This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 434: A Match of Wits with a Worthy Opponent

Chapter 434: Chapter 434: A Match of Wits with a Worthy Opponent

Under the shroud of night, across the desert,

two people lay on a gently rising sand dune.

Their bodies were covered with desert-colored cloaks, each holding a pair of binoculars, gazing at the valley on the eastern horizon, where tufts of tiny sand burs gently swayed beside their arms.

Not far behind them, on the slope below, lay an electric motorcycle produced with Goblin Technology.

Time rewound to several hours earlier.

The sky hadn’t completely darkened yet.

After deciding on the treasure-hunting plan, Si Si proposed to scout near the entrance of the ruins. So, along with Meat Meat and Sesame Paste, they bade farewell and rode the group’s only motorcycle toward the direction of Lost Valley in the east.

According to the plan, they would arrive around 8 p.m., check the condition of the ruins’ entrance, and return by 9 p.m. to switch shifts and stand watch with Meat Meat and Sesame Paste.

However, in reality, the journey took them much longer than expected.

Although the electric motorcycle with Goblin Technology had sufficient power and could reach speeds over 150 mph, that was on smooth, paved roads.

The nearby Highway 7 was broken into several pieces.

They had no choice but to go off-roading along the edge of the highway, reducing their speed to around forty to fifty mph. Any faster, and they risked being launched off any sudden steep incline.

For a distance of nearly 150 kilometers, it took them a full three and a half hours to catch a glimpse of the valley.

It was just then, as if by misfortune, a sandstorm abruptly stirred up on the gobi, reducing visibility to within a hundred meters, while the howling winds made it difficult to move an inch.

Left with no other choice, they temporarily parked the bike and took shelter behind a dune, waiting for the sandstorm to pass before continuing onward.

Fortunately, the sandstorm did not last long.

But just when they were ready to continue, Si Si suddenly saw a faint light flickering in the distance where the sandstorm had passed.

Someone was in Lost Valley!

And not just a few!

Out of caution, she laid the motorcycle on the ground and, with Ah Wei in tow, climbed to a nearby higher point to peer through the binoculars and survey the area.

This view, however, gave them both quite a shock.

"...Patrol team."

Holding the binoculars tightly, Si Si scanned the distant horizon and furrowed her brow slightly.

"And it’s the Army!"

Although she didn’t see any black robes, she wouldn’t mistake the bullet-proof armor and rifles in those people’s hands, having engaged them at close quarters so many times.

A tricycle had broken down on the sand dune, probably due to the recent sandstorm.

A few soldiers were huddled around the tricycle, fiddling with tools from a repair kit, attempting to fix the motorcycle.

Another patrol, consisting of ten people, approached the broken tricycle, seemingly there to understand the situation.

These people patrolled densely and were extremely vigilant.

It was clear that the valley behind them must hide some significant secret.

Si Si shifted her gaze, looking towards a distant encampment bordered by a wall of sandbags.

To the north, someone was working, seemingly digging up something, while at the entrance to the southern valley, there were piles of earth as if excavated from within.

What were they planning to do?

Si Si was also a bit confused.

"Ah Wei, lend me your thermal imager... Ah Wei?"

There was no response for a long while.

Si Si turned her head, only to find Ah Wei lying motionless on the sand, not reacting at all.

Slightly stunned, Si Si soon chuckled and shook her head.

She could guess what Ah Wei was up to even with her foot.

Taking the thermal imager from Ah Wei’s head, she put it on and continued to look towards the east.

The world turned into shades of black and white.

Far in the distance on the shimmering white sand, bright white dots flickered.

Looking at the open space north of the encampment, Si Si’s face revealed a surprised expression.

"Wow..."

So bright!

...

Another world.

The "Wasteland OL" official website Forum, where only closed beta tester players could post, a new thread suddenly popped up.

Tail: "Oh oh oh oh! Major discovery!!

Quit smoking: "What’s the situation???"

