Isn't Eating Three Extra Meals a Day a Reward?

"...A life-support system would be nice." Looking at the report submitted by a certain player, Chu Guang wore an expression caught between tears and laughter. What a shame. While he possessed the authority to decide who received game helmets, he had no permission to "add new product lines." Besides... Wasn't being able to eat three extra meals a day a "reward"? From what he knew, quite a few players were thoroughly delighted by becoming bottomless pits. That group of drunkards led by Lao Bai, in particular, loved nothing more than getting blind drunk online, only to log off and keep drinking in reality. In truth, it went well beyond food. The pleasure and enjoyment that "Second Life" brought players were not limited to wolfing down meals. It also extended to—among other things—the Bath Emperor, who scrubbed his feet online until the skin peeled, only to run off and keep soaking after logging off. Chu Guang was truly powerless when it came to personal tastes. *Wasteland Online* was not, after all, a custom-tailored single-player game. Private issues like "being so full online that one has no appetite after logging off" were problems players would just have to figure out for themselves. Then again, why had that guy written this in an in-game report to the Administrator? Had his alt account been exposed? A flicker of doubt stirred in Chu Guang's mind, but after pondering it for a moment, he dismissed the thought. The chances were slim. Following normal logic, the little player probably assumed that during a closed beta, the game designers would actively peek behind the scenes—especially at "review feedback" penned personally by players—and sneak a glance or two. And even if someone had guessed, it did not matter. Accidentally learning or guessing the truth was just like dreaming of expired lottery numbers. It could neither be acknowledged nor cashed in. Merely knowing such a thing existed was utterly meaningless. Just as Chu Guang was about to close the report, Xiao Qi, perched on the pen holder, leaned in and offered an enthusiastic suggestion. "Actually, it wouldn't be difficult from a technical perspective, Master! You just need to outsource the production of this equipment to qualified companies in the parallel world!" According to its observations, quite a few players and armchair gamers ran businesses in reality related to the game's operations. Some profited from information asymmetry, some capitalized on technical edges, and others traded currency or sold peripherals. The currency exchanger in particular ran the largest operation. Not only had he roped in top-ranking players on the server, but by leveraging his advantage in silver coin reserves, he had expanded his business scope into artificial intelligence and precision machinery manufacturing. With that player's capabilities, cobbling together a low-tech incubation pod in reality should be child's play! After hearing Xiao Qi out, Chu Guang merely smiled faintly. "I considered that method a long time ago." "Huh?" Xiao Qi tilted its head, asking in confusion, "Then why didn't you do it, Master?" Chu Guang thought for a moment before speaking. "Because... I don't really want to weaken their social ties in reality. What they gain from *Wasteland Online* shouldn't just be money and status in reality; it should also include knowledge, technology, experience, methods, and principles. "They should use these things to bring about positive changes to their home world, usher in their own Era of Prosperity, and explore their own future. "Even though I can never go back, that place is still my hometown, after all." Whether they chose moderate reform or radical transformation, Chu Guang believed they would ultimately walk a path different from that of the wasteland. Even if the vast majority of players had not realized it yet, they were already united in practice. And indeed, they possessed the power to change the world. ... Early the next morning. Lying in the inn, Sisi opened her eyes. She stood, walked to the door, and checked several markers she had left by the entrance. Only after confirming nothing was amiss did she head into the washroom for a quick freshening up before heading down to the inn's lobby. This was a habit she had developed while traveling, and one shared by many players when camping outdoors. After all, once logged off, one lost control over the game character. Although the VM featured "online vital-sign monitoring with offline message alerts," it did not mean absolute safety; it could only guard against fatal dangers. When Sisi reached the ground floor, the four guides and bodyguards arranged by the Mammoth State authorities were already waiting in the lobby. The leader was a young woman named Bella. Dressed in a crisp, sharp military uniform with an LD-47 assault rifle slung across her back, she wore her short hair neatly cut to the ear, and her sharp