This Game is Too Real

   Chapter 514 An Adventure Without Regrets

   Early November.

  It's winter on the east coast, and although it hasn't snowed like last year, the low sky is still thick with clouds.

  Today is undoubtedly a sad day for the residents of Ideal City.

   Their hero never returned home.

   After waiting for a long time, what I waited for was only such a result,

   Many people cannot accept it.

   Press conference scene.

  The spacious venue was crowded with reporters from various media.

  Although Wu Changnian, the deputy head of the general management department, just got off the plane, the relevant news had already spread all over the city two days ago. So much so that others are still dozing in the sky, and the people on the ground have already helped him arrange the itinerary after landing.

   While there was still some time before the official start of the press conference, everyone at the scene whispered and communicated.

   "We spent billions, fought a local war for it...and ended up like this?"

   "I don't know what the council thinks."

   "What can you think? By the time our people arrived, they were already cold, and it was only a few months ago."

"Hey."

   "Actually, what I care more about is the Enlightenment..."

   "Indeed, replacing one's memory...sounds gives me goosebumps."

   "Is that really the organization of the Blue Jackets?"

   "I hope that the shelter in the Province of Clouds doesn't have those guys."

   "We shouldn't be pinning our hopes on hope, what should the council do to make sure we don't have those guys around!"

   The whispers grew louder.

  What people are concerned about is not just that the Trailblazer got nothing, the investment of tens of billions was wasted, and a budget of billions was added for this.

  Most people are more concerned about the thoughtful enlightenment meeting.

   There is no point in creating more value if the fruits of labor today may be usurped someday in the future.

  No one can accept it. One day, he came home from get off work and met a pair of unfamiliar eyes, and he couldn't accept a group of little ghosts who were hiding in the dark and secretly replacing him.

  More than 5,000 kilometers, it is not too far to say, there is always a way to think of the past.

   At the same time, in the preparation room next to the press conference site, Wu Changnian, who had just gotten off the plane and transferred to the car, walked towards the site before taking a sip of water.

   chased after him with the documents, and his office secretary persuaded bitterly.

   "...you at least sit down and rest for a while!"

"No, I've rested long enough on the plane, from the Great Desert, to the Lion Kingdom, to Dawn City, and here again. There is a council meeting in the afternoon, and I have to put the press conference here first. Get it done... This is the task given to me by the council." Wu Changnian opened the holographic computer pen, glanced at today's schedule, and couldn't help but feel numb in his scalp.

   He was only a deputy, so it was beyond his expectation that he was so busy.

but-

   Suddenly being busy is not a bad thing.

   This is a good omen, maybe it won't be too long before he will be able to further his career.

  Thinking of this, the slightly tired face regained his energy. Although he just went up for a walk, he was a tough guy who had been on the battlefield anyway.

   "The reporters outside looked aggressive, I'm afraid they won't spare you lightly." The secretary on the side made the final persuasion with a wry smile, but he pushed him away.

   "Then let them come!"

  The door opened and the lights flickered.

  Wu Changnian just walked to the front desk, and before he spoke, the interview drones rushed over, neatly lined up in an arc in front of him, and then the questions came one after another.

   "Mr. Wu Changnian, how do you evaluate this rescue operation?"

   "Vice Minister Wu, we spent countless resources to build the pioneer ship, sent the best personnel to the wilderness, and found nothing in the end... Do you think this is a waste of resources?"

   "Is there anything the council would like to say about this?"

   "Whether the setback in Silver Wing Group's share price will affect the change of its council seats."

   "I heard that only one person was rescued. That person happened to be the eldest son of the CEO of Silver Wing Group and a member of the highest council of the company. I want to know if the rescue work is biased."

   "Should we increase our interference with the sanctuary forces—"

   "Enough! Quiet!"

  's loud voice broke out suddenly, stunned the audience in an instant, and the hustle and bustle of the press conference was quiet for a few seconds.

   Looking at the scene where the noise stopped and the confused faces, Wu Changnian took a deep breath, slowed down his speed and continued to speak.

