This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 280: The Trash Lord with Off-the-Charts Data Panel

Chapter 280: Chapter 280: The Trash Lord with Off-the-Charts Data Panel

It was night.

In the area west of the second ring, ceaseless gunfire and cannon fire erupted as mercenaries fought against the swarming Variants under the cover of airstrikes and shelling.

Oddly, the north, which had been turbulent all of last night, was now eerily quiet.

From a distance of several kilometers, the Iron Forest was everywhere. Gunshots were surely inaudible, but the booming of explosions could still faintly be heard.

However, Zhao Yongxu found nothing strange about this.

A group of yokels wielding fire sticks wouldn’t stand a chance against the Tide; that would indeed be a wonder.

Presumably, last night’s battle had already exhausted all their strength, and by now, they were likely either swallowed by the surging Tide or had tucked their tails and fled.

Gazing at the silent night sky to the north, a hint of contempt flashed in his eyes.

"These idiots."

Not knowing enough to keep their distance was just asking for trouble.

As everyone knew, the Tide advanced towards areas with high population density and fewer Mucor species Variants. Both population increase and mass eradication of the Mucor species accumulated a kind of "hatred value."

Of course, those yokels wouldn’t know this.

Their heads, at most, could pack in half a book’s worth of "get-rich strategies" from "Voice of Giant Stone City," maybe not even knowing a few words. How much could they possibly understand?

In his view, those people were no different from the beggars at the gates of Giant Stone City; essentially, they were one and the same.

Turning his gaze from the north, Zhao Yongxu, standing by the window of a tall building, shifted his attention to the east.

As an officer of the Militia Group, directly appointed by the city lord as the frontline commander, resolving the threat to the prosperity and stability of Giant Stone City posed by the Tide was indeed his main concern.

Not far away.

Two arcs of light streaked across the night sky.

Following the descent of four black dots, blazing flames engulfed an entire street, drying up every speck of soil.

The vicinity of the entrance to the underground complex was cleared out, creating a vacuum zone, and the mercenaries began advancing.

From the West Third Ring to the West Second Ring, two newly formed lairs on the surface had been destroyed by airstrikes days ago, but three more were hidden within the underground commercial complex.

The mutations in the hatcheries were random and utterly unpredictable. Even after exhaustive searches, some could still slip through the cracks.

Especially when these mutations occurred underground.

The underground spaces and track transit tangled beneath the towering buildings were as dense as a spider web, or a tangled ball of yarn.

It was said that during the distant Prosperity Epoch, only quantum computers could help people find the quickest way home.

Unfortunately, Giant Stone City did not possess such quantum computers for inquiring directions, nor did it have strategic weapons capable of reaching tens, or even hundreds of meters underground.

But it didn’t matter.

They had enough Cannon Fodders and ample logistics.

With the support of both indirect and direct firepower, even if a couple of powerful Evolutionary bodies appeared, they wouldn’t be a match for them.

Optimistically, they could eliminate an underground lair by tonight.

Pessimistically, it might take just another two days.

Zhao Yongxu quietly waited for good news from the frontline when suddenly, a pilot’s voice transmitted through the communication channel.

"Air raid complete, target eliminated... returning to base."

"Well done. Go back and rest, there’s no more work for you tonight," he responded.

Just as he uttered these words, a thought struck Zhao Yongxu, and he hastily added,

"Oh right, take a detour to the north on your way back."

"I want to know the situation at the North Fourth Ring."

He didn’t need to worry about North Suburb.

He said this purely out of personal curiosity.

The pilot, not overly concerned, succinctly replied.

"Received."

Two arcs of light charted a wide curve in the sky towards the north.

Zhao Yongxu waited momentarily.

Soon, a voice reporting from the communication channel reached him.

"We have reached the airspace above North Fourth Ring, no anomalies discovered."

"And the gunfire?"

"None seen... it’s pitch black here."

It seemed not just the artillery fire had ceased; even the gunfire had completely stopped.

Zhao Yongxu chuckled inwardly, "Just as I thought." Yet at that moment, the voice that had paused briefly spoke up again.

"Not just the North Fourth Ring, the Changling Overpass area is quiet as well, no open fire spotted... However, northwards, towards the Fifth Ring area, scattered lights can be seen."

