This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 345: You Shall Be the Lord of the City of Dawn!

Chapter 345: Chapter 345: You Shall Be the Lord of the City of Dawn!

"Hello, Mr. Dulon, esteemed Manager of Stone City Hall, I am the City Lord of City of Dawn—"

"Luka."

Sanctuary B4 Layer, viewing room.

Wearing formal attire, Luka sat on the sofa.

On the coffee table in front of him, there was a holographic computer pen; light blue beams interlaced above the table, forming a three-dimensional conical image.

Through that light blue cone, one could see the bay window of the Stone City Hall Manager’s office and the Manager seated at his desk.

"City Lord of City of Dawn..." Dulon frowned slightly, "Where is your Manager?"

If the information was correct, he remembered that the supreme authority of the Alliance should indeed be the Manager.

What was this City Lord of City of Dawn?

And this Luka...

That weatherbeaten old face, rather than a city lord, he seemed more like a farmer to him.

What on earth was the New Alliance’s Manager up to?

He was somewhat baffled.

Unconcerned with the attitude shift of Mr. Dulon, Luka continued in a mild tone, as instructed by the Manager.

"Our Manager is currently inspecting Dawn City and may not be able to return to Qingquan City for some time. Given the suboptimal communication conditions there and to show respect and importance to you, he has entrusted me to conduct this phone conversation."

"The Manager particularly instructed me when he was explaining this matter, that Stone City is a neighbour—and a friend—of the Alliance and that I must demonstrate our friendliness during the negotiations."

To these high-minded words, a barely noticeable disapproval crossed Dulon’s face.

Friend?

Did Stone City need such a thing?

He originally wanted to say, "Since your Manager isn’t here, we should probably wait until he returns to continue," but considering this might take a long time, he swallowed the sentence.

He didn’t care; he could simply wait, but the tasks assigned by the City Lord of the Giant Stone City could not.

Dulon was certain that if the New Alliance’s planes appeared again in the airspace of Stone City, the anti-aircraft cannons would definitely open fire.

If this friction escalated into war, he was sure the North Suburb would turn into scorched earth, and the emerging Militia Group would seal the Blue Ground Mice forever within the Turtle Shell using steel and concrete; but the outskirts of Stone City would undoubtedly suffer great damage.

Perhaps Mr. Fang Ming didn’t care what it turned into, just as the Inner City had never cared about the lives of the residents of the Outer City.

However, Dulon couldn’t afford to be indifferent.

Not because he was kind-hearted.

But because he was well aware that the nobles of the Inner City were his masters, but the factory owners and Business Association bigwigs of the Outer City were his foundation.

"Since you consider us friends, I hope your planes will no longer appear in the airspace of a friend’s home. Your planes have shown up on our radar, and this time our soldiers showed restraint, but next time may be different," Luka said, looking at him.

"That is a reasonable request; I would like to know the boundaries of your airspace?" Dulon stated outright.

"The airspace within five loops around Qingquan City is ours, delineated by the loop highways."

"That’s impossible," Luka shook his head, "City of Dawn also has territory within Qingquan City’s fifth loop. We will respect your security needs, but it must be without compromising our own safety."

Dulon’s voice grew louder.

"Mr. Luka, let me be frank: this is what our City Lord demands. Do you understand the meaning of the word ’demand’?"

Luka smiled faintly.

"Of course, I understand. However, our Manager has said that if we compromise on the airspace issue today, tomorrow we’ll have to make concessions on territorial issues. We can guarantee that our flying ships will not enter the western area of Qingquan City’s loop line, and that’s the limit."

Dulon lightly raised his eyebrows,

As if he had heard something amusing, he said with a smile,

"Territory? What use would I have for your run-down place?"

Desire for those one or two thousand acres of land?

Covet those few broken houses?

That would indeed be underestimating them.

Luka replied in a tone neither warm nor cold,

"Our place might be run-down, but we’re quite satisfied with our homeland."

Dulon’s tone took on a trace of mockery.

