This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 363: You guys are so generous!

Chapter 363: Chapter 363: You guys are so generous!

"How do you feel now?"

"Thank you... I feel much better."

When Shen Rui woke from his coma, he lifted his head and saw a woman in a white lab coat standing in the hospital room, with a rare shock of white hair.

He then looked at his left hand and saw that under the rolled-up sleeve was flesh full of meaty red folds, like some kind of rotting matter.

Seeing this, his pupils contracted slightly and he involuntarily held his breath.

Standing outside the hospital room window and looking in, several players who hadn’t logged off were whispering to each other without any thought of the chaos.

"Is this a man from the corporation?"

"He looks sickly."

"Probably like that Batch, got bitten by Eaters on the way here."

"Damn, a Kylin Arm?"

"It looks pretty cool, though."

"F*ck, where can I get one of these?"

"What are you planning?"

"To get a set, of course! Heh, it’d be great if they could extend tentacles out like a few dozen meters, just like in Hunting Prototypes!"

"Holy shit, you’ve got some weird tastes!"

Luckily, the patients inside the room couldn’t hear, nor understand, what those idiots outside were saying.

Otherwise, their already settled blood pressure would skyrocket again.

Looking at the tablet in her hand, Heya’s eyes flickered with excitement and curiosity as she spoke rapidly.

"Erosion degree 11%, mutated slime fungus has replaced your left arm, and thankfully, only the left arm. Your condition is considered mild. I’ve injected you with an inhibitor, which can prevent the fungus from spreading further... and from replacing your brain."

"Can it be cured?"

Although he was doubtful of the medical facilities here, the word "inhibitor" ignited hope in the man lying in the bed, as if clutching at a lifeline.

No one wants a mass that doesn’t belong to them growing on their body, especially when that mass is alive.

However, Heya’s next words plunged him into the depths of despair.

"It can’t be cured."

"Each Lair adopts different evolutionary strategies, and we have no knowledge of the situation in Yongdong City."

"You now have two options, to replace it with a bio-engineered limb, or... to see if a doctor can help you after you return to your place."

Heya actually hoped he would choose the former, as it would give her a fascinating sample.

Recently, the New Alliance got a batch of bio-mechanical prosthetics from Giant Stone City, and their quality was passable.

But the man on the bed didn’t even think before promptly choosing the latter.

"No need, thank you."

With an awkward smile, Shen Rui shifted the weight of his head back onto the pillow.

Even if he were to get a bio-engineered limb, he wouldn’t do it outside of Ideal City.

Just then, the door to the hospital opened, and an officer from the Assault Team walked in hastily with Chu Guang’s company.

"How are things here?"

Before Heya could reply, Yun Song immediately went to Shen Rui, who had just woken up, and asked urgently and seriously.

"Do you feel better? Have you noticed any discomfort? Or allergic reactions, perhaps?"

Shen Rui stared at his left hand for a while, then glanced at his unchanged right hand, as if comparing them.

"I feel much better than yesterday, but part of my body seems like it doesn’t belong to me."

"Anything else?" Yun Song pressed.

"There’s not much else, aside from my left hand still getting used to it. There are no major issues, and I even have the confidence to return to the battlefield!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Guang quickly advised against it.

"How could you, your wounds have only just healed, you need to recover!"

How could they let the duck at their lips fly away?

Are the ICU and the special medicines the same price?

According to the contract negotiated with the captain of the corporate Assault Team, when the corporate Commercial Team passes by next month, they would settle the expenses for these patients.

Rather than these penniless soldiers who also had missions to attend to, it was the cargo-laden teams returning home that had more to offer.

Although Heya found it strange why Chu Guang wanted to keep these burdens, she still nodded in agreement at his meaningful look.

"That’s what I suggested too. Stabilizing the condition requires inhibitors, and producing inhibitors requires the Mucosal Entity as a component."

"We previously had only one patient, so the stock of prepared medicine is not ample. Without enough medicine, relying on your own immunity, it’s difficult to prevent the fungus from further encroaching."

Yun Song had a somber expression on his face.

"Isn’t there a cure?"

"Not at the moment," Heya shook her head, "In fact, I only started researching this thing this year... There was none of this stuff in the Shelter where I was born."

"I suggest they stay here for observation for a period; maybe there will be some progress."

At present, this seemed the best approach.

