This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 271: Not Only Garbage Can Be Recycled, But Also Corpses

Chapter 271: Chapter 271: Not Only Garbage Can Be Recycled, But Also Corpses

West Third Ring’s streets, the night turned into day under the fiery glow of incendiary bombs, visible even from kilometers away.

On a dilapidated high-rise, sitting beside a broken floor-to-ceiling window, Tail, Sesame Paste, and Si Si gazed at the soaring flames in the distance.

Due to the spore concentration diminishing with altitude, they had chosen to camp on the 50th floor.

Though Variants roamed this building as well, the lack of a hatching room or a lair meant the creatures were scattered throughout various areas of the structure, neither clustering nor blocking staircases, making it relatively easy to ascend through the emergency routes.

It just took some time.

"Wow! What a big fire!" Tail’s eyes sparkled, reflecting the boiling inferno.

This was way more exhilarating than watching fireworks!

Sesame Paste: "Is there a war going on over there?"

Si Si: "Probably, the Tide seems to be all-encompassing, not just in ’North Suburb.’ Logically, the situation in West Third Ring should be even more intense."

Sesame Paste clasped her hands together.

"Hope the people are okay."

From the moment the sun had set, the sound of explosions had not ceased.

It began with four planes swooping across the sky, followed by rows of fires igniting, completely engulfing the rubble-strewn streets.

The ground forces likely deployed afterward.

Mercenaries from Giant Stone City and the Tide erupted in fierce gunfights amidst the ruins, with tracer bullets occasionally twinkling.

Meat Meat wanted to watch too, but being afraid of heights, she dared not get too close to the edge of the building and could only look from afar.

Crow and Teng Teng were cooking, with several NPCs nearby drooling incessantly, swallowing their saliva continuously.

Apart from the guard named Xu Shun, there were five new employees recruited from Giant Stone City who came back with them, aged between 16 and 20, both male and female.

According to an NPC named Shu Yu from the Office, these new employees were heading to ’North Suburb’ for "onboarding training."

Many were leaving the city for the first time and were filled with nervousness.

However, as the aroma wafted from the pot, all uneasy emotions were swiftly diluted.

Although they had left the protection of Giant Stone City, having such delicious food seemed not so bad.

In Giant Stone City, such delicacies were beyond their wildest dreams.

"Time to eat!"

At the sound of mealtime, Tail, who had been sitting on the edge of the building moments ago, immediately crowded around the iron pot over the fire.

"So delicious!"

White bear also came over, curiously looking into the pot.

"What’s for dinner?"

Holding a spoon, Crow said with a smug curl of her lip.

"Bird stewed with mushrooms!"

Teng Teng bustled about, handing out bowls and chopsticks.

"We’re camping outdoors, so the conditions are a bit rough. Everyone just help yourselves."

Sesame Paste also rushed over excitedly.

"I’ll help too!"

Keeping it casual was fine.

Realizing the implication, Xu Shun felt a bit embarrassed.

These residents of the shelter really redefined the idea of eating casually.

But having lived with them for so long, he had grown accustomed to how particular the residents were about their lifestyle.

The group sat around the fire, holding bowls of steaming food, casually discussing their plans for returning to Giant Stone City.

"I’ve decided!" Declaring her grand plans, Teng Teng’s gaze was filled with determination as she said energetically, "Once back at the shelter, I definitely must use my scissors to correct the skewed aesthetics of the NPCs in Giant Stone City!"

Si Si: "Uh, I think... that might not be your issue."

Lovesickness is human nature, after all.

And without understanding the cultural context, it’s quite normal for their clothing choices to seem odd.

Tail was equally enthusiastic: "Tail too! Giant Stone City still lacks a Mercenary Guild! How can an MMORPG miss such a crucial institution!"

Crow: "What about Sesame Paste?"

With her cat ears lightly twitching, Sesame Paste was initially shy to speak, but seeing everyone discussing the topic, she let go of her reserve.

"I want to deliver packages!"

Si Si asked curiously: "Why delivery?"

Sesame Paste’s eyes shone.

"Don’t you think riding a motorcycle to deliver packages looks really cool?"

Are you cosplaying from ’Ci X’s Journey’?

It seems ’Wasteland OL’ has quite a few ’performance artists,’ with officials not selling skins and players doing DIY. Such conservative hobbies aren’t common.

Taking on a thoughtful nod, Si Si suggested.

"How about matching it with a 12mm revolver?"

Seeing a kindred spirit, Sesame Paste smiled shyly and opened the bag she carried, which contained a silver revolver.

"Hehe, I’ve actually already bought one."

