A Free Handout?

Previously, the Bugra Free State had always sent Xavier, a salesman from the Flint Group, to interface with the Alliance. This time, someone claiming to be their foreign minister had suddenly shown up. Chu Guang had no idea whether the man was who he claimed to be, so after exchanging a few polite pleasantries, he left him standing to the side. Truth be told, he wasn't particularly fond of those people up north. Especially when cleaning up the slums outside Boulder City, the Alliance's guard team had uncovered the shadow of the Flint Group behind numerous gangs. Cloaked in the guise of a private enterprise, those scum committed all manner of vile deeds, only to scurry wretchedly behind the Free State the moment trouble arose. Because the Free State was a "protectorate" of the Great Rift Valley—which possessed military might on par with the Legion and the Enterprise—no one could do anything to them. The Alliance's guard team certainly couldn't march into the Free State to enforce the law right under the Great Rift Valley's nose. Moreover, the Flint Group was remarkably astute. They never provoked behemoths like the Academy, the Legion, or the Enterprise, at most operating within their vassal settlements or indirectly controlled territories—such as settlements administered by the Science Committee, the various realms of Sunset Province, or relatively prosperous settlements in the eastern provinces. They were like a loathsome fly: those with the power to swat them had no interest, while those who couldn't reach them truly couldn't touch them. What puzzled Chu Guang was why, even if this Noreg truly was the Free State's foreign minister, a minister had come instead of a representative from the Flint Group. The Flint Group was the true ruler of the Free State, and they surely knew that the Alliance was well aware of that fact. Going out of their way to don an official disguise for this contact made Chu Guang suspect there might be some hidden motive he didn't know about. Could it be... That the Great Rift Valley had given them another "idea"? At the thought, Chu Guang's expression turned amused. He decided to leave the foreign minister hanging until the man took the initiative to speak, watching and waiting in the meantime. If he could figure out their weakness, the Alliance would undoubtedly hold the upper hand... Having sorted out his thoughts, Chu Guang set Noreg aside for the time being and went over to greet some true old friends of the Alliance. To his surprise, he actually met Luo Yong—a member of the Enterprise Council and a major shareholder of the Silverwing Group. This imposing, dignified middle-aged man first thanked Chu Guang for looking after Luo Hua, then shared a piece of heavyweight news with him. "The Council does not object to joining a cross-regional cooperation organization alongside the Academy. Especially when it comes to resolving the mutant slime mold problem, we let go of the grudges from a century and a half ago long ago. It's just that they're still clinging to the past... If you can persuade them, we have no objections whatsoever, and we can even take on a few more responsibilities and obligations." Hearing this, Chu Guang was astonished on the inside, though he didn't show it on his face. He simply nodded with a smile. "I am glad to hear that is the Council's stance. I will do everything I can to persuade them." Luo Yong raised his glass with a smile. After exchanging a few more cordial words, Chu Guang excused himself to mingle elsewhere. Just as he was about to wander through the banquet hall, the master of ceremonies overseeing the event hurried to his side and whispered in his ear, "Honored Administrator, a guest claiming to be the administrator of Shelter 70 wishes to meet with you... We cannot verify his identity. How would you like to handle this?" Shelter 70? Chu Guang was caught off guard. Though wandering shelter residents had occasionally joined the Alliance in the past, most had come from shelters abandoned many years ago. Visiting the Alliance under the title of a shelter administrator was a first. Not only was the master of ceremonies unsure what to do, but Chu Guang's face also took on a look of surprise. "What is his name?" The master of ceremonies replied respectfully, "He claims to be Sun Yuechi." Chu Guang had never heard the name before. Then again, that was entirely normal. The Alliance had never discovered any shelter designated as Shelter 70. After a moment of thought, Chu Guang said, "Invite him to the lounge. I will be there shortly." The master of ceremonies nodded. "Understood." ... Inside the spacious lounge. Sitting on the sofa, Sun Yuechi glanced repeatedly at the clock on the wall, then looked down at the VM on his arm from time to time, his demeanor somewhat ill at ease. Though he had prepared himself