I, Pangolin, Have Returned!

Regarding the players' plan to build their own port in the Baiyue Strait, Chu Guang was naturally supportive. Not only because the southern seas were home to Shelter 70 and the crashed Tianting Space Station, but even more so because it meant his little players were beginning to proactively spread the light of order outward. As for questions like who owned the port, fretting over that would be thinking far too small. This was the year 2342, not 1600. He was neither the emperor of the Alliance nor the chairman of some transoceanic trading company; he was the Administrator of the Alliance and the architect of its order. Nor were his little players convicts he had exiled. They were fighters sworn beneath the banner of the Human Alliance to bring an end to the wasteland. He and the players were completely aligned in both interest and stance, not two opposing sides. The players were part of the Alliance, so any settlement built by players was naturally part of the Alliance as well. Acknowledging the Alliance Constitution was one of the obligations written directly into the Player Handbook; anyone who couldn't accept that was welcome to give up their closed-beta slot to someone else eager to jump in. Under the Alliance-led order, players could discuss the settlement's future together with local survivors, or even leave it entirely up to the locals to decide, just like the residents of Boulder City and Singularity City. As long as they didn't violate the Alliance Constitution or break the rules in the Player Handbook, Chu Guang was more than happy to let them mess around within the bounds of the rules. Under the game rules he had designed, the Alliance authorities only handled macroscopic planning and guaranteed each settlement's security. "How to do it" had always been a question each settlement needed to figure out for itself. No single person could plan every detail down to the last nuance, and the areas beyond his foresight were destined to require the joint efforts of many people. From passively waiting for the dog planner to update the game to actively enriching the game's content was something Chu Guang had been nudging the players toward all along. After all, on a planet this vast, there would easily be hundreds or thousands of settlements to plan. If he had to micromanage every single one himself, it would take till kingdom come. As for the worlds five light-years away, that would be even further out of the question! Compared to the port the players had hyped up through back-and-forth banter, what Chu Guang cared about more was actually something else. "A Southern Archipelago Federation formed in the southern seas, and they're at war with Shelter 70... That wasn't what we agreed on." Staring at the pale blue holographic window, Chu Guang sank into thought on the sofa. When Sun Yuechi had briefed him earlier on the situation in the southern seas, though he mentioned friction between the shelter and surface settlements in multiple areas, he hadn't indicated that their tensions had escalated to the brink of war. Chu Guang couldn't help wondering whether Sun Yuechi had dug a pit for him. Yet he quickly realized that Sun Yuechi had departed the southern seas for the River Valley Province long ago, and according to his little players, this Federation was an organization that had only emerged this year. In other words, while Sun Yuechi was ambling north, he might not have even known his own backyard was on fire. The transmission speed of news on the wasteland was an eternal mystery. With a slight stir in his heart, Chu Guang called out, "Xiao Qi." An energetic voice drifted into his ears immediately. "Right here, Master!" After a moment's reflection, Chu Guang said, "Update the quest log for that beta tester who just got her activation code. Have her investigate who started the war between the Southern Archipelago Federation and Shelter 70, and what caused it." Judging by her performance on the forum, this task shouldn't be too difficult for her. In fact, one could say this was precisely her forte. Pausing, Chu Guang added, "Set the execution priority of this quest to the highest for now." Sitting on the edge of the penholder, Xiao Qi offered a playful salute. "Understood!" *** The next morning. Day had barely broken when the open ground before the Dawn City airship inflation station was already buzzing with bustling activity. Boxes and bundled crates of supplies were piled across the grounds, flanked by various types of engineering machinery waiting for workers to load them. Carrying bags and backpacks of all sizes, players stood clustered in groups of three to five beside the crowded freight and gear, shouting and hollering away. "New map progression! Need a