This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 408: Triumph! Among the Celebrating Players

Chapter 408: Chapter 408: Triumph! Among the Celebrating Players

"My dear friend, you do not know how much I miss you. Although the burning red clouds engulfed your body, your voice and smile still linger in my mind..."

Survivor’s Daily newsroom.

Hal, sitting on a small stool by the window, held a half-empty bottle of liquor and burped while composing poems with twisted syntax.

Usually, no one bothered with him.

In the eyes of most employees in the newsroom, this guy just wanted an excuse to drink during the day. Sucking up to him brought no benefits and would only result in being dragged into endless conversations all day, hindering the completion of that day’s tasks.

"Did your lover die?"

"Lover? *hic* Superficial! It is written for my best friend..." Hal burped midway through his speech and suddenly froze.

Someone was standing at the entrance of the newsroom.

A backpack was strapped to his back along with an assault rifle hanging beside it, looking exactly like it had when he left from here a week ago, without a single trace of injury.

Hal was shocked.

Not just him, the entire newsroom staff was taken aback, stopping the rustling of pages and pens.

The entire newsroom fell silent.

"Fang, Fang Chang!"

Overcome with emotion, Hal stood up from the stool, set down the liquor bottle on the wooden windowsill, and hurried to the office door.

Seeing the tear-streaked face, Fang Chang felt a bit embarrassed.

"This wouldn’t be written for—"

"It was written for you! Spirit of the Sand Sea above! When I saw that horrific war report, I, I thought you had been lost!" Grasping his shoulders, Hal shook him vigorously, his voice filled with an incoherent excitement, "It’s great, you’re still here!"

Fang Chang coughed lightly.

"Thank you for caring so much about me..."

Such emotions were a bit too overwhelming.

About four days ago, he indeed died aboard the Iron Heart. However, after 72 hours, he woke up in a single room on level B2 of Shelter No. 404.

After waking up, Fang Chang didn’t linger; he took some basic belongings and immediately headed towards Giant Stone City.

The journey usually takes a commercial team two days.

But since Fang Chang was alone and belonged to the Agile system, he only spent a day and a night to reach the towering city walls.

The journey, however, was unbearably difficult.

After the onset of summer, Variants in the city areas had become more active.

In the corner of the office, a new female reporter, face filled with shock, watched the almost embracing duo and whispered to a colleague.

"Who is that guy?"

"Fang Chang, the Editor-in-Chief’s friend, a resident from the nearby refuge, he’s from the ’North Suburb’ of the Alliance."

"The Alliance? Then he must be—"

"Yes, over a week ago he received a mobilization order and then went back to the ’North Suburb’ to fight. And I heard he’s not just from the Alliance, but also a member of the Burning Corps..."

In all of Giant Stone City, no one was unaware of the name of the Burning Corps or the stories about them.

As the colleague spoke, the young female reporter’s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Fang Chang standing by the door.

Suddenly, she stood up swiftly, grabbed her notebook, rushed to the door, and with an excited look said,

"Excuse me, hello!"

Fang Chang looked at her, a face he hadn’t seen before, and asked puzzlingly,

"You are...?"

"My name is Rose, a reporter from the Survivor’s Daily, I just started yesterday!" She extended her hand for a shake, and the enthusiastic young reporter continued, "May I ask, are you a soldier of the Burning Corps?"

"Yes..."

"Were you part of the airborne operation that day?"

Watching Rose continuously inching closer, Fang Chang instinctively stepped back.

"Um..."

Hal inhaled sharply, amazed at the man before him, gripping his shoulders tighter.

"Spirit of the Sand Sea above, you, you survived!"

And not a single injury on you?!

Noting the astonishment in his eyes, Fang Chang coughed lightly, subtly shifting his gaze away, and continued,

"...Ah, that day was truly brutal. Luckily, the goddess of fortune was on my side. Don’t be fooled by my appearance; I actually did get pretty badly injured."

Saying so, Fang Chang glanced at the hands on his shoulders.

Seeing where his gaze fell, Hal quickly removed his hands, apologizing,

"I didn’t realize you were—"

"It’s okay."

Looking at Fang Chang standing by the doorway, Hal said with a reflective expression,

"I heard at the time that only one person from the Burning Corps survived, that really scared me... I’m sorry, it seems a bit inappropriate to say that."

After all, those were his comrades who had died.

"It’s okay..." Fang Chang continued vaguely, "I don’t want to talk about this right now... please understand."

Hal nodded, not pushing the heavy topic further.

Fang Chang breathed a sigh of relief.

According to the Player’s Handbook, to prevent NPC AI algorithms from malfunctioning, players must not "proactively discuss off-game topics" with NPCs before the official public test begins.

