This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 209: The Second Generation Money and Medal System

Chapter 209: Chapter 209: The Second Generation Money and Medal System

The so-called "Silver coins" were not short, not to say that Chu Guang was running out of money.

To joke, as a game designer, he could change a digit with just a flick of his fingers, how could he possibly be short of money?

The chips from Giant Stone City, the CR of corporations, and the Dinar of the Army are another matter; for Chu Guang, "Silver coins" were truly just a number.

He could issue as many as he needed, whenever he needed.

Of course, to prevent hyperinflation, he would still have Xiao Qi help to prepare a report, calculate monthly to tally production and material consumption at the shelter, and create a planned budget sheet, ensuring that Shelter No. 404, this growing organization, could operate in an orderly fashion.

However, the problem now was that although Silver coins could be issued at will, there were insufficient "Game Currency" coins previously used as "Silver coins."

Originally, due to the lack of minting conditions, Chu Guang had adopted a method similar to that used in Giant Stone City, using the gaming coins from a specific arcade as exchange items.

Like casino chips, these gaming coins had distinct surface textures and patterns with a unique currency type and logo design, which had strong regional characteristics; they could only be found in specific arcades, and that arcade was outside Qingquan city, making them virtually impossible to find while scavenging.

More importantly, these coins had special designs akin to those of the chips in Giant Stone City, featuring certain anti-counterfeiting technologies.

With the manufacturing crafts available in the wasteland, it was not worth trying to exactly replicate them.

However, the downside of this currency was also clear, being unable to replicate them meant they couldn’t be issued at will.

Certainly, you can’t just cut one out with "Magnetic Confinement Plasma."

That would be far too costly!

Whether it was the inert gas used as the cutting medium or the fusion batteries used to power the equipment, they were non-renewable resources on the wasteland, and once used up, only heaven knows when more could be found.

Fortunately, at that time, Chu Guang obtained B2-level access at the shelter and found a pile of VMs in the warehouse. Through these VMs, he pushed for the digitization of currency, recovering some from the players, alleviating part of the problem.

However, with the influx of new players and the gradual flow of Silver coins into the hands of surrounding survivors, his few hundred thousand coins had almost evaporated at light speed, dwindling down to just a few thousand!

By next month, Chu Guang would need to pay the NPCs their salaries.

It’s no use issuing IOUs then!

It would be a joke if the warehouse was full but no salaries could be paid!

Hence, the issuance of the second generation currency was imperative!

Currently, Outpost Base had about five hundred kilograms of gold reserves, with a relatively higher quantity of silver at four thousand kilograms, enough to strike some precious metal coins.

Yet the issue was that precious metals were not so rare a commodity in the wasteland, as evident from the Army’s implementation of the "Gold Standard" monetary policy.

A Dinar had a weight of 9 grams with about 4 to 5 grams being gold, and at current rates, buying a strong, non-rapidly-grown clone slave would cost 1000 to 2000 Dinars, which is about 8 to 10 kilograms of gold.

A commander who could pay a ransom of 200 thousand Dinars, equivalent to a ton of gold, would be worth hundreds of millions in RMB if calculated by real-world prices!

Clearly, the pre-war society’s gold reserves in the Waste World were not on the same scale as those in the real world, being at least ten times, if not a hundred times more, and the per capita holding was incomparable.

Otherwise, a commander wouldn’t have been able to pull out a ton of gold.

Therefore, it was tough for a precious metals standard to work in the wasteland and the reasons were completely opposite to those on Earth.

The Army solved this issue with quantity, supporting value with sheer volume.

Corporations, on the other hand, used purely fiat money managed through highly counterfeit-protected paper currency, similar to mainstream currency systems of real-world nations, which facilitated instant adjustments in the money supply. The developed financial sector of Ideal City also had much to do with its lax monetary policy.

However, consequently, the purchasing power and influence of CR fluctuated unpredictably outside the East Coast.

Even the corporate Commercial Teams preferred bartering or would rather use the Army’s Dinar than deal with stacks of colorful paper.

Copyright remains in the precious metal industries, just not being particularly valuable due to the slightly excessive supply.

Basically, regardless of the reference routes, one-size-fits-all solutions did not exist, only choices fitting current needs.

After considering various suggestions discussed by small players on the Forum, Chu Guang decided to maintain a credit-based monetary system accentuated with certain scarce attributes for the second generation currency.

The new currency would still use the Silver coin model, but instead of deceiving, it would be designed and minted by the shelter itself.

The weight of this Silver coin would tentatively be set at 10g, composed of 90% silver and 10% copper, circulating together with a paper currency of face value 100.

As for the Copper coins, they would be gradually phased out until completely withdrawn from the market.