Night Ten: "What did you find? (Surprised)"

Elena: "Is it tasty? (Funny)"

Tail: "Uh, probably not edible, it’s the Army! We saw so many so many Army soldiers!"

Old White: "???"

As soon as it was mentioned that it was the Army, the thread immediately became lively.

It was obviously more topical to talk about groups of elite mobs appearing collectively than encountering a wild Claw of Death or getting your head bashed in by the tentacles of a Multilegged Beast.

Edge Shoveling: "Are you guys in Golden Lizard? There might actually be Army activity there... The Guerrilla Team of the Restoration Army moved 50 tanks and a large number of trucks and supplies earlier; now the north side of Oasis No. 9 is full of Army patrols, we almost ran into them."

Debt Giant Eye: "+1, be careful Ah Wei, don’t get caught by the Army. (Funny)"

Construction Youth with Bricks: "+10086, watch out for the Mole, that guy can draw comics. (Funny)"

Canyon Escapee Mole: "Get lost! Only dogs draw that stuff, I’ve already quit! Heh, just you wait and see, when my game explodes in sales in Ideal City, all of you will be calling me daddy! (Rolling Eyes)"

Ever since Brother Guang had silenced him, the guy indeed hadn’t been seen drawing any strange comics on the forum for a while.

But that made people even more worried.

An unemployed painter, and on top of that, in River Valley Province.

That Buff was almost fully stacked.

Gnome King Riches: "Haha, my good brother, you gotta work hard! Old Na gave you all the money she saved from eating mantises! (Funny)"

Elena "No worries, if he loses out, he can sell his butt to repay us, he said so himself, (Funny)"

Makabazi: "Hahaha."

...

Tail: "Oh! Don’t worry, Edge bro, we’re not in Golden Lizard anymore! Heard that Oasis No. 4 is right by the sea, we turned around and headed south two weeks ago! (@¯∀¯@)"

Night Ten: "(Sweat)"

Tail: "And then and then, we discovered an Army encampment in a place called Lost Valley, 150 kilometers from the Zobar Mountains! There’s at least a ten-thousand-strong force there!"

Edge Shoveling: "South? Wait a minute, how could there be Army there in the south?"

Spring Water Commander: "I’m more curious about how many people are actually in the Army... looking at the map, their forces seem too dispersed, if they’re not planning to simultaneously attack three Kingdoms at once, I’ve got a bad feeling about this."

Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Did you see clearly what they were doing there?"

Tail: "Of course, treasure hunting!"

Edge Shoveling: "Treasure hunting?!"

Tail: "Yeah! There’s a huge encampment there, about the same size as Fallen Leaf Camp! There are lots of people outside the camp to the north, digging with shovels and pushing carts on the ground, Tail saw it with a thermal imager! Heh heh."

Wild Wind: "About the same size as Fallen Leaf Camp... that could indeed be a ten-thousand-strong force, maybe even twenty or thirty thousand."

Spring Water Commander: "Battlefield..."

Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Don’t ask me, the Manager told me to keep hiding; I really don’t know anything, I’d have said something if I did. (Awkward)"

"Kakarot": "Damn, are you kidding me? The chicken soup is almost spoiled!"

I Max Black: "Exactly! You haven’t even become a Marshal yet, that sucks!"

Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "@%$&!"

...

At the same time, in the Wasteland World.

In the Army Command of the City of Dawn, the operation meeting room was filled with people.

Despite the late hour, there was no intention of adjourning.

Sitting at the conference table, the commander of the First Army Corps, Wrench, suddenly spoke out.

"I’ve been thinking about a problem."

Everyone in the meeting room turned their gaze toward him,

Except for Chu Guang, who was staring at the map.

"What problem?"

Chu Guang replied offhand, his gaze not leaving the map, his expressionless face seeming to ponder something.

Wrench organized his thoughts and cautiously voiced his opinion.

