Chapter 660: The Administrator's Daily Life

Chapter 660: A Manager’s Daily Routine

Early morning.

Chu Guang slept in for a change, not leaving Resurrection Square until nine in the morning. He strolled leisurely to the snack street north of the outpost base, ordered two baskets of soup dumplings, two baskets of small steamed buns, and three cups of soy milk, then found an inconspicuous seat at Zhang Hai’s noodle stall.

Though this meal was an explosion of carbs and calories, for his metabolic level and digestive capacity, it was just a drop in the bucket.

“A bowl of noodles, please.”

Milky white steam rose from the large pot, and customers came and went without pause.

Today, the noodle master Zhang Hai was as busy and fulfilled as ever, his head nearly buried in the pot, no time to look up. He shouted from across the big pot.

“Coming right up! Thin cut or thick cut?”

Chu Guang smiled.

“Thin, let’s see how thin you can make it.”

Hearing someone ask him to cut it thinner for the first time, Zhang Hai was amused.

“Heh, you’re joking with me—my thinnest—” He lifted his head to see who it was, but his gaze froze through the white steam. “Whoa, the Manager?!”

Since he wasn’t wearing power armor, many hadn’t recognized Chu Guang, Zhang Hai included, until they saw that spring-like smile and were stunned.

The two spoke in Mandarin, not drawing the attention of the other NPC diners. Chu Guang gave him a low-key look, then began enjoying the steamed buns he’d brought.

Soon, a bowl of beef noodles was set on the table, the beef slices thicker than silver coins. Seeing this, the other players grumbled in dissatisfaction.

“Damn!”

“That bastard Hai, no martial honor!”

“Why is there so little beef in my bowl?”

“Is this reasonable?!”

Watching the hecklers, Zhang Hai’s face flushed red. On a normal day, he’d have grinned and shot back, but he’d been caught red-handed giving special treatment.

“Shut it! Are you the Manager? I… I pity him for wearing himself out for the Alliance, worry he won’t eat enough, so I treat him to more—what’s wrong with that?”

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Good grief.

That works?

Seeing the smug look on that clever fellow, Chu Guang shook his head with a smile, pulled out fifteen silver coins, and placed them on the table to settle the bill first.

“Thanks for your kindness, but no need to treat me. I prefer a fair exchange—money for goods… keep the change.”

Considering the portion of this bowl, three times the price should be enough, right?

That much money could buy two catties of beef.

He didn’t want to owe a favor for a few silver coins.

“Thank you kindly!” Boss Zhang winced as he pocketed the silver, but inwardly he calculated that this deal was a huge loss.

If he could earn the Manager’s goodwill, spending any amount of silver would be worth it. But now, two ounces of beef had only fetched the price of three bowls of noodles—a loss so bad it went to his grandmother’s house!

Earning less—wasn’t that a loss?

Adding some chili and vinegar to the noodle soup, Chu Guang ate slowly, idly watching the newbies bustling back and forth on the street, and couldn’t help feeling nostalgic.

Two years ago, this had been the busiest street in the Alliance, separated from Resurrection Square by a crooked cement wall.

Now, two years later, the street had developed somewhat, but it still couldn’t keep up with the sparsely populated Evergreen Farm.

With the founding of Dawn City, the outpost base and Evergreen Farm had been merged into the new settlement as preserved place names. The economic status of the outpost base’s north street had gradually been replaced by Dawn City’s north street, where NPCs were the majority.

Some nostalgic veteran players still kept their stalls here and their houses by Linghu Lake, but most had moved their shops to the more bustling center of Dawn City.

Yet Chu Guang still had a special fondness for this place.

Almost all the hometown dishes he loved could be found here, and the chattering newbies in front of Resurrection Square never bored him.

For him and the vast majority of Wasteland OL players, this could be called the place where dreams began.

Chu Guang suddenly had a whimsical thought: when he retired, maybe he’d set up a stall here too.

Like grilling some flatbreads or something.

But that thought lasted only two seconds before Chu Guang was amused by his own idea.

By the time he shed all his responsibilities…

That would probably be a very, very long time from now.

…

After eating until about seventy or eighty percent full, Chu Guang bought six more baskets of buns and took them to Nico, feeding them to her as a treat.

That big girl, like Xiaoyu, had a special fondness for human food, especially junk food heavy on salt, oil, and sugar.

He remembered last time he fed her cola, she got so excited she stomped her feet on the spot and nearly tore down the shed she slept in.

