Even if it were twenty thousand pigs running loose in a city, it would take some time to round them all up.
Let alone people.
Red River Town had been fighting the Snake Clan in the north for nearly half a year, spending enough money on mercenaries and weapons procurement to buy an entire mine.
Yet even so, they had gained little advantage over those marauders.
Sim was not the only one who received word; the other merchant chamber bosses and mine owners of Red River Town had learned of it as well.
Soon, this staggering piece of news spread across the entire town...
Inside the conference hall of the Mining Association.
More than ten minutes had passed since the association president announced the agenda for the meeting.
Those seated around the conference table exchanged glances, and for a long time, no one spoke a word.
Unable to bear the eerie atmosphere in the room, one mine owner hooked a finger into his collar to loosen it and broke the silence in a hesitant voice.
"...Is the news reliable?"
The association president nodded with a complicated expression.
"...It should be. They hardly need to slap themselves in the face with a lie that could be exposed at any moment."
Verifying whether the news was true was far too easy; sending someone over to look would immediately reveal whether Xizhou City had fallen or not.
Moreover, there was no need to fabricate anything.
Declaring victory prematurely would bring the New Alliance no real benefit whatsoever.
Whispers broke out in the conference room as the attendees began muttering among themselves.
"...I believe it's necessary to reconsider our relationship with the New Alliance."
"Why not set up an office there?"
"Under whose name, though? Should each of us set up our own, or under the Mining Association's name?"
"I think both are very necessary. Even setting aside their military might, they are an important trading partner of ours."
This war had shaken them to the core.
From the blitz on Qingshi County to the battle of Pine Valley... based on available intelligence, every engagement the New Alliance fought against the Bone Chewer tribe, whether on offense or defense, had ended in overwhelming victory.
While the possibility that they exaggerated battle results and concealed their own casualties could not be ruled out, the strength they demonstrated in the final outcome was already astonishing enough.
A nascent survivor faction with a total population of less than ten thousand.
In just two short months, they had crushed a marauder clan possessing thirty thousand troops and twenty-seven tanks!
Such terrifying power could not fail to inspire dread!
Furthermore, unlike established survivor factions like Boulder City that had long ceased their expansion...
These blue gophers who had suddenly sprung up not only possessed immense war potential, but were actively expanding their territory.
At first, their territory had consisted of just a single park, then the northern suburbs of Qingquan City, and now it reached all the way to the shores of Xizhou Lake more than a hundred kilometers north of Qingquan City.
Where would their next step lead?
Continuing north?
Or heading east...
Just as everyone was debating how to handle relations with the New Alliance, someone suddenly stood up.
"Gentlemen, if I remember correctly, our agenda today was to discuss our future relationship with the New Alliance. Yet so far, all I've heard is how we should curry favor with our neighbor... Do you truly believe we can coexist peacefully with the New Alliance?"
Seeing all eyes turn toward him, Sim paused before continuing.
"Don't you dare forget that the very first thing they did upon taking Xizhou City was declare the liberation of the marauders' slaves!"
Shock was written across the faces of the room, while those who, like Sim, had learned something beforehand remained silent.
A clamor of noisy discussion broke out across the conference table.
Liberating slaves...
In Red River Town, that was an extraordinarily sensitive topic.
The "mines" of Red River Town were not traditional mines, but landfills of compacted garbage. Because landfill data had been lost in the fires of war, God only knew what might be dug up beneath them, and mining accidents occurred frequently.
They could not possibly hire free men to excavate those mines. It was not a matter of paying more or less money; the returns simply bore no proportion to the cost.
Red River Town could not survive without slaves. That was a consensus shared by every mine owner and trading house boss.
If the blue vouchers were meant to coordinate ore production and help mine owners sell at better prices, then the issuance of red vouchers for purchasing slaves was designed to ensure each major mine secured a large, stable source of labor...
A chamber of commerce president raised his hand in objection.
"...Your information is inaccurate. The word on my end is that they granted those slaves the status of 'wards,' which clearly isn't an outright release."
His name was Andrew, president of the Gray Rhino Chamber of Commerce, dealing mainly in imports—whether weapons, food, or the feed given to slaves.
He had known about what Sim mentioned as well, since he maintained a liaison office in Dawn City, though he hadn't paid it much mind.
The only business under the Gray Rhino Chamber of Commerce that touched upon slaves was nutrient paste.
Having fully anticipated Andrew's objection, Sim pressed on with conviction.
"Is there any point in mincing words? Wards, managees, or whatever other new terms they coin... none of it conceals what they are actually doing."
"Today they liberate the slaves of Xizhou City, but what if tomorrow they come to liberate the slaves in our hands? Mr. Mudis of the Mist Mountain Mine, are you willing to give freedom back to the slaves in your pits?"
