This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 319: Why Not Simply Cooperate More Thoroughly?

Chapter 319: Chapter 319: Why Not Simply Cooperate More Thoroughly?

Real World.

Somewhere.

Following the staff member’s lead, Gao Jianhui entered a spacious room. The decoration here was somewhat monotonous, like a room hastily arranged, with the only furniture being a bookshelf, a coffee table, and two sofas.

A young man with glasses was sitting on the sofa and immediately stood up upon seeing him, speaking courteously.

"Hello, Academician Gao! Please take a seat."

Gao Jianhui didn’t refuse and sat down on the sofa opposite the young man, sizing him up. He had no recollection of him, which suggested they weren’t from the same system.

Last night around eight o’clock, he received an invitation from a well-known domestic academic institution. However, when he arrived at the destination early in the morning, instead of seeing any guidance for an academic lecture, he was invited into a private car.

"We’ve conducted a thorough investigation and learned that you are an expert in the field of rock mechanics and mining engineering. We’ve taken the liberty of asking you to come here—"

"What’s with all the secrecy, the car service and the non-disclosure agreement," he coughed lightly, cutting off the lengthy preamble. Academician Gao spoke concisely, "You can just tell me directly what the matter is."

The man politely said.

"It’s just standard procedure. Please, forgive the inconvenience."

"May I smoke a cigarette?"

"Of course, feel free."

Gao Jianhui took a lighter out of his pocket, lit a cigarette for himself, and narrowed his eyes slightly at the laptop on the coffee table.

Just as he was about to ask what this was about, the bespectacled young man stood up, took hold of the mouse, and opened a folder of photos, then politely said.

"Please look at this."

"This is..."

The word had barely left his mouth when his eyebrows lightly furrowed, and he let out a softexclamation. His right hand, holding the cigarette, took control of the mouse and scrolled down unconsciously, his expression becoming increasingly surprised.

A vertical shaft combined with a ramp system?

This was the first time he had seen a main transport system designed like this.

Of course, what surprised him wasn’t just the main transport system.

The entire cross-section of the mine didn’t look like a mine at all, but rather like a finely structured instrument. Each section had a clear function and could work closely together.

However...

The issue with this design proposal was also clear—it was too idealistic!

Many of the concepts within the design were simply unachievable with current technology.

24-hour continuous mining wasn’t hard, unmanned mining wasn’t impossible, but an intelligent mining system like this that could sync the excavation face with the mining system, completely independent of human management...

He dared to assert that there wasn’t a single mine in the world that could achieve this.

After a long while, Academician Gao looked up to the man sitting opposite him, his interest now mixed with a hint of seriousness.

"... Where did you get these photos from?"

The young man didn’t immediately answer the question.

"Before answering this question, I’d like to hear your opinion on these photos."

Gao Jianhui thought for a moment and gave his assessment.

"A very unique design, if I’m not mistaken, the entire mine could have implemented a complete set of intelligent mining systems, similar in design philosophy to Sweden’s Kiruna iron mine... However, you can’t tell much just by the shape, are there more photos?"

A look of helplessness appeared on the face of the bespectacled man.

"Sorry, these are all the photos we have for now... Can you tell me more about the similarities, specifically where they manifest?"

"Intelligent systems," Gao Jianhui immediately said.

The man promptly asked.

"Intelligent systems? Could you be more specific?"

Gao Jianhui thought for a while before answering.

"The Kiruna mine is famous not only for its high-grade iron ore but also for its intelligent mining system, including drilling, charging, loading, transporting, lifting... All operational procedures can be achieved through remote control. The entire mine requires very few workers to complete all production processes."

"Besides, it’s not only about intelligence. Their research in deep mining at one thousand meters, as well as their experiences in tackling problems like increased ground pressure, higher rock temperatures, mine hoisting, drainage, support, ventilation, backfilling, and environmental protection, are also quite worth learning from."

The man listened intently, taking notes the whole time.

After the old academician finished, he continued to ask about the part that most concerned him.

"And this photo of... the mine shaft?"

Gao Jianhui leaned back against the sofa, his tone neutral.

"I can only discuss the areas I know about. I can’t say anything about this stuff in your photo—it’s completely out of my field of research. Assuming that such a device could operate successfully, we would have to solve at least a hundred problems that we don’t yet have solutions for. Do you know what that means?"

The bespectacled man swallowed.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that this photo is likely fabricated or created using movie CG technology."