The gun was stylish, but its recoil was too strong.

Most times, she still used the Pu-9 more frequently.

Tail, who was a bit late due to eating, lit up.

"Riding a motorcycle to deliver... Got it! Like a delivery boy, right? Definitely looks cool!"

Especially on an empty stomach!

Teng Teng’s expression was a bit odd.

"I think you guys might not be on the same channel."

...

While players still enjoyed steaming hot food, the mercenaries fighting Variants in West Third Ring were not so fortunate.

The gunfire continued until the next morning, from the shattered plaza to nearby crumbling buildings, down to commercial streets tens of meters underground, every inch of land was drenched in thick blood.

This included the blood of Variants as well as that of the mercenaries.

Scattered battles were still ongoing.

As the sun rose, it was clear things were coming to an end.

Hauling his rifle out from the rubble, Tommy took off his blood-stained gas mask and threw it away, grabbing a new one but not putting it on immediately.

The lair that had extended into this area was destroyed; although a gray-green fog lingered, a small amount of inhalation wouldn’t cause much harm.

He had been in the cramped tunnel all night and now just wanted to breathe in the fresh air outside deeply.

Even if that air was mixed with sand.

At that moment, another mercenary wearing an exoskeleton came cursing from the ruins on the opposite side, holding a broken Male Bee Assault Rifle in his hand.

"Damn...the money I’m making isn’t enough to fix my gear, what the hell do you have there?"

His name was Virgil, and like Tommy, he was a mercenary active around Giant Stone City.

A week ago, when the Tide had suddenly erupted, these mercenaries had become highly sought after overnight; even the militia, who had never looked them in the eye before, began to treat them politely.

After all, with something as major as the Tide, they couldn’t just rely on those Cannon Fodders at the door. To deal with the Variants, they had to rely on these battle-hardened experts.

"LD-47, Sickle Assault Rifle, something the scavengers from the North Suburb came up with. Powerful, cheap, and easy to maintain. I saw them when I was delivering goods to the North Suburb last time and just picked one up," Tommy glanced at his old buddy and casually asked, "How many casualties did you guys have?"

Virgil replied, "Lost five rookies, the rest are okay except for one unlucky guy who got his leg bitten off by a Crawler."

Tommy clicked his tongue.

"That’s really tragic."

Virgil shrugged his shoulders.

"It’s already lucky to be alive."

In the mercenary business, losing arms and legs was a common occurrence.

With enough money, one could get a mechanical prosthesis, or use an exoskeleton if that wasn’t possible, and if one couldn’t even afford an exoskeleton, then it was time to retire early.

As for rookies?

They don’t count as mercenaries.

Learning just to flick the safety from the militia, they were nothing but Cannon Fodder thrown into the frontlines.

Only those who survived more than three battles were formally accepted. Until then, not even their names would be remembered.

After all, remembering was pointless; no one was sure if they’d still be alive in two days.

This sort of thing was all too common.

Tommy glanced at the tall building not far behind him, where the militia’s temporary headquarters was located.

Two power armors stood motionless at the main gate, not moving their legs at all, making one wonder if these iron clumps could even move anymore.

"It would be nice if they could make a move."

Virgil smiled.

"Forget it, fixing those things is too expensive. The noble lords in the Inner City wouldn’t want to get their armors dirty with black blood, let alone take risks themselves."

Every T-10 was a treasure from the pre-war era; even after two centuries, their combat power remained tremendous. The only flaw was their limited number.

It seemed the militia group of Giant Stone City used them more as mascots.

But what puzzled Tommy was, if that was the case, what purpose did these two iron clumps serve by standing there?

To supervise?

Was that necessary?

Not far away, another group of newcomers, walking in disorganized formations, was brought over, accompanied by hundreds of double-headed cows and about twenty to thirty horses.

These animals bore large and small supplies on their backs, containing food and water, as well as ammunition, and even some items that would be considered rare even in the markets of Giant Stone City.

These double-headed cows were led by merchants from Giant Stone City.

Since the mercenaries were paid daily and the amount was substantial, some merchants who could not wait for them to return home would come over to make their first batch of money, while others received orders from the Militia Group to transport supplies from Giant Stone City to the front lines.

This might seem a bit odd.

A group of mercenaries, clad in exoskeletons and streamlined assault rifles, donned clothes made from beast skins, while the merchants transporting their supplies utilized primitive vehicles like ox carts.

But this was unavoidable.

If they didn’t make this choice, the Militia Group would have to hire numerous refugees who were troublesome and weak, or use the limited number of quadrupedal mechanical dogs.

Either option would be much more costly than outsourcing.