Zhao Yongxu was stunned.

Scattered lights?

The survivors hadn’t fled?

Could they have already dealt with the Tide... but how could that be possible!

With a puzzled expression, Zhao Yongxu pressed further.

"What about the Bell Tower on Street No. 65? What’s the situation there?"

The communication channel went silent for a while.

Soon, a confident voice replied.

"We are currently over Street No. 65. The bell tower’s walls show significant fungal blotches, confirmed to be remnants of a lair..."

"There appears to have been a fierce battle here before, the ground is littered with corpses... but they won."

A cigarette, held between his fingers, fell to the ground.

Zhao Yongxu’s eyes widened, full of disbelief.

"Remnants of a lair? Are you sure you’re not mistaken?!"

The pilot replied with certainty.

"...I’m positive."

The patrol mission ended, and the aircraft began its return flight.

Zhao Yongxu blankly stared at the northern sky outside the window, falling silent for a long time without uttering a word.

He couldn’t figure it out.

Without air support, how had those people managed to eliminate the Variants, which surged like a tide, using only homemade cannons and iron pipe rifles?

After a long silence, he finally squeezed out a half-sentence filled with perplexity.

"...How is that possible!"

...

"Damn, last night’s explosion sounded just like thunder... Does anyone know what exactly happened there?"

"Are you talking about the south? I heard it too!"

"It must be the Tide, those Blue Jackets have been dealing with it these past couple of weeks, I heard it’s been quite lively on the frontline."

"The Tide? I’ve been to Qingquan City many times, and this is the first time I’ve heard of the Tide moving northward."

"Maybe this year is different from previous ones? After all, it wasn’t this lively last year."

"Strange, can the Tide even know where there are more people?"

"You clearly lack experience. My uncle, who serves in the Giant Stone City Militia Group, told me that every Eater you kill out there will come back for you in the form of the Tide next spring."

"Stop talking nonsense, if it were as mystical as you say, the survivors in Qingquan City would’ve been long dead!"

North Gate Street by the trade post of Changjiu Farm, the highway motel was a real hive of bustling activity.

As the sky darkened, the place turned into a tavern frequented by mercenaries, traveling merchants, and Caravan guards.

Some ate meat and drank liquor, others played dice and cards, and some held forth with strangers seated next to them, discussing road sightings and rumors just to earn a pint of beer.

As everyone knows, where there is alcohol, there are stories—though many stories were made up on the spot, occasionally some slightly valuable bits of information would be peppered into the mire of gossip.

Therefore, whether they had jobs or not, mercenaries and traveling merchants liked to sit here to pass the time.

"My men and I need to stay another night."

Sun Shiqi, approaching the bar, woke Old Hooke who was dozing off behind it.

In such a noisy place, it was a wonder he could sleep at all.

Opening his bleary eyes, Old Hooke lifted his eyelids to look at the young man standing at the bar, yawning as he did.

"No problem... Why the sudden decision to stay an extra day? I remember you were in a hurry to return to make a fortune."

"The order got delayed, just my luck..." Sun Shiqi muttered, sitting down at the bar, "Another beer, please, the kind without water mixed in."

Not only his order had stalled; all the military export orders from the entire Changjiu Farm were postponed by a day, stating that the industrial area’s inventory had been sent to the frontline.

The girl named Frost River personally came to the motel to apologize to him, noting that the trade post was willing to cover his accommodation fee with 10 silver coins.

Although Sun Shiqi wanted to complain, staying an extra day here cost more than just 10 silver coins—both the mercenaries’ wages and their accommodation expenses were on his tab—but seeing the girl’s sincere apology, he didn’t make it tough for her.

Moreover, even if he had it wouldn’t have mattered; it was an unavoidable situation.

The frontlines were at war, and the bullets delivered to the ammunition depots couldn’t just be taken back.

Facing a survivor settlement that was unreasonable, it wasn’t unheard of to delay deliveries even until the next year; a delay of a day or two wasn’t too excessive.

Doing business on the Wasteland meant taking some risks.

"We aren’t in Giant Stone City here; we don’t sell diluted fake drinks."

While selling, Old Hooke didn’t forget to label the neighbors. He shakily walked to a barrel, twisted open the silver faucet, and filled a cup as thick as a man’s thigh, thumping it down on the table before returning to the bar.

