Fleecing Starts with Contract Manufacturing!

A full day had passed. Four kilometers of highway running west from Dawn City had already been completed—far exceeding expectations. The two colossal industrial behemoths advanced steadily forward. Their towering frames and deafening roar had become a grand spectacle in Dawn City, drawing large crowds who stopped to watch. It wasn't just the curious players enjoying the show. Traveling merchants, voyagers, mercenaries, and wastelanders passing from north and south, along with local residents living nearby, all couldn't resist casting astonished glances at those mechanical monsters, their eyes glued in wonder. "What is that thing?" "A road-paving machine?!" "Great Horned Deer God above... I've never seen anything so massive!" "They say it was shipped all the way from Ideal City!" "Ideal City?! Ideal City of all places... That's over three thousand kilometers away!" "How many cattle would it take to drag that thing over?" "Idiot! Wouldn't they use airplanes? Put some wings on it, and it flies right over!" "*Hiss...*" "If only I could go there and see it in my lifetime." Standing beside the freshly formed road, Chu Guang didn't make a fuss like those inexperienced wastelanders, nor did he cry out about it defying the laws of physics like a few civil-engineering majors among the players. Yet the shock and awe in his heart were much the same. Looking at the yearning in the eyes of those wastelanders, Chu Guang realized that before he could even start winning, these folks from the East Coast were practically sweeping the board. Carving out fiefdoms? Crowning kings and appointing chancellors? Those were outdated tactics from the imperial age. A slightly more sophisticated form of conquest was power projection paired with regional influence. Not only did it avoid debuffs that lowered stability and production capacity, but it also saved on a whole series of fiscal burdens like suppression and maintenance costs, generating returns far greater than direct control. As for how to increase regional influence? Advanced technology, abundant material wealth, a thriving culture, lofty ideals, and quality education could all achieve it. Chu Guang felt that while explaining it in detail was complex, in abstract terms it was much like matters of the heart. Handsome or pretty, wealthy, eloquent, refined, clever, or shameless enough... As long as someone had one or two standout virtues and their other traits weren't so terrible as to be unbearable, they would never lack soulmates or adoring admirers. Take himself, for instance. Although he was a bit poor, clumsy with words, and thin-skinned, a whole bunch of adorable players still surrounded him every day, grinding favorability. When it came down to it, it was because he was too handsome. The Alliance's current predicament was much the same. Although they had fought several impressive battles and survivor confidence was at an all-time high, both their foundational strength and material assets were still thin compared to long-established survivor factions across the wasteland. Those wealthy, high-status visitors from the East Coast merely had to stand there—even without intentionally showing off, or having any need to—and their regional influence would shoot up by leaps and bounds. In truth, let alone those impoverished wastelanders, even Chu Guang hoped that one day he could visit the East Coast and see what the legendary survivor settlement that was closest to the pre-war era actually looked like. How could a city with an area less than half the size of Mumbai hold a population of millions or even tens of millions, complete with towering skyscrapers piercing the clouds? Perhaps it could offer him some valuable administrative experience. Of course, while an objective gap existed, there was no need to sell themselves short. The Alliance had its own buffs. Aid from the "Fallen Empire" was both an opportunity and a challenge. If handled well, the fledgling Alliance could skip over a decade of struggle. If handled poorly, they might wander down the wrong path for just as long. And as the Administrator, his role was to maximize their own advantages as much as possible. While Chu Guang was pondering how to fleece some wool from these old friends, the expression on his face looked like envy to Luo Hua. Glancing at Chu Guang and then at Li Changkong's smug, secretly delighted look, Luo Hua, leaning on his cane, felt an odd pang of bitterness. Back when they dispatched the Pioneer, those folks from the Ideal Group had dragged their feet and refused to lift a finger. Now, here they were, barging in to steal the spotlight. It gave him an uncomfortable sense of being cuckolded. Driven by competitive pride, Luo Hua couldn't resist taking a jab. "Don't make these people out to be more capable than they are... Back in Ideal City, their core business is property management. If not for this assignment, I would've forgotten they even know how to build roads." Hearing that, however, Chu Guang looked even more astounded. "Property management?!" Perhaps his imagination was falling short. What kind of property management company could be this formidable?! "Yeah." Luo Hua nodded, curling his lip as he continued. "...Fixing plumbing, washing building exteriors, cleaning air