Indeed, being parasitized by the mutated slime fungus wasn’t completely bad. Optimistically thinking, at least one’s recovery and metabolism would improve, and pain sensitivity would be dulled.

In essence, part of the body’s tissue would have toughness comparable to Mutants.

Or, it could be regarded as a "biological prosthetic" with self-repairing abilities.

But using a living organism as a prosthetic was psychologically unacceptable to most people.

Having left the hospital room...

Yun Song stopped and turned to Chu Guang, speaking somewhat apologetically.

"Thank you for taking care of those injured."

"It’s no trouble, just lending a helping hand."

Chu Guang smiled, and after a brief pause, he continued, "Speaking of which, I didn’t ask during dinner, but is something wrong with the Pioneer?"

Upon hearing this question, Yun Song fell silent, seemingly hesitating whether or not to share the situation.

Seeing this reaction from him, Chu Guang guessed it probably wasn’t a secret that fundamentally couldn’t be disclosed, so he continued.

"The crew of the Pioneer are our important partners, and our residents would like to know if they are safe. This is very important to us."

Looking at the Manager’s serious expression, Yun Song remained silent for a while, then sighed softly.

"To be honest, our Pioneer did indeed encounter some trouble while delving deep into the desert. They deployed the ’Migrant Birds,’ sent the last message to our enterprise, and after that, we lost contact."

"After learning they were in trouble, we immediately dispatched reinforcements to the west and searched for their signal along the way. Unfortunately, we found nothing. They seem to have disappeared..."

"We conjecture two possibilities: one is that their communication equipment has malfunctioned, and the other is that the region has strong signal interference. In either case, it seems that only by continuing westward and deeper into the desert might we find new leads."

Spanning thousands of kilometers from Luo Xia Province to the furthest eastern coast, the journey crosses numerous colossal city clusters and ancient battlefields.

Without satellite and communication network support, it is very difficult for the messages launched from the Pioneer to be directly transmitted back to Ideal City.

Outer space, as part of the ancient battlefield, is now covered by irregularly moving debris and automated weapons, making the launch and stable operation of satellites nearly impossible.

This is also why most survivor forces, even those possessing the technology to launch satellites, seldom use it.

The "Migrant Bird" system, on the other hand, is a disposable communication tool designed by enterprises for merchants and long-distance teams.

Its characteristics include being lightweight, having a simple launch mechanism, and effectively being an inexpensive long endurance drone that can orbit the planet at low altitudes. By evading ground radar searches, it can carry stored information back within the communication range of Ideal City and release it.

Chu Guang had heard Luo Hua mention this system before and had even been tempted to introduce it.

However, because the "Migrant Bird" was set to fly only towards Ideal City, and since there was no precedent for exporting this system to other survivor forces, he abandoned the idea after inquiring.

"Can you tell us what the trouble is?" Chu Guang sensed that the person in front of him probably knew something of the details.

And indeed, Yun Song’s next sentence confirmed his guess.

"Army!"

A shadow crossed Yun Song’s eyes.

"Those guys with their prominent noses, like crows clutching rotten flesh in their beaks, want to peck at anything they see. Our conjecture is that the survivors or a commercial team from Luo Xia Province saw our land fortress and leaked the news to the Army."

At this point, the captain of the assault team couldn’t help but let out a string of curses.

"200 years, it’s always the same. They take an interest in No.0 Shelter only when we decide to search for it."

"What exactly is in that No.0 Shelter?" asked Chu Guang, driven by curiosity.

Although he didn’t expect this leading soldier to be able to answer questions that even Lu Yang, the highest officer of the Pioneer, could not answer, he wanted to hear another perspective.

Yun Song shook his head.

"I don’t know. Maybe it’s some super weapon, or some unfinished technology. Who knows who said it, but it’s rumored to be something that could revive civilization... To be honest, I think it could just be an error that got out of hand."

"It wouldn’t be the first time. Treasures praised by wanderers of the Wasteland turn out to be just a water purifier. The life in Ideal City is already good enough, so what if we don’t go looking for No.0 Shelter? Even during the most prosperous times, it was all about three meals a day."

Although his conviction to reinforce his allies hadn’t wavered in the slightest, he clearly didn’t believe the rumors about No.0 Shelter.

This story had been circulating for 200 years.

Hoping that a shelter could solve all problems, the world wouldn’t have turned out this way from the start.

Realizing he had digressed, Yun Song no longer shared his views on the rumor and steered the conversation back on track.