Off-game topics include the Different World, resurrection mechanisms at shelters, and so forth.

Unlike other rules, the criteria for this rule are vague; however, the penalties are severe and involve eligibility for closed testing.

Some NPCs, like the Manager and the nurse from the medical office, actually know they can be revived, and some non-core NPCs have heard rumors, though many of these are far-fetched and not consistent.

No seasoned player who had even learned the game’s language would risk their eligibility for closed testing by openly verifying or clarifying these rumors in public, and naturally, he would not do such a foolish thing.

It was best to respectfully adhere to the convention and avoid this topic before the public test starts.

However, he would need to give Night Ten a heads-up afterwards to avoid blowing his cover and wasting time making up excuses.

"Excuse me... May I interview you, Mr. Hero?" Looking at Fang Chang, who had been released by the Manager, Rose said nervously, "You don’t have to answer if you find the topic offensive."

"About that day... I don’t really have much to say. Let the alliance’s news be the authority," Fang Chang said as he suddenly came back to his senses looking at the new reporter before him.

Just moments ago, he was wondering if Dolly had gone out to do some interviews, but seeing the newcomer looking so idle, it seemed that wasn’t the case.

"Where is Dolly? Didn’t she come to work today?" Fang Chang looked towards Hal, "I was just about to ask why suddenly there’s a new person here?"

Facing his friend’s gaze, Hal responded awkwardly, with some hesitation.

"She... she left yesterday."

"What?!" Fang Chang exclaimed in surprise.

Hal slowly nodded.

"Yes... You might not know, but the victorious news from the front line had reached here almost on the same night. Although we didn’t get the detailed casualty list, the information we got was that only one person survived from the Burning Corps. You don’t know how desperate she was..."

Fang Chang sharply inhaled a breath of cold air and immediately asked.

"Where is she now?"

Hal looked away as he spoke.

"Yesterday morning, she submitted her resignation letter, saying she was going to Dawn City to find you. I tried to persuade her to wait, but she insisted on leaving. We couldn’t be without a reporter, so I had to hire someone else... Of course! I haven’t approved her resignation; her letter is still here. She can come back to work anytime."

Fang Chang fell silent for a moment and sighed.

"This is my fault."

Thinking to surprise Dolly, he had immediately gone to Stone City the moment he was resurrected, but ended up just missing her...

Saying that, Fang Chang tightened his grip on the backpack on his shoulder and turned to leave.

Seeing his reaction, Hal asked impulsively,

"Where are you going?

"Going back."

With that, Fang Chang had already disappeared at the entrance of the newspaper office.

Standing beside a stunned Manager, Rose’s eyes sparkled as she furiously scribbled on her notebook, excitedly babbling,

"Is this love?"

The hero boarding the Iron Heart, and his young wife eagerly awaiting his return... Wait.

Rose quickly looked at the Manager.

"Are they lovers, or are they already...?"

Saying this, she excitedly snapped her fountain pen closed, her face filled with anticipation.

Hal glanced at the notebook in Rose’s hand, which was filled with hurriedly written notes. He blushed after reading a couple of lines and cleared his throat.

"...We are not that kind of newspaper."

...

The war had ended on the fifth day.

The Iron Heart, floating above Rui Valley City, had its broken wing swiftly repaired.

Though not aesthetically pleasing, it did not hinder its participation in the triumphal celebration.

Standing at the bridge’s panoramic window, Chu Guang gazed at the distant clear sky and the rising sun, his expression one of leisurely pleasure.

At this moment, he felt as if the entire earth was under his feet; mountains, rivers, jungles, and plains all within his view.

Is this the feeling of standing on a starship?

He would have to get an even bigger one some day!

All the players who planned on showing off with him on the return journey had already boarded, aside from the task masters who planned to stay in Shelter No. 79 and Fallen Leaf Camp to take on missions.

Full of ambition, Chu Guang issued a command with high spirits.

"Set sail! Cast off!!"

An untimely reminder came from Xiao Qi.

"Master, the Iron Heart doesn’t have sails."

Chu Guang laughed heartily.

"It doesn’t matter! If I say there are, then there are."

This AI was usually smart but somewhat lacking in emotional intelligence.

Look how clever Finod was, not daring to make a sound, just meekly acknowledging with a "yes" and then silently getting busy.

The captive engineers, mostly technical staff, seldom had the chance to pilot airships. Amidst their frantic handling of the equipment, thankfully, they did not cause any mishaps and managed to retract the anchor laying on the ground, activating the airship’s engines.

Finod heaved a sigh of relief, grateful his head was still attached, and looked eagerly toward Chu Guang standing by the panoramic window.

