Unlike Singularity City, which had countless historical ties to the Reconstruction Committee, Weifu City on the Weifu Wasteland was a settlement built from scratch by survivors gathered from all corners of the world.
The only trace of history that could be found here, aside from the vanished pre-war city, was a once-populous slaveholder estate.
And after the Church of the Torch arrived, even that populous slave estate had ceased to exist, leaving behind only lingering mutants and the Na fruit they loved to eat.
A near-complete form of Heaven had once descended upon this land, and the mycelium of the Na fruit had penetrated every inch of soil. Now, however, that corrupted earth had gradually been purified into nutrients by the mutant slime mold broodmother assimilated by Xiao Yu.
With vast plains and rivers rich in water, in time it could very well rival the fertile lands along the Tasang River in Brahma Province.
The only thing lacking here was probably people.
Compared to the more developed Dawn City, Daybreak City, and Boulder City, this place lagged behind significantly in both infrastructure and medical facilities.
Fortunately, these immediate difficulties had not stopped the Alliance's pioneers from setting foot on this soil.
Factories in Boulder City and Daybreak City supplied the pioneers with an abundance of tools.
They pitched trailer-style tents on the wilderness, installed solar panels on their roofs, prospected for mineral deposits using exoskeletons equipped with Explorer plug-ins, drove agricultural machinery to break ground, and occasionally posted commissions for nearby players to clear out nests of xenomorphs, mutants, or marauders.
Besides pioneers from other Alliance settlements, there were Wilante from the distant western world, wastelanders from Yunjian Province, settlers migrating from the Wandering Marsh, and even Polos from the City of a Thousand Pillars.
Their skills varied widely—some excelled in combat, others in mining, farming, or brewing alcohol.
Naturally, the largest group consisted of wanderers from around Jinchuan Province.
With the threat of the Torch eliminated, Weifu City, now equipped with a psychic interference device, had become a haven in this basin second only to Singularity City.
And unlike Singularity City, there was no AI here trying to micromanage everything and play mother to everyone.
They could do whatever they wanted, so long as it did not violate Alliance law or impede the equality of others.
Just like when Dawn City first rose.
Producers formed industry delegates, and then those outside production also elected people to represent them, eventually giving birth to the Representative Assembly.
Under the framework of the Alliance Constitution and Alliance laws, local survivors gradually established their own rules and selected representatives to attend the Representative Assembly in Dawn City to participate in drafting both codes of law.
Furthermore, they could exercise the supervisory authority inherently possessed by every citizen on behalf of Alliance citizens, ensuring that the Alliance's executive organs operated within the law, and submitting matters to the courts for arbitration upon finding violations.
This system operated independently from the Alliance's municipal governance, and so far, it had proven quite fitting.
As for what rules would be adopted in the new era following the end of the "Settlement Era," that was a question for the future.
By then, the Alliance would surely boast larger administrative divisions and a much greater population; its territory might span dozens of light-years across multiple star systems.
When that time came, the increasingly marginalized roles of city lords and governors might exit the stage of history alongside the title of Manager.
Even the "Shelter residents."
Henceforth, they would no longer be known as blue coats or blue gophers.
Their children would be proud Alliance citizens, just like the children of other wastelanders and Wilante, without being divided into Inner and Outer Cities like in Boulder City, or categorized by letters for class and status like in the Academy.
That, however, was likely a long way off.
Chu Guang had no intention of planning out the next several centuries for the Alliance.
After all, even events within just a few years constantly defied his and everyone else's expectations.
He believed his children would surely find a balance between tradition and innovation that suited them, carrying their past forward into an even more distant future.
Just then, the train pulled up to the station platform.
Chu Guang stood up, preparing to disembark, when he noticed Lyu Bei walking in with a grave expression.
"Sir, something has happened at Settlement No. 1."
Although Chu Guang had already followed all the drama on the forum just moments ago, he smiled and said to Lyu Bei, "Tell me about it."
Watching the Manager walk down the train aisle, Lyu Bei hurried after him and reported in a low, serious tone what the Guards Corps had observed.
After listening, Chu Guang nodded and chuckled. "Is there any problem with that?"
Lyu Bei hesitated for a moment, then voiced his thoughts in a deep voice. "You said that if we want to end the Wasteland Era, we must unite everyone we can unite and save all suffering survivors. But that representative named Gu Ning is inciting hatred toward the Polos..."
His loyalty to Chu Guang was beyond question; after all, it was this man who had pulled him out of hell long ago.
For that very reason, he disliked that silver-tongued fellow.
In his eyes, that man was completely twisting the Manager's words, perhaps even exploiting people's emotions for personal gain, rather than genuinely understanding Chu Guang's teachings.
Still, despite his personal distaste, he remembered what Chu Guang had told him and merely observed from the sidelines to see if any faction in the vortex went too far, without taking any further action.
