Ring Island was the largest artificial island in the Southern Archipelago, situated at the gateway leading from the southern seas into the Baiyue Strait. It had an area of roughly thirty square kilometers, though less than half of that was actual reef and land.
Seen from the sky, it looked like a giant doughnut.
Rumor had it that the island had once belonged to an ultra-wealthy tycoon of the Prosperity Era, who had intended to turn it into an offshore tourist destination. Unfortunately, the dredgers had barely finished sand-pumping the island's outline when the Three-Year War suddenly broke out, bringing construction to an abrupt halt.
After the war ended, survivors from Baiyue Province managed to restart the reclamation project. Using coastal demolition debris and leftover machinery, they steadily widened the island's footprint. Without any support from the Post-War Reconstruction Committee, they spent nearly thirty years chipping away like the foolish old man moving mountains, slowly completing a task that would have taken only six months before the war. Around Year 50 of the Wasteland Era, they relocated entirely onto this artificial haven.
Traders from Silver Moon Bay called the settlement on Ring Island the "Pearl of the Southern Seas," while the locals themselves named it Seagull Port. Legend said sea gulls had guided them to this blessed sanctuary, far removed from the scourge of mutants.
Another fifty years passed. Around Year 100 of the Wasteland Era, the port's population and living standards underwent explosive growth, burgeoning from fewer than a hundred people into a community of over one hundred thousand. According to Silver Moon Bay records, this rapid rise was primarily attributed to Silver Moon Bay traders discovering the harbor and supplying it with abundant food.
However, Sisi suspected the truth was not quite so simple.
Traders from Silver Moon Bay were hardly in the business of handing out free food. The locals had to possess something that made the voyage worthwhile. Pearls, seashells, deep-sea fish, coastal salvage... If that were all, it wouldn't fetch any real fortune.
Connecting this with the clues about Shelter 70, everything finally fell into place.
Around Year 100 of the Wasteland Era, Shelter 70 had unsealed its doors, bringing Prosperity Era technology to the local fishermen. That technological leap not only dramatically boosted fishing efficiency, but also vastly expanded the island's habitable area and living standards—just like Shelter 404's profound impact on Dawn City.
Armed with advanced technology, Seagull Port swiftly became the brightest pearl in the southern seas, drawing merchants from both Silver Moon Bay and Brahma Province. Traders from the Hump Kingdom brought plentiful grain, while the turbulent Brahma Province supplied a steady stream of labor. At the same time, Seagull Port's technology flowed along trade routes back into both regions. That was the primary reason the Hump Kingdom, nestled in a corner of the desert, enjoyed a technological lead over the other kingdoms of Sunset Province. After all, relying solely on White Dove, a single researcher from the Academy—no matter how many black technologies were crammed into his head—could never have elevated a conservative feudal realm to Enlightenment-era levels on his own.
Keeping pace behind the two speedboats, Sisi steered the *Rou Rou* forward and soon caught sight of the island rising prominently above the emerald swell. Vessels of all shapes and sizes were moored along the docks, and white sea gulls fluttered above the harbor under a peaceful, tranquil sky.
This was not their first time here. They had passed by late last year. Back then, there had been no "Federation"; the scattered islands across these waters operated independently, and such heavily fortified vigilance was entirely unprecedented.
"What is that ship doing?" Standing at the railing, Rou Rou peered curiously at a flatbed cargo vessel not far off, watching it drop spiky black metal spheres into the sea one after another.
Tail peered through her binoculars, transfixed. "Whoa! Naval mines!"
Rou Rou gave her a startled glance. "For real?"
Tail raised her brows and shot back, "Eek! What kind of question is that? Does Tail look like someone who jokes around?"
Rou Rou cast her a subtle side-eye. *Don't you always?* Still, in all honesty, those things really did resemble naval mines.
Inside the bridge, Sisi watched the freighter-turned-warship, her brow knitting slightly. Beneath the calm, pleasant sea breeze, she caught the faint scent of trouble.
The cargo ship docked at the pier.
The man who had hailed them earlier grabbed the boarding ladder, climbed nimbly onto the deck, and addressed Sisi as she came down the gangway beside the bridge.
"I'm Muda, commander of the coast patrol here."
"Sisi, helmsman of the freighter *Rou Rou*."