Old players could use electronic payment, but new players and most NPCs couldn’t, nor could the Wasteland Wanderers and Commercial Teams who came and went.

The new currency was mainly introduced for these people!

Simultaneously, to prevent the value of Silver coins from vastly exceeding the metal’s own value, Chu Guang planned a proactive inflation of about fifty percent within two versions.

The specific plan was, while maintaining the resurrection fee unchanged, to raise the NPC shop purchase and sale prices of farm produce, hunted animals, and other raw materials, bringing the minimum transaction unit to more than 1 Silver Coin.

As for the prices of weapons and ammunition, they would remain unchanged.

Since the establishment of the new industrial area, the cost of industrial products had drastically decreased, which could help offset part of the inflationary impact.

Allowing more players to afford ammunition and better-quality weapons could also be seen as a form of indirect enhancement.

Meanwhile, with the prices of raw materials increasing, the NPCs’ salary and players’ task base rewards would rise accordingly—hunters’ catches in the new version could virtually double.

This was also a way to balance the income discrepancies between different gameplay styles and professions.

...

New Industrial Area.

In a brick building adjacent to the guard post in a corner of the abandoned tire factory, a large collection of old parts were displayed, some of which had been assembled into functional machines.

A few workers clad in fur garments were busily adding a specially made alkaline sizing agent to a large pot filled with cotton, hemp, and other plant fibers being cooked down into paper pulp.

Production was in full swing.

In the wooden crates next to them, a batch of products had already been produced.

These sheets of paper exhibited a flaxen gray color under natural conditions and a slight blue tint when held up to the light. This effect was mainly due to the addition of mushroom powder, made from dried Blue Umbrella Mushrooms, into the paper pulp.

Chu Guang had not expected that those mushrooms, which had been gathering dust at the bottom of a warehouse crate, would come in handy at this moment.

Standing next to the crate, Chu Guang pinched a square-cut piece of paper between his index finger and thumb and rubbed it for a while before looking at the elderly man standing by.

"How many sheets of this kind of paper can you produce in a day?"

Upon hearing the inquiry from the Manager, the old man respectfully answered,

"Sir, aside from needing Blue Umbrella Mushrooms, the production of this paper also requires a special kind of nettle. Though it’s not a rare item, it’s hard to find during winter. If the raw materials are sufficiently supplied, we can produce about 500 kilograms a day with no problem."

The old man’s name was Wu Mu, and he came from a survivor settlement in the central part of the River Valley Province, having joined Nine Li along with a group of refugees who arrived at the north suburb of Qingquan City midway.

Before becoming a refugee, he had been a papermaker by trade.

The profession of a papermaker on the Wasteland was quite rare, as paper was generally not considered a scarce item.

Even though cash transactions constituted less than 1% in the Human Alliance Era, a vast astronomical amount of leftover banknotes still existed.

Survivors on the Wasteland had been burning these banknotes for over two hundred years and still had a large amount left unburned.

Additionally, there were educational facilities like libraries and schools, as well as bookshelves in private homes and the like. Those acid-free papers made from synthetic fibers were like plastic and could last a very long time.

Some survivors used pre-war banknotes to make paper cartridges or shredded the paper into fibers to substitute for cotton in clothing or as lining for bedding.

When Nine Li heard that Chu Guang needed a papermaker, he immediately recommended this old man named Wu Mu to him.

And indeed, Wu Mu did not disappoint Chu Guang.

In less than a week, he had constructed a simple papermaking device using recycled parts and equipment from players.

Using a special alkaline sizing agent and a formula passed down by his ancestors, the texture of the paper Wu Mu produced felt exactly like the banknotes that players picked up from the Wasteland to use as toilet paper.

This made Chu Guang wonder exactly what his ancestors did...

Chu Guang cleared his throat lightly and said,

"Five hundred kilograms will be enough."

The weight of one banknote was around 1 gram.

Once the printing issue was resolved, these 500 kilograms of paper would be enough to issue 500,000 banknotes!

Chu Guang paused, then continued,

"I will find someone to solve the raw material problem. After this batch of products is produced, there’s no need to rush to produce the next batch. Before resuming production, I need you to solve a key issue."

Saying this, Chu Guang took a thread, thinner than a strand of hair, from his pocket and placed it in Wu Mu’s hand.

After examining the thread for a moment, a look of surprise appeared on the old man’s face.

"Could this be... Devil Silk?"

This item was much rarer than Blue Umbrella Mushrooms!

"Yes," Chu Guang nodded and continued, "Since you recognize it, I won’t elaborate on its properties. I need you to figure out a way to incorporate it into the paper, whether by weaving it in or pressing it into the paper during the manufacturing process. There’s only one requirement: some properties of the Devil Silk must be reflected on the surface of the paper. I’ll just say it outright—it’s primarily for anti-counterfeiting purposes."