Virgil patted Tommy on the shoulder.

"Let’s go get something to eat."

Tommy shook his head.

"No need, I brought some dry rations."

Ever since the contractor’s "military food" upset his stomach, he had lost all faith in the integrity of those so-called "helpers."

Relying on merchants to be ethical?

He might as well expect the Variants themselves to roll back to the city center.

Virgil slapped his arm, not bothering with him any further, and walked alone towards the convoy.

Pulling out a block-shaped piece of green barley cake from his backpack, Tommy stuffed it into his mouth and took a bite before unscrewing his rusty water bottle and taking a sip.

Looking in the direction of the convoy, he shook his head.

Nutrition paste.

Ever since he learned what that stuff was made from, he would rather starve than eat it...

...

While the mercenaries headed towards the convoy to collect supplies, select goods, or spend money for some fun, not far from the convoy a large group of traders haggling with the quartermaster gathered.

The spoils of the front lines were not limited to the mercenaries’ necessities of life but also included the trade of war trophies.

War always produced trophies.

In earlier years, Giant Stone City simply hired merchants to haul the bodies of Variants and Cannon Fodders out of the city to prevent them from decomposing at their doorsteps, thereby avoiding plagues and larger waves of infestation.

Later, some clever people discovered that these Eaters and Crawlers, these sticky fungus Variants, were premium "raw materials."

With just a bit more time and cost put into deactivating the fungus, they could be turned into edible nutrition paste!

Although the nutrition paste synthesized in this way wasn’t actually nutritious, who cared?

Those who truly cared about nutrition wouldn’t eat that stuff anyway.

The slave owners in the south, especially those large farms in Brocade River Province, showed great interest in these products.

They were abundant and cheap, had slightly higher nutritional value than green barley, and could even provide a small amount of protein to give slaves and livestock more strength.

Feeding slaves with green barley, though more cost-effective, would lead to thinner slaves and the extensive planting of green barley would deplete the soil’s fertility.

But with nutrition paste, these issues didn’t exist.

Not just nutrition paste, but organic fertilizers, bio-oils, food additives, etc., could all be extracted from the bodies of the Variants.

Although the recycling efficiency was generally low, possibly not even reaching 10%, the quantity of these Variants was large enough and the cost was low.

Over time, the technology matured and eventually reached a certain industrial scale, at which point the merchants began to handle the bodies formed by the Tide at Giant Stone City free of charge.

By now, things had changed such that they needed to give Militia chips in reverse to be allowed to transport the bodies away, and the price was increasing every year.

This year was the same.

From the excited expressions and words of those merchants, it was clear they had not come to an agreement with the militia of Giant Stone City.

"50 chips a ton?! Why don’t you just rob us?"

"Last year’s Tide cost only 20 chips! Don’t think we’ve forgotten!"

"This is outrageous!"

However, the quartermaster couldn’t be bothered with them and said impatiently,

"If you can’t afford it, get out."

Paying fifty chips a ton for those bodies, using that pricing to buy back this garbage, there would be no profit if they didn’t achieve a yield over 30%!

But how could that be possible?

No matter how the merchants, who surrounded the quartermaster, tried all their tricks and promised various benefits, they couldn’t persuade him.

Even though they were helpless, they had no choice but to shake their heads and disperse.

One of the departing men even uttered a harsh word—"Let the nobles of the Inner City deal with these troubles themselves," then stormed off angrily.

The militia standing beside barely bothered to react.

As long as he didn’t directly disrespect the lord of the city, no one cared what he complained about.

Detwei returned to the caravan furiously.

He had originally hoped to finish the supply trade and then contract for a hundred tons of body disposal

Near the caravan.

A group of merchants dealing in food gathered together, whispering quietly.

"I heard that this year’s ’spoils’ have been monopolized by Vijia Commerce."

Hearing the name Vijia Commerce, many merchants’ faces showed an expression of apprehension.

This commerce was well-known in the commercial circle of Giant Stone City, not only investing in two large farms with an area over 10,000 acres in the south but also operating the largest food processing plant in Giant Stone City, which reportedly held over 50% of the market share in Giant Stone City.

Producing "Tasty Brand Meat Cans" and "Extra Tasty Double-headed Cow Meat Pies," their products not only sold well in Giant Stone City but were also exported to neighboring provinces.

The owner of this commerce was named Wei Jia, but there were rumors that the real owner was someone else, and the front-facing Wei Jia was just a tool for the big figures of the Inner City to make money.

Regardless of whether the rumors were true, small-scale businesses like them couldn’t possibly compete with a behemoth like Vijia Commerce.

