You Shall Be the Lord of Dawn City!

"Hello, Mr. Dulong, esteemed Director of Boulder City Hall. I am the Lord of Dawn City—" "Luka." Vault Floor B4, viewing lounge. Dressed in formal attire, Luka sat on the sofa. On the coffee table in front of him lay a holographic computer pen. Pale-blue light beams intertwined above the table, forming a three-dimensional holographic cone. Through the pale-blue projection cone, one could see the bay window of the Director's office at Boulder City Hall, along with the director seated behind his desk. "Lord of Dawn City..." Dulong frowned slightly. "Where is your Administrator?" If his information was correct, the supreme authority of the Alliance should be the Administrator. What the hell was a Lord of Dawn City? And this Luka... With that weathered, sunburnt face, he looked more like a peasant farmer than any city lord. What the hell was the New Alliance's Administrator playing at? He couldn't make heads or tails of it. Luka paid no mind to the shift in Mr. Dulong's attitude, continuing in a mild tone as instructed by the Administrator: "Our Administrator is currently inspecting Daybreak City and likely won't be able to return to Qingquan City anytime soon. Since communications there leave something to be desired, out of respect and regard for you, he has entrusted me to hold this conference call with you." "When the Administrator briefed me, he specifically emphasized that Boulder City is a neighbor and friend of the Alliance, and instructed me to ensure our goodwill is displayed throughout this talk." A faint, almost imperceptible disdain crossed Dulong's face at these high-sounding platitudes. Friends? Did Boulder City need something like that? He had intended to say, "Since your Administrator isn't here, we'll talk when he gets back," but considering that might mean waiting a very long time, he swallowed the words. He didn't care either way—at worst he'd just wait—but the task assigned by the Lord of Boulder City couldn't wait that long. Dulong was certain that if the New Alliance's aircraft appeared in Boulder City's airspace again, the anti-aircraft guns would definitely open fire. If this friction escalated into war, he was positive the North Suburbs would be reduced to scorched earth, and the fully mobilized militia would use rebar and concrete to seal those blue moles inside their turtle shell forever. However, Boulder City's outer city would undoubtedly suffer massive losses. Perhaps Mr. Fang Ming didn't care what became of the place, just as the inner city had never cared what kind of lives the outer city residents lived. Yet Dulong couldn't afford not to care. Not because he was kindhearted. Rather, he knew full well that while the inner-city nobles were his masters, the outer-city factory owners and chamber of commerce bosses were his power base. "Since you consider us friends, I expect your aircraft not to appear in a friend's airspace from now on. Your aircraft appeared on our radar. Our soldiers showed restraint this time, but that might not be the case next time." Luka looked at him and said, "That is a reasonable request. What is the scope of your airspace?" Dulong stated bluntly, "Everything within Qingquan City's Fifth Ring Road is our airspace, bounded by the ring highway." "That is impossible," Luka shook his head. "Part of Dawn City also falls within Qingquan City's Fifth Ring Road. We will respect your security needs, but only on the condition that we do not compromise our own security." Dulong raised his voice. "Mr. Luka, let me be blunt. This is a demand from our Lord. Do you understand the meaning of the word 'demand'?" Luka smiled faintly. "Of course I understand, but our Administrator has said that if we yield on airspace today, we will have to compromise on territory tomorrow. We can guarantee that our aircraft will not enter within Qingquan City's Western District ring road, and that is our limit." Dulong raised an eyebrow slightly. As if he had heard something amusing, he chuckled and said, "Territory? What use would I have for that dump of yours?" For a couple tens of thousands of mu of land? For those few dilapidated houses? That was underestimating them far too much. Luka replied in an even tone, "Our place may be a bit run-down, but we are very satisfied with our home." A trace of mockery crept into Dulong's voice. "You don't seriously think that defeating a few primitives wielding fire pokers qualifies you to negotiate terms with us, do you?" To Dulong's surprise, the old man before him actually nodded. It made him wonder for a second if