"I’m wondering... what benefits does the Army gain from using a nuclear bomb on the City of Abundance? To the residents of the River Valley Province, the dikes are not just irrigation tools but also a blessing from the gods. Even if they don’t mind losing fertile land... aren’t they worried about making an enemy of the entire desert?"

Chu Guang nodded.

He was satisfied that his subordinates had finally grown, considering various issues in their decision-making, including anticipating the enemy’s potential tactics from their point of view.

"That is one of the issues I’ve been contemplating... Vanus, explain to him why."

Vanus, sitting at the conference table, nodded and looked toward the commander of the First Army Corps, beginning to speak with a gentle tone.

"There are many benefits, although it means an increased cost for suppression, the benefit is that it can crush the Lion Kingdom Royal Family’s resistance will in a short time and bring an early end to this war."

"Clearly, the Army is not ready for all-out war with the corporations. Whether deploying airships to intercept fleeing corporate employees or launching surprise lightning strikes or, like now, deploying nuclear weapons... rather than being a meticulous plan prepared over a long period, it seems more like a gamble."

"They’re betting that they can take full control of the River Valley Province before the corporations can mobilize, then negotiate with the corporations after creating a fait accompli... over issues such as the ownership of the Pioneer, the key to the No.0 Shelter, and the territorial control rights in the River Valley Province, among other things."

Chu Guang nodded again.

The key to No.0 Shelter was in his hands.

If the Army’s military operations in the River Valley Province achieved their expected goals, they could exchange the key for the Pioneer and its crew with him.

The officers in the meeting room exchanged glances, whispering to each other in low voices.

Vanus looked at Chu Guang.

"However... there’s still a doubt here, shall I continue?"

Chu Guang nodded.

"Say whatever comes to mind."

Vanus slightly nodded, cleared his throat, and continued.

"Deploying nuclear weapons is a transparent strategy, but where to use the bomb is not necessarily so. I believe our ally’s intelligence is trustworthy, but the problem is their information is too detailed."

"They not only know that the Army is deploying nukes to the River Valley Province but also know precisely where the bomb is intended to be used... I can’t help but ask how they know this."

"Unless the Falcon Kingdom’s king or marshal is a traitor, I can’t think of anyone else who could get such specific operational plans."

"Our respected Manager Sir, must also be doubtful about this very issue at the moment."

Hearing this subtle flattery, Chu Guang laughed.

To be honest, this Vanus indeed was quite capable.

Ever since his meeting with Kaliman, he had indeed been thinking about this issue,

Including at the diplomatic briefing with the corporations.

And at this morning’s mobilization speech...

Because it was indeed too suspicious.

Before the lightning war was launched, the Desert Kings hadn’t caught a whiff of the storm. But after getting hammered with random punches, it was like their meridians had been opened – their intelligence system suddenly brightened, turning the Falcon Kingdom and the Army into sieves.

We’re talking about nuclear weapons.

Vanus’s estimate was on the conservative side.

Forget about the Falcon Kingdom’s king or marshal, probably only Griffin himself knew where that nuclear bomb was intended to go.

Chu Guang always had an ominous premonition that the bait wasn’t solely meant to lure out the spy who had leaked the location of Camp 530, but was in fact a strategic ploy on a grander scale.

Underestimating the enemy was a taboo.

The Army’s strength was formidable, and if it came down to full-scale total war, the combined forces of the Academy and the corporations might not even be able to defeat those fanatic warmongers... even though the corporations’ Ideal City and their weapons appeared to be genuinely imposing.

Including the past battle at Rui Valley City, where the full might of the Alliance was pitted against the air and land combat forces of the Iron Heart, the Alliance’s chance of victory stood at less than thirty percent despite the players’ overwhelming individual combat capabilities, the resolute execution of orders by each Army Corps, and the commanders performing exceptionally.

Had McCullen not been overly arrogant, making a series of tactical misjudgments, even a loss wouldn’t have led to the forfeiture of the Iron Heart.

