An Invitation from Shelter 101's Administrator

"Just... this?" Staring dumbfounded at the production equipment before him, Heding's face was a portrait of utter bafflement and confusion. Flour was fed into the mixer in specified proportions, passing through a series of processes—aging, compound rolling, slitting, steaming, cutting, and deep-frying—finally emerging as golden-brown noodle blocks. What astonished him was not the efficiency of the production line or any marvelous technological feat, but precisely the opposite... That was it? "...Shelter residents rarely buy these noodle blocks. We usually sell them to mercenaries from Boulder City, as well as the caravans there. Especially the caravans—they typically buy in bulk, a dozen or twenty boxes at a time. Not only do they eat them on the road, but they also use the leftovers as trade goods to sell to local merchants." Standing beside Heding, Wang Yan introduced his factory while observing the expressions on the man's face. He was the manager of the instant noodle factory. Giving this itinerant merchant from Ideal City a tour of the Alliance's instant noodle factory was a task assigned to him personally by the Administrator. As one of the "star enterprises" alongside Nuka-Cola, this factory, controlled by the shelter, generated a massive amount of foreign exchange revenue for the Alliance. Wang Yan didn't understand why the Administrator wanted to display the instant noodle production technology to an outsider, but that wasn't something he needed to worry about. What he truly couldn't wrap his head around was why a merchant from the legendary paradise of Ideal City would be interested in their little factory here. Where was the reserve expected of "civilized folk"? What a bizarre world. After standing dazed for a long time, Heding finally snapped back to reality and quickly turned his gaze toward Factory Manager Wang. "It's just deep-frying flour? You didn't add anything else?" Wang Yan paused, nodded, and then shook his head. "No, no, this is all the equipment there is. Adding anything else... do salt and water count?" Heding stared at him blankly. He had assumed this magical noodle block was made through some highly complex process, even entertaining the thought that it might have come from a black box. He had never imagined the production workflow and raw materials would be this simple. Yet when he thought about it carefully, there really was no need to add anything else. Carbohydrates dehydrated after being fried, and the high osmotic pressure from heavy oil and salt made it almost impossible for microorganisms to survive. As long as it was sealed in plastic to isolate oxygen and moisture from the air, preventing spoilage was effortless... What left Heding so bewildered, however, was this: It was a principle so obvious once pointed out, so why had nobody thought of it before? It was a long time before he tore his gaze away from the factory manager and looked back at the production equipment before him. "...How long do these finished noodle blocks keep?" Wang Yan answered immediately: "If sealed in plastic, six months is no problem! You can still eat them after six months, though the texture won't be quite as good." In truth, he didn't know whether they could really keep for six months either; after all, their production line had only gone into operation two months ago. The noodles had only truly started flying off the shelves after the Northern Expedition concluded. As for the "six-month shelf life," that had been stated by the Lord Administrator himself. Heding, however, harbored no doubts. Six months... Heding calculated silently in his head. For most itinerant merchants, a round trip on a long journey rarely exceeded that duration. Traveling too long on the road was simply too expensive in both financial and time costs. A six-month shelf life was more than enough! After all, this wasn't intended as a strategic grain reserve, but as an affordable, portable, easy-to-cook prepared food. It didn't even need to be particularly healthy. As long as it boosted the morale of caravans and expeditions, plenty of merchant outfits and mercenary bands would gladly pay for it. It was leagues tastier than those freeze-dried vegetables! Or he could combine the two, packaging the instant noodle blocks together with freeze-dried vegetables. Thinking of this, Heding looked at the golden-yellow noodle blocks waiting to be sealed in plastic, his eyes burning with intense fervor. In his vision, those noodle blocks had already turned into stacks of crisp banknotes! Heding could hardly wait. He wished he could fly back to Yunjian Province right this second to launch his grand commercial enterprise! ... While Heding was