Unfortunately, the Manager’s attention wasn’t on him at that moment; he didn’t even bring up the matter of reducing the ransom.

Finod tried to remind him.

"Respected Manager, our cruising speed can reach about 20 knots. We should be arriving at Qingquan City by noon."

Chu Guang responded with a cheerful laugh.

"Good."

Finod waited for a while, but seeing no further response, closed his mouth feeling slighted.

The reinforced steel wings gently vibrated, and under the propulsion of nuclear energy, the old-fashioned propellers began to spin.

With the whistling and buzzing sounds, the majestic Steel Fortress began to advance eastward!

Its massive body traversing the wastelands, its sharply angled armor bathed in the dawn’s golden hue, startled numerous wild variants who, seeing the dazzling spectacle above, scurried back into their caves and fled in all directions.

Standing in front of the bridge’s terminal.

Chu Guang had Xiao Qi connect the communication system to the speakers throughout the cabin, picked up the intercom on the table, cleared his throat loudly, and announced,

"This flight will head to Qingquan City—"

"Let us return home with victory and glory!"

After repeating it once in United Human language, he repeated it again in Mandarin, and quickly he heard the thunderous cheers.

"Wowowow! We can go home now!"

"Mosquito?! Weren’t you back home already?"

"What does it matter! Can’t I parachute over and then go back again?!"

"Damn, are you crazy!"

"Lucky draw! Lucky draw! I want to have a lucky draw! Damn Spring, if I’m still the Exalted this time, I’m going to kill him!"

"???"

"Giao! Meat Meat, you’re blocking the window!"

"Teng Teng! Quick, look at the ducks! The dawn of daybreak merges with the never-ending night on Earth, this game really fills every frame with love, wuwuwu, it’s simply beautiful!"

"Wuwuwu—"

That brief and muffled sob was unidentified, but it sounded like it was surrounded by happiness... Surely now, tears of emotion filled their eyes.

Chu Guang laughed heartily, suddenly feeling like drinking something.

However, just as he was about to open a bottle of General McClen’s reserve, he heard the anxious voice of Xiao Qi.

"Master! There are four unknown targets approaching on radar."

Chu Guang raised an eyebrow lightly.

"Oh?"

Who dares spoil his mood this audaciously!

Without any hesitation, Chu Guang commanded,

"Prepare the anti-aircraft guns!"

The anti-aircraft guns on the top of the airship began to turn. The barrels, akin to the spines of a hedgehog, aimed at aircraft flying twenty kilometers away.

Although the ground support artillery in the pod required manual operation, the twelve 100mm and 144 20-30mm anti-aircraft guns were equipped with automatic fire control systems.

Just yesterday, Xiao Qi had mastered control of the fire system, securely locking onto the airspace in front of the airship.

Chu Guang said calmly,

"Alert range 10 kilometers. If they do not connect to our communications voluntarily, don’t ask me, just shoot them down!"

Xiao Qi: "Received!"

At this point in time, Chu Guang could guess where these people came from using his feet.

The red dots on the radar were approaching, and just at 15 kilometers, they suddenly stopped. At the same time, a communication request came through the channel.

After a glance at the screen, Chu Guang ordered,

"Connect."

The communication was quickly established.

A calm voice came from the other end.

"This is the Giant Stone City Militia Group. I am the captain of the militia squadron... Lihua, may I come up and talk to you?"

This name seemed familiar as if he had heard it long ago when the Pioneer first arrived.

But Chu Guang had forgotten from whom he’d heard it.

Perhaps it was Luo Hua, or perhaps it was someone else.

Chu Guang thought for a moment and then spoke,

"You may."

From afar, an aircraft resembling a dolphin approached.

It featured a broad nose and a slender fuselage, with two engines, one in front and one behind at the bottom, ejecting enchanting pale blue fire arcs, propelling the aircraft slowly through the shield of Iron Heart and hovering under the belly of the airship.

The hatch slowly opened.

The vertical take-off aircraft, with the incoming airflow, rose into the cabin.

Standing inside the U-shaped harbor-configured landing bay, Chu Guang watched the sci-fi-feeling aircraft stabilize, and then a man in an exoskeleton walked down.

Together with him, three bodyguards, also in exoskeletons and armed, stood beside the aircraft.

Lu Bei, expressionless, stood next to Chu Guang, gripping his weapon tightly, watching those people intently.

If they had any ill intentions towards the Manager, he would not hesitate to act.

However, the man did not look at him but signaled his subordinates to stay next to the vertical take-off aircraft and approached Chu Guang alone.

"Let me reintroduce myself, my name—"

"Lihua," Chu Guang extended his right hand, shaking briefly before letting go, and continued, "I am the Manager of the Alliance, state your purpose."

