This Game Is Too Real-Chapter 767: An Unexpected Letter
Time passed day by day, and in the blink of an eye, it turned from mid-August to early September. The streets of City of Dawn unconsciously donned a hint of autumn chill.
Due to the colder weather, many fashion-conscious residents had switched from cool short sleeves to cotton sweatshirts or leather jackets, partly for convenience and partly because they were affordable.
During this period, cotton and leather were probably the commodities that had plummeted the most in the game.
The produce of Baiyue Province was unimaginably abundant, and with the huge labor force at Jin Jialun Port, these were processed into cost-effective finished products.
Take belts for example, the cheapest one sold for just 100 Gallons and was even made of genuine leather, though its source variant was a bit unique.
After deducting tariffs, logistics, and other expenses, it amounted to just eleven or twelve silver coins, which was affordable for the middle-class residents of City of Dawn with just an hour’s work.
Of course, the residents of Jin Jialun Port were not losing out either. Many of them didn’t even have clothes to wear before, but now everyone raced through the streets on bicycles as fast as the wind.
For the wealthier residents in City of Dawn, their choice of clothing tended towards diversification.
Somewhen, the display window of Vine Cottage had become a fashion benchmark, even reaching out to Ideal City and even onto the relatives of Weilante soldiers.
Perhaps it was an unintentional imitation by the Waste Land Wanderer of the aesthetic preferences of the residents of the refuge, or perhaps it was the human nature to pursue the "mysterious", more black silk appeared on the streets, alongside some outfits that obviously didn’t match the era.
Among them were some eye-catching fashion choices, but also quite a few ridiculously or even eye-sore products.
However, in some sense, this "eccentric" scene was unexpectedly reasonable in Wasteland OL.
After all, the cultural concept of wasteland itself included the characteristic of "tailoring".
That is, piecing together vastly different, even contrasting, elements and deconstructing postmodern technological products with primitive social behaviors.
For instance, using futuristic high-tech water pipes to make iron pipe rifles, using rifle debris to make crossbows, and wearing stockings intended for legs on the head, and so on... Of course, the latter was minority, and those who did so were mostly players who didn’t want to show their faces.
Various styles of dress formed a beautiful scene on the bustling streets.
Still remembered from two years ago, the people here, in order to keep warm, had to use old era’s useless paper money as cotton stuffing stuffed into sacks to wrap themselves up against the cold.
In just two years, the wardrobes of the survivors in City of Dawn had filled with new clothes, even to the extent that they could leisurely decide which outfit and pair of shoes to wear when going out.
During the times when "chips" ruled this land, such widespread affluence was almost unthinkable.
"... I always wonder where the problem with chips lay, technically chips and silver coins are no different, but now life is completely unimaginable compared to before."
City of Dawn, a cabin by Rhombus Lake.
Looking out at the tranquil environment of the garden, and the succulents crowded on the windowsill, Dolly, resting her chin in her hands, suddenly recalled the past, and her thoughts couldn’t help but run wild.
She still remembered that humble and small wish in the darkness—she wanted to grow a succulent because she heard they could absorb radiation.
Although someone later told him that the thing was a trick to deceive children and that radiation could not actually be "sucked in" but was just a phenomenon where energy spreads out in the form of electromagnetic waves or particles,
If photosynthesis were explained as absorbing radiation, theoretically, any plant would have the effect of absorbing radiation.
Therefore, this statement could only be considered a trick to deceive children, not a lie.
True clever deception does not require lying.
Sitting across from her, Mr. Fang, holding the newspaper, smiled indulgently, his gaze as affectionate as Dolly watching the tender green sprouts on the windowsill.
"When you’re still exploring right and wrong in your tools, you’ve already walked into a dead end."
He had returned three days ago, mainly to handle some matters related to Baiyue Corporation’s going public, such as explaining the uses of certain funds.
Particularly during the time Baiyue Corporation was expanding its operations in Jinga Lun Port, it was essential to clarify which expenses were paid by the company and which by the port authorities.
