingly contribute to the unbreakable alliance. Well, well. It turned out the other side was even more eager to join than he was to have them, making him look like the one playing coy! Reining in his bemused expression, Chu Guang cleared his throat from his seat on the sofa and answered the resistance leader's proposal—or rather, request—with a single word: "Welcome!" ... Early the next morning. Xizhou City, an abandoned underground shopping mall connected to the subway tunnels. Ragged, numb-faced survivors returned one after another from the secret doors of the subway tunnels, clutching limp tote bags. Daytime in Xizhou City belonged to the marauders. Only when night fell completely could they venture out safely to scavenge. Before heading back to sleep, the scavengers needed to make a trip to the supply exchange warehouse to trade the junk collected the night before for nutrient paste, or barter their hunted game for a meager amount of daily essentials and medicine. Calling it game was generous; it was mostly just rats. For these scavengers, this was practically their only source of meat. As for why it was only "practically"... In times like these, it was best not to ask too many probing questions. As usual, today's haul was still pitifully small. Skirmishes between the New Alliance and the Bone Chewer Tribe's patrols were growing increasingly scarce, meaning scavengers rarely found discarded shell casings left behind by either side. The marauders' tanks had also mostly been driven to the front lines, and trucks welded with machine guns had set off in grand processions, squad after squad heading south. It appeared this war was nearing its resolution. Under the New Alliance's relentless strategic bombing, the Bone Chewer Tribe was pushed to its limits, both mentally and physically. Even the scavengers rummaging through junk could sense that those marauders were being driven to the brink of madness... Still, winning this war would not be an easy feat for the New Alliance. There were simply too many marauders. Debating when the war would end was the most popular topic in Hope Town. The people lined up in a long queue outside the warehouse chattered endlessly about when the New Alliance would drive the marauders away and what they planned to do once the war was over. Whenever this topic came up, even the most dazed and despondent among them felt an extra surge of courage to hold out a little longer. Aside from family, this was probably the only faith sustaining their will to carry on. Just then, a voice suddenly blared from the broadcast speakers overhead. "By decision of the senior leadership of the Xizhou City Survivor Resistance Movement, effective from the date of this announcement, Hope Town is officially merged into the United Front for the Reconstruction of Human Civilization, becoming part of the New Alliance collective..." The announcement was lengthy. It covered the date for the official handover of administrative control, New Alliance resident status, future arrangements for the guerrillas, and more. That mayor surnamed Wu spoke for a full half hour before stopping. However, the scavengers standing outside the warehouse and the residents huddled in shacks enduring hunger did not listen to the rest of what he said. They hadn't even had time to digest the sheer volume of information in the broadcast's opening sentence. People ceased their conversations and exchanged looks, their faces uniformly showing astonishment, delight, surprise, doubt... and sheer disbelief. Join the New Alliance? This... truly sounded like cause for celebration. But is this guy actually awake?!