Constitution-type main tank! Must bring own exoskeleton! PM me fast if interested!" "Big bosses, how do you save your progress if you go so far away? What happens if you accidentally die?" "You new here? Go find some errand quests to get used to the gameplay loop first, and level your sequence up to LV10 before going wild out there." "Damn!" "Any brothers who know how to pour concrete? If you don't, Strength-types are fine too! The construction site needs beasts of burden—uh, I mean manpower!" "Any exploration squads out there? Carry me, please! I'm Intelligence-type, cracked with drones!" Not only was the open square packed to the brim with people, but the line before the ticket counter also stretched into a long dragon. A newbie carrying a backpack finally made it to the front after a hard wait, only to freeze when he saw that hitching a ride actually cost money. "Holy crap! You have to buy a ticket to ride the airship?!" Accustomed to this question, the player acting as ticket seller replied lazily, "Or would you rather walk?" "%¥#@!" Because portions of Haiya Province and Jinchuan Province were still under the control of the Church of the Torch, flying from Dawn City to the Baiyue Strait required a detour south of Sunset Province. The total flight distance came to nearly four thousand kilometers, taking over two days. This flight route had only just opened, operated by the Niuma Group, which planned to deploy two airships to maintain a schedule of two trips a week, with plans to increase to once a day depending on demand. A one-way ticket cost around five hundred silver coins, with an allowance of 15 kilograms of baggage; excess weight required an extra 10 silver coins per kilogram. The ticket price included tax and insurance, equivalent to three assault rifles, and required a contribution tier of Citizen or above to purchase. After all, dragging green newbies all that way without proper training was an exhausting ordeal. Generally speaking, players with Citizen tier or higher were vastly more reliable. This was 'high-quality labor' that Ah Guang had already pre-screened for them, making them comparatively much safer and easier to put to work. Though tickets weren't cheap and came with purchase requirements, that did nothing to dampen the players' enthusiasm for a new map and their thirst to explore the unknown world! After all, this was a chance to stay ahead of the meta! The big bosses had poured so much money in; they certainly weren't just throwing silver into the water for fun. If these top players genuinely intended to build a port, they were bound to issue a series of progression and construction quests. As long as you seized the opportunity, you could earn back the ticket price in no time! Even though player-issued quests didn't grant contribution points, their silver coin rewards were often twenty to fifty percent higher than NPC quests! Because of this, almost as soon as tickets for this flight to the Baiyue Strait were listed, more than half had already sold out. Every player waiting before the inflation station brimmed with lofty ambitions, eyes shining with excitement for the upcoming voyage. The opportunities in Qingquan City had mostly been tapped out. It was time to try their luck in a new world! The southern-bound warriors weren't the only ones eyeing this flight; a huge flock of life-profession players and NPCs running factories or workshops had set their sights on it as well. Most of them had learned from the Wasteland Online forums or Survivor Daily that the Alliance intended to construct a port in the southern seas. A massive wave of sales reps had swarmed to the perimeter of the airship station, pitching their wares to the eager players. "KV-2 Improved Type III Amphibious Exoskeleton! Traverse jungles, swamps, and shallows like flat ground! Come take a look!" "An LD-47 will solve all your problems! If that's not enough, throw in an RPG! Even a Deathclaw will steer clear of you!" "The southern seas are littered with sunken ships from the Era of Prosperity, packed with mountains of treasure! Won't you consider buying a diving and salvage kit? Buy now and get a treasure map included... No guarantee you'll strike gold, but you'll definitely find something!" "Anyone need an excavator? We've got the best construction equipment right here!" "Hydrogliders! Amphibious aircraft! Trust Goblin Tech! High quality, unbeatable price, buy now while supplies last—installment plans accepted! Even newbies can afford it!" "'Diving Beetle' engineering armor and 'Cross Spider' robots! Produced by Shelter 100! Our machines can work in any terrain—even if your construction site is on the moon, we can make it shoot up like a space elevator!" Hawking cries rose in an endless din, even drowning