"You don’t think, just because you’ve beaten a few primitives with fire sticks, that you’re qualified to negotiate terms with us?"

Unexpectedly to Dulon,

that old man before him actually nodded.

Which even made Dulon question whether he had seen incorrectly.

"Of course, I have no doubt we are qualified."

Gazing evenly at the Manager of the City Hall, Luka naturally continued, "In fact, I’m negotiating terms with ’you’ right now, aren’t I?"

As he spoke, he heavily emphasized the word "you."

Dulon narrowed his eyes slightly.

He suddenly wasn’t so sure anymore.

"What do you mean?"

Luka stated calmly,

"It means nothing special; your Army is strong, but we’re not weak either. Stone City might be able to defeat us in a head-on battle, but we can ensure that our opponent will pay a heavy price."

"And that cost will definitely include ’you’."

These words deeply stung Dulon.

The Inner City’s disregard for the Outer City had a long history that was known to all, and he was no exception. He had no doubt that, should a war break out, they would become cannon fodder.

Just like every Tide.

But what then?

Does it need a Waste Land Wanderer like you to remind me?

Dulon sat up straight, laughing angrily.

"Are you threatening me?"

The atmosphere at the negotiating table instantaneously froze.

Luka’s heart was equally tense.

However, he didn’t let it show on his face.

Before the negotiations began, the Manager had instructed him that under no circumstances should he show cowardice or panic; he must keep his composure at all times.

The other party was powerful, and from their standpoint, "coercion by force" would be a convenient option since security issues were a "pain point" for the majority of Survivor Settlements.

Although Giant Stone City was Ideal City’s sycophantic bootlicker, they weren’t so affluent as to be bloated with excess; thus, they lacked any so-called moral squeamishness.

Skirting dangerously close to the opponent’s bottom line was risky, but appearing too weak was equally lethal.

The key was to grip their pain points and stop before inflicting pain, willingly sacrificing some demands to find a mutually acceptable range.

That was the essence of negotiation.

Looking at Dulon, Luka slowly began to speak.

"Of course not, respected Minister, we sincerely hope that we can continue to coexist peacefully and amicably. This world has already witnessed enough tragedies—Variants, ’mutated slime fungi,’ Mutants, heretics, and Looters... The spark of civilization gasps for breath under the shroud of barbarism, living in such times, we really, really do not wish to take that final step."

Luka paused before continuing.

"... But sometimes, despite our extreme reluctance, we must let others know that we were not raised in fear, that the land we have cultivated was not given to us out of charity."

"Therefore, rather than a threat, I would prefer that you interpret my previous remarks as a response to the threat of war."

Dulon’s eyes had narrowed to slits as he stared intently at the holographic image of Luka.

He was thinking.

And weighing his options.

The conversation had lapsed into silence.

Luka waited patiently.

It was then that Dulon suddenly blurted out something irrelevant to the negotiation itself.

"Did you come up with these words yourself, or did your Manager tell you to say them?"

Luka replied without hesitation.

"Does it make a difference? The will of the Manager is the will of the Alliance, and it is also my will."

Dulon didn’t say anything, but stared at the old man thoughtfully for a while.

After what felt like half a minute, he slowly spoke.

"I do not agree with your sophistry about the ’threat of war.’"

His tone shifted as he continued.

"But I acknowledge your other point—that there are already enough tragedies in this world, and there is no need to add senseless sorrow."

"For the sake of our future relations, I think we need to have an honest discussion."

Hearing these words, Luka finally relaxed and a smile appeared on his face.

"That’s exactly what I think."

...

Though their arrogant attitude had not changed, their willingness to solve problems through dialogue was at least a good start.

What followed was the haggling.

Dulon considered this his forte, having been a Merchant before he became the Minister of Stone City Hall.

What he didn’t expect was that the other party’s ability to be stubborn and unreasonable was not inferior to his own.

At least not as easy to fool as he had thought.

