This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 299: Northern Expedition Plan

Chapter 299: Chapter 299: Northern Expedition Plan

Dimitri left with his people.

The group continued north, heading towards West State City.

As the warriors clad in jet-black exoskeletons disappeared into the distance, the man hiding among the refugees let out a sigh of relief and withdrew his hand from the tattered cloak.

Encountering strangers in the Wasteland was never good; sometimes, a conflict could be sparked by a mere glance.

Most of the time, both parties consciously avoided each other. But if one side stopped, or even took the initiative to come closer...

What might happen next was anyone’s guess.

Especially since he sensed a murderous intent from those people.

They seemed to have recently suffered a defeat, and even had a fleeting thought of taking out their frustration on him.

The leader of the refugee group clearly realized this as well, and after the unwelcome visitors had walked away, he immediately moved to the front of the line and shouted.

"City of Dawn is just ahead!"

"There, we’ll find shelter from the wind and rain, warm beds... and there’s hot water and food. Just hold on a little longer, everyone. We need to move quickly and try to arrive before dark."

The disheveled man muttered softly to himself.

"Will they really share their food with us?"

The woman carrying a child looked worried.

"How much farther do we have to go..."

Faced with those gazes, the leader was silent for a while before he said,

"They promised in the broadcast."

"Anyway, we have to try."

...

Shelter No. 404.

Night Ten got out of the Sleep Cabin after bathing in his single room, expertly logged out of the Game.

When he opened his eyes again and took off his helmet, he found himself staring at the ceiling of his dorm room.

The entire process happened in the blink of an eye.

Now, his "ID" was Ye Wei, not the strongest Perception-type player in "Wasteland OL," but an ordinary student at Jiangcheng University.

Amidst the chorus of his roommates’ snoring, Ye Wei sat up on his bed, got out with a flip, quickly washed up, and stuffed his textbooks into his satchel.

He had an early class to attend soon.

Even though he had decided to play professionally, he didn’t plan to completely abandon his studies.

After all, he managed to get into a prestigious university after much effort, and he was determined to make good on his hard work.

After playing "Wasteland OL" for so long, Ye Wei had long gotten used to the role-switching between reality and the virtual world.

In the past, whenever he passed by the window, he would look out suspiciously; now, he could only sigh at how peaceful things were.

"Ah Weh, save me a seat."

The sleepy voice came from above; Ye Wei looked up to see Brother Liu actually awake and said in surprise,

"Huh? Brother Liu woke up so early."

"Damn it... the water tap’s stuttering was like machine-gun fire; how could I not wake up," Brother Liu yawned, turned over in bed and said, "I’m done for, I need to sleep a bit more."

The others were still snoring heavily, sleeping sweetly.

Ye Wei, with his shoes on, said helplessly,

"There’s nothing I can do about the air bubbles in the water pipes; I opened it very slightly... If you’re unhappy with your sleep quality, why not try making a reservation like me? It can at least help you get a good sleep, and it doesn’t cost you money."

Brother Liu shuddered on the bed like he had PTSD, shaking his head,

"No way, no way, good brother. I really don’t have that wisdom root, can’t practice your qigong."

"Heh heh!"

If you don’t believe me, your loss!

Ye Wei stopped talking, casually picked up three books from his roommates’ desks, stuffed them into his bag, and then went out to the cafeteria.

A whole day of classes in the daytime.

He also had "a long trip" in the evening.

Ye Wei and Fang Chang had agreed to pool together forty thousand silver coins to purchase some specialties from the City of Dawn and transport them to Giant Stone City to exchange for chips.

Steel Factory No. 81 and Goblin Technology had both commissioned them to purchase second-hand devices and were willing to settle in silver coins at an exchange rate of 1 chip for 3 silver coins.

This exchange rate included the cost for a 50% transportation fee.

The specific method was for the squad to first go to the Giant Stone City, then get the auction list for the following day from the auction house, take a picture, log off, and send it to the private chat window on the forum, so the two commissioning parties could decide what to bid on, what the acceptable price was, and how to proceed with the auction.

With this back-and-forth, a conservative estimate was more than double the profit.

Thinking of this, Ye Wei, who always drank two yuan worth of plain soy milk, indulged in a three-yuan black sesame drink, swapping the two-yuan plain buns for three-yuan sauce meat buns.

He took a bite, and it was all delicious.

So satisfying!

Walking and eating, Ye Wei thought about taking a look at the forum in the classroom, and just then, his mobile phone vibrated in his pocket.

Taking a look, the message was from his younger sister.

