This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 530 Dad, Lend Me Some Money!

Chapter 530: Chapter 530 Dad, Lend Me Some Money!

"Dad, lend me some money!"

Inside the mansion in the Inner City.

The moment Sid rushed home and stepped through the door, he was met with his son’s expectant gaze, his face immediately revealing an interested expression.

Hey.

It’s like the sun rising from the west.

This damned son of his always had his hand out for money; what’s with the sudden change to borrowing today?

He didn’t care how his son spent money outside; his family wealth was inexhaustible just by spending it. All that mattered was his son being careful not to suddenly bring an illegitimate grandchild home when sleeping with girls.

Who hasn’t been young before?

He too loved to have fun when he was younger, but after starting a family, he reined it in a bit. After all, his wife’s family had a not insignificant status; it was necessary to consider each other’s face.

"How much?"

"Ten million!"

Hearing the figure of ten million, Sid immediately furrowed his brows.

What does ten million mean?

If you count it as a salary, over five hundred thousand people in Giant Stone City would have to bust their chops for two to three weeks! Even if you calculate it by production value, those cattle and horses would need to work their tails off for at least a whole day!

Although the stakes were just numbers to him, they certainly weren’t just paper. Without a doubt, this was no small sum, and even if he could afford it, he couldn’t let his son squander it like this.

"Go get 200,000 from the butler for now; if that’s not enough, come back to me."

Seeing his father misunderstand him, Kumarit immediately became desperate, stamping his foot as he spoke.

"Dad! I really need it urgently! If you don’t trust me, I can write an IOU!"

Sid glared at him and said,

"Did you get yourself into trouble again? Spit it out, and don’t you damn well make decisions on your own!"

Kumarit chuckled.

"No, what trouble? Do I look like that sort of person? Dad, honestly, I’ve found a business opportunity to make money!"

A business opportunity to make money?

Sid almost laughed out loud.

No one else might understand his son, but he knew him all too well; this guy couldn’t hold on to money to save his life.

Placing his hand on his shoulder, Sid patiently said,

"You, my boy, can be a bit naive at times. Be more cautious out there; don’t get conned. Tell your old man, who’s been feeding you this bull?"

Kumarit wryly shook off his father’s hand.

"What are you talking about! I told you, it’s a chance to get rich! That Kishu, you know him, right? He’s back from Ideal City!"

"Kishu? You mean... Melvin’s second son?" It took Sid a moment to remember the name of that troublemaker.

To be honest, he didn’t have a good impression of the kid; he acted too rashly; to put it bluntly, brainless!

When he could have simply hired a couple of desperados to take out a family, he chose to arrogantly set the place on fire himself, like a pigheaded fool—not smart at all.

Fortunately, the kid had a smart father who sent him out of the city right away, settled things with the Militia Group at the first opportunity, and found a scapegoat to calm the anger of the residents from the outer city—it somehow brought an end to the matter.

They indeed could disregard the explicit rules, but beneath the surface, there was still an unwritten set of rules to follow.

Without any rules at all, wouldn’t that make one a Looter?

Had it not been for that kid’s father’s sake, Sid would never have agreed to let his son hang around with that guy every day.

Of course, considering that Kishu had spent five years in Ideal City, and perhaps had established his base there with the help of that old fox Melvin, it was still worth investing a bit of face.

He planned to find an opportunity to send his younger son over as well, to establish relations early on so that there would be someone to look after him once he was there. When he got his hands on a large sum of Cr, he also wanted to go there to relax for a few days and experience another kind of lavish lifestyle.

Thinking of this, Sid had a plan in mind and casually said,

"...Go to the butler and get two million chips."

Kumarit’s face instantly fell in disappointment.

"Ah? Only two million..."

"You think that’s too little," Sid said, slapping the back of the head of the ungrateful kid, "you’ve never managed a household, so you don’t know how hard it is to make money! Take the two million and spend it, don’t bother writing any damn promissory notes. Just give me an IOU, and if you lose it all, go study in Ideal City! With such a great opportunity now, flights can go directly there, at least bring back something you’ve learned!"

Kumarit pouted.

Honestly, he didn’t think money was so hard to earn.

His good buddy was the son of the Giant Stone City Bank president, and he was a lackey for the big boss’s son, Wei Jia; making money wasn’t a minute’s job for him.

Moreover, Kishu had developed a very detailed plan; they had a complete strategy to send the price of S Coin soaring to the heavens!

But time is money, so two million it was.

Once he turned that two million into four hundred million, or even four billion... he believed his foolish father would definitely look at him with new respect!

