Chapter 688: The Road Is Getting Wider

Chapter 688: The Path Grows Wider

At first, upon hearing that "unreasonable" proposal, Chen Jianhong's heart was filled with refusal.

The reason was simple.

The Dolphin submarine was the property of Coral City's residents, not his personal possession.

Whether by legal principle or duty, he had no reason, no authority, and should not take this submarine to join the Alliance.

However—

That said.

Yet when he thought of Sun Yuechi, who was now living it up in Dawn City, that will as hard as steel couldn't help but waver just a little.

Why shouldn't he?

He couldn't help but ask himself.

Even that dear Administrator—the one who should least have shed his responsibilities and obligations—had unhesitatingly given up everything he had, without even a furrow of his brow.

And he was merely the captain of a cargo submarine, neither a soldier nor obligated to manage the daily needs of these hundreds of people. What reason did he have to continue this war that was doomed to yield no results?

Moreover, it couldn't even be called a war.

The submarine had no weapons capable of effectively harming Federation vessels; from start to finish, it was just them being beaten and scurrying for cover.

He was fed up with this stifling life and the responsibilities thrust upon his shoulders.

Rather, it was the right choice to accept the olive branch extended by the Alliance.

After all, according to those two, the management authority of Vault 70 had already been transferred to the Alliance. So it seemed only natural that the "Dolphin," designed and built by Vault 70's residents, should be handed over to the Alliance for use?

He wasn't surrendering to the thugs of the South Archipelago Federation.

And for the over five hundred survivors and fifty-plus crew members on the submarine, this was undoubtedly the best choice.

The moment his thinking opened up, he felt a sudden clarity, and the resentment that had built up from learning about the Administrator's situation dissipated like smoke.

You surrender, I surrender—now we're all the same.

With a bright smile on his face, he almost without hesitation extended his right hand to Tail.

"This idea... it sounds pretty good."

"Just as you said, since our Administrator is already with you, we might as well come over too... if you don't mind."

The two soldiers standing beside him cast him almost simultaneous glances of astonishment, as if looking at someone who had taken the wrong medicine.

Defect to the Alliance?!

This...

Was truly a path never imagined.

Tail, however, saw no problem at all and grasped the extended right hand with delight.

"Oh! I'm so glad you chose us. Our Administrator says the Alliance welcomes all survivors to join, and of course, you're welcome too. French Fry Port will hold a grand welcome ceremony to greet you! I promise you that!"

Chen Jianhong smiled faintly, shook Tail's hand, and let go.

"Ceremony or not doesn't matter. As long as you can provide us with necessary food, fresh water, shelter, and other supplies, that's enough. There are some engineers from Coral City on board, along with some engineering equipment we brought from there... They can help you with some complex tasks within their capabilities."

"Oh! Don't worry! There will be welcome flowers, water, food, and shelter!" Tail's eyes sparkled as she patted her chest and swore.

Lost a submersible, gained a nuclear submarine!

What a deal, right?

Watching from the side, Si Si was dumbfounded by this sudden turn of events.

She had never imagined that this guy would agree, and had even prepared to save face for Tail, but she never thought he would actually consent?!

Even if they were all Vault residents and communication wasn't that difficult...

They had only known each other for less than an hour, right?!

After a long while, she snapped out of her daze, her lips unconsciously parting as she muttered to herself.

"Geez..."

This was just too absurd!

...

What happened next was even more absurd than Si Si had imagined.

Right after agreeing to join the Alliance, the Captain, without hesitation, took the two to his office and announced over the intercom to the entire crew that the Dolphin submarine was joining the Alliance.

Most of the survivors on the submarine showed little reaction upon hearing the broadcast; some even breathed a quiet sigh of relief, expressions of liberation on their faces.

This war had left them bewildered; many had been dragged into it with no clue what was happening.

They didn't even care about winning or losing.

Whether it was the Federation or a return to the old ways.

They just wanted to end this life of scarcity and oppression as soon as possible, to get their lives back on a normal track.

After announcing the joining of the Alliance, Captain Chen Jianhong readily embraced his new identity. On one hand, he ordered a course adjustment toward the Baiyue Strait; on the other, he actively led the two, who were full of curiosity about the submarine, on a tour.