After riding Nico for a lap around the lake, Chu Guang tied her back in the shed and then headed toward the shelter.

As he took the elevator downstairs, he happened to see a guardsman carrying a plastic basket full of letters and asked curiously.

“What’s this?”

The guardsman immediately stood at attention and replied.

“These are letters from the residents of Dawn City addressed to you, my lord.”

Hearing this, Chu Guang became interested and said on a whim.

“My letters? Let me have a look.”

He seemed to recall Xiaoqi mentioning that since the Alliance Building was completed, letters had been arriving from all over the Alliance, and a large portion were written to him.

Due to the sheer volume, the staff at the Alliance Building didn’t know how to handle them, so they handed them over to the Guards Corps.

Lü Bei, following behind Chu Guang, hesitated slightly, then stepped forward to advise.

“My lord, please allow me to inspect them first to ensure there’s nothing dangerous inside.”

Though the letters had already been X-rayed and UV-sterilized, only opening them could guarantee safety.

Chu Guang laughed heartily and joked.

“Are you worried there’s a razor blade inside that might cut me?”

Lü Bei said quietly.

“Not exactly, but it’s better to be cautious.”

Seeing his still-worried expression, Chu Guang said.

“How about this: you read them for me, and I’ll test you on your cultural studies to see how you’re progressing.”

Hearing that the Manager was going to test him, the young man perked up immediately, his right fist pressed to his left chest as he said spiritedly.

“Yes, sir!”

Chu Guang nodded with satisfaction, led Lü Bei, who had taken the basket of letters, to the B4 floor, gestured for him to sit down, and then handed him paper and pen.

"Perfect timing, you can help me write the reply as well. I'll dictate, and you write."

Lü Bei nodded eagerly, then took a letter from the plastic basket, tore it open, cleared his throat, and began to recite.

"Respected Manager, I am a bricklayer. On this day worthy of celebration, I salute you and share my joy with you! My wife and I are expecting our first child in a month. We have already bought all the clothes he will need until he is five, a cradle, and toys... Now we count the days, waiting for the little darling to arrive. Once again, I extend my highest respects to you, thanking you for giving us a roof over our heads and a job that allows us to buy so many things."

Lü Bei recited with such emotion and reverence that even the original writer might not have been as expressive.

Watching this earnest young man, Chu Guang couldn't help but smile. After Lü Bei finished, he cleared his throat and slowly began.

"You're welcome... I will do my best to ensure that every hardworking person in the Alliance has the decent job and life they deserve, and that every child in the Alliance can grow up in the sunlight. Of course, this requires our joint efforts."

As Chu Guang spoke, Lü Bei scribbled furiously, finishing the letter in no time, copying the address, and setting it aside.

Then he picked up the second letter, took a deep breath, and read.

"...Like the sun at noon, your grace and majesty have dispelled the cold night and restored glory to this land! Forgive my exaggeration, but this is no flattery. Perhaps to you, Doctor Edmond is just a trivial criminal, but I will never forget what happened that day at the Golden Sand Dune Cinema. My child and I were locked in an iron cage, and no one cared whether we lived or died—only you and your warriors did. I offer you my eternal loyalty!"

Where was the Golden Sand Dune Cinema?

Chu Guang thought for a long time but couldn't recall the place, nor the unfamiliar name mentioned in the letter.

Still, it wasn't hard to guess from the content that the writer was likely a survivor rescued by one of his little players from raiders.

Though to the player it might have been just another routine quest, to that survivor it could have meant a lifetime of change.

Chu Guang couldn't help but smile.

He decided to have Xiao Qi update this letter on the forum later.

Surely someone would claim this Easter egg.

If they stumbled upon it by chance, that kind-hearted little player would likely be pleased by the story's continuation.

"Keep this letter with me for now. I'll pass it on to the one who truly deserves thanks, and let them decide whether to reply."

"Yes, sir." Lü Bei nodded loyally, set down his pen for a moment, and picked up the next letter.

This one was concise and to the point.

The very first line made the entire letter's intent clear.

"March north, sir! At your command, we would all offer our hearts! The merchants from Bugar are the most unruly scoundrels, corrupting us with their schemes. It's time to punish those insidious villains!"

As he read, Lü Bei's voice grew impassioned, and he stole a glance at Chu Guang across from him.

Clearly, the young man shared the sentiment.

Chu Guang thought for a moment and spoke gently.

"The greatest insult to a clown is not to throw them into the fire, but to make them watch as we live better than they do—more united, more confident, more powerful... Then they will live in regret for yesterday, restless and uneasy. I understand your concern about the North, but they are not our main problem—at least not now."

