This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 305: Expansion Pack Launch! Target Western Province!

Chapter 305: Chapter 305: Expansion Pack Launch! Target Western Province!

Tonglou felt that Lord Shiya was simply giving him a hard time.

He was indeed born by the side of a furnace, but whether that furnace was made of copper, he really wasn’t sure.

Like many of the tribe members who couldn’t identify their parents, the elders of the tribe casually picked a name they saw and gave it to him, and that was his name.

However, no matter what, this was an order from Lord Shiya.

Not daring to neglect the task, he immediately called his brothers after he stepped back, went back to the room to grab their tools, carried their long and short spears past the checkpoint, and entered the forest south of Qing Shi County.

A group of ten men.

Following their leader out, all the Looters were excited.

But since that retreat, they had been digging pits and building houses here, or watching the slaves doing the same, bored to the point of rusting away.

"Boss, where are we heading?"

"South!"

One dark-faced, burly man said excitedly,

"Are we finally moving south?"

Tonglou glared at him.

"Are you a pig? What difference is there between us going with so few people and hanging ourselves on an electric pole?"

The Looters thought there was some truth to this and nodded as they exchanged glances.

As the staff officer had said, activities require meticulous planning; otherwise, the end would be like the Black Snake next door, whose body hung on the gallows for a whole month till the spring came and it stank, and it wasn’t known where it was eventually thrown away.

"South! Those Blue Ground Mice have found a copper mine; we can’t let them mine under our noses. Lord Shiya wants to teach them a lesson, but first, we have to help him figure out where the copper mine is!"

Tonglou stopped in his tracks and looked back at his men.

"Does anyone know what a copper mine looks like? Features, shape... anything? I need some clues."

The Looters looked at each other blankly.

Tonglou’s face was filled with disappointment; these idiots were as dull as he had expected.

But just then, a big brother raised his hand.

"I seem to remember! The town we took over before had two steel bars laid on the mountain... then they put the carts on the steel bars."

"I remember too, that thing’s called iron tracks!"

"Good!" Tonglou nodded in satisfaction and tossed the monocular hanging from his waist to the knowledgeable fellow, "Later, we’re going up the mountain! You take this and find it!"

Although Tonglou looked rough, he was quite meticulous with his tasks.

Not daring to get too close to those refuge residents’ outposts, he took his brothers to the north of Far Creek Town and then detoured for over twenty miles of mountain roads to the east.

He found a mountaintop with a fairly good view and then took his men to stealthily approach it.

Fortunately, there were no outposts from Far Creek Town here; perhaps those wearing Blue Jackets also felt it was too far, and supplying it would be difficult.

The Looter, as thin as a monkey, lay on a high spot and looked around Far Creek Town with the telescope; suddenly he exclaimed in surprise,

"I see it! I see it!"

Upon hearing this, Tonglou immediately asked,

"What do you see?"

The Looter excitedly said,

"The railway! Those Blue Ground Squirrels are building a railway above the town!"

Tonglou was both shocked and delighted, hurried forward, took the telescope, and looked in the direction the junior pointed, indeed seeing two iron tracks to the south of the town.

The tracks stretched from the edge of the forest, straight into the town, seeming to head toward the town center.

Although he didn’t see where the copper mine was, those two tracks couldn’t be wrong!

Just to be sure, Tonglou then passed the telescope to others nearby and had each of his juniors take a look.

After taking the telescope, the Looters each expressed that they had seen similar things when they had previously raided the town.

Seeing his subordinates’ earnest expressions, Tonglou’s heart sank slightly.

Those wearing Blue Jackets were indeed mining at Far Creek Town!

He must report this news to the thousands of leaders immediately!

"Withdraw!"

With a wave of his hand, Tonglou took his juniors and quickly withdrew from the mountaintop.

...

"...so they really found the copper mine?"

Qing Shi County Department Store.

After listening to his subordinate’s report, Lion Tooth sat up straight in his chair, gripping the armrests, his eyes brimming with surprise and delight.

Facing the inquiry of Thousands of Leaders, Copper Furnace energetically declared.

"There’s no mistake! Several of my brothers have seen it, after a single glance, they all said that the stuff those Blue Jackets fixed looked exactly the same as what they had seen in the previous town!"

Standing next to Lion Tooth, Bernie frowned and continued to question Copper Furnace.