Wu Mu’s face showed a hint of difficulty.

After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke cautiously,

"Sir, I’ve never tried such a thing before... I can’t guarantee I can do it, I can only try."

Chu Guang responded,

"Alright, first try whatever methods you can think of. If it can’t be resolved, I will think of another solution."

After giving his instructions, Chu Guang turned and walked towards the door of the building.

However, just as he was reaching the doorway, he suddenly remembered something and stopped. He turned back to look at the old man.

"By the way, apart from you, who else knows the formula for these sheets of paper?"

The old man immediately replied,

"I personally add the proportions of each component of the paper pulp and the key additives. Except for the detailed proportions written in the formula you have, what materials were used and how much, only I know!"

Chu Guang looked at him approvingly.

"Good, I hope you keep it up."

"Also, I don’t want to find people creating identical items to ours elsewhere. Do you understand what I mean?"

The elderly man nervously swore an oath.

"Don’t worry, sir, I assure you I’ll keep the secret buried in my stomach."

Chu Guang nodded his head.

"I hope so."

Expecting the formula to be completely confidential was impossible, this thing had no technical threshold, and with a little research, it could easily be discovered.

At most, the Blue Umbrella Mushroom had some resource Scarcity; post-war technology could neither synthesize nor cultivate it artificially. Even in Giant Stone City, it was sold by the gram and was not cheap.

And there was Devil Silk.

With these two items, even without "corporate" watermark anti-forgery technology, it was still ensured that counterfeiters would not profit.

Whether it was paper currency or coins, they were mainly prepared for NPCs.

As for the players.

Of course, they primarily used more convenient electronic payments.

...

Official Website Forum:

[Worldwide Announcement: Over six hundred survivors from Super Power Battery Factory, Hope Mountain Cooperative, Scavenger’s Home, Road Town, and Winter Willow Camp have been relocated to New United Gas Station. The first phase of the evacuation plan was a complete success! Thanks for everyone’s sincere cooperation!]

[Event: Due to a large influx of refugees, the prosperity of Changjiu Farm +200 (now: 360)]

[Worldwide Announcement: To commend the outstanding contribution of twenty players including Edge Shoveling... Shelter No. 404 will award them the Silver Shield Medal. The electronic version of the medal has been updated in personal accounts, and the physical version of the medal can be collected along with mission rewards once it is live.]

["Shield" Medal: Unlock by achieving victory in an "Epic" level defense mission. (Add 500 Contribution Points, Changjiu Farm region reputation +1000)]

[Little Fish: To celebrate the arrival of Alpha1.0 version, Bank No. 404 is about to issue the second generation of currency. We’re now collecting designs for the currency, and if adopted, you could win a mysterious grand prize! We welcome everyone to sign up enthusiastically!]

[Xia Yan: Light weapons upgrade! The weapon store will soon stock a new model suitable for mid to long-range suppression light machine gun, and a close-combat submachine gun. More details, stay tuned!]

[Luka: A large batch of refugees is approaching, and we’re running low on food. I hope everyone can conserve a bit.]

[Today’s Recommended Recipes: Boiled Goat Horn Potatoes, Green Wheat Porridge]

Tail: "Medal! Wait, does this mean we’re getting physical medals later?!! ∑(ﾟДﾟノ)ノ"

Quit Smoking: "Damn! Epic enhancement for the Soldier class! Good thing I picked Soldier as my second profession! (Baring teeth)"

Canyon Escapee Mole: "Collector’s ecstasy! And this doesn’t even pair with an 0.91 update?"

Night Ten: "Brother Fang Chang is awesome! (Funny)"

Fang Chang: "What does that have to do with me? (Sideways glance)"

Crow: "Speaking of today’s recommended recipes, they’re quite bland, ducks. Can the Manager even get full? (*′·v·)"

Elena: "Maybe the Manager has had too much rich food lately, and this time he decided to switch it up a bit. (Funny)"

Night Ten: "Dawn: Eek, I secretly ordered and you guys found out. (Funny)"

The primary topics on the forum were still focused on the upcoming Alpha1.0 version and the new medal system.

As for Boss Xia’s soon-to-be-released new weapons, that didn’t attract much discussion.

After all, the gun barrels and receivers were made by No. 81 Steel Factory, and these two factory bosses were always flooding the forum with discussions on seamless steel pipe manufacturing techniques with netizens even more annoying than mosquitoes.

They already knew what the new weapons to be released were, the only mystery probably being the weapon’s name.

Last time it was LD-47, what about this time?

Surely it can’t be a hammer.

...

Aside from the serious discussion threads, there were also posts teasing Paddle Brother.

Worried that his OB team members couldn’t find their home on the forum, Debt Giant Eye opened a post and tagged everyone there.

