This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 499: They Will All Fall to Us! (Second Update)

Chapter 499: Chapter 499: They Will All Fall to Us! (Second Update)

After the meeting.

The journalists from Ideal City, Li Ke from the Academy, and other personnel unrelated to the ceasefire negotiations almost all left the council hall satisfied.

Except for the military representatives.

Cohen sat still in his seat, angrily glaring at Chu Guang, who was sitting across the negotiation table.

This included the group of furious Weilante officers standing behind him, who looked like they wanted to devour him.

Chu Guang alone was at a loss, not knowing how he had offended these big-nosed guys again.

Fortunately, Cohen did not make him guess, and directly vented his rage.

"I am very dissatisfied with your choice of words. We have an unconditional ceasefire; this war has no winner, so you shouldn’t use the word ’victory’!"

Is this what it’s about...

Chu Guang scoffed in his heart.

Everyone agreed to their own versions of winning; what’s wrong with saying a word to my own subordinates?

And it’s not like you weren’t given a chance to speak.

It’s your own damn fault for trying to act cool, dismissing the opportunity with a "What a bunch of nonsense"—so who’s to blame?

If I knew you were so petty, I should’ve taken nineteen pens, changing one after every stroke, to torment you guys a few minutes longer.

I could have even used the extras for a lottery draw.

What a loss!

"This really isn’t very appropriate," Wu Changnian coughed lightly, then glanced at Chu Guang sitting next to him and said in an indifferent tone, "Using the word ’victory’ for a ceasefire negotiation... can lead to misunderstandings."

Facing the hostile gazes from across the negotiation table, Chu Guang didn’t take it seriously and said nonchalantly.

"What’s the problem; does Ideal City still have a branch in Triumph City?"

Wu Changnian thought for a moment and nodded.

"There is indeed."

Cohen’s reaction to that sentence was a bit surprising to him, as it was clear that it was intended for his own subordinates. His outrage seemed a bit overdone.

However, from a corporate standpoint, he still needed to say something to smooth things over. After all, the ceasefire agreement had been signed, and it wouldn’t be good for anyone if new problems arose.

Cohen coldly looked at Chu Guang, huffed, then stood up with his hands on the table, grabbed his copy of the ceasefire agreement, and left the council hall with his group of officers without looking back.

The players standing by, eager to try their luck, showed looks of disappointment, especially a few who relished in stirring up trouble.

Looks like those oldies’ gold coins won’t be exploding now...

As he watched those desolate figures depart, Chu Guang turned to Wu Changnian sitting beside him.

"Did you get the coordinates of the Pioneer’s crew?"

Wu Changnian nodded.

"They’ve given them to us. Assault Team No. 26, under Yun Song’s leadership, has arrived near the target area. The entrance to No. 0 Shelter is there too, and there’s a mutant tribe nearby. The Army has terminated their mercenary contract with them so we can deal with those mutants as we wish."

Chu Guang said with a subtle expression.

"I was wondering about that, the mutants in the Great Desert... actually doing business with humans."

Aren’t humans just breeding tools and food in their eyes?

It’s as strange as negotiating with a takeaway order.

Wu Changnian shrugged his shoulders.

"I find it strange too, but according to the Army’s own explanation, General Kras, the previous commander of Luo Xia Province, may have reached some agreement with those mutants. There were also mutant mercenaries fighting in the expedition a year ago."

"According to the intel we’ve received, those mutant mercenaries fearlessly attack and their terrifying self-healing abilities make them a challenge, even for soldiers in power armor."

It was only a challenge, though.

The Death Legion had clashed with those mutants.

According to Edge Shoveling’s own assessment, those guys were just a group of elite monsters with slightly thicker health bars and weren’t even as troublesome as the Weilante elites they encountered at Height 330.

After a pause, Wu Changnian continued.

"Cohen claims the Marshal was unaware of it, and Joseph should know something but isn’t willing to elaborate... Anyway, Kras is dead, Griffin is dead, McCullen is still alive but probably doesn’t know much. It’s not something to be proud of; they won’t investigate just to satisfy our curiosity."

Chu Guang raised his eyebrows.

"So, you’re saying we still have to wipe their ass?"

Wu Changnian nodded.

"That’s right."