"I’ve gone off-topic, no matter what the legend says, I need to clean up the mess for the brothers on the Pioneer. If they can still continue, we’ll give them a hand. If they’ve suffered heavy losses, we’ll take them home."

"Since the creatures of the West Coast have started itching for a fight again, it’s time to settle both new and old accounts!"

When he said this, a hint of obvious hatred flickered in Yun Song’s eyes.

Chu Guang couldn’t help but ponder in his mind.

It seemed that the relationship between the corporations and the Army was indeed not harmonious, and it wasn’t just a matter of mutual dislike; there was probably some historical grudges involved.

He had no intention to get involved in the feud between the two "Degenerate Empires," but currying favor with the corporations clearly yielded more benefits.

Both the corporations and the Army were far enough away that being taken out by the other side was very unlikely.

After all, Qingquan City was not the Grand Canyon; cities covered in "Mutated slime fungus" were not uncommon in the Wasteland, and no one would send an Expeditionary Army to pick up a rotten stone.

Therefore, Chu Guang only pondered for two seconds before speaking in a generous tone.

"A friend’s trouble is our trouble, please feel free to tell me where we can lend a hand."

Yun Song gratefully glanced at Chu Guang.

"That’s exactly what I was about to discuss! We’ve used up too much ammunition on the way and are in urgent need of bullets, as well as light and heavy anti-armor weapons. For the latter, we’re not picky, as long as the infantry can carry them, they are simple to operate, and have certain accuracy and range, that’s enough!"

A smile appeared on Chu Guang’s face.

"That’s easy, the last thing we’re short of here are weapons, but the bullets... that might be a bit tricky."

"Is it a caliber mismatch?" Yun Song asked, frowning.

"Yes, our rifles use 7mm full-power rounds; the case length and primer caps don’t match with your G9 ’Black Swan’. It’s too late to start a new production line now, unless you’re willing to stay here for half a month before departing."

"Half a month... that’s too long," Yun Song said, troubled.

"That’s the quickest scenario already. Building a new production line requires quite a bit of preparation, especially to produce completely new products."

Seeing Yun Song deep in thought, Chu Guang empathically made a suggestion.

"So, I have a proposal for you, you could try our LD-47 rifles."

Yun Song was startled for a moment.

"LD-47?"

Chu Guang nodded.

"Yes, it’s a weapon that has been tested in combat, and we just used it to win a battle. Although the opponents weren’t part of an Army formation, they were still pseudo-soldiers led by Army officers and using Army standard equipment."

"While the accuracy of this equipment isn’t high, and it has a simple receiver structure with limited attachment options, its redeeming feature is its ample firepower and low malfunction rate. It performs well in the desert environment, and many commercial teams coming from the west like our weapons."

Yun Song, still frowning, said: "But... our aiming assist plugins are only compatible with the G9 assault rifles. Using non-standard equipment might have a significant impact on the soldiers’ combat power."

Upon hearing this, Chu Guang wore a look of helplessness.

Do these people not know how to fight without cheats?

But when I think about it, it makes sense.

Day in and day out, they’ve used auto-aim hacks; if one day the hacks suddenly got banned, anyone could see the stark difference in skill.

Facing the concerns of the assault team captain, Chu Guang patiently said,

"Combat power doesn’t necessarily have to be reflected solely in weapon precision, firepower superiority is also an advantage. Now that you can obtain logistical support from us, there’s no need to conserve ammo, and in fact, your combat effectiveness won’t be affected."

"Moreover, this is just a backup option. Aside from temporarily using our weapons, you can also leave some logistics personnel with us to help construct the ammunition production line for the G9 ’Black Swan’ assault rifles."

"Though our industrial base here lags behind, we’re rich in resources, and producing a few bullets is no problem at all. Once we have a supply of bullets that match the specifications, we will immediately dispatch armed transport teams to your coordinates. Then, switching back to your original equipment will also be seamless!"

After hearing Chu Guang’s proposal, Yun Song was visibly stunned.

Not because the proposal was too fanciful, but because he hadn’t expected their allies to be so considerate.

Not only were they willing to lend their weapons to them but also prepared to set up a factory for them. As soon as the new bullets were produced, they’d deliver them right away.

What kind of divine teammate was this!

"Thank you!" Yun Song said with a grateful face, "You are really too generous!"