The bald man looked away.
Sim ceased looking at him and turned toward another person—his strategic ally, Dempsey of the Blackstone Mine.
"...Or you? My dear Mr. Dempsey."
"I... I doubt it would go that far... Some slaves were originally marauders themselves, or clones, or near-defunct synths. Besides, even on their own territory, they only buy slaves from slave owners; they've never forced anyone to hand them over."
Dempsey's tone carried a hint of hesitation, but the nervous twitch in his expression gave away his unease.
Seeing right through him, Sim struck while the iron was hot.
"All your assumptions rest entirely on what you think 'won't go that far.' A year ago, the Bone Chewer tribe was trading with us too. Didn't they turn on us just as quickly?"
A merchant boss couldn't resist speaking up.
"Then what should we do? Antagonize them?"
Sim answered immediately, "Of course not. With our current strength, antagonizing them brings zero benefit. But we must see clearly—getting too close to these Blue Jackets is an extremely dangerous proposition. At the very least, we must remain vigilant."
"First, we must unite and establish an authority more centralized than the Mining Association. It should shoulder broader responsibilities, not merely issuing red and blue vouchers. It must oversee the formation of a standing force, handle relations with other survivor settlements, decide with whom and how we conduct business, and govern our own settlement."
"After that, we should strengthen ties with neighboring survivor settlements and reduce our reliance on the New Alliance... whether for weapons or military defense."
Pausing, Sim raised his voice, slamming his fist onto the table twice.
"Gentlemen, the warning bell has tolled. The River Valley Province is facing a transformation unseen in a century, and the methods of the past will no longer suffice."
"Whether you like it or not, if we don't want this world to leave us behind, we have to look ahead."
"I have said my piece."
As Sim finished speaking, the conference table erupted into chaos.
Some voiced support; others voiced opposition.
Curiously, however, most of those backing the idea of "establishing a more centralized administrative body" were the mine owners.
Instead, the chamber of commerce bosses stood opposite Sim, their fellow merchant, on this issue.
Everyone held their own ground, escalating from initial debate into near shouting matches.
"A more centralized body? Just how centralized? Pick someone out and hand all our businesses over to him to run?"
"I think Sim makes sense!"
"Makes sense my ass! What's wrong with everyone minding their own business like we do now?"
"Plenty's wrong! You don't care who you sell your junk to, but I have to make sure the junk I sell doesn't come flying back at me as bullets!"
"So who becomes the leader of this new authority? That's all I care about!"
The president of the Mining Association rapped on the table, but with the shouting growing so fierce, no one paid any attention to what he was saying.
The meeting was forced to adjourn.
After dispersing, several merchant chamber bosses gathered together, murmuring in low voices.
"What's got into Sim? Since when does he speak for the mine owners' interests?"
"Probably took a terrible bath. I heard he stockpiled a batch of copper ore earlier... several thousand tons stuck on his hands."
Just then, Andrew of the Gray Rhino Chamber of Commerce spoke up.
"I have a bit of hearsay, though it might not be entirely verified."
The other merchants looked over with immediate interest.
They might ignore gossip from others, but information from Mr. Andrew always brought business opportunities.
"What news?"
Andrew lowered his voice.
"The New Alliance discovered a copper deposit in Qingshi County, and by the looks of it, they've been mining it for some time."
This was an enormous revelation.
Shock and disbelief surfaced on everyone's faces.
"Copper ore?!"
"How did you find out?"
Facing their questions, Andrew said softly, "It wasn't hard to deduce... The trains heading back from Qingshi County aren't returning empty. Copper-bearing slag can always be picked up near the tracks. And according to my salesman's assessment, the grade of that deposit isn't low."
Hearing this, the expressions of the group shifted drastically.
The New Alliance had discovered a copper mine!
No wonder they had suddenly declared a northern expedition!
No wonder the war had dragged on for two months, yet the prices of copper and sulfur had barely fluctuated!
And no wonder Sim had reacted so fiercely, calling for a centralized governing body and trying to rally neighboring settlements against the rising threat of the New Alliance.
Thinking of the thousands of tons of copper ore sitting in the Horseshoe Trading Firm's warehouses, the merchants couldn't help but observe a silent moment of pity for their fellow trader.
That truly was miserable.
...
While the merchant bosses and mine owners of Red River Town were divided over how to deal with the New Alliance, a similar scene played out in the council hall of Garbage City.
The councilors argued fiercely over whether to establish diplomatic relations with the New Alliance, and what form those relations should take.
Everything had happened far too suddenly.
A month ago, they had still been debating arms increases, how to cope with the Bone Chewer tribe's southward threat, and, most crucially, how to persuade Boulder City to join the war.
And now, someone was telling them out of nowhere that Golden Fang was dead, and the war was already over.
