This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 284: Tribute to the Ending Alpha Version!

Chapter 284: Chapter 284: Tribute to the Ending Alpha Version!

After studying for a while, Chu Guang finally understood the purpose of the pillar-like terminal machine in front of him.

Simply put, it served as an entrance for players to project their consciousness into this world.

It was somewhat equivalent to the "Wasteland OL" server.

The three thousand available gene sequences stored inside could be understood as three thousand "game activation codes."

Once players logged into the game, images of their consciousness entities were cached on this "server." As for the cultivation chamber, apart from providing information services for players, it was more like an information node.

Helmets, players’ real bodies, servers, cultivation chambers, and clones, together formed a "field," and an invisible "string" connected these five.

The medium for information transfer was not electromagnetic waves or light signals, and might even involve a method of transmission that was an unknown technology to Chu Guang.

This was also why a power outage in the cultivation chamber would disconnect the players, and each consciousness entity could only control one clone.

Of course, this was merely Chu Guang’s conjecture.

The First Generation Manager did not explain the technical principles of these devices to him, nor had he ever explained how he managed to deliver the helmets to the players.

"Three thousand game ’activation codes’... there should be more to unlock, right? Surely there isn’t just this little stuff in the entire server," Chu Guang murmured thoughtfully as his index finger slid across the touch screen.

It wasn’t that he was greedy.

He was just purely thinking that delivering helmets to players and establishing a strong link between the player and the clone, just to release a few thousand gene sequences?

He didn’t believe it.

Waving away the light blue holographic screen, Chu Guang’s gaze fell on the four black boxes.

The game activation codes were secured.

Now, only the game accounts were missing.

Without surprise, the answer should be there.

And just as Chu Guang had expected, the largest among those black boxes—

It was used for synthesizing cultivation chambers!

...

"Following the instructions in the manual, sequentially insert iron ingots, aluminum ingots, graphite... and so on, eleven kinds of materials, and add 100L of water. Please ensure a continuous power supply and place the black box in a ventilated spot."

The B3 floor warehouse.

Next to the twenty-square-meter black cube.

Under Yin Fang’s direction, three warehouse workers, through a simple and easy-to-understand operating procedure, were inputting materials into the black box.

Although anyone could understand the graphic tutorial, and it didn’t matter whether Yin Fang was there or not, Chu Guang always felt a bit more reassured with an expert nearby.

The black box emitted a faint hum.

After a period of waiting, two brand-new cultivation chambers simultaneously rolled out from the delivery conveyor belt and lay quietly on the open space of the warehouse.

Witnessing everything, the three indigenous people’s faces showed astonished expressions, as if they had seen a miraculous miracle.

The input was just a pile of metal ingots.

Yet, what came out was a device... well, they didn’t even know what these two iron clumps were for, but this didn’t stop them being amazed at the transformation before their eyes!

It was utterly inconceivable!

Even more magical than a magic trick!

Thinking about this, the three secretly glanced at Chu Guang, their respectful gaze now mingled with a sort of reverential awe, as if they were beholding a deity.

Truly worthy of being the Manager!

Although they completely didn’t understand, they were deeply shocked.

Yin Fang’s face also carried an expression of intense interest.

He obviously knew what the black box was, but this didn’t prevent him from being curious about what the black box had produced.

The black boxes at the academy either produced exoskeletons, drones, laser guns, or some other obviously single-purpose gadgets.

However, the black box here was different.

Before coming to Qingquan City, he had never seen so many "strangely functional" black boxes.

For example, the two iron boxes right in front of him.

Walking over and touching and looking at the two cultivation chambers, Yin Fang researched for a long time but couldn’t figure out what they were actually for.

"Incredible... just how many black boxes do you have?! And what exactly is this iron box? Is it a coffin?"

Chu Guang didn’t answer his questions, partly because he didn’t know and partly because it was inconvenient to reply.

He glanced at the time on the VM, silently calculated the production speed of the cultivation chambers, yet his heart sank slightly.

