This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 335: The Utopia Hidden in the Tunnel

Chapter 335: Chapter 335: The Utopia Hidden in the Tunnel

Spending approximately 10 minutes, Lu Bei reported the day’s work to Chu Guang.

"...Under the guidance of a doorkeeper named Terri, we entered Camp 101 and were received by the local survivors."

"It’s a camp hidden deep in the subway tunnels, housing around two to three hundred people. The locals live in square barracks, and around the camp are distributed greenhouses, generators and water purifiers, as well as biogas pools."

"Their situation is completely different from that of Town Of Hope. They’ve fully achieved self-sufficiency in materials and manage everything in an orderly fashion through scientific methods."

"That doorkeeper named Terri—but when I visited their greenhouses, I saw many hydroponic boxes growing rice, potatoes, as well as tomatoes, cucumbers... There were also carbon-fixing devices or something of the sort, where they synthesize a portion of the carbon dioxide into starch and glucose to balance the carbon dioxide content in the air."

"In short, the situation there is quite astonishing. The locals call themselves ’the protected,’ but they are not residents of the refuge; rather, they’re Waste Land Wanderers assisted by the residents of the refuge."

"The main door of Shelter 101 is located at the deepest part of the camp. The residents of the shelter have taught them knowledge, and their mission is to report the outside situation to the residents of the refuge."

"According to them, their camp was originally on the surface, but later, to avoid the war, the residents of the refuge lent them the material transfer area at the entrance, which led to the current establishment of their camp."

"During our conversations, I could feel that they have a profound affection for the residents of the refuge. For them, Shelter 101 is like Sacred Land, and the residents living there are more like teachers."

After listening to Lu Bei’s report, Chu Guang looked at the notes he had casually written down and pondered for a long time, nodding thoughtfully.

"...I see."

He probably understood.

Simply put, Camp 101 is essentially the "spokesperson" supported by Shelter 101 on the surface.

These spokespersons, enlightened by the residents of the shelter, have gained knowledge not available in the wasteland, even some pre-war production methods and tools.

While enjoying the convenience brought by the achievements of pre-war civilization, they also bear the duty of "guarding the gate" for the refuge.

It must be said that this is a smart practice.

Compared to the refuges Chu Guang had encountered thus far, such as numbers 117 and 401, which failed due to the cultural restraint and arrogance of civilized people, the residents of Shelter 101, in their Blue Jackets, adopted a more cautious strategy—choosing worthy people to cultivate, enlightening the oblivious Waste Land Wanderers, teaching them to use utensils and books, getting them to learn mathematics and physics, to see the world from a rational viewpoint.

This not only ensured their education and professional skill levels but also ensured they shared similar worldviews, values, and ideologies with those of the Shelter 101 residents.

Through this method, the residents of Shelter 101 only had to pay a minuscule cost to collect the intelligence and resources they needed and also avoided the troubles that direct contact with the local survivors might bring.

Camp 101 was both the seed they sowed on the surface and their buffer zone with the wasteland.

Should they fail, they could always retract underground and reset the clock to 20, 50, or even 100 years later before trying again.

However, if successful, this seed would grow into a towering tree, establishing a stable and enlightened government on the wasteland...

Their historical mission would then be completed.

"...I didn’t meet any residents of Shelter 101," Lu Bei carefully put this statement last, "The elder of Camp 101 told me that they wouldn’t suggest the residents open the doors until they can confirm that the world outside is safe. Even though I tried to explain...we have already driven those Looters away, they just wouldn’t believe me."

"After insisting, they took me to the main door of Shelter 101, where the residents completely ignored my explanations and told me to communicate with the people of Camp 101."

At this point, Lu Bei felt utterly frustrated.

He felt like a football, being kicked back and forth by both parties.

These people really don’t know what’s good for them!

Hearing the young man’s complaint, Chu Guang immediately guessed what he was thinking and said with a smile,

"They’re not worried about the Looters, they’re worried about us."

Lu Bei paused.

"Worried... about us? But why would they worry about us?"

Chu Guang explained patiently,

"Looters can also wear Blue Jackets, and even carry our VMs, vital signs monitors are not particularly advanced technology, nor are they exclusive to the refuge."

"The first time we meet, they can only rely on their intuition to judge whether we come with good intentions, but ultimately they need to use their eyes to confirm whether what we claim and what we are doing are consistent."

