The Lottery Didn't Raise Its Price, but Nobody Said the Drop Rates Wouldn't Change

On the official website of Wasteland OL, the forums were bustling as usual. In particular, a sudden announcement popped up, instantly catching the eyes of both active players and armchair gamers alike, setting off an explosive wave of discussion. [Server Announcement: The "War in Heaven" Expansion Has Concluded Successfully!] [With the research facilities and frontline strongholds of the Church of the Torch falling one after another, this decisive battle for the fate of humanity has concluded in total victory for the Coalition forces!] [Our heartfelt thanks go out to all players for their active participation! Your heroic deeds have once again saved this dying world!] [Additionally, expansion points will be calculated within thirty minutes. Please redeem your rewards and spoils of war within seven business days!] Jieyan: "6666!" Tail: "Woohoo! Ah Guang is awesome!" Silver Sword: "Holy crap! I actually got six hundred thousand points!" Silver Dad: "Pfft, what's six hundred thousand points worth? Your daddy here got a whole million!" Lightning King Professor Yang: "Damn it, watching you guys having a blast hurts more than losing money. (crying)" Tyrannosaurus Warrior: "Can some kind soul send me a helmet with free shipping? I'm just a student, I'm begging you! T.T" Ye Ao Nai Wo He: "Damn it, is this piece of trash game ever going to open beta or what?! It's already Beta 0.7 plus god knows how many expansions! What a scam! If you're not going to open beta, just shut down! Dammit! (rage)" Elaina: "Whoa, look who's tilted. (funny)" Elven King Fugui: "I'm rolling in it, two million points... Damn, expansion points feel totally devalued now! (crying)" Tengteng: "Wait, the lottery is still a hundred points per draw, so it doesn't seem to affect anything? 0.0" Yaya: "The lead dev is way too generous! (*≧▽≦)" Brother Mole: "Based on my past experience, you spoke too soon. (funny)" Ye Shi: "Ah Guang: 'The lottery didn't raise its price, but nobody said the drop rates wouldn't change.' (funny)" Jieyan: "Holy crap! Delete that! Don't let Ah Guang see it! (panic)" Fang Chang: "Relax. With this many points, nobody's dodging this nerf. If there are limited rewards, grab them fast. If not, settle for titles. It's best to only dump whatever you can't spend into the lottery. Don't thank me. (side-eye)" The entire expansion had spanned over half a year, so the total points accumulated by the players was naturally an astronomical figure. Given the game's near-realistic economic system, if rewards were still handed out at the generous rate of one silver coin per point, the Alliance would probably go bankrupt on the spot. However, Fang Chang had also noticed that quite a few mysterious auction lots with absurdly high starting bids had recently appeared. It seemed Brother Ah Guang had figured out long ago where to drain the bloated pool of currency once the expansion wrapped up... *** The protracted war was finally over, and survivors across the wasteland celebrated this hard-won victory in their own ways. The survivors of the Southern Sea were naturally no exception. Across thirteen islands and one undersea settlement, festive lanterns and colorful banners hung everywhere. While not every survivor living here supported the Southern Sea Alliance government's involvement in mainland affairs, to the vast majority, the destruction of the Church of the Torch was the true end of the civil war. After all, every bit of chaos that had engulfed the Southern Sea had been instigated by the Torch. Not to mention, the Torch had incurred countless bloody debts in the region, including the tragedy of the Ocean Current Power Station and the *Golden Coast*. Now that the Church of the Torch was destroyed, the survivors of the Southern Sea could finally consider their grievances avenged. While the people were celebrating this momentous occasion, a grand press conference was underway at the Presidential Palace on North Island. Before the watchful eyes of Presidential Palace officials, media reporters, and television cameras, Li Minghui, seated behind his desk, signed his name onto an executive order declaring an end to the state of war. In doing so, he officially announced the conclusion of this righteous conflict. Every face in the room was etched with excitement and relief, including Li Minghui himself. He had waited for this moment for far too long. Setting his fountain pen down on the desk, Li Minghui directed his gaze toward the cameras and spoke in a solemn, dignified tone. "At this thrilling hour, in my capacity as Interim President of the Southern Sea Alliance, I declare to all of you that our war is