exchangers, maintaining elevators, generating power. They used to handle logistics and delivery too, but now they've outsourced that... As for heavy engineering equipment like this, they don't have the chops to build it themselves." Noticing the defiant expression on his face, Chu Guang had a sudden idea and spoke up. "I heard heavy engineering equipment is Silverwing Group's primary business?" "That's right," Luo Hua said, a touch of pride surfacing on his face. "The Pioneer was our masterpiece! Over eighty percent of its components were built independently by us." Chu Guang immediately pressed on. "Can you make road-paving machines like this? How much do they cost?" "Uh... I'm not too sure about that," Luo Hua said, scratching his head. "Five or six million? Ten or twenty million? It depends on the model. For an exact quote, you'd better ask Yi Chuan. I haven't been back in three years; he knows current market prices better than I do." "..." Hearing that estimate, Chu Guang finally realized how cheap that magnetic confinement plasma cutting machine Li De had sold him truly was. One hundred and seventeen thousand Cr. Hardly more expensive than paving a single kilometer of concrete road. It had practically been a steal! Then again, Cr back then was different from Cr today. As a universal medium of exchange, the significance of money varied depending on the context. Back then, the Pioneer needed local resources and labor, while Chu Guang needed the technology aboard the vessel. Cr's role in that exchange had merely been for pricing and bartering. Therefore, under those circumstances, the entity providing credit backing for Cr was not Ideal City, but the Pioneer itself. The price lists provided by both parties hadn't reflected the actual value of the products, functioning more as the outcome of a negotiation. Even now, the catalogs provided to him by the Big Five were clearly not reflective of Ideal City's actual market rates, but rather a balance achieved through internal negotiations among themselves. Chu Guang was certain that paving one kilometer of emergency concrete road in Yunjian Province wouldn't cost anywhere near one hundred thousand Cr. Still, for the Alliance, it hardly mattered. As part of the three hundred million Cr in military aid, none of it was coming out of his pocket anyway. All he had to do was spend it. *** With Li Changkong handling the road construction, Chu Guang didn't need to stand around watching the whole time. After lingering a bit longer, he left to attend to his own duties. All the subsequent infrastructure projects tied to the supply lines—railroads, fiber-optic cables, power lines, high-voltage grids, and the like—had been taken on entirely by the Ideal Group. Holding a massive sum of three hundred million Cr, Chu Guang felt like he was experiencing what it was like to be a sugar baby. Of course, since the money was given by others, spending it wasn't as unrestricted as using funds from his own pocket. The portion that could be allocated to infrastructure amounted to only seventy million, and a quarter of that was already spent. As for the remaining two hundred and thirty million, the vast majority was military hardware aid, restricted solely to purchasing weapons and heavy equipment to counter the Legion. The budget that could actually be used for industrial upgrades was just over thirty million Cr. To make the most of those funds, Chu Guang called a meeting with representatives from various industries while also posting a thread on the forum to solicit opinions from the players. After thinking it over, using the game developer's account felt a bit out of character, so Chu Guang simply borrowed the personas of the NPCs. It wasn't as if they could browse the web anyway. [Beta 0.4 Preview: Industrial Upgrade!] [Old Luka: Our allies from the East Coast plan to provide thirty million Cr to help us improve production technology. The Alliance is about to undergo a round of industrial upgrades! With a limited budget, does anyone have good suggestions?] Tail: "Huh?! Wait, isn't the new expansion about fighting?! (Shocked)" Sisi: "Ummm... Looks like the game is finally going to introduce some gear with higher tech value. Looking forward to it." Jieyan: "Awesome! Upgrading while at war?" Keep It Down I'm Braum: "Do you even need to ask? Every time a war breaks out, the prices of copper, coal, and sulfur skyrocket. If conditions allow, opening mines should be top priority!" Ya'er I Wanna Go to the Restroom: "Mining makes sense, but right now the mines between Qingshi County and Xizhou City have decent output. The main cost lies in transportation. Once transport capacity improves, costs will naturally come down... I think we should upgrade the trains. That locomobile is way too weak!" Who's Got My Levin's Athlete's Foot: "Machine tools! The magnetic confinement plasma one is great! Give us more machine tools! (Drool) (Drool)" Lightning King Professor Yang: "Boulder City already has higher-horsepower machinery. Buying advanced equipment from Ideal City sounds great, but who knows if it'll adapt to local conditions. I suggest focusing on light industry first. Currently, consumer goods produced by the Alliance have a huge export advantage over Boulder City. We can definitely expand that lead!" Jieyan: "Wait, do you even