This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 204 Relocation Plan and Reinforcements

Chapter 204: Chapter 204 Relocation Plan and Reinforcements

"Has the situation become this tense?"

Staring at the deep blue power armor on Chu Guang’s body, Night Owl, who couldn’t keep his mouth still, couldn’t help but mutter softly.

Not understanding what he meant, Du Conglin tilted his head slightly and asked hesitantly,

"What do you mean?"

"Putting on this thing early in the morning," Night Owl glanced at the power armor and smacked his lips, "if it were me, I would never wear such a cumbersome thing just to walk around the house."

Least of all when going on a long journey.

Walking beside him, Doru couldn’t help but laugh.

"Ha, do you have one?"

Night Owl glared at him, about to say something when the Manager’s voice came from upfront.

"We’ve arrived."

This was the reception room at Outpost Base; they had been here yesterday and had watched a "movie" at the invitation of Old Luka.

After asking everyone to sit down, Chu Guang approached them.

Due to wearing the power armor, he did not sit down with everyone else but chose to stand and speak.

"Regarding the relocation, my subordinates should have conveyed our suggestions last night. I want to know how you all have considered it."

The room went quiet for a while.

Brown was silent for a moment before slowly raising his head and saying,

"Is this a discussion, or is it a final ultimatum?"

Chu Guang looked at him and said,

"Of course, it’s the former. Even if you have your own plans, as long as you don’t ally with our enemies, we will not interfere in any way."

His words implied something more.

That is, we also would not be responsible for your safety, nor could we possibly send reinforcements if you were attacked.

The survivors present exchanged glances, their facial expressions slightly troubled.

Seeing their concern, Chu Guang continued,

"I know what you are worried about, such as whether living under someone else’s roof might lead to unjust treatment, and whether we will keep our promises to ensure your safety."

"It’s only human to have these concerns. My subordinates, being thorough, have not made promises on my behalf. Here, as the Manager of Shelter No. 404, I promise you that all survivors who relocate to Changjiu Farm will be protected fairly under the laws of Shelter No. 404 and will live dignified lives under our order."

Upon hearing Chu Guang’s words, those sitting in the reception room whispered among themselves.

Some were already moved, others still hesitant, but clearly, attitudes were starting to waver.

Just as Chu Guang had pointed out, the concerns of these outsiders were twofold.

First, whether they would be treated fairly, and second, whether their safety would be guaranteed "as promised."

The first point, for now, was not a concern. These inhabitants of the "Blue Jacket" had even taken in nomads; it made no sense that they would discriminate against them.

The second point needed no discussion.

Although they did not have a more direct understanding of the strength of these survivors of the refuge, the presence of power armor alone likely meant they were not weak.

Attaching oneself to a powerful ally is not a bad thing, so long as it is worth it.

Especially for those smaller, more fragmented survivor communities, having a strong protector was far better than fending for themselves like orphans.

However, what was a friendly proposal for other survivors might not be so wonderful for a particular landlord.

The ambiguous attitudes of other survivor representatives made Brown feel a bit tense.

If besides himself, everyone else accepted the olive branch thrown by Shelter No. 404, how important would his opinion be?

He could almost foresee his own fate.

Who knew if these "Blue Jackets" might take the opportunity to settle old scores regarding their past payments of protection money to the Blood Hand Clan, ransacking his home before the Chewing Bone Tribe targeted them, engaging in a scorched earth strategy.

No one could guarantee that such a thing definitely wouldn’t happen.

"Will you keep your promise?" looking at Chu Guang, Brown asked nervously, "I’ve heard that you invaded Bet Street."

As soon as he uttered these words, Brown regretted them, but it was already too late to take them back.

The survivors seated around whispered amongst themselves.

He didn’t care about those voices. Chu Guang openly looked at Brown, and the latter, upon meeting his gaze, quickly looked away in fear.

"Invasion? If you had been there, you wouldn’t say that."

