No. 81 Steel Mill and the "Exclusive Quest"

A few players stepped forward quickly, terrified of being too late. Seeing these "RNG gods," envious voices erupted from the surrounding crowd. "So jealous!" "Damn it! Why can't my Gwent tavern work?" "Maybe the Administrator doesn't know how to play? Next time, try pitching Fight the Landlord instead." "It's already the year 2340—how can there not be a Spinning Big Bird Bar? That makes no sense at all!" Snow fell steadily from the sky, but the crowd around them couldn't have been livelier. By this point, the players gathered in front of the map finally confirmed their designated plots, bursting into excited chatter. "Oh oh oh, Tengteng's Cabin is right next to the respawn point! Nice!" "My butcher shop is so close to the granary, hell yeah!" "Fuck! Why is my Goblin Chemical Plant on the very outer edge?!" Mosquito stared at the map, looking like he wanted to cry. Chu Guang glanced at him and chuckled inwardly. *The outer edge?* *You should be thanking your lucky stars I didn't put you outside the wall!* It was common knowledge that the chemical industry was extremely high-risk, especially when gunpowder was involved. A few players blowing themselves to bits didn't matter, but if an explosion took down the adjacent buildings with them, the losses would be catastrophic. Chu Guang intended to have Luka keep a close eye on the raw material consumption and daily output of this "Goblin Industries," strictly keeping dangerous stockpiles within a safe limit. If the outpost expanded in the future, he would definitely consider relocating it even farther out. Meanwhile, "Ya'er I Wanna Go to the Restroom" and "Who Will Smell My Athlete's Foot" stood staring at the map, utterly baffled. Neither player had any complaints about the location of the steel workshop. Although it hugged the south gate, it sat right beside the main road, making trips to the warehouse convenient. However, a pencil question mark was drawn directly over their workshop's designated plot on the map, leaving them confused. Brother Restroom looked up at the Administrator. "Lord Administrator, excuse me... what does the question mark on the map mean?" Brother Levin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, yeah, I don't get it either." A question mark naturally meant there was an available quest. Chu Guang hadn't expected these two players to forget such basic gaming common sense. He cleared his throat and spoke with a solemn expression. "Steel is the absolute cornerstone of the outpost's industrialization. Your diligent and hardworking performance has triggered a hidden quest. Naturally, this quest is optional; you have the right to choose whether to accept it." *A hidden quest!* The two players' eyes lit up like lightbulbs. Envious gazes instantly converged on them from all around. "Two hundred square meters of land, AND a hidden quest?!" "Fuck!" "That's way too awesome!" Brother Restroom's hands trembled with excitement. "Lord Administrator, we accept!" Brother Levin nodded vigorously as well. "Yes! I accept too!" A barely perceptible smirk curled the corner of Chu Guang's mouth. He reached out and offered a quest sheet he had prepared long ago—or rather, a contract. "Read it over first before making your decision." ... [Quest: Fire of Industry (Optional)] [Description: To stimulate the growth of steel production at the outpost and improve the efficiency of smelting scrap metal, the Chief Administrator of the Shelter has approved a budget of 2,000 silver coins to support the research and development of steelmaking technology. If the budget support is accepted, the steel workshop will be upgraded to a joint-venture steel mill. The shelter will hold an 80% stake, while the founders will hold 20%. The founders only need to pay 50 silver coins as registered capital to establish a dedicated enterprise account to receive the budget subsidies. Funds in the enterprise account cannot be withdrawn directly. However, they may be used to purchase supplies from the warehouse, commission the warehouse to post scavenging and exploration bounties, and cover wage expenses for up to four hired laborers. Hourly wages under 1 silver coin and working hours under 12 hours only require filing for the record; anything exceeding this requires the Administrator's approval. When funds in the enterprise account exceed 2,000 silver coins, an application may be submitted to distribute a portion of the profits as dividends. Dividends under 1,000 silver coins within a single month are exempt from all taxes; the portion between 1,000 and 10,000 silver coins is subject to a 4% tax; the portion exceeding 10,000 silver coins is subject to an 8% tax, scaling progressively. The actual applied tax rates will fluctuate with policy.] [Notes: 1. For detailed fund usage regulations, refer to the "Enterprise Account Management Guidelines." If rules are exploited to siphon funds, offending accounts will face a minimum penalty of a 200% fine and a maximum penalty of permanent repatriation underground. 