his eyes were playing tricks on him. "Naturally. I have no doubt that we qualify." Looking the City Hall director dead in the eye, Luka continued matter-of-factly, "In fact, I am negotiating terms with *you* right now, am I not?" As he spoke, he put heavy emphasis on the word "you." Dulong narrowed his eyes slightly. He suddenly felt uncertain. "What do you mean?" Luka said calmly, "Nothing complicated. Your military is formidable, but we are not weak either. Boulder City might defeat us on an open battlefield, but we can ensure our opponent pays a devastating price." "And that price will inevitably be *you*." Those words struck a raw nerve in Dulong. The inner city's long-standing neglect of the outer city was an open secret known to everyone, and he was naturally no exception. He didn't doubt in the least that if war truly broke out, they would become cannon fodder. Just like during every Tide. So what? Did he need some "wastelander" to point that out to him? Dulong sat up straight, laughing out of sheer anger. "Are you threatening me?" The atmosphere across the negotiating table instantly plunged to freezing. Luka was also intensely nervous inside. However, he did not show it on his face. Before the negotiations began, the Administrator had briefed him that under no circumstances should he show fear or panic; he had to keep his composure at all times. The other side was powerful. From their standpoint, "coercion by force" was a convenient option because security was the sore spot for most survivor settlements. Although Boulder City was a spiritual bootlicker of Ideal City, they weren't wealthy enough to be idle and wasteful, so they didn't suffer from moral cleanliness either. Dancing back and forth on the edge of the other side's bottom line was dangerous, but acting too weak was equally lethal. Grasp their sore spot, stop just before it hurts too much, make appropriate concessions on certain demands, and find an acceptable middle ground for both sides. That was precisely the purpose of negotiation. Looking at Dulong, Luka spoke slowly: "Of course not, esteemed Director. We sincerely hope to coexist in peace and friendship. This world already has tragedies enough: mutants, slime mold, mutated humans, cultists, and marauders... The sparks of civilization barely survive beneath the shroud of barbarism. Living in such an era, we truly, deeply wish to avoid taking that final step." Pausing, Luka continued: "...Yet sometimes, however reluctant we may be, we must let others know that we weren't frightened into submission, nor was the land we reclaimed given to us out of charity." "Therefore, rather than a threat, I would prefer that you view my earlier words as a response to the threat of war." Dulong narrowed his eyes into slits, staring unblinkingly at Luka's hologram. He was pondering. He was also weighing his options. Silence fell over the meeting. Luka waited patiently. Right then, Dulong blurted out something unrelated to the negotiation itself. "Did you come up with those words yourself, or did your Administrator tell you to say them?" Luka answered without hesitation: "Does it make a difference? The Administrator's will is the will of the Alliance, and it is my will as well." Dulong said nothing, merely staring at the old man thoughtfully for a while. After about half a minute, he spoke slowly: "I don't agree with your sophistry regarding a 'threat of war.'" Shifting his tone, he continued: "However, I concede your other point: this world already has enough tragedies, and there's no need for us to add meaningless sorrow." "For the sake of our future relations, I believe we need to have a frank and open discussion." Hearing this, Luka finally let out a sigh of relief inside, a smile appearing on his face. "My thoughts exactly." ... Although the man's arrogant attitude hadn't changed in the slightest, a willingness to resolve issues through dialogue was at least a promising start. Next came the haggling. Dulong considered this his area of expertise; after all, before becoming Director of City Hall, he had been a merchant. Yet to his surprise, the other party was not one bit inferior when it came to digging in his heels and quibbling. At the very least, he wasn't anywhere near as easy to fool as Dulong had imagined. "...Qingquan City's North Third Ring belongs to our airspace. We need to combat the Tide! What's more, our air force shoulders part of the pressure for you, which benefits you as well!" "Your air force? Ha! Those paper airplanes? You'd be better off just hiring our planes directly. It's not like