"After our people arrived at Bet Street, the residents there voluntarily opened their gates and welcomed us. We ended the reign of a vampire and returned the streets to their people, allowing them to live under a new order. Now, they no longer have to endure the old town mayor’s exploitation, nor do they have to carve their own flesh to try to feed a pack of insatiable wolves."

"I prefer to call it liberation, rather than invasion."

Silence fell over the reception room.

Hearing the latter part of Chu Guang’s words, many of the survivors blushed, showing embarrassed expressions, as if he was talking about them.

If it weren’t for paying protection money to the Blood Hand Clan, they wouldn’t have had to live so sparingly this winter.

"You and your residents are noble people; I never doubted that."

Du Conglin looked at Chu Guang and continued earnestly.

"The advance team of the Chewing Bone Tribe has already reached the boundaries of Qingquan City. The crisis is urgent, and the current situation no longer allows us to remain divided. We from the Morning Wind Community are willing to accept your resettlement and are very grateful that you are willing to take us in."

"I feel the same," said Night Owl, sitting next to him, raising his hand, "One hundred households in Highway Town have no objections!"

Other survivors also nodded in agreement.

Brown initially wanted to say something but, in the end, did not dare to speak, swallowing the words he had at the tip of his tongue.

Only Doru couldn’t resist whispering a question.

"Could you tell us about the specific resettlement plans... I mean, regarding property?"

Chu Guang looked at him and said,

"Of course, that’s exactly what I am going to talk about next. I will make you believe that accepting our resettlement is not a bad thing."

Saying this, Chu Guang took out a map, drew a circle between the northern part of Rhombus Lake and Elm District, and enclosed a large area of land.

"From the North of Rhombus Lake to Elm District stretches ten kilometers, with over 100,000 acres of usable land. I’ve personally surveyed this area; it has rich freshwater resources and fertile soil, making it a great place for farming. Even though there are mutants like wolves, mutated hyenas, even Crack Claw Crabs, it’s not a big problem. Our patrol team will take care of these nuisances."

"I hope you can move to Long Endurance Farm; its garrison and enclosing wall can ensure your safety to the utmost. Next year, I will allocate some arable land to you. In addition, the forest farms in Elm District will also be open to you, which are natural hunting grounds and currently one of our main sources of meat."

"All your properties will remain yours, we won’t make any dispositions. You only need to pay attention to two things: one is to abide by our laws, and two, to use our currency on our land. If there are any more questions, feel free to ask now."

Upon hearing this, Brown immediately asked,

"What about slaves? Slaves are also part of our property, but your laws seem not to recognize slavery."

Anticipating this question, Chu Guang promptly brought out a well-thought-out response.

"Shelter No. 404 advocates equality and promotes an employment system, prohibiting enslavement of any person in any form. Of course, we won’t ask you to give up your ownership of slaves without compensation, you can voluntarily release them or sell them to us. Here, a healthy young adult between the ages of 16 and 35 can be exchanged for 5 acres of farmland, and all others are valued at 3 acres each."

"They will be incorporated as semi-free personnel into the Pioneering Team, working alongside our captives to undergo ideological reform through labor, and after a period, reintegrate into our society as free individuals."

Expecting these Waste Land Wanderers to understand the benefits of the employment system and voluntarily release their slaves was unrealistic—they lacked the ideological awareness, and the practical basis for this did not exist in the wasteland.

Trading heads for land was a good idea.

This was a method Chu Guang had derived from practice when dealing with refugee issues.

Some refugees holding slaves, although resistant to handing them over and preferring to kill them rather than let them go, immediately handed their slaves over, joyful upon learning they could exchange them for land.

With land, they could settle down; once settled, they could shed their refugee status and stop living a precarious nomadic life.

For Chu Guang’s side, he had vast lands awaiting cultivation. Giving away a bit of wasteland didn’t matter; it would actually reduce his workload.

