Reform

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You guys actually have so many good things here!" Floor B4, reading room. Gazing at the dazzling array of books packing the shelves, Pai's eyes sparkled like sapphires illuminated by torchlight. Standing beside Pai, Xiao Yu spoke in a very soft voice. "Big Brother Chu said you're welcome to borrow and read them as you like, but you can't take them out of the vault, and please don't damage them." It was eight in the evening. She had already changed out of her bank uniform into loose, casual loungewear. Her tied-up ponytail had been let down, her silky hair cascading over her shoulders, making her look just like a sweet girl next door. Incidentally, both outfits had been designed by Tengteng's Cottage. "Don't worry!" Pai pulled an encyclopedia heavier than her own head from the shelf and continued cheerfully, "I'll take great care of it!" Standing behind the two of them and watching Pai lift down that encyclopedia, Chu Guang asked out of curiosity, "Don't you have these back where you're from?" "We do! But nowhere near this many!" Pai freed her left hand to gesture along the shelf, then added, "The bookshelf at my master's place is about half this size. On it are books he scavenged from the wasteland, along with some broken data drives. He spent half his lifetime repairing them, but even now he's only finished a tiny bit." Chu Guang was rather surprised. "It seems your master is a respected scholar." "Of course!" Pai tilted her nose up proudly. "That old man knows a ton of stuff!" "..." Chu Guang cleared his throat lightly. "...You might suggest to your teacher that he take on a few more students. It would lighten his load." Pai sighed, looking helpless. "I've always suggested that, but recruiting students is too hard... Our camp is fine, but in the survivor settlements outside, so many people can't even get enough food to eat." It seemed this little girl was not completely ignorant of the hardships of the world, which surprised Chu Guang a bit. "You can bring him over to take a look at our place. We've managed to solve the problem of basic food and warmth, at least." For example, having him serve as a school principal or education minister or something. Although Chu Guang said this in a half-joking tone, Pai's eyes lit up upon hearing it, and she said excitedly, "Hey, that's true! You guys have so much good food here, so there's definitely no shortage of people who've stuffed themselves and have time on their hands! When I get back, I'll suggest it to my master and have him come here to press-gang some recruits!" Stuffed themselves and have time on their hands, sure... This girl really spoke whatever popped into her head. Chu Guang nearly choked on his spit. Giving a dry cough, he looked at Xiao Yu beside him. "...Spend some time with her. Take her wherever she wants to go." The most core area of the entire vault was the control terminal at the deepest part of Floor B4. However, only Chu Guang had access permissions there. Ordinary people couldn't even enter the preparation room in front of it, and could at most reach the gym behind the reading room. Xiao Yu nodded obediently. "What about you, Big Brother Chu?" Chu Guang glanced at the time on his VM. "Heya scheduled a physical checkup for me at the Medical Lab. I plan to head over there in a bit." Over the past two months, he had basically been on the front lines, and the three days since returning had also been packed with various matters. During that time, although his genetic sequence had advanced a few times, his stat panel had never been updated. It was not until this morning, when Chu Guang woke up drenched in sweat, that he realized he hadn't checked his physical condition in a while. *** Medical Lab. Heya, wearing a white lab coat, had already been waiting for a long time. Watching Chu Guang step through the sliding door, she wasted no words, patting the scanner bed that resembled an operating table. "Quick, lie down." Being stared at with those eager eyes, Chu Guang always had the feeling of being a lab rat. Though it wasn't the first time. He was long used to it. The scan results came out, and the updated stat panel quickly appeared on his VM. [ID: Chu Guang] [Genetic Sequence: Administrator (Stage 3)] [Level: LV.22 → LV.27] [——Basic Attributes——] [Strength: 25] [Agility: 18 → 20] [Constitution: 21 → 22] [Perception: 20 → 21] [Intelligence: 20 → 24] His sequence progress had increased by five percentage points, which was reflected on the stat panel as a five-level jump. However, what surprised Chu Guang most was not this, but that his attributes had actually grown by eight points! "Intelligence went up by four points! Holy crap... it's almost catching up to Strength!" However, Strength had not increased by a single point, which Chu Guang had not anticipated. Could it be because he had been sitting in the rear commanding the battle? Though an increase in cognitive processing speed was indeed more helpful to him than muscle gain. "Incredible... I'm becoming more and more interested in your body." Staring at the tablet in her hands, Heya wore an expression of disbelief, muttering obscure remarks under her breath. Frankly speaking, if she didn't open her mouth, that face—which looked like it came straight out of a 3D animation—was undeniably gorgeous. No wonder she had surprisingly high popularity on the forum despite having little presence. Provided she kept her mouth shut, that was... Chu Guang cleared his throat. "...Please don't say things that cause misunderstandings." Heya's eyes widened. "Misunderstandings? No, I'm serious! Remember what I told you