This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 400 - 340: To the Front Line!

Chapter 400: Chapter 340: To the Front Line!

"...I believe this is our last chance."

"If we cannot keep it in the River Valley Province, waiting for the airship to return to port and resupply, and meet with the local ground forces, we will face a crisis several times greater than the current situation."

Shelter No. 79, Manager’s Office.

Apart from Chu Guang, there were a dozen other people standing here.

Several days ago, Chu Guang had issued an order from Qingquan City to Rui Valley City to move the headquarters to the front line.

In addition to staff officers like Vanus, including Wrench from the First Army Corps, had also moved here.

At that moment, Chu Guang was holding a handwritten combat plan; having finished reading the introduction, he turned to the general contents.

The entire plan had twenty-four pages, written by the commander of the Storm Corps known as Spring Water Commander. It was objectively very well written, with detailed planning both macroscopically and microscopically.

The plan divided the battle into three phases, including air combat, ground combat, and the final landing battle.

It detailed what objectives needed to be achieved in each phase, how many personnel and weapons were required, and what to do if progress was smooth or if there were difficulties, with a detailed description in every phase of the combat plan.

Of course, this plan wasn’t completed in a day.

For a while, Chu Guang had noticed that ever since the Storm Corps arrived at Rui Valley City, from the moment that 400mm main gun had fired, the player known as Spring Water Commander had been observing that airship.

Including its observation range, firepower accuracy, firing interval time, turret rotation speed, and reconnaissance efficiency at different distances.

These combat parameters were now listed as the basis in this combat plan, and every phase of the plan was tactically designed based on the weaknesses reflected by these data.

However, even with such a detailed plan, the player called Spring Water Commander still mentioned at the end of the plan—

"Our strength is vastly inferior to the enemy, our chances of victory are less than twenty percent, and the same strategy will be hard to apply twice; we only have one chance!"

"Since the fate of victory rests on this one effort, there is no need to reserve our strength."

"Suggest a general mobilization!"

Turning to the last page of the plan, Chu Guang casually handed it to Vanus standing beside him.

"What do you think?"

Vanus took the plan and flipped through it, spending slightly more time than Chu Guang and pondered for a moment before giving an objective evaluation.

"It’s well written, albeit a bit modest. In my view... there might be a thirty percent chance of success."

As a clone and a leader of a thousand in an army corps, he had never been aboard an airship, and the detailed combat parameters of the airship were classified.

He could only analyze it based on the several public battle reports from the past, which should be about seventy percent accurate.

The only advantage the New Alliance had was probably in intelligence.

After the Chewing Bone Tribe dispersed, the intelligence network in the southern part of River Valley Province was virtually blank.

There may be spies for the corps in the Bugra Free State to the north, but it’s too far from here; trade routes with the north had only just started, and because of the rapid growth, a lot of the intelligence, even if it could get to the corps through the Bugra Free State, were outdated by several months.

Wrench, standing beside, asked with a frown.

"Only thirty percent?"

Vanus nodded and spoke with precision.

"Yes... in my experience, battles involving the Iron Heart mostly represent asymmetric warfare, or as we call it, suppression battles. Considering this... they may not have experience in electronic warfare, but it’s also possible they simply lack the experience."

"Forgive my frankness, but this is a huge gamble."

Chu Guang pondered for a moment.

"You’re betting that they have not encountered this type of combat method before, correct?"

Vanus nodded.

"Yes, it’s a crazy plan, I do not recommend you adopt it. However, I must admire your corps commander, studying all parameters of the Iron Heart so thoroughly in just one month."

Chu Guang smiled faintly.

Capability is one aspect, but what’s crucial is the exceptionally strong ability to share information through "Morphogenesis Field" technology.

Every player or backseat driver on the forum, regardless of their professional expertise and influence, could propose their analytical conclusions based on the intelligence collected in the game, and the players in the game would validate which conclusions were most reliable.

While the alliance’s weaponry might be at the standards of World War II or the Cold War era, their information technology might even surpass the Human Alliance Era.