to make contact with the Alliance's Administrator, he was not a hundred percent sure what kind of person he was dealing with, nor did he know what the man's attitude toward other shelters would be. It was just that, at present, they were the most reliable faction in the region. After an anxious wait lasting a full fifteen minutes, heavy footsteps sounded outside the lounge door. Sun Yuechi instinctively straightened his posture. Just then, the door swung open, and a man clad in power armor walked in. Catching sight of the azure-blue power armor, Sun Yuechi was taken aback. Rising from the sofa, he blurted out instinctively, "Is that... Seven Willard's power armor?" Earlier on the square, he had only caught a distant glimpse and hadn't been able to discern the finer details of the azure suit. Seeing that the man before him recognized the armor's origins, Chu Guang looked at him with equal surprise. "You knew him?" "Of course... Ah, not in the sense you might think. I've only learned about him on my own." Noticing Chu Guang's surprise, Sun Yuechi immediately realized he had been misunderstood. He extended his right hand with a smile and said, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sun Yuechi, Administrator of Shelter 70." "Chu Guang, Administrator of Shelter 404. No need to be so formal. We are comrades on the same front line. Please, have a seat so we can talk." After shaking his hand, Chu Guang invited him to sit down, then studied the self-proclaimed Shelter 70 administrator with curiosity. "Could you tell me how you know about Seven?" "That is a long story." Seeming to deliberate where to begin, Sun Yuechi paused to gather his thoughts before speaking slowly. "As you likely know, beyond the duty of sheltering survivors, most shelters were tasked with rebuilding civilization." Chu Guang nodded, though he wasn't sure why the man was bringing this up. Seeing Chu Guang's questioning expression, Sun Yuechi didn't explain right away, but continued: "Shelter 117 housed a large number of biology experts and their descendants. Beyond carrying out surface reconstruction once their unsealing date arrived, they were also tasked with researching the broodmother in downtown Qingquan City... After all, to the people back then, the mutant slime mold was the primary cause of the wasteland. Only by solving the mutant slime mold could there be any hope of ending the wasteland era." Mutated creatures, marauders, mutants, and regressive wastelanders... those were all problems spawned during the wasteland era itself. Only the mutant slime mold and nuclear radiation were true legacy issues from history. Chu Guang nodded. "I've heard about that. There is a resident from Shelter 117 in the Alliance, and she is our chief biologist. All research regarding the mutant slime mold is spearheaded by her." Sun Yuechi smiled and said, "Is that so? If Mr. Seven Willard knew, he would be very gratified. In any case, our mission was similar to Shelter 117's. Beyond fulfilling our reconstruction mandate once the lockdown period expired, we were also tasked with studying a nearby broodmother. "Therefore, upon discovering that the Post-War Reconstruction Committee had already evacuated Qingquan City, we managed to establish contact with Shelter 117, the only local entity still upholding its mission. After all, when it comes to scientific research, collaboration is always faster than working behind closed doors. "Because our doors opened a hundred years earlier than theirs, and Seven Willard strictly enforced Shelter 117's lockdown protocol, our people usually carried out the surface surveys on their behalf, while they focused more on sample research and data processing. "This work continued for nearly a century. We sent people to Qingquan City almost every year to maintain regular contact and exchange data with Shelter 117, observing the slime mold fruiting bodies in downtown Qingquan City while discussing our next research steps." At this point, a faint trace of sorrow surfaced on Sun Yuechi's face, as if he were reminiscing about an old friend who had passed away. Or perhaps mourning a vanished era. "I inherited administrator privileges from the previous administrator ten years ago. And ten years before that, all communication with Shelter 117 came to an abrupt halt... That was Wasteland Era year 191. You should be familiar with that, right?" Chu Guang said with a solemn expression, "Torch." Sun Yuechi nodded, his expression complex. "Yes. When our people arrived once more... only an empty shelter remained. We lacked the capacity to take over a shelter more than a thousand kilometers away, so we copied part of the data and left it where it was, trusting that other nearby shelters would find it once their lockdowns were lifted." At this, Sun Yuechi looked at Chu Guang and smiled. "It seems my