Hearing Academician Gao’s response, the man paused, then let out a chuckle.

"Indeed... we can’t rule out that possibility."

Gao Jianhui paused for a moment before continuing.

"I’m not familiar with your work, but from my point of view, a lot of the assumptions here seem rather impractical. Let me put it this way, the whole building is constructed on a series of ’assumptions’ that are suspended and unresolved, like the patterns carved on a gold bracelet. It’s not the patterns that are valuable, but the gold, so that’s why I asked if you had more photos or information."

"If we could figure out how to solve those suspended problems, we wouldn’t even need this design. Just solving one of the technical difficulties would greatly enhance our current mining process."

"For example, one of the challenges my students are currently facing in the deep-filling mining project is how to reduce the friction resistance in the filling material delivery pipes. If that could be solved, we’d see significant improvements in energy consumption and efficiency in our filling mining."

"As for what you’re asking about the meaning of this, I can’t give you a straightforward answer, but let me speculate boldly. If we could mine another kilometer deeper and reduce the mining costs by five or six tenths, utilizing those inaccessible ore deposits..."

"Can you guess whether we would find iron ore deposits with higher grades than those in Australia or South America right beneath our feet? Can you imagine the impact this would have on the local economy, national finance, and industrial structure?"

"It’s not just for our own use, truly. If we could create this mining system, I see no problems with exporting it!"

The notion of resource reserves is relative, which might actually increase as mining and exploration technologies evolve.

The higher the density of a substance, the more likely it is to gather downward during magmatic activities and rock formation. Therefore, the resources closer to the Earth’s core are richer. Comparatively, the resources at the planet’s surface are mere trifles.

Looking at the increasingly excited expression of the young man, Gao Jianhui flicked ash into the ashtray and teased with a smile,

"When did you guys get so idle? Dreaming during the day with an old man."

He had probably guessed the identity and position of the person before him but didn’t expect them to seek his expertise.

Whatever the case, his research and national security still seemed far apart.

The people working next door in geology and geographic information might be more relevant.

Suppressing his excitement, the bespectacled man coughed lightly and didn’t respond. Instead, he gently closed his laptop.

"...Regarding the case we are currently handling, I am sorry that I cannot disclose more. This involves the highest level of secrecy. Thank you for taking the time from your busy schedule to assist us, and now, please allow me to escort you back."

"Understood."

Gao Jianhui stubbed out the cigarette butt in the ashtray and waved a hand.

"You can just call me directly if you have any other questions. It’s very nerve-wracking this way."

The bespectacled man nodded and was about to rise to open the door for the academician.

However, at that moment, he seemed to remember something. He tore off a piece of paper from a nearby notebook, wrote down a series of letters, and handed it to the elderly man.

Gao Jianhui took it and glanced over it.

"What is this?"

"A website address."

The bespectacled man smiled and said, "Though I can’t reveal more details about our case, these photos were all found in the discussion section of this website."

And there was no stopping it.

The entire website was like a Black Box, revealing only the information it was willing to release. Any attempt to open it had proved futile; blocking the website would require shutting down the entire internet.

Currently, the most likely speculation is that this website and the game "Wasteland OL" are some form of outreach or assessment of human civilization by a higher civilization.

Considering the advanced technologies displayed in the game, far surpassing—even detaching from—the current level of civilization on Earth, the case was already categorized as "Third Contact."

As for what this "Civilization X" aims to achieve by contacting humans in the Solar System is yet to be further researched.

But for now, at least, the contact appears to be neutral or more favorable.

Considering the need to prevent widespread panic, they decided to temporarily contain the news of extraterrestrial civilization and maintain observation with a cautious attitude.

"A website?"

Interesting.

Academician Gao raised his eyebrows and slipped the piece of paper into his pocket.

I’ll have a look when I have time.

...

Wasteland.

West State City.

Having put down the communicator, Wu Chengyi leaned back in his chair, looking somewhat burdened.

Just minutes ago, he had made contact with the Manager of the New Alliance using communication equipment provided by the Burning Corps.

The other party didn’t beat around the bush but stated the New Alliance’s position directly—

The New Alliance would incorporate West State City into the Restoration Zone and construct a Survivor Settlement near West State Lake to shelter slaves freed from the Looters and survivors willing to join the New Alliance.

It felt more like an announcement than a discussion.