gaze suggested combat experience. Judging by her shoulder epaulets, her rank was sergeant. Yaxi had not mentioned her specific post, but Sisi estimated she was a squad leader, equivalent to a decurion in the old imperial military system. As for the others, their ranks marked them as ordinary grunts, but they showed little sign of rigorous training and did not look like battle-tested veterans. They were probably fresh recruits who usually handled orderly or clerical duties. Upon seeing Sisi, Bella pressed her right fist to her chest in a military salute and said politely, "Good morning, esteemed guest from the Alliance. Did you rest well last night?" "Good morning, I slept quite well..." Sisi returned a relaxed smile and added, "No need for such formalities. Just call me Sisi." A trace of awkwardness crossed Bella's face, but she compliantly nodded. "Very well, Miss Sisi." The orders from her superiors were to do her utmost to fulfill all reasonable requests from these distinguished Alliance guests and leave them with the best possible impression of Mammoth State. If the Mammoth State authorities wished to survive in this peril-ridden wasteland, they had to secure the backing of at least one major power. She knew full well how vital her assignment was. Looking at the overly earnest Miss Bella, Sisi put on a helpless expression, but refrained from saying anything. Seeing that Sisi remained silent, Bella continued politely, "Do you have any plans for today?" "Hmm," Sisi pondered for a moment, glancing toward the stairs. "I'm waiting for my companions to wake up. Afterward, we plan to take a stroll nearby and inspect the local environment. Ah, right—is there any place to eat around here? The kind of place locals frequent. We'd like to grab some breakfast." Hearing that, Bella immediately replied, "A place to eat? Understood. Whenever you are ready to set out, just let me know." As the two spoke, a giant white bear and a short-haired girl walked down the stairs. Shortly after, Sesame Paste followed, rubbing her sleepy eyes and yawning. Accompanied by the four bodyguards and guides, the three girls and one bear left the inn and soon arrived at a street bustling with life. Standing at the entrance of the street, Bella looked toward Sisi and the others, speaking with slight constraint. "This is the parish snack street. The shopkeepers are all residents from Silver Moon Bay, and generally only they have the habit of eating breakfast... I'm not sure if it suits your tastes." Sisi smiled faintly. "Your worries are unfounded." Tail chimed in briskly, "Oh! Exactly! The Silver Moon Bay residents actually learned their eating habits from us!" Bella blinked in surprise. "Eh? Is... is that so? That's wonderful then. I was worried you wouldn't be used to it." She truly had not known about such history. Sesame Paste said with a warm smile, "You're being far too formal. There's really no need; we're all very easygoing." "Speaking of which, ramen shops have spread all the way out here? That's quite a reach..." Rou Rou peered down the street, amazed to find that this place was practically a replica of Dawn City's North Street. Not only were there ramen shops, but also stalls selling steamed buns, shaomai, soy milk, and deep-fried dough sticks—even hot dry noodles and fish noodles. The tantalizing aromas stirred the cravings in her belly, making her swallow several times. Beside her, Tail did the same, nodding her chin with an expression of profound gratification. "Not bad, not bad at all. Hai Ji's noodle-making has found successors... Old Man Zhang would probably be proud." Rou Rou could not help but tease, "What on earth do you mean by 'Hai Ji's noodle-making,' and why have you already assumed he's an old man?" Tail declared smugly, "Isn't it obvious? What young person would use their real name as their gamertag?" "By the way, don't you eat breakfast?" Sesame Paste turned curiously to Bella. Bella shook her head, the tips of her short hair swaying gently against her ears. "That's far too extravagant for us. In the past, we only ate one meal a day, and occasionally we even had to make do eating dirt... Only recently have we managed two meals." "I'm sorry." Realizing she had asked an insensitive question, Sesame Paste sounded apologetic. Bella, however, smiled and said dismissively, "It's nothing. That's all in the past." The group walked into a ramen shop and sat down. Bella initially reached for her money, but Sisi stopped her. "We exchanged money when we got off the ship. Let me pay." With that, she placed two hundred-denomination Mammoth coin banknotes on the table and called to the owner, "Eight bowls of noodles, please." Seeing this distinguished guest offer to treat them to noodles, Bella and the other three guides were taken aback. "This... isn't appropriate." Looking at Bella's embarrassed expression, Sisi smiled softly. "It's just a bowl of noodles. It hardly counts as a bribe, does