Lihua hesitated for a moment.

Because Chu Guang had spoken what he intended to say.

Regaining his composure, Lihua continued,

"...I am here to communicate on behalf of the lord of the city. If your airship continues forward, it will enter our anti-air defense identification zone."

Chu Guang looked at him unperturbed.

"According to the contract, we have ceded all airspace within the northern part of the fourth ring and the other directions within five rings of Qingquan City, and we promise to abide by the agreement."

Lihua furrowed his brows slightly.

"Your cannon’s range is at least 20 kilometers."

Chu Guang smiled faintly.

"Maybe 40 kilometers, maybe 100 kilometers, who knows?"

Lihua narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Aren’t you afraid of accidental discharges?"

Hearing the threat in that voice, Lu Bei’s expression turned cold, and he took a half step forward.

Seeing the young man’s movement, the three bodyguards standing by the plane immediately tensed, their fingers subconsciously reaching to the safeties on their weapons.

The atmosphere inside the landing bay was tense.

Watching Lihua with a wary look in his eyes, Chu Guang spoke in a calm tone.

"When has the Alliance ever been afraid?"

Sensing a prickly challenge from the man before him, Lihua lowered his voice, softening his tone slightly.

"If you insist on passing through, I need to report to the city lord..."

"Don’t worry, you report to yours, I’ll go my way."

The Alliance would negotiate with anyone.

But it would not become subordinate to anyone.

As a manager of the Alliance, he had no obligation to be dictated by anyone.

The power armor’s face shield closed, Chu Guang turned around, his profile facing Lu Bei and other soldiers from the Guards Corps.

"See them off."

"Yes!"

Taking the command briskly, Lu Bei gazed at the man named Lihua in front of him and spoke in an uncompromising tone.

"Sir, please return."

Lihua stared at him for a moment, then looked at the power armor heading towards the door and the fully armed soldiers by its side.

He had no doubt that if he said a word of objection, he would instantly be thrown out by these menacing soldiers.

Grinding his teeth, he turned away.

"Let’s go!"

The VTOL aircraft’s engines reignited, taking Lihua and his three bodyguards away from the airship, passing through the deflection shield, and heading back toward Giant Stone City.

Along with them, three more aircraft returned.

Watching the signals fading on the radar, Chu Guang felt contemplative.

Indeed.

Equality only existed within the range of artillery, an equivalent force was the prerequisite for dialogue.

He knew very well, had he not ordered Xiao Qi to aim the anti-aircraft cannon at them, these allies forced to fight alongside him wouldn’t have sincerely come to negotiate...

The Lord of Giant Stone City might feel fortunate now; those "servants" he disregarded indeed had some foresight, presumptuously establishing diplomatic relations with the Alliance.

Chu Guang would honor his promises; Alliance aircraft would not enter Qingquan City’s airspace, and the economic and cultural exchanges between the two sides would proceed indefinitely while he continued to repay the interest... after all, credit was more precious than gold.

Both in the long term and in the immediate sense, a peaceful and stable Giant Stone City was more beneficial to the Alliance.

He was to bring a new order to this land.

Not chaos.

He returned to the bridge.

Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, Chu Guang looked towards the east, where the gradually clearer outline of the city could be seen.

He could almost hear the cheers of the people.

A smile curled up at the corner of his mouth as he ordered.

"Continue forward!"

And then came Xiao Qi’s enthusiastic voice.

"Alright!"

...

The majestic Steel Heart finally arrived at the northern suburbs of Qingquan City.

But the corps’ emblem had been removed, the flag had been broken, replaced by the alliance flag hanging under the bridge—

The several-meter-long banner fluttered in the wind, rustling amidst the cheers of the people.

Giant Stone City’s radar closely followed the arrival of the colossal structure, watching helplessly as it approached the suburbs and descended, powerless to act.

The city lord had issued an order—

Let it pass.

There was no choice; while Giant Stone City’s anti-aircraft guns and missiles were ready for battle, the 400mm main cannon was aimed in this direction.

God knows if the apocalyptic sub-nuclear weapons were loaded.

No one doubted whether those country folk in the suburbs would dare to fire, as they had even dared to beat the corps’ people, and not just once but twice and a half...

On the radar station atop Giant Stone City,

An officer sitting at the terminal connected to the radar pinched the bridge of his nose, silently praying that no incidents would occur.

At least not today, during his shift...

Just then, footsteps sounded at the door, and a soldier walked in and saluted sharply.

"Report, sir! A message from the Alliance Embassy, informing us that at eight o’clock tonight, there will be a fireworks display at the northern suburbs of Qingquan City, and for us not to be alarmed."

The implication was clear.