"Where’s the copper mine? Is the location confirmed?"

More than its existence, he was more concerned about its specific whereabouts.

Copper Furnace replied.

"It should be inside the town... There are people hunting in the forest, gunshots every few days; we can’t get too close, so we can’t see the exact location."

Inside the town?

Something’s not right.

Bernie, utterly puzzled, stared at that scout and interrogated him repeatedly.

"Are you sure you didn’t get it wrong? Is it really a copper mine?"

Copper Furnace was full of confusion.

Why’s this staff officer making such a fuss!

People used to respect this guy a few months ago; after all, the leader said they would help them win wars. But as months passed, not only was there no victory, but they hadn’t even laid eyes on those Blue Jackets, just digging holes everywhere.

Moreover, after Far Creek Town, they ran back to Qing Shi County to dig.

What’s the use of that?

In the end, guns are still needed to kill people.

Copper Furnace mulled it over and came to one conclusion.

Cowardly!

This staff officer is just too cowardly!

No wonder the Legion suffered defeat up north; he’d heard that over a hundred thousand men were wiped out.

If he were in command, millions charging together would have even drowned the Grand Canyon in spit, despite its numerous heads and arms.

"I definitely wouldn’t have seen it wrong, I used binoculars, how could I be mistaken! If you don’t believe me, come with me, or I’ll call my brothers here and you can ask each of them."

Bernie was about to respond when, beside him, Lion Tooth erupted into hearty laughter.

"Not bad! Who would have thought that those Ground Squirrels would find us a copper mine in Far Creek Town! Let’s not act rashly; we’ll wait for them to open up the mine, then catch them completely off guard!"

Bernie frowned and said, "I think we should be more cautious."

"Hahaha, it’s not important!"

Patting the chair with his right hand, Lion Tooth looked towards his trusted aide standing on his right.

"Iron Teeth, you go to West State City later for me, take a message to the leader. Tell him we’ve discovered a copper mine in Far Creek Town, but those Blue Jackets are tough to deal with; we need reinforcements!"

The burly man with human teeth strung on his beast skin coat stepped forward.

"Yes, my lord!"

...

North Street of Dawn City.

Rows of houses with shiny brick-red tiles neatly lined both sides of the street. There were shops selling pots, pans, kitchenware, hardware, vegetables, dry goods, and imported goods brought in by Commercial Teams. Every day here, you could see something you had never seen before.

Pedestrians in a variety of clothing browsed the stalls, picking and choosing.

Among these people were merchants from afar, Caravan guards, temporary hired Mercenaries, many locals, and routinely patrolling guards. Occasionally, a Y-1 quadcopter drone slowly glided overhead—those were Xiao Qi’s eyes, and also Chu Guang’s eyes.

The time was noon, the busiest moment on the street.

Though the buildings here were not as tall as those in Giant Stone City and lacked its imposing walls, the bustle was no less than that beside Giant Stone City’s warehouse district.

As the "permanent partner" of the enterprise listed in the white list by Ideal City, almost every Commercial Team passing north from Qingquan City, whether from Ideal City or not, would stop here to have a look, replenish fresh water or trade goods for supplies.

Finding a "Lawful Neutral" or better Survivor Base on the Wasteland is no easy feat. Apart from desperate refugees and penniless folk who risk everything to make a deal, few dare to approach an unfamiliar Survivor Settlement.

Who knows whether the meat floating in the bowl served up is pork or human?

Being recognized by Ideal City at least means they’re not a cutthroat inn.

The most comfortable are probably those lifestyle players; while they might not stand out with cutting-edge technology here, their "Different World Delicacies" are especially popular here.

At the entrance of Hai Ji Ramen House, a long line had formed, and behind the stall were three Indigenous People: one pulling noodles, one boiling noodles, and another handling the money.

Plain noodles were 2 Silver coins a bowl; beef noodles, 4 Silver coins, and it took less than five minutes to serve. The fair price and generous portions were popular with the locals, and some players also queued up alongside NPCs at the door.

Chu Guang was very happy to see that people from two different worlds, even with different styles, had integrated well under his management.

Although there were still many issues to resolve in the B-round closed beta, there would undoubtedly be new problems and challenges to face in the future.

But this was a good start.

Following beside Chu Guang, Xia Yan looked around excitedly, like a child in an amusement park. To her, this place was far more interesting than the farmlands.

