This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 411: The Corporation’s Grand Gesture! (Thanks to the "NightChicK3n" Sterling Silver Alliance!)

Chapter 411: Chapter 411: The Corporation’s Grand Gesture! (Thanks to the "NightChicK3n" Sterling Silver Alliance!)

Qingquan City, eastern airspace.

Twelve heavy transport planes, like giant birds, aligned in a v-shape across the sky, gradually revealed their forms at the edge of the clouds.

Inside the semi-circular cabin.

Two bionic beings clad in silver cloaks stood next to the front window glass, their unblinking eyes fixed on the lifeless city not far away.

Just like Ideal City.

There too, skyscrapers abounded, seemingly surpassing the former in number—the city’s boundaries invisible to the eye.

However, the entire city had been deserted.

Whether it was the city center devoured by yellow-green spore clouds or the hollow concrete ruins, they were unmistakably dead.

Only in "North Suburb" did a trace of fire and life still flicker.

Survivors had built new homes there, constructing three to five-story buildings, using old trains for transport, and electrically powered machines worked the fields, while tall chimneys slowly drifted with black smoke.

The spark of civilization had been preserved, showing signs of resurgence, yet its breath was faint like a candle flickering in a storm...

"That’s Qingquan City," the taller bionic being with colorless pupils, looking towards the City of Dawn, began to speak slowly.

Its name was "Frost," model A-130, redesigned from the pre-war civilian model P-100 series, its applications included raiding, security, rescue, surveillance, and cleansing, its AI also compatible with some functions of the P-100 series.

As a proud creation of the Kang Mao Group’s bionic engineering division, its power source consisted of a nuclear battery storing 200g of helium-3 and a chemical battery holding 6kg of metallic hydrogen.

As a hybrid power bionic being, it usually ran on the latter, switching to the former when energy was depleted.

The bionic being standing next to it was named "Eclipse," model A-110, its primary application being comprehensive information processing.

Unlike Frost, which could operate various weapons, Eclipse’s abilities were more geared towards operations outside the battlefield, such as coordinating conventional bionic forces in combat and managing drone attack formations.

"The Alliance has responded to our landing request. They will lend us the airport in ’North Suburb’... We will land in 5 minutes and 12 seconds," Eclipse’s pupils flickered as it spoke softly.

Frost nodded.

Its pupils had no color, yet it seemed wiser than its colleague equipped with a more complex processor.

Looking at the feeble village, it slightly lifted its chin, and with a tone as steady as its electronic voice, there swelled an undertow of profound implications.

"Eclipse, this is an opportunity for us."

Eclipse slightly turned its head.

"What?"

Frost continued.

"We shall use our exquisite technology and professionalism to alleviate the customers’ concerns and prove to them that we represent the optimal solution under precise calculation—"

"We will lead humanity to revive their civilization!"

Eclipse paused for two seconds, uncertain if it was puzzled or contemplating.

Then it nodded.

"Alright."

...

The funeral had just ended.

Chu Guang, leaving the cemetery, approached Zhao Yongxu, the commander of the Giant Stone City Militia Group.

Before Chu Guang could speak, the robust man seemed too impatient and took the initiative.

"Hello, Manager Sir, I’m here on behalf of the City Lord of the Giant Stone City, hoping to discuss our shared future with you."

Chu Guang smiled faintly and nodded.

"This is indeed a matter worth discussing. We value our relationship with you highly, but I must say your timing could have been better... Perhaps before your next visit, you should inform our embassy or at least call ahead."

Zhao Yongxu’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"What do you mean?"

Chu Guang explained straightforwardly.

"It means you might have to wait a bit longer."

Wait longer?!

Amused and slightly irritated by this remark, Zhao Yongxu laughed and said,

"How many more funerals are you planning to have? Finish all the future ones in one go?"

"It has nothing to do with the funerals," Chu Guang continued calmly without agitation, "It’s simply to accommodate a distant friend."

"A distant friend," Zhao Yongxu narrowed his eyes slightly.

Chu Guang nodded and spoke in a relaxed tone.

"Yes, they’ve traveled a long way from the East Coast, I can’t just ignore them."

Hearing this, everyone, including Zhao Yongxu, from Giant Stone City who had come here showed a surprised expression.

People from corporations?

Here?!

Standing next to Zhao Yongxu, an officer couldn’t help but protest.

"Did those people even have an appointment?"