After all, that "Morphogenesis Field," which current technology couldn’t block or interfere with, seemed to have been developed after entering the Wasteland Era by the First Generation Manager of Shelter No. 404.

Additionally, there was the verification of information.

That was acquired by the players of the Storm Corps at the cost of their lives...

Taking the plan back from Vanus, Chu Guang stared at it for about five minutes and then suddenly spoke.

"I plan to adopt this plan."

Hearing this, a hint of surprise appeared on Vanus’ face as he looked at Chu Guang, who had considered carefully.

"Are you... sure?"

Chu Guang nodded.

"Yes, I’m sure."

Vanus couldn’t help continuing.

"I don’t want to dampen spirits, but implementing this plan will require a huge manpower!"

"Even if there are not ten thousand people on that airship, it still represents a force of ten thousand... If we want to implement this battle plan within a week, at the most conservative estimate, we need to mobilize at least seven thousand people within three days."

"Three days... Is that feasible?"

This was not solely his concern.

A look of worry appeared on the faces of several other staff officers as well.

This wasn’t about being cowardly, but purely a strategic consideration; setting the decisive battle within a week was too hasty.

War is not chess, where moving piece A can decide the winner and loser.

Such a major battle should also be prepared for at least a month to ensure coordination between various troops and orderly progress of plans.

Their previous decisive battle with the Chewing Bone Tribe had taken a month and a half to commence.

Chu Guang smiled faintly and answered without hesitation.

"We have enough time. Three days are completely sufficient for mobilization; it’s not a problem for us!"

He believed in his players.

Not because of the authority the shelter gave him, but because this was not a game for him alone.

The Alliance wasn’t someone’s personal alliance; it belonged to everyone who had shed blood and sweat for this land. When the Alliance faced a life-or-death threat, everyone would step up, whether they were farmers, fishermen, or traders.

It wasn’t just for profit.

It was to protect "our world."

Mobilization in a week? Unnecessary.

One minute was enough.

"...Apart from mobilization, I plan to deploy some mercenaries alongside the regular army. Conservatively, I estimate that the number of combatants could reach ten thousand!"

He closed the battle plan he had been holding, placed it on the desk beside him, and looked at the various officers standing in the office.

As he gazed into their eyes, brimming with a fighting spirit, he paused briefly and continued.

"How long the trenches should be dug and where to place the machine guns are tactical details I’m not specialized in, but there’s a phrase in this plan that I strongly agree with."

"If we don’t keep it here, we will face even greater troubles later."

"It must stay here."

"And it absolutely will!"

Forget about a thirty percent chance of success.

Even if there was just a one percent chance of victory,

he would still give it a try!

...

After the war meeting ended, Chu Guang used a disposable, temporary communication device to send Xiao Qi, who was far away in the shelter, the work arrangements for the next phase.

Included in this information packet of less than 10mb were today’s official website updates, complete mobilization details, and specific plans for recruiting mercenaries.

The latter part of the content, mainly aimed at NPCs, would be translated by Xiao Qi from Chinese to United Human language, accurately conveying the orders to the specific departments and individuals.

In fact, even without his mobilization, players had already gradually ceased their ongoing work and began gathering toward Rui Valley City for the new expansion.

Meanwhile, it was daytime in the real world.

The Spring Water Commander had started a casual discussion thread in the Army Corps communication section of the forum, posted the battle plans, and tagged the leaders of various corps.

Observing the IDs of various big players in the post, the Spring Water Commander felt somewhat nervous while typing and phrasing his words.

It might be said that commanding abilities and organizational skills are two different concepts.

The former is about strategy and tactics, while the latter is more about interpersonal savvy.

He probably got the closed beta access the same time as I Max Black, making his qualifications slightly lighter compared to those who had the closed beta access early and had their chests adorned with limited edition medals.

In real-world terms, it was akin to a brigade commander leading a regimental commander.

In another MMORPG, just persuading these big brothers to cooperate would take a lot of talking.

Fortunately, however, the server atmosphere in "Wasteland OL" had always been pleasant.