"You have more questions than bullets swiping my head. I know you want to ask a lot of things. Captain Lu Yang's video will answer some of your confusion. We will upload that recording to Endpoint Cloud and save it in the museum. , for all to see... Until then, listen to me!"

   paused, his tone took on a hint of gloom.

   "Today...I have a sad story to tell."

"A group of brave young men embarked on an expedition with ideals, they traveled through mountains and rivers, through plains, forests, mountains and deserts, not to find wealth, not to land or conquer... but for a legend that lives among us, An ideal that we have preached over and over for a century but no one has ever verified."

"Our civilization is stagnant, we are afraid of the risks in the wasteland, and we fantasize about an omnipotent savior living in the dormant pod of Vault 0, waiting for the great kingdom of heaven to run itself at our feet... If no one Go there and have a look, we'll never give up on that childish idea."

"I would say he did an amazing thing. He did what he thought he should, even though he might have guessed at the beginning that it wouldn't be perfect. And he had no regrets until the end, so if you ask me , whether you will regret it, whether you will regret it, my answer is no."

"never!"

   His voice was firm and his eyes were like torches.

   It doesn't look like a man in his 40s or 50s standing here at the moment, even the vertical and horizontal wrinkles have regained a youthful radiance.

   "Even if only one person is rescued, even if no one is rescued, this rescue is by no means meaningless to us."

"What is more valuable than gold is credit. We have kept our promise and will not give up any of the stray residents. We have shown our uncompromising determination to those who doubt us, and we have gained precious treasures on the journey. friendship…"

   "More importantly, our bravery!"

   Looking at the drones in front of him, he saw faces through them, as well as the prosperous city outside the floor-to-ceiling windows in the distance.

   "We are worthy of our ancestors, and the residents of Vault 6 and the Colonial Ship Reach will be proud of our choice."

   "We are worthy of being the descendants of heroes!"

   There was applause from the scene.

   It was a light rain at first, and then a strong wind and shower.

   Even the reporter who was prepared to make things difficult for him from the beginning was infected by the atmosphere, and he couldn't help but fold his palms.

   At least this moment of applause is not for someone on the scene, but for himself.

   In the lounge not far away, Ye Shi clapped his hands, and while feeling emotional, he couldn't help but feel sour.

   "Hey, that sounds really nice."

   He could remember clearly that those guys backed down more than once. At least in his opinion, if the manager hadn't resisted the pressure and promised to end the war within the year, perhaps today's press conference would have announced the "missing" of the Trailblazer.

  By the way, he was the ideal city to take the "ride ride" of Vice Minister Wu.

  Not just him, but also Laobai, Gufeng, Mole and so on.

   Fang Chang, who was standing beside him, smiled and patted the next night's ten little brothers on the shoulder.

   "You kid likes to sing the opposite. Others are the deputy ministers of the ideal city, representing the ideal city and the council. He doesn't say that, you tell me how to say it."

   Ye Shi thought about it for a while and tried to pick a problem.

   "At least emphasize our role."

"Our role doesn't need any verbal emphasis. Someone will remember our favors, and things that need to be repeatedly emphasized are not that important," Fang Chang patted his shoulder, then looked at Lao Bai and Gu Feng. Good brother, smiled and said, "Come with me and show you my achievements in the past few months."

   The group walked into the elevator and came to the observation deck on the top floor of the building.

  Ye Shi glanced around and saw nothing, looked at this guy and made a joke.

   "Don't tell me that the result of your past few months is this rooftop."

   Fang Chang did not speak, looked at the time on his watch, and then turned his attention to the council building in the center of the ideal city.

   "Over there."

   The voice just fell, and the gorgeous light and shadow converged on the wall of the building into a bucket full of fried chicken and a large black drink.

   This is nothing new to the real world with close cultural exchanges, but it is novel enough to the residents of the ideal city.

   Lines of advertising words flashed across the screen.

  【Kenda Chicken's first store is open! Delicious food from other countries is waiting for you! 】

  【Store address:…】

  At first, Ye Shi couldn't understand what was written on it. After opening the VM and translating it, he almost didn't laugh out loud.