They hadn’t bothered to ask for permission.

The officer’s blood pressure surged to his forehead in an instant upon hearing the report, and he swiftly rose from his chair, grabbing the soldier by the collar.

"A fireworks display?!"

"You damn well better not tell me they plan to use that airship—"

With a nervous look at his temperamental superior, the soldier swallowed hard and stammered out,

"I—I don’t know, they didn’t specify..."

All the high levels of Giant Stone City were in utter chaos.

Meanwhile, tens of kilometers away, the City of Dawn was as lively as a festival, even more so than the New Year.

Young girls holding baskets tossed freshly picked flowers into the air, which floated up along with the streamers hung from the eaves.

To the strong beats and music, the airship gently lowered its altitude, turned off its engines, and dropped its anchor.

A square concrete platform covered with a red carpet.

Armed guards stood in a line, maintaining order at the scene.

The elevator slowly descended, landing on the platform covered with a red carpet.

As an azure power armor stepped onto the carpet, followed by a procession of tall, imposing figures entering the field of vision, the atmosphere at the scene reached its climax.

The people cheered and shouted, venting their excitement and emotion.

"Long live the Manager!"

"Long live the Alliance!"

"For the great Alliance!"

Amidst the cheers, Chu Guang smiled and waved his hand.

Those eyes, filled with admiration and reverence, were to him the most shining treasure.

Once the clamor briefly subsided,

Looking around at those familiar faces, Chu Guang cleared his throat, activated the power armor’s loudspeaker, and spoke in a grave and clear voice.

"Today, we made history, we defeated the enemies thought to be invincible, we rescued our oppressed brethren."

"This hard-won victory and honor belongs to us all!"

"Whether it’s the soldiers fighting bravely at the front, the farmers laboring in the fields, or the workers sweating at the factories and construction sites—those who contributed their strength in their own ways..."

"This is a victory we all won together, unity has brought us from having nothing to this day, and the name that should be celebrated isn’t just mine—"

"Cheer for the victory!"

"For our tomorrow—"

"For us!"

The thunderous cheers and applause once again echoed through the square.

Chu Guang signaled to Luka, the mayor of Dawn City standing by, who announced the schedule for the celebration and the start of the awards ceremony.

Thanks to prior warnings, the players were all dressed decently, including the ever-troublesome Tail and Mosquito.

The ceremony for the honored dead would be held tomorrow.

Today, there was only need to drink fine wine, sing loudly, and cheer in triumph—

Let not sorrow tarnish the hard-won peace.

In a corner of the crowd.

Watching the figure descending from the airship, Frost Snow’s tranquil face blushed a faint red, her eyes intently focused in that direction.

Standing beside her, Frost River saw her sister’s hands turn red from clapping and teasingly joked about the simple young girl.

"Smitten with some young man, are you? Need me to buy you flowers?"

Her cheeks turned instantly redder.

With an annoyed glare at her teasing sister, Frost Snow hastily looked around, seeing no one paying attention, before sheepishly whispering,

"I... am not worthy of that great person."

It wasn’t out of inferiority or modesty.

She knew very well that the great person belonged to everyone living here, including her brothers, sisters, father, mother, and grandfather...

She didn’t yearn for those intense, torch-like eyes to linger on her.

Just to stand silently in the crowd, watching him return safely was enough.

Seeing the expression on her face, Frost River guessed the young girl was still harboring that impractical dream, and sighed softly.

"You... never mind."

Everyone had their time for dreaming and moving themselves.

Including herself.

It was human nature.

Some things simply couldn’t be conveyed in words; with age, more interaction with people, and a bit more maturity, she would understand naturally.

In the center of the square.

One by one, valiant warriors stepped before the azure power armor, receiving special medals handed personally by the Manager.

Among them were residents of the refuge, as well as the indigenous people of this land.

If they were players, apart from the physical medal, they would also receive a digital version of the medal to display on their forum account pages, and additional Contribution Points as a reward.

After receiving their medals, under the watchful eyes of admiration, they would walk towards the crowd below the platform.

Just as they did when they had set off to battle from among the people.

Affected by the fervent atmosphere and shining honor weren’t just the spectating residents of Dawn City.

But also those who came from places like Dawn City, Giant Stone City, and even from further places like Red River Alliance, Garbage City, and other survivor settlements, along with the east-to-west traveling merchants and travelers.

Looking at the Iron Heart bathed in the harsh sun, standing on the edge of the crowd, Zhou Nan remarked with a sense of amazement,

"This is really something big."

In his hand, he held a cola-flavored ice lolly bought from a vendor, a testament to the mind-boggling creativity of those in Blue Jackets.