fantasizing about raking in piles of wealth in Yunjian Province with these instant noodles, Chu Guang was seated on a train bound for Xizhou City. Last night, Xia Yan had called to inform him that Shelter 101's Administrator was willing to hand over the VMs, but wanted to meet him in person in exchange. The request wasn't unreasonable, and Chu Guang didn't think the other party had any reason to plot against him. Besides, his side had made the presumptuous request first. For the sake of those 3,500 closed beta slots, he had to make the trip in person. Dense forests flashed past outside the window. After rumbling past an open expanse pitted with bomb craters, the scenery opened up dramatically as the road sign for Qingshi County leaped into view. Copper ore was piled into mini-mountains, with people bustling to and fro in front of the station. There were merchants from Dawn City surveying the market and purchasing ore, as well as players carrying rifles and VMs who were darting into the woods. Gazing at the bustling station, Chu Guang drifted into a slight reverie. Two months ago, he had stood on the broken bridge not far away; even now, he could faintly hear the echoes of propeller vibrations and roaring artillery in his ears. Today, the area had become a well-known copper ore production base, and Dawn City had profited in turn, becoming the largest trading hub for copper and molybdenum ore in southern River Valley Province. They had built a railway. They also planned to construct a power grid. Once the electrical grids of Daybreak City and Dawn City were linked together, and the controllable fusion reactor was ignited, an even greater miracle would be born upon this soil where the flames of civilization had once gone dark. "Things have changed quite a bit here," said Jiu Li, sitting across from Chu Guang, speaking respectfully. "After all, you came here." Chu Guang smiled and corrected him. "Not me." "Us." Time changed not just things. It changed people too. A year ago, this burly fellow hadn't been called "Jiu Li," but went by the single name "Li." To escape the ravages of the Bone Chewer tribe, he had fled with his kin all the way to the northern suburbs of Qingquan City. At the time, half out of a desire to make a meme and half out of practical survival needs—the shelter needed to unite all the wastelanders it could—Chu Guang had given him a more domineering name and appointed him steward of the refugee camp, in charge of resettling refugees fleeing to the Alliance. And Jiu Li hadn't let Chu Guang down. Teaming up with Luka, who was then running Changjiu Farm, he had managed the refugee camp in an orderly fashion with limited supplies, skillfully balancing conflicts between different clans. Though minor friction flared up occasionally, no major trouble had ever erupted. After more than half a year of tempering, the aggressive, bellicose edge he once possessed was gone, replaced by a steady composure. That was also one of the qualities Chu Guang appreciated most about him. The survivors of Daybreak City needed a leader who could empathize with the hardships of refugees and possessed rich pioneering experience. He had to consider the Alliance's overall interests without neglecting the demands of the local survivors, because unity was the very foundation of the Alliance's existence. The former leadership of Hope Town was clearly unsuitable. Whether it was former town mayor Wu Chengyi or warehouse head Yang Duo, both were better suited for executing specific tasks. As for Ma Ban, who had been parachuted into Xizhou City, his appointment had been an emergency measure mainly aimed at taking over Hope Town. When it came to construction and development, his experience was still lacking. Furthermore, he had candidly admitted in his work reports that he was overwhelmed, finding it daunting to handle nearly thirty thousand survivors in need of resettlement. Chu Guang intended to reassign Ma Ban back to Dawn City to take over Jiu Li's role as head of the refugee camp, grooming him as a reserve of managerial talent for a third survivor settlement. Looking at Jiu Li across from him, Chu Guang instructed solemnly: "...You need to solidify our relationship with the local survivors. I have only one requirement for you: hold the bowl level—be completely impartial." "Enforce the laws of the Alliance strictly as they are written." With a solemn expression, Jiu Li said resolutely, "Yes, my Lord!" ... The train arrived at the station. Unlike Dawn City, the station at Daybreak City had only a standing wooden board as a station sign. Apart from heaps of materials, the surroundings were filled with mud churned up by rain and piles of incompletely cleared concrete rubble. A little