Chapter 650: You Underestimate Your Influence

Chapter 650: You Underestimate Your Own Influence

The southern industrial district of Dawn City lay in silence, most workers already off duty, with only the occasional light flickering in the gatekeepers’ booths.

Ever since the railway to Daybreak City was completed, the Alliance’s heavy industry and a large number of industrial workers had shifted north, leaving this earliest industrial zone with only light industries.

Yet, thanks to this very shift, the light industries that remained received focused support from the Dawn City and Alliance authorities.

Especially last year, when the Alliance engaged in fierce competition with Boulder City across multiple sectors, this light industrial district gave birth to a host of excellent large-scale factories.

Tujia Printing Factory was one such example.

The factory’s owner, Wang Tu, was a survivor from Jinchuan Province and part of the second wave of immigrants after the Bone-Chewing Rebellion.

Since the printing industry during the Age of Prosperity had been on the verge of extinction, the Alliance’s industrial sector had no ready-made production lines to reference.

At that time, the war in Luoxia Province was underway, and the Alliance faced threats from the Legion’s eastward expansion faction. Players’ creativity was focused on military matters, leaving little interest or energy for niche fields like printing—even life-skill players found it too obscure. Thus, the Alliance’s printing capabilities were largely low-automation, requiring manual labor for both pulp boiling and printing.

In this context, this traveling merchant from the south spotted an opportunity. Cleverly, he modified a canned food production line, giving the Alliance its first fully automated line capable of handling everything from pulp boiling to printing and publishing.

Yes, not just printing—it also handled papermaking.

Later, the factory underwent further improvements based on this foundation. Relying on its strong market competitiveness, it secured procurement orders from multiple newspaper agencies and publishers, including the *Survivor Daily*, and gradually grew from a small workshop covering less than five mu to a massive factory spanning the size of five football fields.

This area might seem unremarkable, even small, in reality, but relative to the Alliance’s patchwork population of barely a million, the factory was quite large.

By now, Tujia Printing Factory had not only become the largest printing plant in Dawn City but also the largest in the entire Alliance, commanding an astonishing 63% market share. Its printed copies of *The Awakener Bohr* had traveled as far west as the Lion Kingdom and north to the Free State.

Most of the Alliance’s factories grew from nothing to greatness in this way. Some were born from a flash of inspiration, others from persistent effort, sheer luck, or inherent wealth. The Alliance’s formidable military strength provided a relatively stable and fair competitive environment for all contenders, allowing them to fully realize their talents.

Though not everyone had a chance to leave their name in history, almost everyone who achieved something had a near-legendary story behind them.

Wang Tu was immensely proud of this—both of his decision to move his family north to the Alliance and of choosing the printing and publishing industry.

He planned to write a memoir after retirement, chronicling this miraculous golden age.

If a barely literate cannery worker could write a bestseller that inspired thousands, he had no doubt that with serious effort, he could do the same.

To ensure he wouldn’t forget the events of his youth in old age, he decided to start writing now, at least jotting down daily happenings.

After the factory lights went out each day, he would pull open his desk drawer, take out a flask of potato-distilled liquor brewed by a Vault dweller, and gaze at the twinkling nightscape outside the window while drafting the memoir destined to be a hit across the Alliance.

But just as he wrote the line *“Nothing happened today,”* he spotted a string of bright lights on the street not far from his window.

Drunk and unsteady, Wang Tu rose and shuffled to the window, peering outside, muttering to himself.

“What’s that?”

Wasn’t the celebration the day after tomorrow?

As he wondered what was causing such a commotion on the street, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside his office door.

No knock.

The door was pushed open directly.

His accountant rushed in, pale-faced and flustered.

“Boss! Big trouble!”

Seeing the panic on his face, Wang Tu froze, still not fully comprehending.

“What’s got you so worked up—”

Seeing the boss still clueless about what was happening, the accountant was nearly in tears, speaking urgently.

“The batch of newspapers shipped today caused a disaster! Word is that the *Clear Springs City Daily*’s headline spoke ill of the Administrator. All the newsstands say the papers were printed here! Outside are citizens who’ve read the paper, including soldiers from the First Legion… We’re in deep trouble!”

“Wait, what’s this *Clear Springs City Daily*? Did we print that paper?”

Wang Tu stared blankly at his accountant, feeling as if a huge pot had fallen from the sky and landed squarely on his head.

No—

Something was wrong!

Suddenly snapping to his senses, Wang Tu thought: If the newspaper had problematic content, go after the newspaper office! He was just a printer—what good would it do to come after him?

His factory produced thousands of tons daily, including not just newspapers but textbooks, novels, even courier packaging.

How was he supposed to know what his factory had printed?

“Are they looking for the wrong person?” Wang Tu, sweating profusely, grabbed his accountant’s arm. “Go explain to them—”

Seeing the boss still trying to find a reason, the accountant gave a wry laugh.

“Oh, forget whose fault it is for now! You’d better come with me through the back door before those people catch you!”