On the other hand, Little Fish was well-behaved like a big sister, always holding Xia Yan’s hand.

Although she was just as curious about everything around her, those unfamiliar faces instinctively made her tense.

Her father had said that they couldn’t easily trust those outsiders, that among them were many swindlers and bandits—except for Brother Chu and the residents of the refuge.

But still, unfamiliar strangers were not to be trusted—who knew where they got their coats from?

Those who wandered around in such chaos were likely tainted with something unpleasant.

"They have ramen here too?" Xia Yan exclaimed excitedly, like discovering a New Continent, as she looked at the roadside ramen restaurant.

The place was quite bustling.

She wasn’t very hungry at first, but seeing the long queue, she suddenly felt a bit peckish.

"That must be a branch opened by Zhang Hai, right? Didn’t you want to buy clothes?" Chu Guang said with a smile.

Xia Yan looked over pathetically.

"I’m hungry."

Little Fish also swallowed saliva but was too shy to speak.

Seeing her so conscientious, Chu Guang joked.

"If you’re hungry go and eat, are you waiting for me to treat you?"

That pathetic expression instantly burst into a smile.

"You said it!"

"If I remember correctly, I should have used a questioning tone."

"Let’s go, let’s go, it’s not expensive," Xia Yan said, laughing and cajoling as she pulled Chu Guang’s arm forward, "I’ll treat for dinner!"

The three of them lined up.

It was half an hour later when they entered the noodle shop.

They sat down at a corner table, and Little Fish was about to secretly pay, but Chu Guang beat her to it.

"I’ll pay."

"I said this meal was on me."

After paying with VM, Chu Guang returned to the table and happened to overhear someone at the next table boasting.

"... For authentic ramen, you still have to go to North Street in the south of the city; the beef here is sliced too thick, the knife skills are a bit lacking."

"There’s a North Street there too?"

"Haha, you don’t understand, huh? Back then, there was no City of Dawn; North Street referred to the market in Wetland Park. A lot of the branches here came from there!" said the man with obvious pride, having come here many times before.

The diners next to him looked envious; they had only recently learned of this place.

"The nearby survivor settlement has only about three or four thousand people, right?... It’s amazing that it can be this bustling."

"Permanent residents are less than five thousand, but there’s a lot of transient population. I’ve seen many mercenaries from Giant Stone City coming here seeking work, sitting in the inn next to the trade station all day, nursing a bottle of beer for an entire day."

Someone nearby voiced their concern.

"Then the public security here might be a big problem."

"No way," the regular patron responded leisurely, "Just take a look at the city gate of the farm; the bullet holes on that wall are dense, and the road was repaired after filling the trenches. Don’t be fooled by the polite faces around here; the local customs are fierce. Last time a drunk guy caused a scene, and before the patrolling guards could react, he got taken down by a few Blue Jackets."

Someone added a comment.

"I heard that quite a few of those Blue Jackets are Awakeners."

The man nodded and continued his spiel.

"That’s true. Their Awakenings are a bit different from ours; I heard it has something to do with the food they eat. Just so happens a couple of us brothers are here these days. Eat more, maybe you’ll awaken too!"

"Makes sense, big brother."

"Another bowl, please!"

Chu Guang, listening halfway through, nearly choked on his noodles.

Xia Yan gave him a curious glance.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing...just thought of something amusing. But let’s save that until after we take care of the trouble up north."

Chu Guang cleared his throat, wanting to find some tissue paper, only to realize that such "luxuries" weren’t provided here.

Fortunately, Little Fish quickly noticed his embarrassment and generously handed him a handkerchief.

"Use mine!"

"Thank you, you’ve been a great help... I’ll buy a new one to repay you when we get back."

Seeing that she had been helpful, Little Fish revealed a happy smile.

"No need to thank me! Little Fish has many oh, all bought with the pocket money you gave me!"

Chu Guang corrected her.

"That’s called a salary, the compensation for labor... By the way, who taught you that?"

Little Fish answered honestly with wide eyes.

"My second brother said it. He told me not to send that little bit of money home anymore, that he and big brother make enough to support the family and said I should just keep it for spending."

Chu Guang: "..."

Forget it.

He would have a good talk with her brother some other time.

After the group had eaten their fill, they continued to stroll through the streets.

The eateries here weren’t just ramen shops, there were also baozi vendors, dumpling houses, and Chu Guang even spotted a Sichuan restaurant.