Though a bit disappointed, the loyal young man trusted that the respected Manager had foresight beyond his own, so he saw no issue.

After finishing the reply, he quickly opened another letter. But as soon as he saw the salutation and the delicate handwriting, he sensed something was off.

"Dear Manager, I have admired you for so long. I heard you have no children of your own, and that thought troubles me deeply..."

Halfway through, Lü Bei suddenly stopped awkwardly, stammering and unable to continue.

It was obvious what the letter contained—another variation of urging him to start a family. Chu Guang shook his head with a wry smile.

These people.

Always worrying about things that didn't concern them. They'd be better off raising a couple more pigs.

"Go on, I don't mind."

"But... well, if you insist," Lü Bei said, embarrassed, lowering his head and forcing himself to read on. "If—if possible, I would like to bear your child, as many as you want. This is the wish of a girl from Dawn City. My address is—"

Chu Guang, who had been sipping tea to moisten his throat, nearly spat it out. He coughed and cut Lü Bei off mid-sentence.

"Alright, alright, that's enough."

Lü Bei obediently closed the letter and whispered, "Sir... should we reply to this one?"

Glancing hastily at his VM, Chu Guang cut off his foolish question.

"We can't reply to everyone's opinions. By the way, we need a Manager's Office to handle all citizens' letters to the Alliance, and to select meaningful questions for public answers in newspapers and broadcasts."

"Also, each department needs a dedicated office to handle citizens' correspondence and, when necessary, hold press conferences to address public confusion. Don't stuff all the letters here... I need to talk to someone about this. Today's break is over. That's it for now."

He had almost forgotten about this.

Back when the printing press fire incident first broke out, Chu Guang had considered setting up a more official public communication channel, rather than relying solely on newspaper reporters for interviews.

The Representative Assembly was currently working on relevant legislation.

The Alliance authorities needed to do their part as well.

Staring blankly at the Manager who had just stood up and left after a long speech, Lü Bei clutched the envelope in his hand, still dazed.

So... what should he do with this letter?

Standing by the coffee machine, Yin Fang had witnessed the whole scene and chuckled teasingly.

"No offense, but the guy is surprisingly shy sometimes."

Though only sometimes...

...

At the junction of the Bolo Sea and the Southern Sea, a cargo ship with a tall smokestack was slowly passing through a wide strait.

Jungles lined both sides, and jagged reefs dotted the shore. The crumbling concrete port suggested there had once been a thriving harbor and city here, but now only the chirping of insects and the occasional howl of monkeys remained.

Standing on the deck, a woman wrapped in a cloak wore an uneasy expression.

Her name was Misa, just over twenty, with brown hair. Before the disaster, she had been a teacher in Golden Harbor.

Though born in a port city, she had never traveled this far.

"This is..."

"The Baiyue Province."

A pleasant voice came from behind.

Misa turned to see a pair of lively cat ears swaying gently in the sea breeze, and a cute, lively face smiling at her.

Some mercenaries and sailors on board called her the envoy of the Silver Moon Goddess.

Misa felt a bit nervous but couldn't help asking curiously in a low voice.

"...What place is that?"

Walking to the railing, Zhima Hu squinted at the tropical strait, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, and spoke in a storytelling tone.

"...To its northeast is the Haiya Province, to the east is the Southern Sea, to the northwest is the Luoxia Province. Cross the Zhuobar Mountains, and you'll reach Oasis No. 4 and Silver Moon Bay. On the map, it looks like two teeth stacked one above the other, with a strait between them."

This place was once a tourist resort of the People's Union, home to several prosperous vacation cities.

But in the fifty years after the Three-Year War, traces of human life had gradually faded away.

Listening intently, Misa asked curiously, "What happened?"

"Will we be docking here?"

Sesame Paste replied, somewhat troubled.

"Hmm, no need for that. We did go ashore for a look, but we found no survivors there—only dangerous mutated creatures and deadly venomous insects."

Perhaps the game designer hadn't finished mapping this area yet.

Back then, they had taken a small boat and circled along the shore, finding no suitable harbor to dock, so they left without exploring deeper.

Word had it that the Hump Kingdom once planned to annex this region, even attempting to build a colony along the coast, but ultimately succumbed to the aberrations, venomous bugs, bizarre epidemics, and immense financial strain, forcing them to abandon their settlement there.

Listening to this divine messenger speak of the land, Misa's thirst for knowledge was sated, yet a pang of disappointment crept into her heart.