It was also thanks to the Dog Planner being a good person and not inciting comparison and rivalry among players for KPIs; whether one played hard or not, "Wasteland OL" always provided a decent gaming experience. T0, T1, and T2 players often became friends rather than rivals like in some MMORPG guild ecosystems—big brothers, princesses, and bootlickers.

If the strategy guide was well-written, whether you were a newcomer or a big player, even the backseat drivers would courteously drop likes and share appreciation.

Old White: "I think the battle plan you wrote is pretty good, just needed a bit more confidence. (Grinning)"

Night Ten: "Exactly, what two percent success chance, clearly the advantage is ours! (Amused)"

Fang Chang: "Professional matters indeed need professionals, counting on you, brother. (Smirk)"

Wild Wind: "+1"

Spring Water Commander: "Cough cough, thanks for the compliments, everyone... This is actually my first time commanding such a large-scale group battle."

Canyon Fleeing Mole: "Haha, no worries, Rommel was only a lieutenant in his first battle too! After this fight, you could surely be a division commander. (Amused)"

Edge Shoveling: "Death Legion is in! Leave the most dangerous place to us!"

Midnight Chicken Killing: "Jungle Corps is also in! (Proud)"

WC Real Mosquito: "Ace pilot applying for battle deployment! (Dog)"

Looking at line after line of responses on the screen, the Spring Water Commander took a deep breath, touched by the support, and typed a reply.

"Thank you! Thanks everyone for the support!"

"The decisive battle will start within a week; I will assign tasks to each corps based on your gear setup and preferred combat environments... I hope you all trust me to lead in this group battle, I promise not to betray your trust!"

Old White: "Cut the formalities, we’re all good brothers in the Alliance, just tell us where we need to go, and leave the rest to us! (Grinning)"

Edge Shoveling: "Charge!!!"

...

The following morning.

The tranquility of the outer districts of Giant Stone City was disrupted by loud and enthusiastic hawking.

"New issue! New issue!"

"Stalemate at the front lines, the Alliance has initiated a total mobilization, now recruiting mercenaries to participate in battle, generous compensation, rare opportunity!"

The newsboy shouted as he distributed newspapers to newsstands, pubs, and grocery stores, or stuffed them into customer’s mailboxes.

In front of an unopened pub, a large crowd gathered around a freshly printed newspaper, chattering excitedly.

"Alliance recruiting mercenaries, fifty chips or 100 silver coins per day!"

"Damn... that’s half a month’s pay for me!"

A man with oil stains on his clothes gasped in astonishment; by his attire, he was likely a worker from a nearby machinery factory.

Upon hearing such a generous reward, many faces showed intrigued expressions, and a mercenary standing nearby couldn’t help but say,

"Do the country bumpkins from the ’North Suburb’ have that much money?"

A fellow nearby heard him and joined the conversation,

"I heard that the Giant Stone City Bank loaned them quite a bit, and those tokens are all stored in the bank, so they shouldn’t have to worry about not being able to pay out the rewards."

Indeed, money borrowed is spent without heartache; the New Alliance’s reward was almost double what Giant Stone City paid for the Tide.

Moreover, 100 Silver coins a day was just the base price for an individual mercenary. If a well-trained Mercenary Group signed up, the price offered would probably be even higher.

Hearing his colleague’s words, the mercenary was immediately tempted and quickly turned to the server sitting at the entrance of the tavern and asked,

"How do I sign up?"

The server, with a sneeze, replied impatiently,

"Didn’t you read the paper? Just take the newspaper and report to the mercenary recruitment point south of the City of Dawn... they’ll provide you with clothes and weapons."

"Give me one!"

Without any hesitation, the mercenary immediately pulled out his wallet, tossed a token into the server’s hand, and stuffed a newspaper into his pocket from the stand.

He was not alone in his decision.

That very day, more than three thousand mercenaries took the newspaper and headed to the direction of the ’North Suburb’.

Bullets, although blind, might not be more dangerous than Variants. For these mercenaries, who licked blood off their blades, it was about selling their services to the highest bidder.