Chu Guang looked at him and said.

"Of course, they mentioned they would come five days ago."

Although Chu Guang hadn’t expected them to arrive so quickly.

Weren’t they supposed to have a maximum range of just 500 kilometers?

How did they suddenly cross three thousand kilometers?

Zhao Yongxu’s expression subtly changed, his thoughts racing.

Although he had known for a long time that Shelter No. 404 was a permanent partner of the corporations, he had never heard of any cooperation beyond the trade sector.

And these people didn’t just arrive unexpectedly, they had an appointment five days in advance.

This meant that these country folks from the ’North Suburb,’ somehow managed to maintain stable contact with the corporations!

East Coast was nearly three thousand kilometers away!

Long-distance communication over the Wasteland was a well-known difficulty, how did they manage it?!

Thinking this, Zhao Yongxu inwardly became alert, his gaze towards the azure power armor shifting subtly.

If the New Alliance truly formed an alliance with the corporations, they would have to reconsider their relationship with this neighbor...

He took in every expression on Teng Teng’s face, and Chu Guang lightly smiled.

"Are you coming with me, or are you going to rest at the city hall first?"

The messengers whispered amongst themselves.

Looking at Chu Guang emotionlessly, Zhao Yongxu’s face suddenly squeezed out a stiff smile.

"Then, please introduce us to the guests from the East Coast..."

As for the negotiations about the Iron Heart, they were no longer important.

Compared to that, he was more urgently eager to clarify one thing.

Are those people really from the East Coast...

...

North Airport of Dawn City.

The ground was noisy with chirping and chattering.

Gazing at the plane flying from afar, the players by the airport were all stunned with wide eyes.

"Holy shit! What is that?!"

"An airplane!!!"

"I know it’s an airplane, but why does it look so weird?!"

About 30 meters long with a wingspan over 30 meters, the cylindrical engine was blasting bluish arcs,

that’s when someone suddenly cried out in a shocked way.

"Look at the wings!"

"They moved!"

The backward-blasting arc changed its angle and pointed diagonally toward the ground, supporting the massive body as it slowed down and descended.

It performed the whole set of motions in one smooth sequence.

A series of transport planes switched to flight mode seamlessly and neatly landed on the runway of the North Airport of Dawn City.

The rolling airflow spread out, stirring up rolling dust.

Staring at those sci-fi looking big planes one by one, Mosquito’s face was filled with unspeakable excitement and envy as he murmured nonstop.

"Mom, it finally feels a bit sci-fi!"

Gui Gui nodded seriously.

"Got it! Vertical take-off and landing are the future."

The Pigman Brothers cleared their throats.

"It’s just a game, maybe the operator just thought this design looked cooler... Take it with a grain of salt, don’t let them mislead you."

Mosquito chuckled and said.

"Right! Who needs vertical take-off and landing! What can electric propulsion do? Big nozzles, high thrust, forward-swept wings are the future!"

Falling Feather: "..."

Non-professional Anti-Haze: "..."

While everyone was talking, the plane’s hatch opened.

A column of bionic soldiers emerged from the cabin in neat steps, forming five tidy squares on the runway.

Each was holding a G9 "Black Swan" assault rifle across their chests, the streamlined barrel integrated seamlessly with the desert camo armor, and crimson dots flickered faintly in the rounded scope.

They were machines created for war.

Although called bionic men, apart from their human-like appearance, there was nothing human-like about them.

Standing next to Mosquito, his apprentices wondered in amazement.

"Holy crap."

"Dog planners have gone all out!"

"Awesome!!!"

The players whispered among themselves.

Watching those bionic soldiers, Chu Guang standing at the side of the airport felt a surprise that was no less than that of the players.

Although the corporation said they would send reinforcements, they hadn’t mentioned who exactly would come, much less whether those coming were human.

Watching from a distance, Zhao Yongxu swallowed his saliva, his eyes filled with disbelief and a deep wariness.

An entire five hundred-member teams composed of bionic men!

And this is just the first wave of support!

God knows if there’s more...

Chu Guang didn’t pay much attention to Zhao Yongxu’s expression. His eyes stayed on the runway, gazing at those twelve uniquely designed planes and the neatly squared bionic soldiers.

Standing by his side as Luo Hua leaned on a cane, he too wore an astonished expression.