"A maximum capacity of 40 units per day, assuming thirty days in a month... a maximum of 1200 players could be released per month."

As for the cost, it caused Chu Guang a faint headache.

The black box he drew came with a fusion battery, so the electricity cost was temporarily ignored, as that couldn’t be calculated.

Just considering the cost of materials, it was astonishingly high at 2000 silver coins!

Equivalent to the cost of three sleep cabins!

Steel and aluminum were cheap, copper was barely okay, and the supply was very stable. However, elements like nickel, molybdenum, and other rare metals were not so cheap.

If production was maximized, it would mean an increase in expenses by 80,000 silver coins per day, totaling 2.4 million silver coins a month!

But looking at it from another angle, a single double-headed cow cost three to four thousand or even four to five thousand silver coins, a player could do much more than a double-headed cow.

Even the cheapest bioengineered person cost at least tens of thousands of chips, and the value a player could create far surpassed that of bioengineered people.

Is 2000 silver coins expensive?

Not expensive at all.

Regarding the additional expense of 240W per month...

At first glance, it might seem a lot, and indeed it is quite substantial, but it’s not a major issue!

First, this fiscal expenditure is different from other fiscal expenditures. It’s not directly invested in the market, so it won’t directly cause inflation.

Second, as long as Chu Guang manages to continuously acquire resources from external sources and increase the shelter’s fiscal income, with no major fluctuations in the prices of industrial materials, it will be easy to fill this gap.

If there really is no money left, it’s also fine to just stop the production lines for a while and then resume them when funds are available again.

"In order to summon more players, Shelter No. 404 needs to strengthen its regional influence and military presence in Red River Town!"

"When the situation allows, consider incorporating Red River Town into the ’New Alliance’ as the second Restoration Zone!"

Currently, the shelter maintains a military base in Red River Town, originally just to provide players with some work and earn an extra buck on the side, unexpectedly, it turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

"...However, now we need to produce the Cultivation Chambers ourselves, and the sealed test qualification distribution mode for B-round testing also needs some adjustments."

Chu Guang thought to himself as he looked at the two Cultivation Chambers in the warehouse.

For example, shift from a one-time large-scale account deployment, to a daily release of 40 accounts per version. Once the current version’s 3000 accounts are issued, it stops until he acquires more activation codes to start the next round.

The number of players has gradually increased, now reaching four digits, and maintaining a double-digit growth per day truly aligns more with the shelter’s current needs than explosive growth.

This thing, like population, is a burden if increased too much at once. Everyone scrambles desperately. If it doesn’t increase at all, no one will fuel the boss’s car.

Basic work must always be done.

Tasks below 10 silver coins are too low-yielding for veteran players, but they are still very attractive to new players.

The efficiency of the players is three times that of the indigenous people; even slaves get a break, but players only have eyes for the progress bar!

Most importantly, the newbies are adorable.

Chu Guang really likes them.

Seeing that Chu Guang hadn’t responded, Yin Fang made a resigned expression, gave up asking about the functionality of the Cultivation Chamber, and turned to study the other three black boxes.

The second black box, similar to the one found in the B3 level warehouse, was for producing Sleep Cabins, with a daily capacity of 20~24 units, inexpensive to make and maintain, and could scan and record the DNA expression of body cells.

Black boxes aren’t unique, and functional overlap isn’t rare.

A player can only own one Cultivation Chamber, yet a Sleep Cabin can serve multiple players at different times.

Respawn points suit deployment in the rear, but save points can be directly deployed on the frontline, even right next to ammunition depots.

The production capability of the Sleep Cabin doubling was quite satisfying for Chu Guang, as the future demand for Sleep Cabins by players would definitely exceed that of Cultivation Chambers.

This gadget could replace sleeping bags, becoming an essential artifact for players’ home travels, and after enough save points were available, Chu Guang would consider offering Sleep Cabins for purchase to players who had reached Citizen level or above in Contribution Points.

The money earned would be perfect to subsidize the production of the Cultivation Chambers.