Mr. Fang understood the strictness of the regulatory system, as overseas business was the hardest to manage, without which shareholders’ interests could not be secured at all.
For instance, the simplest yet dumbest method was to use shareholders’ money to build subways, operate at a loss, and then have a private company collect the fare to blatantly fleece money.
A complete operation could clearly fleece the residents of City of Dawn, and direct their anger towards the residents of Jinga Lun port—"These stinkin’ rats, earn money easily but can’t spend it wisely, stealing money right into your grandpa’s pocket in City of Dawn? Pfft, ungrateful whites of their eyes, damn ’em!"
The Manager would certainly not let such things happen.
He had already anticipated the Manager’s foresight; he had clearly planned out the finances of Baiyue Corporation and the Bull Horse Group long ago.
Even including the accounts of the Jinga Lun Port Authority, every expense was clearly recorded, detailing what each amount was spent on and which account it was transferred from.
However, what surprised him was another minor matter; the person he was coordinating work with turned out to be Little Fish.
The young girl still, as before, hung on every word Chu Guang said and did her tasks meticulously.
Blue Jacket’s halo had no effect on her; her heart was entirely devoted to one person, and she wouldn’t be lenient to others despite her gratitude.
Those eyes, staring at the account book, were like a microscope, and some of the imposing questions had him sweating profusely.
Especially when it came to why there was no specific execution standard for Baiyue Corporation’s investment in the Moon Clan Resistance Army, such as how much money to provide after achieving certain stage goals—he couldn’t help but wipe his sweat, admitting that this was indeed an oversight on his part.
It was also due to the crowd on the forum, coupled with the large sum of war booty he had obtained at the time; he was admittedly a bit carried away with spending, or rather, too confident.
He thought that money and equipment alone would yield results. He even arranged for someone to meet those guerrilla teams, not knowing that those fools would express their opinions on equality and abandon their gear in battle, getting farmed by NPCs like wild monsters.
Speaking truthfully, he had no ulterior motives when spending that money; he merely hoped to accelerate the changes occurring in the Poluo Province... in what he thought was the appropriate manner.
"Brother Chu doesn’t oppose your investing in what you believe is worthwhile, but you must give the investors an explanation—you need to state what goal you want to achieve, how much money it will take to achieve this goal, what risks are involved, and what the returns will be."
"For this, you need to create a detailed plan," he said. "It is not necessary to specify who will carry out each step, but it must be like a task system, providing phased support to the executor and planned stop-loss measures."
"Before you see this plan, I suggest you stay in City of Dawn."
After these three pieces of advice, the sharp-eyed girl concluded the hearing.
Mr. Fang, who sat in the auditorial seat, pondered for a long time before he got up and left to return home.
If all NPCs in this game were as innocent and full of justice as his beloved Dolly.
A simple sense of justice is not bad at all.
Too clever is just not that adorable...
At this moment, Dolly was unaware of the "praise" her beloved was giving in his heart; she was still thinking about the issue of chips and the report she was writing.
If she had known, she would have turned around and probably bitten him.
Her fluffy short green hair waved slightly as Dolly looked at Mr. Fang, tilting her head unconsciously.
"Are you saying there’s no problem with the chips?" Mr. Fang thought for a moment and said,
"Using something you’re familiar with to make an analogy can bring subjective associations, so let me use Cr as an example. Do you think Cr is good or bad?"
Dolly slightly furrowed her delicate eyebrows and, after thinking for a long time, said,
"I think... it’s actually quite good."
The prosperity of Ideal City was notorious throughout the wasteland; it would be outright foolish to say Cr is not good.
Yet she always felt that this cunning guy wouldn’t simply pose an easy question, so she hesitated a bit as she followed along with his words.
Mr. Fang just smiled faintly, gave no opinion, and spoke casually,
"The essence of Cr is a decentralized currency issued based on the total social credit, liberating every natural person from the debt relationships of the old era. The smart contracts programmed using quantum algorithms ensure absolutely fair transactions without relying on central banks to adjust interest rates. Everyone involved in societal activities benefits equally from the overall prosperity of society... Doesn’t that sound wonderful?"
