This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 321: Parachuting into Management and the Maiden Flight of the H-1!

Chapter 321: Chapter 321: Parachuting into Management and the Maiden Flight of the H-1!

"West State City discovered the relics of a controlled fusion reactor?"

Upon receiving this news from Chu Guang, Yin Fang’s face immediately showed a look of surprise.

Chu Guang nodded his head.

"We have already secured information from knowledgeable sources and the approximate location of the reactor—there’s a high likelihood the intelligence is reliable."

Reining in his surprise, Yin Fang pondered for a moment before speaking.

"...A backup reactor for the underground transport network; this indeed is alarming news. Even if the reactor is intact, having not been started for over two hundred years, it won’t be easy to repair."

"And what about the most crucial issue—the fuel you plan on securing?"

Conventional fusion reactors and those in refuges have fundamental differences. These are not only manifested in the size of the fuel rods but also in the entire design philosophy of the setup.

One is a standby for public facilities, the other is the energy core for permanent fortifications; the former pursues energy efficiency, while the latter aims for durability.

Even if the reactor in the refuge has been shut down for over a century, or even two, it can still be restarted once the fuel rods are inserted.

But conventional reactors...

It’s highly likely they will not be able to restart after being shut down for decades.

Beyond restarting the reactor, another more pressing issue is the fuel for the reactor.

80% of the controlled fusion reactors on Human Alliance territory use the completely safe third-generation controlled fusion technology—fusion reactions achieved with two helium-3 nuclei. This process releases a large amount of energy without generating any neutrons.

However, the problem is...

To mine helium-3 on a large scale, there are only two choices.

Either go to Mercury or the Moon.

For the New Alliance at its current stage, either option is somewhat impractical.

After listening to Yin Fang’s concerns, Chu Guang thought for a moment before saying,

"Don’t worry about repairing the reactor. According to the information obtained from the frontline, Shelter No. 101 in West State City has started work on repairing the reactor. Clearly, those residents of the refuge possess the technical expertise to repair the reactor... or perhaps they themselves are experts in the field."

Yin Fang nodded his head.

"That’s a reasonable assumption."

Pausing for a bit, Chu Guang continued to say,

"For the same reasons, we shouldn’t worry too much about the fuel. Since they believe it’s necessary to repair the reactor, they likely have the fuel needed to start it up, or at least... they must have the coordinates for the fuel."

Yin Fang’s eyes brightened.

"That makes sense. If they can’t solve the fuel problem, repairing the reactor would be futile. If I were them, I certainly wouldn’t bother."

"So, the key now is to get in touch with Shelter No. 101," Chu Guang’s face softened with a smile, "If we drive out the Looters from West State City and properly settle the local survivors, we should be able to gain their trust."

Although the doors of Shelter No. 101 had been closed again, the residents would probably still maintain surveillance capabilities on the surface to determine when to open next.

It’s just unknown how exactly they are conducting their observations, as every refuge has vastly different circumstances.

Just as Chu Guang was pondering how to approach them, Yin Fang suddenly threw a wet blanket.

"...That said, I think it’s better that you don’t get too optimistic."

Chu Guang looked at him.

"Why?"

Yin Fang shrugged and continued to explain,

"Anyone who’s dealt with the Blue Jackets will know they are a group of stubborn people who are difficult to communicate with. If they judge that the current surface conditions are not suitable for rebuilding their homes, they might just crawl into a Sleep Cabin and lie flat until the next century comes around to work."

Realizing he had cast too wide a net with his criticism, implicating his own boss, Yin Fang quickly added,

"Of course, I’m not talking about you... You’re the exception."

Hearing this, Chu Guang couldn’t help but smile wryly.

"No worries, even if you did include me, I wouldn’t mind."

Pausing for a moment, he continued,

"Difficulty in communication is indeed a problem, but we still have to give it a try."

After all, that was a controlled fusion reactor.