Although He Ding was in charge of logistics, Yun Song couldn’t think of a reason to refuse the Manager’s proposal.

To hesitate even for a second would be to distrust their ally, to fail to appreciate their generosity!

Chu Guang felt a bit embarrassed, especially hearing his own generosity being praised.

"I’ve said it, no need for such courtesy," Chu Guang smiled and continued, "If you need it, our soldiers can even join you in the same trenches!"

No wars had broken out recently, and many players were getting restless. It would be good for them to accompany an old friend from the Alliance for a stroll.

Bringing back some sympathy money would also help support the background operations, which would be beneficial for everyone.

But perhaps it was his own generosity that made Yun Song ultimately too embarrassed to accept, and he shook his head.

"No, that won’t be necessary. This is a grudge between us and the Army. If those people find out that you guys have joined this war, it might bring trouble to you."

He paused, then continued earnestly,

"As for the weapon production, I will discuss it with our logistics personnel. However, we can’t let you do us such a big favor for nothing."

"On the way here to River Valley Province, although we encountered many troubles, we also lucked into capturing a lot of war spoils. Besides that, when we set out, we brought some trade goods for bartering supplies."

"I will give you a list; pick whatever you like from it!"

A pick of anything? There’s such a good deal?

Chu Guang’s face showed joy.

But he wasn’t swept away by his excitement, he still understood the principle of longevity.

With He Ding around, someone would surely block such obviously unreasonable terms.

What he needed to do now was to make the rules of trade more favorable to the Alliance, based on a win-win situation.

"Wouldn’t you be at too much of a disadvantage then? We’re not the kind to take advantage of our friends."

Chu Guang paused for a moment, then suggested,

"Here’s what we’ll do: I will assess your goods according to our needs and provide you with a fair price in silver coins. You can use the silver coins to purchase whatever supplies you need from our market."

"And if you get more spoils of war in the future, you can also continue to bring them here to sell."

Hearing Chu Guang’s suggestion, Yun Song didn’t hesitate and immediately agreed.

"No problem!"

...

Transporting a ton of dry food from Ideal City to the hands of Assault Team No.26 was undoubtedly uneconomical.

And Cr paper money had some purchasing power only in a few coastal provinces; in the central area of the Central Continent, it wasn’t even as useful as the Army’s Dinar, which at least was made of gold.

For businesses, there were two solutions.

One was to carry the production line with you, so wherever you end up, you can eat the food from your homeland, drink genuine coffee and tea, and show off the "light of civilization" to the barbarians in the west.

The Pioneer was born out of this concept.

Not only were they looking for No.0 Shelter, but Lu Yang and others didn’t stint on extending a helping hand to the Waste Land Wanderers along the way. While traveling, they were also earning a reputation and pioneering commercial routes for the business.

Even for a company with Ideal City, it’s not easy to build a nuclear-powered land fortress.

Such things are only for one’s own children to use.

As for soldiers like Yun Song, naturally, they wouldn’t have access to such fine things.

This is where the second solution comes into play—outsourcing logistics to a "trustworthy" merchant.

Before the Expeditionary Army set out, in addition to preparing ammunition and basic materials for them, businesses also allocated a budget for them to buy trade goods in the local markets.

These goods typically have "high value-added" features, such as powerful antibiotics that work upon injection, bionic limbs that perfectly replace the original, and high-tech products that most survivor settlements couldn’t produce.

The accompanying merchant was responsible for managing these goods, exchanging as much ammunition, necessities, and consumer goods as possible with the surviving settlements they passed, while also ensuring team morale in collaboration with the captain.

Especially the latter was important.

While most of the time business’s professional soldiers were more polite and had more "quality" than the mercenaries, but only when their bellies were full.

If their military pay couldn’t be spent, and they had to make do with nutrition paste, it’s uncertain towards whom the guns would point.

Of course, in exchange for risking their lives, the businesses provided the merchants with considerable benefits.

The Expeditionary Army would sacrifice a bit of "efficiency," securing the completion of the mission while also offering protection to the accompanying merchant and his goods.

This was more dependable than any insurance.

Soldiers armed to the teeth with high-tech equipment were nearly invincible unless they encountered "beings beyond cognition."

And even then, they had the highest survival rate!

That’s why banks in Ideal City were more willing to offer lower-interest loans to merchants following the Expeditionary Army.

He Ding was such a merchant, and this was not his first time collaborating with enterprise people.