Most of the farms had recently begun harvesting, and the indigenous people’s allotment lands had also been producing goods, so the market had seen an increase in vegetables that weren’t available before.

Varieties like green peppers and garlic sprouts had started to appear on people’s tables. By mid-to-late May, garlic would also hit the shelves, making fried dishes in restaurants even more fragrant.

Chu Guang didn’t forget his promise and took Boss Xia to buy clothes.

It was then that he was surprised to find that Vine Cottage had also opened a branch here.

However, Teng Teng herself wasn’t there; instead, a young girl from the Iron Axe Tribe stood at the counter.

The reason Chu Guang could tell her identity at a glance was mainly because her wheatish complexion was strikingly similar to the Autumn Grass Autumn Leaf sisters.

She wore a leather jacket that highlighted her figure while maintaining flexibility, with a diagonal belt that could be used to hold magazines and a sidearm.

There was no doubt, this had to be Teng Teng’s work, with both women’s and men’s styles displayed on the shelves next to her.

There were many female mercenaries in the wasteland, and cannon fodder in this era was not gender-specific.

However, Chu Guang still wondered if mercenaries, other than players, would consider whether their gear looked good while also being practical.

But when Chu Guang saw the shining eyes of Boss Xia, he immediately dismissed that thought.

It seemed his doubt was a bit redundant.

The people of the wasteland knew better than him, the Manager, what they needed. He would just take care of his responsibilities and leave the rest to them to decide.

Xia Yan seemed to recognize the sales clerk, greeted her with a smile, and took Little Fish inside to try on clothes.

Chu Guang didn’t join the bustle, mainly because it wasn’t appropriate, so he decided to wander around the vicinity by himself.

However, he didn’t get far before he spotted an acquaintance nearby.

"Eh? Manager sir?" Crow, who was vending at a stall, was surprised to see Chu Guang, recognizing him at a glance.

Chu Guang was equally surprised to see her.

"What are you doing here?"

Crow blinked.

"I’ve been here these days, duck... The mushrooms near the park have been picked clean, so I can only go to Elm District now."

Chu Guang asked curiously.

"Why don’t you hire someone to help you?"

Crow laughed awkwardly.

"Mainly because other people can’t tell which ones are toxic, and I can’t force anyone to take a bite, so I have to demonstrate it myself."

It wasn’t really that people couldn’t tell, but with some unfamiliar mushrooms, it was hard for ordinary people to be sure they were edible, so they just decided not to eat them, to be safe.

For instance, Elm District had a type of pointy-headed, green mushroom that both players and indigenous people assumed to be poisonous, but they were actually non-toxic.

It wasn’t until Crow performed her stunt of eating a big mushroom raw in front of everyone that people finally realized it was safe to eat when even a Perception player could eat it without getting sick.

Whether it tasted good was another matter altogether.

Speaking of which, there was a little sidetrack.

Since the mushroom looked poisonous but surprisingly wasn’t lethal, Heya had become curious and decided to study it.

In the end, she found that this mushroom could secrete a PBP substrate analog, which, when combined with PBP receptors, interfered with bacterial cell wall synthesis.

This might sound complicated, but in simpler terms, it was something similar to penicillin.

Because of this, Chu Guang awarded Crow with a special achievement and gave Elena an assignment to research how to artificially cultivate and extract antibiotics on a large scale when she had the time.

Although players generally don’t consume many medicinal products, the demand for antibiotics was still quite high in fields such as surgical modification and disease prevention.

Now that there were more people, they couldn’t rely solely on their own points for subsidies. Compared to a blind box for 10 points, Chu Guang would prefer to exchange more high-tech equipment to keep up appearances.

Wandering around the stall, Chu Guang spotted something interesting.

A perfectly round red umbrella top with a flat, short white stem, dotted with round white spots—it screamed deadly poison at first glance.

"Is this not poisonous either?" Chu Guang asked Crow with suspicion.

"That duck—that can’t be eaten! And you wouldn’t be able to eat it anyway!" Crow shook her head like a rattle drum.

Chu Guang felt the same.

He had just noticed that under the white stem was a fastener, which seemed to be a button or hairpin made out of a mushroom.

However...

How could this mushroom be so hard?