While Kumarit was dreaming of making a fortune, Sid had already gone to his wife Bonnie’s place.

He pushed open the door and entered the dressing room, embracing that woman who was getting her hair done by a maid at the vanity table.

Although she was in her forties or fifties, she barely looked any different from her younger days thanks to good maintenance and biotechnological advancements, save for some faint lines around her eyes.

If she were a Waste Land Wanderer, at her age, she’d mostly be buried in the ground by now.

"What’s made you so happy?" Bonnie’s cheeks flushed slightly as she glanced at the maid beside her, signaling her to step out and close the door behind her.

But Kumarit didn’t care if anyone was around; after all, he had tasted that girl’s flavor, and he kissed his wife joyfully.

"My dear, we’re going to be rich!"

Bonnie chided softly.

"Rich? Aren’t we already wealthy?"

"We’ll be even wealthier!" Sid sat on the couch proudly and laid out the agreement he had reached with List about the bond issue on the table.

List had agreed to let him have "original price" for half of the cake and had given him professional advice, suggesting that he equally split the allocation between short and long bonds.

He subscribed for five hundred million in short bonds, and one billion in long bonds... Although initially, he had intended to subscribe to the latter entirely for 1.5 billion, as buying 100 chips at the 85 issue price sounded more appealing, he decided to nod in agreement, thinking it fair to let List earn a bit as well.

An 85 issue price meant that he could buy 1 billion chips’ worth of bonds for just 850 million chips, and each year, the Alliance would pay him forty million chips in interest!

Of course, what he cared about was not the forty million chips in interest per year; only the poor would count on that meager bank interest.

He would sell the total 1.5 billion bonds at an appropriate price, like 1.3 or 1.4 billion, in piecemeal fashion to those business associations and factory owners in Giant Stone City.

After all, having had his share of the meat, he should also share a bit of the broth with them.

Now that the factories and business associations that had made money from the Alliance had plenty of cash, they’d definitely be interested in this value-adding transaction.

They would want a sip of this broth.

And he had to drink!

Thinking of this, Sid couldn’t help but feel proud of his own genius scheme.

This one transaction was a billion!

Money that would take two and a half years to earn through interest, he could earn in a flash with just a flick of his fingers.

Honest people like List, who diligently run factories and do business, know nothing of true "strength"!

"I always feel like something’s off. Why would List give you such a money-making opportunity? He’s a nouveau riche, right?" After listening to her husband’s words, Bonnie still couldn’t shake off a vague feeling of unease.

Put bluntly, she didn’t trust the Waste Land Wanderers.

Even if the Waste Land Wanderers had mingled among the Inner City Nobles because of their wealth, their blood was still tainted with filth and original sin.

Sid wasn’t at all surprised by his wife’s concerns. A trophy wife like her could never touch the darkness outside; even looking out of their window at home, she couldn’t see even an inch of the Wasteland.

But he knew all too well.

He was more aware than anyone just how desperate the outsiders from the Wasteland were, and how much they longed for life in the Inner City. For the sake of that Black Card, they could grovel in the dust, ready to pluck out their dignity and hearts and throw them into a frying pan.

"Yes, he is a nouveau riche, and his Black Card was even obtained with my help, but the real core power of the Inner City still has nothing to do with him. I can pull half the nobles to vote with me, but he still has to ponder over human relationships, asking me where to stand when voting so he won’t inadvertently offend someone. If he wants to establish himself in the Inner City, he has to depend on us, on our family, on the intricate network of bloodlines that run through this mansion! You could say that he is nothing more than a dog reared by our family."

Looking at her husband’s confident eyes, Bonnie’s heart relaxed a bit and she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"This family relies on you alone; don’t overwork yourself."

She didn’t understand those complicated matters.

Her father had protected her very well, but occasionally seeing the worried looks that appeared on her maids’ faces, the bitter expressions when lovers wrote letters, and the frightened attitude when facing her, she could somewhat guess that life outside was actually not good for others.

Embracing his wife’s waist, Sid said with full confidence,

"Don’t worry, your husband isn’t fighting alone; we are a group of people — descendants of the noble ones who created a new world from the ruins of nothingness. And our opponents, they are nothing but brain-frozen Ground Squirrels and Waste Land Wanderers whose stomachs have spoiled from scavenging garbage."

"They don’t understand what true cunning and strategy are. We see them clearly, and they don’t even know how many cards we hold in our hands."

"We cannot possibly lose!"

...

"Hahaha! Those stupid pigs! You have no idea, the expression on that idiot Sid’s face when I told him he could get 100 Bonds for 90 chips was absolutely priceless! An elegant and proper man really can turn into a pig in the blink of an eye!"