2. Accepting the quest will unlock a series of exclusive quests and orders. Reward types include, but are not limited to, equipment, money, contribution points, budget subsidies, land, and equity shares. If abandoned, specific conditions must be met before it can be triggered again.] Run a small workshop, or open a large factory? In reality, that question might warrant serious deliberation. But in a game... This was a damn hidden quest! Even if the budget in the account couldn't be withdrawn directly into their pockets, it was still 2,000 silver coins! Trading 50 silver coins for the usage rights of 2,000 silver coins—no matter how you sliced it, it was a steal. Without a single second of hesitation, Brother Restroom and Brother Levin accepted the quest, joyfully scribbling their long IDs across the contract. The primary responsible person registered was "Who Will Smell My Athlete's Foot." After discussing it, the two agreed to split their share as 11% and 9%. "Honorable Lord Administrator, what should we name our steel mill?" Chu Guang had no interest in handling such tedious chores. "You may decide for yourselves." *We get to name it ourselves too?!* The two players' eyes gleamed as they immediately huddled together to discuss. "How about Laiyang Steel Mill? Sounds badass!" "Pfft, what if we get sued for trademark infringement once the open beta starts? Let's go with Lairi instead!" "'Lairi' totally loses the flavor." "Quit dawdling! Pick one fast, don't piss off the NPC!" "No. 81, then! That's an auspicious number." "Deal!" And just like that, Shelter 404's very first steel mill—"No. 81 Steel Mill"—was officially founded. Brother Restroom and Brother Levin also unlocked their very first exclusive quest: "Customize a Suit of Armor for the Administrator's KV-1 Exoskeleton!" The quest requirements were simple: the total weight of the armor had to be under 200 kilograms, and it had to protect the wearer against frontal small-arms fire without hindering mobility. Beyond that, there were a few specific requirements, such as a chest plate thickness between 10mm and 20mm that could be detached and replaced if damaged. As for the quest reward, it was a staggering 200 silver coins! That was 200 silver coins! How many players couldn't even scrape together a double-digit balance after buying their gear?! Once the news spread, the entire outpost erupted into a frenzy. "Holy crap! Isn't a 200 silver coin reward way too high?!" It was Mosquito who spoke. After dividing the land, the Administrator had returned to sit on the third floor of the sanatorium, leaving the players, who had toiled all day, squatting on the ground floor to eat their meals. Mosquito had originally felt thrilled that his renamed "Goblin Industries" had been approved. But compared to the steel mill belonging to those two goofy bastards, he felt like a total scrub. Brother Scrambled Eggs looked equally envious. "Compared to the 200 silver coins, that 2,000 silver budget is even more absurd! An epic buff for production players! But why the hell wasn't I the one buffed?! Damn it!" Several players from the Cow and Horse Squad were nearby. Ye Shi, holding his bowl while gnawing on a ram horn potato, chuckled and said, "The Administrator said there's no game to butcher right now, so go dig trenches instead." Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes: "I'm crying. Can I change the land use? Can I sneakily set up a stove and open a restaurant?" Gale: "Too risky. You'd better apply for permission first. Word is that changing the land use without approval will get your land confiscated, maybe even slapped with a fine." Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes: "*Sob sob sob...*" Fang Chang, who had been watching from the side, couldn't resist chiming in. "Honestly, it's not as absurd as you guys think. Accepting a 2,000 silver budget means your ownership gets diluted down to 20%. The dev team clearly took stat inflation into account. In other words, even if you make 10,000 silver a month, your cut is only 2,000 silver, and you can't even withdraw it directly! Dividends get taxed first, so split between the two of them, it comes out to less than 1,000 silver each." WC Really Has Mosquitoes: "That's still a ton!" Lao Bai: "Combat players are crying their eyes out in the bathroom right now." Gale: "Not really. There's actually a very interesting math problem here regarding the rate of return curve. Under normal circumstances, a new player grinding for a month earns around 300 silver. If the steel mill makes less than 3,000 silver in net profit, then for two co-owners, it's