   "Pfft! It's okay to be willing to fight chickens, such an old meme."

   "It's really an old stalk." Gu Feng couldn't help but complain.

   "Haha, it means I'm not young anymore." Fang Chang smiled happily.

   Lao Bai laughed and joked.

   "Good guy, you are going to move everything in reality into the wasteland."

"It's just complementary advantages," Fang Chang continued, rubbing his index finger on the bridge of his nose, "Fried chicken and cola are just the first step to test the water, followed by steamed buns, steamed buns, pancakes, dumplings and pre-made dishes, etc. The plan includes With a number of fast food brands such as 'Mr. Xiaomi', we intend to make these foods from the alliance form a matrix with cultural added value in Ideal City."

"And we only need to do a good job of standards and quality control. For specific store operations, we can cooperate with other food and catering companies in the form of franchise, and produce and sell locally... At present, this cooperation model is the most suitable for us. ."

   After all, the alliance cannot send too many employees to the company. One is the difficulty of integrating into the local society, and the other is that it may steal local job opportunities.

   Only provide concepts and ideas, which is a plan determined by Fangchang from the beginning. As long as the "fried chicken" is labeled with the alliance, the residents of the ideal city will immediately look for the store certified by the alliance company when they think of the deliciousness of the crispy.

  If the operation is in good condition, Changyue Group will open up a considerable market worth tens of billions of dollars for Niuma Group in Ideal City.

   Once the market opens, the residents of Ideal City accept the culture of Dawning City, and some professional life players can also go to Ideal City to set up shop.

   Everyone can benefit from it, which is undoubtedly a win-win situation.

   Ye Shi was at a loss when he heard the business blueprint drawn by Fang Chang. After scratching his head for a long time, he couldn't understand it, so he simply gave up.

   To be able to play the game on this level, among all the people he knows, Brother Fang is the only one.

   He believed that he was not the material for this piece, so he simply lay down.

   After talking about the future business plan of Niu Ma Group, Fang Chang suddenly set his eyes on Ye Shi and asked with interest.

   "By the way, listen to Lao Bai, you have met a researcher in the college recently? What's the situation?"

   He has always been interested in the college in that swamp.

   Legend has it that there are more black technologies than enterprises, but they rarely flow into the wasteland.

  According to the official setting, if you really want to buy top-level equipment, it seems that you still have to find a way to open the door of the academy.

   Maybe Ye Shi can become a breakthrough.

   However, looking at those gossip eyes, Ye Shi was stunned.

   "What's the situation."

   patted Ye Shi on the shoulder, and Lao Bai smiled at Fang Chang.

   "You underestimate this guy. Not only the researcher of the academy, but even the grandmother of the company is interested in him."

   Thinking of the episode that happened on the plane, Gu Feng nodded with a subtle expression.

   "But I think it's still a little different... Maybe people just want to accept a godson."

  Ye Ten: "???"

   Fang Chang looked at Ye Shi in surprise.

   "Fuck, you kid is not funny...don't tell your father anything."

   "Fuck off! I don't even know what you're talking about, I... I didn't think about talking to the NPC anyway."

   Seeing that Fang Chang's smiling expression didn't seem to have listened to his own explanation at all, Ye Shi, who blushed, hurriedly ended this inexplicable topic, and then turned the fire on the dog himself.

   "Cut, don't talk about Laozi, when are you going back?"

   Fang Chang said simply.

   "I'll go back with you in a while."

   Ye Shi was stunned, looking at this guy in disbelief.

   "Just like that?"

   Fang Chang looked at him strangely.

   "Yes, otherwise?"

   "It's nothing," Ye Shi scratched the back of his head, "I'm just a little surprised."

   guessed what he was surprised about, Fang Chang said with a smile.

"The things here have been arranged properly. The specific operations of the Changyue Group are in charge of professional managers, and there are not many things that we need to worry about. This cooperation plan is more of a test of the water. After all, in the past more than one In the century, the ideal city has never had direct commercial cooperation across such a long distance, so I spent more time."