"... The area of the southern third ring of Clear Spring City belongs to our airspace, and we need it to counter the Tide! Moreover, our air force has taken some of the pressure off you, which is to your benefit as well!"

"Your air force? Ha, with those paper planes? You might as well just hire our planes, you’ve hired them before anyway. I can give you a discount."

"Yes, we are paper planes, so why should you worry about us threatening your security? Is your heart so small that you can’t even accommodate paper planes?"

"... South four to South five ring road, this is our bottom line! I also need you to promise that the New Alliance’s borders won’t expand further south."

"We can stop expanding southwards, but in exchange, I demand that you stop the ban on the sale of New Alliance commodities. We haven’t banned the sale of your products, have we?"

"The last one is impossible; the prohibition on LD-47 comes from the ’Giant Stone City Military Industrial Complex,’ and I can only promise not to add to the import and export restrictions list outside of ’military industries.’"

These conditions had met the expectations of the negotiation, but Luka still feigned difficulty as he nodded.

"That will do, we’ll maintain the status quo then."

Dulon breathed a sigh of relief, his taut expression finally easing into a smile.

"I’m glad we’ve reached an agreement."

Verbal agreements are not worth the paper they’re written on.

The two sides would later sign a specific agreement.

As for the place of signing, Dulon asked for it to be at the Stone City Hall and invited him to visit Giant Stone City.

Luka, following the Manager’s instructions, did not insist on the small matter of the signing location and readily accepted his request.

In addition to airspace and trade issues, the two parties discussed cooperation in multiple areas and reached a consensus.

After the communication ended, Luka reached out to turn off the holographic computer; it felt as though he had shed a weight of a million pounds, and he leaned back on the sofa to take a deep breath.

"Nicely done!"

Hearing praises from the viewing room’s entrance, Luka immediately stood up, respectfully placing his right fist over his left chest.

"Manager."

"No need for formalities, have a seat."

He gestured for Luka to sit.

Chu Guang sat on the opposite sofa, looking at him with satisfaction.

To be honest, when he first rescued him, he hadn’t thought too much about it; it was purely a random act of kindness.

He also needed someone obedient to help manage the warehouse and incidentally gather some information he was not privy to, so he bribed the Farm guard with a chip.

At that time, Chu Guang didn’t have high expectations for him.

If things went as usual, his biggest achievement in life would probably be managing the storage for the Outpost Base of the New Alliance.

Just like Guo Niu, Guo Ma, and other serfs who had been liberated and joined the New Alliance early on.

However, Old Luka’s performance at work had far exceeded Chu Guang’s expectations.

Not just loyalty, but also a precise understanding of his commands, coupled with a hardworking and diligent nature, went far beyond Chu Guang’s initial assumptions.

Although he, a serf by birth, lacked some flexibility, this flaw was negligible compared to other Waste Land Wanderers.

Now it seemed that the chip he had invested was well worth it.

"Later, I’ll need you to make a trip to Giant Stone City."

"It’s no trouble at all, serving you is my honor," said Luka respectfully.

Chu Guang smiled.

After a pause, he put on a serious expression and continued,

"Additionally, after you return from Giant Stone City with the agreement symbolizing friendship, you’ll become the City Lord of the City of Dawn."

Upon hearing this, Luka was stunned.

City Lord of Dawn City?

Wasn’t that just a title used for negotiation purposes?

Luka said with earnest fear.

"My lord, but I—"

Knowing what he intended to say, Chu Guang cut him off.

"Alright, I’ve already decided! I’ve seen your capabilities, and there’s no one more suitable for this position than you."

Changjiu Farm had always been managed by Luka anyway.

As for his origins,

Chu Guang saw it as a non-issue.

Rather, it could become a banner for publicity.

In the New Alliance, equality was not just a slogan. As long as one could prove their competence and loyalty to the Alliance, even the humblest origins could lead to becoming the lord of a settlement.

Indeed.

Chu Guang was becoming more satisfied with his arrangement.

Later, he would take the time to write an impassioned press release and hand it over to the Alliance radio station for promotion.