"...This Dolphin was built ten years ago and is currently the largest nuclear-powered submarine in active service in the southern seas, as well as the one with the greatest cargo capacity! Its main purpose is to transport goods between islands and settlements, while also undertaking some underwater construction tasks for seabed facilities."

"I recall its maximum diving depth can reach minus one thousand meters above sea level, though there's usually no need to dive that deep. As far as I know, the deepest seabed facility here is around minus six hundred meters—a deep-sea research station. Coral City's average elevation seems to be around minus two to three hundred meters."

Tail's eyes sparkled.

"An underwater settlement! I'd love to see it!"

Chen Jianhong smiled.

"Probably not now. After the power outage, it became a dead city. We'll see after the war ends. I hope it won't drag on too long, or else we'll only be able to go there for archaeology."

As he said this, his tone carried a hint of melancholy.

It was a miracle created by the survivors living in these waters, built with nearly a century of effort and sweat.

Yet all it took to destroy it was one foolish war.

Tail nodded thoughtfully, rubbing her chin.

"Like a house that's been empty too long and becomes uninhabitable, right?"

Chen Jianhong nodded, sighing softly.

"Pretty much."

Though their topics occasionally didn't align, they surprisingly got along.

Si Si, walking beside them, rested her hand on the railing and gazed toward the central area piled high with containers, speaking with some emotion.

"This submarine is indeed huge... Setting everything else aside, its length alone is longer than the Ohio-class and the Belgorod."

Width was even more impressive.

With a cargo hold in the middle, this thing was practically a submarine aircraft carrier.

Hearing her comment, Chen Jianhong was slightly taken aback.

"Ohio... what is that thing?"

Sisi was also taken aback, then laughed.

"Nothing worth mentioning."

Indeed, it was nothing.

After all, this was nuclear fusion power—how could it compare to those antiquated steam-boiling relics?

The two sides, whether in materials or energy type, were entirely on different dimensions.

Chen Jianhong looked at her in bewilderment, but didn't ask further—after all, it wasn't the first time he couldn't understand what these two were saying.

He paused, then continued introducing the submarine's layout.

"...I divided the cabin into three sections: Section One is the living area, Section Two is the logistics warehouse, and Section Three is the work area... that area ahead, which mainly contains some production facilities."

Tail asked with an expectant look.

"Produce what?"

Chen Jianhong: "Everything we can produce. This submarine carries nearly six hundred people—it's severely overcrowded. We have to do everything possible to meet everyone's living needs."

Sisi pondered for a moment, then suddenly spoke.

"Actually, I've been curious: over two months, how did you solve your food problem? Fishing?"

Chen Jianhong continued.

"Mainly by artificially cultivating some fast-growing algae that can be used to extract nutrients, which also helps improve the air in the cabin. Fortunately, electricity and light are the least scarce things here—if we ration, it's enough. Besides that, we occasionally encounter fish schools; if we're lucky, we can haul in a net, which slightly improves the survivors' meals."

Their main threat wasn't the abyssal mutants, but the Federation's destroyers.

Although the Dolphin looked sizable, sinking it would only take a few depth charges.

Tail looked at him in surprise.

"Eh? So that means your meals are pretty good?"

"Good? Haha."

Chen Jianhong's expression darkened as he curled his lip, continuing with a complicated look.

"If you're interested, you can try it—eating that green nutrient paste and fish so stinky the smell is overwhelming for two months straight... The only seasoning here is salt; maybe using spices from Borneo Province would help. Later, out of desperation, we tried making some vinegar and soy sauce, but the taste was worse than nothing."

Probably imagining that scene, Tail shrank her neck, nodding sympathetically as she offered a word of comfort.

"That really is miserable..."

Sisi turned her gaze to the containers stacked in the middle of the cargo hold and continued asking.

"So what's in these boxes?"

Chen Jianhong: "Mainly industrial products—some connectors for maintaining Coral City's underwater facilities, and some automated tools. We've opened a few boxes to reclaim the contents, but there are still many unopened. If you're interested, you can rummage through them; you might find something useful."

Hearing this, Tail's eyes lit up, and she became excited.

"Oh! Then Tail won't stand on ceremony!"

She was best at scavenging!

"Suit yourself—the order can't be fulfilled anyway."

Glancing at this not-so-bright one, Chen Jianhong looked at the wrist computer on his left arm, then turned to the two Blue Coats from the Alliance.