The products of the first two black boxes are related to players, but the third black box is slightly different, having essentially nothing to do with players’ clones.

Yet its value was no less significant than the previous two; both Yin Fang, who was excitedly amazed, and Chu Guang himself displayed surprised expressions.

"X-4 high-polymer fiber!" Yin Fang, his face full of envy, couldn’t help but say, "Damn... you guys have too many good things!"

X-4 high-polymer fiber!

Level B technology!

By simply inputting wood, water, and a large amount of electricity into the black box, X-4 high-polymer fiber can be steadily produced, with carbon dioxide and potentially methane as by-products!

X-4 fibers have a broad range of uses; they can serve as electrostatic-free barrier fabrics in chemical suits, or be crushed to replace ordinary fibers in the production of smokeless gunpowder, increasing the explosive speed of the gunpowder!

This version of smokeless gunpowder, especially suitable for use in shells, rockets, or bullets, was something Outpost Base, with the help of Pioneer, had obtained a bunch of X-4 fiber from a carbon dioxide trap but was quickly depleted as industrialization advanced.

Now, with the capability for autonomous production, the power of the LD-47 series weapons and Light and Heavy Cavalry Guns produced by Facility 81 would undoubtedly rise to a new level!

And it’s a stable enhancement!

Chu Guang glanced at Yin Fang, who was full of envy, and asked with interest.

"Can’t the Academy produce X-4 fiber?"

"The output is not high, the intermediate processes are complex, and it’s expensive!" After giving a three-word assessment, Yin Fang fell into reminiscence and continued, "... I remember I had to save two months’ salary to buy a set of X-4 fiber protective gear."

It must be quite expensive if a Level D explorer had to save two months’ salary for it.

Chu Guang remembered Yin Fang mentioning that the highest a prospector at the Academy could reach was Level D, capable of leading an independent archaeological team.

Although Level D explorers aren’t high in rank and authority, their income is slightly higher than that of Level C researchers not in core labs, and due to often accessing first-hand data, their promotion speed and opportunities also surpass those of same-level researchers.

But this no longer concerned Yin Fang.

Previously, Yin Fang had missed the Academy, but ever since watching videos of Doctor Principle and being appointed by Chu Guang as the dean of Academy No.404 branch, he didn’t miss home as much.

Conducting archaeology for others is nothing compared to commanding others to do so.

Here, not only is he the leader of the "Scientific Expedition Group," but he also doesn’t have to take the blame for incompetent superiors.

This is too good!

Yin Fang then looked at the last black box, the smallest of the four.

Its length and width were roughly the size of an adult’s arm and forearm respectively, and it was only as thick as a palm.

It was also, so far, the smallest device Shelter No. 404 had recovered, even smaller than the one from Shelter No. 117.

It was literally the size of a briefcase!

And its output was quite special.

Following the foolproof pictorial tutorial printed on the black box, the workers inputted 100g of graphite, 10L of water, and a small amount of iron filings among other materials.

After about an hour, a syringe with a capacity of about 10ml slowly emerged from the outlet.

The syringe swayed with a light yellow solution inside.

Yin Fang held it in his hand and examined it closely, curiously saying,

"What is this?"

"Induction Expression Serum..."

He quietly read the small print on the black box as a flash of surprise crossed Chu Guang’s eyes.

He probably had already guessed the purpose of this thing.

However, its specific clinical effects still needed to be further verified by professionals.

"Let Heya handle the serum research... That’s her area of expertise, and she would probably be very interested."

Having said this, Chu Guang turned to the three warehouse workers standing nearby and continued to instruct.

"From now on, you are responsible for the production of these four black boxes. I will assign some more people to you. You decide how to distribute the tasks, but I have one requirement—ensure three shifts of round-the-clock operation, keeping the machines running 24 hours!"

Seeing such an important task entrusted to them, the three workers, honored and shocked, all showed serious expressions on their faces simultaneously.

"Don’t worry, sir!"

"I am willing to swear on my life to ensure the completion of the task you have entrusted!"