Even if the remaining fuel reserves could only last twenty years, or even ten years, it would still save the New Alliance a substantial amount of development time.

The players from the old era and the Blue Jackets with their core technology could solve some of the development problems in their respective areas of expertise.

But to achieve a leapfrog in development, they would still have to rely on the legacy of the Human Alliance Era.

After leaving the office of the exploratory team, Chu Guang took the elevator to Floor B4 of the refuge and sat down on the sofa in the viewing room.

In ten minutes’ time, Chu Guang edited a document about the reinforcement plan on his Computer and issued instructions to various departments.

"The first batch of relief supplies will mainly consist of food, medicine, and a small amount of weapons. The airdrop plan will be executed by the H-1 ’Dragonfly’ project team from Factory No.81."

"In addition, the New Alliance will set up interim Offices in Hope Town of West State City to complete population census, household registration, supply distribution, and survivor assistance."

It wasn’t just supplies that needed to be air-dropped, but also a few management staff. Since Hope Town had become part of the Alliance, the Alliance naturally couldn’t neglect them.

Including the training of the Guerrilla Team, rebuilding the management system, taking over logistical tasks, and so on... These operations would commence alongside the delivery of relief supplies.

As for the choice of staff for the Office.

Chu Guang thought for a moment.

This person would best have a good understanding of West State City and some experience in resettling and managing refugees.

Most importantly, they must firmly stand with the New Alliance and not be swayed by the local pre-existing network of relationships.

Combining these elements, Chu Guang suddenly thought of a suitable candidate.

...

North of the City of Dawn.

Home of the Refugees Apartment.

Since they took in over six hundred survivors from Qingstone County, the already limited space here became even more cramped, packed to the brim with people.

To resolve the issue of the staff shortage, the logistics department recruited a group of literate survivors with some managerial experience from among the refugees to serve as co-management staff.

As the leader of the West State City refugees, Ma Ban naturally joined the ranks of co-management personnel and was selected for talent development.

Ma Ban always worked diligently.

Not only because many of the refugees adopted here were his compatriots, but also because he was eager to integrate into the New Alliance through this work.

They were a group of people with no home to return to.

The New Alliance, willing to take them in, was their sole reliance.

Even if the Chewing Bone Tribe was defeated, they couldn’t possibly return to live in West State City; there was no longer a place for them there.

However, what Ma Ban hadn’t expected was that he had been in the position of co-management staff at the Home of the Refugees for less than two months when he received a transfer order from the logistics department.

And it was concerning his hometown.

"...You want me to be the director of the Alliance’s office in Hope Town?" After listening to Old Luka’s words, Ma Ban was completely stunned.

Looking at a surprised Ma Ban, Old Luka nodded, speaking in a serious tone.

"This is the Manager’s intention."

Ma Ban couldn’t help but ask.

"I understand it’s the Manager’s order, but why... me?"

Luka continued to speak.

"The Manager said, you are well acquainted with the situation in West State City, he needs a management official familiar with the local circumstances to represent the New Alliance and commence work there."

Hearing this, a bitter smile crept onto Ma Ban’s face.

"I am indeed familiar with the situation in West State City, but... my relationship with the West State City resistance organization is anything but friendly."

If the relationship had been good, he wouldn’t have had to lead his people southward to wander.

Seeing through Ma Ban’s concerns, Old Charlie continued to speak.

"You needn’t worry about that, from now on you represent the New Alliance, not you and your tribespeople. We will send someone to assist you with your work; you need only follow our orders and take care of the rescue and settlement of survivors."

Hearing that the New Alliance would send someone to help him, Ma Ban finally breathed a sigh of relief in his mind.

Understanding was one thing, but if the people there didn’t cooperate with him, understanding their situation would be pointless.

Now only one last question remained.

"The roads to West State City are sealed off by now, how should I get back?"

Previously, although Lion Tooth was in Qingstone County, the road from West State City to Qingquan City wasn’t completely shut down; slipping through the forest outside the county town in the dark wasn’t an issue.