"Indeed... So, it’s fine to say Cr is good, right?" Dolly nodded honestly, curiously looking at him, waiting for him to continue.
After sipping coffee from the table, Mr. Fang slowly said, 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
"What if I told you that the currency used in Bugra Free State is designed after Cr?"
"Ah?!" Dolly looked at him in shock, unwittingly opening her little mouth, "Is that so?! But why has their currency devalued so drastically?"
She had heard that people there need a string of zeros to buy anything, with the smallest denomination of their paper currency being 1000.
That thing was a copy of Cr’s design?!
Watching the astonished expression on Dolly’s face, Mr. Fang smiled lightly and continued jokingly,
"In fact, not only their currency... The historical ephemeral S Coin in Qingquan City was also a poor imitation of Cr. You have written a report about that stuff, and you know well what it was."
Dolly blankly nodded, her thoughts still not recovered from that shocking clue.
She still couldn’t believe that their currency and Cr were essentially the same thing.
Mr. Fang continued talking confidently,
"As I mentioned earlier, Cr is a decentralized currency issued based on the total societal credit. In fact, their currency works the same way. However, the difference in Bugra is that their ’quantitative standard of total social credit’ is not decentralized and is more extremely controlled by a select few compared to traditional currencies—even more so than primitive precious metal money. If you can’t grasp this concept, you can think of it as the pen you use to sign your name when paying with a credit card."
"So, you’re saying they used the method incorrectly?" Dolly keenly spotted the issue, her eyes widening in surprise.
Hearing this, Mr. Fang could not help but laugh and cry,
"Look at you, after all I’ve said, you are still debating right and wrong—ouch! Don’t use your teeth!"
He had barely finished speaking when Dolly, flushed with embarrassment, lunged forward and bit down on his arm.
She was earnestly pondering this difficult question, earnestly seeking guidance, but this fellow always liked to interrupt and flaunt his intellectual superiority.
That was the annoying part about him.
He was just slightly smarter, what was so great about that!
Yet still... still... there were times when she had him completely under her control!
However, when she saw his pained grimace, she involuntarily relaxed her grip, her face flushed as she released the arm imprinted with neat rows of teeth marks.
"Why do you always speak in riddles... can’t you just solve my confusion properly?"
In fact, Mr. Fang didn’t feel the pain at all, as players could not feel excessive pain, and even found it kind of... well, saying it would seem perverse.
Out of chivalrous respect, he still rubbed the tooth marks on his arm, pretending to feel threatened.
"Cough, haven’t I been responding properly? You keep talking about right and wrong—I am correcting that mindset of yours. How do you know that the Firestone Group didn’t do this on purpose?"
Dolly stared at him blankly, "On purpose?"
"Is the Firestone Group going bankrupt, or are people in the Free State unable to survive? Their economy is not worse than ours; they were running when we were still walking. We laugh at them because it takes thirty seconds of ads to open a fridge door, but they are probably laughing at us because we don’t even have a fridge."
Actually, no exaggeration, if we truly went to war with Bugra, even without them pulling in the Grand Canyon, the Alliance would need to put in considerable effort to win through conventional warfare without first resorting to strategic weapons.
At least we would need to be prepared to sacrifice Dawn City.
At least, on the northern front, the combat performance of the Hound Special Forces isn’t much worse than that of the 100th Mountain Division. Their equipment might be slightly inferior, but the quality of their personnel is significantly higher.
The Alliance had previously experienced some minor military skirmishes with Bugra at the border, but neither side deployed their main forces, instead cautiously probing each other.
He remembered one occasion when the Alliance deployed bionic people from Camp 101, which at that time wasn’t part of the Alliance yet, while Bugra dispatched a third-rate mercenary group actually hired by Weylent military officers.
Looking back, that skirmish was actually not only a contest between the Manager and Sigma, but also a probing of each other’s bottom lines.