It was undeniably a cause for celebration...
Yet the immense war potential demonstrated by the New Alliance brought a cold edge of dread alongside their relief...
...
Boulder City, outer city.
City Hall.
Looking at the joint petition submitted by several large enterprise owners, the mayor rubbed his brow, feeling a headache coming on.
"It seems the situation in the northern suburbs may have exceeded our expectations... Even if they were responding to the Bone Chewer tribe, the speed of their military buildup is difficult not to worry about."
Standing nearby, his secretary spoke softly, "Indeed. Aircraft, artillery, and rockets... They may not possess tactical nukes, but the destructive output is hardly any different."
High technology was not required to cause devastation.
A jin of iron weighed the same as a jin of cotton, and a sufficient quantity of black powder—or even grain flour—could generate a terrifying force.
Of course, he could tell that what truly worried the factory owners in the city was not the New Alliance's cannons, but the booming production capacity in the northern suburbs eating into their profits.
In Boulder City, nutrient paste retailed at one to two chips per kilogram, with a wholesale price of three to four hundred chips per ton against production costs around two hundred and fifty.
In Dawn City, however, that figure was a mere two hundred silver coins. Moreover, the exchange rate between silver coins and chips was kept firmly pegged at two to one by the New Alliance Bank.
Other goods were one thing, but nutrient paste required zero technical sophistication, commanded no brand prestige, and offered no variation in quality; it was pure animal feed.
Now, almost the entire nutrient paste market in Boulder City had been stolen away by that DDW-brand paste.
The New Alliance not only manipulated exchange rates, but even used fiscal subsidies to back its industry and trade.
That was what the factory owners of Boulder City resented most!
The mayor pondered for a long time.
"...We really should discuss security matters with them. Conveniently, their war is finished now."
The secretary said in a low voice, "What we can do is very limited... I suggest reporting this matter to the castellan."
"The castellan..."
The mayor let out a wry chuckle.
That man couldn't care less about such matters.
Unless those unpredictable Blue Jackets meddled in the affairs of Qingquan City's urban center, or became entangled with the Enterprise or the Legion.
Yet the likelihood of that was far too slim...
...
News of the New Alliance liberating Xizhou City stirred up waves across the southern reaches of the River Valley Province.
Yet at this very moment, the man at the center of the storm was following in Rock Fang's footsteps, arriving at Golden Fang's "palace."
In truth, calling it a palace was a stretch; to Chu Guang's eyes, it was practically a pigsty.
The five-story ruined villa had been reinforced with timber and concrete, its walls and gate decorated with severed parts of humans and mutants. Mounted on the main wall of the hall was the head of a Deathclaw.
Clamped inside that beast's jaws was a human skull.
Even standing here, and even encased in power armor, Chu Guang could feel his sanity taking a sharp dive.
Rock Fang, on the other hand, showed not the slightest hint of discomfort.
This only reinforced Chu Guang's view that these marauders were simply not human.
It was better not to use methods meant for humans to manage them...
"Golden Fang lived in a place like this?"
A fawning smile appeared on Rock Fang's face.
"This was his sitting room. His treasures are all upstairs. Please follow me, my lord!"
Saying so, he led Chu Guang and his personal guards toward the upper floor of the villa, stopping before a set of doors.
The doorway seemed to have been widened specifically to accommodate Golden Fang's bulk.
The moment he stepped through, Chu Guang caught a pungent, foul stench, and his brows knit together.
Before them lay an enormous bed at least five meters wide, where over a dozen pale figures were chained down.
They were attractive women with voluptuous figures, fair skin, and healthy, lustrous hair—looking nothing like wasteland survivors, nor like dwellers of a vault.
From the bruises, scars, and stains on the floor, it was not hard to imagine what sort of torment they had suffered before now.
And the fate of the slaves kept in the dungeons was even easier to imagine.
Seeing the figures appear at the door, terror flickered through the girls' eyes, and the iron chains around their ankles rattled noisily.
"...These were premium goods Lord Golden Fang purchased from the Free State of Bugra, not at all like those foul-smelling slaves. Heh heh, they all belong to you now—" Feeling the murderous aura radiating from beside him, Rock Fang shut his mouth in terror.
Chu Guang gave him a meaningful glance, though he did not hold Golden Fang's deeds against him.
Turning toward the guards beside him, Chu Guang said, "Find some clothes for them."
The guard snapped to attention. "Yes, sir!"
Posting a quest to summon several female players from nearby to assist, Chu Guang instructed Rock Fang to continue leading the search through the villa.
According to intelligence provided by other captives, Golden Fang had obtained two million dinars from the Legion earlier, and that money had not all been spent on weapons.