it?" Bella waved her hands frantically. "I didn't mean that..." Sisi pulled out a chair and said with a smile, "Then sit down and eat with us." Although unaccustomed to breakfast, Bella could not bring herself to refuse the kind offer of their distinguished guests. She sat down at the table alongside the other three guide girls. Sisi quietly observed the four of them. Their timid, constrained demeanor did not seem feigned; evidently, they rarely ate in such "luxurious" eateries. While she knew little of the living standards of Mammoth State's top leadership, the grassroots personnel remained quite frugal for now. Additionally, she took note that besides having an exchange rate close to that of the gallon, the official exchange rate of the Mammoth coin to the silver coin was also 10 to 1. In local purchasing power, the former was even slightly stronger than the latter. A bowl of ramen here cost around fifteen Mammoth coins, whereas in Golden Gallon Port it ran twenty gallons. This likely had to do with the fact that Mammoth coins had only recently been introduced and were not yet circulating widely in the market. Of course, whether fifteen Mammoth coins or twenty gallons, it was still considerably cheaper than a bowl of beef noodles in Dawn City, which went for three to four silver coins—even if the portion sizes here were somewhat smaller. Furthermore, because Mammoth State was impoverished with limited foreign exchange reserves, Mammoth coins could not be freely exchanged like gallons. Locals could only use them like "consumption vouchers," and only foreign merchants could exchange them at designated counters within allotted quotas. Naturally, there were no restrictions on converting silver coins into Mammoth coins; large sums even enjoyed a slight discount. The authorities appeared to have learned from Tiger State and Leopard State, implementing relatively strict foreign exchange controls rather than blindly copying Golden Gallon Port's playbook for getting rich. By the time the noodles were served, Sisi had pieced together a fair understanding of local purchasing power and living standards. Still, this was the parish inhabited by Silver Moon Bay residents, where living costs were visibly higher than in other districts of Mammoth City. To grasp the true reality on the ground, she still needed to visit the places where ordinary locals lived. Just as Sisi was pondering what excuse to use so Bella would guide them to the local residential areas, a familiar, glib voice drifted in from the doorway. "Hey! Sisi! And Miss Tail, Miss Sesame Paste, and Miss Rou Rou... haha, what a coincidence, meeting again so soon!" Hearing that familiar voice, Tail looked up from her bowl of noodles and greeted him cheerfully. "Oh! Pelt-seller! Good morning!" "*Cough*... Stop calling me pelt-seller! I do other business too, alright?!" Hearing that disrespectful moniker, Mogavi glared flusteredly at Tail, though he managed not to lose his temper. Even if he disregarded the goddess's face, he had to show restraint for the sake of money. Shareholders of the White Bear Knights Bank and the Baiyue Company—whichever title was considered, its weight was far too heavy for a mere shipping trader like him. Seeing his fervent gaze fixed on her, Sisi sighed. Though she had no interest in this slick fellow, she greeted him politely out of courtesy. "Morning." Taking a seat at the adjacent table, Mogavi said helplessly, "You're as cold as ever, Miss Sisi." Taking a sip of noodle broth, she replied casually, "Why be so enthusiastic first thing in the morning? Do you need something?" "No, no. I just came by for breakfast, and later I plan to check out the markets in the neighboring districts." Noticing the gun-toting guard staring at him unblinkingly, Mogavi spread his hands to show he bore no ill intent, then handed a banknote to the nearby waiter. "Bring me a bowl of noodles too... the same as that lady over there." "Right away, sir." Not wanting to get caught up in the private affairs of these big shots, the waiter took the cash and scurried back behind the counter. Sisi's eyes flickered slightly. Looking at Mogavi as he drew a pair of chopsticks to eat, she asked with interest, "You know the markets around here well?" Sensing her interest, Mogavi immediately beamed with delight and spoke expansively. "Of course! Before you arrived, I'd already been doing business here for two months. Nobody knows the local market better than I do... Speaking of which, what business brought you here?" Sisi saw no reason to hide it and answered plainly, "We imported a shipment of grain from Silver Moon Bay, along with anti-inflammatory drugs and malaria preventatives." "Anti-inflammatory drugs—now that's good stuff. I hear demand on the front lines is huge... But grain? The profit margins are far too thin. The floods hit after the autumn harvest, so food isn't actually that scarce here, especially for those who can