out the calls for party members. The goods these peddlers pitched were an eclectic assortment: from fire sales on individual small arms to inventory clearances of tanks and planes, from screwdrivers, pliers, and wrenches all the way to heavy equipment like excavators and pile drivers. Whether factories from Daybreak City or Boulder City, all of them had simultaneously zeroed in on this tantalizingly fragrant cake. Unlike the players itching to jump ahead of the version, the thoughts of most Alliance factory owners were far simpler and more straightforward. Regardless of how this port—which didn't even have a name yet—would develop down the line, building it would still require steel, cement, and engineering equipment, wouldn't it? Those were visible, tangible demands! Not to mention the intangible needs. To bring this port to fruition would take far more than a few tens of millions of silver coins; the underlying market was worth at least nine figures! Even just scraping a bit of cream off this cake would be enough to fill their coffers to overflowing. And this stunning chain reaction was something the players who had originally brainstormed strategies on the forum thread could never have anticipated... *** In a corner of the crowd. Staring slack-jawed at the chaotic scene, Ye Shi stood stunned for a long while before turning his head toward Fang Chang and whispering uneasily, "...Is it really okay to do this?" The Niuma Group's investment had already surged from the initial five million silver coins to twenty million, and that was merely the upfront commitment. Although the Baiyue Strait's location looked promising on paper, the problem was that this was the wasteland! Beyond the settlements, not a wisp of smoke could be seen for a hundred li around, and the sea was desolate as could be. No matter how superior the Baiyue Strait's geographic position seemed, there were zero bustling trade routes to back up that supposed superiority. Even if they managed to build the port, who knew how many years it would take before they broke even? Looking at the visibly anxious Ye Shi, Fang Chang offered a faint smile. "Vision, my friend, vision... Broaden your horizon a little, brother. Don't look far—look right here. What were the northern outskirts of Qingquan City like two years ago, and what are they like today?" Ye Shi scratched the back of his head. "Are those even comparable?" "Why wouldn't they be?" Fang Chang smiled and continued. "At least in my eyes, there's no fundamental difference between there and Qingquan City. Both were once part of the Human Alliance, and both once nurtured civilization. Though it's currently a wild, lawless land devoid of order, once we've been there, it won't be anymore." Dawn City had once been merely a trade hub along the southern corridor of the River Valley Province, but now that former trade hub had become one of the central nodes for the entire trade network. Caravans of old had passed through here simply for convenience and safety, but now the land beneath their feet had become a destination in its own right for merchants traveling east and west. Whoever could establish order on the wasteland became a torch in people's hearts, and wealth and population would naturally flock toward the light. The warfare in the southern seas and the turmoil in the Xilan Empire might very well prove to be an opportunity for this planned settlement. Just as the turmoil of the Bone Chewers had been for the Alliance. As for the xenomorphs, poisonous insects, diseases, and other troubles of Baiyue Province—was any of that even a problem for players? They had dealt with the broodmother of Qingquan City. A threat of this level wasn't even worth mentioning! *** While the players headed south were queuing for tickets, a hydrogen airship slowly hovered to a halt above the station. In the simply decorated cabin, a haughty-looking man dressed in luxurious attire gazed down at the bustling square below. His name was Bentnor. From his proudly arched nose, it was easy to tell he was a pureblood Wilante, and the stars on his epaulets further proclaimed his status— He was a One-Star Myriad Commander, standing above ten thousand! However, because he was not a military officer but a civil official from Triumph City, he commanded not a disciplined legion of ten thousand troops, but merely a diplomatic delegation numbering fewer than a hundred. Within the Legion, civil officials ranked below military officers, but that did nothing to stop him from holding himself in high regard, looking down his nose at any native outside Triumph City. Watching the crowd packing the open ground, the corners of Bentnor's mouth twitched up into a faint smirk. "Are those people gathered to welcome us?" Standing