Those refugees, having obtained land, would instantly shift from being time bombs threatening order to shields upholding order.

Of course, when it came to the issue of land, Chu Guang did not proactively mention "tax."

Now was the starting phase of his enterprise; he needed people to grow the "pie." Collecting a mere one or two silver coins had no significance—after all, the money in their hands was also issued by him. It made more sense to let it circulate in the market to foster economic growth.

Once Long Endurance Farm developed, and the development of the lands outside the farm saturated, making the once worthless lands valuable, levying taxes would come naturally.

After hearing Chu Guang’s answer, Brown quietly ran the numbers in his mind.

Slaves themselves weren’t valuable; in winter, they were even a liability, requiring food and fuel to prevent them from freezing or starving to death.

He had over twenty serfs, which could be exchanged for more than 60 acres of land.

This amount of farmland was less compared to what he currently possessed, but the Manager’s attitude toward the land gave him a glimmer of hope.

His farm was not ideally located, too close to the urban area with high costs for cultivation, and he had not expanded his planting area for many years.

If he could purchase some land from the Manager, he might gain a farm even larger than the original.

Of course, there were risks involved.

No one had truly dealt with these "Blue Jackets," and nobody could guarantee that they would play fair and not turn on them after taking over their property.

Brown was weighing the options in his mind.

At this moment, Night Owl from Highway Town spoke up.

"Do weapons also need to be turned in?"

Chu Guang responded.

"Firearms are prohibited within the residence area; outside, there are no restrictions. Private armed groups staying within our jurisdiction for a long time need to be registered, and any business activities must comply with our laws; other than that, there are no restrictions."

The survivors seated around did not speak.

Although the terms sounded somewhat harsh, at least they would survive.

Seeing no one speaking, Chu Guang continued.

"If there are no other questions, then the above are all the essential points concerning the relocation."

"Later, we will provide everyone with a residents’ handbook containing all the necessary guidelines within our settlement, which you can consider our law."

"Additionally, I hope the relocation can start as soon as possible. According to reports from our reconnaissance team from the front lines, the reinforcement from the Chewing Bone Tribe has already reached the north suburb of Qingquan City and is now about 16 kilometers northeast of our location, frantically close, and it’s hard to predict whether they might do something irrational."

Noticing a slight change in a few survivors’ faces, they became restless, and Chu Guang paused before continuing.

"I am not sure if any of you live nearby, but if so, it would be best to inform them to seek refuge immediately—"

Before he could finish, a sudden rush of footsteps came from outside the meeting room.

A knock sounded.

After receiving permission, a guard quickly entered the room, saluted Chu Guang militarily, and reported earnestly.

"Manager, according to news from Changjiu Farm, we have seen a large amount of smoke in the northeast direction... It seems like something is burning!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Guang was stunned.

Holy shit!

Is my jinx that powerful?!

With an ominous premonition in his mind, Chu Guang immediately said.

"Can you ascertain the exact location?"

"Our team leader Wrench has already sent people to check the situation there; we can only speculate about the approximate location..."

Under Chu Guang’s signal, the guard stepped forward, stared at the map hung on the wall for a while, and drew a circle on it with a charcoal pencil.

Looking at the circled position, Night Owl standing closest to the map gave a slight start and blurted out unconsciously.

"Winter Willow Camp?"

This was the first time Chu Guang had heard the term.

However, judging from the reactions of the other survivors, they were clearly familiar with the name and all turned their gazes towards a gaunt man sitting among the crowd.

Chu Guang also looked at him.

The man had a low presence; from the beginning of the relocation meeting until now, he had not spoken a word.

The sudden bad news made his face lose color, white as the snow outside the door; his lips trembled uncontrollably, and his pupils dilated with fear.

"No!"

...

Northeast of the Outpost Base, in the wilderness.

Two heavy bicycles were making their way clumsily through the snow.

In shallower snow areas, they could manage by sliding their feet, but where the snow was deep enough to bury the wheels, they had no choice but to get off and push.