Jiujiu: "Bro, is this the game you’re playing?"

Jiujiu: "[Link]"

The bun and mobile phone almost dropped to the ground together; Ye Wei quickly freed his hand and typed a reply.

"Where did you get this link???"

Jiujiu: "From the group. O.o"

Night Ten: "Back off now, kids shouldn’t be playing."

Jiujiu: "You’re the kid! I’m an adult! (angry)"

Ye Wei cursed inwardly; his words seemed to have had the opposite effect.

This dude was definitely going to fill out the form!

The thought of his own ID made Ye Wei panic.

Wouldn’t this be social death on the spot?

"Jiujiu, cough, listen to your big bro here, the Game is too deep, you can’t handle it, and it’s extremely unfriendly to newbies. You should focus on your studies instead."

Jiujiu: "Oh."

Ye Wei: "..."

Damn!

Ye Wei was in a frenzy, scratching his head and feeling helpless.

Maybe...

Ask Brother Guang for a favor and get a name change card?

But that didn’t feel right.

As he was about to reach the classroom, Ye Wei took a deep breath to calm down.

Calm down.

After the Beta0.2 version, the number of reserved players spiked, with a million-strong army queuing up. With the release of just 30-40 activation codes a day, the chance of squeezing in was infinitesimal.

She’d probably give up after lining up for a while.

Having realized this, Ye Wei finally relaxed, chucked his bag onto a block of four connected seats in the middle of the classroom, and logged into the official website of "Wasteland OL" with his mobile phone.

Seven o’clock on the dot.

Brother Guang’s update announcement was finally released.

But to his surprise, they even received a Worldwide Announcement.

[Worldwide Announcement: Congratulations to "Burning Corps" for becoming the beta server’s first Level 2 Army! (Since the Legion Commander chose to publicly disclose the achievement, it will be recorded in the Hall of Fame as a group honor)]

Spring Water Commander: "Damn! So fast?"

Edge Shoveling: "Did they open some kind of box?"

Tail: "Eek! The White Bear Knights just got to Red River Town! Someone’s already Level 2! !!!∑(ﾟДﾟノ)ノ"

Si Si: "Ah Wei, wake up, we’re not an Army, we’re a Commercial Team registered with the Merchant Guild."

Tail: "Awoo, I got confused. _(:3 」∠)_"

Fang Chang: "Get lost, being good at fighting means cheating? This is called strength! (proud)"

Makabazi: "No justice anymore, the Legion System is too strong, life profession players are struggling, wuuu, please, planners, nerf it!"

Canyon running mole: "Crap! You’re harming others without benefiting yourself!"

As much as they envied it, the mole’s Skeleton Corps was also close to Level 2, just two missions away. Although they didn’t manage to get into the Hall of Fame, the budget provided at Level 2 was still very tempting.

However—

Perhaps in response to the cries of life profession players, the dog plan suddenly released a "Beta0.21 Update Patch."

Upon seeing "Adjustment to the Legion System gameplay mechanics" in bold, the mole had a foreboding feeling.

[Adjustment details:

1. The Army now has an additional attributes interface, mainly "Scale" and "Logistics". Each level up synchronizes the growth of these two attributes by 1 point, e.g., Level 2 corresponds to a scale and logistics of 2 each.

2. Each point of Scale corresponds to 10 [Recruitment Limit], and 1 point of Logistics corresponds to 10 [Logistics Points]. Recruitment Limit determines the number of players that can be recruited, and Logistics Points can be exchanged for military gear. For example: Consuming 1 logistics point can exchange for a "Conscript Soldier Set", which includes an LD-47 rifle and 120 rounds of 7mm ammunition. Consuming 2 logistics points can exchange for a "Support Soldier Set", which includes an LD-47j light machine gun and 500 rounds of 7mm machine gun bullets.

3. The armament and ammunition exchanged with logistics points will be borne by the New Alliance, with the weapons normally stored in the Armory, transported to the front by the supply troops during war, and managed and allocated by the quartermaster NPC. "Army equipment" is not to be used outside of wartime or for special missions.

4. Each level up provides one point, which can be freely distributed between "Scale" and "Logistics", or spent to improve "Doctrine".

5. Doctrine represents the developmental tendencies of the Army. Players proficient in large-scale combat can choose "Light Infantry Doctrine" in the Vanguard, gaining a "100% scale bonus" and leading your teammates in a human wave attack. Or choose the Special Forces, gaining a "50% reduction in Light Infantry equipment point cost" BUFF, leading your teammates to triumph.