Just moments ago, she had been thinking of bringing the Moonfolk from the Brahman Province here to build a new home, but now it seemed things were not as simple as she had imagined.

"You know so much," Misa said, a heartfelt sigh escaping her after hearing the tale of this land.

Seeing the envy and admiration reflected in those eyes, Sesame Paste scratched the back of her head awkwardly and smiled shyly.

"Well, we do travel around a lot."

Perhaps because she was also a teacher in real life, she had taken a liking to this NPC young lady.

Though she said it without any hint of boasting, Misa only grew more envious after hearing it.

Travel...

That was something she had never dared to dream of.

For those with a home, venturing far was travel; for someone like her, homeless, even going to unfamiliar places was merely wandering.

"Then where do we disembark?"

Sesame Paste said softly.

"There's a cluster of artificial islands in the southern sea, where many survivors aided by shelter residents live. We plan to try our luck there first, at least to stock up on supplies. If they won't take us in, we'll continue to the Cloud Province at the easternmost edge of the continent."

Misa looked at her with gratitude, her eyes brimming with tears.

"I... I don't know how to thank you enough."

Sesame Paste smiled sheepishly and said,

"Don't mention it. It's not like we have any particular destination."

Just as the two were chatting, the ship's alarm suddenly blared.

Sesame Paste, who had been talking with Misa, froze for a moment, then quickly led her back to the cabin, urging her not to come up.

After that, she grabbed her gear and joined the others on the deck, finding Tail with one foot propped on the railing.

"What happened?"

Tail's face was stern, his eyes narrowed as he gazed at the distant horizon.

"Pirates."

Sesame Paste was taken aback.

Rourou, standing nearby, made a helpless expression and couldn't help but quip,

"How many pirates can there be?"

As they spoke, two speedboats with flags emerged from behind the reefs, heading toward their cargo ship.

Compared to the Rourou, they were as tiny as bathtub toys, but when it came to technology, the electrically powered ones clearly had the edge.

Sisi, standing in the bridge, narrowed her eyes slightly.

She noticed that these speedboats lacked the black ironwood used to repel sea beasts, suggesting they used something else or some other technique.

One speedboat pulled ahead, and a soldier-like man stood at its bow, shouting to the people on the cargo ship's deck.

"This is federal waters! Who are you?"

Federal?

Rourou and Sesame Paste exchanged glances, confusion written on their faces.

'When did a federation pop up here?'

'No idea...'

When they came here last year, there were only a few island settlements.

Had the map's factions refreshed?

The one human and one bear were utterly bewildered.

But Tail, standing by the railing, was not confused at all. Instead, as if on the same wavelength, he shouted back to the man,

"Oh! Friends of the Federation! This is the White Bear Knights!"

The man on the speedboat was clearly taken aback and blurted out,

"What's that?"

Sisi, who had somehow come onto the deck, grabbed Tail, who was about to shout again, and cleared her throat to call out,

"We're merchants from Silvermoon Bay. We plan to cross the strait to a port in eastern Zhongzhou Continent. Please allow us to dock here for fresh water and supplies."

The man eyed her suspiciously but found no flaw in her words, so he continued,

"...That's fine, but I must make it clear: we only accept Dinars and Cr here, not those coins with animals on them."

Coins with camels—that likely referred to the currency of the Luoxia Province.

Due to their gold content, size, and the overall national strength, those coins were only used locally, and few recognized them beyond Silvermoon Bay.

Sisi nodded in understanding.

"No problem."

"Follow us, and watch out for reefs and mines." With that, the man turned and went back into the cabin, maneuvering the speedboat to turn around at sea.

Rourou glanced at Sisi with confusion and asked in a low voice in Mandarin,

"Why don't we just tell them the truth?"

"Tell them we have nearly a thousand refugees on board? I'm not sure they wouldn't turn us away." Watching the two speedboats depart, Sisi narrowed her eyes.

Something was off about this place.

She had a feeling that this trip to Shelter 70 would not be as peaceful as she had imagined...

Rourou scratched the back of her head.

Tail, standing beside her, said with a serious air,

"This world is treacherous, Rourou. What if they find out we're pirates wanted by the Xilan Empire? They might turn us in for that 3.6 billion Belly bounty!"

"You've got the currency wrong, and our bounty isn't that high!" Rourou retorted with a wry laugh, but she understood Sisi's reasoning.

After all, this wasn't a settlement they were familiar with.

Better to be cautious...