He had never traveled this deeply into the heart of the Central Continent before, heading westward.

And, as expected, it would be the most memorable experience for him.

"...I may have underestimated you, esteemed Manager."

He was holding a list in his hand, and when He Ding handed it back to Chu Guang, he sighed.

"Is that a compliment?" asked Chu Guang with a smile.

"It is, I suppose. After all, we hardly ever do business with ’silver coins’. Seeing how happily you were chatting with our captain, I should have been wary, but I didn’t realize I was still being negligent."

He Ding gave Chu Guang a meaningful look, clearly seeing through his intentions.

The New Alliance didn’t have enough Cr reserves; if transactions were made with silver coins, it meant they could get their hands on goods at a "cheaper" price.

Conversely, their pockets would be filled with a bunch of inexplicable paper waste.

He was not worried that those silver coins couldn’t buy anything; his concern was that the local currency could "only" be used within the New Alliance to purchase items priced in silver coins.

Clearly, his captain hadn’t considered what they would do when they withdrew from the area.

Could they really expect to exchange silver coins for Cr to take with them?

In the end, they would either leave with a pile of useless paper or a heap of wood and ores that they had no idea where to use.

Or perhaps...

Stay and invest locally?

Chu Guang still wore a pleasant smile on his face, not in the least embarrassed by He Ding seeing through his plan.

"This is good for us, isn’t it?"

"Of course, I won’t deny it."

He Ding simply smiled and said no more.

Although the other party had played smart, there wasn’t really any reason for him to complain.

Whether from the standpoint of a logistics officer or his own viewpoint.

He had risked his life to accompany the corporate soldiers on a distant trip, not for charity.

But to make a fortune.

Since the other party was willing to take care of a lot of logistical trouble for him and even promised a personal benefit,

why bother to expose him?

...

The next day, the streets of Giant Stone City were bustling, with groups of people gathering to chat animatedly.

"...The corporate visitation team has arrived at the ’North Suburb’?"

"Really?!"

"It should be true. There are photos!"

"Photos? Where?"

"In the paper, of course! Go and see for yourself!"

The corporate people coming to Qingquan City was big news.

Although many of them had never been to the East Coast, they had heard of that Ideal City.

And precisely because they had never been there, the news filled many with curiosity.

As for how the news spread, it started with the recently popular Survivor’s Daily.

A chip for a newspaper wasn’t cheap.

But unlike other papers in Giant Stone City, this one didn’t operate on a subscription + mailbox delivery model, it was sold right in front of pubs and grocery stores. Even the poor who couldn’t afford to buy a paper could stand at the entrance and flip through to catch up on the city’s happenings.

Since the cooperating pubs and shops had already received a benefit from the newspaper office, the shop owners didn’t shoo away those who only looked without buying.

After all, so many people gathered and talking made the place seem livelier.

These days, with the economy in distress, it was increasingly rare to see such bustling activity.

Of course, even more surprised than the onlooking public were the city government’s Mayor Duron, the President of Giant Stone City Bank Melvin, and a host of other business and factory owners like Wei Jia.

Especially when they saw the photo and accompanying text on the front page of the Survivor’s Daily, they were so shocked they couldn’t believe their own eyes.

The corporate visitation team arrives at the North suburb of Qingquan City!

Accompanying soldiers and the Alliance Guards Corps initiate a joint operation?

The visiting delegation’s highest official reaffirms enduring friendship with the Alliance??

And extends the most cordial greetings to the Alliance’s Manager???

"Bullshit!"

With his eyes bulging like large chips, Melvin stared at the newspaper in his hands, his expression a portrait of utter confusion.

Unlike others, he was a man who had seen the world.

In his youth, he had traveled with a commercial team to the East Coast and witnessed the prosperity of Ideal City.

That place was the closest thing to heaven on the Wasteland, resembling the Prosperity Epoch.

Even Giant Stone City, despite its size, seemed like nothing but a slum in comparison to the grand city.

The enterprise had many friendly partners on the East Coast, offering trade privileges and selling effective equipment, but he had never heard of those proud people taking such good care of anyone.

Melvin swallowed hard, unsure of what expression to wear or how to describe his feelings at that moment.

Envy? Jealousy? Resentment? Unease?

Probably all of them...

But disbelief was the most overwhelming.

Instinctively, he didn’t believe the nonsense printed on the paper, nor could he fathom it.

But that photo...

It didn’t look fake either!