actually a loss, because they could earn that much just doing regular quests. But if they can streamline production, cut costs, and generate over 3,000 silver in revenue, then the quest becomes profitable for them." Ye Shi: "A single exclusive quest pays out over 200 silver! Is hitting 3,000 silver a month really that hard?" Fang Chang: "It's actually pretty tough. Don't just look at the short term; you have to think long term. Think about it: how many sets of armor can the Administrator wear?" A glimmer of realization crossed Mosquito's eyes. Having run a store in real life, he grasped it immediately. "Wait... hearing you put it that way, I think I get what you mean." Fang Chang loved chatting with smart people. He grinned. "Right?" Ye Shi remained thoroughly bewildered. Seeing Fang Chang stop, he pressed on urgently. "What, what, what do you mean? I still don't get it!" Fang Chang explained with slight impatience, "Tsk, to put it plainly, exclusive orders are limited! This game features a concept that many MMORPGs lack: 'demand'!" "NPCs aren't black holes that will buy an endless supply of goods produced by crafters. Most of what crafters make has to be sold to other players. In other words, the steel mill's revenue isn't determined by them; it's determined by the spending power of other players! Especially combat players!" "So, assuming I'm a combat player with 100 silver coins in my pocket, and I allocate a budget of 50 silver to upgrade my weapons and armor, only then do crafters have a chance to earn that 50 silver—and they still have to compete with NPCs for the business. Do you understand now?" Ye Shi sort of understood, nodding blankly. "...So you're saying how much money crafters can make ultimately depends on how much combat players earn from quests? *Hiss*, now that you put it like that, I think I kinda get it..." Fang Chang: "That's roughly the idea. For example, if I want to buy a suit of power armor, then the engine, steel, sensors, and other components of that armor will generate corresponding demand. If crafters want to earn that money, they first need to ensure I can afford it. And where does my money come from? Quests, of course. The same goes for most players!" It was a simple principle: if a game planned to put a piece of gear on a shop shelf, it had to ensure a portion of the player base could afford it. They either swiped a credit card for cash-shop currency or sank the time into grinding. Therefore, speaking overall, the total earnings of combat players would never fall below those of production players, because the latter's output relied on the former for consumption. Even if stat inflation occurred, both would inflate together. For instance, once gene sequence levels reached LV10 and an abandoned shelter dungeon unlocked, maybe clearing it once would yield a reward as high as 1,000 or even 10,000 silver coins! None of that was out of the question! Lao Bai asked immediately, "So the top tier is still combat players?" As a Strength-type, this was naturally what he cared about most. Fang Chang nodded. "You could say that. At least while combat remains the core gameplay loop, the meta class will always emerge from the front lines of the battlefield—the only question is which gene sequence it will be! Combat players earn money from NPCs through quests, and crafters earn money from combat players. That's the only way the in-game economic chain can form a closed loop and keep inflation in check. That way, there won't be excess money with nothing to buy, nor will there be goods with no buyers." Holding his bowl, Gale pondered for a long moment before adding, "All we can say is that the shelter's current economic model is military-driven. If the external environment changes—say, an export system is added that lets us sell goods to other survivor settlements—this theory might no longer hold." Fang Chang replied breezily, "True, which is why I'm talking about the meta class, not the developers' pet. As for the scenario you mentioned, that's probably many patches away. We haven't even handled the basic survival threat of the Bloodhand Clan yet, and the Boulder City map hasn't even opened." Gale: "Fair point." Lao Bai thought for a moment, then spoke up abruptly. "Wait, if you put it that way, doesn't that mean production players will eventually have their own golden era someday in the future?" Fang Chang smiled. "Meta shifts are normal. Isn't that how it always goes?" Lao Bai: "Then should we start some kind of steel mill too? Hedge our bets? If combat players fall out of favor down the line, we can still make bank through industry." Fang Chang gave him a sideways glance. "...Do you know how to make steel?" Lao Bai chuckled. "Well, I don't know how to make steel, but I know how to fire bricks and make cement! Especially firing bricks! Back in my