But now it was impossible.

Pine forest valley had become the front line, both sides were riddled with trenches, and trying to sneak past the eyes of the Looters was like a pipe dream.

Old Luka smiled and said.

"Don’t worry about that, we’ve prepared an airplane for you."

"An airplane?"

Ma Ban paused, a foreboding feeling suddenly arising in his heart.

It didn’t keep him uneasy for long.

As Old Luka’s next words came out, his premonition quickly turned into reality.

"That’s right, you’ll be aboard the New Alliance’s latest equipment, the H-1, arriving above West State City. The elite of the Guards Corps will accompany you as you parachute down."

Hearing this, Ma Ban was completely flummoxed.

"Wait, I’ve never parachuted—"

As if anticipating what he would say, Old Luka gave him a reassuring smile and comfortingly patted his shoulder.

"Don’t worry, the Guards Corps are the Manager’s trusted men, all professionally trained paratroopers. You won’t need to worry about the landing; just obey the orders, then with your luggage and appointment letter in hand, you can depart!"

Ma Ban: "???"

...

Late at night.

The airport north of City of Dawn.

A nearly twenty-meter long propeller plane slowly moved onto the runway.

Compared to the average five or six-meter long "little sparrows" in the hangar, this behemoth named H-1 "Dragonfly" clearly looked more like a genuine airplane.

Three electric motors provided it with ample power, and the A3 aeronautical aluminum alloy hull allowed it to remain lightweight while offering better defense against light weapons fire.

Although it was less maneuverable than Goblin Technology’s W-2, it boasted superior cruising speed and endurance for long-distance flights.

It could easily handle long-distance transport or strategic bombing missions.

Even installing a 37mm cannon on the side of the fuselage to provide close air support for ground troops, as per the Manager’s request, was a breeze for it.

"Brothers, let the little flies of Goblin Technology see what professionalism is! What a real airplane looks like!"

"Ow ow ow!"

At the airport, the players from Factory No.81 voiced their enthusiastic cheers and assigned the only one among them who had real-life airplane experience to pilot the craft.

As for the co-pilot, it was none other than one of the factory bosses—[Husoil Brother, I need to use Ciso].

The H-1 "Dragonfly" was a dual-seated airplane; though it could theoretically fly solo, it was best to balance the weight by placing something in the co-pilot’s seat.

Although Bun Brother had never flown a plane, sitting in the co-pilot seat to make up the numbers was not a problem.

"Big brother, are you sure you can handle this?"

Wearing a pilot’s cap and strapped into the co-pilot seat, Ciso Brother asked nervously while fastening his safety belt.

The H-1’s cost and man-hours were more than ten times that of the W-2, especially since this aircraft was the only prototype from Factory No.81.

Although they had already conducted numerous tests before to ensure that this big fellow could take off, it was still their first time heading to the front lines on a mission, and he couldn’t help but be nervous.

"Don’t ask me if I can do it or not, if you can’t handle it remember to yell ’stop.’" With a heh heh and a smile, Looter gripped the control stick and stomped the throttle to the floor, "Buckle up!"

A massive thrust came from behind, catching Husoil Brother off guard as he was pressed into his seat.

"Dammit, I’m just asking out of curiosity, where in the hell have you flown before?"

"2042!"

"?"

"Hahaha, just kidding... ahem, actually it’s War Thunder."

"???"

Husoil Brother’s muscles tensed up as he fixed his eyes on the speedometer, watching the plane accelerate to its max.

Accompanied by the roaring of the propellers, the landing gear left the ground as the "Dragonfly," with its wings outstretched, tilted its large head and finally climbed steadily into the sky.

Watching the ground growing distant outside the cockpit, Husoil Brother’s racing heart finally eased a bit, and he let out a sigh of relief.

"Flying a plane feels pretty simple."

Of course, mainly because this guy actually knew a thing or two.