have closed beta access?" Lightning King Professor Yang: "Sigh, don't remind me. T.T" Less than half a minute after the thread went live, the debate in the comments section quickly turned white-hot. Chu Guang was surprised to find that for questions with looser ties to direct gameplay, the spectating forum lurkers participated with far more enthusiasm than the closed beta testers. Unfortunately, these intense debates yielded few constructive results, with most drifting off topic. In the end, the comment upvoted to the top by the beta testers was still from Brother Fang Chang. Fang Chang: "This topic is too abstract. The Alliance's problem isn't that it's lacking something specific; it lacks everything. Heavy industry provides means of production, while light industry produces consumer goods. One is internal cultivation, the other external technique. If the former is important, does that mean the latter isn't? Never mind agriculture—the Alliance's highest-value output right now isn't consumer goods, but the tens of thousands of mu of farmland north of Ling Lake! I personally think agricultural technology should be upgraded." Makabazi: "Seconded! Agricultural technology definitely needs an upgrade. The Alliance's population is about to break one hundred thousand! If it keeps growing, we won't be able to feed everyone! (Grin)" Lightning King Professor Yang: "Aren't we discussing the order of priorities here?" Fang Chang: "Discussion is fine, but debating doctrine won't solve this. We need to ground it in reality. Rather than having the Alliance purchase everything centrally, it would be better to establish foreign-exchange and procurement channels, letting each industry decide for itself which equipment to import. If textile mills make money, they'll naturally upgrade their textile equipment; if steel mills make money, they'll upgrade their smelters." Mole on the Run in the Rift: "+1. Insiders know what they need better than outsiders. They can address key technological bottlenecks with minimal expense, which is far more efficient than a bunch of amateurs picking blindly without a clue." Browsing through the comments below the post, Chu Guang rubbed his chin with interest. "Fascinating." In fact, when procuring industrial equipment from Boulder City, he had adopted precisely that approach—establishing exchange mechanisms and procurement channels so that lifestyle-class players and NPC factory owners could purchase suitable equipment according to their needs. However, the situation with Ideal City was distinctly different from Boulder City. Across a distance of three thousand kilometers, establishing a stable trading market where the Alliance could earn foreign currency from Ideal City was practically impossible. He had only thirty million Cr at his disposal; he couldn't leave it entirely to market forces. Currently, the procurement list submitted by industry representatives contained 317 projects, of which 57 were designated as top priority. Among those 57 projects, eighty percent were concentrated in heavy industry and twenty percent in light industry. According to Yi Chuan's price estimates, it far exceeded the thirty-million budget. Carrying it out would require at least fifty million Cr. To secure more aid, they had to achieve notable results on the battlefield. Only when the Enterprise saw that its money was yielding returns would it place bigger bets. Yet Chu Guang couldn't shake the feeling that while he was painting grand visions for the folks from the East Coast, they were doing the exact same thing to him. Want a munitions factory capable of producing ten thousand artillery shells a day? Want a coal mine with an annual output of tens of thousands of tons? Automated cable factories, auto-repair plants, tractor manufacturing plants—want all of that? Go give those big-nosed bastards from the West Coast a thrashing, and it's all yours. That initial thirty million in aid was more like an advance payment. Looking at the funding shortfall of at least twenty million on the list, alongside the production lines proposed by the players, Chu Guang couldn't help letting out a sigh. "If only there were a way to earn some Cr." Sitting before the computer desk, Xiao Qi tilted its head. "Master, isn't thirty million enough for you to spend?" Chu Guang shook his head. "Not enough. I consulted Silverwing Group's representative, and just one road paver costs nearly thirty million... not even counting maintenance." The puppet controlled by Xiao Qi adopted a shocked expression, whispering, "Thirty million... That's enough to build three hundred kilometers of road." Leaning back in his chair, Chu Guang nodded. "Yeah. Factoring in maintenance costs, if the total distance is under five hundred kilometers, it's better to outsource the work directly to Ideal Group. That's why I didn't even put it on the first procurement list." Xiao Qi: "Then how do you plan to solve the funding gap?" Although it didn't have any good ideas, it felt that its master would surely find a way. Chu Guang sighed, staring up at the ceiling and muttering to himself. "Right now, there's only one option: achieve impressive victories on the front lines. That way, we'll have enough leverage to demand increased support from the Enterprise." Still, relying on handouts from others