"5 silver coins."

"Put it on my tab."

Taking the wooden mug, Sun Shiqi peered inside.

Good lord, he couldn’t tell if the beer had been watered down, but the foam already filled half the cup.

He realized then that the inn didn’t make its real money from the room charges but from what the patrons consumed onsite.

At this rate, a barrel of beer could probably be traded for a cow.

How extortionate!

"How’s the situation on the North Loop frontline?"

Old Hooke casually replied.

"It’s over."

"Over?" Sun Shiqi showed a surprised expression, doubting his own ears, "Are you talking about the Tide?"

Old Hooke: "What else could it be?"

Restraining the surprise on his face, Sun Shiqi awkwardly laughed and said.

"I just didn’t expect it to end so quickly."

Usually, the Tide wouldn’t end until late March.

And it wasn’t even the end of February yet.

Without further inquiring about the Tide, Sun Shiqi instinctively leaned closer to the mug and sniffed, catching the fragrance of malt.

"Did you brew this yourselves?"

Old Hooke casually replied.

"Malt from Brown Farm and hops, plus the special fermentation techniques of Shelter No. 404, I guarantee, this is a brew you absolutely can’t find in the taverns of Giant Stone City."

He read the line so smoothly.

So much so that Sun Shiqi felt like the guy might have memorized it.

But that wasn’t what he was concerned about.

Sun Shiqi pointed to the beer barrel behind him, asking curiously.

"How much for one barrel of this beer?"

Old Hooke’s eyes brightened, a pleased smile spreading across his wrinkled face.

"Interested? I’ll sell it to you for 500 silver coins."

500?!

The barrel could hold at most 50 liters, perhaps only around 40 liters, whether it could even fill a hundred mugs was questionable.

Only a fool would buy it!

Sun Shiqi rolled his eyes, sipped the beer, and chose not to continue the conversation.

He had recently come into a small fortune.

But he was not foolish.

The silky smooth taste made him feel relaxed, just as he was about to inquire about some business intelligence, the wooden door of the inn suddenly opened, and a dusty figure walked in.

Old Hooke looked at the man and skillfully asked,

"Are you here to eat or stay?"

"Neither, I am here to look for someone..."

Noticing Sun Shiqi standing by the bar, Zhou Nan’s eyes lit up, and he immediately walked over quickly, "Hey, friend, I’ve been looking for you!"

Sun Shiqi recognized him; it seemed he stayed at the inn opposite. When he first arrived at Changjiu Farm, this man had invited him to go to Giant Stone City.

"Get him a beer... and two skewers of grilled lizard meat, put it on my tab."

"Alright," Hooke turned and walked towards the kitchen.

Sitting next to Sun Shiqi on the bar stool, the merchant from the south happily said,

"Thank you!"

"You’re welcome," Sun Shiqi looked at him and asked, "What did you need me for?"

"If I had no reason I certainly wouldn’t have bothered you." Wearing a smile, Zhou Nan continued, "Here’s the thing, we plan to leave for Giant Stone City tomorrow noon. How have you considered the matter I asked you about yesterday?"

Sun Shiqi made a helpless expression.

"My order got delayed; I don’t even know if I can deliver it tomorrow. You guys go ahead, I might need to stay here for a day or two."

"That’s really too bad," Zhou Nan said regretfully.

Sun Shiqi looked at him curiously and asked, "Have you guys gathered enough people?"

Zhou Nan said with a smile, "Not yet, but I heard the fight near North Fourth Ring has ended; those Blue Jackets took care of the Lair, and even if the tides elsewhere aren’t over, at least the ’North Suburb’ tide has ended. Now is the best time to go to Giant Stone City! My companions and I studied the map carefully, if we go west along North Fifth Ring, then head north, we can safely reach our destination."

Sun Shiqi looked at him enviously and said,

"...Can I ask what kind of trade you guys are planning to do?"

The trades everyone could get involved in were mostly similar, and Zhou Nan did not particularly try to hide, spiritedly saying,

"Salt and sulfur; those are the best selling items there, especially during this tide period! Oh yes, and also gas masks and devil cloth from the trade station."