Thinking back to the man’s words on the phone, Wu Chengyi looked at the notebook in his hands.

The scribbles there were what he had just jotted down.

[West State City Industrial Development Plan, and the Preliminary Plan for the New Restoration Zone and Survivor Settlement].

To him,

It sounded very much like a big pie in the sky.

The war with the Ya Clan is still unresolved, and here the New Alliance is discussing the future with them.

Wu Chengyi had to admit, though.

The pie sure smelled good.

"Get my deputy... and the other senior members of the resistance organization here," Wu Chengyi said as he tossed the notebook onto the table and instructed his assistant.

The assistant nodded and immediately left the office.

After a while, more than a dozen people came in from outside.

Among those standing here were administrative officials from the Town Of Hope and army officers from the Guerrilla Team.

Those present exchanged glances and whispered in hushed conversations, not understanding why the mayor had called them here.

Surveying the people in the room, Wu Chengyi slowly began to speak.

"Ten minutes ago, I made contact with the Manager of the New Alliance."

This sentence dropped like a bomb amongst the crowd. People’s faces registered shock upon hearing these words.

Not waiting for his subordinates to ask questions, Wu Chengyi continued.

"Overall, the conversation went fairly smoothly. The New Alliance extended an olive branch to us and promised to provide aid worth 500,000 Silver Coins, including the food and medicine we are desperately in need of, as well as weapons... These supplies will be delivered by airdrop."

He didn’t know what 500,000 Silver Coins meant.

But an automatic rifle cost 200 Silver Coins, and one kilogram of green wheat only needed 1-2 Silver Coins... This was the reference provided to him by the Manager named Chu Guang.

With this aid, they would undoubtedly be able to get through the current difficulties more smoothly, and solve the food shortage and disease problems caused by the plague.

At least to some extent.

The terms could be considered quite generous, even unbelievably so. Yet, it was precisely because of this, that it felt abnormal.

"I want to know if this is a free offer?" The adjutant standing by Wu Chengyi’s side cautiously asked.

"Of course not."

Wu Chengyi paused for a moment and continued.

"After the War ends, the New Alliance will incorporate West State City into the Restoration Zone."

The room fell into silence for a moment.

Everyone looked at each other.

Although they did not know what a Restoration Zone was, from the sound of it... did the New Alliance intend to include this place within their territory?

Or to put it more bluntly, to annex it.

Wu Chengyi kept speaking.

"The New Alliance plans to turn West State City into their heavy industrial base in the future. He promised me that after the War ends, any survivor who wishes to join them can gain the status and equal legal rights of a New Alliance Resident, similar to those of City of Dawn Residents... including the right to education and participation in city government staff selection, and so on. If they do not wish to join the New Alliance, they will not interfere in any way, as long as we do not hinder their work."

The adjutant next to him pressed on with more questions.

"What about us?"

Wu Chengyi replied.

"They acknowledge the heroic performance of the Guerrilla Team in resisting the Ya Clan. If we wish, they would incorporate us into their ranks. Of course, if we prefer a different way of life, they will also consider giving us a severance payment for us to decide on our own whether to stay or leave."

Upon hearing this, the high-ranking members of the Guerrilla Team heaved a sigh of relief, their expressions relaxing slightly.

The fact that the New Alliance was willing to welcome them into their ranks, rather than confiscate their weapons, at least suggested that they were seen as part of their own. And the promise of a severance payment was something that could serve as a settlement for those who had risked their lives for them.

However, not everyone was so optimistic.

A high-ranking member of the Resistance organization slightly furrowed his brow.

"This sounds like charity."

Wu Chengyi smiled.

"Do we even need to ’sound like’?"

Actually, receiving charity wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Wu Chengyi was well aware that they were no different from beggars right now, and there was no point in fussing over trivial matters.

The adjutant looked at him and asked.

"What do you plan to do?"

Wu Chengyi didn’t speak, but lit a homemade cigarette.

"I haven’t decided yet..."

"I’ve called you all here to get your thoughts on the matter."

At this point, the previously silent logistics director suddenly spoke up.

"I think joining the New Alliance isn’t a bad thing... in fact, I’d say it’s our only option."

Everyone looked at him.

Including Wu Chengyi.

The logistics director paused for a moment before continuing.

"There are at least tens of thousands of survivors who have been captured by the Ya Clan... This includes not only our compatriots but also those people the Looters have taken from the central part of the River Valley Province. If the New Alliance takes their spoils of War home after the conflict ends, our situation could worsen compared to what it is now."

