Chapter 662: I, the Pangolin, Am Back!

Chapter 662: The Pangolin Returns!

As for the players’ plan to build a port on their own in the Baiyue Strait, Chu Guang naturally supported it in his heart.

Not only because the southern sea region housed Vault 70 and the fallen Heaven spaceship, but also because it meant his little players had begun actively spreading the light of order outward.

As for issues like ownership of the port, fussing over that would be far too narrow-minded.

It was now 2342, not 1600. He was neither the emperor of the Alliance nor the chairman of some ocean-going company, but the administrator of the Alliance and the architect of its order.

His little players were not convicts exiled by him, but warriors who had sworn under the banner of the Human Union to end the wasteland.

He and the players were highly unified in both interests and stance, not two opposing sides.

The players were part of the Alliance; settlements built by players were naturally part of the Alliance as well, and acknowledging the Alliance’s constitution was one of the obligations written in the Player Handbook. If one couldn’t accept it, they could give up their beta test qualification to someone willing to join.

Under the order led by the Alliance, players could discuss the future of their settlements with local survivors, or even leave it entirely to the locals to decide, just like the residents of Boulder City and Singularity City.

As long as they didn’t violate the Alliance’s constitution or the rules in the Player Handbook, Chu Guang was happy to let them make their own mess within the rules.

Under the game rules he designed, the Alliance authorities only made macro-level plans and were responsible for the safety of each settlement. “How to do it” was always a matter for each settlement to figure out on its own.

No one could plan everything down to the last detail, and the places he couldn’t think of would inevitably require many people to accomplish together.

From passively waiting for the dog planner to update the game to actively enriching the game’s content—this was itself something Chu Guang had always guided his players to do.

After all, this planet would need at least hundreds or thousands of settlements planned. If he had to plan them all by himself, it would take forever.

As for the world five light-years away, that was even more unthinkable!

Compared to that port, which the players had clamored into existence, Chu Guang was actually more concerned about another matter.

“The southern sea region has formed the Southern Archipelago Federation and is at war with Vault 70… That’s not what was agreed upon.”

Staring at the pale blue holographic window, Chu Guang, sitting on the sofa, fell into deep thought.

When Sun Yuechi had introduced the situation in the southern sea region before, although he mentioned differences between the Vault and the surface settlements in many areas, he never said the conflict had reached such a tense, sword-drawn level.

A doubt crept into Chu Guang’s heart: had that Sun Yuechi dug a pit for him?

But he quickly thought again: that guy had set out from the southern sea region for the Valley Province a long time ago, and according to his little players, that Federation was an organization that had only emerged this year.

In other words, while Sun Yuechi was slowly wandering north, he might not even know his own home was on fire.

The speed of news spreading across the wasteland was always a mystery.

With a slight stir in his heart, Chu Guang spoke.

“Xiao Qi.”

A spirited voice soon drifted into his ears.

“Here, Master.”

After a moment of thought, Chu Guang said.

“Help me update the task bar for that test player who got the activation code. Have her investigate who started the war between the Southern Archipelago Federation and Vault 70, and what the cause was.”

Judging from her performance on the forum, this task shouldn’t be too difficult for her.

In fact, it might even be what she was best at.

After a pause, Chu Guang added another sentence.

“Set the execution priority of this task to the highest for now.”

Xiao Qi, sitting on the edge of the pen holder, gave a playful military salute.

“Received!”

……

The next morning.

The sky had barely begun to lighten, and the open space in front of the Dawn City airship inflation station was already a scene of bustling activity.

Boxes and bundles of packed supplies were piled on the ground, and various engineering machines were parked nearby, waiting for workers to load them.

Players carrying large backpacks and luggage stood in small groups beside the crowded supplies and equipment, shouting loudly.

“New map exploration! Need a Constitution-type MT, must bring exoskeleton. Interested parties, PM me quickly!”

“Boss, how do you save your progress going so far? What if you die by accident?”

“Are you new? Find a courier task to get familiar with the game flow, level your sequence to LV10 before going out to wander.”

“Damn!”

“Anyone know how to pour concrete? If not, Strength-type is fine too! The construction site needs beasts—uh, I mean, manpower!”

“Anyone up for exploring? Take me with you! I’m Intelligence-type, I’m great with drones!”

Not only was the square in front of the station packed with people, but the line at the ticket office stretched into a long dragon.

A newbie carrying a backpack finally made it to the front, only to be stunned when he found out he had to pay for a ride.

“Holy crap! You have to buy a ticket for the airship?”

Unfazed by the question, the player acting as the ticket seller replied lazily.

“Or you could walk?”

“%￥#@!”

Since parts of the Haiya Province and Jinchuan Province were still under the control of the Torch Church, flying from Dawn City to the Baiyue Strait required detouring south through the Luoxia Province, a total distance of over four thousand kilometers, taking more than two days.

Currently, this route had just opened, operated by the Niu Ma Group, with plans to deploy two airships maintaining two trips per week.

Depending on the situation, it would later increase to one trip per day.