In fact, even with a series of tactical blunders, that guy almost turned the tables at the very last moment.

And now, the Alliance was not facing McCullen but someone who was far more cunning, more cautious, and reputed to be an old fox who had climbed from the army’s ranks to a high position.

Instead of desperately resorting to nuclear weapons, Chu Guang felt that person was more like someone sitting calmly at the card table, telling him with a half-smiling tone,

"I’m going to use nuclear weapons."

"Now it’s your turn to play your hand."

As Chu Guang was pondering, the voice of Xiao Qi suddenly came to his ears.

"Master, your players in Oasis No.4, to the northeast, have discovered traces of the Army. It seems that a ten-thousand-troop force has been stationed there. The player named Tail said they were treasure hunting, but Xiao Qi feels there’s more to it..."

Xiao Qi had been monitoring the posts on the Forum, and immediately reported upon discovering suspiciously important information.

On hearing this, Chu Guang was momentarily stunned.

Oasis No.4?

Northeast direction?

His gaze fell on the Jubar Mountains on the map, moving eastward, eventually stopping at the Lost Valley, which was to the northeast of the Camel Hump Kingdom by 150 kilometers — that is, to the southwest of Oasis No.7’s ruins.

This Lost Valley was about 900 kilometers away from the City of Abundance near Oasis No.9, a distance that could be considered quite remote from the front lines.

Another 800 kilometers eastward was the River Valley Province... Wait a second.

Chu Guang suddenly thought of something and picked up a marker to draw a red circle around the position of Lost Valley on the map.

Vanus, sitting at the conference table, frowned slightly.

"Is there something happening there?"

Chu Guang answered concisely.

"...According to reports from our informants, a substantial amount of the Army’s ground forces, between ten and thirty thousand, were spotted north of Oasis No.4."

A wave of surprise spread through the conference room.

The commander of the Second Corps, Liuding, widened his eyes.

"Oasis No.4? Is the Army planning to split its forces and attack the Camel Hump Kingdom?"

Another officer frowned and said,

"I remember... the Camel Hump Kingdom has a population of about 1.5 million, right? And it’s said to have a thriving industry and commerce. Conservatively estimated, they could muster up to five fully-staffed ten-thousand-troop forces... If it’s one of the Army Corps from the Army headquarters, there’s hope. Relying on the Attendant Army from the Falcon Kingdom, how do they plan to fight?"

Wrench, sitting nearby, nodded and spoke in a deep voice,

"Moreover, Oasis No.4 and the desert are separated by the natural barrier of the Zobar Mountains, where even tanks might not be effective... To attack Petra Fortress from the front, a large number of support squads would be needed, and a forceful assault coordinated with infantry and artillery has a chance of success."

"The target is likely not Oasis No.4," Vanus suddenly said.

The noisy conference room quieted down.

Pairs of eyes turned toward him.

Chu Guang, who had been looking at the map, nodded and slowly said,

"Yes, if the target were Oasis No.4, they would not need to be stationed there... They could have camped to the northwest, closer to their rear, instead of letting their supply lines cross over the fortress they are planning to conquer."

He paused and continued,

"Their target... might well be us."

Expressions of surprise appeared on the faces of everyone in the conference room.

Although some had considered this possibility, they hardly dared to believe it.

To overcome the aerial superiority of Qingquan City, they would face not just the Alliance but also the nearby Giant Stone City!

Even though that city lord had a very low profile in this conflict, to the point of seemingly not participating at all, the radars, anti-aircraft guns, and missile launchers deployed on the giant wall were no joke.

"Your meaning is... that nuclear bomb was actually prepared for us?" Liuding’s expression changed subtly.

Chu Guang nodded.

"If the City of Abundance falls, the resistance of the Lion Kingdom will end... As the commander of the Alliance, normally, I must prevent this from happening, and the best strategy is to transfer and deploy the Iron Heart to Oasis No. 9. With the Iron Heart’s anti-aircraft capabilities and battlefield suppression power, we can prevent the nuclear bomb from being delivered to the nearby airspace."