   Prior to this, most of the cooperation between enterprises and the outside world would be done indirectly.

   For example, the company of the enterprise cooperates with the merchants in the province between the clouds to trade the resources needed by the ideal city, and the merchants in the province between the clouds bring the products of the ideal city to further places in exchange for the things they need.

   This is undoubtedly a major change.

   As for the impact on the future, it is still unknown.

  By the way, just a few days ago, Fang Chang had already completed the courses at Yunjian University.

   Although it was only some superficial knowledge, it was enough for him to digest it for a long time.

   If there is a chance in the future, he will come back to study and try to get that diploma.

"The CEO of Ruyue Group, Li Shuyue, is also full of confidence in this. She also believes that this will become a historic moment... After more than a century, the direct business of Ideal City has once again expanded beyond the province of Yunjian, and the residents here have finally left. This fortress has stepped into the wasteland again. Listening to her, I am very grateful to us."

   The wind sighed with emotion.

   "Sounds a bit like the beginning of a new story."

   Fang Chang smiled.

"right?"

  Because of an expedition, the stagnant history began to move forward, and each of them is a witness to this moment. And in the distant future, when people miss the ancient version, they will also think of the names of their participants.

   Ye Shi suddenly said with a thief laugh.

   "By the way, I almost forgot to ask, what does that Li Shuyue have to do with you?"

   Fang Chang rolled his eyes.

   "It doesn't matter...and a warning to you, don't talk nonsense everywhere, especially don't talk nonsense over there, the man has a wife."

  Ye Shi: "Damn! You are so particular about the game!"

   "You don't understand," Fang Chang shook his head and said quietly, "The reason why sincerity is precious is precisely because it only happens once."

   "Ouch!"

   Just when Ye Shi leaned against the wall and vomited, Fang Chang looked at Old Bai who was looking at them with a smile.

   "By the way, Lao Bai, what task did the manager give us this time?"

   Lao Bai said with a grin.

   "One thousand cubic meters of helium-3, waiting for us to recover in a research institute in Jinchuan province."

   Fang Chang took a deep breath.

   "How much is that..."

"According to the energy consumption in the real world, assuming that three generations of fusion technology are unlocked, one thousand cubic meters of helium is enough for the earth's consumption for one year. As for the game," Kuang Feng thought for a while, shrugged, "estimated the energy consumption of the alliance. The level is enough to stop the service."

   Even in an ideal city, the annual energy consumption should not exceed this figure.

   One can imagine what a huge wealth this is!

   "It's too exaggerated to stop the server," Fang Chang couldn't help smiling while surprised, and glanced up at the sky, "There's our end there."

   "Stop talking nonsense, how long are you going to rest?" Patting his buddy on the shoulder, Lao Bai said with a smile, "The manager has given us a lot of time, and we can get it done within half a year."

   "How long is the rest?" Fang Chang was stunned for a moment, "I didn't say it, I'll go back with you this time—"

   Ye Shi rolled his eyes.

   "Are you sure? Did you go back and didn't accompany you, Dolly?"

   That normally calm face rarely showed some morning glow, Fang Chang coughed slightly embarrassedly and looked to the side.

   "Wait for me for a few days..."

   Looking at Fang Chang who suddenly became "shy", Ye Shizhi felt goosebumps all over his body, and turned his face to the sky with an uncomfortable expression.

   "Damn it... I really want to throw this guy off the rooftop!"

   Looking at Ye Shi, who was twisted by jealousy, jealousy, and hatred, Lao Bai laughed heartily and patted him on the shoulder.

   Gu Feng, who was standing beside him, gave the boy a sideways glance.

   "...Didn't you have to mention this yourself?"

  …

   It has been a week since the "Vault 0" incident.

   Separated by a large desert more than 5,000 kilometers away, the people who have not been evacuated are still busy, doing some cleaning and finishing work.

  Although some of the fast runners had already returned to the alliance ahead of time, and even ran to the easternmost part of the Central Continent, Chu Guang, who was the manager, had not yet left.

   There's still a lot of things here waiting for him to deal with.