Every time he came from Brocade River Province, he would encounter another novelty that often turned out profitable for him.

Standing next to him, Sun Shiqi squinted his eyes and suddenly said,

"The Alliance has secured the Western Gate leading to Sunset Province through the southern corridor of the River Valley Province; the trade routes will probably thrive even more than now. Based on their usual practices, they’ll likely restore the pre-war highways and lay down railroads... There will be a strong demand for steel and cement by then."

After a pause, he continued,

"I’m planning to invest in a steel mill in Qingstone County."

Zhou Nan glanced at him in surprise.

He knew this drinking buddy had bought some property here and had even ventured into a few businesses, but he hadn’t expected him to consider starting a steel mill.

That was a heavy asset, not easily moved.

If something went wrong, years of effort could be wasted.

"Aren’t you worried about being affected by wars if the Army and Alliance clashed?"

"What’s there to fear?"

"Gazing at the azure power armor and that steel fortress flying in the sky, Sun Shiqi curved his lips into a confident smile."

"There’s no other survivor settlement I’ve been to that makes me feel as secure as this place."

"...I didn’t expect to have a part in this."

After returning from the crowded square to the commercial street in the north, Teng Teng gazed at the gleaming medal on his chest for the tenth time, his lips uncontrollably curving upwards.

At the center of the medal was a gear, just like the door of the shelter, engraved with the meaningful number 79, representing the recently incorporated Shelter No. 79.

The digital version of the medal was also synchronized in the VM; after selecting it, the description read just like during the Alpha phase—"We march from here."

Although he hadn’t been on the frontline for a long while, joining the others for team battles occasionally was quite fun.

Before realizing, he arrived at the door of the elegantly decorated boutique; just as Teng Teng saw the open door, a striking figure rushed out.

"Teng Teng!!!"

"Oof—"

Teng Teng had just arrived home and had yet to say a word when a breath-stealing dark silhouette collided into a tight embrace with her.

Damn—

This cursed height.

Teng Teng’s eyes rolled back, about to disconnect, but fortunately, Crow by his side swiftly came to help, grabbing hold of the teary-eyed shop assistant.

"Ah! Quick, let go! Teng Teng can’t breathe!"

"!!!"

You actually knew!

Having finally wriggled free from his own shop employee’s embrace, Teng Teng cleared his throat forcefully, glaring at the person as he complained.

"Do you want me to die?"

Three days have been tough enough!

The scolded shop assistant girl, head bowed, kept apologizing.

Her name was Hua Hua; she had long, sleek black hair and wheat-colored skin, wearing a British-style classic maid’s long dress.

This was a work uniform Teng Teng had designed for her out of personal interest, feeling it suited her slightly bashful character.

As for other players complaining about the impractically long skirt, she didn’t plan on bothering with those old filthies who didn’t understand art.

Like many of the City of Dawn’s residents, Hua Hua was a refugee from another area, originally named Catalanya.

Since translating it into Chinese sounded odd, Teng Teng had given her a nickname.

This kind of situation wasn’t rare in the Wasteland.

Homeless refugees gladly accepted the names locals bestowed on them, which usually implied a paternalistic acceptance.

Let alone names from residents of the refuge.

"Sorry, I’m just too excited ... You left a note behind and then left, I was worried you’d encounter danger on the frontline ..."

The tears hanging on her eyelashes made it difficult to stay annoyed. Teng Teng sighed, a gentle smile appearing on his face.

"I’ve worried you, but it’s okay, I’m fine to some extent—"

However, before he could finish his comforting words, they were interrupted by Crow pounding his chest beside them.

"Exactly! Don’t worry, Hua Hua, I’m here! Although Teng Teng is slightly less capable in combat, I’ll take care of her!"

Unaware of the full story, Hua Hua quickly bowed.

"Thank you for bringing our boss back home."

Teng Teng: "..."

This guy.

Doesn’t even blush a bit.

...

The entire afternoon, the City of Dawn basked in the festive atmosphere.

As the award ceremony concluded, the lively crowd gradually moved from the square to the commercial street, bringing a prosperity greater than usual.

Route Town Inn.

The lobby was filled with clinks of glasses, the foam of the beer and the spittle of loud conversations nearly hitting the ceiling, as the surviving indigenous people immersively enjoyed the sensation of being alive.

Among them were soldiers from the First Army Corps, mercenaries who fought alongside the Alliance, and residents of the refuge.

Old White and Wild Wind, who had resurrected two days earlier, finally reunited with Night Ten, who had returned with the airship in the game.

The three brothers sat at the bar in the lobby, voraciously chewing on roast meat and guzzling aromatic beer.

Today’s beer and food were free.

Everyone was prepared to come in upright and leave horizontally.