"But if we do that, we’ll be falling right into their trap."

"They clearly want to end this war quickly. Knowing that we have figured out their intentions, they are deliberately acting hastily and even willing to bring out a nuclear bomb, showing us a deliberate flaw, while in fact, they are playing a feint to the east while attacking in the west."

Chu Guang’s eyes narrowed slightly, feeling like the thought process had suddenly opened up. All the clues marked on the map were now connected.

"...Once our strategic focus shifts to Oasis No. 9, their planes will take off from the southern part of Luo Xia Province and carry out a nuclear strike on our homeland from the northeast direction."

The terrain of Lost Valley is a natural shelter.

More suitable for large troops to be stationed for a long time than the rolling sand dunes.

They don’t need to establish absolute air superiority over the river valley.

They only need one or a few fearless pilots to fly a jet plane faster than Mach 2 and drop the nuclear bomb at the moment they breach our defense line.

Then detonate it in the air.

What happened in Qingquan City 200 years ago, will happen once again.

A million tons of yield, an absolute kill radius of 6.3 kilometers against exposed personnel in the open terrain, 3.6 kilometers for personnel in trenches, tanks 2.8 kilometers... These are Cold War-era reference data.

The actual effect of the damage varies with the situation, but there’s no doubt about the earth-shattering power that could erase Giant Stone City and City of Dawn from the map altogether.

Even precise aiming isn’t necessary.

"The distance from the Falcon Kingdom near the Great Desert to River Valley Province is too far, it should exceed the range of their planes, so they need a stepping stone."

"If my judgment is correct..."

Looking at the map full of marked lines, Chu Guang said with certainty.

"The thing they built near Lost Valley should be an airport!"

...

Seven or eight kilometers away from Lost Valley, on the sand dunes.

Tail, who was lying on her side, fluttered her eyelashes and slowly opened her eyes to bright pupils.

"Um..."

She rubbed her eyes and smiled apologetically.

"Hehe, I just logged off to send a message to the guys, sorry to have kept you waiting."

Si Si joked.

"Oh, if Ah Wei doesn’t wake up, I was planning to draw a circle on your forehead with a pen."

Tail exclaimed.

"Eh?! Then I’ll sleep a bit longer."

"Wait until we get back."

Crawling to the leeward side of the sand dune, Si Si got up from the ground and patted the sand off her clothes.

Good thing she didn’t take a bath before leaving.

That layer of dust, she’ll need to give it a good clean when she gets back.

"Speaking of which... are we just going to leave it like that?"

Tail looked worriedly at the distant valley, clearly concerned that the treasure buried there would be snatched up by someone else first.

There might really be such a possibility.

Who knows how long those people have been digging there.

Si Si said in an indifferent tone.

"Mm, it’s better to retreat first. There are at least ten thousand troops stationed there. If we get caught, it won’t just be circles drawn on our foreheads, you know."

"Yikes! How scary!"

Tail shuddered and also quietly climbed down from the sand dune.

At the bottom of the slope,

Seeing Si Si lifting the motorcycle from the sand, she whispered,

"What if our treasure is dug up by the Army first? That’s a Titan, and it might even be operational."

Si Si showed a helpless expression,

"Don’t even mention Titans, even if it’s a star cruiser, the two of us can’t do anything about it."

At least,

They needed to go back and make some preparations.

Petra Fortress is a trade hub in the southern part of the Falling Leaves Province. Once the goods are dealt with, they could use the money earned to hire some help, which would be better than recklessly charging in on a motorcycle.

Going one-on-one against an infantry division,

Not even the "legendary SSSR card" Manager himself,

Let alone Human Emperor Sigma, could do that.

Awakeners are strong, but not strong enough to punch a planet into oblivion.