"A-20 standard bionic soldier, priced at 270,000 Cr per unit, Kang Mao Group’s product... before I left Ideal City, I saw their advertisements, but their technology wasn’t mature then, and their performance in live tests was quite poor. It’s only been two or three years, and they’ve already produced so many."

Priced at 270,000 Cr each, totaling 500 units.

Doesn’t that mean the total price is over a hundred million?!

Amazed at this massive expenditure, Chu Guang turned to Luo Hua.

"Kang Mao Group?"

Luo Hua nodded slowly.

"Yeah... Didn’t I tell you before that the corporation consists of several subsidiaries?"

Chu Guang understood.

"So, Kang Mao Group is one of the larger subsidiaries?"

Luo Hua nodded.

"Not just larger, very large. Their main businesses are medical devices and bionic equipment; most of the bionics wearing Ideal City brands are manufactured by them. Besides, there’s the common bionic labor in the province of Yunjianxing, where most of the survivor’s residence signed the abolition of slavery convention, so occasionally they use bionics to farm, mine, or even collect trash."

Pausing a moment, he continued.

"There are four other companies of a similar scale: Silver Wing, specializing in exploration equipment and heavy engineering manufacturing; Chang Ge, selling weapons products; Endpoint, providing intelligent services and cloud technology; and Ideal Group, Ideal City’s largest contractor and property manager."

"Although there are tens of thousands of enterprises in Ideal City, the seats in the Supreme Council are generally held in the hands of these five companies. If the aid resolution is passed in the council’s vote, the financial and manpower contributions are mainly from these five companies."

Chu Guang suddenly asked curiously.

"So, what determines the seats in your council?"

Luo Hua hesitated before saying.

"Of course, it’s about shares... What do you ask for?"

Chu Guang chuckled.

"Just a bit curious... Can those shares be traded? Is it done directly with Cr?"

"It’s possible, but basically, no one would sell them casually."

Luo Hua frowned and thought for a while before continuing, "I heard that a century ago, corporate share trading was quite active, but now it has mostly concentrated in the hands of five corporations. Moreover, the rules for share trading are very strict—it’s not something you can just buy if you want to."

Chu Guang nodded slightly with understanding.

Was this some kind of mutated form of representation?

But instead of humans, the power lay in "shares," which probably operated similarly to the "Merchant Empire" in "Group Form."

As the top "bootlicker" of Ideal City, Giant Stone City had borrowed some technology and rules from Ideal City. However, since this trend was initiated by the noble class, they only borrowed the parts that were beneficial to their class.

This eventually produced a half-feudal lord and half-capitalist operation that was quite mixed.

Even though there were many differences in various fields, the appearance of official forces from Ideal City still stunned the nobles of Giant Stone City.

That included Commander Zhao Yongxu.

The word "awe" was almost written on his face.

Even those who loved displaying their military might had to admit that flaunting strength was not a wise choice towards those on the East Coast.

While Zhao Yongxu was anxiously pondering how to deal with the situation, two bionic humans with distinct appearances left their formation and walked towards Chu Guang.

They were draped in silver cloaks.

Different from those mass-produced models, they had human-like features and appearances that conformed to human aesthetics.

"Welcome, friends from afar. I am the Manager of the Alliance, Chu Guang."

Seeing the two bionic humans approaching, Chu Guang guessed they might represent their corporation, so he extended his right hand.

He shook the power-armored hand.

The leading bionic human curved its lips and said in an unfluctuating voice.

"Thank you for your welcome; we hope we are not too late. My name is Frost, model A-130."

Frost was okay.

Chu Guang looked curiously at the other one next to it, about to ask if it was called Illusion.

Perhaps reading the inquiry on his face, the bionic human introduced itself before he could ask.

"Eclipse, model A-110."

Hearing these two names, Luo Hua’s face showed a hint of surprise.

Both bionic humans were models he had never heard of.

At this, he muttered softly.

"... It seems I’ve really been away from home for too long."

As Chu Guang was considering how to communicate with these two bionic friends, a figure suddenly ran over from a nearby plane.

"Wait a moment, I, I represent the Expeditionary Army... Yi Chuan! From the overseas business development division of the Silver Wing Group! Glad to meet you!"

The man stopped, hands on his knees, caught his breath for a moment, and then looked up at Chu Guang with a forced smile.

"It seems we’ve arrived just in time!"

Chu Guang gave a puzzled look at the man, panting heavily before him, then glanced back at the smiling Frost watching him.