Sigma very precisely detected that the Alliance’s weakness lay in "poor border control and difficulty in identifying quasi-military forces disguised as refugees," and Chu Guang responded strongly to the pain point of the Free State: "Powerful individuals, unconstrained, posed great hidden dangers to the Free State’s illusory freedom."
If one bionic person could slaughter a hundred-man unit, imagine if a hundred bionic people or even a hundred Awakeners more troublesome than bionic people infiltrated the Free State...
For Sigma, this was far more daunting than "obliterating a hundred-man unit with regular troops on the front line," and this was the real reason why both sides had silently maintained control over the scale of conflict.
The NPCs in this game are just like real people, the deeper he imagined, the more he believed it wasn’t the first time he thought this.
He paused, then looking at the somewhat perplexed Dolly, Mr. Fang continued succinctly.
"So when you discuss whether they are right or wrong, good or bad, you’re already walking into a dead end. A gun is faster than a knife; there are even faster guns, but for peeling an apple, a knife truly might be better."
"Returning to your original question, I can tell you that chips are neither about good nor bad, nor right or wrong, they are merely a tool. Persons holding them use them based on their understanding of them... including those who issue the chips and those who use the chips, and that’s all."
"As for why chips aren’t treated like silver coins, it’s because the person who raised the chip wanted that effect right from the start, and he managed to do what he intended, regardless of whether he went too far or not, that’s a story for later."
Bugra was the same, including their board structure and a range of tools modeled after Ideal City. They, like the vast majority of Wasteland Wanderers on the Wasteland, envied the prosperity of Ideal City greatly.
As for the other things in Ideal City, they thought they understood well, but in reality, they knew nothing.
This led to Bugra’s cyberpunk society—where extremely high technological levels and very low standards of living existed simultaneously in one settlement, each person like a hamster running on a tightrope.
There were similarities with the Scientific Committee, yet starkly different.
It is said that the Alliance’s socio-science research group had established projects to analyze these phenomena, including the sociological phenomena currently in the Alliance itself.
However, this is a long-term endeavor that needs continuous effort, expecting to reach conclusions about the present at this moment is unrealistic.
Saying this, he couldn’t help but tease the bewildered Dolly again, making her turn red-faced and clawing in the air.
"...Just like the vendor who sells you succulents, he isn’t doing it for your health or cares about radiation, he just wants to earn the silver coins in your pocket; the only difference is that some people are aware, and some are not...hiss! Don’t just bite wildly!"
Watching Dolly jump onto the table like a cat, Mr. Fang quickly moved his unfinished coffee to the side, afraid that it might scald her.
However, having lost one hand, he quickly succumbed to Dolly’s assault.
By the time the commotion in the room finally ceased, a red-faced, panting Dolly finally noticed the crumpled newspaper on the table.
"Is this the ’Survivor’s Daily’?" surprise flickered across her face, especially when she noticed that the layout of the newspaper was different from that of the Dawn City Survivor’s Daily.
Mr. Fang smoothed out the newspaper and smiled faintly.
"Jin Jialun Port’s supplement... More and more survivors, who stand with us, are appearing, and occasionally there are some articles that catch the eye."
He hadn’t been in Jin Jialun Port for a long time and needed the local newspaper to understand what was happening there.
To his surprise, within just a few months, that slave-filled, hopeless harbor had also managed to produce such earth-shattering cries.
Perhaps given a little more time, they might indeed be able to catch the boat to the new world.
Besides providing money, he also helped nurture some talents there.
For instance, Yoder, who served as a secretary in the Governor’s Office, was a capable and moderate reformist.
Including Raxi, the head of the Civil Defense Office who had both courage and executional capacity and was open to new ideas. Though his manners were rough, it wasn’t a significant fault. Objectively speaking, his contribution was instrumental in the successful transformation of Jin Jialun Port.
After all, nothing intimidated the Old Aristocrats more than a member of the Moon Clan wielding a gun, especially since this guy was ruthless both to others and to his own people.
To survive, those Old Aristocrats were even more eager to please the Alliance than the newer classes.