"Damn it! Where’s that damn Fang Chang?"

Watching the restless Night Ten, Wild Wind, slightly tipsy, belched out loud.

"Why do you even ask such a... lame question?"

"Exactly!" Old White also laughed, "That guy just crawled out of the cultivation chamber, picked up his bag, and ran off to Giant Stone City ... What do you think he’s up to?"

That guy must have calculated everything.

When slipping into the 400mm main cannon, he didn’t even frown, probably had settled on dying early and returning home.

Night Ten couldn’t help but curse.

"F**k! What a bros before hoes guy!"

"Burp—I’m done."

One second before just being tipsy, Wild Wind suddenly thudded, his forehead making intimate contact with the bar, apparently disconnecting.

"HAHAHA! What a wimp!"

Night Ten let out an odd laugh, but before he could relish the moment for two seconds, he slid off the stool. Luckily, Old White quickly grabbed him, saving the war hero the embarrassment of crawling under the table.

"These noobs."

Night Ten settled at the bar, and Old White, picking up his glass again, sighed helplessly, feeling as lonely as the snow.

However, with the metabolic rates of the Intelligence System and the Perception System, character attributes dictated certain facts, so it wasn’t really their fault.

To truly enjoy drinking one had to be with Quit Smoking and Old Na, players of the Body Constitution System who metabolized alcohol quickly, needing the restroom after a couple of drinks, yet seeming unaffected even after more than a dozen glasses.

But they too had their own matters, and currently, it was unknown where they were out enjoying themselves.

Watching the joy written on everyone’s faces, Old Hooke standing behind the bar couldn’t help but be infected by their optimism, a smile appearing on his face.

While wiping the glasses, he spoke.

"It’s really good to see you all. That news had quite shocked me."

Night Ten and Wild Wind were almost at their limit with drinking and were currently struggling with the internet connection.

Taking a break to burp, Old White said tipsily,

"Ah, indeed, we lost many brothers... especially those who did the parachute jump."

Old Hooke poured himself a beer and clinked glasses with Old White, who was sitting at the bar.

"Let’s not talk about that, I shouldn’t have brought it up today... I hope you all drink merrily."

Old White laughed heartily.

"Ah! Of course!"

At that moment, a figure entered through the door.

She wore a simple long dress, her face filled with anxiety and unease, seemingly unable to adapt to the lively atmosphere.

A guard in a black uniform followed her.

Old Hooke recognized the guard as a young man from a nearby village, but the young woman was unfamiliar to him and didn’t seem like someone from around here.

"Would you like to join us for a drink, Officer?" Old Hooke asked with a smile.

The young guard quickly shook his head.

"I’m on duty, perhaps after my shift late at night."

Old Hooke then turned to the young woman beside him.

"And who might this be?"

"I," the girl said nervously, cutting off the guard before he could speak, "my name is Lisa... Is there someone here called ’Pangolin’?"

As she spoke, she quickly scanned the lively lobby, a hint of disappointment soon crossing her face.

Clearly, she hadn’t found the person she was looking for.

Hearing the name Pangolin stunned Old White for a moment.

Putting down his glass and turning around on his stool, he looked at the slightly gaunt girl and asked,

"The Pangolin you mentioned is—"

"Do you know him?" Lisa interjected eagerly before he could finish.

Old White scratched his head.

"He’s gone far away. Do you have urgent business with him? I can deliver a message."

It wasn’t a big deal.

He could just send a private message on the forum.

Lisa was silent for a moment, then spoke in a low voice,

"Will he come back?"

Seeing the expression on her face, Old White guessed something, paused for a moment, then nodded seriously,

"Definitely, but I’m not sure how long it will be."

Lisa bit her lip gently.

"I’ll wait for him."

Leaving these words behind, she left the inn with the guard.

No more was mentioned about delivering the message. Old White turned back to the bar and continued his drinking.

This wasn’t a matter for outsiders, nor was it appropriate to meddle.

From her demeanor, it was clear she had something personal to say to Old Soldier; it was better not to meddle insensitively.

Old Hooke glanced at the door.

"From the Restoration Zone?"

Old White hummed in acknowledgment.

Old Hooke sighed.

"A life of hardship..."

...

As night fell, the bustling square was left with only sparse figures, most people having moved on to the commercial street at the North of the city.

A petite figure zigzagged through the crowd, searched for a long time, and finally, disheartened, slumped her shoulders and headed toward the stagecoach station.

Standing next to a two-headed cow carriage, a merchant yawned while counting his goods, preparing to set off early the next morning for Luo Xia Province.

A young girl approached and stopped in front of him.