Although still concerned about his ability to shoulder such a significant responsibility, seeing the Manager’s unwavering choice of him, Old Luka said nothing more, silently keeping his gratitude in his heart.

He took a moment to calm his breathing then looked at the Manager and said earnestly,

"Sir... there’s something I don’t quite understand, may I ask about it?"

"What is it."

"Why is Giant Stone City so fixated on Qingquan City’s airspace?" There was a hint of confusion in Luka’s eyes, "They clearly don’t take our planes seriously at all."

That inherent disdain was something they could not hide.

The City Hall Secretary even described the Alliance’s aircraft as "paper planes."

Although angered, Luka had to admit, their arrogance was not unwarranted.

Giant Stone City’s aircraft might not be much when compared to enterprises, but they were after all products of the pre-war era. It was clear to anyone with eyes that those science fiction-esque behemoths and the Alliance’s small planes were simply not in the same league.

"It’s good that you’ve thought about this,"

Chu Guang nodded approvingly at the increasingly insightful Old Luka, "The reason is actually very simple, because you’re right, they truly don’t care about the airspace."

Luka was taken aback.

He didn’t quite get the meaning of that remark.

Chu Guang didn’t explain right away but instead gently pressed the holographic computer pen.

The city map of Qingquan City was projected into a pale blue cone of light, with the edge of the three-ring line flashing with intermittent green dots.

"Because the center of Qingquan City is their real interest."

"Mutated slime fungus, evolutionary bodies, ancient battlefields, and equipment left over from the pre-war era... A single piece cannot restore the whole puzzle, but numerous pieces piled together can always restore something useful."

A look of surprise appeared on Luka’s face.

"If that’s the case, then the Tide might be..."

Chu Guang nodded.

"For them, it might not be a disaster at all."

"Our researchers have been studying the evolutionary bodies that spread to the North Suburb during the last Tide, both from a biological and an engineering perspective. However, we started too late, and even though we have excellent researchers, we’re still far behind them."

Watching Luka’s face light up with realization, Chu Guang went on slowly,

"Just like you said, they don’t care about our planes because those things are less than a nuisance to them."

"Their true purpose is probably to limit our access to their treasure."

...

Meanwhile, at the Stone City Hall.

Dulon hung up the phone and let out a sigh of relief.

At the same time as feeling a weight lifted, a smug smile twisted at the corners of his mouth.

The New Alliance’s planes would no longer enter their core area of interest, and the respected City Lord would surely be pleased with this outcome.

The import restrictions on LD series weapons remained unchanged, and trade between them would not be affected; the military-industrial complex wouldn’t nag at him.

As for areas outside the military-industry?

What did that have to do with him?

Moreover, trade itself is beneficial for both sides. Giant Stone City could purchase cheaper consumer goods and industrial raw materials, which wasn’t a bad thing at all.

In Dulon’s eyes, he had simply offered a bit of honey and in return obtained an outcome that pleased all parties involved.

Thinking this, he couldn’t help but internally compliment himself,

I’m a genius!

Previously, sitting in the City Hall of Giant Stone City, there wasn’t a single worthy opponent throughout the entire Southern River Valley Province, and the Grand Canyon to the north was too far; none paid the other any mind.

Spending his days in the City Hall office, either stamping documents or dozing off, hardly anyone took him seriously.

Now at last there were those who could showcase his brilliance!

At that moment, a voice from one side interrupted his train of thought.

"Mr. Manager."

"What is it?" Dulon asked with a pleasant expression, looking at his deputy Jaeger.

"I don’t understand why we have to waste so many words with a bunch of Scavengers," Jaeger said with a hint of displeasure on his face. "Their population isn’t even larger than that of our slums."

The city gates were crowded with people trying to get into the city.

Even the waste discharged from the city could sustain tens of thousands of people.

The very idea of negotiating with them was unpleasant to him.

Dulon had guessed what was on his mind and had already thought of a way to answer the question.

"Their strength is inferior to ours, but they are not as weak as we imagine. Do you remember the look in that guy’s eyes just now?"