After all, they too were afraid that if they complained too much, the Alliance might turn a blind eye. Although the people of the Alliance spoke with reason and discipline, the dogs they kept obviously did not.
This guy was a moldable material; polishing his character in an office setting would be good.
Whatever chaotic thing he aspired to be, he shouldn’t wear his thoughts on his face.
That was the basic skill of governance.
If he couldn’t master it, he was doomed to be nothing more than the chief of a Militia Group in his life.
"Red Soil... this article is quite well-written, doesn’t seem to be written by someone who just learned to write," as Dolly read the article from beginning to end, her face turned from surprise to even astonishment.
Perhaps the Dawn City ’Survivor’s Daily’ could cite this article too.
No—
This didn’t seem to be just an article; it appeared more like the preface of a serialized literary collection.
As one of the earliest employees of the ’Survivor’s Daily,’ and the editor who unearthed the literary gem ’Awakener Bol,’ she keenly sensed that this collection called ’Red Soil’ had potential comparable to the former.
The suffering survivors of this wasteland were not only Bol of Giant Stone City but also L of White Elephant City!
She heard that soul-striking call, and she believed others could hear it too, especially the members of the Workers’ Association who had experienced that revolution!
They had ended the wasteland around them, but the broader wasteland was not yet over.
She believed that the allies who had united back then would not be content with just today’s ribs and beer, and they would definitely be willing to lend a hand to those who were similarly suffering!
At least some people would!
Like Spielberg and his group.
"I want to write a column for him!" Dolly’s eyes sparkled as she spoke to Mr. Fang, "More people should hear the voices from there, not just enjoy the cheap commodities supplied by the local survivors... No, to be precise, this is also for our own sake. If we let them continue to be exploited by the slave owners, our interests will eventually be damaged, right? Then silver coins will become another chip, like the ones you were just talking about."
While she spoke, Dolly’s gaze was intense as she stared at Mr. Fang, her clever and crafty nature nothing like the naïve look she had an hour ago.
It’s just like someone from Giant Stone City; they are all rebels at heart. Saying such a thing to anyone outside of the residents of Shelter No. 404 in City of Dawn would typically provoke a curse on one’s family.
Mr. Fang simply smiled lightly but didn’t deny her statement.
"Congratulations, while most people are still stuck in the previous version, you’ve already moved into the next one. What I mean is... the problem you mentioned does exist and it is indeed something we are planning to address in the next phase."
"Even before the Prosperity Epoch, the Industrial Age had already proven that one-sided exploitation is unsustainable. Unequal relationships would inevitably collapse after reaching a tipping point... whether it’s between people or between different settlements. The various measures we adopted during specific periods were only meant to delay the arrival of this point, to gain more room for flexible decisions."
"We only have two choices in the end, either to set up a sanctuary like Singular Point City to isolate Poluo Province from mainstream society while observing and waiting for new developments. Or to encourage them to board the ship to the new world and participate in the massive agenda on how to end the Wasteland Era."
He envisioned Jin Galun Harbor as the "secondary industrial base," and Poluo Province as a base for manpower and mineral supply, but he would similarly rejoice if it could become a huge consumption market.
It wasn’t just because it would be more advantageous for Baiyue Corporation, but also because he rather not stand opposite other settlements and survivors of the Alliance.
The war waged by the Sticky Community on Haiye Province had, in fact, covered up some issues.
Dawn City and Giant Stone City could get their fill just from military supplies and logistics orders, with the entire Sticky Community paying River Valley Province’s settlements, and the necessities of residents of River Valley Province could be bought from other regions using money from the Sticky Community.
Once the war was over, or once the expansion of the Alliance slowed down, or if a new crisis erupted, some issues that had been shelved would inevitably resurface.
The Manager’s decision to approve Baiyue Corporation’s IPO at this time must also incorporate such considerations.
And being a player on the T0 ladder, he had to ensure that his faction’s BOSS had cards to play.
With these thoughts in mind, Mr. Fang suddenly said with a smile.