"...We're about fifty kilometers from the Baiyue Strait. Do you want to contact the people on shore first? Do they have a fixed radio channel?"

Sisi smiled slightly and said.

"Of course we do, but we've already contacted them."

Chen Jianhong was taken aback.

"Contacted... them?"

"We have a special means of communication. In any case, we'll just go straight there." Sisi didn't elaborate, only explaining succinctly.

Just now, while taking a bathroom break, Tail had logged off to post on the forum.

Hearing that A Wei had swiped a nuclear submarine, everyone expressed disbelief.

To be honest, not to mention the people on shore, even she, standing on this submarine right now, hadn't expected things to go so smoothly—she still felt like she was dreaming.

Chen Jianhong looked at the woman named Sisi with skepticism, but said nothing.

For now, he'd just take it as it was...

...

At this very moment.

On the shore of Fries Port, a dense crowd of players gathered, each craning their necks curiously, looking like they'd never seen the world, staring at the rolling waves in the distance.

To be frank.

They were all here to see the nuclear submarine.

According to a certain Tail's boasting on the forum, this submarine not only used second-generation controlled nuclear fusion power, but was also so large that its cabin could carry cargo—it was like an aircraft carrier sailing underwater!

How damn big was that?!

It was already past five in the morning; a hazy pale light had appeared on the distant sea, but there was still no sign of the submarine.

The crowd had been standing here for nearly half an hour.

Thinking about the last maid outfit incident, many people began to mutter in their hearts.

"I fucking feel like that guy is bragging again?"

"+1, you're not the only one."

"This time, no maid outfit—let's try something different."

"How about bikinis?"

"Holy shit, that wild?"

Listening to the whispers, Daoxia Liuren stood with arms crossed, looking at the distant sea, a hint of doubt in his heart.

He wasn't an expert in naval architecture or materials science—he wouldn't judge whether a submarine as big as an aircraft carrier that could carry cargo in its cabin was possible—but he knew A Guang!

Would A Guang be so generous as to give them a submarine for free?

He absolutely didn't believe it!

"If it doesn't come soon, I'm going into the forest to farm mobs." Sharenzhibi stretched lazily.

Fudi Laomo, standing nearby, glanced at him.

"Not on duty today?"

"How can I be on duty every day? Today it's Lao Shen... Holy shit!" As he spoke, Shabi suddenly widened his eyes, his mouth forming an O.

Seeing this guy suddenly go crazy, Fudi Laomo was startled.

"What's wrong?"

"Ahead! In the sea!" Shabi pointed forward, shouting excitedly.

This reminder was entirely unnecessary.

Behold, on the sea bathed in rosy clouds, a towering steel beast pushed through layer after layer of waves from below, revealing its broad bow and hull.

Spray crashed against the prow, churning up white foam; strings of crystal droplets slid down the pitch-black silhouette, shimmering like pearls in the morning light.

The twilight glow spilled across the sea behind the submarine, stretching into an orange ribbon that reached toward the horizon.

Inside the cockpit, Chen Jianhong looked at Tail beside him and asked in confusion.

"Why surface at this exact spot? Is there some special meaning?"

In truth, they had arrived half an hour ago.

Yet at someone's request, they waited a full thirty minutes before surfacing.

Gazing at the sea drenched in morning radiance through the porthole, Tail's eyes sparkled as she spoke.

"Don't you think it's awesome?"

Chen Jianhong: "...?"

To be fair, the scene was indeed breathtaking.

Though the crew inside the cabin couldn't feel it, the players standing on the shore were all staring wide-eyed.

"Holy crap?!"

"For real?!"

"Is that a fucking submarine?!"

"That's too badass!"

A clamor rose from the shore; nearly every face bore expressions of shock and disbelief.

Besides those shouting and snapping excited photos, someone even fainted on the spot.

But it wasn't a real faint—they had logged off to share the thrill and joy with goofy netizens on the forum.

The players were long used to this, but it startled the kind-hearted Moon Tribe girls, who thought it was heatstroke and rushed over to give mouth-to-mouth—luckily, a warm-hearted player stopped them.

Meanwhile, on the golden-glowing sea, the black bow and deck had fully emerged.

Crew members in exoskeletons, led by Captain Chen Jianhong, stepped onto the deck.