you haven't used them before. At most, I'll give you a twenty-percent discount." "Yes, we are paper airplanes, so why worry that we threaten your security? Is your tolerance so narrow that you can't even accommodate paper airplanes?" "...North Fourth Ring to North Fifth Ring, that is our bottom line! At the same time, I need your commitment that the New Alliance's borders will not continue expanding southward in the future!" "We can stop expanding south, but in exchange, I demand that you lift your sales ban on New Alliance goods. We haven't banned the sale of your goods, have we?" "That last one is impossible. Banning the sale of the LD-47 is a demand from Boulder City Military Industry. I can only promise not to add new import-export restriction lists in sectors outside of military industry." These terms had already met the negotiation's expectations, but Luka still nodded with feigned reluctance. "Very well, then let us maintain the status quo." Dulong breathed a sigh of relief, his tense expression finally relaxing into a smile. "I am glad we reached an agreement." Verbal agreements didn't count for much. The two parties would still sign a formal, concrete agreement later. As for the signing location, Dulong demanded it take place at Boulder City Hall and invited him to visit Boulder City. Regarding a minor detail like the signing location, Luka didn't press the matter under the Administrator's instruction, readily accepting the request. Aside from the matters of airspace and trade, both sides discussed cooperation across multiple fields and reached a consensus. Once the communication ended, Luka reached out and switched off the holographic computer. Feeling as if a thousand-jin burden had been lifted from his shoulders, he leaned back against the sofa and let out a long breath. "Well done!" Hearing the praising voice from the doorway of the viewing lounge, Luka immediately rose from the sofa, respectfully placing his right fist over his left chest. "Lord Administrator." "No need for formalities. Sit." Motioning for Luka to sit down, Chu Guang took a seat on the opposite sofa, looking at him with satisfaction. To tell the truth, when Chu Guang originally rescued him, he hadn't given it much thought at all; it had purely been an accidental act of kindness. On top of that, he had needed someone honest and obedient to help manage the warehouse and gather information on things he didn't know, so he tossed out a single chip to bribe the farm guard carrying out the execution. At the time, Chu Guang hadn't had high expectations for him. Barring anything unexpected, the greatest achievement of Luka's life would likely have been helping manage the warehouse at the New Alliance's outpost. Just like Guo Niu, Guo Ma, and the other liberated serfs who had joined the New Alliance early on. Yet Old Luka's performance on the job had defied Chu Guang's expectations. Not only his loyalty, but also his precise understanding of orders and his industrious, diligent work ethic far exceeded Chu Guang's initial hopes. Although his background as a serf made him somewhat lacking in flexibility, compared to other wastelanders, such a minor flaw was entirely negligible. Looking at it now, that single chip had been worth every penny. "Later on, I'll need to trouble you to make a trip to Boulder City." "It is no trouble at all. It is my honor to serve you," Luka said respectfully. Chu Guang smiled. After a brief pause, his playful expression vanished, replaced by a serious tone. "Furthermore, once you return from Boulder City with the treaty symbolizing our friendship, you shall be the Lord of Dawn City." Hearing this, Luka froze in shock. Lord of Dawn City? Hadn't that just been a title for the negotiation? Luka said with trepidation, "My Lord, but I—" Knowing what he wanted to say, Chu Guang cut him off. "Enough, I've already decided! I've seen your capabilities with my own eyes. No one is better suited for this position than you." After all, Luka had always been the one managing Changjiu Farm. As for his origins? In Chu Guang's view, that wasn't a problem at all. If anything, it could serve as a banner for propaganda. In the New Alliance, equality wasn't just an empty slogan. As long as someone proved their competence and loyalty to the Alliance, even a person of humble origins could become the lord of a settlement. Excellent. Chu Guang was increasingly pleased with his arrangement. Later, he would take some time to draft an inspiring press release and hand it over to the Alliance radio station to publicize. Although he still had