Catching a glimpse of her light green hair, the merchant focused on her electronic eye, guessing she must be wealthy, and courteously asked,

"Can I help you, miss?"

A hoarse voice drifted over,

"How much to Rui Valley City?"

Hearing the potential for business, the merchant’s mood immediately brightened, and he quickly replied,

"500 Dinar! Or 100 Silver coins, 300Cr... No chips, I’m not heading to Giant Stone City next, but I’ll accept whatever payment you prefer!"

Dolly widened her eyes, unable to help exclaiming,

"Five hundred Dinar?! You’re extorting me!"

The merchant merely shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"You can also go on your own."

Dolly clenched her teeth.

To leave Giant Stone City and to hire a reliable commercial team to Dawn City, she had spent quite a bit of money and only 50 chips were left in her pocket.

Apparently having heard the conversation between the two, a group of people dressed like mercenaries suddenly came over, the leader amongst them smiling and striking up a conversation.

"Hey, friend, are you heading to Sunset Province? We are on the same path, want to join us? It’s just 10 Dinar per person."

The merchant sneered.

"Heh, no need."

The mercenary didn’t mind and looked towards Dolly, but the moment his gaze landed on her face, a flicker of greed that was hard to detect crossed his eyes.

Sharply sensing the flicker in his gaze, a hint of alertness quickly crossed Dolly’s eyes as she took a step back.

"No need... I’ll ask others."

Seeing the cooked duck about to fly away, the man couldn’t help feeling anxious and was about to step forward when a strange voice suddenly floated from behind.

"That’s too expensive, 10 Dinar. Beautiful lady, I don’t charge—"

Hearing someone daring to snatch his business, the mercenary immediately narrowed his eyes, about to turn around to see which unfortunate soul it was.

However, at that moment, a breeze just happened to brush past his collar and over his neck, instantly cooling his boiling temper.

So fast!

He didn’t even see what it was, as the voice brushed past him.

"— in exchange, just accompany me to watch a fireworks display."

A familiar voice drifted into his ears along with the evening breeze.

Looking at that longed-for smile, Dolly’s eyes widened slightly, hardly believing her own eyes.

"Fang..."

"I’m back, sorry to have kept you waiting—"

A surge of hot emotions and tears came forth, and she couldn’t hold back anymore.

Before she could finish speaking, Fang Chang felt a breeze come by, imprinting a light soft touch between his lips.

For a moment, his brain seemed to crash, a blank space forming.

But, he did not disconnect.

His eyes slightly widened, then slowly closed.

He felt hot tears the size of beans, rolling down to his lips, carrying a hint of saltiness.

’Sorry.’

’I’ve made you wait.’

’I’ve worried you.’

There were many things he wanted to say.

But at this moment, they all seemed superfluous.

He slowly dropped his teasing expression and open arms, embracing the person in his arms.

Fireworks burst in the sky.

Fireworks splendidly scattered across the sky, resembling the fire-rains that flew towards the heavens like locusts that night.

But if necessary, he would do it ten more times.

Even if there were no rewards...

...

Not far away in the square.

Tail, riding on Meat Meat’s shoulders, made a binocular gesture with both hands, excitedly watching the fireworks in the sky.

"Wow! Si Si! Meat Meat! Sesame Paste! Look at the airship launching fireworks!"

Clusters of flames rushed towards the sky, their vivid colors spreading across the sky and illuminating the dark night and her eyes, reflecting the twinkling lights.

Si Si glanced at her watch, thoughtfully touching her chin.

"Hmm, it’s about 2 minutes early..."

It’s really obsessive-compulsive.

Sesame Paste, smiling, hugged her shoulders from behind.

"Well... as long as it looks good, don’t mind those details."

At this moment.

The anti-aircraft cannons on top of the airship pointed straight up into the sky, continuously unleashing intense firepower, not to shoot down any aircraft.

But to send blessings to the people looking up at the sky.

Holding a wine glass, Chu Guang stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows looking at the ground illuminated by fireworks, a gentle smile appearing at the corners of his lips.

Xiao Qi’s voice, tinged with regret, came to his ears.

"Wuu, master, I can’t see anything from here... Maybe you should go down."

That was a fireworks display it had prepared diligently for a long time.

However, the bridge was located in the belly of the airship, utterly invisible from the sky.

Chu Guang smiled lightly, looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the land illuminated by fireworks, saying in a very soft voice.

"How could I not see?"

The most beautiful view was already in his sight.

It was those faces looking up at the night sky, gleaming brightly.

He clinked his glass gently against the window, a clear ’ding’ mingling with the whistling wind outside.

"To an unbreakable alliance, cheers."

Enjoy the festival.

And the serene evening breeze.

All of this, you have earned with your blood and sweat.