In a mansion in the City of Dawn,

List’s face was filled with a smug and wanton scoff.

He vividly described to Chu Guang how he had tricked the greedy pig into a cage of his own making at the banquet, step by step luring it to put the noose around its own neck.

Chu Guang listened with a smile and softly clapped his hands.

"Brilliant."

"You flatter me!"

With the frivolous smile gone from his face, List nodded slightly and respectfully continued, "No matter how brilliant my performance, I’m just an actor on the stage, incomparable to you who designed the whole theater for me."

"Don’t be so modest! Kissing up to me won’t get you anywhere," Chu Guang laughed and continued, "Did you bring the item?"

"Right here."

List patted his hands lightly.

Soon, his trusted aide Han Long pushed open the door, carrying two large briefcases from outside the study.

At the sign from his boss List, Han Long placed the briefcases on the empty table on one side of the study and unlatched them.

Inside the briefcase lay chips, black and white intermingled, emblazoned with crown patterns, and each chip was worth ten thousand.

List looked toward Chu Guang, respectfully saying,

"Please take a look."

Chu Guang glanced at Lu Bei, who was standing beside him.

"Go count them."

"Yes!"

Lu Bei nodded briskly and approached the two briefcases.

Although Chu Guang knew that List had surely counted the chips over and over again, and wouldn’t dare deceive him, having Lu Bei go through the motions provided him with peace of mind.

And just like before, Lu Bei was meticulous with the tasks assigned to him, earnestly beginning to count each one.

Watching the young man fully absorbed in counting the money, List’s expression relaxed somewhat as he smiled at Chu Guang, who was seated on the sofa.

"As per your instructions, I have transferred more than half of the bonds to renowned nobles within Giant Stone City. Without any surprises, they will sell these bonds to the factories of Giant Stone City."

If the result of the last round of inflation has been a concentration of social wealth within Giant Stone City into the hands of the powerful nobles and production-holding merchants, then this round of inflation caused by subprime debt will let these merchants start to taste that "sweet bitterness."

These merchants are the most cunning.

They greedily enjoyed the hot spring-like comfort of the pool, but they would be the first to become alert when the water becomes scaldingly hot.

Therefore, when necessary, they’d pull along the not-so-smart but sufficiently powerful nobles to face external threats together.

So, to harvest from them requires extra thought; sell the cutting knife to the Inner City Nobles first so they can do this time-consuming and laborious work.

The total debt of three billion was just the beginning.

Whether it was List or Chu Guang, neither had promised Giant Stone City that this would be the last money they borrowed, nor that they wouldn’t use new debts to pay old ones.

"Actually, there’s something I don’t quite understand," List suddenly began to ask.

"What is it?"

"The Alliance has an account in Giant Stone City, right?" List asked with a puzzled look at Chu Guang, "Since the chips need to be taken to Giant Stone City for trading, why not make a direct transfer? Why must it be in cash?"

Chu Guang chuckled, saying casually,

"Because this money isn’t for buying things, it’s bait for fishing. In this game, we can only ensure our own credit, it’s hard to say for others, so I need some off-the-record cash to fulfill our promises."

Chu Guang looked at the briefcases on the table.

Following his instructions, List had Sid pay a "deposit" of 20 million chips in advance, which was a cash transaction, and then had someone deliver the chips to the Alliance.

No one dared to ask what Sid needed the money for, and twenty million was caught in a not-too-big, not-too-small amount, so Giant Stone City Bank would not detect anything suspicious in advance.

Half of this twenty million was to pay off the debt to Giant Stone City Bank, and the other half was for Melvin to see, telling him that the Alliance was ready with the principal and interest for the next year.

So don’t think about leveraging the debt to force concessions from the Alliance!

Melvin was a smart man, and he would surely realize that earning too much base currency was like drinking a bellyful of foam. He would definitely use the debt to put pressure on the Alliance, either to propose unrestricted flow of chips and silver coins or to ask the Alliance to help him find a new place for the excess foam.

Whether it’s allowing chips to bridge into Cr, or setting prices for the Lion Kingdom’s grain and West State City’s mineral resources with the chips, these were all means to achieve the goal.

But Chu Guang wouldn’t let that cunning fox escape easily and even planned to use this opportunity to sink them deeper.

Melvin would never have dreamed that his major shareholder was so impatient and eager to repay the year-end principal and interest for the Alliance, stabbing himself in the process without his knowledge.

List nodded as if he understood but didn’t fully grasp the concept.

"What about the rest of the money? It’s not easy to procure 830 million chips in cash, that’s no small sum. Giant Stone City Bank will definitely keep an eye on that money. Even if you had Sid withdraw cash first, I’m afraid it won’t be easy."