Seeing the lonely, shabby wooden pier before him, he froze, his open mouth unsure whether it was surprise or disbelief.

After a long pause, he turned to Si Si and spoke.

"This is your... port?"

Si Si's expression was subtle; she wasn't as thick-skinned as Awei, so she coughed awkwardly.

"The facilities are a bit crude, but please don't mind—everything will improve gradually."

Tail nodded, puffing out her chest.

"Oh! It's still the early days of our venture—everything will get better!"

"..."

Chen Jianhong's brow twitched sharply, but he said nothing.

Thinking it over, the situation wasn't as bad as he'd imagined.

At least there was a pier extending into deep water; they didn't have to row ashore in rubber boats—just set up a floating bridge between the dock and the deck.

And the port facilities were secondary; the key was that they had the Alliance's protection!

Unless the South Islands Federation was ready to go to war with the Alliance, they probably wouldn't keep attacking them, even if they just stayed in the sub without coming ashore.

But that was his thought—the residents already on deck had a different idea.

Looking at the golden beach and the village standing by it, their malnourished faces were filled with longing.

They didn't care at all about rough living conditions; they just wanted to leave that damned deep sea and return to life under the sun.

"...Speaking of which, I almost forgot to ask—are you sure it's okay to build a settlement here? This is Baiyue Province." He turned to Si Si, asking again for confirmation.

Knowing what he was worried about, Si Si gave him a reassuring look.

"Don't worry, our people will handle security—we won't let the mutants here hurt you. You can see, there are already some people living on the shore."

Chen Jianhong nodded, his furrowed brow relaxing slightly.

"I'd like to meet the person in charge here."

Gazing at the distant sea, Si Si smiled faintly.

"He's already on his way."

Just as she finished speaking, a small boat pulled up alongside the submarine.

Climbing the ladder onto the deck, Fang Chang wiped the slimy seaweed from his hands, walked over with a smile, and extended his right hand to Chen Jianhong.

"Welcome! Captain Chen! I'm Fang Chang, the head of Fries Port!"

Chen Jianhong shook his hand, glanced at the people on shore, then looked back at him.

"Thank you for your warm hospitality... My crew, the survivors on board, and I sincerely wish to join you. For that, I hope to receive the treatment and status of Alliance citizens."

Fang Chang's face beamed with a bright smile.

"Don't worry, I've already told the Administrator about you. He welcomes your choice! And he specifically asked me to tell you that from today, you are citizens of the Alliance, protected by its laws, and also obligated to abide by and uphold them."

Chen Jianhong breathed a sigh of relief, as if a weight had been lifted.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. We should be the ones thanking you—on this road to rebuilding civilization and order, we've gained another reliable ally!"

Releasing the captain's hand, Fang Chang continued with a smile.

"Since the Alliance currently has no naval command and we lack experts in this field, we'll have to trouble you to continue serving as the captain of the Dolphin. For now, we'll pay you and all your crew according to army standards!"

Chen Jianhong was taken aback and quickly asked.

"Wait, navy? The Dolphin isn't a combat vessel, and I'm not a military man—"

Seeing his hurried explanation, Fang Chang quickly reassured him.

"I know. Don't worry—you won't be assigned combat missions. We have no enemies to attack on this sea."

Hearing that, Chen Jianhong finally relaxed.

But after thinking it over, he felt his earlier words were a bit embarrassing, so he awkwardly explained further.

"I'm not afraid of fighting. If it were the South Islands Federation's navy, I'd punch them without hesitation. But unfortunately, this sub doesn't have a single decent weapon. And it's too big to be used as an offensive weapon—I hope you understand."

He paused, then continued.

"Also, we've been drifting underwater for a while. A lot of the sub's equipment needs maintenance and repairs. Could you build a port here? Not this wooden one—preferably something a bit more reliable."

Fang Chang was about to say he was already contacting a company from Ideal City.

Just then, someone squeezed out from the crowd of survivors on deck, raised his right hand, and said.

"If you're planning to build a port, I can help!"

He wore a faded brown shirt, looking somewhat haggard, but his eyes were bright and piercing.

Watching this warm-hearted man, Fang Chang paused for a moment, then asked him with curiosity.

"You are..."

Chen Jianhong glanced at the man and introduced him on his behalf.