Having listened attentively to Lyu Bei's view, Chu Guang pondered for a moment, then sighed softly and said, "Everything you said earlier was objective, but when evaluating specific individuals, you forgot the standard of objectivity. For instance, I really don't like the word 'inciting.' Mr. Gu merely expressed his viewpoint, and in his statements, I didn't see any hatred directed at specific individuals or any distortion of facts."
"I..." Lyu Bei froze upon hearing this, hastily wanting to explain.
Seeing the young man's fluster, Chu Guang smiled gently and continued, "I know you harbor no ill will; you're just a bit too anxious."
Pausing briefly, he continued, "People will always have their own ideas, and we should give them the opportunity to voice them. That is precisely why, even in our hardest times, we still selected representatives who arose from every walk of life—from factory workshops to the fields of Changjiu Farm.
"If the voices of countless individuals are ignored, we will turn into a runaway horse, just like Boulder City once did. There, whether commoners or elites, survivors were merely tracing over an outdated blueprint, building a high-rise that most people despised. The harder they worked, the more misery they suffered, and the further they strayed from their dreams—except for the people living inside that tower.
"In the end, both the tenants inside the tower and the survivors outside made the worst possible choices without exception, leading to a lose-lose disaster. Only when that tower collapsed did they finally attain true liberation."
Lyu Bei said quietly, "We won't become Boulder City."
Chu Guang smiled and said, "I hope not. But the 'Black Card' won't vanish just because we ignore its existence. What we can do, however, is distribute it among more people to disperse the risks we might face in the future."
Lyu Bei couldn't help asking, "Is there no way to eliminate risk entirely? Like nipping it in the bud?"
Chu Guang shook his head gently. "Even the sun will go dark one day, let alone a civilization with only tens of thousands of years behind it, or us, who are only a few years old... Risk can only be mitigated; it can never be eradicated. Don't ever contemplate such unrealistic fantasies—they are either the bold conjectures of dreamers or the sweet talk of swindlers."
"Foolproof" ideas were precisely what called for the greatest vigilance. Unseen risks were far more perilous than visible ones, because they were rarely ever foolproof; they merely buried the ten-thousand-and-first worst possibility underground.
Once embarked on that path, everyone would passively be dragged into a gamble of no return.
And the final fate of gamblers was rarely novel: either rocketing briefly into the sky to exile themselves in the faint gravity of outer space, or crashing violently to the earth, torn to shreds by the gravity of reality.
Watching Lyu Bei sink into thought, Chu Guang halted by the train car door, patted the young man's shoulder, and continued in a gentle tone, "A long time ago, I told you that I had only one demand of you: loyalty.
"This statement will always apply to the Guards Corps. I want you to remember it forever, and remember the second half of the sentence I left unspoken back then.
"You must forever remain loyal to the citizens of the Alliance and to the laws those citizens have sworn allegiance to, dedicating everything you have to defend their dignity and rights.
"If I am gone one day, and someone tries to hold you hostage in my name, that person will be the enemy of everyone in the Alliance—and your indisputable mortal foe."
He had to remain vigilant not only against becoming like the City Lord of Boulder City, but also against becoming like Marshal Julius.
The vast Legion was teeming with traitors professing unswerving loyalty.
The Alliance must never become like them.
A glimmer of understanding welled up in Lyu Bei's eyes, mingled with a touch of shame.
He lowered his head and pressed his right fist against his chest. "I will remember."
Smiling at the promising young man, Chu Guang stepped off the train and onto the station platform.
As he stepped down, Commander Li Jinrong and Weifu City's leadership group were standing not far from the platform, looking hesitant, as if wanting to approach but unsure whether they should.
Seeing those familiar faces, Chu Guang knew the news of his tour south had spread after all.
Although the Alliance had not popularized the internet everywhere, the speed of information flow was nothing like before.
Besides, he had not deliberately concealed his presence; he had merely engaged a holographic projection when speaking with the masses, so it was entirely possible someone had seen or guessed it.
Honestly, the fact that the news had only leaked by the time he reached this point was already quite an achievement.
Catching Chu Guang's gaze and seeing the Manager acknowledge him, Li Jinrong finally stepped forward with a smile. "Respected Manager, what brings you here?"
Perhaps owing to his administrative career, this man, who had once led the Iron Tower Organization in guerrilla warfare against the Church of the Torch, had grown considerably steadier than before.
And somewhat smoother around the edges.
Chu Guang shook his hand with a smile and said mildly, "It's been a long time since I came this way. I just dropped by to look around and see how the survivors here are doing since I left. No need to be tense; just carry on with your duties."
Li Jinrong smiled and replied, "Rest assured, sir, we are doing very well. Life here has gotten on track."