Chu Guang smiled and said, "No need to bring it out. What do I need so much scrap paper for? We’re going to buy some things with this money. Part will be used for the buy-back of discounted debts, part for purchasing production materials, and by then, we might also need your help."

List, interested, asked,

"What are you buying?"

Chu Guang did not reveal it to him, simply saying succinctly,

"Whatever Giant Stone City Bank’s 510 million chip mid-to-long-term loan can’t buy, we can purchase with this money. Our industrial and economic departments have put together a list, just agreed upon recently. I can tell you this list exists, but I won’t tell you what’s on it ahead of time."

Because that would be unfair to the other competitors.

List planned to sell Giant Stone City for a good price, and Chu Guang would ensure he got a fair share of the benefits he was entitled to, but only the agreed-upon part.

The future planning for the Alliance was another matter.

List got the hint from Chu Guang immediately and didn’t press further. He relaxed and smiled, smoothly changing the subject from this risky topic,

"Okay then, just tell me when you need me... But speaking of which, you all are incredibly efficient – reaching a consensus in just one meeting. The Inner City nobles could bicker over trivialities like who gets an extra bite for a week when they’re supposed to be cautious, yet can be surprisingly swift when they need to be."

"That’s their business."

Watching Lu Bei nod toward him, Chu Guang smiled and stood up from the sofa, shaking hands with List, who also got up.

"I assure you, everyone will get their share; they won’t miss a single bite they deserve."

Firmly gripping that iron-strong and powerful hand, List also smiled and respectfully responded,

"It is an honor to serve you!"

...

While the high-ups in Giant Stone City were playing a game of wits with the leaders of the Alliance, the three-day celebration had entered its final stage.

After tonight, everyone’s lives would return to the normal routine, back to work.

But not many people felt regret.

Instead, they were filled with anticipation for tomorrow.

Starting from tomorrow, they would only work eight hours a day. Not only would their bosses not dock their wages, but they would also receive increased pay. This was because the Alliance demanded their bosses cooperate, or else pack up and go to the neighbors.

Compared to a rapidly growing market with boundless potential, what was a little increase in labor costs?

The smart ones could all solve this bit of arithmetic.

On the other side, with Fang Chang’s help, Dolly had completed her column.

However, just as she was excitedly planning to tell her boss Hal the good news, she discovered that her boss came over from Giant Stone City.

And he didn’t come alone but brought a whole crowd of employees, all dusty and carrying luggage, looking like they were thrown out on the street.

At the doorstep of their house by Rhombus Lake.

After listening to Hal’s explanation, Dolly’s eyes widened,

"The newspaper was disbanded?!"

Hal looked guiltily at the surprised Dolly and whispered,

"...It wasn’t me who wanted to disband it."

"I know... but why didn’t you tell me earlier?!" Dolly said, clenching her fists in anger.

For that column, she had spent almost the entire celebration walking up and down the streets of City of Dawn, without even properly enjoying the festivities.

When she’d done everything, her worthless boss told her there was no work left?! Hal hunched his neck, speaking with an air of guilt.

"I figured since I was coming over here anyway, I’d tell you in person... By the way, is your arm better? Congratulations, it suits you."

Dolly, frustrated and upset, pressed her fingers to her temples, not diverted by his change of subject and still brooding over the closure of the newspaper.

"But... but... wasn’t the newspaper invested in by the Alliance?"

Hal sighed, looking at Dolly, who was trying to make a final struggle, and said,

"Yes, but the Alliance’s embassy can’t possibly pressure Giant Stone City for the sake of our one newspaper. This is their internal affair; the Alliance doesn’t want to make a big fuss over such a small matter... Of course, out of respect for the Alliance’s face, Giant Stone City also didn’t make things difficult for us, letting us take everything away. Aside from windows and doors, which we simply couldn’t take, I packed everything else and brought it back, including your desk."

Dolly stared at him, stunned.

"So... what are you planning to do next?"

Hal’s expression was slightly complicated as he gazed towards the setting sun in the west.

"I’m planning to take my colleagues to the Falling Leaves Province and start a new Survivor’s Daily there, beginning with expanding our business from the Lion Kingdom. Of course... if you don’t want to go that far, you could stay in City of Dawn. There’s also a Survivor’s Daily here. I’ve talked to the chief editor here, and they welcome us."

The Survivor’s Daily of City of Dawn he had seen wasn’t as interesting as the one he had run in Giant Stone City, after all, bantering with Mr. Hauser required a certain level of skill.