"This world isn’t black and white; those who drive away Looters aren’t necessarily just allies of justice, they could also be another group of Looters. Their vigilance makes sense."

"That’s why I repeatedly reminded you before you set out to be cautious when expressing our intentions, not to rush the other party into making a decision, to give them a little more patience, and if they hesitate, you could suggest that they come and see us for themselves."

After some thought, Lu Bei on the phone said as if struck by a realization,

"I understand, so we should invite some of their representatives to come take a look at our settlement."

Indeed, a student who is willing to learn.

Seeing the young man catch on, Chu Guang smiled and nodded in approval,

"Invite several people over, remember this is not a demand, but an invitation. We need electrical engineers here, as well as hydraulic engineers."

"You could even tell them that I plan to build a dam on the west and southwest sides of the Fourth District, to divert the overflowing lake water north into the Tributary of Tianshui, to irrigate the nearby land... It will be a long-term project, and we need their help."

Promising potential benefits is also part of the art of management; the New Alliance needs to find common ground with local survivors.

While water projects aren’t the first priority in the construction of Dawn City, as the settlement grows, it was something that would eventually need to be addressed.

Lu Bei said excitedly,

"I understand!"

Chu Guang nodded in approval,

"Understood? Then go."

Chu Guang had always been very satisfied with this diligent and loyal young man and had been deliberately nurturing him.

For example, assigning him this task was meant as an opportunity for growth.

As for ability and birth, these were never issues; Chu Guang never believed in theories about bloodlines.

Placed in the right position, a person naturally grows.

Core members of the New Alliance, those who truly carried an aura, were in fact only Yin Fang, Heya, and Old Charlie; most of the rest were born Waste Land Wanderers.

Take Luka, for instance; he started as nothing more than a serf who worked the land, completely unfamiliar with logistics management, yet now he was able to manage the work entrusted to him in an orderly fashion.

And Chu Guang’s envoy to Giant Stone City, Shu Yu, was initially just a refugee.

Including Chu Guang himself, back in the Alpha 0.1 version when the game just started, he didn’t even have a dog and almost got gnawed on by one. Now, he seems to have everything.

After hanging up the call, Chu Guang was too lazy to go out to eat and instead rummaged a can of braised pork from his luggage. He browsed the forums on his VM while eating the canned meat with some steamed buns for dinner.

The official website today was as bustling as ever.

Coincidentally, while he was eating dinner, his little players were also having a meal.

It’s just they were having breakfast due to the time difference.

Tail: "Wuwuwu... Tail already ate in the game, why do I have to eat again in reality! QAQ"

Si Si: "Isn’t that a given..."

Tail: "Chilled to the bone! Why don’t they develop a cultivation chamber that you can just lie in without having to worry about anything else! Eating, brushing teeth, bathing, going to the toilet is all too troublesome! (ノ｀Д)ノ"

Si Si: "Uh, are you talking about the kind with tubes... I think I’ll pass."

Tail: "?"

Ah ah sesame paste: "Though what you say is true, even if such cultivation chambers existed, the anti-addiction system wouldn’t allow 24-hour online availability, right?

Meat mountain big steamed bun: "Aha... Hahaha..."

"..."

That’s some serious addiction.

As he looked at the discussion in the post, Chu Guang was at a loss for words, unsure of how to comment.

He wasn’t responsible for the Morphogenesis Field equipment, and as for the cultivation chamber... there might be some, but it wasn’t really important whether they existed or not. The helmet was already adequate. If you wake up needing to urinate, just go to the toilet and come back. Finding a spot to lie down and log out was basic practice for the players.

Although the cultivation chambers could make the players more focused on the game world, he still hoped his little players would eat well and live well in reality.

Even if it is the only fully immersive virtual reality game in the world, you shouldn’t kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.

After closing the post, Chu Guang continued to browse the forum.

The majority of players were focused on the expansion pack’s settlement and the rewards pool for the lottery tonight, but some were turning their attention to West State City, the newly unlocked map.

Like Brother Fang Chang, for instance.

Just like when he went to Giant Stone City before, upon reaching Camp 101, Fang Chang immediately conducted a detailed survey of the area and updated his findings on the official website without reservation.

"Shocking! A high-tech town hidden inside a tunnel! Observations from Camp 101!"