before? Your DNA exhibits characteristics similar to the broodmother—they can actively modify their own DNA based on how the fruiting bodies evolve in the environment, expressing traits better suited to survival! This is incredible!" "..." Watching Heya completely immersed in her own world, Chu Guang quietly put on his jacket. Yet just as he was about to slip out of the Medical Lab, Heya suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm. "Wait, hold on... I have another favor to ask!" Chu Guang sighed. "...What is it?" Heya said agitatedly, "Samples! My lab needs more samples of the mutant slime mold!" "You previously locked the quest permissions for the area inside Qingquan City's Third Ring Road, so I couldn't post quests for that area, and I couldn't find you! Without more samples, research on the mutant slime mold can't proceed at all. I haven't made any new progress for a whole month!" Under that fanatical gaze, Chu Guang felt a headache coming on. He raised his VM and tapped it a couple of times. "Fine, fine, I'll unlock it for you..." Happily releasing her grip, Heya's expression finally returned to normal. "Thank you!" "You're welcome. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave..." Before Chu Guang could finish, Heya had already turned and passed through the sliding door into the adjacent sample analysis room. Chu Guang exhaled in relief and quickly departed as well. In truth, even if Heya hadn't brought it up, he had planned to unlock quest-posting permissions for the area between the Second and Third Ring Roads in a couple of days. Wasteland OL had never restricted players from exploring the edges of the map; an explorable area comparable to an entire planet and outer space currently under development were among the promises he had dangled before them. However, while the players' range of activity had zero restrictions, Chu Guang had always maintained limits on NPC permissions. Especially regarding the range of quest issuance. Except for the Merchant Guild, no other entity could post quests for players too far beyond the New Alliance's signal range. Certain excessively hazardous zones were not allowed to appear on the regular quest list. However, after the battle of Xizhou City, quite a few Stage 3 powerhouses who had undergone a second awakening had emerged among the players. For instance, the Ox and Horse Squad—the area inside Qingquan City's Third Ring Road was no longer that dangerous for them. Quest restrictions involving downtown areas could be gradually lifted, though the minimum requirement to accept them had to be set at Level 20 or above. Although death was no big deal to players, as an Administrator, Chu Guang still hoped to prevent meaningless deaths. That way, their deaths would hold more value. *** TS City. The Snake Clan's tents. Looking at the subordinate kneeling before him, the Snake Clan chief's eyes widened in fury and shock. "Gold Fang is dead?!" The man kneeling on the ground trembled in fear. "Dead... Rumor has it he was betrayed by his own people and blown up inside the command post, leaving only half a torso." "The New Alliance hung his remains on Dawn City's North Gate for public display. Along with him were over ten thousand-man commanders... Aside from three to five who surrendered voluntarily, all the rest were hanged." "Most of the Fang Clan's twenty thousand-plus members were captured. I heard some were sent to the mines, while others are digging earth by the lake in Xizhou City." "Now the entirety of Xizhou... that is, everything to our west, is New Alliance territory." "..." Listening to his subordinate's report, the Snake Clan chief's face was painted with terror and bewilderment. Half a month ago, Gold Fang had sent him a message shouting not to worry, claiming he was going to take Qingquan City in one fell swoop and rendezvous with him at Red River Town. At first, he really hadn't worried. The Fang Clan was the head of the Bone Chewer tribe, and under Gold Fang's command were nearly thirty tanks and more than thirty thousand troops—more than three times his own men and equipment. In contrast, the New Alliance was just a tiny village with a total population not even reaching ten thousand. Even if a pig were tied to a chair to command them, they shouldn't have been crushed this badly! Looking at the map hanging on the wall, a hint of despair gradually surfaced on the Snake Clan chief's grim face. Xizhou City was less than twenty kilometers from here. All the enemy had to do was follow the tributary of the Tianshui River and push their artillery slightly forward—not even very far—to rain shells right onto their heads. The advisor standing beside him said in a low voice, "...The south remains unbreached, and now trouble has cropped up to our west. We can no longer stay here." "Then where can we go? Do we plunder the north all over again?" the Snake Clan chief snapped in irritation. The advisor stayed silent for a moment and sighed softly. "The mine owners of Red River Town have united. Even if we concentrate all our forces and gamble everything to take it, we'll sustain heavy casualties against them, only for the New Alliance to reap the benefits." "...Let's head east. Downstream along the Tianshui River. Though the most fertile lands are out of reach, the eastern provinces can still offer us a place to survive. While the New Alliance hasn't freed up its hands yet, there's still time to retreat." "Otherwise, I fear we will end up trapped between two fires." The Snake Clan chief fell silent. Though ten thousand times unwilling in his heart, he had to admit that this was likely their only way out... *** Red River