was never a sustainable strategy. Once the war ended and the Legion was driven off, aid from the East Coast would naturally come to a halt. If only he could find a way to fleece some wool from them. Unfortunately, what had arrived was a bionic force. Those walking hunks of metal didn't even draw wages. Not only did they not spend money, but they even powered down when off duty to conserve electricity, offering him no opportunity whatsoever. Relying on just the four representatives—no matter how wealthy they were or how freely they threw cash around—would amount to ten or twenty thousand at most. Against the scale of the Alliance, that petty cash was a mere drop in the bucket. Just as Chu Guang was racking his brains, an email notification suddenly popped up in the lower-right corner of his monitor. The message was from Camp 101. The sender was Pai, that exceptionally clever young girl. [Master told me to let you know that the fusion reactor is almost repaired! It can be ignited in the next couple of days. Are you coming over?] The moment he saw that line of text, Chu Guang's eyes lit up, and he bolted upright in his chair. Right. There was still the reactor! After all his calculations, he had somehow overlooked that piece of the puzzle. "Got it!!" Seeing her master suddenly re-energized, Xiao Qi, perched on the desk, blinked inquisitively. "Got what?" "Contract manufacturing!" Chu Guang laughed heartily, his eyes shining as he continued. "We can introduce component manufacturing projects from the Enterprise first! That way, we complete our industrial upgrade while securing a market for the upgraded industries!" It was the trap of conventional thinking! He had been so busy in meetings over the past couple of days, fixated on the subsidies from the Enterprise and the pocket change of their dispatched personnel, that he had nearly forgotten about this lucrative avenue! Xiao Qi said in confusion, "But... Master, didn't you say three thousand kilometers is too far, and goods produced by the Alliance can't be transported there?" Chu Guang answered without hesitation. "That was before!" "Once the reactor is reignited, electricity costs in Xizhou City will drop to the same level as Ideal City! Our power might even be cheaper than theirs!" The reactor used in Xizhou City was a relic left over from the Era of Prosperity, operating on pure helium-3 reactions—the standard for third-generation controlled fusion—which shared the exact same technical principles as the reactors widely used in Ideal City. From a purely technical standpoint, there was little difference in the cost of nuclear power between the two. However, calculating costs required looking beyond fuel consumption alone; operating and maintenance expenses had to be factored in as well. Because Xizhou City's current level of electrification was relatively low, even after relocating a portion of industries from Dawn City, it still couldn't fully consume the energy generated by the controlled fusion reactor. In other words, even if the reactor ran at minimal output, it would produce an energy surplus. Economically speaking, the Alliance's power costs would therefore be far lower than Ideal City's. Regardless of how it was used, as long as that surplus electricity could be put to work to generate even a sliver of value, it would be pure profit. As for the Enterprise, the planes transporting military supplies had to fly here anyway. Flying back empty was a waste of hundreds, if not thousands, of tons of cargo capacity, so they might as well carry goods on the return trip. Furthermore, Xizhou City possessed abundant electricity and mineral resources. Transferring a portion of lower-margin industries from the East Coast here was undoubtedly profitable for them as well! Though it sounded counterintuitive, with a controlled fusion reactor in Xizhou City, transport costs between the Enterprise and the Alliance might actually prove lower than transport costs between the Enterprise and survivor settlements in neighboring provinces. Even across a distance of three thousand kilometers! While the ceiling on airlift capacity was a constraint, it was more than enough for the Alliance's current economic scale. By the time airlift capacity became tight, Xizhou City's industrial output would likely have multiplied several times over, and the river port along the Tianshui tributary would have developed as well. Building several cargo ships with displacements of thousands or tens of thousands of tons would allow them not only to trade with Ideal City, but also to bring survivor settlements along thousands of kilometers of riverways into the Alliance's trade network. Sketching out the blueprint of the future in his mind, Chu Guang felt his thinking broaden instantly, and a pleased smile surfaced on his face. This wasn't just a win-win. It was practically sweeping the board! Though reluctant to interrupt her master's daydreaming, Xiao Qi couldn't resist offering a quiet reminder. "But Master... nuclear fuel is limited, right? Xiao Qi thinks it might be better to use it sparingly." Chu Guang answered without hesitation. "You're right, but no matter how frugal we are, a finite stockpile will run out eventually. Problems generated by development must be solved through development!" One couldn't stop eating