A huge number of starving people.

Plus the rampant plague.

If they were to take in those rescued compatriots, they would be overwhelmed by the food crisis.

And if they ignored those people, no matter what reasons they used to explain to those survivors who supported them, they would lose the legitimacy of their governance...

Staring at the burnt-out cigarette in his hand, Wu Chengyi sank into deep thought.

After a long while, he spoke up.

"You’re right."

...

Chu Guang had originally thought that the guerrilla team captain named Wu Chengyi would certainly struggle for a week before accepting his proposal.

However, what surprised him was that he received a response call that very evening.

"I have a better suggestion," Wu Chengyi said as soon as the call connected.

Hearing the voice on the other end of the phone, Chu Guang, who was reviewing documents, stopped what he was doing and raised his eyebrows with interest.

"Oh?"

"After discussing with other members of the resistance organization, we unanimously believe that West State City would have a brighter future under the leadership of the New Alliance. You need people and space, and we want to live with dignity. Since you are willing to accept us, why not cooperate even more thoroughly?"

There was a pause before Wu Chengyi spoke again in a serious tone,

"This is our unanimous decision."

"Please allow us to join your cause!"

Hearing this, Chu Guang was taken aback for a moment.

Truth be told, he was a bit surprised.

He had considered the various problems that might arise from forcefully annexing West State City, which is why he had offered a relatively mild plan designed to replicate the development model of the City of Dawn and attract locals with the allure of civilization, willingly contributing to an unbreakable alliance.

And here he was.

It seemed that the other party was even more eager to join than he was, and ironically, he was the one playing hard to get?

Suppressing his meaningful expression, Chu Guang, who was sitting on the couch, cleared his throat and responded to the resistance organization leader’s proposal,

Or rather, request:

"Welcome!"

...

The next morning.

West State City, an abandoned underground mall connected to the subway tunnels.

Survivors, dressed in tatters and with numb expressions, trudged back from the dark subway doors, carrying shriveled bags.

The daytime of West State City belonged to the Looters.

Only when the night fell completely could they safely go out to scavenge.

Before going back to sleep, the Scavengers needed to visit the warehouse to exchange materials, trading the trash they picked up the night before for nutrient paste or exchanging caught prey for a few necessities and medicines.

By prey, they mainly meant rats.

For these Scavengers, this was nearly their only source of meat.

And as to why nearly...

It’s probably better not to delve too deeply during these extraordinary times.

As usual, today’s harvest was still pathetically small, and the skirmishes between the New Alliance and the Chewing Bone Tribe patrol were less frequent, meaning it was hard to recover spent casings left by both sides.

The Looters’ tanks were mostly taken to the front lines, and trucks wielding machine guns rumbled off, swathes of Looters heading south.

It looked like the war was nearing its conclusion.

Under the continuous strategic bombardment of the New Alliance, both the spirit and the bodies of the Chewing Bone Tribe were on the brink.

Even the garbage picking Scavengers could feel that the Looters were being driven mad...

Nevertheless, for the New Alliance to win this war was still not an easy task.

There were simply too many Looters.

Discussions about when the war would end were popular in Town Of Hope. People queuing at the warehouse door chattered eagerly about when the New Alliance would drive the Looters away and what they planned to do after the war ended.

Whenever these matters were discussed, even the most disheartened found the courage to hold on a little longer.

Beyond family, that was probably the only belief that kept them going.

Just then, the sound of a broadcast suddenly came from above.

"After high-level research by the Survivor Resistance Movement Organization of West State City, as of the date of this announcement, Town Of Hope is officially incorporated into the human civilization’s unified front for revival, becoming part of the New Alliance collective..."

The content of the announcement was lengthy.

Including the official transfer of administrative powers, resident status of the New Alliance, and future arrangements for the guerrilla team, and so on.

The Mayor, Mr. Wu, spoke for a good half hour before stopping.

Nevertheless, the Scavengers standing at the warehouse door, as well as those residents huddled in their shacks enduring hunger, didn’t listen to the rest of his words at all.

They did not even fully process the first sentence of the broadcast.

Conversations ceased as people exchanged glances and expressions, their faces spontaneously showing surprise, joy, astonishment, doubt... and disbelief.

Joining the New Alliance?

This... indeed sounded like good news.

But had this guy really woken up?!

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