This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 155: Running Out of NPCs

Chapter 155: Chapter 155: Running Out of NPCs

Having sent Chu Guang away, Li De returned to the Pioneer and, after some thought, wrote the following in the electronic application which he deemed appropriate—

"This is an ideal outpost. They don’t have any specialties, but one can buy delicious food at cheap prices without worrying about having their throat slit in their sleep. If planning to head further westward across the provinces, a stopover here would be safer than in other places. I vouch for their trustworthiness with my credit score."

The electronic signatures of several other crew members from the Pioneer were also featured at the end of the document.

This encrypted letter would be sent to the board of directors of the Silver Wing Group, who would respond within three days.

Li De felt that there shouldn’t be any issues.

After all, even Captain Lu had left his signature.

The sacrifices they made in this battle were deserving of the respect from those in Blue Jackets.

And as for factory operations...

Frankly speaking, walking this path, it was the first time that Li De had heard such a wildly imaginative request. Would any bank be willing to lend to such a high-risk project?

Hard to say.

In any case, he couldn’t interfere in such matters, and the Pioneer wasn’t here to develop a market; it wasn’t possible to summon a dozen commercial teams with just a phone call.

Li De suggested to Chu Guang that when a commercial team from a corporation passed by their door, he could try to negotiate such cooperation himself, but he shouldn’t hold too high hopes.

After all, doing business in the Wasteland was inherently risky, let alone setting up a factory in an area not controlled by corporations...

How would these commercial teams take their profits back?

And who could guarantee their interests?

It was a problem worth pondering, not something that could be handled with mere cleverness.

However, these issues that Li De saw as deeply concerning were not seen as problems at all by Chu Guang.

Whether or not a deal could be negotiated was one thing, and whether or not there was an opportunity to talk was another.

Moreover, as Li De said, if they obtained the title of "Permanent Corporate Partner," a large number of corporate commercial teams would include them on their trade routes. Even if they couldn’t set up a factory, opening a small inn or a barbecue stall could still make money.

When that time came, CR wouldn’t just be useless paper anymore. With more visiting commercial teams, wouldn’t people become interested in this market?

The massive traffic from commercial teams was a market in itself. Shelter No. 404’s biggest advantage over Giant Stone City was its proximity to the suburbs, making transportation more convenient.

Whether as a trade node for corporate commercial teams traveling to the central or even western regions or as a trade hub for foreign commercial teams and local merchants of Qingquan City, it could generate substantial income for the Outpost Base.

Living career players Epic Enhancement!

It was fantastic.

...

At the north gate of the Outpost Base, a torch flickered in the snow.

It was midnight in Wasteland time, and noon in reality.

Apart from a few living career players who hadn’t logged off in the residential area, most players had logged off to eat.

After all, it wasn’t possible to be online 24/7; even if the players in reality could endure it, the clones in the game also needed to rest their eyes.

Otherwise, a "Fatigue DEBUFF" would appear on the VM, directly impacting the next day’s work efficiency.

Wearing the Type 5 Police Light Exoskeleton, Chu Guang approached from the north. Wrench, who was patrolling the gate, saw him and immediately went up to salute.

"Sir, you’ve returned."

Chu Guang nodded his head.

"Ah, what about those spoils?"

Wrench reported,

"We’ve unloaded half, the other half is still in the truck! There’s just too much stuff. Old Luka said tomorrow he’d gather some people to build a new warehouse, specifically to store those munitions."

Chu Guang nodded.

Munitions definitely needed to be stored separately from other supplies.

As the resources at the Outpost Base grew, a separate warehouse would be built for each type of resource, managed by specialists.

Thinking of this, Chu Guang couldn’t help but sigh.

There weren’t enough NPCs.

It would be great if Old Charlie’s literacy class could speed up a bit.

If Shelter No. 404 were awarded the title of "Permanent Corporate Partner," by next spring, corporate commercial teams would definitely pass by here.

At that time, he would need more manpower.

Chu Guang couldn’t help but consider, should he also start a literacy class for the nomads’ camp? It’s hard to arrange work for them without education.

Crossing the entrance of Outpost Base, Chu Guang noticed that the light in the weapon shop was still on, revealing a figure leaning on a cane standing at the door.

Xia Yan, with her cheeks red from the cold, also saw Chu Guang approaching from the north gate and sighed in relief as she limped toward him with her cane.

"You’re finally back, I was about to issue a mission to find you," she said.

Chu Guang glanced at the VM on her arm and teased her,

"I am reassured, you’re getting more adept at using it."

Xia Yan raised her eyebrows, about to say something when suddenly a voice drifted over from the direction of the sanatorium.

"Woof woof, master!"

The trashcan-shaped robot rushed to Chu Guang’s side, happily circling around his calves several times.

"Master, you’re finally back! There was a huge electronic pulse outside just now, Xiao Qi was so worried about you!"

Chu Guang gently patted Xiao Qi’s head, smiling and said.

"Don’t worry, that thing doesn’t affect me much. But are you okay?"

Xiao Qi: "Xiao Qi is fine! That level of EMP doesn’t affect Xiao Qi!"

Huh?