Players adept at blitzkriegs can choose the "Mobile Warfare Doctrine"’s Armored Spearhead, gaining a "-50% cost for armored unit points" BUFF. Or choose a more prudent Infantry-Tank Cooperation, distributing the point discount to light weapons.

The "Firepower Advantage" Doctrine is divided into Suppressive Fire and Combined Arms, recommended to keep skill points in "Logistics", for more artillery and ammo boxes, since "Scale" is not as useful for you.

6. Level 2, Level 10, and Level 20 Armies each unlock a Doctrine slot. Each Army can carry a limited number of Doctrines, and players can mix and match according to their needs. But remember, once a major Doctrine is chosen, you cannot select branches from other major categories. Whether charging to the frontlines or staying back as an artillery support, you must make a choice.

]

Ye Wei read the update announcement from start to finish, grasping the content of the update.

Simply put, the dog plan wanted players to make trade-offs in the gameplay in order to maximize their advantages.

But that Armored Spearhead...

Did they have tanks?

Ye Wei looked through the official website’s database with a nuanced expression.

The only "armored units" that the New Alliance had at present were a few trucks mounted with Quadruple Anti-aircraft Guns.

Or could it be that they would have them later?

Of course, these were all minor details. After all, it was still the beta stage, and it was not unusual for the developers not to have made them yet.

What really caught Ye Wei’s attention was the new point system.

Previously, they would fight with the bullets provided before, and after those were used up, they would use their own. After battles, the settlement interface would give a 20% profit to players as compensation for equipment wear.

However, this update made a change to a gameplay mechanic: separating personal gear from Army gear.

"...Army gear can be exchanged for points and managed by the New Alliance-appointed quartermaster responsible for the Armory and restocking."

"Are they separating personal gear from Army gear?"

They could no longer use the campaign surplus ammunition for tasks outside of the campaign.

A look of surprise crossed Ye Wei’s face, and he immediately switched to the forum area of the official site.

Sure enough, everyone was discussing this matter.

Elena: "Although there were many updates, to sum it up in one sentence, it would be, ’The army is not allowed to engage in commerce.’ (Sly)"

Gnome King Riches: "However, they can take on other occupations besides their primary roles, but they can’t use the public’s weapons and armor. (Sly)"

Pick up trash 99 level: "Hahaha, two emergencies, make way for the brother upfront."

Mole on the run from the canyon: "All set! Let me summarize the changes real quick; there are two main points this time. One is that the control of logistics has been centralized with budget allocations now managed through centralized procurement and uniform distribution. The other is the separation of army equipment and personal equipment. Equipment purchased at supply points will be stored in specified armories, guarded and checked by quartermaster NPCs, and can only be used under specific circumstances!"

"The equipment exchanged with points is bound to the army and cannot be traded; normal wear and tear will be replenished, and malicious damage requires double compensation, judged by AI."

Thunder Mage Professor Yang: "Damn it! Silver coins have been changed to point awards? Epic nerf to the Legion System! (Horrified)"

Mole on the run from the canyon: "Actually, it’s not nerfed; it’s just that there are more people on the server now and the loopholes in the rules have been closed."

In the past, when budgets were allocated, players could freely manage military expenses and purchase equipment themselves. When there were fewer players, it was fine, but now with more people on the server, there’s inevitably room for power rent-seeking.

For instance, the army and a player might arrange for a kickback deal, where money would slip from military funds into personal accounts.

Now that military funds have been converted into points, with procurement, logistics, and weapon maintenance all collectively managed by the alliance, players can no longer turn military funds into private profits.

For those who never intended to be crafty, this change wasn’t a nerf at all. Rather, because logistics have been AI-managed, players can focus more on the front line.

Thunder Mage Professor Yang: "Crap! With so many restrictions, who would want to play with the Legion System? I’d rather run my own business than fight on the front line, wouldn’t I?"

Ye Wei laughed when he read that comment and couldn’t help but reply with a tease.

"I blindly guess your last name is Liu. (Sly)"

Thunder Mage Professor Yang: "?"

Mole on the run from the canyon: "Aren’t you the one without closed beta access? You can’t even get into the game, what right do you have to speak for us? (Sly)"

Thunder Mage Professor Yang: "I meant hypothetically! If I were in the game, that’s how I would play it! Ah, you lucky ones! It’s just that you have better luck than me; if I were in, I would’ve reached max level and fully geared up by now!"

Fang Chang suddenly popped up.