afford it." Mogavi shook his head, looking as though he found it a pity. Sisi continued with keen interest, "Then what business is profitable here?" "You're asking the right man! I wouldn't tell an ordinary person, but for you... I can let you in on it for free." Mogavi raised his eyebrows mysteriously and lowered his voice. "Priceless jewels, handicrafts from Ideal City, and rare furs... especially the furs beloved by the desert tycoons. All of them fetch astronomical prices here!" Hearing that, Tail and Sesame Paste exchanged puzzled glances. Rou Rou, sitting beside them, spoke bluntly, looking at him in confusion. "Furs beloved by desert tycoons... why wouldn't you just sell them directly to the desert tycoons?" Sesame Paste asked in similar bewilderment, "Yeah... can the people here offer higher prices than Silver Moon Bay?" Mogavi gave a secretive smile and continued smugly, "That's where you don't understand. No matter how poor a place is, there are still wealthy people. They don't buy these luxury goods just for personal use; they buy them to preserve wealth. Because of that, they're willing to pay even more generous markups than the desert tycoons." Sisi asked thoughtfully, "Are there many rich people here?" Mogavi chuckled. "Far more than you'd imagine! Especially those old nobles. Even though the new authorities bought up their flooded lands at bottom prices, they still paid money... in Mammoth coins." Hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Sisi's eyes. She saw through the trick instantly. "I see. You're running a money laundering business..." Mogavi gave a thumbs-up and grinned. "As expected of you, Miss Sisi. Nothing escapes your eyes." Rou Rou looked at Sisi in complete confusion, whispering in standard Mandarin, "What does that mean... how is that money laundering?" Sisi explained in a low voice, "It's actually quite simple. The Laxi regime issued large quantities of Mammoth coins to buy up the old nobles' flood-submerged lands at bargain prices. However, Mammoth coins can't be freely converted. So, those old nobles used the money to purchase luxury goods that retain value well. These items are much easier to transport than cash, and once shipped to Silver Moon Bay, they can be turned into heaps of silver coins." Although Baiyue Province was rich in furs, their rarities varied wildly. Cheap pelts were cheaper than woven cotton cloth, while rare ones commanded absurd prices. From what she knew, a prime-quality blood mink pelt could fetch up to a million silver coins. There had even been a newcomer on the forums who struck it rich overnight by luckily catching a single blood mink. Hearing her explanation, Rou Rou remarked with deep feeling, "Those nobles are absolute dogs..." Sesame Paste still found it difficult to grasp, looking at Sisi in confusion. "But... why did Laxi give them money? Couldn't he just seize the land from them?" Sisi explained patiently, "Paying for it has its advantages. A regime cannot rule a territory through fear alone, especially when the Moon Clan Resistance is an outside force. If they want to govern and emancipate labor through abolition, they must cooperate on some level with the local native powers. "Of course, it's also possible that Laxi didn't think that far ahead. He might just be copying what the Burning Corps did in Golden Gallon Port." Back when the Burning Corps took Golden Gallon Port, they had done something similar. Aside from tossing war criminals like Nihak into prison, Fang Chang and the others hadn't taken a single cent from the local residents, whether noble or commoner. Though many old nobles were left behind by the march of progress because they couldn't adapt, the entire class transition occurred relatively peacefully, avoiding massive backlash from conservative forces. Laxi had made minor adaptations on that foundation, particularly regarding land. After all, the Alliance didn't need to make money from land, and neither did Golden Gallon Port. But Mammoth State's economy was primarily agrarian with zero industrial foundation, so they had no choice but to focus on land and population. Pausing, Sisi pondered before continuing, "Besides winning hearts and minds, I suspect he also hoped the old nobles would use that money to invest in industry. Even if they simply hired workers to build houses in Mammoth City, it would benefit the state's economy... "However, those old nobles clearly don't share his optimism. While a few might genuinely invest in businesses, others are simply looking for ways to swap their Mammoth coins or commodities for silver coins and cash out." Seeing Sisi conferring with her companions in an incomprehensible language, while the soldiers glared at him with murder in their eyes, Mogavi felt utterly uneasy. The chair beneath him felt as hot as if it were on fire. He wasn't worried about ordinary grunts turning him in, of course. Not only was he from Silver Moon Bay, enjoying