hometown, tons of people ran brickworks. I've watched them use Hoffman kilns—the bricks are stacked onto kiln cars, and the cars roll along the tracks right into the furnace. Just as the stacked green bricks go in at the back, the fired bricks are already rolling out the front, ready to use once they cool. I heard the really impressive ones have a daily capacity of over a million bricks!" Ye Shi: "...Holy shit? That awesome?!" Gale: "Red bricks in the shelter warehouse sell for 1 silver coin per 100 bricks, with a buyback price of 4 copper coins. A daily output of 1,000,000 bricks theoretically brings in 4,000 to 10,000 silver? But given the outpost's conditions and Wasteland OL's setting, building a twenty-mu brickworks is pretty unrealistic." Lao Bai: "No shit! Investing in a brickworks like that takes at least twenty million RMB to start, to say nothing of the equipment—how much steel do you think that would eat up?" Fang Chang: "We don't actually need a million bricks a day. If we could put out 10,000 a day, we'd still make 40 to 100 silver daily. Based on a brickmaker's daily wage of 10 silver, as long as daily production exceeds 1,000 bricks, there's a profit to be made. If it's under 1,000, you'd be better off applying to the Administrator for a brickmaker job and coasting on the baseline wage." Ye Shi: "Pardon my ignorance, but what does 1,000 bricks look like?" Lao Bai: "A bit under two cubic meters." Ye Shi: "Uh, is it hard to fire them?" Lao Bai: "If you use the primitive mud-kiln method, firing it for three days and three nights will yield about four or five cubic meters—around two thousand-odd bricks. If we pick a larger plot, dig out a few proper brick kilns, and set up a semi-continuous ring kiln... *hiss*, boys, why don't we build a brickworks? I really think this has potential!" Fang Chang: "You think the base has land to spare for you?" Lao Bai chuckled. "Hey, it doesn't hurt to try! Winter's here anyway, and there's no game to hunt. We might as well get this brickworks off the ground. When the guild system drops, we'll already have bricks ready to build our guild hall!" Gale rubbed his chin and nodded. "That's true... If everyone starts building houses, the demand for bricks might be even higher than for gear." Fang Chang came to his senses as well, realizing he had overlooked a critical issue. "Wait... how did I forget about that? Wasteland OL isn't a traditional MMORPG; player demand isn't limited to gear. Looking at it that way, damn, the demand for bricks really might be massive!" Lao Bai: "A standard 24-centimeter wall takes 128 standard bricks per square meter. Do the math yourself. :grin:" Mosquito and Brother Scrambled Eggs listened from the side, utterly dumbfounded. "Fuck, can I buy in?!" "Damn it! You guys are making me want in so bad!" Fang Chang shook his head. "You two already have land, so don't mess around with us. Focusing on your own industries is the right move. Besides, don't just listen to Lao Bai brag; I'll be thrilled if we can hit two or three thousand bricks a day." Seeing that Fang Chang didn't believe him, Lao Bai wasn't bothered in the slightest. He laughed heartily. "Two or three thousand bricks is an absolute lowball! Once I log off, I'll ask my fellow townsman how to ramp up output. Guys in the group chat, don't worry either—once the guild system drops, the brickworks' profits will go straight into our guild fund! Even if we don't get filthy rich, there'll definitely be perks for the bros!" Fang Chang set down his bowl and stood up immediately. "Delays breed complications. If we can think of this, there's no reason other players won't. I say we do it right now. Let's submit an application before anyone beats us to it! If we turn it in early, we might even trigger a hidden quest... Lao Bai, how much space do we need for a small brickworks workshop?" Lao Bai rubbed his chin. "Four hundred square meters should be enough. One kiln at five-by-five meters, about two meters tall... at least by my estimate." Fang Chang nodded. "All right, then we'll apply for 400 square meters." Ye Shi: "666, big bro is awesome!" Gale: "Boss, I'm rolling with you!" The four players didn't dare waste another second. Leaving their dinner unfinished, they rushed to the warehouse to buy paper and draft their application. The Shelter 404 warehouse orders already laid out clear specifications and material requirements for bricks, matching standard bricks in reality with dimensions of 240mm × 115mm × 53mm. One cubic meter held roughly 685 standard bricks. Currently, the industrial zone's brickmaking method had evolved from primitive clamp stacking to sunken pit kilns, which allowed easier temperature control, reached higher internal heat, and consumed less fuel. However, while these pit kilns operated at higher temperatures and reduced firing