Town. Positions on the southern slope of Antler Mountain. Standing beside an artillery bunker, the frontline commander held binoculars, gazing at the opposite hill that had been contested repeatedly, a flicker of surprise gradually emerging in his eyes. "...Those marauders have retreated." The adjutant standing nearby froze, then quickly asked, "Retreated? What's going on?" "No idea..." The commander shook his head and handed the binoculars to his adjutant. "See for yourself." Taking the binoculars, the adjutant stared at the opposite hill for quite a while, confirming that there was indeed not a soul left. Looking closely, several bayonets protruding from the trenches were mounted on wooden sticks. Lowering the binoculars, he looked at the commander with an odd expression. "...Could it be a trap?" "Send a squad of scouts up to check," the commander said after a long pause. "Also, report the situation here to the Mining Guild—I mean, to headquarters." The adjutant nodded and immediately said, "I'll make the arrangements right away!" "Mining Guild" was already a historical term, though most locals had not yet adjusted. Ever since news of the great victory at Pine Forest Ridge had spread, the mine owners and merchant association bosses of Red River Town argued almost twice a day, every now and then bringing men to surround the guild hall, looking every day as if doom were imminent. Of course, genuinely going under was out of the question; after all, those who are truly terminally ill rarely make a fuss, at most offering a brief rally before the end. Despite the arguing, everyone knew deep down that they rose and fell together. In this wasteland surrounded by death and despair, neither could truly survive without the other. Amid the fierce disputes, consensus was reached on issues previously deemed irreconcilable. The merchants agreed to reduce the number of mercenaries and establish a well-trained standing army, but the mine owners had to shoulder seventy percent of military expenditures while they covered only thirty percent. In exchange, the mine owners made further concessions regarding the establishment of a "more centralized governing body," granting the merchant associations operating the survivor settlements more seats within that body. After all, areas with more free citizens also had higher rates of educated individuals. In return, the settlements of Red River Town would shoulder more public expenditures than the mines. At the same time, all mines and merchant associations had to surrender ten percent of their profits as tax revenue for this unified administration. From then on, Red River Town officially changed its name to the Red River Alliance, no longer referring to itself by its historical geographical name. Though they had remained wary of the New Alliance's expansion, in the end, they had become the very thing they despised most... *** The following morning. Chu Guang, who was inspecting work at the Merchant Guild, received a call from the New Alliance's military base in Red River Town. Learning from Xu Shun, the head of the military base, about what had transpired in Red River Town over the past few days, Chu Guang was both surprised and somewhat amused. Good grief. Red River Town had turned straight into the Red River Alliance? Chu Guang had never expected that the New Alliance's epic victory at Pine Forest Ridge would cause such a sensation, even unexpectedly spurring reform among the survivor factions in Red River Town. Perhaps envious of the New Alliance's developmental success, they had simply copied his homework. Though they hadn't copied everything. Only select portions. "...The Snake Clan has retreated, and they have submitted a written request asking us to reduce our garrison in the Red River Alliance. For the foreseeable future, they will no longer need mercenaries." Listening to Xu Shun's report over the line, Chu Guang contemplated quietly before speaking. "Tell them we will systematically withdraw our troops once the threat of the Bone Chewer tribe is completely eliminated, but not right now." "We've wiped out the Fang Clan, but two clans remain unresolved. Those marauders could stage a comeback at any moment; now is not the time to discuss this." "Reassure them that we will not interfere in their internal affairs, but we must ensure the safety of our residents conducting production and business operations in the region." They wanted to send his little players away just because the marauders were chased off? Did he look like someone who came when summoned and left when dismissed? Dream on! From a pragmatic standpoint, there was no way the New Alliance would abandon its military garrison in Red River Town. Currently, traveling there from Dawn City took three days at fastest. Disbanding the military base meant players would lose the ability to save their progress and take on quests in Red River Town, and it also meant his little players might be exploited by outsiders. This was something Chu Guang could not accept under any circumstances. On the other end of the communication channel, Xu Shun snapped a crisp military salute. "Understood!" After the call ended, Chu Guang looked at Old Charlie, who was waiting quietly nearby. Clearing his throat, he said, "A minor issue arose in Red River Town, but nothing serious... Where were we?" "We were speaking of our neighbor to the south." Old Charlie spoke in a gentle, patient tone, picking up the thread interrupted by the phone call. "According to information from your liaison office in Boulder City, their City Hall recently passed a bill requiring weapon shops and vendors across Boulder City to cease sales of