further north, one could still see the trenches previously dug by the players—trenches that had now been repurposed into drainage ditches. Everything here was crude and dilapidated. Commendably, however, the outline of a settlement was already visible to the east of those trenches. Having completed the drainage system, the survivors had begun pouring concrete into foundations, preparing to lay out the streets and build shelter against the elements for Daybreak City. Given the limited land resources, housing in Daybreak City would consist primarily of medium-density five-story apartment buildings, supplemented by standalone cottages. In addition, some parcels of land were opened up for players to purchase, allowing them to construct whatever buildings they wished. As long as it wasn't overly indecent or detrimental to other players' sensibilities and gaming experience, the developer wouldn't interfere too much. "Respected Administrator, Daybreak City welcomes your arrival!" Ma Ban said respectfully, standing beside the wooden sign at the station. Beside him stood Wu Chengyi, Yang Duo, and other former leaders of the Xizhou City resistance and Hope Town administration. Of course, they had now joined and pledged loyalty to the Alliance, serving as Daybreak City officials across various civil affairs and warehouse management departments. Chu Guang nodded, signaling them not to stand on ceremony. "I came here mainly to handle matters concerning Camp 101. Carry on with your work at your own pace; there is no need for grand welcomes." With that, Chu Guang turned his gaze to Jiu Li standing beside him. After briefly introducing Jiu Li's identity and new role, he handed affairs over to him. As for Chu Guang himself, he walked toward the military camp directly opposite Daybreak City. The Alliance's Second Corps was stationed here under Liu Ding's command, tasked with guarding the station, railway, and the nearby Daybreak City. Meanwhile, the fusion fuel rod the Alliance had previously captured from Golden Fang was also kept inside this camp, where Yin Fang was overseeing its restoration. Half a month had passed since that day. Two days prior, Chu Guang had heard over the phone from Yin Fang that progress had been made, so he stopped by to have a look on the way. Guided by Second Corps soldiers, Chu Guang arrived at the warehouse where the fuel rod was stored. The building was easy to identify, being the sole concrete structure in the entire camp. All other tents were pitched far away from it. Though controllable fusion was theoretically very safe, helium-3 posed no safety risk even in the event of a leak, and a single fuel rod couldn't possibly ignite an energy-intensive fusion reaction on its own, people still instinctively kept their distance from it. Seeing the nervous expressions on the two soldiers beside him, Chu Guang smiled and said, "No need to be so tense. Why don't you head back? Escorting me this far is enough." Hearing Chu Guang say this, the two evidently misunderstood his intent. One of the soldiers straightened his posture and said solemnly: "My Lord, we do not fear death! We are only concerned that the object might threaten your safety. Please allow us to remain by your side!" His logic was simple: if something went wrong, they had to at least get the Administrator out safely. "I do not doubt your loyalty, but that thing isn't nearly as terrifying as you imagine," Chu Guang patted the soldier gently on the shoulder. "Wait for me at the door." The soldier hesitated for a second. Since it was the Administrator's direct order, he stood alongside his companion and snapped a crisp military salute. "Yes, sir!" Without lingering at the entrance, Chu Guang pushed the door open and stepped inside. He saw the fully assembled fuel rod standing in the middle of a room cluttered with components. Beside the fuel rod, Yin Fang held a tablet plugged in with a data cable, stroking his chin with his index finger as if lost in thought. Hearing the sound at the door, he glanced over, his eyes instantly lighting up with surprise. "What wind blew you over here?" "I was just passing through and thought I'd drop by to see how your research was going." Smiling, Chu Guang cast an admiring look at the fuel rod in the center of the room. "Looks like you've got it all sorted out." Yin Fang raised his eyebrows smugly. "Indeed, just as you see. Though that idiot almost completely dismantled the fuel rod, fortunately, all the parts were still accounted for... You arrived at the perfect time, by the way. I only finished reinstalling the last components yesterday, and here you are today." From his beaming, triumphant expression, Chu Guang could tell he was thoroughly pleased with the