At this, Zhou Nan couldn’t help but remark,

"The good things here are really plentiful, and they’re cheap too! Do you know how much the nutrient paste costs here? The wholesale price per ton is just 299 silver coins!"

silver coins...

Is that like 1.5 assault rifles?

Currency in the Wasteland was intricate and varied; even the same currency could be different in value in different areas. Sun Shiqi subconsciously made a conversion in his mind.

But when he realized what this price meant, he was instantly shocked.

"Are you sure?! The price of two assault rifles can buy one ton of nutrient paste?!"

In Giant Stone City, the retail price of nutrient paste was 1 to 2 chips per kilogram, and the wholesale price was 300 to 400 chips per ton.

Converted to Male Bee Assault Rifles, it needed at least two!

And this was under the assumption that the latter’s price wasn’t cheap either.

Noticing the astonishment on Sun Shiqi’s face, Zhou Nan looked at him strangely, as if surprised that someone didn’t know about this.

But thinking that this gentleman had only arrived a couple of days ago, Zhou Nan eased up and continued to speak with a smile.

"Isn’t it astonishing? I was startled when I first found out too! I suspect that the nutrient paste produced by Didivei Food Processing Factory costs even less than 200 silver coins per ton! If I weren’t short of money, I’d consider setting up a factory myself!"

Changjiu Farm’s bank offers loans, but not everyone can qualify.

You need to meet two conditions.

Either you have the technology,

Or you have the equipment.

Or, you must have made enough "contribution" to the local economy.

Unfortunately, as a merchant from the south, he had none of those.

Still, that didn’t prevent him from transporting the nutrient paste to the south to exchange for food or livestock, then bringing the livestock back to exchange for silver coins.

Zhou Nan spent yesterday researching and found that the demand for livestock here was quite strong—a double-headed cow sold to Changjiu Farm could fetch at least three to four thousand silver coins!

Shipping two to three tons of nutrient paste to the south, he could easily buy one or two double-headed cows from the local farmers and ranchers with the local cash obtained.

Seeing his friend’s eager eyes, Zhou Nan chuckled and asked,

"Brother, want to partner up? We could pool some money to start a factory. I’ve researched it; just get some second-hand equipment from Giant Stone City, and with two hundred thousand chips, we can set up the factory."

Sun Shiqi admitted he was indeed tempted.

But after much hesitation, he finally shook his head.

"...I admit your proposal is tempting, but the trip to Brocade River Province is just too far; back and forth might take half a month."

North Suburb has weapons and food, both of which are what Red River Town, which in return has the needed minerals and manpower, lacks.

Transporting slaves and minerals from Red River Town here, in exchange for rifles and food, then trading them back, would also be very lucrative.

There are many avenues to riches, and he could not monopolize them all—excelling in managing this trade route was the true strategy!

Sun Shiqi had already thought it through.

He planned to save up to buy a few trucks, form a convoy, and corner the business of the copper from here to Red River Town.

The demand for copper here was the strongest, used in laying electrical wires and making bullets, and its price was always stable, offering far greater cost-effectiveness than steel in transportation.

Once he earned a few hundred thousand silver coins, his plan was to buy a piece of land on North Street, firstly constructing a warehouse, then a mill.

With good luck coinciding with the harvest, he could mill the corn and wheat into flour; selling it to Red River Town, Giant Stone City, or Garbage City would net a huge profit.

The unit price of grains wasn’t high, but the gross margin was never low— not everyone wears shoes, but everyone needs to eat.

Last year was a cold winter.

This year should be a bountiful one; grain prices would likely be very cheap.

Sun Shiqi indulged in his future plans as Zhou Nan, sitting beside him, was slightly disappointed but said little else, raising his glass instead.

"It’s truly such a pity; if we joined forces, we could definitely become the biggest grain merchants in Qingquan City."

"There’s nothing to regret; there are plenty of chances to get rich," Sun Shiqi clinked his glass with his, smiling, "I wish you more and more success in your business, Boss Zhou!"

"Ha ha, thanks for your good words, my friend! Cheers to you!"

"Cheers to you!"

The two men—radiant, flush-faced, and jovial—drank glass after glass, engaged in merry conversation.

Old Hooke, sitting behind the bar, listened to their boasts, his wrinkle-covered face full of smiles, occasionally chiming in with supportive comments.