"It seems it’s not only you who thinks this article was well-written. I actually think so too... How about we include it in the educational materials for Jin Jialun Port?"
"That’s a great idea!" Dolly’s eyes sparked again, and she continued in her melodious voice, "Compared to the materials we provide them, their own stories would indeed resonate more with their own people. They need their own symbols and totems!"
"Haha, then let’s do it that way!"
Within a few seconds, Mr. Fang had made up his mind.
That evening, after completing the report Little Fish had requested, he took the time to send a telegram to the Governor’s Office at Jin Jialun Port, instructing them to integrate "Red Soil" into the Jin Jialun educational curriculum.
It was no longer the time when the Burning Corps first landed at Jin Jialun Port, where a battle report would take two or three days just to get to the City of Dawn, by which time a round trip battle could have already concluded.
Information infrastructure was also a part of the infrastructure. The Alliance’s telecommunications base stations and highways and railways were always constructed simultaneously. By setting up multiple signal relay stations, telegrams from the City of Dawn could now bypass interference and directly reach Jin Jialun Port.
Once the submarine cables were laid, making phone calls or even video calls would no longer be a problem.
Before long, he quickly received a reply from Yoder, the Governor’s secretary.
However, what Mr. Fang did not expect was that the content of the reply was not only about the localized textbooks but also mentioned Laxi.
[... The Education Workers’ Association of Jin Jialun Port is organizing public school teachers to compile textbooks that meet the needs of local survivors. They have already noticed the articles that appeared in the Survivor’s Daily, not just "Red Soil," several articles have been recommended by local teachers as well as hired teachers. I will continue to keep an eye on the progress of this work for you.]
[Additionally, there is another matter. Influenced by the poor performance of the Expeditionary Army at Ten Peaks Mountain, the youth of Jin Galun were excited to learn that the Empire planned to deploy more Cannon Fodder to the front lines, causing disdain for the Empire’s actions. Representatives from all walks of life have recently submitted petitions, hoping that the Jin Galun authorities will refuse to return the prisoners of war from the Grey Wolf Army, at least allowing those who voluntarily wish to stay... They are worried that the young people we release will be used by the Empire as consumables and sent to the front lines for compensation.]
[It’s not just the general public that is excited, but also internally from the authorities. Laxi, the director of the Civil Defense Office, submitted his resignation letter this morning. Along with him, nearly thirty mid and low-ranking officers from the Militia Group also submitted their resignations. I’ve tried to retain them, but they are resolute in leaving, and I do not have the authority to deal with this matter. I can only report this to you and leave the decision to you.]
He resigned too?!
Mr. Fang was momentarily surprised, finding it unexpected that this fellow was so temperamental, and he was stunned for a good while.
The resignation letter was attached to the bottom of the telegram; he did not linger and continued reading the rest of the telegram.
Although the original document was not attached here, he believed that Yoder wouldn’t deceive him on such a major matter.
[
Respected Mr. Fang, I am grateful for your promotion, without you, there would not be the man I am today. Also, please convey my regards to Mr. Manager. I know he is always concerned about the affairs on the Wasteland and is watching over us.
However, I am but a simple man, literate but not eloquent, yet I believe you understand my loyalty. I have followed every instruction you have given.
It is with reluctance that I submit this resignation, all due to the scoundrels in the north!
I hate them for their lack of struggle, wasting the food and money you sponsored, for their disgraceful behavior that has become a laughingstock both inside and outside the Poluo Sea, and more for squandering the lives of my comrades!
When the time comes that all clans of the West Winds are thoroughly disappointed, the survivors of Poluo Province will have no opportunity for emergence. The time is not too late now, while the Resistance still has some vigor, I must come out!
If you think me rash, with just a command, I will gladly return my life to you, never troubling you. If you allow me to go north and save the situation, should I succeed, I will never neglect you! I, Laxi, will always be your subordinate, if you ask me to go east, I will never go west!
]
After reading and rereading the resignation letter twice, Mr. Fang couldn’t utter a word, and it took a while before he managed to say, "Well, I’ll be."
Did he write that himself?!