Buying a dozen clone slaves couldn't have cost that much; Chu Guang wanted to find out what else the fellow had purchased.
Reaching the basement of the villa, they found it converted into a storage room.
With a hard grip, Chu Guang tore the lock clean off the door, pushed open the sagging iron door, and stepped inside.
The storage room wasn't large, perhaps fifty or sixty square meters, crammed with assorted junk.
To Chu Guang's surprise, sitting among the clutter was a device that looked distinctly high-tech.
After examining it for quite a while without figuring out what the device was used for, Chu Guang could only snap a few photos, head back above ground, and place a call to Yin Fang.
"I found some interesting things here in Xizhou City. I've sent the photos over..."
"Check for me right now and tell me what that thing actually is."
...
In the eastern district of Xizhou City, on streets littered with concrete rubble and rusted car frames.
Under the protection of Third Corps soldiers, Ma Ban, Wu Chengyi, and the other high-ranking leaders of the resistance walked slowly out from the abandoned subway entrance.
As sunlight fell across his face, Wu Chengyi instinctively raised a hand, squinting his eyes.
Gazing at the familiar street before him, the hardened man felt his eyes moisten.
Come to think of it, when was the last time he had bathed in sunlight?
He couldn't even remember.
Standing beside him, Yang Duo was much the same, his voice choking with emotion.
"The Fang Clan... were those marauders truly driven away?"
Ma Ban replied, "To be precise, they were taken prisoner."
After a long silence, Yang Duo lowered his head and murmured softly, "Thank you..."
"Even if you want to say thank you, you shouldn't be saying it to me. Go find the people who truly deserve the thanks... I'm just one of the ones they saved as well."
With that, a comforting smile appeared on Ma Ban's face as he reached out and patted Yang Duo's arm. "Don't keep your head down. Go call everyone up."
"The war is over."
Yang Duo returned into the subway.
Before long, the residents of Hope Town emerged from the station one after another, carrying large bundles and small bags.
Some were empty-handed, as if intending to leave those dark days buried underground.
Of course, it was also possible they had simply lost everything and had nothing left to carry.
Gazing at the long-lost sunlight, people took deep breaths of the open air. Many even shed tears, embracing one another and weeping aloud.
Watching the scene before him, Ma Ban felt a stir in his heart, though he did not forget the tasks the Administrator had entrusted to him.
A mountain of work awaited him; now was no time to get sentimental.
After completing the final headcount to ensure no one was left behind, Ma Ban led the surviving residents toward the southern outskirts of Xizhou City under the Third Corps' protection.
Beside the wreckage of an elevated bridge lay a relatively open and level expanse of ground. Compared to the rat-infested urban ruins, it was far more suitable as a residential area for a new settlement.
The trenches and positions of the New Alliance were not far off, manned by soldiers of the First Corps.
Though the Fang Clan had been defeated, the threats of the wasteland were far from limited to marauders; the mutants wandering nearby still demanded vigilance.
Upon spotting the New Alliance banner, the residents of Hope Town swarmed forward all at once, surrounding the sentries patrolling in front of the perimeter and asking frantic questions.
"Where are the people captured by the Bone Chewer tribe? Are they here?"
"My father was taken by the Fang Clan, probably locked in the marauders' dungeons... Could you let me go look? He's definitely still alive!"
"I was separated from my wife. Just let me check the dungeons... I'm begging you!"
Surrounded on all sides, the sentries were momentarily at a loss for what to do.
Seeing the chaos unfolding, Ma Ban and Wu Chengyi felt their scalps tingle. They tried to step up and restore order, but amid the turmoil, no one could hear their shouts.
Seeing that the situation was on the verge of slipping out of hand, Wrench stepped forward immediately, turned on the speaker on his helmet, and roared at the crowd:
"Quiet!"
The surrounding clamor dropped noticeably.
The people reflexively ceased their shouting, looking toward the man clad in an exoskeleton.
Seeing the corps commander step in to take charge, the sentry who had been hemmed in by the residents finally breathed a sigh of relief, loosening his tense nerves.
Sweeping his gaze across the gathered survivors, Wrench continued in a resounding voice:
"I know that many of you were separated from your loved ones during the turmoil a year ago, and I understand your desperate desire to reunite with them. But things must be done step by step."
"The Fang Clan's resistance is largely over, but a handful of diehards are still holding out in the city. I'm sure none of you want to fall on the eve of dawn, becoming targets for those thugs or even their next meal."
The survivors' emotions finally settled.
Wrench paused, then continued in a milder tone:
"...As long as your loved ones are still alive, they will return to your side soon enough. What you need to do now is follow orders, wait patiently, and help build your new home."
"How you celebrate your reunions is your own business. But before that, you have to prepare a place that can shelter you and your families from the wind and rain."
Chapter 332