No wonder the quartermaster was so dismissive of them.

"This is blatant monopolization!"

Detwei couldn’t help but ask.

"When did these greedy leeches start meddling in the business of nutrient paste too?"

Nutrient paste.

Arguably the lowest-end commodity of all food with the thinnest profits, especially the inferior nutrient paste synthesized from mucilaginous Variants.

An old merchant with a face full of wrinkles glanced at the back of the caravan and pointed at the guards on horseback and the double-headed cows next to them, loaded with goods.

"I heard that some big shot subcontracted more than half of the front-line logistics orders to them, and they opened a new factory producing nutrient paste just before the year’s end... but it doesn’t carry the ’Tasty’ or ’Extra Tasty’ brands."

Another merchant said.

"I remember... is it called ’Massive Quantity’?"

Another nodded.

"Yes, I remember that name, Mr. Hauser’s radio even advertised for it!"

Detwei couldn’t help but curse.

"Shameful insider trading!"

Other merchants also silently cursed a few times in their hearts.

These shameless slicksters!

Not even willing to give them a sip of soup!

At this moment, one merchant suddenly spoke.

"I heard... has a Tide also erupted up north this year?"

Someone nodded in agreement.

"And it’s not small... just the other night, it seems they even purchased incendiary bombs from the Militia Group."

Detwei furrowed his brows and looked at the young merchant who started the topic.

"North? Do you mean ’North Suburb’?"

"I thought that was the Chewing Bone Tribe’s territory."

The young merchant who initiated the talk smiled.

"You guys are out of the loop; it’s clear you haven’t been to North Suburb in a long while! I’ve got the latest news, I heard that a month ago, the survivors in North Suburb drove the Chewing Bone Tribe away."

The aged merchant with a wrinkled face also nodded.

"Uh-huh... I indeed heard a little rumor that those people also interfered with the war between Red River Town and the Snake Tribe? Just not sure if it’s true."

The young merchant unscrewed his water bottle and leisurely took a sip before saying.

"It’s not just that."

An interested Detwei promptly asked.

"Go on, please share."

The surrounding new merchants also looked expectantly at the young man.

Merchants venturing north were too few, and fewer still returned from there. One could hardly hear any rumors from the north in bars, and recently the Voice of Giant Stone City radio was busy advertising, hardly reporting anything about that area, so most people’s impression of North Suburb remained stuck in last winter.

They had heard that the survivors there had been tormented severely by the harsh winter; they weren’t even sure if those people had survived.

Seeing everyone’s attention focused on him, the young man smiled slightly and continued at his own pace.

"The Chewing Bone Tribe is their arch-enemy; they naturally had to interfere in the wars targeting the Chewing Bone Tribe. Adding to that, the mine owners of Red River Town were quite willing to buy better weapons for cheaper prices, and they even made a fortune from this."

"These people are smart; they invested the money they earned in the wasteland up north and also bought second-hand equipment from Giant Stone City, making strides in agriculture and industry."

"Not only that, but they also came up with quite a few good inventions... such as a bomb that can fly far without a plane, reportedly causing a lot of trouble for the looters besieging Red River Town. Besides, they also offered mercenaries," Detwei expressed in surprise, "I heard the people in North Suburb are the Blue Jacket? Refuge dwellers? Those people know how to fight?"

This frankly overturned his impression of the Blue Ground Mice.

Those people were willing to come out of warm bedrooms?

"That young merchant continued, "It’s not just about fighting; there are good things there too. Have you been to the Night Queen Bar?"

When the Night Queen Bar was mentioned, the conversation suddenly became less formal.

Although these merchants aren’t incredibly rich, they have a fair amount of chips in their pockets and, even if they haven’t spent money there, they’ve definitely conducted business there.

Soon someone excitedly interjected.

"Speaking of which, I just remembered, I heard they came out with some fragile silk products recently?"

Gray Squirrel Clothing Store seems to be selling them, I bought a few sets a few days ago to gift to my old lover. But convincing her to wear it took me quite the effort."

"Hahahaha."

Everyone’s faces revealed smiles that everyone understood, but the young man who had started the conversation didn’t speak again; he just watched everyone chat with a smile.

Detwei wasn’t in the mood for idle chat; his mind was on making money.

A tide erupted in the North Suburb?

Are there a lot of farms there?

Maybe...

I should try my luck there.

Detwei felt his palms getting warm and glanced at his colleagues around him, then quietly moved to sit next to the young man.

"Bro, do you have connections?"

Seeing the look on his face, the young man understood what he was thinking and said with a slight smile.

"I, as a person, have also been fortunate to make a small fortune."