Hearing this, cold sweat instantly burst from Wang Tu’s forehead, and half his drunkenness evaporated.

Looking outside again, he saw that the string of bright lights came from flashlights.

Just as he stared in the direction of the lights, a pair of eyes in the dark crowd also turned toward his room, following the beam of the flashlight.

After all, his was the only lit room.

Now Wang Tu was not only completely sober but nearly scared out of his wits. He hurriedly followed the accountant downstairs, fleeing through the back door of the factory without a second thought.

At that very moment, the gatekeeper could no longer hold back the crowd. The angry citizens surged into the factory.

A sea of people flooded in—some headed for the office building, others for the warehouse storing the newspapers.

Wang Tu, drenched in sweat, grabbed the accountant and shouted desperately.

“Call the police… Get the guards here!”

The accountant swallowed nervously, stammering.

“I—I already did.”

Wang Tu released his grip on the accountant’s arm, pacing anxiously in front of the back door, muttering.

“Already called?! Why aren’t they here yet?”

Just as the two were in a panic, reinforcements from the guard unit finally arrived from the city center.

But they were too late.

By the time they reached the scene, flames had already erupted from the warehouse, illuminating the dark factory brightly.

Inside the warehouse were stacks of freshly printed newspapers, scheduled for loading in a few hours—now all reduced to ashes.

Staring at the blaze from the warehouse, Wang Tu’s face was a picture of despair. His mouth hung open for a long time before he finally squeezed out a sentence.

“This is a total disaster for nothing!”

…

A fire in the industrial district was no small matter.

Early on, when the crowd began to gather, Chu Guang had instructed Xiao Qi to direct the guard unit to send personnel to control the situation.

But facing the enraged citizens, the few guards sent to maintain order were ineffective, one by one retreating under shouts of “This is disloyalty!”

Upon hearing about the *Clear Springs City Daily* incident, some guards were even swayed, siding with the protesting citizens.

The Alliance’s earliest regular forces came from the guard unit—both the Home Guard and the First and Second Legions had emerged from it. They considered themselves second to none in loyalty, and naturally could not tolerate anyone insulting their great Administrator.

Thus, the matter escalated. By the time the fire broke out, some finally realized things had gone too far and quickly turned to help extinguish the flames.

Fortunately, the farce resulted in no casualties, only the loss of a warehouse full of newspapers.

After hearing the whole story, Chu Guang, who had been discussing the details of tomorrow’s negotiation with the enterprise alongside Old Charlie, was stunned.

It took him a long moment to utter a single sentence.

“……You burned down the printing factory?”

“You underestimate your own influence, and the adoration those young lads have for you,” Old Charlie said, looking at the dazed Chu Guang, letting out a soft sigh, and speaking in a teasing tone. “I’d wager that right now, every citizen in Dawn City sympathizes with the troublemakers… except for the industrial district’s property owners.”

The interests of different classes diverge. Though the Alliance claims to unite everyone, it’s impossible for all to truly be a monolithic bloc.

Yet undeniably, the soldiers, farmers, workers, clerks, and shopkeepers of Dawn City—almost everyone—are supporters of the Administrator himself.

Unlike the technicians drawn here by the Alliance’s ideals, they have little grasp of those difficult doctrines and care even less; they simply believe in the words of the Alliance’s Administrator and the Vault dwellers he leads.

And that’s why, the moment the gunshot rang out, everyone erupted.

The social cohesion reflected in this unity is unimaginable—a coalesced populace can even shine with a brilliance rivaling nuclear fusion.

Thinking this, Old Charlie couldn’t help but feel a pang of emotion.

With the Administrator’s current prestige, even if he completely abandoned the Alliance’s ideals and crowned himself emperor, no one could stop him; instead, everyone would cheer for him.

Among them, of course, was Old Charlie himself.

Perhaps other Vault dwellers might object, but he had lived so long on the wasteland, seen the ugliness of human nature through and through, and held none of the blue-suited pride.

He had no doubt that letting a wise monarch govern those ignorant fools wasn’t a bad thing—even a foolish monarch would be better than watching those stupid wastelanders reach consensus on one foolish act after another.

Yet what was truly commendable lay precisely here.

He could become the emperor of an empire at any moment, yet he chose the hardest path—

An almost impossible union.

Just then, the door to the reading room opened, and Lü Bei walked in, stopping beside the sofa, standing at attention, and saluting.

Half an hour ago, Chu Guang had sent him to investigate the whole affair.

Now, it seemed, there were results.

“……The matter has been clarified. It was a group of merchants from the Free State of Bragga. They first investigated the newspaper stand’s supplier, then bribed the supervisor of the printing factory’s second production workshop, the warehouse manager, and the transport driver, inserting the *Qingshui City Daily* they had fabricated overnight. It’s unclear whether they were acting on orders from the Bragga authorities or had other motives. As per your request, we haven’t tipped them off by making contact.”