Chu Guang said with a smile.

"Heh, they sure did discard this pile of shit cleanly. The mess pulled by the previous one no longer concerns the next."

Wu Changnian nodded again, seriously looking at the young ally.

"Yes. Although you might already be aware, I still need to give you a piece of advice: be wary of them, wary of them all. Regardless of the incident just now, they will not forget today’s ’humiliation.’ The moment you show any sign of weakness, they will not hesitate to bare their canine teeth and become restless... They are fundamentally designed for battle. Griffin was, Cohen is, and so will be whoever comes here."

This was also why the Company supported the Alliance in taking Bister Town.

They needed a reliable friend to keep an eye on those restless Weilante people.

The disturbances these people have caused have already put the Council on alert. The Great Desert can’t stop the ambitions of the Weilante people; even if only for the peace of Province of Yúnjiānxíng, they can’t stay completely uninvolved.

Chu Guang smirked.

"No wonder they can get along with mutants."

"That’s a different issue... However, I was also shocked after arriving here. To think there are gray-black mutants in the wasteland."

Wu Changnian sighed, his tone full of reflection.

"I thought blue mutants with gills were already bizarre enough... Just how many secrets are there in this world that we don’t understand."

Chu Guang could not agree more with his words.

No matter the color—green, blue, gray-black, or a myriad of hues—as long as they were mutants, he had no intention of leaving any of them alive.

These monsters, whose plunder and reproduction were intertwined—with their hatred for people written into their DNA—should never have existed in this world.

They were like goblins.

Every mutant cub carried the burden of blood debt on their back.

After witnessing the hellish sight in the mutant nest at Qingquan City’s Street No. 76, he had no plans to negotiate with any mutant.

The thought of his old friends at the Pioneer staying with those beasts made Chu Guang’s fists clench over his knees.

"I have a small request."

"What request?" Wu Changnian’s eyebrows twitched uncontrollably; at the mere mention of this guy’s requests and suggestions, he started to get a headache.

However, to his surprise, this time the guy didn’t say anything too troubling.

"Before we withdraw from Oasis No. 2, I’d like to take my Steel Heart a bit further west to pick up our old friends and bring them home."

Wu Changnian paused, a strange expression crossing his face.

What kind of odd request was that?

Weird as it was, of course, he wouldn’t refuse.

"No problem... Rather, thank you. The airflow conditions in the Great Desert are very unstable, and Tiger Whale and Cloud Dragonfly are said to perform poorly."

A smile also appeared on Chu Guang’s face.

"Then it’s settled."

...

Shortly after the ceasefire agreement was signed, the company’s troops stationed in Falcon City launched "Migrant Birds," giving wings to the news of victory.

The unmanned drones flew over the desert, crossed River Valley, passed through mountains and rivers, and finally arrived at the city-state on the East Coast shortly after nightfall.

Above Ideal City, holographic fireworks were set off; the Council Building used an entire wall as a screen, showing all residents of Ideal City this historic moment.

It included the speech of Wu Changnian, the Deputy Director of the Integrated Management Department.

And also the words of his ally—the words of the Manager of Shelter No. 404.

"...I’m honored to witness this moment with you."

"This is our victory!"

Yes.

This was victory!

The Weilante People of the West Coast were ashamed to admit their military failure in Luo Xia Province, their euphemistic wording was just a fig leaf for losers—the expression they wore while signing the ceasefire agreement was the best proof.

For the spectators on Endpoint Cloud, compared to Deputy Director Wu Changnian’s lengthy discourse, Chu Guang’s brief and concise declaration of victory was obviously more popular.

Chu Guang himself didn’t expect it.

He had become a sensation in Ideal City once more for a blunt truth he’d spoken, without any exaggeration.

Skeleton Studio’s "The Great Escape" discussion forum.

Owing to the hardcore identities of the game’s developers, the forum attracted countless netizens who weren’t interested in virtual reality games but were very interested in the Alliance.

That CEO named Xue Hongliang was very good at seizing the moment and changed the virtual community’s title to "This is our victory!" which drew cheers from countless players and bystanders.

On this day of celebration, no one here was discussing the game; almost everyone was cheering for the victory that had just arrived.

A bunch of strangely shaped virtual avatars cheered in the square.