Detwei took a careful look at the young man’s attire, which clearly wasn’t cheap, especially the deer skin used for the holster hanging at his waist.

This was uncommon in Giant Stone City, where most mercenaries and merchants used wild boar and hyena skins.

After all, deer herds don’t pass through this area every year, and top-quality reindeer are even rarer, usually bought up by those who really aren’t short on money as soon as they appear on the market.

The most critical point was that this guy was young enough.

It was precisely this youth that made Detwei unable to discern his real "strength."

Detwei chuckled, pulled a cigarette from his pocket, and handed it over with a voice tinged with flattery.

"My name’s Detwei, I’ve been in the food business in Giant Stone City, dealing with the Militia Group’s bodies for over a decade. Honestly, those darn guys are really ungrateful, use me up like a rag and then throw me away. If you’re planning to do business with them, you’d better be careful."

The young man didn’t refuse the cigarette but didn’t light it immediately either; instead, he tucked it behind his ear and said with a smile.

"I’m not in the food business; I deal in gas masks."

"Gas masks? Nice stuff, the profit margins on those are much higher than nutritional paste!" Detwei falsely thumbed up, his eyes shifted, and then he chuckled, "Bro, got any leads for me? I’m quite interested in the tide out in the North Suburb, you know I’m in food sales, so it won’t conflict with your business."

The young man said with a smirk.

"How do you know I’m not interested in food sales? Listening to you all this while, it seems quite profitable?"

This guy.

Young in age, but with a big appetite!

Isn’t he afraid of biting off more than he can chew?

Detwei muttered to himself, but his face still wore a flattering smile.

"Sure, our line hasn’t had a new partner in a long time, I can teach you the trade! Trust me, there’s so much stock you can’t handle it alone, pulling a brother up, surely won’t leave you without benefits!"

The young man deftly pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to Detwei and to the interested merchants eavesdropping nearby.

"My name is Shu Yu, this is my business card."

"The ruler of the North Suburb is considering recycling the ’trash’ generated by the Tide, and I just happen to be planning to bring in a batch of goods from the North Suburb."

"If you are interested in the northern market, you can find me at the address on the card."

North Suburb Industrial Zone.

A brand-new facility was cleared up and adorned with a new sign—[Bachi Aluminium Factory]—producing the newly developed A3 type aeronautical aluminum.

Bachi, in his professional field, might not be the most skilled, but he was absolutely adept in management.

He was born into a family of merchants, specializing in alcohol, and he said it was quite a large-scale business.

Given his capabilities, Chu Guang maximized his talents by directly appointing him as the plant manager for the new material.

An entrepreneur with a background in engineering, Chu Guang had high hopes for his future.

"...Shelter No. 404 is a permanent partner of our enterprise, and our silver coins will soon be listed in the Ideal City, even having its own exchange. Never underestimate the value of these coins; they will become the most valuable things in this wasteland."

"Keep up the good work, I can assure you, your career will astonish your father. When others mention your name, you will be one of the greatest entrepreneurs in the wasteland, not just some unknown wine merchant’s son."

"They will kindly call you—Boss Ba!"

At the entrance of the industrial zone.

Listening to Chu Guang’s grand vision, Bachi couldn’t help but remark,

"You might as well say to build another Ideal City in the center of the Central Continent... And my father is not unknown, he has some fame in the Province of Yunjianxing!"

Though only a little!

Chu Guang’s eyes lit up, and he snapped his fingers.

"Build another Ideal City in the central area? That’s a good idea, I could include it in the next five-year plan."

Bachi: "..."

Is this guy serious?

After a pause, the iron can standing before Chu Guang relaxed his shoulders and continued,

"Your proposal is indeed enchanting, I’ve dreamed about it before, but now...honestly, I would rather return to being human."

Chu Guang gently patted his shoulder.

"I’ve always seen you as human, my friend, and there’s no falsehood in these words."

"Plus, as you’ve seen, our team includes not only handsome young men and beautiful women but also Lizards, Bears, and Bionic Beings, and even Rat-men you haven’t met... They are all our partners, and we do not judge them differently just because they look different from us."

"As long as they abide by the rules, willing to be useful to society."

These heartfelt words might have moved Bachi.

Chu Guang could feel, through those crimson pupils beneath the iron helmet, a flicker of emotion and hope.

Bachi, regaining his spirit, looked at Chu Guang earnestly and said,

"I admit, I truly feel what you’ve described here, and no one else but you would accept me in this form."

"I will do everything I can to help you, and I hope you can keep your promise to help me return to normal."

Chu Guang lightly nodded his head.

"I assure you."

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.