As for having flown in War Thunder, that was probably a load of crap.

Bun Brother snickered.

"Right? Why don’t you take over for a while?"

Saying so, he let go of the control stick.

The body of the aircraft tilted slightly, scaring the recently relieved Husoil Brother into hurriedly grabbing the welded handrail in the cockpit and exclaiming in alarm.

"Damn it! Don’t mess around."

"Hahaha, don’t be nervous, I’m just joking." Snorting through his snubby nose, Bun chuckled and grabbed the control stick, lightly guiding and deftly straightening the tilted aircraft back into position.

Husoil Brother glared at him fiercely.

MMP!

Next time I let you fly, I’ll take your last name!

To be honest, the material of this aircraft is really solid, damn it, it’s such a waste to use it on a propeller plane!" Holding the control stick, Bun Brother continued his endless chatter.

Ignoring him, Husoil Brother reached out and turned on the communication switch.

Clearing his throat, he said solemnly, "This is Dragonfly, we have successfully taken off... How far are you from the target?"

Amid a burst of static, a familiar voice came through the communication channel.

"We’re already here, just waiting on you... How about you? How much longer?"

"We’re on the way now, should be about twenty minutes."

"No rush, be safe."

"Roger that, we’ll be careful!"

The tension wasn’t just in Husoil Brother who was sitting in the copilot’s seat, but also in Ma Ban, who was strapped into a seat inside the cabin.

Feeling the vibrations of the seat beneath him, every cell in his body trembled, especially since the body of the aircraft had tilted momentarily, nearly scaring his soul away.

Not only was it his first time parachuting, but it was also his first time on a plane.

From the moment he had boarded the aircraft, he was utterly panicked.

"I have this feeling that the plane’s going to fall apart!"

"Relax a bit, it’ll be over soon, it’s not that bad," Lu Bei, seated beside him, said calmly, even offering him some consolation.

However, instead of comforting Ma Ban, the statement only made him more nervous.

What do you mean ’it’ll be over soon’?! Are you talking about the parachuting?

Besides the two of them, there were four others on the plane.

The flight was not only delivering supplies to Hope Town but also bringing along three Awakeners from the Guards Corps and three logistical staff.

The Guards soldiers had been trained to parachute at the airstrip a month ago, and now the training was paying off.

Tandem parachuting, one of the training exercises, generally posed no significant problems as long as the person strapped on didn’t thrash around.

Ma Ban’s thoughts were in disarray.

Just then, an alarm bell rang through the cabin, and his nerves instantly tightened.

"What’s happening?!"

"Don’t panic, we’re almost in position," said Lu Bei as he tossed a nylon buckle to him, "take this; I’ll strap you to me in a bit."

Ma Ban stared at the sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy, who didn’t look very reliable in his eyes, like just a child.

"How, how do I get strapped?"

Lu Bei patiently instructed, "Turn your back to me, and leave the rest to me."

...

In the night sky.

An aircraft nearly twenty meters in length flew over West State City, using the cover of darkness to drop a string of parachutes.

Under the veil of night, soldiers from the Guerrilla Team, led by four players, quietly approached the crate.

Carefully scanning their surroundings, Night Ten signaled to the others behind him.

"Safe."

Members of the Guerrilla Team emerged from the darkness, swarming towards the airdropped crate and dragged it into a nearby alley.

Upon seeing the packages of dried food inside the crate, faces lit up with surprise and even excitement.

Jerusalem artichokes!

And roasted barley cakes!

Many hadn’t eaten anything but a chunk of nutrition paste since noon, and at the sight of this food, they were already swallowing saliva.

Night Ten also had a look of surprise on his face.

But he wasn’t surprised at the contents of the crate; he was surprised by its size.

"Mosquito’s planes can carry this much stuff now?"

The crate was a meter in length and width.

It didn’t look like something Mosquito’s small plane could accommodate.

Old White looked up at the sky.