A one-way ticket cost about five hundred silver coins, allowing fifteen kilograms of luggage, with excess charged at ten silver coins per kilogram.

The ticket price included tax and insurance, equivalent to three assault rifles, and required a contribution level of at least Citizen to purchase.

After all, taking an untrained newbie to such a distant place was a hassle; generally, players with a contribution level of Citizen were much more reliable.

These were the “quality labor” that A-Guang had already screened for them, making them safer to use.

Although the ticket price wasn’t cheap and had a purchase threshold, it still couldn’t stop the players’ enthusiasm for the new map and their desire to explore the unknown world.

After all, this was a chance to stay ahead of the version!

The big shots had invested so much money; it couldn’t be just for fun.

If these high-level players really planned to build a port, they would inevitably release a series of exploration and construction tasks.

As long as one seized the opportunity, they could earn back the ticket money in no time!

Although player-issued tasks didn’t give contribution points, the silver coin rewards were often twenty to fifty percent higher than those from NPCs.

For this reason, nearly half of the tickets for this flight to the Baiyue Strait had already been sold as soon as they went up.

All the players waiting in front of the airship inflation station were filled with ambition, their eyes shining with anticipation for the journey ahead.

The opportunities in Clear Spring City had been mostly exhausted.

It was time to try their luck in a new world!

It wasn’t just the warriors preparing to head south who had their eyes on this flight; a large number of life-skill players and NPCs who ran factories or small workshops were also interested.

Most of them learned from the *Wasteland OL* forum or the *Survivor Daily* that the Alliance planned to build a port in the southern sea.

A wave of salesmen had already surged to the side of the airship inflation station, hawking their wares to these eager players.

"KV-2 Improved Type III amphibious exoskeleton! Lets you tread through jungles, swamps, and shallow waters as if on flat ground! Take a look, take a look!"

"One LD-47 solves all your troubles! If that's not enough, grab an RPG too! Deathclaws will steer clear of you!"

"The southern sea is littered with wrecks from the Age of Prosperity, stuffed with mountains of treasure! Really not considering a set of diving salvage gear? Buy now and get a treasure map thrown in... no guarantee you'll find treasure, but you'll definitely find *something*!"

"Anyone need an excavator? We've got the best construction equipment here!"

"Water gliders! Amphibious aircraft! Look no further than Goblin Tech! High quality, low price, buy now while stocks last, and installment plans available! Even newbies can afford it!"

"'Turtle-Type' engineering armor and 'Cross Spider' robots! From Vault 100! Our machines can work on any terrain, even if your construction site is on the moon, we'll make it shoot up like a space elevator!"

The cries of hawking were incessant, even drowning out the calls for teaming up.

And the goods these salesmen were pushing were wildly diverse.

From clearance sales of personal light weapons to liquidating tanks and aircraft stockpiles, from screwdrivers, pliers, and wrenches to excavators, pile drivers, and other heavy equipment—everything was available.

Whether it was the factories of Dawn City or those of Boulder City, they all had their eyes fixed on this fragrant, tempting cake.

Unlike the players eager to stay ahead of the version updates, most factory owners in the Alliance had much simpler, more straightforward thoughts.

No matter what this port—whose name hadn't even been decided—would become in the future, building it would still require steel, cement, and engineering equipment, right?

These were all visible needs!

And the invisible needs went without saying.

To capture this port project, a few tens of millions of silver coins wouldn't be enough; behind it lay at least a market worth hundreds of millions!

Even just scraping a bit of cream off this cake would be enough to fill their coffers to the brim.

And this astonishing chain reaction was something those players who had initially shared strategies in the forum never could have imagined...

In a corner of the crowd.

Staring wide-eyed at the chaotic scene, stunned for a long moment, Ye Shi turned to Fang Chang and whispered nervously.

"...Is this really okay?"

The investment from Niu Ma Group had already ballooned from the initial five million silver coins to twenty million, and that was just the early-stage funding.

Although the location of Baiyue Strait looked promising, the problem was that this was the wasteland!

Outside the settlement, for a hundred miles in any direction, there wasn't a trace of human habitation, and the sea was even emptier. No matter how advantageous the geographical position of Baiyue Strait was, there simply weren't any busy trade routes to support that advantage.

Even if they built the port, who knew how many years it would take to recoup the investment?

Seeing the hesitant Ye Shi, Fang Chang smiled faintly.

"Vision, vision... Take a longer view, my good brother. Not far off, just look at the recent past: what was the situation in the northern suburbs of Clear Spring City two years ago, and what is it like here today?"

Ye Shi scratched the back of his head.

"Is there any comparison?"

"How could there not be?"

Fang Chang continued with a smile.

"At least in my eyes, there's essentially no difference between that place and Clear Spring City. Both were once part of the People's Union, both once nurtured civilization."

"Though now it's a lawless wilderness, once we've been there, it won't be anymore."

In the past, Dawn City was merely a trade hub on the southern corridor of the River Valley Province, but now that former trade hub has become one of the core points along the entire trade route.

Merchants used to pass through just for convenience and safety, but now the land beneath their feet has become one of the destinations on the journeys of traders coming from east and west.