cycles from "one batch every three days" to "one batch a day," production remained modest. Even with both pit kilns firing simultaneously, daily output hovered between 1,400 and 1,500 bricks—just about two cubic meters. Chu Guang had run the numbers before. A brickmaker's daily wage was 10 silver coins. With two shifts rotating, labor costs alone were 20 silver. Taking the maximum daily yield of 1,500 bricks, at the shelter's buyback price of 4 copper coins per 100 bricks, those bricks were worth only 6 silver coins. Even assuming none of the bricks entered inventory and were snapped up immediately by players at the sale price of 1 silver coin per 100 bricks, the daily gross value was merely 15 silver coins. Evidently, whether it was 6 or 15 silver, with labor costs alone reaching 20 silver, the shelter operated at a loss no matter how one looked at it. A bleeding loss, at that! It meant the shelter had been subsidizing these brickmakers out of pocket all along. Was that reasonable? From the perspective of the shelter's Administrator, it was plainly absurd. If two workers were hired at 10 silver coins a day each, the daily output value had to reach at least 20 silver coins to break even. At the warehouse buyback price of 4 copper coins per 100 bricks, 20 silver coins corresponded to a production of 5,000 bricks—or 2,500 bricks per person. Otherwise, avoiding losses meant either raising the price of bricks or cutting the brickmakers' wages. Yet doing that introduced other complications. Raising prices too much would crush demand. If nobody could afford bricks and everyone switched to wooden shacks, demand for cement would collapse alongside it, destabilizing the entire economic loop. Cutting the brickmakers' wages was even less practical. Firing bricks was grueling, dirty work; if a full day's labor didn't even pay 10 silver coins, nobody would do it. Even after the dev dogs nerfed loggers twice, renting an axe and chopping trees all day still netted 10 silver coins! Looking down at the application in his hands, Chu Guang thought for less than half a minute before making an immediate decision. "Approved!" Delighted grins broke out across the faces of the four Cow and Horse Squad players. They had only intended to try their luck; they never expected it to actually get approved! This was beyond awesome. Better still, before they could celebrate for even two seconds, the Administrator's next words sent their excitement through the roof. "Your application has triggered a hidden quest. Do you wish to accept it?" "If accepted, you will receive 5,000 silver coins in budget support. In exchange, the shelter will retain an 80% stake in the brickworks." *5,000 silver coins?!* Blinded by the sheer magnitude of silver coins, the four players shouted almost in unison: "I accept!" "Accept, accept, accept!" Chu Guang nodded with satisfaction. "Very well. Next, I shall allocate your land." With that, Chu Guang produced a map of Wetland Park, studying it intently for a long time. Watching the Administrator lost in thought, Ye Shi waited a moment before leaning over to whisper to Lao Bai. "Hey, wasn't this supposed to be announced collectively in the evening?" "Why do you care so much!" Lao Bai glared at him, terrified the Administrator might overhear and remember. He lowered his voice. "Isn't early approval a good thing?" Fang Chang: "Exactly! Shut your trap already." Seeing his teammates glaring at him, Ye Shi smiled sheepishly. "I didn't say it was bad, just curious... Besides, isn't there a saying? When things seem too good to be true, there's always a catch—" Before the jinx could finish, several hands clamped down over his mouth at once. Chu Guang heard their hushed murmurs, but paid them no mind. He already had his own plans for how to put them to use. A brickworks wasn't like steelmaking. The latter required gradual trial and error and could temporarily stay in the "urban area" before production scaled up. The former didn't require much high-tech know-how—or rather, what it needed wasn't technology, but massive amounts of fuel and clay. Therefore, the map Chu Guang held wasn't of the outpost at all, nor did he intend to place the brickworks right on his doorstep. "The brickworks will be situated along the river, roughly one kilometer northwest of the base. Rich clay deposits are located there, and the surrounding trees can serve as fuel." Pointing to a 100-by-100-meter grid square on the map, Chu Guang looked at the four players and continued, "I've considered it: four hundred square meters is far too cramped to spread your wings. Therefore, I plan to allocate this entire fifteen-mu plot of land to you." "Please put it to proper use." *Fifteen mu?!* The four players were instantly stunned. Be that as it may... This plot of land wasn't even inside the industrial zone!