a certain level of "immunity" locally, but running such an under-the-table business meant he had his own local backers. Most importantly, the authorities hadn't passed any laws forbidding it. Even if it was indeed unethical. "*Ahem*... I still have business to attend to, so I'll be off. Miss Sisi, if you're interested in the local market, we can chat privately next time." Hurriedly finishing his noodles, Mogavi set down his chopsticks, winked at Sisi at the next table, and stood to leave. Watching his back disappear out the door, one of the female soldiers at the table muttered a low curse. "Parasites..." Mammoth State's foreign exchange was earned brick by brick by migrant workers toiling overseas, yet petty scoundrels like him were always trying to fleece what little money remained in their pockets. Bella shot the girl a look, and the recruit, realizing she had spoken out of turn, hastily shut her mouth. Tail, sitting nearby, had overheard her mutter and nodded in deep agreement. "Exactly, exactly! Tail thinks so too... stealing even from the poor, their conscience is completely rotten!" Bella fell silent for a moment, her eyes fixed on the entrance with mixed emotions before she finally sighed. "That may be true, but we still need people like him... Relying solely on ourselves, even survival would be a challenge." Rou Rou looked at her in confusion. "Can't you just let the good people in and kick the bad ones out?" Bella shook her head. "Lord Laxi said that Mammoth State is like a moldy old house. We can't just move in and ignore everything; we must clean it up and find ways to open windows to let fresh air in. A few flies and mosquitoes will inevitably slip through, but we can't refuse to open the window just because we're afraid of flies crawling in and mosquitoes biting." Tail's eyes widened in shock as she whispered in Shelter 404's exclusive slang, "Holy crap... Did those words really come out of Laxi's mouth?" Surprise appeared on Sisi's face as well. She too found it hard to believe such words could come from a man who looked like a bandit. Composing herself, she offered a cautious suggestion. "Actually... your Mr. Laxi makes a good point, but why not install screens on the windows?" Bella froze. "...Install screens?" Sisi nodded and continued, "Even in the Alliance, our silver coins aren't completely unregulated; even now, we're constantly refining legislation on that front. You're just starting out, so I wouldn't advise copying our methods entirely, but you might consider establishing a central bank to set monetary policy and guide funds toward where society needs them most, rather than counting on the conscience of merchants. Such people don't possess a conscience to begin with." Mogavi hadn't dared pull off money laundering back in Port French Fries, where a single fine would have wiped him out. He wasn't truly evil and had done some good deeds in his time; he was simply greedy. Bella looked at Sisi hesitantly. "But... Mr. Lister is quite nice. We all have a good impression of him." At this point, she seemed to recall something and quietly added, "Ah, and of course you all... I think you are all very good people who wouldn't try to exploit our loopholes in every conceivable way like that man." Hearing this naive remark, Sisi could not help but facepalm, sighing helplessly. "He was trained by our Administrator. Besides... with his asset scale and status, there's no need for him to take risks. Swap him for someone else, and things might be completely different." Take Brother Mosquito, for instance. That guy would happily pull stunts without caring in the slightest about making money. While he wasn't a bad person, there was no telling whether the things he did would end up causing harm. Pondering Sisi's words, Bella felt they made sense. Her expression grew solemn, and she said earnestly, "I understand... Thank you for the advice. I'll do my best to relay it to my superiors." Seeing her humble willingness to learn, Sisi smiled and smoothly brought up the idea she had been contemplating for a while. "We happen to be planning to expand the White Bear Knights' banking operations here. Perhaps we can offer you some reference suggestions when the time comes." Bella's eyes lit up. She stared at Sisi excitedly, nearly leaping up from the table. "Really? Thank you so much!" That look was far too familiar. It was almost identical to the way the wastelanders had gazed up at the *Pioneer* when the land fortress first arrived on the outskirts of Qingquan City. A wave of sentiment washed over Sisi. Looking at Bella, she continued, "Of course it's real... but before that, I'd like to understand more about the local situation. If convenient, could you take us on a tour of the districts where the locals live?" Hearing this request, Bella hesitated briefly, but ultimately nodded. "Of course... though there's really nothing to see there. It might end up disappointing you."