masterpiece he had accomplished over the past half-month. Tossing the VM-modified tablet onto a desk, Yin Fang continued proudly: "I ran another check today and basically cleared all hardware and software faults. Now we're just waiting for that reactor to be fixed, and this baby can be slotted in anytime... How have your talks gone with the engineers at Camp 101?" Chu Guang smiled and nodded. "They're already preparing for the job. Barring any surprises, the reactor should be restarted shortly after Daybreak City's power grid is completed." Long ago, Chu Guang had discussed this matter with Horn, the mayor of Camp 101. When the Alliance's construction aid team first reached Camp 101, they had already dispatched engineers, who, with the players' help, located the emergency reactor situated deep within the subway tunnels. Although the construction schedule was still tentative, according to those engineers, it wouldn't take very long. Neither the war two hundred years ago nor the battle two months ago had harmed the reactor in the slightest; it was merely that due to the passage of centuries, some aged components needed replacement. Chu Guang wasn't in a great rush over this. After all, Daybreak City didn't even have a power grid yet, barely a handful of buildings were erected, and only a few factories had relocated. Being able to complete the grid construction and industrial zone relocation before the end of the year, while hooking the repaired reactor into the grid, would already be a fantastic achievement. "Looks like you've already got a plan, so I won't worry about it," Yin Fang said, looking relaxed now that his task was done. "I plan to head back to the shelter first thing tomorrow morning... By the way, those specimens brought back from downtown are still there, right?" As he spoke, an irrepressible spark of excitement shone in his eyes. He had been obsessing over the evolved organism "specimens" that the Ox and Horse Squad retrieved from downtown Qingquan City for quite some time. In Yin Fang's eyes, those were living fossils of pre-war civilization! Treasures of priceless worth! Not only were their structures intact, but their "operating mechanisms" were even preserved by the slime mold in biological form. To an "archaeologist" who had devoted his life to unearthing the legacy of pre-war civilization, the allure was unimaginable! Seeing Yin Fang's fervent gaze, Chu Guang chuckled. "They're all still sitting there. Heya only extracted the slime mold tissue from the evolved organisms; she didn't touch anything else." "Though I bet once you return to the shelter, you won't even look twice at that pile of scrap—" "Impossible!" Yin Fang shook his head without hesitation. "Scrap metal? Do you have any idea what those things represent?" Seeing his dead-certain look, Chu Guang merely smiled calmly and continued: "A group from Enterprise recently arrived in the northern suburbs. We acquired a set of OD-10 'Dragoon' power armor from them. Aside from noticeable cracks on the left arm, the overall structure is completely intact, and even the reactor and battery are unharmed—" "Where is it!?" Before Chu Guang could finish, Yin Fang cut him off. That fanatical stare gave Chu Guang a start. The last time he had seen this expression on Yin Fang's face was when they had just found Dr. Yuan Li's holographic recording. "It's in the shelter..." Before Chu Guang could even complete the sentence, Yin Fang snatched his coat off the table, throwing it over his shoulders as he hurried toward the warehouse exit. "The fuel rod—have someone keep watch... No, just lock the door directly! Don't let those clumsy amateurs outside touch anything!" "I can't wait until tomorrow. I'm going back to the shelter right now!" Watching the figure vanish through the doorway, Chu Guang blinked in a daze for several seconds, an odd look creeping into his eyes. While he had anticipated that Yin Fang would be ecstatic upon hearing the news, such an exaggerated reaction was still beyond his expectations. A repairable suit of power armor was valuable, sure. Still... Was there any need to be this dramatic? Walking over to the warehouse doorway, Chu Guang peered into the distance and saw that Yin Fang had already dashed out of sight, most likely sprinting straight for the train station. The two soldiers on guard duty were also looking in the direction of the camp, whispering under their breath: "Told you that thing was radioactive..." "Look at that guy, his brain's definitely scrambled." The misunderstanding seemed to have deepened for all the wrong reasons... Not that it mattered; this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Chu Guang cleared his throat softly. Seeing the Administrator standing