Besides these daring souls, the streets and alleys of Giant Stone City were also abuzz discussing the front-line situation.

Various signs indicated that the deadlock would soon end, and a decisive battle was brewing, about 150 kilometers away, in Rui Valley City...

While Giant Stone City’s residents were heatedly discussing the news in the papers, the offices of Survivor’s Daily were also bustling.

Editors, busy organizing materials and layout, wished they could bury their heads in piles of paper.

Except for one person—

That person was the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, Hal.

Different from the previous days,

Seated by the window, he clenched a cigarette between his lips, a look of deep worry on his face, with numerous cigarette butts scattered around his chair, his eyes losing their light.

Although the newspaper’s sales were soaring, at this moment, he was utterly disheartened.

Just a few days ago, his brother Kaliman had come to Giant Stone City to visit him and brought news from the Luo Xia Province.

The Falcon Kingdom had instigated a full-scale war against the desert kings with the support of the army, and the raging war had reached the Lion Kingdom’s area at the 9th Oasis...

And that was last month’s news.

Such a significant family crisis had Hal anxious like ants on a hot pan. He wanted to send a reporter to Luo Xia Province, but nobody was willing to take on such a bitter task.

Venturing into the desert was risky enough, not to mention a warzone—no amount of salary was worth it without life to spend it.

Just when he was at his wit’s end, salvation suddenly appeared...

"I’m heading to the front lines. The Alliance is likely to push into the desert. Once I get to the 9th Oasis, I’ll see what I can find about your family’s situation."

Fang Chang, without any pleasantries, walked into the newspaper office and straight to the point, addressed Hal sitting by the window.

He was carrying a backpack half his height and had an LD-47 assault rifle for defense hung beside him, with all his equipment and baggage ready.

At Fang Chang’s words, Hal was stunned, until the cigarette burning close to his lips dropped onto his trousers, making him abruptly stand from his chair.

He hurried over to Fang Chang, gripping his hand excitedly.

"Thank you! Sorry, I don’t know what else to say besides thank you!"

Seeing Hal’s genuinely grateful face, Fang Chang joked,

"Don’t mention it, but war correspondents aren’t easy to be—remember to give me double the payment."

Hal, thrilled, responded,

"Triple! I’ll give you my salary, too!"

Fang Chang cleared his throat,

"That won’t be necessary..."

He was just making a joke.

After messing around with biomechanical parts for so long and opening up the market for the Alliance in Giant Stone City, he really wasn’t lacking that bit of money.

Hal was about to say something touching when a surprised voice suddenly interrupted from the side.

"Wait, what do you mean? You’re going to the frontlines?!"

Fang Chang turned towards the source of the voice and saw under a tuft of emerald hair, a pair of eyes wide with astonishment staring straight at him.

Noticing Dolly’s expression, Hal coughed lightly, attempting to speak on Fang Chang’s behalf,

"People are eager for the truth; someone brave must step forward to go to places where most do not wish to—"

"Stop with the pretentious talk. You’re just worried about your own family situation and too scared to go back yourself, so you’re throwing the trouble onto someone else, right?"

Dolly stared at him, hitting the nail on the head.

"That’s private interest masquerading as public service!"

It went quiet in the office,

even the sounds of flipping papers ceased.

Feeling the many gazes around him, Hal, looking embarrassed, tried to defend himself,

"I, too, am part of ’people’... I admit, I’m indeed afraid to go back, and I don’t have the means, but to say this is private interest under the guise of public service, I disagree. The residents of Giant Stone City would be interested in what’s happening in Sunset Province, and I’m also considering it from the newspaper’s perspective."

Dolly didn’t listen to his excuses but turned to look directly at Fang Chang.

"Are you going to the frontlines?"

Fang Chang nodded,

"Yes."

Her beautiful eyes welled up with obvious reluctance and worry.

She lowered her chin, her voice carrying a barely noticeable plea.

"Can I not go..."

Hearing this, Fang Chang smiled and gently ruffled her hair.