"This is our victory!!!"

"Wake up, brother, our ground forces only sent one assault team and one experimental bionic man team, what does this war have to do with us winning or losing?"

"Doesn’t this just prove the wisdom of the Council? Not a single Ideal City resident sacrificed their life, and we effortlessly gained the final victory!"

"Uh... a few did die along the way."

"Administrator, come over here and kick out this guy who can’t read the room."

"Hahaha! I like their Manager! Compared to that long-winded middle-aged man, a young handsome guy is definitely more my type!"

"Wuwuwu, when can we get a flight to the Alliance? I’ve never been outside of Province of Yúnjiānxíng!"

"That might be a bit difficult; I’ve heard River Valley Province is the home of Claw of Death. Even if the Alliance is our ally, it’s somewhat dangerous to go there."

"Anyhow, thank heavens... our boss can finally come back to make games!"

"Looking forward to it!"

"I just hope he comes back alive."

...

Night City bar.

As the theme party for Victory Day, today’s BGM was the song "created" by the residents of City of Dawn.

The dance floor swayed with figures, LED masks flickered with changing smiley symbols. Under the flashing neon of red, yellow, and blue, the retro rhythm unexpectedly matched the ecstatic atmosphere of the venue.

Sitting in a corner of the bar, Fang Chang was quietly watching the shadows in the distance, feeling a touch of regret in his heart.

He had probably missed out on this "Dressing the Desert" expansion pack.

However, he hadn’t wasted the past few months either.

During the training at Yunjian University, he’d learned a great deal that opened his eyes, including the popular business models of this city and common management methods seen here.

He could now confirm that, amongst the developers of Wasteland OL, there was at least a team of advisors composed of experts from political, economic, military, historical, cultural, religious, and other fields to take care of the finer details.

Take, for example, the currency of the enterprise.

He initially thought the credit points abbreviated as Cr were just another game currency, but after a deeper understanding, he discovered their core tied extraordinarily to the concept of "DeFi (Decentralized Finance)" in the real world.

No, that’s not quite right.

Describing them in such a way would be an insult to Cr.

In reality, DeFi is still in the exploratory phase, far from stability. The majority of digital currencies issued based on this theory are nothing more than kite-flying, cutting leeks schemes. Yet in this virtual game, the true concept of decentralized finance has already been achieved on a small scale!

At least, it had been achieved in Ideal City and by Cr.

Take, for example, the most fundamental principle: every resident of Ideal City is both the issuer and guarantor of the credit currency.

Traditional central banks that wish to introduce money into the market rely on various financial tools. But whether it’s lending money to businesses to expand production or lending to residents to consume, the beer foaming over the tip of the pyramid will never equally benefit everyone within the pyramid.

It’s even likely that some will drink only the foam without ever tasting the beer, while others get sick from the beer and never touch the foam.

However, Ideal City, based on a framework of credit points, works differently.

Smart contracts, programmed with quantum algorithms, ensure that transactions are fair and just, while the inherent properties of the credit currency and a series of financial rules determine that all participants in production will benefit equally from its prosperity.

Naturally, this system has its flaws. Equality does not imply uniformity; not everyone can live in a room with windows or in the upper floors of a skyscraper.

Moreover, due to the inherent limitations of these rules, it not only doesn’t restrict monopolies but even encourages the internal amalgamation of the "Production Department" within enterprises.

As a result, in places like Ideal City, once a monopoly is established, it becomes even harder to break, with no external forces capable of correcting it.

Unless the monopolist is eliminated by the market due to managerial crises or unexpected incidents, but this is highly unlikely.

And the council, whose seats are determined by shareholding, is also unlikely to push for anti-monopoly legislation. At best, they could only limit the already monopolistic "Production Department" from exploiting the employees living within this system.

After all, in this unique economic system, each resident is already a part of the currency; they are both the issuer and the guarantor.

From a philosophical perspective, this has led to humans being highly "monetized" by credit points, losing their human attributes. But conversely, it could also be interpreted as "liberating the common man from the debt relations of the old era."

Everyone is their own creditor and will no longer become slaves to money or be enslaved by others due to money.

Apart from the side effect of causing monopolies, overly conservative credit expansion strategies have made it difficult for startups like Skeleton Studio to stand out. Those who dislike playing by the rules or are unfamiliar with them would find it hard to adapt to this way of life.