in the doorway, the two soldiers clamped their mouths shut at once, standing ramrod straight with their hands pinned against their trouser seams. Without chiding them for their idle chatter, Chu Guang simply instructed: "Find someone to lock this door." "No one is to approach without my orders." Relieved, the two saluted in unison. "Yes, sir!" ... While Yin Fang transformed into an overseer urging the station workers to unload cargo at top speed, a long line had formed outside the entrance of Dawn City First Hospital. Most of those in line were players. In the eyes of the New Alliance residents, this was an utterly bizarre sight. Because it was well known that shelter residents never visited the hospital. For minor cuts and illnesses, they just lay down in an incubation pod and were practically cured by the next day. As for fatal injuries or terminal diseases that couldn't be treated... They seemed to recover in two or three days anyway. And that was indeed the case. These players queuing up weren't here to see a doctor; they were here for cybernetic modification surgery. They couldn't afford the high-end goods manufactured in Ideal City, but some wealthy players could certainly afford the bionic prostheses produced in Boulder City costing a few thousand chips. Although Yin Fang hadn't been at the shelter for the past half-month, he wasn't the only one capable of performing cybernetic surgeries. For instance, the surgeon in the operating room hailed from Shelter 117. Though he was getting on in years and had slightly shaky hands, he did have a background as a biologist, had dissected plenty of animal specimens, and had received formal medical training. Replacing arms and legs wasn't like implanting chips into a brain; these "simple" surgical procedures were well within his capabilities. Though the surgical equipment purchased from Boulder City didn't match the specialized gear of Shelter 117, it got the job done. Looking at the surgical requests popping up one after another on his VM, the old man in the surgical cap let out a sigh and couldn't help grumbling: "I don't understand. You clearly have a healthy arm, so why would you saw your own arm off and replace it with... this thing?" On the rolling stand next to the operating table lay a near-new mechanical arm. While it possessed all the joints a normal arm should have, the blade folded along the inner forearm looked grotesque no matter how you sliced it. Even if it was to boost combat prowess, this kind of "self-mutilation" was far too extreme. Yet the shelter resident paid him no mind, having already climbed onto the operating table and lied down, looking at him with eager anticipation. The expression on the patient's face was practically impatient. Truly insane! "I hope you lot learn to cherish your bodies a little more. After all, they were given to you by your parents..." Seeing that reasoning was impossible, the old man sighed, picked up a scalpel from the tray, and glanced at his assisting nurse. "Go close the door." ... Outside the hospital. Wagging his tail, Scavenger looked enviously at the long queue and his bros who were outfitting themselves with new cybernetic gear. "Damn it... Why can't I get a mod?" Elaina, who happened to be strolling by, overheard his complaint, stopped, and teased: "Maybe your Intelligence stat isn't high enough?" Scavenger snapped back immediately: "Bullshit! My Intelligence... isn't that low, okay?!" "Not low? Isn't it just 3 points?" "%#$@!" Scavenger's teeth ground in frustration, but there was nothing he could do. Posting a screenshot of his stat panel on the forums was the biggest mistake of his life. Standing beside Elaina, a newbie named "Ge Geda" stared at the bustling hospital entrance, a strange thought suddenly popping into his head. "Hey, what do you think happens to the discarded parts?" Scavenger let out a sinister chuckle, seizing the chance to fire back at Elaina: "Usually, we bury them somewhere Old Na can't see." "Piss off," Elaina rolled her eyes. "I admit I might be a little overly curious, but there's no way in hell I'd eat something like that, okay!" "What a waste..." Ge Geda suddenly sighed. "According to the game lore, anyone above LV10 qualifies as an Awakened, and Awakened are supposed to be pretty badass, right?" Elaina gave him a side-eye. "What are you planning? You can't just barbecue that—" "Sell them for cash, of course! Barbecuing them would be such a waste," Ge Geda said regretfully. "They're Awakened parts, after all. Never mind the arms and hands... but eyes, livers, kidneys, and stuff ought to fetch a decent price, right?" Scavenger froze. Elaina froze too, staring at this newbie in utter shock. Holy shit! That's way too criminal?!