Were these people not briefed properly?

It almost made him mistake the representative of the reinforcements.

Before he could speak, Luo Hua suddenly widened his eyes, recognizing the man in front of him.

"Yi Chuan?!"

The two clearly knew each other.

The young man who’d just caught his breath looked startled as he recognized Luo Hua, leaning on a cane next to Chu Guang, and immediately recognized him.

"Luo Hua? I heard you were badly injured... Ah, what’s with your arm?"

Luo Hua glanced at his left hand and wryly said,

"Let’s set aside my issues for now... We can catch up later."

Knowing that it wasn’t the time for reminiscences, Yi Chuan nodded and turned to face Chu Guang, cleared his throat, and said earnestly,

"You must be the Manager of Shelter No. 404, it’s a pleasure to meet you!"

"Chu Guang, I’m also glad to meet you,"

Chu Guang said, then cracked a joke to ease the atmosphere, "It seems you are indeed the representative of the reinforcements. I was just wondering how to communicate with our bionic friends."

Looking at the two bionic humans beside him, Yi Chuan’s smile grew slightly awkward.

"These two represent the Kang Mao Group... They might be a bit too enthusiastic."

Chu Guang nodded.

From the expression on the young man’s face, he detected an unusual hint, suggesting that there might be disagreements within the corporation.

However, that was an internal matter for the corporation, and it had nothing to do with the New Alliance. Chu Guang didn’t want to get involved in their internal affairs.

Securing more benefits and compensation for his players and the residents of the Alliance was indeed what a Manager should do.

While they were talking, two men and a woman approached from a distance.

The three had disembarked from the last plane and once they approached, Yi Chuan introduced them to Chu Guang.

"This is Wu Mu, a senior employee from the sales department of the Chang Ge Group!"

The young man named Wu Mu wearing red-colored power armor with a cheerful smile on his face extended his right hand.

"Hello, Manager of the Alliance! I’ve seen your videos. Where is that Claw of Death? Why didn’t you ride it over here?"

After shaking his hand, Chu Guang smiled and responded,

"It has a rather temperamental nature, not suited for meeting guests. But if you are interested, I can take you to see it and even give you one."

"Haha, that would be great! I’ll hold you to that!" Wu Mu’s eyes sparkled with keen interest.

Compared to others, Chu Guang could distinctly feel that this representative from the Chang Ge Group was perhaps the most fond of him.

There was even a bit of... admiration?

However, compared to the others, he didn’t seem to be here for combat; he more so possessed the air of someone on an excursion, which made one doubt his professional capabilities.

Of course.

Perhaps his expertise was not on the battlefield itself, after all, from Yi Chuan’s introduction, his profession seemed to be "sales"?

Compared to this friend named Wu Mu, the other two representatives had a noticeably more stable aura, especially the middle-aged man in his forties.

The mature face carried a touch of conservatism, and Chu Guang found it hard to decipher his thoughts from his expressions.

Before Yi Chuan could introduce himself, the middle-aged man spoke in a businesslike tone.

"Li Changkong, a business personnel from the Ideal Group. We will open our engineering devices and construction technology to you to help establish a more reliable logistic support line, ensuring that war materials and personnel could be smoothly delivered from the rear to the front lines... Of course, all we can do is help you build roads, reinforce defensive works, as for the resources needed for construction and the front-line battles, you will have to rely on yourselves."

Chu Guang smiled and shook his hand.

"That’s sufficient."

The largest contractor and property manager in Ideal City.

He shouldn’t be disappointed, Chu Guang thought.

After introducing the representatives from Chang Ge Group and Ideal Group, Yi Chuan continued with the last representative, from the Endpoint Group.

"This is a senior engineer from the AI technology department of Endpoint Group... Yun Yi. She will serve as your information technology consultant during the war, helping you build the necessary information infrastructure. Don’t be fooled by her young age, actually—"

With her arms crossed in front of her chest, Yun Yi gently coughed, interrupting him mid-sentence, and continued expressionlessly.

"My personal circumstances should be irrelevant to my job."

Yi Chuan said apologetically.

"Sorry."

Chu Guang looked her over.

She looked to be in her early twenties, with the demeanor of a typical researcher, and her style of dress was similar to Heya’s, although she was slightly shorter.

Somewhere between Heya and Teng Teng.

Perhaps it was the glasses on her nose that magnified her sharp gaze, but he always felt that this person had an inexplicable... wariness of him?