reservations about whether he was up to such a heavy responsibility, seeing the Administrator choose him with such unwavering resolve, Old Luka said no more, quietly burying his gratitude deep in his heart. Taking a moment to steady his breathing, he looked at the Administrator and said earnestly, "My Lord... there is one thing I don't quite understand. May I ask you about it?" "What is it?" "Boulder City... why are they so obsessed with Qingquan City's airspace?" A hint of confusion lingered in Luka's eyes. "They clearly didn't take our aircraft seriously at all." That bone-deep condescension was impossible to hide. The Director of City Hall had even used the term "paper airplanes" to describe the Alliance's aircraft. Though indignant, Luka had to admit that such arrogance wasn't without foundation. Boulder City's aircraft might not hold up before the Enterprise, but they were, after all, products of the pre-war era. Anyone with eyes could see that those sci-fi-looking behemoths and the New Alliance's little planes weren't even in the same league. "It's good that you thought of that." Looking at Old Luka as he began to grasp the bigger picture, Chu Guang nodded approvingly. "The reason is actually very simple, because you're right: what they truly care about isn't the airspace at all." Luka was taken aback, not quite understanding what he meant. Chu Guang didn't explain right away, instead reaching out to tap the holographic computer pen. A map of Qingquan City was projected into the pale-blue light cone. Along the edge of the Third Ring Road, several green dots were blinking intermittently. "Because downtown Qingquan City is where their core interests truly lie." "Mutant slime mold, evolved organisms, ancient battlefields, and equipment left behind from the pre-war era... A single fragment cannot restore the entire puzzle, but stack countless fragments together, and something useful can always be pieced together." Surprise surfaced on Luka's face. "If that's the case, then wouldn't the Tide..." Chu Guang nodded. "To them, it might not be purely a disaster." "Our researchers have been studying the evolved organisms that spread to the North Suburbs during the last Tide, both from a biological perspective and an engineering one. It's just that we started too late. Even with outstanding researchers, our progress lags far behind theirs." Looking at Luka, whose expression showed sudden enlightenment, Chu Guang said slowly, "Just as you said, they don't care about our aircraft at all, because those things aren't even a nuisance to them." "Their real purpose is likely to keep us from touching their treasure." ... On the other side, at Boulder City Hall. Dulong let out a long breath as he hung up the call. Relieved, he couldn't help letting a smug smile curve the corners of his mouth. The New Alliance's aircraft would no longer enter their core interest zone; the esteemed Lord of Boulder City was bound to be pleased with this outcome. The LD-series weapons remained on the import restriction list, so bilateral trade wouldn't be affected on that front, nor would the military-industrial complex have reason to gossip or criticize him. As for sectors outside of military industry? What did that have to do with him? Besides, trade was inherently mutually beneficial. It wasn't a bad thing for Boulder City to purchase cheaper consumer goods and industrial raw materials. In Dulong's eyes, he had merely offered a tiny spoonful of honey in exchange for an outcome that delighted all parties. Thinking of this, he couldn't help praising himself in his heart: *I'm a fucking genius!* Previously, looking across the southern River Valley Province, Boulder City couldn't find a single decent rival. The Great Rift Valley to the north was too far away, and each looked down on the other. Every day, sitting in his office at City Hall, he did nothing but stamp documents or doze off; almost nobody took him seriously. Now, finally, someone was around to highlight his brilliance! At that moment, a voice from the side interrupted his thoughts. "Mr. Director." "What is it?" Looking at his deputy, Yege, the good-humored Dulong replied pleasantly. "I don't understand why we had to waste so many words on a bunch of scavengers." A hint of displeasure showed on Yege's face. "Their population isn't even as large as our slums." The outside of the city was packed with people wanting to get in. Even the filth washing out of the city was enough to feed tens of thousands. Having to negotiate with them was displeasing in and of itself. Dulong guessed what he was