Jaeger chuckled lightly.

"Can a look kill someone?"

Dulon spoke in a mild tone.

"No, but it won’t be easy to make them submit. What’s wrong with solving the problem through negotiation? If we really start fighting, we will be the Cannon Fodder again."

"Moreover, the City Lord’s order was to keep their planes away from the fourth ring of Clear Spring City. We not only completed the task but went beyond it."

He patted his deputy on the shoulder and continued with enthusiasm.

"Cheer up a bit, don’t look so glum."

...

Qingquan City, on the edge of the South Third Ring.

The slanting sunset elongated the shadow of the overpass piers.

With dusk about to fall, the Eaters wandering around became increasingly agitated and more aggressive.

A street store not far from the overpass.

Edge Shoveling, squatting behind a shop window with an assault rifle in hand, watched the street outside the cover cautiously.

Aside from him, there were nine teammates hidden nearby.

The Variant corpses strewn across the street and the dense bullet holes in the wall told the story of a fierce battle that had taken place earlier.

Four hours before, he and his teammates received orders to head to the edge of the South Third Ring of Clear Spring City on foot to meet up with the Guo Niu and Guo Ma teams retreating from the "New Map."

After a fierce firefight, they had cleared the street of Variants.

As dusk approached, though, more and more Variants were spreading from nearby buildings onto the streets, and it was hard to say how long the current quiet would last.

The young construction worker, leaning on a machine gun, suddenly muttered.

"We’re not going to lose out for nothing again, are we?"

Hearing this, "Kakarot" gave him a stern look.

"Don’t jinx it!"

Debt Giant Eye exchanged a glance with Edge Shoveling.

"How much longer?"

Just as Edge Shoveling was about to reply, a noise suddenly came from the corner of the street.

Everyone tensed up instantly, aiming their weapons in that direction.

Just then, a familiar voice came through.

"It’s me, hold your fire."

Seeing the figure at the street corner, Edge Shoveling was slightly stunned, and a look of surprise flashed across his face.

"Holy shit! Old Bai?"

"How did you end up like this?"

At that moment, the best way to describe Old Bai was disheveled.

He carried a bundle made from a parachute in his left hand and a blood-stained rifle in his right. Not only was his protective suit gone, but his body was also covered in mud and his bulletproof vest bore a nearly burnt-through hole.

He looked like he’d rolled out of hell itself.

Faced with everyone’s astonished gazes, Old Bai gave a wry smile.

"...Ran into some problems."

That’s an understatement, isn’t it?!

The others exchanged glances.

Putting aside Quit Smoking for a moment, Old Bai Fang Chang and their crew were among the top fighters on the server.

What situation was it that even these guys found so troublesome?

Debt Giant Eye swallowed hard.

"...What about the others?"

Old Bai didn’t speak.

At that moment, Fang Chang’s voice came from behind him.

"They’re dead."

With a heavy expression on his face, Fang Chang looked almost as battered as Old Bai, covered in dust and grime.

He’d probably lost his rifle because he now carried a mechanical arm tied with VM, the bloody stump of a shoulder dangling from it, which was a shocking sight.

Edge Shoveling recognized this person.

It seemed to be Wild Wind’s arm...

"No matter what, we’ve still completed the mission."

Old Bai dropped the bloody bundle on the ground, wiped the mud and sweat from his forehead with his arm, and said, "This stuff... I need you guys to carry it for me, I really don’t have the strength anymore."

"What’s this supposed to be?"

The young construction worker, Zuan, walked up and curiously uncovered the parcel to see a bunch of odd parts and dark red fungal blocks inside.

Many of these tentacled blocks were still slowly wriggling as if they were freshly cut meat.

"Remnants of an Evolutionary body, who knows what it is."

Leaning against an old car’s hood, Fang Chang watched the construction worker fiddle with the fungus inside the parcel and kindly warned.

"You might not want to casually sift through things with your hands... our Smoking Quitting Brother died like that."