"His name is Li Shihao, an engineer from Coral City. He used to work at the submarine docking station—seemed like an engineer, but I forget what exactly he did—"

"Harbor and waterway engineering!" the man cut in, snatching the words. He looked at Fang Chang, whose expression was surprised, and continued rapidly, "I worked on the port renovation projects for Ring Island and Peace Island, and also designed the submarine docking station in Coral City... Give me enough manpower and materials, and I can build you a universal port capable of docking this submarine!"

When he heard the last sentence, Fang Chang's eyes lit up, and he immediately declared.

"Excellent! You're hired. I'll not only give you enough manpower and materials, but also pay you a monthly salary of ten thousand silver coins! That's just the base pay—there'll be performance bonuses and commissions! If you work hard, I promise you'll live better in the Alliance than you did under your old shelter director! Oh, and the choice to accept the offer is yours—"

"I accept!" the man nodded eagerly, his face full of excitement.

Though he didn't know the purchasing power of ten thousand silver coins, having a job to start with couldn't be wrong.

Seeing someone who hadn't even come ashore yet already found work, the survivors on the deck showed envious expressions.

With someone leading the way, several others raised their hands and stepped forward voluntarily.

"I'm his colleague!"

"I can do this job too, I can help!"

"Do you need someone who knows how to raise fish? I can raise fish! I did it well back in Coral City!"

"I'm a prospector, mainly seabed mining... but I can do land-based work too!"

"I'm a miner!"

"Wait, are you interested in underwater automated construction equipment? I worked on the design of the Electric Ray unmanned boat! That's the one for underwater automated welding!"

"Look at me too—I research waterproof and anti-corrosion materials..."

Fang Chang's face lit up with ecstasy.

He looked at these people as if he were seeing walking gold mines!

Sisi and Tail also showed surprised expressions.

On one hand, they were amazed that so many talented people were among the survivors; on the other, they were astonished that Fang Chang, that old fox, was holding an on-site recruitment drive.

"I giao!"

"This guy is such a dog..."

Seeing the excited crowd, Fang Chang quickly raised his hand to calm them down and shouted.

"Everyone, don't get excited! No need to rush! What we need most right now is people, especially talents like you with knowledge and professional skills!"

"When I hand out ID cards later, I'll register everyone's occupation and specialty! I promise you'll all find decent jobs you like and start a new life on this sun-drenched land!"

"Also, we've prepared fine dishes and wine from Dawn City for you! Before we start anew, let's say a final goodbye to all the troubles of the past!"

Food!

Wine!

As the sonorous voice fell, the deck erupted with excited cheers and whistles.

Those gaunt faces were brimming with excitement and joy.

With hope and anticipation for a new life, the people on deck were in high spirits, every one of them as if injected with adrenaline. Especially Tail, who joined in with howls of excitement.

Watching the cheering crew and survivors, Captain Chen Jianhong's face showed a gratified smile.

To end these two and a half months of wandering in such a way—it was not in vain for all the suffering he had endured...

With the help of the players on shore, a simple floating bridge was quickly built between the dock and the submarine, and the survivors and crew on deck gradually stepped onto the beach.

The Yiren Tavern, which was supposed to open only in the evening, was bustling since early morning.

Tables and chairs were set up on the beach, the atmosphere as lively as a festival.

At that moment, on the distant sea, a speedboat belonging to the South Islands Federation was speeding toward French Fries Port.

It was Muda's speedboat.

Having finally dealt with the Federation Navy's interrogation, he didn't return to Ring Island for his shift but headed straight here.

He now only wanted to deliver the hot roasted jellyfish tied under his boat to the Alliance as soon as possible, and then tell them about the two girls who went missing near the wreck of the ocean current generator.

But what Muda never expected was that as soon as he entered the eastern part of the Baiyue Strait, he saw that enormous thing floating on the water.

The Dolphin!

The undersea ghost that had sunk twelve Federation cargo ships!

The top target on the Federation Navy's wanted list!

Standing at the bow of the speedboat, Muda stared blankly at the giant beast floating on the sea, momentarily speechless.

The sailor behind him swallowed his saliva and asked in a trembling voice.

"Captain?"

Muda's eyes struggled for a moment, then he gritted his teeth and gave a low order.

"...Move closer."

The sailor exchanged glances with the helmsman in the cabin, and they saw deep unease and confusion in each other's eyes.

They felt that this path was getting darker and darker...