just out of fear of choking. As long as the Alliance developed the capability to restore Earth-Moon flights before the nuclear fuel reserves in southern River Valley Province were exhausted, those problems would resolve themselves naturally. Of course, if they truly reached that stage of development, the Alliance's sheer scale would mean it wouldn't need to depend on anyone else anyway... His fingers danced across the keyboard with a flurry of clatter, and Chu Guang struck the enter key, firing off a reply to Pai far away in Xizhou City. "Yes!" "I'm heading over right now!" *** While Chu Guang was busy communicating with Camp 101 regarding the reactor ignition, Dawn City First Hospital welcomed a visitor of unique status at its entrance. Walking alongside Yun You down the hospital corridor, Yu Feng explained in a low voice. "...Earlier, when we passed through Yongdong City, we ran into a bit of trouble. The mutant slime mold there is somewhat different from elsewhere. It evolved in a very troublesome way—not only is it extremely aggressive, but it also disguises itself as ordinary survivors." "To break out, twenty soldiers from the commando unit were infected by the mutant slime mold and could no longer carry out the rest of the mission. Our captain left them here for treatment." He was the apprentice and employee of Heding, the Expedition Team's logistics officer. To help the Alliance construct ammunition production lines and introduce instant noodle manufacturing processes, his boss had instructed him to remain behind and coordinate with the reinforcements arriving later. Notably, because the Expedition Team's logistics were outsourced to partners of the Enterprise, both he and his boss were not Enterprise employees, nor did they hold citizenship in Ideal City. They were merely ordinary wastelanders born in a settlement within Yunjian Province. To someone like him, senior Enterprise personnel were undeniably prominent figures. Even technical staff such as engineers. After listening to his account, Yun You gave a slow nod. "I've heard about your situation. Silverwing Group personnel mentioned the anomalies in Yongdong City in their reports, but we can't attend to that area for now. The Pioneer's crew and Vault 0 are our top priorities... How are their injuries?" Yu Feng shook his head. "Very bad... The Alliance has some excellent biological experts and experience in countering slime mold, but as you can see, the medical conditions and research infrastructure here are far too primitive." "All they can do is maintain the status quo and keep the wounded from deteriorating further. For a full recovery, they'll likely need to be transferred to a hospital in Ideal City." Yun You sighed softly, speaking in a comforting tone. "You've worked hard... Once we finish refueling, our planes will take you home." Yu Feng gave an awkward smile. "Actually... it hasn't really been that hard. Living conditions here are decent. Of course, it's certainly not as lively as Ideal City." Yun You said nothing. In her view, that was obviously meant as a polite reassurance. After all, no matter how one looked at it, this place's level of development was far below Ideal City's, falling short even of some of the larger survivor settlements in Yunjian Province. At best, compared to other inland survivor villages, the way of life here was indeed relatively civilized. After all, quite a few vault dwellers lived here too, which was bound to exert some positive influence. Led by Yu Feng and a hospital nurse, Yun You arrived at the doorway of a ward, faintly hearing voices drifting from inside. "Pair of Aces!" "Damn, can't beat that..." "Where's your bomb?" "Where the hell would I get a bomb?!" "Hahaha, the bomb's with me! Four threes, bye-bye!" "#@%*!" "Stop stalling, hurry up!" Standing at the door, Yun You froze for a moment, failing to understand their discussion. Pair of Aces? Bombs? Were they... discussing a battle plan? Thinking of how these poor youths had been sent to a distant battlefield, shedding blood and making sacrifices for people they had never met, she couldn't help feeling a pang of sympathy. If not for that headstrong expedition, they never would have had to endure this suffering. Taking a deep breath, Yun You pushed the door open. Yet the moment she saw what was inside, she froze on the spot. In the messy ward, over a dozen bare-chested men were gathered in a circle around a small table. On the table lay a scattered pile of paper cards and shiny silver coins, while empty beer bottles and cigarette butts littered the concrete floor beside them. Seeing Yun You standing at the doorway, a few of the young men continued grinning and drawing cards, not reacting in the slightest. Shen Rui, however, his arm wrapped in bandages, had his expression change on the spot. The others might not have recognized her. But as a veteran under Yun Song's command, he certainly did... Noticing the frantic signals Yu Feng was shooting him with his eyes, Shen Rui opened his mouth to say something to diffuse the awkwardness. Yet before he could speak, a soft cough floating from the doorway instantly broke through the room's laughing, cursing, and bantering. Looking at the young men, Yun You, standing at the door, spoke in a slow, deliberate voice. "What... are you doing?"