Seeing this title, Chu Guang clicked in immediately.

Embarrassingly, as a game designer, he was the last one to know about the new map’s information.

Unlike other games where dog designers divulge insider information to top-tier players.

Like Lu Bei, Fang Chang first provided a detailed explanation of the background of Camp 101, combining the translator with his understanding.

However, different from Lu Bei, Fang Chang’s narrative was from the player’s perspective, which meant both his narrative style and focal points were different.

"... The technological level of Camp 101 is very high, and in the setting, they are a group of Wasteland people who have been educated in shelters. They possess both the characteristics of Blue Jacket and Wasteland people, and I even suspect that they are actually offspring from a mix of Blue Jacket and Wasteland people."

"According to what they say themselves, Shelter 101 residents only send out a few people from the inside when necessary. Sometimes it’s to collect resources, sometimes to gather samples from the Wasteland, or to collect data, but usually they don’t stay out for too long."

"They have no money, not even the concept of property; instead, they have various points and a living standard determined by one’s job type and contribution to their position."

"For example, a regular employee would be entitled to a standard unit of living supplies, those in technical jobs get some consumer goods on top of the standard unit, plus regular KPI assessments to decide the ratio of additional supplies..."

"Of course, all this information is what I’ve gathered from narrative dialogues, it might not be accurate. Compared to Town of Hope, this place is more like a paradise formed by a ’few lucky ones.’"

"There are some special technologies here; they can make drones very small and even turn carbon dioxide into food. It’s still unclear how they do it, but one thing’s for sure - without money, Camp 101 probably can’t trade as freely as Giant Stone City can."

"However, this does not mean they have no need for trade. Things like energy, food, and freshwater are extremely precious locally. Although we also need these, we can afford to trade some of our surplus with them."

"My guess is that trade with Camp 101 will probably take a more official form. For example, lifestyle players who run factories could hire highly educated engineers from Camp 101 to produce products that were previously unavailable to the New Alliance on a larger scale. Or perhaps they might open a new NPC store here and exchange high-tech products with us for resources."

Mole on the run in the canyon: "So, does that mean Camp 101 isn’t a map for players?"

Fang Chang: "You can say that, mainly because this map doesn’t even have a store."

Night Ten: "Brother Fang Chang seems pretty disappointed, there isn’t even a bar where the clothes keep coming off. (Funny)"

Fang Chang: "Roll, roll, roll, when the hell did I ever go to that kind of bar?"

Makabazi: "Hahaha! Busted, bro!"

Teng Teng: "You guys are really too dirty.

Mole on the run in the canyon: "What about the quests? Stop distracting! Does the new map come with any quests?"

Fang Chang: "I didn’t see any, the VM signal is pretty bad here... Besides, newly unlocked maps don’t usually trigger quests, right?"

Wild Wind: "But, to be fair, the cultural level of people here is really not ordinary, they even have their own schools. Out of curiosity, I took a look, and they are actually teaching advanced mathematics."

Pick up trash 99 level: "What?! They even have a university?"

Night Ten: "Pff, you’re too bored."

Wild Wind: "No, just curious... What surprised me even more is that the students in class are quite young. Normally, unless they are special talents, we don’t recommend exposing them to professional content too early."

Crow: "Quite young... How young?"

Wild Wind: "About 12 years old."

Night Ten: "What the heck!?"

Thunder Mage Professor Yang: "Awesome!"

Old White: "Twelve years old... I can’t even remember if I was in middle school or sixth grade then. (Crying laughing)"

Elena: "12-year-olds studying calculus, what are they learning at 16? Rocket science? (Funny)"

Gnome King Riches: "If I give them my calculus homework, does that count as exploiting the developer’s computing power? (Funny)"

Night Ten: "You’re so naughty. (Funny)"

Yeah I need the toilet: "6666! @Warts athlete’s foot whoever Levin haha, my thesis is settled!"

A chorus of engineering and science players shout in professional agreement.

Some math gamers on the cloud suggested that there’s no need to let middlemen make a profit from arbitrage—they’re posting homework on the forum directly for one silver coin per problem, at a fair price, no deception for old or young.

When they’ve amassed enough silver coins, they plan to upload their academic research topics into the game and have NPCs "ghostwrite" it for them.

As Chu Guang scrolled to the bottom of the post, he couldn’t help but marvel at how his little gamers were truly a bunch of geniuses to think of having NPCs help with homework and papers.