Chu Guang picked up one the size of an egg and squeezed it; it had a somewhat rubbery feel, was very light, and seemed dehydrated, yet it didn’t feel shriveled at all.

Could it be a type of mushroom that produces resin or rubber?

Chu Guang was puzzled.

The creatures in this world really didn’t play by the rules.

"This mushroom is too tough to bite, but it’s not poisonous. I discovered it by accident and made decorative items out of it. Hehe, it’s quite cute being so small... Look, you can wear it on your head like this."

Saying so, Crow demonstrated by clipping the tiny mushroom onto her hair.

The little mushroom looked as if it was growing out of her head.

Honestly, it was quite cute.

However, this scene was caught by the surrounding players.

"Giao! Crow Boss has a mushroom growing on her head!"

"Looks like that thing’s a decorative item... Will someone really buy it for 5 silver coins?"

"Damn! 250 bucks! Is it a luxury item?!"

"Your understanding of the silver coin market and luxury goods has left me not knowing from which angle to even comment."

"Wait... that customer is the Manager?!"

"Damn! He took off his power armor and I didn’t even recognize him! To be fair, he is pretty handsome!"

"Spread the word! Crow is acting cute to the Manager!"

"What?! Crow Boss is seducing the Manager?!"

"Is this game even serious?!"

Crow, who was selling, originally didn’t plan to pay attention to them, mostly because she was used to it. But these damned customers exaggerated more and more, and her face gradually turned red.

Finally, she couldn’t help it anymore, furiously picked up a clump of mushrooms, and threw them.

"Get lost, get lost! Which eye of yours saw me me me... doing that thing!"

She really didn’t have the nerve to say those two words.

The little player who got hit was ecstatic as if he had won a prize; he let out a strange cry of "Mine!" picked up the mushroom, and ran off.

Crow, trying to calm her chaotic breathing and taking a deep breath, suddenly realized there were still customers around, so she quickly put on a "friendly and affable" smile.

Not wanting to let down her effort, Chu Guang silently left five silver coins on the stall and walked away with the mushroom, not knowing what it was used for...

...

The night was falling, and the sky turned a dim yellow.

It had been a day full of crazy fun.

Little Fish, sitting on the bench outside the barbecue stand, was so tired that she lay on Xia Yan’s lap and fell asleep before the owner could serve up the skewers.

Looking at the peaceful sleeping face, Xia Yan unconsciously stretched out his hand and gently touched her black, fluffy hair, finally understanding why everyone loved her so much.

Suddenly remembering something, Xia Yan looked at Chu Guang sitting opposite him.

"So what is the treasure, exactly?"

Chu Guang said carelessly.

"Haven’t I already shown it to you?"

Xia Yan paused for a moment, then realizing what he meant, gave him a white look and said.

"That’s a sly answer."

"You’re just too slow to react."

Chu Guang laughed carelessly.

To him,

everything here was his treasure,

be it the endless fields to the west of Changjiu Farm or the increasingly bustling streets north of Dawn City.

This place certainly couldn’t compare to its glory from over two centuries ago, but to the survivors of the Wasteland, it was a haven worth far more than any number of Black Boxes.

That rare tranquility.

Here, at least, one could switch off the safety on their rifle.

The kebabs seasoned with cumin were served on the table, and Little Fish, who had fallen asleep on Boss Xia’s lap, seemed to smell the aroma and twitched her little nose.

But perhaps she was too exhausted, and she didn’t wake up immediately.

Xia Yan took advantage of the young girl’s slumber to order herself a cup of her favorite beer, while Chu Guang drank sparkling water, as nuclear cola was nearly becoming Dawn City’s trendiest drink.

"Speaking of which, aren’t you worried about running into danger coming out here all by yourself?" Xia Yan asked casually as she picked up a skewer of meat from the plate and began eating.

"Drones in the sky identify every unfamiliar face that enters the patrol zone and plan the patrol routes for the patrol teams accordingly."

Chu Guang smiled lightly.

"As for the people who live here, I trust them, just as they trust me. If one day they wished me dead, that would mean I really need to reflect on my own issues."

Of course, Chu Guang’s ultimate reliance was his 21 Constitution, 19 Perception, and 18 Agility, along with his carbon nano protection suit.

That was more reliable than any bodyguards.

He could take on Crawlers on his own even before Awakening; there was no reason he’d be weaker after Awakening.