   In the previous battle, there were a hundred and twenty disciples of the Enlightenment who were captured by the Alliance. These people will be brought back to Dawn City to be tried by the court there.

  Although they are residents of the Refuge, the Alliance will not be discriminated against because of where they come from, and will treat other prisoners the same as other prisoners.

   It’s just that which law is adopted as the criterion and the details of sentencing for different levels of personnel still need to be discussed by the legal workers of the alliance with the public.

   But one thing will not change.

   Even if they are also victims of being blinded by enlightenment, they are still responsible for being the accomplices of demons.

They will be sentenced to imprisonment for more than ten years, and will undergo labor reform during the prison term. At the same time, they will undertake voluntary work in welfare institutions such as refugee homes and workers' schools, and help survivors rescued in the wasteland in the fields of medical care and education. The performance during the sentence can be reduced.

   If a special contribution is made during the serving of the sentence, the punishment can also be reduced.

   Punishment is only a means, not an end. The knowledge, skills and experience acquired by the residents of the Refuge is a valuable asset, and it is also the legacy of the People's Federation.

The stubborn part had already died on the battlefield, and for these captives who were shaken in the face of death, Chu Guang felt that it was worth giving them a chance to rehabilitate.

   In addition to the placement of the more than 100 captives, there is one more important matter that must be resolved before returning home.

   That is the airship anchored next to the camp.

Although the    buffer airbag and parachute slowed down the speed of the airship's fall and the impact of hitting the ground, it did not have no effect on the structure of the airship.

   Especially the wings on both sides.

  When the external armor was blown up to reduce weight, the connection between the wing and the airship was damaged, causing it to break during the fall.

   Even if the anti-gravity device works, this guy can't go anywhere.

   Fortunately, those five base cars can process the parts needed to repair the airship wings and propeller engines, and this week has almost been repaired.

   In contrast, the situation of the Arbiter is much more miserable.

  Although Chu Guang didn't ask, he could guess just by looking at Captain Adria's face, that thing must be in terrible condition.

   For the past two days, the players who plan to go back with the Heart of Steel have been wandering around, building the alliance's outpost in the great desert and searching for traces of the Enlightenment.

   However, they did not find any clues about the Enlightenment, but found a lot of mutant lairs hidden in the ruins.

  Therefore, there were nearly 160 more rescued survivors in the alliance camp.

   Including the previous ones, the number of survivors in the camp is close to three hundred.

   And what makes people feel complicated is that this may only be the tip of the iceberg of this hell. In places where the Alliance has not yet set foot, there are still many similar tragedies...

  …

   Near Industrial Building.

   An angular concrete slab stands on the steps of the main entrance of the building. On the steep stone slab, lines of names that Chu Guang was familiar with were engraved.

  Corporate took away relics left by employees in the wreck of the Trailblazer.

  Before setting off for the return voyage, the man named Yunsong brought his 26th commando and found a concrete stone tablet from nearby, and engraved the names of the crew of the Pioneer on it as a souvenir.

   A stronger and more beautiful monument is still in the making, and it will not be delivered to the Alliance from the Ideal City until next month, and then from the Alliance to here.

   In the past few days, Chu Guang has come here every day to see the familiar names and the places where they once fought.

   In fact, he always remembered.

   It seems that the gentle Luo Hua is actually an alcoholic, but he will not refuse the delicious mushroom soup. Ai Si, a beautiful bodyguard who speaks very little, likes furry things...such as meat, she is even willing to pay for it.

   Yuan Hao, a waterwheel driver, likes to eat steamed buns. He bought more than 50 buns at a time and distributed them to his colleagues. That was the beginning of the alliance's "light industry". The head of the logistics section, Li De, is a cunning old man, but he still pays his salary in a very orderly manner... and there are many, many interesting people.

   In order to earn more Cr from them, Fang Chang and Brother Mole wrote a lot of strategies, and Chu Guang sometimes sneaks a glance and learns it secretly.

   As for Lujan.

   He is a man with a strong sense of justice, his decisiveness, bravery and kindness are impressive and enviable.

pity…

  Many people are gone.