"It doesn’t seem like Mosquito’s plane... The one that docked with us just now was Brother Ciso. I’ve heard that Factory No.81 is also making planes, could be some new equipment we’ve not seen before."

Night Ten exclaimed with surprise.

"Damn, I didn’t see them showing off on the Forum."

Old White chuckled and said.

"Who knows, maybe they want to save a big surprise."

Standing next to the ecstatic Guerrilla Team members, Fang Chang addressed the crowd.

"You guys should transport the supplies back first, we still need to pick up a few people."

The leading Guerrilla Team member, restraining the excitement on his face, looked at him and said.

"Only a few of you, is it okay? I’ll bring some people with you!"

"No need," Fang Chang patted the submachine gun hanging on his chest and said with a smile, "The few of us are enough, just wait for us at the subway station entrance!"

Though still a bit worried, the leading member of the Guerrilla Team nodded his head.

"Then be careful on your own."

...

The moment Ma Ban’s feet left the cabin, his heart felt like it had frozen, and it wasn’t until his feet touched the ground that his frantic heartbeat returned to his chest.

While floating in the air, he thought more than once about what would happen if the parachute didn’t open, or if the Looters happened to see their parachutes.

Fortunately, none of that happened...

Sitting on the ground, Ma Ban gasped for breath, lying flat. It was the first time he felt this way—being on the ground felt so incredibly good.

After undoing the nylon clasps, Lu Bei, who was over a decade younger, used a dagger to cut the parachute cords and patted him on the shoulder.

"Get up quickly, it’ll be trouble if the Looters’ patrol comes this way."

At the mention of Looters, Ma Ban’s just relaxed mood immediately tensed up, and he jumped off the ground with a start.

"What should we do now?"

"Head to the rally point marked on the map and meet up with the others," Lu Bei calmly said, taking out the Pu-9 submachine gun, "A small team from the Burning Corps is already waiting for us there."

The entire airdrop operation was thrilling, yet without mishap.

Six people, in groups of three, all landed safely.

Seeing these NPCs looking bedraggled but otherwise unhurt, Night Ten couldn’t help but smack his tongue.

"How come none of them got hurt?"

Even after so many parachute jumps, there were still unfortunate kids in the corps who died from various accidents.

Wild Wind casually replied.

"Maybe it’s because they only have one life, so they train more seriously."

Night Ten suddenly said.

"Fuck, that makes sense!"

Thinking about it, it really did.

If the game were a little harsher, with sequence levels being reset upon death, maybe those fools who insist on pulling their chutes at the last second would be a bit more cautious...

Overnight.

The New Alliance airdropped nearly 12 tons of food, as well as much-needed antibiotics, weapons, and ammunition to West State City.

And with these supplies, three soldiers from the Guards Corps and three logistics officers also arrived.

Not disappointing the Manager’s expectations, Ma Ban took the lead in establishing the Alliance Office as soon as he arrived in Hope Town and took over the warehouse and refugee relief work.

Seeing old acquaintances and New Alliance people standing together, Wu Chengyi and others in the management level of Hope Town, though surprised, didn’t say anything.

There had been some issues between them due to the migration, but it was a helpless move for survival; they weren’t quite enemies.

Instead, seeing that the survivors from West State City could also be reused by the Alliance, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed that the Manager hadn’t lied to them.

The person in charge of coordinating with Ma Ban was Yang Duo from the logistics department of the Resistance organization.

Considering he was one of the earliest officials to support joining the Alliance in the management, Wu Chengyi felt that assigning him this duty would encounter less resistance.

Of course, the key was that they had a bit of a relationship.

Although it was just a bit...

-

(37.6 degrees, a bit of a fever, took some medicine and feel a little better, probably the flu. Didn’t have Tangyuan for this year’s Lantern Festival, only had medicine... you’d say I’ve exhausted myself. I don’t usually take days off unless I really can’t hold on. T.T)

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