At this point, he gave an embarrassed smile and awkwardly continued, "It's just... if possible, could you please give us advance notice next time you visit? That way, we can make proper preparations. After all, this isn't Dawn City, and it's best to take precautions where security is concerned!"
Hearing this, Chu Guang laughed heartily and cracked a joke at the slightly reserved Li Jinrong: "You needn't worry about my safety. The person who can threaten my life doesn't yet exist in this world."
This was by no means an empty boast.
Individuals whose raw personal combat capability surpassed X-16 were rarer than hen's teeth on the wasteland, let alone facing him directly.
As for escalating to the level of war machines, that was another matter entirely.
Things like tanks, aircraft, artillery, and missiles would find it rather difficult to approach him undetected.
It was only because individual strength had limited utility in systemic clashes between organizations that he rarely charged into the fray on the front lines like the players.
Leading the charge was something he had indeed done back in the Alliance's early days when necessity demanded it.
Seeing Li Jinrong's wry smile, Chu Guang didn't press him, adding in a magnanimous tone, "Since I'm already here, if you want to report on your work, go right ahead. Just stick to the highlights; I'll verify the rest with my own eyes... By the way, let's talk outside the station so we don't hold up the passengers here."
He had suddenly noticed that more and more onlookers were gathering around.
Among them were local residents, wastelanders, and players in the area on quests.
Curious eyes stared intently toward them.
Even more than curiosity about him as an individual, people wondered why he had appeared here.
The players were looking for hints about a new expansion pack, while the ordinary people living on this land wondered whether this meant the Alliance was planning another major move in the south.
In truth, they were not far off the mark.
Once the gravity well was activated, this land would soon enter a brand-new era.
Seeing that Chu Guang had truly just come to inspect and not because of any failure in his administration, Li Jinrong finally breathed a sigh of relief, his smile turning much more genuine. "Please follow me."
...
Due to the commotion on the station platform, the news of Chu Guang's visit to Weifu City spread like wildfire. By the very next day, it became the headline of the Survivor Daily across the entire Alliance and even the South Sea Alliance.
Not only were the survivors of Weifu City buzzing with excitement over the matter, but even those in Settlement No. 1 were eagerly debating whether that gentleman might drop by their settlement as well.
Though, in truth, Settlement No. 1 had very little worth seeing aside from the urban district bordering the port.
At a breakfast stall near the dock, white steam billowed from a massive iron cauldron while dockworkers in hard hats chatted animatedly.
"Why did the Manager suddenly come down here?"
"Could it be because of what happened at City Hall?"
"Bullshit! Would such a petty matter catch the Manager's eye?"
"Then what else could it be? No treasures have been fished out of the sea lately."
"Maybe he's visiting the South Sea Alliance. I heard Coral City finally had full power restored recently, and former residents along with some Shelter 70 dwellers moved back in. That's probably it."
"I don't think it has anything to do with that. It's likely about that elevator thing."
"The space elevator?"
"And the gravity well! I heard that thing can drag orbital debris right out of the sky."
"Hiss... Let's just hope it doesn't drag down any nukes our ancestors left up there."
"Even if there were any, wouldn't they have expired long ago?"
While everyone was debating, a man in a crisp suit walked up beside the time clock.
The hard-hatted foreman was yawning when a pair of brightly polished leather shoes suddenly entered his field of vision.
Assuming an inspector or manager had arrived, he quickly shook off his drowsiness and sat up straight in his chair, only to lock eyes with Henke's miserable mug.
Rolling his eyes in annoyance, the foreman slumped back against his chair and grumbled irritably, "The hell is wrong with you?"
Henke, dressed up like a gentleman, grinned and placed a resignation letter on the desk. "I'm here to quit."
"You found a new job?" Picking up the resignation letter, the foreman raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Work at the docks had high turnover; none of the workers under him had ever written one of these things, especially the day laborers.
Usually, if someone could not be reached for a few days, they were simply presumed to have quit.
A confident smile spread across Henke's face as he nodded. "To be precise, I've found a new starting point for my career... Wish me luck, brother."
The foreman paused, then burst out laughing. "Haha! Fine, fine, fine, I wish you luck! Just hope I don't see you back here next month."
Henke laughed and replied, "You won't... But once I hit it big, I'm definitely coming back to show off. Hope you won't find me annoying then."
As he spoke, he set a folded exoskeleton packed in a briefcase onto the table, along with the work clothes and hard hat he had used recently.
The foreman smiled, scribbled a note, and thrust it into his hand. "Collect the rest of your pay from accounting... Damn it, you bastard's even freeloading a meal off me before leaving."
Taking the slip, Henke chuckled. "I'll mainly miss the flavor. Won't be eating it in the future."
"Damn it, cut the crap and get the hell out of here."
The foreman made shooing gestures with a laughing curse, and Henke didn't disturb his work any further, heading off to say goodbye to the others.