predecessor's judgment was correct. Not only did you make proper use of that shelter's resources, but you also fulfilled the dying wish they could not see through... thoroughly eliminating the broodmother in downtown Qingquan City." Hearing this heartfelt praise, Chu Guang let out a hearty laugh, but he quickly caught another detail mentioned in those words. "You have a broodmother out there too?" "Yes." Sun Yuechi nodded gently, took out a holographic computer pen, set it on the coffee table before the sofa, and lightly tapped a button. Light blue holographic light and shadows wove together above the table, forming a colossal silver disc. Chu Guang initially thought he was displaying the layout of Shelter 70, until an azure planet appeared beside the silver disc. It was a space station! And judging by the Earth and the space elevator used as reference points beside it, this ring-shaped space station was of no small scale! It floated beside the terminus of the space elevator, revolving like a carousel alongside other stations, resembling a satellite city to that very elevator. "This was what the Tianting space station looked like before... As for now, it has become this." Sun Yuechi lightly swiped his index finger. The azure planet and the space elevator dissolved into particles of light blue light and scattered. The massive silver disc seemed to plunge into a bottomless cistern, instantly entwined by crimson tentacles reaching out from the dark, which filled every interior corner. Looking at the stunned Chu Guang, Sun Yuechi continued in a very soft voice: "Our shelter is on the seabed. There are abundant untapped resources to make use of down there. We originally planned to build an underwater settlement capable of housing a hundred thousand survivors, and then gradually expand toward the surface and the shore to revive Haiya Province and the southern waters. "However, plans never keep pace with change. During the Three-Year War, the Tianting space station crashed along with the collapse of the space elevator, landing right near us. The colossal kinetic energy of the impact was in no way inferior to a strategic-grade nuclear weapon. Though our shelter withstood the damage, our underwater engineering equipment and the production units placed outside the shelter were almost completely wiped out..." "Holy shit!" Hearing that, Chu Guang couldn't help blurting out. Seeing Sun Yuechi stare at him in a daze, he cleared his throat lightly to cover up his slip. "Apologies, I was just a bit shocked. Your luck really is..." For a moment, he couldn't find the right words to describe it. Such a massive chunk of a space station had happened to crash right at their doorstep. Although shelters were built to withstand nuclear strikes, Chu Guang had never heard of any shelter actually taking a direct hit from a nuclear weapon. They might well be the only shelter to have taken a "strategic nuclear weapon" straight to the face. Sun Yuechi wore a helpless expression and shrugged. "We weren't the only shelter in the deep sea. It falling on our heads was just something beyond our control. Perhaps, as you said, our luck isn't the best... especially since an incubating broodmother was clinging to that space station. "When we finally left the shelter, a century had passed since the Three-Year War ended, and that broodmother had also been propagating beneath the sea for a century. It turned most of the space station into part of its nest. To construct our seabed settlement, we tried recovering materials from it, but what we could salvage was extremely limited. And even though we were careful enough, the fruiting bodies it spawned still caused us considerable trouble." Having heard his explanation, Chu Guang had a rough idea of why he had come. Most likely, he hoped the Alliance could help eliminate the broodmother entwined around the space station. As it happened, Chu Guang was immensely interested in that space station, so he immediately said with a solemn expression: "No problem! Fighting for the future of human civilization is our unshirkable duty, and neutralizing mutant slime molds just happens to be our greatest area of expertise. We will help you resolve that trouble!" "Thank you. I knew I didn't misjudge you," Sun Yuechi said, looking at him with gratitude, though an expression of shame quickly washed over his face. "However... the aid I wish to request from you is not just that. Before dealing with the broodmother entwined around the Tianting, we have an even more pressing crisis." Without waiting for Chu Guang to ask, he paused and continued: "Just like Shelter 117, we are also facing a state of internal collapse." Chu Guang was taken aback, looking at him with a strange expression. "Didn't you... leave the shelter long ago?" "That is true, but whether to leave the shelter wasn't the only