"...When I saw Luo Hua, I actually thought that you may have encountered an accident, and this rescue may not have any results. But I still tell my friends that our friends are in danger, We're going to take them back."

   "We crossed the desert, crossed the valley, marched 2,500 kilometers, and defeated a powerful enemy that was considered invincible... It's a pity that we couldn't bring you back in the end."

"I thought for a moment that I killed those captives to avenge you, even if those disciples were not the murderers, they were accomplices of the murderers. But I quickly thought that if you were still alive, you would definitely stop me, tell me this Not revenge, just pure anger, meaningless and ugly..."

   Gently sighed, Chu Guang placed a bunch of wild flowers in front of the tombstone.

   "The right choice is always the hardest, and if you don't correct the mistakes that have happened and are happening, the Wasteland Era will never end."

   "You are an amazing bunch of adventurers."

   "Thank you for coming."

  The Heart of Steel has been repaired and will return tomorrow.

   However, I will come back to see you.

   looked away from the tall concrete stone monument, Chu Guang turned around and walked down the steps, when suddenly there was movement.

  Chu Guang stopped and looked aside, only to see Rama standing there.

   He remembered this brave girl, when everyone was silent, she was the first to come forward and provide many important clues.

   Seeing through the expression on her face that she wanted to say, Chu Guang said in a gentle tone.

"Is there a problem?"

  Lama hesitated for a moment, but the firmness in her eyes did not change. She bit her lower lip, did not speak, and knelt on one knee on the ground.

  Chu Guang sighed.

   He wasn't used to the survivors being just like that.

   "Get up and talk."

   Hearing the tone of non-rejection, Rama stood up silently, and after a while, he spoke slowly.

   "Dear Manager, I...want to stay."

   You can probably guess the scruples in her heart, Chu Guang said patiently.

   "You can start a new life by going to the Alliance. There are many survivors like you, and people won't care about your past."

   "I believe you, but... I still want to stay here," Rama whispered after a long silence, "There are still many people here who have not been rescued."

  Chu Guang glanced at her unexpectedly, not expecting her to be so enlightened.

  's eyes gradually became serious, and he asked again in a serious tone.

   "Have you made up your mind?"

  Lama nodded earnestly.

   "Well... this is not my impromptu idea, I thought about it for a long time. I am very grateful to you for saving us, and if we can, we also want to do something."

After she saw the girls who were rescued by the Alliance from mutant dens, and after she thought that there were countless mutant tribes like the Blackrock tribe in this wasteland, she had the idea of ​​staying in her heart. idea.

   Even if the battle is not easy, no one is born or awakened, and if you don’t take the first step, you will always be a lamb in the sheepfold.

   In fact, this is not her own idea.

   is also a common thought of many rescued survivors.

   Their ideas are more simple. Instead of going to an unknown place to start a new life, it is better to start from the land under their feet.

   There is plenty of fresh water here, as well as a source of food, houses already built, and even if you don’t become a warrior, you can tend crops or breed insects. Although life here is accompanied by danger, where is the safety in this wasteland?

  At least here, they don't have to be stared at by strangers...

  's surprised eyes turned into approval, and Chu Guang looked at her and nodded, and said with relief.

"I'm glad you think so, I will leave you some weapons, enough for you to protect yourself. We will also leave some people to act with you, and will send people to supply supplies from time to time. Trouble, you can ask for their help, although they have their own tasks, they will also be happy to complete some challenges outside the tasks."

"In addition, if the tools on the Trailblazer are still in use, they can be recycled. After retirement, they can help others, and that person will feel relieved... Remember to visit here occasionally to sweep graves and say thank you to him. it is good."

  Lama nodded and said respectfully.

   "I will remember your teachings."

   "Not at all, just a suggestion."

  Chu Guang turned his attention to the stone monument not far away.

   He had had similar thoughts before.

  The company commemorates those brave people in its own way, and the alliance will also commemorate those partners in its own way…

"from now on."

   "This is the pioneering city."

   (end of this chapter)