"In times of war, it is every citizen’s duty to fight for the alliance. To abandon one’s duty is to forfeit everything, and that ’everything’ includes all in-game property. Don’t always think you’re smart, and don’t always assume you can speak for others. There’s more to your life than just being slippery; there’s really no need to be like this even in a game. (Rolling eyes)"

Mole on the run from the canyon: "Agree with Brother Fang Chang, and besides, the gameplay adjustment doesn’t affect the profits of the Legion System. The rewards of battles are reflected in the settlement interface; population, resources, land, etc., are all possible. Let me add a bit of trivia—silver coins are just one form of currency within the new alliance. The alliance keeps a clearer record of your contributions than you do. (Sly)"

Professor Yang remained silent.

But he still didn’t understand.

Why is it that despite such a major update that took away the autonomy of the army logistics, these T0 and T1 players didn’t seem upset at all?

Instead, it was him, a backseat driver without even closed beta access, who was advocating for their "injustices".

Don’t they want to earn more?

Silver coins can be exchanged for real money!

Ye Wei probably guessed what this guy was thinking, although he didn’t agree. The guy might have some cleverness and even be a bit troublesome, but his worldview wasn’t on par with one of his students.

Suppose a loophole appeared in the rules, and someone exploited it for profit. If you didn’t exploit it, you’d be at a loss, you’d be eliminated from the competition. Therefore, even if you know that exploiting these loopholes harms the interests of the collective, individuals might still make choices that are least favorable to the collective for the "individual optimum".

When everyone is trapped in a prisoner’s dilemma, there would be no real winners, and it would surely end in a lose-lose situation.

For players of the Alpha test round, the new alliance was a utopia they built with hard work, brick by brick, on a desolate wasteland. The game meant much more to them than just a game, and they saw far beyond just a few silver coins.

Even without any rewards, they would willingly pick up rifles and gallantly lay down their lives to protect the land under their feet.

Losing some equipment and experience...

Is surely better than a server reset.

...

Shelter No. 401.

After a busy afternoon, Master Yin finally replaced the fuel rods and restarted the shelter’s reactor.

With the air purification system back in operation, light returned to the shelter, and Chu Guang finally received the task completion notification.

[Managerial Authority for Shelter No. 401 acquired.]

"All done... Speaking of managerial authority, what are you planning to do with it?" Yin Fang looked at Chu Guang, "The previous manager here died, and if they left no will, it would generally default to the surviving residents in the order of their ID numbers—"

Just as Yin Fang was advising Chu Guang, he outstretched his hand, lightly waved it to extinguish the light overhead, then with another light wave, he switched it back on.

Yin Fang was left staring in astonishment.

"... When did you get that?"

"Your reaction is as if it’s your first time seeing me use managerial authority in another shelter. Wasn’t it the same in Shelter No.117?" Chu Guang looked at him strangely instead.

Yin Fang’s expression turned a bit weird.

"Wasn’t it because of the last manager’s will in Shelter No. 117... Never mind, it’s not that important anyway."

Giving up on probing into minor details, Yin Fang followed Chu Guang to the manager’s office to recover the Black Box there.

The manager’s office of Shelter No. 401 was completely different from that of Shelter No.117.

The decor here was minimalist, making it seem more like a lab or archive room than an office.

The moment Yin Fang entered, he set his sights on the shiny, blocky coffee machine on the desk. He looked as thrilled as if he’d discovered a new continent, eagerly cradling it in his arms.

"The KW-8241T model! I’ve seen this in magazines! I can’t believe it’s actually here!"

"Magazines?"

Yin Fang rambled on excitedly.

"Of course, pre-war magazines. This model of coffee machine, unlike the KW-8241, has four additional special roasting techniques and is aesthetically designed in an academic style for researchers! Look at its sci-fi silhouette; laymen wouldn’t even be able to find where the water comes out! Oops, it seems to be slightly malfunctioning, but it’s no big deal, it should work fine with a little fixing... Can I take it with me?"

He then looked over with hopeful eyes.

"... Suit yourself."

Chu Guang gave him a sidelong glance.

After all, he had no interest in collecting such things.

If he wanted it, then let him take it.

...

A coffee machine wouldn’t take up much weight, so after Chu Guang had collected the black box, he returned to the surface with Yin Fang.

Shelter No. 401 had restarted.

Once he returned, he would arrange for the logistics department staff to clean up the place and install the newly produced Sleep Cabins in each room.

The newly revived Shelter No. 401 would serve as the Novice Village for the B-round testing batch of novices, accommodating at least a thousand new players.