finally over." "We drove out Zhalas, and we drove out the Torch. We have not only achieved true unity, but we have also seized our own destiny in our hands." "It has been an honor to serve alongside all of you—brave, upright, and generous. I firmly believe our future will be boundlessly bright." "Our children will grow up in a new era filled with hope, rather than living under the shadow of one man's ambition or the terror sown by an insidious organization." Li Minghui paused, sweeping his eyes over the cameras facing the desk. Clearing his throat as if prepared long in advance, he continued. "In addition, I have one more important announcement." "Now that this righteous war has ended, in accordance with our joint declaration, I hereby tender my resignation as Interim President." The office went dead silent for two seconds. Surprise washed across the faces of everyone crowding around the desk, followed swiftly by hushed murmurs. Although it had been expected eventually, it came so abruptly that almost none of them were psychologically prepared for it. No one had anticipated that Mr. President would make such a momentous announcement on an occasion like this. Li Minghui, however, gave them no time to digest the staggering revelation. Reaching into a drawer, he took out the resignation letter he had already drafted and set it gently onto the desk. "This is my formal resignation." At his words, the crowd finally came to their senses, and scattered applause began to patter through the room. The applause swelled, transforming from a light drizzle into a torrential downpour, filling the modest office to the brim. Bathed in countless admiring gazes, Li Minghui rose from behind the desk, bowed and nodded in thanks, then turned toward the secretary standing beside him. "...As compensation for being the shortest-serving president in the history of the Southern Sea Alliance, may I keep this fountain pen as a souvenir?" The secretary opened his mouth, then nodded. "Of course, sir." He had also been stunned by the president's unexpected move, only snapping out of it when the applause broke out. Seeing that the civil servant had no objections, Li Minghui cheerfully slipped the pen into his breast pocket. Glancing at the brimming pen holder on the desk, he suddenly remarked with a hint of regret, "Had I known, I should've used a few more to sign it." The secretary cleared his throat softly. "...Your name isn't quite long enough for that many pens, sir." Li Minghui paused, then laughed heartily to brush off the awkwardness. "Hahaha, fair enough!" Because of President Li Minghui's sudden resignation, the press conference, originally scheduled for only thirty minutes, ran half an hour over. The reporters from various settlements fired off a barrage of questions regarding his abrupt move. Li Minghui answered every one of them with a warm smile. At this moment, he was in high spirits, and he certainly had good reason to be. He had stepped up in a time of crisis and bowed out at the height of his glory. No matter what happened in the future, his name would go down in the history of the Southern Sea Alliance as a legendary tale. Watching Li Minghui wave to the cameras amidst the applause, Si Wen, who stood clapping at the edge of the crowd, wore a rather conflicted expression. As the Secretary-General of the Representative Council, he had feared Li Minghui clinging to power, yet he was equally reluctant to see the man leave the Presidential Palace so soon. While it sounded somewhat unreasonable, his perspective was based entirely on the collective interests of the Southern Sea Alliance. To be frank, the man was no professional administrator, but when it came to getting things done, he was surprisingly capable. Few people could display extraordinary martial prowess on the battlefield while simultaneously making significant strides in post-war reconstruction. Though luck had played a part, the man had indeed pulled off the improbable. First, he had used migrant labor from Bolo Province to kickstart North Island's infrastructure development like a rocket. Then, he had used loans secured from the Xilan Empire to directly offset the mountain of debt suffocating the Southern Sea Alliance government. It would have been wonderful if he could stay on until early next year. Ideally, he could have signed a few more massive contracts with those rich fools from Xilan before his term ended. The fact that the Southern Sea Alliance could still pay out salaries was at least half credited to this lucky fellow. Once the press conference concluded. Seeing the beaming President Li Minghui, Si Wen walked up to him, gave a soft cough, and spoke with a hint of reproach. "Mr. Li Minghui, I