Look at the extent of your aspirations; even in dreams, you’re so cautious.

If there really were such an amazing game, why bother ghostwriting papers? Wouldn’t it be better to just copy the technology for solid hydrogen?

However, it was clear that governments around the world had not divulged the "true identity" of the operators of Wasteland OL, and there even seemed to be deliberate efforts to conceal relevant clues.

After all, revealing such incomprehensible affairs as "extraterrestrial civilizations", besides causing unnecessary panic, would bring no benefits and might instead provoke some unknown entity.

But the cautious stance of government institutions had actually helped Chu Guang a lot.

Even if people on forums always shared spine-chilling "ghost stories", such as Wasteland OL being a real world, everyone just laughed it off and didn’t take it seriously.

Experiments like the double-slit interference and measuring the gravitational constant are child’s play that anyone can do; slightly more complex experiments are just slightly more obscure.

Not to mention, Wasteland OL has claimed in its "promotion" that the game is based on the Dream System and is constructed by players’ subconscious minds and cognition.

Everything that a player sees in the game is what their subconscious believes they should see.

Logically speaking, a person inside a box can imagine whatever they want about the world outside the box but can’t use the rules inside the box to prove the existence of the outside world.

The only way to prove the world outside of the cooperation exists is to open the box.

Of course, Chu Guang wouldn’t do that.

Whether it’s firsthand truth or secondhand truth, knowing too much is not a good thing.

But, when circumstances allow, he will try to open up the secondhand truth in a relatively mild way to help his players gain more benefits in real life.

This includes not only money and honor.

It can even be status.

After scrolling through the post from top to bottom, having given it some thought, Chu Guang made a judgment.

"... Brother Fang Chang’s suggestion makes some sense; the social situation at Camp 101 resembles a miniature utopia. Thus, it should engage in more official forms of exchange."

"But it’s not just about introducing skilled labor; we also have to bring in as much educational talent as possible."

Combining the "research reports" from Lu Bei and Brother Fang Chang, the New Alliance has a comprehensive understanding of Camp 101.

The only thing that puzzled Chu Guang was how this "small but beautiful" utopian society managed to exist in the Wasteland.

But that’s not the main issue.

The main point is that there are many worthy technologies to be introduced there, which is exactly what the New Alliance needs.

With his finger sliding across the VM screen, Chu Guang spoke up.

"Xiao Qi, sort out the clues on the memo for me, and update the information about Camp 101 in the official database."

"Sure thing, master!" Xiao Qi’s energetic response came through Chu Guang’s earpiece.

Chu Guang nodded, glanced at the time, and seeing that it was almost 8 o’clock, continued.

"Right, and there’s the DLC settlement; have you finished on your end?"

"Uh..."

That energetic voice suddenly became a bit subtle.

"Xiao Qi has finished... But master, are you sure this is really okay?"

Chu Guang was momentarily taken aback.

"What do you mean..."

Xiao Qi didn’t answer but silently sent over the settlement table.

Seeing the prominent string of numbers on the table, Chu Guang nearly choked on his own saliva.

"A hundred million?! Are you sure you didn’t add an extra zero?!"

Xiao Qi replied aggrievedly.

"How could I... Besides, master, the previous few battles also included points in the reward settlements, and with the war going on for so long, the players’ average scores are almost up to 40,000..."

Chu Guang hastily exclaimed.

"But that’s only..."

He cut himself off midsentence as he suddenly stopped.

The battle had gone on for two months, with new players joining the pit every day; the number of players was no longer the initial 1600 or so.

The player count in the server had now reached nearly 3000.

And it wasn’t just front-line players who could earn points; players engaged in production work at the rear also had their share.

A message popped up on the screen.

[QAQ]

Chu Guang: "..."

Xiao Qi spoke softly, "Should we... dilute the prize pool a bit?"

As per tradition, each point corresponds to a value of 0.05 silver coins.

points for a draw, and while some can win an exoskeleton worth 2000 silver coins, others might only get a discount coupon or a lollipop.

If the total points amount to one billion, to ensure the drop rate, the total cost of the prize pool must be 5 million silver coins.

Lower than this number, the drop rate would be diluted.

In Chu Guang’s expectations, the total points issued at the end of this DLC should have been around 20 million, with the cost of the prize pool controllable at 1 million silver coins.