No matter how they made their money, the cost of their drinks was always paid by themselves.

Of course, he was happy that they were drinking more.

In the end, Zhou Nan had to lean on the wall to leave, and Sun Shiqi himself had lain at the bar for half the night before the hotel staff carried him back to his room in the wee hours.

When he woke up early the next morning and saw the bill on the bedside table, Sun Shiqi’s groggy head instantly cleared up, and his face turned green.

"220 silver coins?!"

What on earth had he drunk last night?!

...

Official Forum.

Normally, at this time, it would be the peak period for players to come online, with the site usually quite empty, but today it was exceptionally lively.

Quit smoking: "I can’t log in!"

I Max Black: "Me too! That’s weird."

One post after another popped up, many players at Level 9 discovered with delight upon putting on their helmets that they had finally broken through their bottlenecks!

Especially Junk Man, who had been stuck at Level 9 for almost a month!

He had finally broken through!

Pick up trash 99 level: "Hahaha, awakened! I’ve finally awakened!"

Looking at the notification in the upper right corner of the official website, Junk Man was so excited tears streamed down his face.

How long had it been since he created his account?

Being one of the first Europeans to enter the game and with an exclusive account for the exalted, should have been thrilling, but he just happened to hit N years’ worth of a cold spell.

Plus the debuff from "harder to gain experience"; he had only managed to level up to Level 10 as the A round of testing was almost over.

Seeing those "juniors" awakening one after another, the bitterness was probably only known to him.

It really hadn’t been easy!

Night Ten: "OMG, Junk Man awakened?!"

Mole on the run from the valley: "Shocking! Will he turn into a Dead Claw?!"

Pick up trash 99 level: "How could that be? But damn, the power is undeniable. I feel like I could take on a Dead Claw at the west gate! (Baring teeth)"

Fang Chang: "Good brother, show off your attribute panel!"

Tail: "Hurry up! Let me take a look!

Under the encouragement of everyone, Junk Man ultimately couldn’t resist the urge to show off, and he posted his attribute panel in the thread.

[

ID: Pick up trash 99 level

Gene Sequence: Heterogeneity·Lizardman

Level: LV.9→LV.10

——Basic Attributes——

Strength: 17→27 (+10)

Agility: 9→14 (+5)

Constitution: 9→14 (+5)

Perception: 9→11 (+2)

Intelligence: 2→3

]

[

Talent:

Cold-blooded (stronger concealment, slow mobility in low temperatures)

Polydactyl (greater stamina, difficulty operating complex machinery)

Physical Regeneration (stronger recovery, difficult to increase gene sequence level)

Boiling Blood (temporarily removes the debuff from "Cold-blooded" and gains a 10%~20% increase in strength and constitution attributes.)

]

The moment the attribute panel was posted, the comment section below the post exploded!

Tail: "?"

Quit smoking: "???"

Night Ten: "OMG?!"

Spring Water Commander: "Did you hack, man?!"

Edge Shoveling: "Damn... these attributes are ridiculous!"

Old White: "Are these strength attributes for real?!"

Youth with brick at the construction site: "Please, planners, nerf him a bit!"

In just a few minutes, everything from "balance has collapsed" to "combat capability has gone bonkers" burst forth.

These people were stopping at nothing to achieve their objectives, as if not making a nerf would halt the operation the second day of the closed test server.

Of course, some people were joking.

But for Pick up trash 99 level, this wasn’t a very funny joke.

As everyone began tagging the planners, Junk Man panicked and retorted quickly.

"Damn! I’m bigger in volume than you guys, is it too much if my attributes are a bit higher?"

Less nonsense: "It’s too much! High attributes are one thing, but showing off like this is another! (Freaking out)"

Makabazi: "Exactly! Is this what a person should do! (Freaking out)"

Pick up trash 99 level: "???! Wasn’t it you guys who asked me to post it?!"

This is too absurd!

Just as Junk Man was handling the barrage of criticisms, a sudden announcement popped up on the official website, which finally relieved him from the encirclement.

Because of this abruptly updated announcement, whether it was players or backseat drivers, everyone was drawn to it.

[Wasteland OL closed test server will start its B-round testing in 6 days, and a brand new version will meet all buddies then, stay tuned!]