Before Chu Guang could speak, Yun Yi looked at him and clearly stated her stance.

"To be honest, I do not support the option of war. I believe we should solve issues through dialogue rather than fighting like beasts, otherwise, we are merely repeating the errors of two hundred years ago."

Chu Guang smiled faintly.

"If verbal sparring could drive those beasts away, I wish we could just use our mouths."

Yun Yi raised an eyebrow, about to say something, when Yi Chuan, standing beside, coughed interrupting her.

"Ms. Yun’s opinion represents only herself, the unanimously passed Resolution No. 1001 reflects our collective will... We all have loved ones involved in this war, whether actively or passively, and now our task is to end it!"

Saying so, he turned to Chu Guang.

"The Army must cease its territorial ambitions east of the Great Desert, relinquish the military base in Luo Xia Province, return the Pioneer, and release the crew of the Pioneer trapped in the Great Desert!"

This was not just a slogan.

It was a declaration made by the representative of the reinforcements, outlining the corporate war objectives in this conflict.

Driving the Army out of Luo Xia Province was also one of the Alliance’s objectives, which was necessary to end the threats from the west.

Chu Guang extended his right hand.

"Our positions align, delighted to stand together on this front!"

"So are we!"

Holding Chu Guang’s right hand, Yi Chuan said solemnly.

"Your bravery on the front lines has shocked everyone. The call for war has never been higher. Although we are separated by three thousand kilometers, our desire for civilization is the same."

"The first batch of aid includes five hundred Type A-30 bionic soldiers, who will go to the front lines to fight alongside you!"

"In addition to this, there are weapons, construction machinery, and production equipment worth a total of 300 million Cr that will be airlifted here. We will not only help you establish a complete supply line but also assist you in upgrading your industry, arming your production lines and army with more advanced technology!"

Hearing his ally’s words, Chu Guang, even though his facial expressions were well managed, couldn’t help but be visibly delighted.

The 300 million Cr worth of weapons was a trifle, as were the five hundred bionic soldiers; what mattered most was that promise!

That was exactly what he had been waiting for!

Yi Chuan paused, then continued.

"...however, for large aircraft with a range over 3000 kilometers, we have only managed to produce these twelve planes. Before further reinforcements arrive, we need an airbase to refuel our planes."

Chu Guang immediately asked.

"What kind of energy do you need?"

"Metallic Hydrogen!" Yi Chuan answered earnestly. "We plan to build a Metallic Hydrogen production line in the southern part of River Valley Province to supply energy and produce ammunition. This would require about 100 acres of land with stable and sufficient electrical power and a water source... We are not familiar with the local conditions, so we might need your help to think of a solution."

Electricity and water?

That’s easy!

Chu Guang’s mind raced, and a bright smile appeared on his face.

"That’s very simple, I know just the place with beautiful scenery, not only near a water source but also not far from our controlled fusion power station!"

"There’s a controlled fusion power station here?!" Yi Chuan’s eyes brightened, and a look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face. "That’s great!"

He had been prepared to resort to thermal power in an emergency, never expecting that his allies inland would surprise them.

Chu Guang continued with a smile, drawing out a big picture.

"To the north of West State City, on the south shore of the Tributary of Tianshui, we intend to build a river port. Nearby in West State City, we have our fusion reactor, which is expected to restore power by the end of the month. I can lend you the open space near the port, but..."

At this point, Chu Guang suddenly paused.

Seeing the look of difficulty on his face, Yi Chuan quickly asked.

"But what?"

Chu Guang spoke with a bit of difficulty.

"But our control over that area is weak, and there are Looter activities on the north shore of the river...which might affect the airbase’s security."

Hearing this, Yi Chuan exhaled in relief and smiled.

"Hey, no big deal! If any Looters come, just leave it to us to handle!"

Hearing this, Chu Guang’s face broke into a pleased smile again.

"With that assurance, I’m relieved!"

With enterprises helping to watch over the north gate of the Alliance, it would be difficult for the Army’s intelligence network in the Bugra Free State to make a move.

With this, he could also free up more personnel to invest in the new expansion!

...

(Thanks to the "NightChicK3n" for their generous support in the Silver Alliance!!! Thanks to the leader, "A person heartfelt," for the reward!!! It’s not that I don’t want to update more; personally, I’m just out of drafts. QAQ)

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