Handing the motorcycle helmet to a disappointed Tail, Si Si gently patted the rear seat of the motorcycle and consoled with a smile,

"Come on, don’t be down. I’ll find a way to help Ah Wei find that big treasure... Get on, let’s head back, or Meat Meat and Sesame Paste will start to worry."

"Oh! You’re right... Holy shit! Look at the time!" After glancing at the time display on his VM, Tail got startled and immediately hopped on the motorcycle.

A smile crept onto Si Si’s face as he pulled down the wind goggles hanging from the helmet, twisted the handle, and started the electric motorcycle’s motor.

"Hold tight."

...

Dawn rose from the East Coast.

Honestly, even though he wasn’t of the Perception type, Mole sometimes really admired his own sixth sense.

Just yesterday, he had made a promise in front of all his underlings, and today, before he even logged in, he had received a call to arms from none other than the Manager himself—ordering his immediate return to City of Dawn.

Ideal City.

On the helicopter pad atop a tall building,

Standing not far from the landing pad, Mole’s face was filled with reluctance as he said his goodbyes with hugs to the employees of Skeleton Studio.

Watching the boss ready to board, Xue Hongliang couldn’t help but ask,

"Can’t we avoid the frontline by donating money?"

"What are you talking about," Mole looked straight at him, saying seriously, "Is this a matter of money?"

The reason the Alliance stood united under the banner of Shelter No. 404 was exactly because its residents were always at the forefront, never exploiting the right to wear that Blue Jacket to arrogantly push other Alliance residents in front of them.

This was an obligation!

And a responsibility!

Of course, that’s the bigger picture.

On a smaller scale, another reason was that such "national war" events and missions always offered the most and best rewards.

To make money, you could trade, but to become T1 or even T0, you had to step up when the Alliance needed you.

There are two things in this game that cannot be bought with silver coins.

One is the helmet.

The other is Contribution Points.

Especially the latter, which had huge utility.

Seeing the determination in his eyes, Xue Hongliang stopped trying to persuade him and said solemnly,

"Boss! Take care!"

Mole smiled and said,

"Don’t worry, your boss has a big fate; he won’t die! When I come back, I’ll create more glory with you all! We will make our studio bigger and stronger!"

With that, he boarded the plane resolutely and left an imposing figure for all the studio employees and journalists behind.

He boarded the plane.

Mole immediately noticed, sitting in the cabin was a long-legged young lady.

She was very attractive, and not just in looks. She exuded a shrewd and capable aura—her posture and appearance carried the demeanor of a CEO.

Mole wasn’t a shy person, let alone when facing an NPC. But still, he subconsciously chose a seat two spaces away from her.

What he hadn’t expected, though, was that as soon as he sat down, the beauty took the initiative to strike up a conversation with him.

"Hello, my name is Li Shuyue."

"Hello... I’m Mole," said the Mole who was caught off guard, suddenly regretting having chosen such a casual name.

The beauty, however, didn’t seem to find his name strange and calmly continued.

"Where’s the person who came with you?"

Mole said with a smile.

"Are you talking about Fang Chang? This time they called back the army commanders; that little brother doesn’t rank high enough—mobilization hasn’t reached him yet."

The two of them actually had a good relationship, but that didn’t stop him from throwing a jab at him now and then.

After all, the guy didn’t spare himself from his own barbs either.

So what if he had high contribution points?

He’s still just a dog-headed military advisor!

I’m an army commander, after all. Calling him a little brother is totally fair!

"Oh."

Li Shuyue nodded and then fell silent, putting an end to the conversation.

Regarding topics like army commander and rank... she didn’t seem to be particularly interested, which made Mole feel a bit awkward.

"..."

Damn!

Are the NPCs in this game always this realistic?

And it’s not as if he thought Fang Chang was particularly good-looking; he was at least no better looking than himself.

Why does he have such a streak of good luck with the ladies!

Just any NPC would take an interest in that guy.

Mole was cursing and grumbling inwardly.