But conversely, the entire economic system’s risk has been compressed to a jaw-dropping level.

Over the past century and a half, this small society of millions, perhaps even tens of millions of people, has not experienced a single real economic overheating or depression!

The entire system has been operating steadily and upward, slowly but surely.

I have never seen such a stable economic curve before!

In reality, if a medium to large-scale economy had this level of certainty, without even a hint of fluctuations, it would have accelerated long ago.

Slopes not aligned with the Y-axis would be an insult to this sure-win investment opportunity. There would never be a situation that’s "certain but slow."

Most absurdly, this unconventional economic system was able to seamlessly interact with traditional old-world economic bodies, including the Alliance!

Whether it was import and export operations or outward aid expenditures, they had no effect whatsoever on the smooth running of the entire economy.

Without a doubt, this is a model that does not exist in reality.

If this game were as truly realistic as it claims, just this unique model alone would be enough to drive economists around the world insane!

Of course, this system, built upon Cr as its cornerstone, has become complicated to an infuriating level. Even for the residents living in Ideal City, their understanding of it is probably just the tip of the iceberg.

Not to mention an outsider like me.

But having grasped just the surface, I am already profoundly shocked.

In this half-year of study, Fang Chang even had the illusion that some not-so-"avant-garde" sociological knowledge or experience might work in the real world.

Even if it was only theoretically viable.

Ever since achieving financial freedom, he had taken up being a professional Game player out of interest and had rarely paid attention to matters in the financial field.

However, this game reignited his interest in the profession he had set aside, so much so that he even started attending university in the game.

Life really is full of surprises...

At that moment, the electronic wind chime hanging at the entrance of the bar gently swayed, and a tall and slender beauty walked in from outside.

Although in Ideal City, where handsome men and beautiful women were as common as hairs on an ox, Li Shuyue’s looks were not the most outstanding, her well-tailored, monochromatic OL attire paired with her unique, capable temperament made her stand out in this cyberpunk-themed bar.

As soon as she entered the door, Fang Chang spotted her.

And Li Shuyue, noticing the out-of-place figure in the surroundings, walked straight to the opposite side and sat down on the chair that automatically pulled back for her.

"...The company meeting ran a bit late; I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long. I’ll treat you today."

"No problem, we still have two minutes to go until our scheduled time," Fang Chang said with a smile, glancing at the holographic clock on the wall. "Actually, I just got here a few minutes ago myself."

"Is that all you have to say after seeing me?"

"Thank you for treating, General Lee."

Li Shuyue rolled her eyes.

At that point, she noticed the "Introduction to Artificial Intelligence" and "Introduction to Economics" books lying next to the table and the Yunjian University uniform he was wearing. She couldn’t help but chuckle and said teasingly,

"You’re reading this in a bar?"

"Just came from night school," Fang Chang said with an indifferent shrug in response to her bewildered expression, adding jokingly, "Can’t help it, we Wastelanders from the countryside don’t know the rules, so I have to learn more while you city folks relax after work."

Li Shuyue earnestly suggested,

"We usually leave professional matters to the professionals. If you want to study in your free time, I recommend taking some management courses."

Fang Chang replied with a smile,

"Yeah, I’ve enrolled in that, too."

Li Shuyue: "..."

Seeing that she didn’t respond, Fang Chang continued,

"By the way, how did you think of discussing business here?"

He had initially planned to spend some time at the library before logging off, but then she had suddenly called him out to talk business.

After agreeing, he realized that the location was set at a bar called "Night City," not far from the Yunjian University tower.

Li Shuyue answered casually,

"You don’t usually go to a café at night, do you?"

"So why does it have to be at night?"

"Who would have thought you’d win today? You should have told me in advance!" Li Shuyue said with a hint of complaint.

Fang Chang smiled but didn’t speak.

Of course, he already knew the Alliance would win tonight, even before the news returned to Ideal City—the very second the ceasefire agreement was formally signed.

However, information exchange between players was not shared with NPCs outside the Alliance, and considering that the other party might have ties to the Council, he refrained from mentioning it.

If the Council misunderstood that he possessed an unknown channel for information transfer, it could cause some trouble.