Muda skipped the pleasantries and got straight to business. "Where's your captain?"
"Right here." Sisi pointed at Rou Rou.
The latter gave a good-natured grin and raised a massive paw, looking shy and slightly awkward. "Hi."
"Hi..." Having evidently never encountered a talking bear, Muda froze, though he still greeted her reflexively.
Taking advantage of his daze, Sisi cut in, "Is there a war going on here?"
"Yes..." His Adam's apple bobbed. Tearing his eyes away from Rou Rou, Muda nodded at Sisi.
Seeing her suspicion confirmed, Sisi pressed, "Who is your enemy?"
Muda did not dodge the question, answering bluntly, "Shelter 70."
Rou Rou and Tail exchanged a look, and in unison, swiftly clamped their hands over each other's mouths.
Muda eyed the human and the bear with a puzzled look. "A talking bear... That's a first for me. Are you from the North Pole?"
Sisi blinked. "The North Pole?"
Muda gestured with his hands, explaining, "I've read in books that polar bears look like that."
Wrenching herself free from Rou Rou's bear paw, Tail put on a solemn face. "Not at all! Our Rou Rou is actually an albino brown bear!"
"Is... is that so?" The man paused, his gaze softening with a hint of apologetic sympathy toward the talking bear.
Rou Rou glared at Tail, their eyes locking in silent communication: *Stop tacking on weird character traits—no, bear traits—to me!*
Tail playfully stuck her tongue out: *What's the big deal?*
While the two engaged in their silent banter, Sisi kept her eyes trained on the man's expression. Catching that fleeting glimmer of sympathy, a thoughtful look crossed her brow. She spoke up, "We'd like to purchase some supplies here. What procedures do we need to clear?"
Muda replied succinctly, "No procedures. We welcome merchant vessels that come to trade. But as you can see, these are unusual times. Please understand that we need to inspect your cargo."
"No problem. Follow me."
With that, Sisi led him straight toward the hold.
Watching Muda follow Sisi below deck, Sesame Paste walked up beside Tail, fretting in a hushed whisper, "Is it really okay to let him see the people down there?"
Resting her forefinger against her chin, Tail pondered seriously for a moment before declaring with utter confidence, "Mm, Tail thinks it shouldn't be a problem."
Rou Rou gave her an inquisitive look. "Your reasoning?"
Tail flashed a sly grin. "A pirate's intuition!"
Rou Rou: "...Dammit!" *Could that reasoning be any flimsier?!*
***
Following the woman named Sisi into the hold, Muda kept a cautious eye on his surroundings and the mercenary-looking crew members. But the moment he reached the bottom of the ladder and stepped through the hatch into the lower cargo bay behind Sisi, he was thoroughly stunned by what met his eyes.
The spacious cargo hold was packed wall-to-wall with people—easily several hundred at a glance.
Reading the shock on his face, Sisi added smoothly, "There are more on the lower level, too."
Muda's throat bobbed. "What is this...?"
Sisi continued, "They're Moon Clan people from Brahma Province. Have you heard about what's happening over there?"
Muda shook his head, looking back at her. "No... What happened?"
Lowering her voice, Sisi explained, "The Xilan Empire is systematically purging the Moon Clan in Brahma Province—seizing their property, forcing them into slavery. If we had left them behind, they would already be chained up and sold off to slave traders... just like most unlucky wastelanders out there."
Muda studied the crowd closely. He saw no slave shackles or prominent brands on them. The people in the hold stared back at him just as cautiously. Sensing that this man held their fates in his hands, their eyes instinctively filled with pleading gazes.
Muda felt a pang of pity.
Yet sympathy was one thing; he could not let an influx of refugees overturn Seagull Port's order out of mere sentimentality. This was, after all, an island of less than thirty square kilometers, already home to nearly a hundred thousand survivors.
"We welcome travelers, but—"
Seeing right through him, Sisi prompted, "But you never planned on taking in this many people, right?"
Muda gave a silent nod, then spoke after a pause. "...It would cause us trouble, and we simply don't have enough spare room to house them all."
Anticipating that response, Sisi sighed with a look of helpless resignation. "I understand. We didn't expect you to take this burden off our hands... But could you turn a blind eye to the people aboard and let us purchase some supplies in port? Please. Aside from you, there is no one else nearby willing to give us shelter."