Rigged!

Definitely rigged!

He must have sold his sacred friendship to Ah Guang!

In this silent atmosphere, the Tiger Whale Transport Aircraft slowly took off, dragging a pale blue arc of light behind it as it headed towards the western sky.

Beside the tarmac.

Xue Hongliang and a bunch of employees in skeleton T-shirts were still immersed in the sorrow of "losing" their boss.

The battlefield.

That’s a place where you have a nine-to-one chance of dying.

Hopefully, the next time they saw him, it wouldn’t be just a box of ashes and a portrait...

At this moment, a reporter noticed the sad group of young men.

The reporter’s instincts led him keenly to sniff out the fragrance of newsworthiness, and he immediately approached them with his interview drone in tow.

"Hello, may I ask—who is the commander of that Skeleton Corps... What’s his relation to you guys?"

Xue Hongliang sniffled.

"He’s our boss."

"Boss?"

The reporter expressed his surprise.

Other reporters passing by heard the conversation and gathered around, pulling out their interview pens and releasing their drones once more.

Being confronted with so many cameras was somewhat unnerving.

After all, he was just the CEO of a small studio, and although he had seen some big scenes, this one was massive. He nervously nodded in agreement.

"Yeah... We’re Skeleton Studio, we make games."

The reporter was astonished.

"Making games!? But... isn’t that gentleman an army commander? That position should be an officer’s title, right?"

"Yes... He’s told us that his actual job is driving tanks, but making games is his dream."

Dream!

Upon hearing the word "dream," the surrounding reporters’ eyes lit up, and the first one who had asked questions promptly followed up with more.

"Can you elaborate on that?"

Xue Hongliang was indeed a bit nervous at first.

But as he saw the interest on the faces of those around him, he started to find his rhythm, and his speech and voice gradually became more natural.

"I still remember the day of the interview, the first time I met him, when he told me... that he had never seen anything so amazing."

As he saw each face listening intently, he continued.

"With just a pair of glasses, one could enter a completely virtual world, communicate freely with real people, share their stories, and bring joy to others..."

"He said ever since he arrived in this city, from the moment he put on the virtual reality glasses, he found a new goal, a new dream for his life—"

"Even though he was born in a world filled with death and ruin, he hoped to share his stories through Endpoint Cloud—this magical medium—with the people living in Ideal City, to bring joy..."

Actually, facing the camera wasn’t as difficult as imagined.

You just had to say what everyone loved to hear.

Grasping the core elements of his special identity and background, Xue Hongliang observed the expressions of the listeners while continuing to weave his story.

A Waste Land Wanderer living in harsh conditions.

Even though tortured and tormented by fate, he still harbored pure and bright dreams, hoping to bring more happiness to the world.

He had even poured all his savings into it!

What a kind soul!

And when his homeland faced the flames of war, this millionaire abandoned the comfortable life in Ideal City without looking back, and boarded the plane home, rushing to the frontline to fend off the invaders threatening his hometown...

Many in the audience showed a look of admiration, and some eyes even watered with emotion.

Of course.

It wasn’t entirely due to being moved.

Many were thrilled to have dug up a big story.

In their minds, they had already imagined a script of tens of thousands of words, a two-hour movie.

A reporter looked at him earnestly and handed over his interview pen.

"What’s the name of your game?"

Glancing at the drones and the expectant eyes around him, Xue Hongliang had a momentary lapse.

But it was just that—a moment.

He was very clear.

Right now, was the "only chance" his boss had talked about.

"Big Escape..."

Xue Hongliang almost reflexively answered.

Although his boss had never said those exact words, since he had already fabricated so much of the story, a sentence or two more wouldn’t make a difference.

With a voice unburdened and full of enthusiasm, he continued.

"It’s a game inspired by our boss’s real-life experiences in the wasteland, and everyone in our studio has witnessed its birth."

"I can guarantee with my reputation that this game is absolutely real!"

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