"If I don’t go, this place will become the front line."

If the Army were to storm in, they wouldn’t differentiate between residents of Dawn City or Giant Stone City, or who belonged to the Alliance.

They would loot everything they could and burn what they couldn’t, turning the dispossessed into slaves...

Just like what they had done at the Fallen Leaf Camp.

Feeling the warmth brushing through her hair, Dolly’s cheeks heated slightly, but she did not shy away.

She bit her lip gently, and ultimately did not try to dissuade him any further, only murmuring in a very light, soft voice,

"Next month, I get my salary, and I promised to treat you to a meal... you must come back safe and sound."

Fang Chang, hearing this, couldn’t help but smile.

He could be sure, of course, that he wouldn’t come to harm.

As long as the Alliance continued to exist, no matter how many times he faced death, he would always wake up three days later to see the sunrise on the fourth day.

However,

He wasn’t about to make insensitive jokes on this special occasion.

Gazing into her eyes, he responded in a soft, solemn voice,

"I promise."

...

Whether combat professional players or lifestyle professional players, regardless of their level or job, everyone received the server-wide mobilization notice and responded to the call to arms.

At the same time, at the farm north of the City of Dawn.

Makabazi jumped down from the smoking tractor, looked toward an old farmer not far away carrying a hoe, and shouted in not quite standard United Human language,

"Old man! Please look after the crops for me these few days. I’m leaving the tractor keys here."

He didn’t know the NPC’s name.

But having farmed together so long, everyone was familiar with each other. Many nearby farmers even learned how to drive a tractor from his "tiger brother."

By now, Makabazi’s farming level had reached level 6, just four levels away from his dream of owning a manor.

Money was a trivial matter, but he couldn’t neglect the crops in the field.

The old farmer didn’t know his name either, but he was no stranger to this peculiar fellow.

Although he was a noble resident of the refuge, he tirelessly did the rough work alongside them,

And more so, he treasured the field’s crops as if they were his life.

Once, a Multilegged Beast had wandered here from the Elm District. Whereas others ran at the sight of the monster, he charged at it with a howl, wielding his hoe to fight it off—it was him who actually drove the Variant away.

It was hard to imagine what could make him leave his crops unattended and not return for several days.

Watching the young man, the old man couldn’t help but call out,

"Where are you going?"

Dusting off his equipment, Makabazi threw his backpack over his shoulder and replied without turning back, smiling,

"To the front lines!"

The old farmer holding the hoe was stunned, asking subconsciously,

"And when will you be back?"

"If we win, I’ll be back!"

Without waiting for the old man’s response, Makabazi, humming a tune, headed for the entrance of the farm where he met [Up the Mountain to Fight Tigers].

Glancing at his burlap bag and the magazine hanging from his backpack, Tiger, with his hands in his pockets, teased with a laugh,

"Why bring so much stuff, we’re taking a plane, aren’t we? We’ll be back in a moment, right?"

It was said that propeller planes wouldn’t last two seconds in front of those iron beasts.

Claiming to be back in a moment was a bit exaggerated.

Three days were still needed.

Makabazi chuckled.

"Someone else will fly the plane; we’re going to drive something nice this time!"

Intrigued by this, Tiger curiously asked,

"What nice thing?"

Makabazi lifted his chin, his eyebrows dancing with excitement as he announced,

"A tank!"

At the mention of the word, Tiger was momentarily stunned, then, fully realizing what was said, he was shocked,

"Holy shit, have you ever driven that thing?!"

And also, wait a minute.

Since when did the Alliance have tanks?!

But Makabazi, without explaining, chuckled and said, "No! But it doesn’t matter! I heard from the manager of Factory No.81 that it’s similar to driving a tractor!"

Tiger couldn’t help but burst out,

"That’s a hell of a difference, you know?"

Makabazi patted his good friend’s shoulder.

"Don’t worry, it’s not as hard as you think... I’ll finagle a Strength Type beast to be the loader. You just drive and step on the gas as hard as you can!"

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