As he spoke, Lü Bei couldn’t help adding a remark.

“By the way, during our investigation, we found that the Tujia Printing Factory’s oversight was riddled with loopholes—almost as if there were none at all… I think it qualifies as a production safety incident.”

Given that they hadn’t carefully checked what they printed, and the angry citizens set fire to the warehouse, it actually made sense when you thought about it.

At least, that’s what he and the other lads in the Praetorian Guard thought.

Chu Guang shook his head.

“Regardless, arson is wrong! That’s the industrial district—there’s a flour mill less than a kilometer away! Thank goodness the fire was contained; if it hadn’t been, the damage they caused would have been countless times worse than that lousy newspaper.”

Lü Bei said in a low voice.

“They didn’t intend to set the fire at first; they just wanted to ask the printing factory’s boss where the *Qingshui City Daily* had come from… But the boss took one look at the crowd outside, got scared, and ran off, which made some people suspect he had a guilty conscience.”

Old Charlie looked at the young man and teased.

“And then the next day, no one in the city had new newspapers to read?”

Lü Bei’s expression turned awkward as he nodded.

Personally, he sympathized with those who had stirred up the trouble—he even felt like cheering them on, since they’d done what he’d wanted to do but never had the chance.

To be fair, if not for the Administrator, the entire northern outskirts would still be a wilderness, let alone the industrial district.

Those ingrates, completely blinded by money, had forgotten where the silver coins in their pockets came from!

Chu Guang could tell at a glance what Lü Bei was thinking, and he understood why the young man instinctively pleaded for the troublemakers.

And he didn’t even need to ask—the commanders of the other Alliance regiments surely felt the same.

Not long after the incident, Chu Guang heard from the guard that the commander of the First Regiment, Spanner, had personally gone to the guardhouse to demand the release of his soldiers, claiming that only a military court could judge them, and had taken away those involved in the disturbance.

Though Chu Guang was moved by his subordinates’ spontaneous loyalty and affection, this was precisely what troubled him.

Uncertain how to read the Administrator’s reaction, Lü Bei asked in a guilty whisper.

“We’ve already kept an eye on the merchants involved in the *Qingshui City Daily* case; they’re still in Dawn City and haven’t gone anywhere… How do you intend to deal with them?”

“Arrest them first—don’t let a single one escape!” Chu Guang said harshly. “Interrogate them thoroughly and find out who ordered this bunch!”

Those bastards.

He hadn’t bothered with them before, but now they’d slipped up and caused such a mess—he’d miscalculated.

Lü Bei nodded and quietly continued.

“And the troublemakers…”

Chu Guang thought for a moment, unable to suppress his compassion, and finally asked.

“Has anyone confessed?”

At this hour, it was pitch black outside, and with so many people crowded into the factory, no one could see who had started the fire.

If no one voluntarily confessed, it didn’t matter—almost all factories had purchased fire insurance from the Alliance Bank, and approving the payout would be as simple as a word from him.

Thankfully, no one had died.

Lock up the most vocal instigators for two weeks to cool down, give them a few lessons on the law, and the matter would basically be over—

“Yes, there is,” Lü Bei nodded, his face full of admiration. “That fellow is a brother from the First Regiment. He said one man takes responsibility for his own deeds—a real man!”

Chu Guang: “……”

Seeing Chu Guang’s pained expression, Old Charlie knew exactly what he was thinking. Though he knew it wasn’t the right time to laugh, he couldn’t help but clear his throat twice.

“This matter is indeed tricky to handle, especially since the culprit has a military background… And I’ve heard that among the initial instigators, there were also Vault dwellers.”

Chu Guang was well aware of this—after all, the yellow card had been issued by Xiao Qi.

“How many people know about it?”

Old Charlie shook his head.

“Not many… I’ve already reminded that innkeeper to watch his words, but I feel he’d know even without being told.”

Chu Guang sighed.

“I appreciate your concern.”

His players were rarely trouble-free, and this wasn’t the first time he’d had to clean up after them.

Old Charlie smiled and said, “You’re too kind. It’s my duty—I can’t let you worry about such trivial matters… Compared to that, how to use the Qingshui City Hive as a bargaining chip to gain more support from those ancient survivor factions is what you should be focusing on.”

“We didn’t just win a war; we created a miracle. I feel that not only the Consortium and the Institute but many others have set their sights on us… Though they’ve made no moves yet, they’re all watching in the shadows.”

He paused before continuing.

“This matter isn’t something you should handle personally, nor is it big enough to require your direct involvement… If you trust me, leave it to me.”

Chu Guang had no doubt about Old Charlie’s abilities. Thinking it over, he nodded.

"Then I leave it to you."

With that, Chu Guang turned to Lü Bei.

"Your side should act as well. Arrest those merchants on charges of espionage and incitement to sabotage. I expect to see the interrogation results after tomorrow's meeting."

Lü Bei pressed his right fist to his left chest in a loyal military salute and replied crisply.

"Yes!"