Muda fell silent for a long time, clearly torn. Ultimately, his conscience won out, and he gave a slow nod.
"All right... but you must promise that no more than ten... twenty people may leave this ship. That is, if you don't want trouble."
A relieved smile broke across Sisi's face. She extended her right hand. "Thank you. You have my word."
"Don't mention it."
After a brief handshake, Muda let go, threw one last look at the crowd in the hold, and turned back toward the ladder.
***
*Wasteland Online* Official Forum, Player Discussion Board.
After logging off, Sisi took a quick shower, casually ran a towel over her hair, and sat at her computer with damp locks draped over her shoulders, updating her serialization thread with what had happened during the in-game day.
"Big news! The southern sea map appears to have received a major update! Two new factions have been introduced: the Southern Archipelago Federation and the underwater Shelter 70. The two sides are currently engaged in active combat for unknown reasons, and any ships entering the waters will be stopped and searched by Federation vessels.
"We've secured docking permission at Seagull Port and intend to linger in the area for a bit to pinpoint the precise coordinates and entrance to Shelter 70.
"The port has accumulated a heavy backlog of unsold goods due to the war, including pearls, seashells, and salvaged deep-sea relics. The local market is in dire need of strategic supplies like rubber, polymer fibers, nitroglycerin, sugar, and grains, with prices running 20% to 50% above last month's market average. We strongly recommend trade-focused players buy salvaged undersea goods here to sell back in Silver Moon Bay. The White Bear Knights Bank offers favorable exchange rates for Gold Camels, silver coins, and dinars!
"Also, is anyone currently in Silver Moon Bay or Oasis No. 4? We need to restock dry rations as well as 155mm and 20mm ammunition. Generous rewards if you can help transport them near the Baiyue Strait!"
Since the game planner hadn't mentioned in the private message whether the activation codes could be made public, Sisi hesitated and refrained from posting about them in the thread.
Moments after posting, a flurry of over a dozen replies popped up in rapid succession.
"666!"
"Me, me, me!"
"Rich lady, notice me!"
"Wait, how big of a boat do you need?"
"Do you need mercenaries? We have a hundred strength-build brutes!"
"Can we go overland? I don't have a boat. T.T"
"Idiot! Just rent one!"
"..."
This "Outing" thread had been running since last year.
Back then, the White Bear Knights were still stationed at Petra Fortress, having only recently crossed paths with White Dove and his "Xiao Hong." At the time, Sisi discovered that content posted in her thread was automatically scraped into the official lore database, complete with creator credits. From then on, she made a habit of updating the thread with details gathered along their journeys, documenting local customs, cultures, and traditions.
In particular, nearly the entire section on Brahma Province in the official lore database—including several major settlements and primary ports—had been written by her.
Because of that, the Alliance had gained an unexpected trade route to Brahma Province. Many lifestyle-class players had made a killing trading cheap industrial goods produced by the Alliance for two-headed oxen, leather, and spices. Having tasted the sweet profits of deep-sea commerce, countless trade-focused players bookmarked her thread.
Beyond Sisi's regular travel logs, other players running trade routes along her suggested paths would chime in, adding ruins, side quests, interesting NPCs, or monster nests that she had missed. When she first created the thread, she never imagined it would attract so much attention, branching out like a mighty, flourishing tree.
Even though the White Bear Knights were not a formal combat corps, but merely a merchant caravan registered with the Merchant Guild, this oddball crew—born from an offhand joke about "riding Rou Rou"—had gradually accrued formidable influence across the forums. While they were still a fair distance behind the big shots who commanded legions with a single shout, like Fang Chang, Mole, and Brother Spring, as Tier 2 players, they were remarkably impressive.
In Debt God: "Hold up, Ah Guang suddenly dropping a map update over a thousand kilometers away feels super fishy to me."
Elaina: "+1. The guy didn't even drop an announcement to tease it. That's totally out of character. (Funny face)"
Elven King Fugui: "Is there a world where the next expansion is set over there? (Funny face)"
Rest in Peace: "Holy crap! Dog planner doesn't play by the rules!"
A'nie: "Your account's gone, bro."
Rest in Peace: "(Awkward)"
Watching the discussion grow livelier on her screen, complete with players actively brainstorming ideas, Sisi couldn't help a gratified smile.
It would be wonderful if she could lure more players down here.