"Me too!"

Seeing the loyalty of the three, Chu Guang nodded in approval.

" I believe in you."

Operating the black box didn’t require much education.

Even mutants could understand the foolproof tutorial on the black box, let alone workers who had gone through literacy class training.

Such production equipment, designed for the apocalypse, was precise but not delicate; damaging it would still present some difficulty.

And without exception, all the indigenous people who could enter the shelter were recognized as loyal by "VM."

Moreover, with cameras everywhere in the shelter, Xiao Qi would report any issue to him immediately—essentially ensuring foolproof security.

"... Dear listeners, this is your dearest Mr. Hauser. Today, West Third Ring is calm, the temperature at 13°. A light rain has refreshed the air a lot, and we have every reason to believe that the future air will be even better—Tide, gray fog, and that rotten smell will all end before the end of the month!"

"Let’s cheer for the lord of the city, for the head of the militia, and for General Zhao Yongxu and his militia who fought bloodily at the front lines, thanks to whom Giant Stone City is so calm today."

"I can’t remember whether it’s 51 or 54, a very very large number. Including the Variants and Evolutionary bodies they’ve annihilated, their achievements are simply too numerous to count! Praise be to the city lord!"

"There are no big news today, nothing significant happened in the southern part of River Valley Province... but you all are clamoring to hear about the north, so I will talk briefly about it."

"Thanks to our planes, those country folks there narrowly escaped disaster. But they seem to think it was their own doing and are currently celebrating their victory."

"Our observers saw that they spread blood on their windows and doorsteps, making their homes bloody everywhere... really a bunch of crude folks!"

"If you must go north, it’s best to avoid them!"

The hissing static sound and the oily voice uniquely performed in the empty reception room.

Outside the reception room in Outpost Base, it was brightly lit and bustling.

A grand celebration was underway.

A far-away small broadcaster in Giant Stone City had only guessed one-fifth—people here were not just celebrating a hard-won victory.

They were also celebrating the dawn of a great era.

From the square in front of the hospital to the commercial street at the north gate, a dense crowd had formed, and survivors from "North Suburb" gathered from all directions as if on a pilgrimage.

Some were just there to behold the honor of the manager in person, while others heard that big news would be announced tonight, so they cleverly secured places at the front early on.

In addition to local survivors, there were some scavengers who came from other small to medium-sized survivor villages nearby to join in the fun, as well as merchants and mercenaries from even more distant areas.

Sun Shiqi was also mixed in the crowd.

Looking at the sea of people, his eyes widened with surprise, almost popping out of their sockets.

"North Suburb" had never seen so many people before.

Nor had it ever seen so many people gathered together.

He still remembered the last time he was here; the place was so desolate it couldn’t even qualify as a small village.

Not to mention those uniformly dressed guards maintaining order at the scene; back then, they couldn’t even put together a few iron pipe rifles, having to buy those revolving little pipes from Red River Town!

So much so that Sun Shiqi once suspected these blue jackets were a group of displaced people pretending to be the original inhabitants!

"It’s really unbelievable..."

Sun Shiqi, being squeezed until almost suffocating, excitedly muttered to himself.

What a huge market!

"Yeah, it’s unbelievable."

A familiar voice came from the side; Sun Shiqi turned his head and surprisingly saw an acquaintance in the crowd.

"You’re here too?"

Standing behind his brother FrostFurnace, Frost River curved her lips.

"My home is here, is it strange?"

Her voice carried a hint of pride as she spoke.

Sun Shiqi initially wanted to strike up a conversation with the young girl, but he noticed the robust man standing in front of him staring at him.

That look was clearly filled with suspicion.

Sun Shiqi coughed, his face just sporting a harmless smile, but he had already been pushed to another spot by the crowd.

The crowd gathered here numbered at least two to three thousand people.

Those local survivors who couldn’t make it to the scene were gathering either in the town hall of Changjiu Farm or the castle on Bet Street.

There were "TVs" made of VM screens.