nearby, Battlefield Atmosphere Group's expression grew somewhat subtle. He naturally knew what those people were doing—after all, he spent every offline moment shitposting on the forum—but right now, he obviously couldn't act like a know-it-all. "Probably," he muttered in a low voice, maintaining his quiet persona. Bentnor chuckled softly, curling his lips with self-satisfied pride. "It seems these barbarians understand etiquette after all." Seeing how smug the guy was, Battlefield Guy made a helpless expression. As for why he was here, that was a long story. Having boarded the airship Judicator bound for the Legion, he had originally been recuperating in General Adria's territory, waiting to report to Triumph City. Yet before that transfer order arrived, word reached him that the Grand Marshal intended to dispatch a diplomatic mission to the Alliance to discuss mutant slime mold containment and establishing diplomatic ties. He had sensed something off at the time, and sure enough, things developed just as he anticipated: the mission heading east needed a guide familiar with the River Valley Province. Better yet if it was a local. As luck would have it, the ambassador named Bentnor happened to be Penny's father! Battlefield Guy didn't know whether the warmhearted Miss Penny had put in a good word for him, but in any case, the letter of appointment had indeed landed in his hands. When he received the appointment, Battlefield Guy didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He had been so close, just a hair's breadth from laying eyes on the Triumph City he had dreamed of. Not that he was so desperate to visit. The key was that catching a glimpse of that place had become his sole motivation to keep playing his undercover role. The war between the Alliance and the Legion had ended more than half a year ago. That dog Brother Spring had gotten to experience God knows how many expansion packs, while he was still drifting out in the cold. Still, it was a blessing in disguise. As the diplomatic mission's guide, he was granted an exceptional one-tier promotion by the Ministry of War, bumping the stars on his Thousand Commander epaulets from one to two. At the same time, he was awarded a T-10 'Champion' power armor by the Ministry of War in recognition of his military merit! At least the dog planner hadn't gone back on his word. Though he had missed several game patches, the promised power armor had finally been delivered. And over this matter, his old pal and former superior Korwei was green with envy. Shooting from a potato-peeling retinue to a Thousand Commander in just a year—such promotion speed was unmatched across the entire Legion! Especially that set of power armor. Even Korwei hadn't received that kind of treatment back then! Just as Battlefield Guy was gazing down at his transformed 'hometown' with a heart full of nostalgia and melancholy, the adjutant standing behind Bentnor cleared his throat softly and spoke. "Mr. Bentnor, we are here to negotiate cooperation with the Alliance... The Marshal attaches great importance to this matter. It would be wise to exercise a bit more restraint." Hearing the adjutant's reminder, a flash of annoyance crossed Bentnor's face. Yet out of some apparent hesitation, he didn't berate the man for speaking out of turn, only answering testily, "I know. I don't need you telling me how to do my job; I know what I'm doing." The adjutant murmured back, "I certainly hope so." Out of the corner of his eye, Battlefield Atmosphere Group noticed Bentnor's brows twitch violently upon hearing those words, yet he held back and did not blow up. Such a rare scene prompted a twinge of surprise in Battlefield Guy's mind. Just who was this adjutant? He had traveled with the delegation for some time and was fairly familiar with the identities, positions, and backgrounds of its various members. Except for this adjutant, whose identity remained a mystery. He only knew the fellow was named Queck, held the same Thousand Commander rank as himself, and had one more star. As for whether he was a military officer or a civil official, which department he belonged to, his political faction, or his background, he was completely in the dark. If only there were other players in Triumph City. That way, someone could ask around and give him the scoop on the forums... Stealing glances at Myriad Commander Bentnor's unnatural expression and Queck's composed demeanor, Battlefield Guy pondered inwardly. He couldn't shake the feeling that this adjutant harbored some tremendous secret. And his intuition told him: This secret might very well be connected to the 'Slime Mold Union' buzzing across the forum lately. Perhaps he ought to do something to ease the burden on their esteemed Administrator...