Wiping the skewer stick, Xia Yan joked,

"That’s true, they look at you as if they were looking at their god. I’ve noticed that our kebabs always have a bit more meat on them than others."

Chu Guang made an exasperated face.

"That’s why I actually prefer doing business with the players."

The players sometimes called him rather exaggerated names, and they would always add some nonsensical titles, but they did it more for fun or for the so-called favorability, not out of genuine worship.

That’s why he didn’t carry as much baggage when dealing with players; it didn’t matter if he occasionally tricked them or made a harmless joke.

They would get excited like children, then shout things like "NPCs can harvest us like leeks!" or "Yay! Another step closer to open beta!"

Staring into the distance with its dim lighting, Xia Yan seemed lost in thought.

All of a sudden, as if she had made up her mind, she spoke up.

"That serum, could you give me one?"

Chu Guang glanced at her.

"What do you need that stuff for?"

Xia Yan looked down at Little Fish lying on her lap and gently stroked her hair.

"I’m starting to feel... more and more useless."

Chu Guang, who was sipping his happy water, almost choked and coughed twice to cover his lapse.

"You’ve finally realized... I mean, you’ve finally realized you’ve been too lazy?"

Xia Yan, unusually quiet, didn’t retort and muttered softly,

"I can still fight... you’ve seen it, my marksmanship is actually not bad, and I can modify weapons myself. It’s not my fault I can’t Awaken. What can I do? I was born this way. When those militiamen threw their guns to us, I nearly failed to catch them, and my hair is still a noticeable red. I’ve thought about shaving it off completely many times, but every time I look at it, I am reminded of my mother, and I can’t bear to do it."

Sniffling, she stubbornly looked away.

"Sorry, I’ve been talking nonsense."

Chu Guang remained silent for a while, then after a moment of contemplation, he said,

"Actually, it’s not just strong people who can find their meaning in life, and Awakening isn’t the sole criteria to judge someone’s strength. Fists can solve some problems, but not all problems can be solved with fists."

Xia Yan looked at him, confused.

Honestly, she didn’t quite understand what he meant; she just suddenly felt that the man in front of her was a bit like her... father?

No.

That would be a strange and rude thing to say.

She had never seen her father, nor did she want to know where that bastard who left her mother had died in some gutter. But she had once fantasized that if someone could tell her how to navigate the future, that would be nice.

Although she admitted that if there really was such a person by her side lecturing her with big principles, she definitely wouldn’t listen to him.

Every time Little Fish told her, "My old man said this and that," Xia Yan couldn’t help but roll her eyes on the surface, but deep down, she was actually a bit envious.

Family, huh.

I don’t know which Tide it started with,

but all she had left was a gun.

After taking a sip of beer, Xia Yan muttered,

"Do the refuges still teach you guys this?"

It’s an interesting question.

Chu Guang pondered seriously for a moment, then gave an uncertain answer.

"I don’t know."

Xia Yan looked at him in surprise.

"Don’t know?"

"Yep."

Chu Guang nodded, saying calmly,

"Just like you have many questions to ask me, I have many questions to ask the person who left everything to me."

"For example, why he would choose to trust someone who doesn’t even belong here, why he wouldn’t do these things himself, and why a man who died over a hundred years ago would know me so well... I believe he has hidden the answers in some corner of the Maze. As long as I prove myself to be the person he’s waiting for, he will gradually reveal all the answers to me."

Xia Yan said "Oh" while drinking her beer.

She didn’t quite understand, and it wasn’t the answer she was looking for.

Suddenly, Chu Guang remembered something and pulled a mushroom out of his pocket, placing it gently on the table.

"Here, this is for you."

He really couldn’t figure out a use for it.

Those 5 silver coins were not to be wasted.

Looking at the mushroom on the table, Xia Yan’s expression grew odd.

"What is this... for?"

First off, eliminate eating.

No one would eat a red mushroom covered in white spots.

"Bend your head over."

"?"

Before Xia Yan could react, the mushroom was placed on top of her head.

Chu Guang eyed her for a moment, then couldn’t hold back a laugh.

"Haha, it actually suits you."

A big mushroom on top of a little one.

It’s just not very noticeable due to the color.

Xia Yan touched the top of her head, realizing there seemed to be a mushroom there—and it was crooked. She immediately glared at Chu Guang.

"Did you put a mushroom on my head?"

"Don’t like it? Then give it back."