In all honesty, the foreman did not dislike that big-nosed fellow; one might even say he was quite fond of him.
Although Henke was a bit slow on the job and frequently skipped work, he got along well with everyone and was always sharp and resourceful.
Perhaps someone like him was never meant to work on the docks; he belonged on a broader stage where his value could be put to use.
His only wish was that the guy would direct his cleverness toward the right path...
As Henke bade farewell to his last friend and headed toward Henke Group's freshly rented first office in Settlement No. 1 with his remaining pay, Gu Ning of the Representative Assembly was accompanying Arman—the representative elected by the Wilante immigrants—to inspect the new homeland for more than five thousand Wilante.
It was worth noting that this representative was not quite like the other.
Having only just begun the application for Alliance citizenship, Arman still held the status of "supervised person." He was not a formal Alliance citizen and lacked full political rights, meaning he naturally could not submit proposals or cast votes in the Representative Assembly.
Yet in Gu Ning's view, given Arman's ability and popularity, joining the Alliance and becoming a representative for the Wilante was only a matter of time—provided he had the ambition.
Although a political conservative in the Representative Assembly, Gu Ning was not fundamentally opposed to "newcomers." After all, he had not been born in the Alliance either; he had been drawn by its ideals and only later joined this organization dedicated to ending the Wasteland Era.
What he detested was people who flouted rules, as well as those who treated the Alliance like a trash can, cramming any kind of rubbish into it without caring whether that junk suited the Alliance in the slightest.
He didn't want to target the Polos, but those fellows had acted up more than once or twice, and the so-called progressives among the radicals were far too soft on them.
By contrast, he found the Wilante somewhat more agreeable.
They liked vodka, while he happened to enjoy whiskey, and the most popular version of both in Settlement No. 1 was forty-percent alcohol; the only difference was that one was made from potatoes and the other from wheat.
At this moment, Arman had no inkling that Mr. Gu beside him already considered him a potential ally.
Had he known, he would not have known whether to laugh or cry.
After enduring so much bullshit, he wanted nothing to do with politics.
All he wanted was to fulfill a vow by opening ten churches for the Silver Moon Goddess and pray for his family's safety.
"This is the eastern side of Settlement No. 1, an open plain. Because it's far from water sources, few people live here... But none of that is an issue. As long as funds are in place, water pipes can be extended at any time, along with roads and other infrastructure.
"In short, there will be more than enough water for daily living, so don't worry—I doubt you'll be farming by the coast anyway. Additionally, any other supplies you need can be imported from the South Sea Alliance. Their factories are quite remarkable, claiming they can transcribe a book onto a strand of hair... Haha, sounds like a boast, but I've actually seen it."
Gazing at the barren wasteland in the distance, Gu Ning narrowed his eyes slightly and chuckled, "As for public opinion, you don't need to worry either. The news of the Manager heading south has already supplanted all the headlines, including the new 'Wilante Street' district and the protests of certain nuisances... Since you have your own startup capital, I'm sure you would prefer to weather this period quietly, unlike those who clamor all day doing nothing but begging for handouts."
Arman gave an embarrassed smile and looked at him earnestly. "Thank you for considering so much on our behalf. I truly don't know how to thank you."
Over these past days, his compatriots had been living aboard the ships. Several elderly people and children had fallen ill from failing to adjust to the climate, young folks wanted to disembark to seek work, and one pregnant woman was about to give birth.
Problems were always directly proportional to the number of people.
Settlement No. 1 had never taken in this many immigrants at once, and he had never had to care for so many people simultaneously.
Thanks to the help of this representative and Henke, they had secured hospital beds and essential medicines.
Not only that, the young people looking for work had found jobs to support their families through Mr. Gu's recommendations and had moved into staff dormitories provided by their employers.
Although the living conditions were modest and the jobs were mostly low-barrier manual labor, it was already quite good as a transition.
The realities of the situation were plain to see; local survivors were not complaining, and they had even less reason to grumble.
Those with greater abilities would naturally find better work in time.
"Heaven helps those who help themselves. I've lived by that truth ever since my days wandering the wasteland. You don't need to thank me. We welcome every capable survivor who wants to join us to crush this goddamn wasteland and bury everything from the old era."
Gu Ning shook Arman's hand, clapped him on the shoulder with a smile, and looked at the weather-beaten man as he continued, "Honestly speaking, though, I should also mention a few practical matters. Even if you have your own street, I hope you'll still treat your traditions and culture primarily as symbols rather than dogmas defining your identity, and make an effort to integrate with those around you... After all, as you've seen, even people we sympathize with will incur our disgust if they behave too unreasonably."
Arman said earnestly, "I will pass your counsel on to my compatriots."
Gu Ning released his hand with a chuckle. "Relax a bit, don't be so stiff. I'm only your voice, not your myriarch."
Chapter 906