"This damn weather, what’s the use of a bicycle? Would be better to have a few sleds!" Night Ten, pedaling hard, couldn’t help but complain.

Sitting in the back, Wild Wind was looking at the VM screen and casually asked.

"Can you ski?"

"No! But I could learn!"

Sitting behind Quit Smoking, Fang Chang was also scrolling through his VM and casually added, "I can ski a bit, but it’s difficult with this terrain, unless we have a couple of Huskies running in front."

Night Ten glanced at him.

"Damn, how come you know everything?"

Fang Chang thought for a moment and said.

"emmm... maybe because I’m too idle?"

The north wind howled.

It made people’s consciousness hazy.

Unable to help himself, Night Ten yawned softly and muttered.

"This game is too realistic... even the game characters get sleepy."

Sitting in the back, Wild Wind nodded.

"Yeah, it’s ridiculous. I’ve already got a fatigue debuff here, but the 5% debuff effect isn’t noticeable... Wait, it seems like a new mission has been triggered."

Hearing about a new mission, Night Ten, who had been listless a second ago, suddenly perked up.

"What mission?!"

Fang Chang, also staring at the VM screen, followed up.

"I’ve received it too... The mission requires us to head to the Winter Willow Camp one kilometer away, support the survivors there, prevent the Looters from obtaining supplies from the locals, and buy time for the reinforcements to arrive."

Winter Willow Camp?

What kind of place is that?

Fang Chang dragged his index finger across the map and found a green tent icon.

The icon was in a forest area that no players had explored before, so they knew nothing about it. However, from pre-war maps, it seemed to be something like a forest park, with a forest ranger’s hut and a tourist rest area.

In any case, it was a godforsaken place.

Wild Wind touched his nose bridge and calmly said, "...Addition, the enemy unit’s number is unknown. It’s best to prepare for encountering an Elite Monster or even triggering a BOSS battle. Fortunately, the battlefield is in a forest, which is like half our home ground."

Huffing and puffing as he pedaled his bike, the Smoking Quitting Brother, who couldn’t get a word in, gasped.

"Bro, give a direction, should we turn around?"

Staring at the VM screen and pondering for a moment, Fang Chang said.

"No need, just continue in the current direction. I’ll tell you in advance when you need to turn right... Tsk, this mission has a time limit."

The surrounding terrain was wooded, with high and low undulations, making it difficult to find a suitable sniping spot. The west side was relatively higher, but getting there would take some time.

Fang Chang already had a rough plan in his mind.

Wild Wind patted Night Ten’s shoulder and urged.

"The mission fails in 30 minutes. Pedal faster, can’t you learn from Smoking Quitting?"

Night Ten cursed.

"Damn! I’m Perception-based, how can I compare with the Body Constitution types?!"

Looking at the vast expanse of white snow ahead, Fang Chang silently sighed.

"It would be nice if we could get the motorbikes going."

Thinking about it, the road conditions in the wasteland made four-wheeled vehicles difficult, but two-wheeled motorbikes were absolutely divine! Modified a bit, they could even serve as snowmobiles in the winter.

The only pity was that the engine was a bit tricky.

Hopefully, Brother Ciso and Brother Levin at Factory No.81 could lend some help!

"There’s a big smoke ahead!" Smoking Quitting suddenly shouted, "Should we turn?"

"I can see with my own eyes, keep your voice down!"

Fang Chang couldn’t help responding sarcastically and took down a compound bow from his back.

As they were talking, gunfire sounded faintly from afar, and judging by the distance, it wasn’t very far and was coming from the forest ahead.

Fang Chang made a quick decision.

"Stop the bike."

"Wild Wind and Night Ten, go to the west slope; Smoking Quitting, follow me. Turn off the safety, and make sure it doesn’t go off accidentally!"

"Engage the enemy within 700 meters, we’ll advance the rest of the way on foot!"