As for the planting area within the shelter, Chu Guang planned to use it for breeding, supplying high-quality Seeds for the vast farmlands to the west side of Changjiu Farm.

Sitting on Nicole’s back on the way back to Shelter No. 404, Chu Guang activated the information transmission function of his power armor helmet and took the opportunity to glance at the Forum.

The pale blue display was directly projected onto his retina, and Chu Guang picked a few familiar IDs to read their posts.

Players had their interpretations of the Beta 0.21 version changes, and they all had their views.

However, regardless of their opinions, the reform of the Legion System was imperative.

The New Alliance was a united collective that needed united Soldiers, not a group of Military Factions fighting for themselves.

Taking back the logistical authority into the central Alliance and having a dedicated logistics department handle it was the first part of Chu Guang’s military reform plan.

He would later introduce more measures to ensure cooperation among the various legions and improve the gaming experience for players who chose the Legion System.

What surprised Chu Guang was the post by the Spring Water Commander.

The guy rarely wrote strategy guides, but this time he wrote quite a lot.

In addition to a detailed analysis of the various doctrines within the Legion System, this old hand also asserted at the end of his post that the adjustments in Beta 0.21 version were a preparation for a new expansion.

And the content of the expansion?

It likely had to do with the "Northern Expedition"!

After reading the post from beginning to end, a smile curved the corners of Chu Guang’s mouth.

"Pretty clever."

Although it was an obvious matter.

...

The following day.

North of the Dawn City.

Beside the neatly paved airport runway stood the barracks of the New Alliance.

Currently stationed here were the reorganized First and Second Corps, as well as the Guards Corps wearing light and heavy exoskeletons.

Unlike the players, these Soldiers not only wore uniform military uniforms, but their weapons were also uniformly equipped.

Standing next to Chu Guang, Vanus said with some pride.

"How is it?"

Looking at the rows of flag-bearing guns on the parade ground, Chu Guang in his power armor nodded approvingly, not stingy with his praise.

"Very good!"

There were a total of 397 Soldiers standing here.

Under the training of former legion officers like Vanus, their physical fitness and combat will had changed drastically compared to several months ago.

Some even had Awakenings.

As a standing Army, these Indigenous Soldiers’ main task was defense, but that didn’t mean Chu Guang would relax his demands on them.

Threats in the Wasteland went far beyond the Looters.

Especially after the encounter with the Torch, Chu Guang realized this point even more profoundly.

The players might be powerful and have the "undying" advantage, but the construction of a standing Army couldn’t be neglected because of this.

Players couldn’t be online 24 hours a day.

There were always things players couldn’t do.

And those things could only be done by the people of this world.

After the inspection was over.

Chu Guang took the opportunity while everyone was present to hold a combat meeting.

In addition to the commanders of the First and Second Corps, senior members of the New Alliance, including Luka from the logistics department, also participated.

Not wasting time with pleasantries, Chu Guang went straight to the point.

"The armed forces of Torch ambushed our convoy transporting fuel rods, and the remaining forces fled north. There are only eight of them, but their equipment is sophisticated, and they are well-trained. If left alone, they could unite with the Chewing Bone Tribe and cause us significant trouble this fall."

"At present, the Snake Tribe and Red River Town are at a stalemate in their war and temporarily cannot deal with us. If I were them, it’s highly probable that I would choose the Ya Clan, currently resting in West State City, as surrogates to incite them to move south, continuing last year’s abruptly halted campaign."

"Since this battle is inevitable, let’s fight it on their territory."

The officers in the barracks all looked excited, clenching their fists involuntarily.

Especially Wrench.

In the offensive early this year, the guard force at Changjiu Farm suffered heavy losses, with many of his brothers falling in that campaign.

Yet those cunning scumbags saw the defeat of Black Snake and turned tail to run!

He had been waiting for this moment for too long!

Watching his subordinates fired up with fighting spirit, Chu Guang placed his hands on the map and continued in a serious tone.

"The Northern Expedition will start next month, with the goal of completely expelling the Ya Clan entrenched in West State City!"

"Before the Northern Expedition begins, we need to prepare at least 30 aircraft, 50 trucks, five million rounds of ammunition and shells—and extend our railway to Far Creek Town!"

"This war will thoroughly change the landscape of the southern part of the River Valley Province, and it’s not just about our own fate. I hope you all overcome all difficulties and go all out to complete the preparations."

"Since the Grand Canyon and Giant Stone City are unwilling to deal with those damn dogs—"

Chu Guang’s right fist fell on the map, his eyes determined.

"Then we will!"

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