But it jumped fivefold.

"I was negligent... this war is far too costly," Chu Guang said with a wry smile as he opened the System interface and glanced at the points he had saved.

Since the last Tide ended, aside from occasionally drawing a basic or intermediate Blind Box, he had mostly saved his points. Now, he had only about 1500 points.

advanced Blind Boxes...

Originally, he wanted to save up for 20 to draw all at once, but now it seemed impossible to save that much.

Hopefully, he’d get something good.

Otherwise, he’d have to find a way to fleece the newcomers again...

...

At the same time, at the Management Center of Camp 101, the air purifier made a soft whirring noise.

The white-haired old man sat in a chair, with his eyes slightly closed in deep thought, looking as if he had fallen asleep.

His name was Hoene, and he was the Mayor of Camp 101, responsible for all the camp’s affairs and the appointment of various officials.

Half an hour ago, the New Alliance’s representative offered them an invitation to visit the settlement.

Camp 101 didn’t have an official specifically in charge of foreign affairs. The largest force they had ever encountered was the Chewing Bone Tribe.

As for survivor communities like the "Good Weather Cooperative" and "Happy Home," which had dozens or hundreds of members, they didn’t need to go out of their way to make contact.

The tradition of Camp 101 was to have experts handle specific problems; however, what troubled Hoene was that he could not find someone to consult about this matter, so he had to call in all the officials.

Slowly opening his eyes, he looked around at the many officials seated before him.

"What do you think?"

Seeing the Mayor look in his direction, the Education Official hesitated for a moment before responding uncertainly.

"He’s a very polite young man."

This comment was met with agreement from many.

Although the four bodyguards were a bit too curious and even accidentally entered their classrooms, that envoy named Lu Bei was indeed very polite.

This was also what puzzled them most.

Those who seemed most like residents of a refuge behaved beyond their understanding.

Hoene sighed softly.

"I am not asking for your opinion of that child. What I want to know is, what do you think of the New Alliance?"

The Security Official thought for a moment and said.

"They are very powerful. It took them only two months to end the war."

During the time when the battle was raging outside, Camp 101 was not completely oblivious; they had been watching secretly.

This included using cameras installed on the surface and deploying short-range drones.

The New Alliance’s weapons were not particularly high-tech, but they had plenty in supply.

Overwhelming firepower and continuous aerial strikes helped them win the war.

If he had to give an evaluation, it would be one thing.

This survivor force is strong!

The Production Official murmured, "...but they use child labor. That child must be a soldier, right?"

The Education Official responded, "That’s common in survivor settlements outside. After all, their average lifespan is only 35 years. We can’t expect them to wait until they are over 40 to take on key positions like we do."

Terri, who stood to one side, suddenly spoke up, "Perhaps they sent a young person to express goodwill."

Although he was not an official, as the "Doorkeeper" of Camp 101, his status was not low.

He had a good first impression of Lu Bei.

Most Awakeners from the wasteland tended to be haughty, but the youth was unusually polite.

Them not sending an aggressive representative to showcase their dominance at least showed they were open to friendly relations.

This statement received agreement from many present.

"I think we should go visit their settlement, not just their Dawn City, but also their capital... that place called the City of Dawn."

"Indeed, it would be best if we could meet their Manager. Each refuge is different..."

After much contemplation, Hoene spoke.

"That’s what I think too. We can’t isolate ourselves forever, and certainly, we can’t hide underground forever... what’s more, they have expanded their territory to our doorstep."

The group murmured quietly among themselves.

At this moment, the Education Official spoke up.

"But the question is... who should we send?"

Hoene thought for a moment and said slowly.

"They sent us a child; we’ll reciprocate by sending a child as well."

The Security Official hesitated, "Isn’t that... too dangerous?"

"Of course, we won’t send just one person for such a matter. Industry, economy, population... We have too little intelligence and too much to investigate."

The Production Official nodded.

"My suggestion as well, at least we should send two to three experts."

The Security Official frowned.

"But what about safety? The dangers outside aren’t just Looters... don’t forget how much we’ve sacrificed previously to collect samples from the nearby forest."

There’s not enough manpower...

With his index finger pressing against his temple and leaning back in his chair, Hoene pondered for a long time before making a decision.

"I will request my superior to arrange a bodyguard for him."

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