really must say a few words. You should have chosen the timing of your resignation with far more caution..." Seeing Si Wen's sour face, Li Minghui felt an indescribable surge of amusement. He grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. "Relax, my friend. I've given it plenty of thought! This occasion is the absolute best moment! There could be none better!" Si Wen said, "But we've only just ended the war—" "I know, and that's precisely why I must set an example," Li Minghui replied with a smile. "My mandate was only until the end of the war. Now that it's over, everything from here on out is in your hands." Seeing him so exuberant, Si Wen's brow twitched violently, yet he was powerless against him. Still, the timing of this resignation was simply terrible. Si Wen could only bite the bullet and try to persuade him to stay. "Be that as it may, I still hope you can give us a little more time to prepare... at least until we elect your successor." Li Minghui merely chuckled. "Don't worry. Going without a president for a short while won't hurt anything." Si Wen stared at him with wide eyes. "You're saying it won't hurt anything?!" Li Minghui shrugged, smiling. "Of course. I have plenty of experience with that. After all, what you folks need is just a mascot sitting here drinking tea and reading newspapers. What difference does it make whether there's one or not? At least from where I sit, things run just the same with or without me." Seeing that he was entirely serious, Si Wen sighed deeply, a helpless look taking over his face. "I didn't come here to listen to you brag about slacking off... Fine, let's talk business. The Administrator of the Alliance plans to visit North Island soon." "The Administrator of the Alliance is coming?" A look of astonishment crossed Li Minghui's face. He stared at Si Wen and asked, "...Isn't he going back to Dawn City at a time like this? What is he coming here for?" Ever since their meeting in Dawn City, Li Minghui had always wanted to invite Chu Guang to the Southern Sea as a guest, but the latter had never given a clear answer. To have Chu Guang suddenly take the initiative to visit left him feeling both surprised and somewhat flattered. Noticing Li Minghui's surprise, Si Wen lowered his voice to a whisper. "Rumor has it that it's related to an investment worth billions of silver coins... I don't know the exact details either. In any case, according to the gentleman himself, he's coming on an inspection tour on behalf of the people of the Alliance." "Billions?!" Li Minghui's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he stared at Si Wen in disbelief. "Did you get the units wrong?" Si Wen looked him dead in the eye, keeping his voice low. "How could I mess up something of this magnitude?... Incredible as it sounds, that's what it is." Billions of silver coins! That was on an entirely different scale from the Xilan Empire purchasing warships! Far, far bigger! Li Minghui's imagination momentarily failed him. He couldn't begin to fathom what kind of project in the Southern Sea could possibly warrant such an astronomical budget from the Alliance. Evidently, Si Wen had no insider knowledge either. He simply held Li Minghui's gaze and pressed on. "In short, this matter is of vital importance to both the citizens of the Alliance and the Southern Sea Alliance. I need you to put your resignation on hold, at least until this affair is settled... This is also the will of the Representative Council." Li Minghui froze, caught between tears and laughter. "Wait a minute. If it's this important, why don't you form a delegation to receive him? Why drag someone who's already retired like me into—" Si Wen gave a dry cough, cutting him off. "You haven't retired yet..." Before Li Minghui could speak, Si Wen hurried to beat him to the punch. "The Council has already reached a decision. We unanimously agree that as the President of the Southern Sea Alliance and the Commander of the Navy, you are the most suitable candidate to negotiate this matter... Furthermore, a stable Southern Sea Alliance inspires far more confidence in our partners, and it presents a far more formal image." Looking at the stunned Li Minghui, Si Wen brazenly added, "Though you have submitted your resignation, the approval requires a formal process. So... we'll be holding onto that letter for you in the meantime. We'll have to trouble you to serve for just a few more months!" Li Minghui: "..." *Unbelievable.* *They're actually sitting on it and refusing to process it.* Back when he had had no intention of resigning, these people had watched him every day like a thief. Now that he had actually written his resignation letter, they wouldn't let him leave...