thinking and already had his answer ready. "Their strength is inferior to ours, but they are far from as weak as we imagined. Do you remember the look in that man's eyes just now?" Yege let out a chuckle. "Can looks kill?" Dulong said mildly, "No, but making them submit won't be easy. Isn't it better to resolve things through negotiation? If real fighting breaks out, it'll be us acting as cannon fodder again." "Besides, the Lord's demand was to keep their aircraft away from Qingquan City's Fourth Ring Road. Not only did we accomplish the mission, we exceeded it." Patting his deputy's shoulder, he continued with an elated grin, "Cheer up. Don't look so sour." ... Qingquan City, edge of the North Third Ring Road. The slanting rays of the setting sun lengthened the shadows of the elevated bridge piers. Night was about to fall, and the gnawers roaming the area grew increasingly frantic, becoming more aggressive. In a storefront along the street not far from the elevated bridge. Crouched behind a display window, Edge Slacker held an assault rifle, warily monitoring the street outside the cover. Besides him, nine teammates were concealed nearby. The mutant corpses strewn haphazardly across the street and the dense bullet holes peppering the walls spoke of the earlier battle's intensity. Four hours ago, he and his squad members had received a mission to travel on foot to the edge of Qingquan City's North Third Ring Road to rendezvous with the Ox and Horse Squad withdrawing from the "new map." After an intense firefight, they had successfully cleared the mutants from this street. However, with dusk rapidly approaching, more and more mutants were beginning to spill into the street from surrounding buildings. It was hard to say how long the current quiet would last. Holding a machine gun, Construction Site Youth and Brick suddenly muttered, "We're not gonna wipe for nothing again, are we?" Overhearing this, Kakarot glared at him. "Quit jinxing us!" Indebted Big Eye shot a glance at Brother Edge beside him. "How much longer?" Just as Edge Slacker was about to answer, movement suddenly came from the intersection. Everyone's nerves strung taut at once, their weapons snapping toward the sound. Right then, a familiar voice called out: "It's me, don't fire." Looking at the person appearing at the intersection, Edge Slacker froze for a second, a look of astonishment immediately washing over his face. "Holy shit?! Lao Bai?" "What happened to you?" At this moment, Lao Bai's condition could only be described as battered and wretched. In his left hand he carried a bundle wrapped in a parachute, and in his right he held a bloodstained rifle. Not only was his hazmat suit nowhere to be seen, he was caked in mud, and the bulletproof vest on his chest sported a hole burned almost completely through. He looked as if he had just rolled out of hell. Facing everyone's astonished stares, Lao Bai gave a wry smile. "...Ran into a bit of a situation." *You call this a "bit"?!* Everyone exchanged glances. Setting Jieyan aside, Lao Bai and Fang Chang were practically the server's ceiling when it came to combat strength. What kind of situation could be so tough that even these guys ended up like this?! Indebted Big Eye swallowed hard. "...Where are the others?" Lao Bai didn't answer. Just then, Fang Chang's voice drifted from behind him: "Dead." Wearing a somber expression, Fang Chang was in a similar state to Lao Bai, equally disheveled and covered in grime. His rifle had likely been lost. In his right hand, he held a mechanical arm with a VM strapped to it, a severed shoulder still hanging from the bloody socket in a gruesome sight. Edge Slacker recognized it. It looked like Kuang Feng's arm... "At any rate, the mission is finished," Lao Bai said, tossing the bloody bundle onto the ground. He raised his arm to wipe the mud and sweat from his forehead. "This thing... could you guys help carry it? I really have no stamina left." "What is this stuff?" Construction Site Youth and Brick walked over and curiously pulled back the bundle to take a look, finding a heap of bizarre components and dark-red fungal masses resting inside. Many of the fungal masses had exposed tendrils that were still writhing slowly, like freshly sliced beef. "Remains of an evolved organism. Hell if I know what it is." Leaning back against the hood of an abandoned car, Fang Chang looked at the fungal mass the construction bro was poking at and gave a good-natured warning: "You'd better not mess with that stuff with your bare hands... That's how our brother Jieyan passed away."