Uncertain whether the other party would care about this detail, his habit was to assume they would.

Seeing that Fang Chang did not intend to explain, Li Shuyue felt a tinge of frustration but did not dwell on this trifle.

After all, he was not obligated to share insider information with her.

"Anyway, I hope to implement the business plan we agreed upon before midnight tonight, using the draft you submitted last time... I need you to check the details once more, and if there’s no issue, we’ll go ahead with that one. I hope there won’t be any surprises."

This was the first business collaboration between the company and the Alliance, and she had been preparing for months, not wanting to be outdone by other speculators who caught wind of the opportunity.

She had a premonition.

The Alliance could become a new growth point for the company’s overseas profits!

With that, she took out a holographic computer pen from her briefcase, placed it on the table, and handed him a pair of AR glasses directly connected to the computer.

Although that draft wasn’t some incredible business secret, it was still not quite suitable for public display.

Fang Chang, taking the glasses, couldn’t help but inwardly criticize again.

Negotiating a proper business collaboration in a bar—this client was definitely nuts.

"Midnight... Isn’t that rather late?" Fang Chang asked casually as he flipped through the light blue holographic pop-up window, doing his final check.

"In this city, time is credit, and credit is everything... No amount of professional reading is as good as remembering this line."

As Li Shuyue glanced at the flickering text on the nearby electronic screen, an idea struck her, and she gestured for a robot waiter, tapping its head twice with her index finger.

Soon, two specially mixed strong drinks were served.

"Oh right, almost forgot—here’s to you," Li Shuyue lifted one of the rainbow-colored cocktails, clinked it against the other glass, and, parting her red lips, said, "Congratulations on your victory in the war."

"But your expression tells me you regret something," Fang Chang joked, trying to ease the mood as he looked at her serious face.

"Yes," Li Shuyue rolled her eyes after taking a sip of the cocktail, "I nearly managed to take in a homeless Awakener."

"Now that joke isn’t funny at all."

If the Springs were pushed,

then it would mean game over.

But he trusted his companions.

Those guys might not seem serious at times, but when it mattered, they never let him down.

And he wouldn’t let them down either.

Smiling pleasantly, Fang Chang lifted his glass slightly from the table.

"To our enduring friendship, and to the victory far away—"

"Cheers!"

...

"Bang—!"

Glorious fireworks also bloomed above the sky of City of Dawn.

Compared to the first half of the night about to end in Ideal City, it wasn’t that dark in River Valley Province yet, but the festive atmosphere was just as vibrant.

The streets of the City of Dawn were festooned with lights, and it seemed as if the residents of the refuge had known well in advance that victory would come today.

Although they lacked the holographic projections that could envelop the entire sky and the towering "floor-to-ceiling giant screens," the survivors living here felt no less excitement and joy than their distant friends on the East Coast.

Especially the fervent warmth and excitement flowing through their veins, which was even stronger than that of the Ideal City residents.

They were the witnesses of the war!

They had defeated the invincible Army!

Even if just for a brief moment, they accomplished what many Waste Land Wanderers deemed nearly impossible—a battlefield victory over the Army!

Those lofty heirs were not invincible.

The Alliance had proven this.

As long as they were united, they could even defeat the Weilante People in the areas they were most proud of and skilled in!

The players might not feel it as intensely, but in the hearts of every survivor in the Alliance, a burning mark had been unwittingly imprinted.

The young saplings had broken through the hard soil.

An old era was coming to an end.

Gone were not just the winter’s cold but also the desolation of people’s hearts.

A new Protagonist was stepping onto the stage of history—an era for all Waste Land Wanderers and not just for a select few fortunate ones.

Everyone firmly believed—

One day, all the old orders would fall before our hands!

The fireworks blooming in the night sky illuminated every gazing face.

The continuous cheers on the streets made every Resident of the refuge, every Waste Land Wanderer from the wilderness, feel a sense of kinship.

"Long live the Alliance!"

"Long live victory!"

"Long live the Manager!!"

This night.

Many would undoubtedly find sleep elusive.

-

(Finally caught up, that was close to missing the deadline. Oh, and if you’re interested in that card event, you can participate. If we gather enough people, we can unlock a reading theme! I’m off to sleep now!)