So, you’re quite brave.

Chu Guang rubbed its rounded head, only to discover his hand dust-covered, realizing it might be time to give it a bath.

Watching Chu Guang only interacting with his robotic pet, Xia Yan couldn’t help but roll her eyes, coughed lightly to remind him that she was still there, and then said,

"What exactly happened up north? Was it really a nuclear explosion?"

Chu Guang casually picked up a handful of snow from the entrance of the weapon shop and washed the dirt off his hands,

"A small nuclear bomb, about 10 tons, not a big problem."

Xia Yan paused.

"...Was it the army’s men?"

"Yeah, a thousand-person brigade led by a centurion named Vanus. It’s said that when Lu Yang found him, he calmly poured a glass of red wine and asked if he wanted to drink together. Over two thousand clone light infantrymen filled the trenches with blood... But regardless, their equipment is now ours."

Looking at the smile on Chu Guang’s face, Xia Yan spoke worriedly.

"I feel like you’re a bit too optimistic."

"About what?"

"About everything," Xia Yan sighed and continued, "A year ago, the army’s expeditionary force fought in the north against the people from the Grand Canyon, claiming a million-strong army... and in reality, it was about that number. Do you know what this means? They have no idea how many such thousand-person brigades they have."

Chu Guang raised his hand to stop her.

"So you’re saying, we shouldn’t meddle in this war, right?"

Xia Yan nodded seriously.

"Meddling in the affairs between the army and corporations is not a wise decision. If the army finds out that your meddling caused them to lose a thousand-man brigade, and if you were their commander, what would you do?"

"Me?" Chu Guang smiled and said, "That depends on what I’d be doing at the time, if the frontline situation was pressing, I would put this problem aside first and deal with him when I free up."

Xia Yan looked at him incredulously.

"Since you know that, then why—"

"So you think their battle is going smoothly?" Chu Guang said calmly, "If it was truly going well, they wouldn’t come down south for a break. It’s simply that they can’t fight this Battle anymore, and they intend to grab anything they can before they retreat."

Xia Yan: "... That’s just an ideal scenario analysis, and those people are looters; they don’t consider every action carefully."

Chu Guang said with a smile,

"I know, I was considering it from their perspective. Have you thought about what would happen to this troop if they hadn’t caught Pioneer?"

Xia Yan was slightly stunned.

"...Hadn’t caught?"

How is this related to their previous discussion?

Xia Yan couldn’t help feeling puzzled.

Chu Guang nodded.

"Yes, whether it’s fighting a war or negotiating a contract, you always have to be prepared for both scenarios, since things can’t always go as smoothly as you’d like. If they’re optimistic, they successfully intercepted the Pioneer, and then the supply for two thousand people will be easy to handle, just skinning it right off the sheep."

He paused for a moment, then continued.

"But in fact, they were actually a step too late. Had the Pioneer not anchored in the north suburb of Qingquan city, they might have really missed this fat sheep. With only five light trucks, the supplies they carried were far from enough to get them through the entire winter, and with the heavy snow, it wouldn’t be possible to trek hundreds of kilometers back... What do you think they would do then? Stand silently in the snow, or curse looking at the tracks on the ground?"

Xia Yan fell into thought, looking somewhat troubled.

Clearly, this was beyond the scope of thought for a small mercenary.

She had only considered the possibility of retaliation from the Army if she acted against them, but she hadn’t considered that provoking them or not was actually the same.

Watching her struggle to think, Chu Guang spoke leisurely.

"Since they dared to set out before winter, they must have been prepared for both scenarios. Let me put it this way, plundering the survivors in the north part of Qingquan City was already part of their contingency plan. So, what difference does it make whether we provoke them or not? They were already prepared to provoke us."

In fact, even if the Army had successfully intercepted the Pioneer, the second scenario was still completely possible.

Being organized does not mean being disciplined, just as the enterprises evaluate them, the so-called Army is just a group of organized Looters.

From the moment they set off, this war was destined.

But the good news is that this lazy employee now actually understands to share the worries of her boss.

That’s a great thing.

It seems his training was effective.

Patting her shoulder, Chu Guang gave her a look of approval.

"Remember this saying, reliance is just a temporary measure, real development and expansion are fought for. If you can’t figure it out, stop thinking about it, after all, it’s not your concern. Better to think about happy things. A large batch of weapons and relief funds, a free industrial mother machine, and the title of a permanent corporate partner... These things will last us a long time."

Chu Guang was filled with confidence about the future.

As long as he develops, whether it’s the Army, corporations, or academies, none of them would be a problem for him.

When the fire of industry ignites, infinite production capacity coupled with endless vitality, his players will be the strongest!

...

An uneventful night.

Chu Guang had a long dream.

He dreamt he became a gunman, squatting in a bunker, with the Army’s million clone army in front, surrounded by roaring artillery, and planes whistling as they dove from the sky.

And the players who should have been charging in front were actually all standing behind him, constantly muttering and grumbling.

"Raise the muzzle a bit!" "Burst fire, don’t you know how to burst fire? Aim before you shoot!" "Can’t you keep your finger on the trigger without letting go? Who are you saving bullets for?" "Move five meters to the left, gunman, ah, it’s making me anxious!"...