matter worth arguing over. We had disagreements on many issues... especially after our people witnessed the situation in Haiya Province. A faction began to believe that allowing humanity to evolve into higher beings might also be a way to end the wasteland era, even if the Church's methods were somewhat extreme." Looking at the dumbfounded Chu Guang, Sun Yuechi wore an expression that was half bitterness and half embarrassment that was difficult to speak of. After all, this was hardly something to be proud of. Even so, he tried to offer a few words of explanation: "It was perhaps unavoidable. After all, our cooperation with Shelter 117 lasted nearly a century. Our people naturally felt an innate goodwill toward those who broke free of their shackles and escaped..." "Do you... know what those madmen did in Haiya Province?" His Adam's apple bobbing, Chu Guang stared at him and asked. "I know," Sun Yuechi said with a bitter smile. "But what good does it do that I know? I'm not like you. You can make people trust you unconditionally, but I can only try to persuade dissenters. I believe the Church of the Torch's methods are too extreme, even if we were once friends, but some people believe it is a necessary price to pay. Some even fantasize that, with the help of Torch technology, they can turn themselves into spirits roaming the sea... What could I possibly say to that?" Pausing, he continued: "Before I took over Shelter 70, the mistake already existed. Although most residents remaining in the shelter stand with me, the division stems from the maritime settlement we built on artificial islands in the southern waters. "Led by a faction of Torch sympathizers, they established a federation and have effectively broken free of our control, intending to throw themselves into the Church of the Torch's embrace. "I've exhausted nearly every means available to me, but I still couldn't stop them from drifting toward the Church of the Torch. If they merely intended to destroy themselves, so be it, but the problem is that they aren't satisfied with that—they also intend to introduce the Na fruit mycelium into the ocean." Pausing for a moment, Sun Yuechi looked at Chu Guang and said in a grave tone: "I originally intended to seek help from the Great Rift Valley. After all, people from the Reconstruction Committee are still there; perhaps they would intervene in light of the urgency of the situation. However, along the way here, I heard many legends about you and the Alliance, which made me change my destination. "Those wastelanders hold no hope for anything left behind by the Reconstruction Committee. They even view those people as one of the reasons the world became what it is. Yet whenever you and the Alliance are mentioned, they offer exceedingly high praise... even if not everyone likes you." Caught off guard by the sudden flattery, Chu Guang cleared his throat lightly and said modestly, "Rumors are always more exaggerated than reality... Compared to those ancient survivor factions, we are still too young." "Yet you accomplished what none of them could, didn't you? Besides, I didn't just rely on hearsay. I've spent some time observing this settlement, and you truly possess things that we lack... and not just on the technical side." Looking intently at Chu Guang, Sun Yuechi continued in a tone that brooked no joking: "Therefore, I wish to transfer administrative authority over Shelter 70 to you, including the settlement we built upon the sea." Chu Guang: "...?!" Having dropped that bombshell, Sun Yuechi didn't wait for Chu Guang to respond. He raised the VM worn on his left arm and pressed his index finger to the screen. As a row of light blue pop-ups appeared on the VM screen, he selected the confirmation button twice in succession, completing the transfer of administrator privileges. Watching Sun Yuechi let out a long breath of relief, Chu Guang stood frozen, utterly flabbergasted. Was this guy for real?! By the time Chu Guang snapped back to reality, the man had already completed every procedure, casually tossing him the keys to Shelter 70. The entire transfer process was far simpler than imagined. Rows of light blue pop-ups flashed rapidly before Chu Guang's eyes: [Shelter 70 Administrator privileges have been recalled...] [Will the new Administrator please proceed to Shelter 70 and import the passcode on any terminal connected to the shelter's main server, then update biometric data to complete the final confirmation procedure for the transfer of Administrator privileges.] Looking at the dumbfounded Chu Guang, Sun Yuechi—now relieved of a heavy burden—smiled, his tone far lighter than before. "I feel terribly ashamed to hand this mess over to you, but this is the only thing I can still do... Since you said you would unite everyone, then please, take our future into your hands as well!"