Whoever can establish order in the wasteland will become the torch in people's hearts, and wealth and population will naturally gather toward the light.

The war in the southern seas and the turmoil in the Xilan Empire might just be an opportunity for this still-planned settlement.

It's like the Bone-Crushing Rebellion was for the Alliance.

As for the mutated beasts, poisonous insects, diseases, and other troubles in Baiyue Province—are those really a problem for players?

Even the Hive Mother in Clear Spring City was dealt with by them.

Threats of this magnitude are nothing!

While the players planning to head south were queuing up to buy tickets, a hydrogen airship slowly came to a halt above the inflation station.

In the modestly decorated cabin, a man in luxurious attire with a haughty expression was looking down at the bustling square below.

His name was Banteno.

From his proudly arched nose, it was easy to tell he was a pure-blooded Warrant, and the star on his shoulder further revealed his status—

He was a one-star Myriarch, above ten thousand men!

However, since he was not a military officer but a civil official in Triumph City, he led not a disciplined legion of ten thousand but a diplomatic mission of fewer than a hundred people.

In the Legion, civil officials ranked lower than military officers, but that didn't stop him from being self-important, looking down on these natives outside Triumph City.

Watching the crowd filling the open space, a faint smile curled at the corner of Banteno's lips.

"Are those the people coming to welcome us?"

The battle-hardened atmosphere adjuster standing beside him had a subtle expression.

He knew exactly what those people were doing—after all, he spent his offline time lurking on the forums—but now was clearly not the time to show he knew everything.

"Probably," he said in a low voice, maintaining his image of being taciturn.

Banteno smiled faintly, his lips curling with self-satisfaction.

"It seems these barbarians do know some manners."

Watching the man's confident demeanor, the battle-hardened guy made a helpless face.

As for why he was here, that was a long story.

Originally, after taking the "Arbiter" airship to the Legion, he had been resting in General Adria's territory, waiting to report to Triumph City.

But before the transfer order arrived, he suddenly heard news that the Marshal intended to send a diplomatic mission to the Alliance to discuss the management of the mutant slime mold and the establishment of diplomatic relations.

He immediately sensed something was off, and as expected, things developed just as he had foreseen—this mission to the East needed a guide familiar with the River Valley Province.

A local would be even better.

As luck would have it, that ambassador named Banteno happened to be Penny's father!

The battle-hardened guy didn't know if the warm-hearted Miss Penny had put in a good word for him, but in any case, the appointment letter did land in his hands.

When he received the letter, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He had been *this close* to seeing the Triumph City he had longed for.

It wasn't that he was particularly eager to go there.

The key point was that going to that place had become his only hope to keep playing the undercover role.

The war between the Alliance and the Legion had been over for more than half a year. That bastard Quan Shui had already experienced who knows how many expansion packs, while he was still stuck out here.

But it could be considered a blessing in disguise.

As the guide for the diplomatic mission, he was granted an extraordinary promotion by the military, the stars on his shoulder insignia signifying the rank of Chiliarch increasing from one to two.

At the same time, he also received a T-10 "Champion" power armor awarded by the military as a reward for his military merits!

After all, the damn game designer hadn't broken his word.

Although it had made him miss several versions, the promised power armor was finally given to him.

As for this matter, his old friend and former superior, Korwei, was extremely envious.

From a potato-peeling attendant to a Chiliarch in just one year—such a promotion speed was unmatched in the entire legion!

Especially that power armor.

He hadn't even received such treatment back then!

Just as Warfield was gazing melancholically at his "hometown" that had changed with time, the adjutant standing behind Banteno gave a soft cough and spoke.

"Mr. Banteno, we are here to negotiate cooperation with the Alliance... The Marshal attaches great importance to this matter. It would be better for us to be a bit more restrained."

Hearing the adjutant's reminder, a flicker of annoyance crossed Banteno's face.

But seemingly out of some concern, he did not rebuke the man's impertinent interruption, only replying impatiently.

"I know, I don't need you to teach me how to do things. I have my own sense of propriety."

The adjutant replied softly.

"I hope so."

Warfield noticed from the corner of his eye that Banteno's brow twitched violently upon hearing this, but he held back and did not lose his temper.

Such a rare scene stirred a hint of surprise in Warfield's heart.

Who exactly was this adjutant?

He had been traveling with the mission for some time and was fairly familiar with the identities, positions, and backgrounds of each member.

Only this adjutant's identity had always been a mystery.

All he knew was that the man's name was Quik, his rank was the same as his own—Chiliarch—but with one more star.

As for whether he was a military officer or a civil official, which department he came from, and his political faction or background—he was completely in the dark.

If only there were other players in Triumph City.

Then they could help him inquire and tell him on the forum...

Sneaking a glance at the unnatural expression on Myriarch Banteno's face and the calm demeanor of that Quik, Warfield mused inwardly.

He felt that this adjutant harbored an extraordinary secret.

And his intuition told him.

This secret might be related to the "Sticky Commonwealth" that had been widely discussed on the forum recently.

Perhaps he should do something to alleviate the worries of the esteemed Administrator...