Chu Guang got angry, turned the muzzle, and rattled off a burst, sweeping them all away, except for the one with the biggest chest, he couldn’t bear to shoot.

And then...

Did the dream end?

"Damn... Need to change the sheets again."

Sweating all over, Chu Guang got up from bed early in the morning, feeling as if he had done push-ups all night, every cell in his body expanding.

Accustomed to growing physically while sleeping, Chu Guang calmly took a bath on the B2 floor, then returned to the resident hall to do a check-up on himself.

Just as Chu Guang had expected.

He had leveled up again.

[

ID: Chu Guang

Gene Sequence: Manager (Second Stage)

Level: LV.10→LV.11

——Basic Attributes——

Strength: 16

Agility: 11

Constitution: 13→14

Perception: 12

Intelligence: 12

]

"This wave must have siphoned off the players’ experience."

Chu Guang’s Constitution attribute increased by one, improving metabolism and resilience, quite handy for someone who can’t respawn.

Looking at the physical exam form, Chu Guang stroked his chin with interest, muttering to himself, "But to only level up once after such a huge battle, it seems I still need to improve my experience-siphoning skills."

The criteria for upgrading a Manager’s Sequence were quite vague, unlike the other branches, where you could understand the method straightforwardly from the literal meaning.

Putting the issue of levels aside for now, Chu Guang sat in front of his computer and opened the official site.

Chu Guang initially wanted to see how the players felt about last night’s major battle. But just a glance at it, he saw over a hundred withdrawal symptoms kicking in.

"Ah, I’m going to die without Crow Boss’s mushroom soup!"

"I can’t dance by holding a little person’s hand anymore."

"Without Little Fish’s good morning and ’be safe’, I feel zero motivation to go to work! My boss scolded me today, and I actually glared back, he seemed really scared. Should I start preparing a new resume?"

"Damn! I want to blow something up! I just got the Black Gold recipe and was planning to try it out."

"Why don’t you try it in real life?"

"Get lost, do you want me to die?!"

"The 12th hour of being unable to log in, I feel the pain of Makabazi and Quit Smoking Brother, it’s so painful I can’t breathe."

"Wu wu wu, planning daddy, please, let me in!"

Chu Guang: "..."

Crap!

It’s just a few days off the game, is it really such a big deal?

He hadn’t realized these players were so addicted.

Chu Guang had previously thought it’d be good for them to take a few days off, to relax a bit in reality, but it seems he had been too naive—their eagerness to get back online surpassed even his own.

Especially Quit Smoking Brother—’sadness’ in his posts were practically flowing backward. According to him, he had been wearing his helmet to sleep for the latter half of last night.

But can he even sleep like that?

From discussions in the cattle and horse groups, Chu Guang vaguely remembered that when wearing the helmet, whether your eyes are open or closed, you can still see those countdown and login restriction notifications, right?

Chu Guang wasn’t clear on what was going on with that helmet, he just hoped they weren’t wrecking their health and that they’d live well when they couldn’t log in, without causing trouble for society.

As for the login issue, honestly, Chu Guang was even more anxious than they were.

In the "servers," over a quarter of players couldn’t log in. If this were at companies like Goose Factory or Pig Factory, they wouldn’t rest without compensating with ten thousand happy beans.

It’s just as well it’s in closed beta.

Ah Guang: "Everyone, don’t panic, we’ve been working overtime for 48 hours on emergency repairs, and all players who can’t log in normally due to bugs will receive compensation! Also, players who died in today’s battlefield mission will receive a special medal! The loot auction will also proceed online, and you can collect your gear as soon as you log in, so you no longer have to worry about missing out on equipment due to death!"

Quit Smoking: "Brother Guang!! Wu wu wu, please ask your programmers to hurry up!"

Night Ten: "As long as I can participate in the auction! I want to bid on a scope! Red dot YYDS!"

Tail: "Give Tail 5 Silver Coins! Nothing happened to Tail! Give Tail 10 Silver Coins, Tail help wash your feet! (｀∀´)Ψ"

Si Si: "Ah Tail, you haven’t even died, what are you fussing about?"

Tail: "!! Damn, has Si Si been bought out by the evil planners! Spread the word, Si Si is not clean anymore!"

Si Si: "???"

At the same time, at the prison next to the Action Camp.

Wearing a cotton-padded Jacket, Yuan Hao turned off the off-road vehicle and dropped a basket of potatoes at the door, coldly calling out,

"Dinner’s ready."

The door of the prison opened.

Watching Vanus step out, Yuan Hao’s right hand instinctively touched the pistol at his waist, cautious of his every move.

Seeing the wariness in the eyes of the man before him, Vanus said nothing, simply picked up the crate of potatoes, and turned back into the house.

Watching the door close, and remembering his compatriots who had died tragically in battle that day, Yuan Hao couldn’t help but spit at the doorway, cursing as he returned to his vehicle.

"These scumbags."

In his view, there was absolutely no need to be polite with these people, they shouldn’t even be housed in a warm prison but thrown out in the snow to freeze into ice!