Although the screens were not large, compared to the crowded onsite scene, it was actually easier to see clearly.

At the moment, on the square in the center of the crowd.

Chu Guang, dressed in deep blue power armor, stood on the third floor of the patched-up sanatorium, where there was a wall that hadn’t been sealed up.

It’s usually Xiao Qi who stands here.

If there were nothing else to do, Chu Guang would occasionally come up to keep it company for a while, and spy on what the players were doing with the drones.

Although Outpost Base had already been built up quite impressively, and the commercial street to the north had expanded all the way to the edge of Bull Horse Brick Factory, this sanatorium alone remained as it had been when the service had first begun.

Old White, standing among the crowd, looked up at the sanatorium in front and his face was filled with nostalgia.

"The window on the second floor was fixed by me."

"That’s nothing, I fixed the wall on the first floor." Spare people under the knife chuckled.

Initially, Old White was the head of the building team, but later it was taken over by him, a civil engineer; not just the sanatorium, but over half of the buildings in Outpost Base were constructed under his leadership.

Old White laughed softly.

"No big deal! I made the bricks and cement!"

Night Ten said helplessly.

"Do you guys have to compete over this too?"

"That’s right," Fang Chang gave them both a sidelong glance, "Even Night Ten thinks you two are childish."

Night Ten suddenly jumped like a rabbit whose tail had been stepped on, "Screw off! Who are you calling childish? Jealous because I’m young?"

Quit smoking: "Hahahaha!"

Seeing Night Ten red in the face from arguing, Wild Wind couldn’t help but snort, probably laughing.

Standing next to Wild Wind was the [Lone Wolf of the Apocalypse], curiously looking at the power armor, not curious about the celebration, just curious about that device.

"Is that thing really nuclear fusion-powered?"

Wild Wind glanced at him.

"I guess so."

Lone Wolf looked at Wild Wind in surprise.

"I thought you would be more curious than I."

Wild Wind didn’t respond to that statement, but Lone Wolf always felt there were unsaid words in his expression.

Not far away, Meat Meat excitedly lifted Tail and Sisi, their massive bodies quite conspicuous in the crowd, but both the indigenous people and the players were used to this huge white bear.

It was said that Meat Meat, which transported ammunition at the front lines, had been awarded a medal by the Manager.

Whenever this anecdote was mentioned, the indigenous people couldn’t help but feel sentimental—this was truly a place full of inclusivity, where even a bear could live like a human with enough effort.

"Did you see it? Did you see it?"

"Wow, thanks Meat Meat! You’re fantastic!"

"I saw it, I saw it! Oh oh oh, this is too high!"

"Wait, where’s Teng Teng? I can’t see Teng Teng." Meat Meat looked around anxiously, but soon found her excited face on Crow’s shoulder.

Making a human ladder.

Basic operation in FPS games.

The only pity was that the game’s models were made too realistically with physical effects and collision volumes too accurate, making it unstable to stand on a teammate’s head, and they had to make do by sitting on each other’s necks.

Stretching her neck to look forward, usually reserved Teng Teng was exceptionally excited today, her emotions surging.

After all, she personally organized this celebration!

This was way more fun than planning company team-building events!

"How much longer?"

"Just two minutes left... oh oh oh, don’t mess up my hair, my hairstyle will get ruined!" Crow looked around nervously.

It was said there were drones filming a PV around, as a commemorative video for the end of the A-round tests, and all logged-in players would be included.

This was a chance to appear in the official CG!

Crow had specifically changed into her favorite clothes.

She didn’t want to appear on camera with her hair all messy.

It was now five fifty-eight in the evening.

Only the last two minutes remained until the start of the celebration.

Not just the indigenous people awaited eagerly; all players were also expectantly looking at the Manager on the third floor, and at his side, Xiao Qi.

Intermission CG!

B-round testing!

New gameplay version!

Hurry it up!

-

(Thanks to "Lavochkin" of the Sterling Silver Alliance!!!! You rock! The title is over thirty-five characters, I tried several times but couldn’t add it T.T)