Cooperating with fellow players offered far better odds of success than exploring solo, especially this far beyond Alliance territory.
Right then, a familiar username popped up in the thread.
Tail: "Whoa! Since everyone's so interested in the world across the sea, why don't we just build our own port here?! (Mischievous grin)"
The moment she read that, Sisi froze.
Before she could even process it, dozens of replies flooded beneath it.
Stop Bullshitting: "Holy shit?!"
Makabazi: "For real?!"
Tail: "Whoa! Of course it's real! Tail never goes back on her word! To show good faith, the White Bear Knights will kick things off with five million silver coins!"
Meat Mountain Steamed Bun: "(Spicy)"
Jieyan: "6666!"
Ye Shi: "Sounds fun! Count the Niuma Group in. (Funny face)"
Fang Chang: "Actually sounds pretty interesting. The Baiyue Strait sits right in the middle of maritime transit between the east and west coasts of the Mid-Continent. Having no port in such prime real estate is practically a crime. Well, brother Ye Shi has already raised his hand, so we'll throw in five million to test the waters."
Ye Shi: "What the fuck?! Are you serious?! (Shocked)"
Valley Escaped Mole: "Count the Skull Group in too!! Five million!"
Elven King Fugui: "Holy shit, when did we get so loaded?!"
Valley Escaped Mole: "Heh heh, made a tidy profit on an Endpoint Cloud game. Dividends are coming for the boys in a few months."
Tail: "!!! Are you bosses serious? By the way, can you invest in Cr? Foreign exchange urgently needed! QAQ"
Fang Chang: "No problem! Keep it up, I'm rooting for you guys. (Side-eye smile)"
Yaya: "Can I invest five hundred thousand? 0.0"
Tail: "Whoa! Absolutely! The more the merrier! Tail will draft the shareholder contracts for Port Rou Rou in a bit! (///ω///)"
Teng Teng: "Uh, I'd like to chip in a little too... but could we maybe change the name? Not that it sounds bad, it just feels a little weird. (Blushing)"
Tail: "Eh! Weird?! ∑(°Д°)"
Somewhere along the way, the thread completely derailed.
Nobody was talking about gameplay for the new map anymore. Instead, everyone was passionately arguing over what to name this future pearl of the seas and where on the map the harbor should be placed. Faced with the Alliance's very first overseas venture, the players unleashed an extraordinary wave of enthusiasm.
Seeing so much interest, Fang Chang simply proposed purchasing a civilian blimp from Dawn City to airlift an initial batch of supplies and personnel to the southern seas. The guy genuinely seemed to believe in the economic potential of this region. Meanwhile, players with backgrounds in civil engineering eagerly chimed in, offering to take the flight down to conduct on-site surveys and snap photos for research.
Amidst the clamor of voices, the rough blueprint of an overseas infrastructure project worth over a hundred million silver coins was already taking shape.
Watching the total pledged investment smash past the thirty-million-silver-coin mark and climb rapidly higher, Sisi sat before her monitor, completely stunned.
Her original plan had been simple: find an opportunity to punch a small hole in the hull, intentionally beach the ship in Ring Island's harbor under the pretense of repairs, and play the long game. If all else failed, they could just stall there for ten days to a couple of weeks until their mission was complete.
Who would have guessed she was thinking far too small?
Tail had gone and slammed down an entire base right on the locals' doorstep!
Still—
It might not actually be a bad idea.
Although the Hump Kingdom's colonial ventures in Baiyue Province had ended in failure, that didn't mean they were doomed to repeat the same mistakes. In terms of biotechnology alone, the Alliance's reserves outclassed the Hump Kingdom by several tiers! Not to mention that with the Alliance's massive industrial capacity, supporting the construction of an overseas colonial outpost was well within reach!
The more Sisi thought about it, the more thrilled she became, her eyes sparkling.
"Holy crap... Nicely done, Tail!"
Little did she know that at that very moment, far away in another world, a certain damned planner couldn't help letting out a "Holy crap" of his own after seeing this astonishing flight of fancy.
Nowadays, players didn't just paint their own pie-in-the-sky promises—they were actively stepping up to bake the pies themselves.
Come to think of it, did this count as using a single "14-day trial pass" to snag an entire settlement for free?
Talk about a ridiculously profitable deal!
Chapter 660