Chu Guang hadn’t reached out before Xia Yan quickly dodged backward.

"What’s done is done! You already gave it to me, and now it’s mine!"

Unable to hold back, Chu Guang laughed out loud.

What a saying.

Where had she learned that phrase, and she even said it in Mandarin.

"That’s not how you use that phrase."

Xia Yan made a goofy face, focusing on the beer and the roast meat on the table, and ignored him.

Perhaps she had been woken up by Boss Xia’s earlier movement, Little Fish rubbed her eyes, sitting up groggily.

"Eh? Is it cooked already?"

Xia Yan handed her a skewer.

"It’s been ready for a while, eat up."

"Ao."

Rubbing away the drool at the corner of her mouth, still half asleep, Little Fish smelled the food near her mouth and took a bite.

Xia Yan was feeding her with a smiling face, but when she saw the mouth-rubbing action, her expression suddenly changed, and she quickly bowed her head.

Her face turned the color of liver in the blink of an eye.

Chu Guang guessed what was up, and his own expression also became a little awkwardly embarrassed.

Out of consideration to comfort her, he coughed lightly and said,

"It’s fine... no one can see at night."

"You, you..."

"Me?"

"Please, just stop talking..."

"..."

Looking at Boss Xia whose voice had thinned to a mosquito buzz, Chu Guang ultimately chose to shut his mouth, not to bring up the matter again.

...

That evening.

The official website was bustling again.

Chu Guang found that these players were pretty bored; they even took photos of him having a barbecue.

Haven’t they ever seen a handsome man before?

I Max Black: "Shocking! Boss Xia has a mushroom growing on her head!"

Elena: "The mushroom was bought by Manager from Crow! (funny)"

Teng Teng: "Wuwuwu, I suddenly feel so relieved although I personally prefer the pairing of Manager X Hunter Boy. o(*///▽///*)o"

Makabazi: "Hold on! The relationships are a bit confused, why is there a Crow between Boss Xia and Manager, I need to sort this out!"

Crow: "Sort what out! What’s it got to do with me! I’m just an extra selling mushrooms! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻"

Midnight Chicken Killing: "┬─┬ノ(’-’ノ）"

"..."

Chu Guang: "Xiao Qi..."

It seemed Xiao Qi guessed that Chu Guang was looking for it, its voice quietly drifted over.

"Master?"

Chu Guang: "Didn’t I tell you to filter out my photos?"

All the photos of him on the official website were taken by himself or by Xiao Qi, in short, they all highlighted his positive image.

After all, if he let the players take candid shots, who knows what bizarre expressions they might capture.

This had been the case for Boss Xia before.

Xiao Qi: "But, but that photo doesn’t have your face in it, you’re just shown from behind... shall I delete it? QAQ"

Chu Guang sighed.

"... Leave it, it’s already posted."

He thought Xiao Qi must have done it on purpose.

But now was not the time to discuss these things.

Just then, Chu Guang received a report from logistics that all war supplies were ready. Thanks to falling resource prices and abundant supply, the New Alliance’s industrial zone not only completed production tasks but even exceeded expectations.

Seven million rounds of ammunition and tens of thousands of shells of various calibers were ready to go, and the production lines were still running continuously.

The pilots trained by Mosquito had also successfully mastered takeoff, firing, and bombing, just waiting for his command to win the skies over West State City for him.

Yesterday, he had reviewed the achievements of the Farm party.

Tomorrow, it would be time to review the results of this military reform.

Whether the high morale, low organization players can adapt to battalion-scale combat under the coordination of the Legion System, was also one of the core content of this Beta round of testing.

At the same time, it also pertained to whether the New Alliance could truly stand firm on Wasteland.

Only by breaking through to the north could they gain resources and space for development, as well as strategic depth to deal with powerful neighbors.

Chu Guang dragged the prepared briefing document out of the new folder and pasted it onto the official website’s backend.

Pressing the confirmation button, the corners of his mouth lifted into a smile.

"It’s time to deal with the trouble to the north."

"Hope you’re all ready."

-

(Don’t laugh, even after checking twice post-completion, there are sometimes still typos, but I’ll quickly correct them once you point them out in the Chapters. T.T

I’ve uploaded this as I pack up to head home for the New Year, also wishing everyone a Happy Spring Festival in advance, and may all your wishes come true! Love you all!)