LD-47 series weapons." "Evidently, they have realized that we are eating into their market share." The LD-47 was powerful and cheap, making it popular among many mercenaries. Previously, its poor sales had solely been due to ammunition scarcity. Now, however, the New Alliance's ammunition had become increasingly affordable, especially after mining began at the Qingshi County copper mine, which halved wholesale prices. Driven by massive profit margins, more and more merchants preferred importing the high-quality, budget-friendly ammunition produced by the New Alliance, leading to a steep plunge in sales of the Drone series assault rifles manufactured by Boulder City's arms factory. Chu Guang frowned and pondered for a moment, then had a sudden whim. "What if we rename it? For example, change LD to AK?" Old Charlie froze, then smiled wryly. "...Do you take them for fools, my lord?" Chu Guang laughed sheepishly. "Fair point." Changing the name to keep selling it would really only fool an idiot. If those merchants wanted to keep doing business in Boulder City, even if they didn't listen to the outer city hall, they still had to listen to the factory owners. Watching the Administrator sink into thought, Old Charlie paused and continued, "...Actually, even if we lose this portion of trade share, it is no catastrophe. Mercenary groups in need of our products will naturally come to our territory to purchase them, and the slums and black markets outside the city can still acquire our goods... None of those are subject to the outer city hall's jurisdiction." "What we must truly stay vigilant against is the shift in our neighbor's attitude toward us. Our development has already raised their guard." Chu Guang nodded with a slightly solemn expression. "Indeed, that is a problem." The New Alliance's ability to industrialize in such a short span was partly due to the production expertise brought by the little players from reality, and partly due to the advanced tools provided by the Pioneer. Yet trade with Boulder City was another indispensable component. For instance, many production lines for solid-state hydrogen batteries and KV-1 exoskeletons had been imported from Boulder City's used equipment auctions. Furthermore, the numerous engineers employed by Lister Factory were recruited from Boulder City's talent market. Beyond the products themselves, these Boulder City enterprises had spawned a host of supporting industries. Such as advanced electrodes, control components, micro motors, and more. Some of these components were exported back to Boulder City, while others were absorbed by the New Alliance's domestic enterprises. Objectively speaking, all of this had provided immense support to the New Alliance's industrial progress. If relations with Boulder City continued to sour, the New Alliance's industrialization would undoubtedly suffer. Of course, Boulder City would not escape unscathed either. For example, Boulder City's factories imported significant quantities of Type-A3 composite aluminum from Bucky Aluminum Plant. Throughout its growth, the New Alliance had still mastered several "core technologies." Chu Guang looked at Old Charlie and asked, "Do you have any good recommendations?" Old Charlie continued, "The likelihood of direct conflict with them is slim, but not nonexistent. The New Alliance is no longer the small settlement it once was; our expansion has put our neighbors on alert. For the long haul, we must mind our relationship with them." "For instance, we could dispatch diplomats to establish more official channels of communication with our neighbors. Not only Boulder City, but also Red River Town, or even Junk City farther out... We don't necessarily need them to remain amicable, but we must at least prevent them from uniting against us." Chu Guang nodded thoughtfully. "You make a good point. We must handle this matter with prudence." Previously, diplomatic affairs had always been handled by the Merchant Guild. After all, back then the New Alliance was tiny, and its relations with other settlements were purely mercantile; even customs tariffs had only been instituted two months ago. Now things were different. The New Alliance's population had surpassed ten thousand, its borders had expanded north to Xizhou City, logistics no longer consisted of merely a few workshops and warehouses, and relations with neighbors could no longer remain confined to simple trade. Geopolitical security and strategic demands were now involved. In fact, not just diplomacy, but an entire series of fields—including the economy, industry, transportation, energy, trade, and education—required dedicated departments to oversee, rather than demanding Chu Guang's direct personal directives for every single matter. Though with Xiao Qi's assistance, micromanagement was easy enough. If he wished, he could even order a player on the front lines to shift a machine gun nest five meters forward. Using the victory of the Northern Expedition as an opportune catalyst, Chu Guang planned to conduct a second restructuring of the New Alliance's administration. The last reform had targeted the Guard; this one would target domestic affairs. The overly bloated Logistics Department would be split up. Chu Guang would further clarify the specific responsibilities and assigned duties of each department. That way, he could reduce micromanagement and give himself some breathing room. Reading the Administrator's thoughts, Old Charlie smiled, nodded, and said softly and respectfully, "It seems you have already realized it." "Just now, you asked for my recommendation. My advice is that now is precisely the right time to do so."