"Market’s closing! Today’s Death Lotto results! There were twenty this time! Pity I guessed six, obviously too conservative, but no worries because no one guessed correctly, so it ended in a draw! A world where no one loses money achieved. (Funny)"

Makabazi: "Hahaha, death by black taxi confirmed! Wait, no, MMP, I died too!"

Construction Site Kid and Bricks: "Fuck! I was enjoying shooting with the machine gun, then how come I just died! Didn’t even finish the free bullets issued! (Angry)"

Debt Giant Eye: "No worries, I finished shooting for you. (Funny)"

Construction Site Kid and Bricks: "MMP!"

Edge Shoveling: "Hey guys, I’m sorry, I didn’t bring you all back."

While typing this line, Edge Shoveling was truly splitting.

The first time he led a team was during an encounter with the mutants at area 76.

From then on, whenever he was the team leader, things seemed to go wrong, and he often took tons of damage, so much so that someone even joked that next time he should simply bring a gas mask and could cosplay Krieg Death Legion during tough times.

He didn’t believe for a second that the game’s developers weren’t targeting him.

Luckily, his teammates didn’t blame him.

Debt Giant Eye: "It’s fine. Seeing you down here too makes me feel a lot better."

Spring Water Commander: "Hang in there, Edge Shoveling bro, you’re a real man!"

Drum Washing Machine: "Hahaha, +1, it’s no big deal. Who doesn’t die in games? Makabazi dies several times, and still smiles all day."

Makabazi: "Damn! What do you mean ’dies several times’? I’m specifically being targeted by the developers!"

Worksite Boy & Brick: "Brother Guang: Say that again? I dare to go down next time."

Makabazi: "@#%!"

OB’s little players were still flooding the forum, and the clever ones had already started drawing.

Never mind the mysterious gift Little Fish talked about, this was a chance to design game currency!

If they got through, wouldn’t they get into the Hall of Fame?

Imagine all the players worldwide using the currency you designed, just think how badass that is!

——

On the highway to the south of Tianshui City, an army a hundred strong was retreating.

Because they arrived in haste and left in haste, everyone looked exhausted and listless, sitting on the trucks.

Sitting on the truck as well was a man with only a tuft of hair left on his head, his face solemn.

Opposite him sat Yu, River Beaver, Iron Knee, and several other Centurions, all trembling and daring not even to breathe deeply, looking down counting the mud on their boots.

Kevin, sitting next to Gang Ya, gave him a word of comfort,

"At least we annihilated one of their elite squads, so it’s not as bad as we imagined."

Gang Ya clenched his teeth and squeezed out a sentence through his gritted teeth,

"Why do they also have army weapons?"

River Valley Province is full of army weapons, that’s not surprising. You should be more worried that not only do they have army weapons, but they also possess their own standard weapons."

Looking at the captured submachine gun in his hand and not overly concerned about the immediate win or loss, Kevin’s eyes sparkled with interest.

The design of this rifle was ingenious.

Especially the receiver, which was unusually simple and even retro.

However, it was unexpectedly durable.

The army’s submachine guns used similar design principles but weren’t issued in large numbers, normally distributed to elite forces or paired with bayonets for frontline Centurions.

Large numbers of clone infantry in the army, meant mainly to fill the lines and attack enemy formations, still primarily utilize long bayonets and bolt-action rifles; supporting firepower is mainly provided by one or two gunmen.

After all, the lifespan of a clone infantry on the front lines is terribly short. Let alone an automatic rifle, even issuing them an extra pack of bullets is a waste.

That transport capacity would be better used to send a couple more artillery shells to the artillery positions.

"Die-stamped receiver, could manufacture casings just by stamping... this thing is way better than a pipe rifle."

Hearing Kevin’s comments, Gang Ding frowned.

"Is there a difference?"

The Chewing Bone Tribe could also replicate the army’s ammo and weapons, albeit less efficiently, but they had enough slaves.

With continuous support from the Torch Church and a takeover of a large amount of army stock, he didn’t see weapon production as anything special.

Once the main forces advanced to the front lines, crushing those ants was just a matter of time!

Still, since this was the strategist speaking, Gang Ya took it seriously.

Kevin nodded, speaking succinctly,

"Yes, and the difference is significant."

He glanced outside the truck,

Looking towards the south, the man with the prominent nose slightly narrowed his eyes.

"This means they have already developed some industrial capability, even if it’s just a little."

"These people are not easy to deal with!"

—

(Only one Chapter today, but it’s a large one of 6000 words... I wish I could write ten thousand, but with my hand handicap and a bit of contemplating the plot, time has flown by, and I couldn’t rush out the next Chapter, so it will have to wait until tomorrow’s update. QAQ)

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