Most of the Alliance’s educated people would find a better work unit, and since a newspaper’s profitability is limited, editorial positions typically couldn’t offer very high salaries, so most of their writing was in plain language, lacking a bit of humor and wit.

However, their future was still something to look forward to.

After all, the price of advertising would grow with the economic scale, and good days would eventually come to those who worked hard.

Survivor’s Daily originated in Giant Stone City.

But their mission there had ended.

After discussing what was to come, Hal didn’t dare stay for a meal and cautiously apologized again before leaving.

Watching Dolly return from the entryway with a despondent face, Fang Chang gently patted her shoulder, offering consolation.

"It’s okay..."

"But that was the press release I had worked so hard on..." Dolly’s eyes brimmed with tears, her heart filled with unspeakable grievance.

She thought there were many things about the Alliance’s methods worth learning from; if they improved the working environment for the workers, making the residents of Giant Stone City wealthier, there would surely be more fresh things spontaneously flowing into Giant Stone City, and it would become richer due to everyone’s eccentric ideas. Even if it couldn’t return to the glorious Prosperity Epoch, it could make everyone’s life a little better than tomorrow.

She didn’t like the noble lords of the Inner City; having been an intelligence peddler, she knew better than anyone how ugly and dirty those people were.

But if she could make life better for the people of Giant Stone City, she was willing to set aside her petty hatred and publish the good things she saw in the Alliance in the newspaper, even if some were just one-sided or even naive thoughts.

Some imagined, some perfected, some tried; three people could always do more than one, and no one could come up with a perfect solution right from the start.

However, what she never expected was that just as she was planning to do these things, Survivor’s Daily was forced to close.

More cruel than ridicule and mockery was the thorough indifference.

"Do you find it ironic?" Fang Chang coughed lightly, unable to resist making a jab, "The big bad Gray Wolf is treated as an honored guest, while the clever inspector misses loses her beloved job—ouch, are you a cat?!"

Before he’d finished speaking, Dolly had lunged and bitten him.

"You’re still making fun of me!"

Seeing the tears welling up in her eyes, Fang Chang suddenly felt a twinge of heartache, even though players don’t have such a thing as the sensation of pain.

He reached out, gently embraced her, and stroked her head.

"Sorry."

"You haven’t done anything wrong; you don’t need to apologize!"

Tears welled in her eyes as Dolly forcefully inhaled through her nose, her low and hoarse voice tugging at the heartstrings, "You knew this would happen... didn’t you?"

Fang Chang sighed softly.

"If I said I didn’t see it coming, that would certainly be a lie, but I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly."

Dolly looked at him with a heartbreakingly plaintive gaze.

"But why! Why did they have to..."

"The reason behind it may not be as complicated as you think. It might just be that one day a noble, on a whim, picked up a copy from a civilian’s newspaper stand. They don’t usually care much for that stuff, just as they typically wouldn’t try beer watered down with water, but having tasted it, they’d frown... So it’s not your fault, there’s no need to grieve for people not worth it."

Not wanting Dolly to be too upset, Fang Chang continued to comfort her.

"Besides, even setting aside the newspaper, wandering the bustling streets of City of Dawn with you, peeking around and inquiring about the ’secret formula’ for the Alliance’s rise, was quite joyful for me."

This simple pleasure was, ironically, not so easy to come by in the age of information.

In reality, wanting to find out something was almost too easy – just a few taps on a keyboard or a couple of phone calls could do the trick.

"...But our efforts are meaningless now," Dolly hung her head, "My column... won’t be published."

"How could that be? Haven’t I always said that lying beside you on the grass counting stars is filled with meaning? Furthermore, everything we’ve done these past days, whether it has meaning or not, shouldn’t be decided by those who haven’t done it."

Looking into those bewildered, innocent eyes, Fang Chang squeezed her small hand.

"How about submitting an article to the Survivor’s Daily of the Alliance?"

"What they don’t care about, we do, and what they care about, we don’t find so important. I’m sure the editor-in-chief of the Survivor’s Daily will be moved by your meticulous investigation. We need your eyes to spot the ’Nagos’ hidden among us and other hazards we’ve yet to notice."

The confusion in her eyes slowly began to sparkle with renewed light.

Pleased to see her regain her spirit, Fang Chang smiled softly, making a light-hearted joke in a gentle voice.

"...It would be such a waste to give up now."

"I’m still looking forward to the day when kind and gentle Miss Dolly can earn enough to support me."

...

After coming out of List’s home, Chu Guang instructed Lu Bei to take the gambling chips to the Ministry of Finance, while he himself went to Rhombus Lake North Street, where the players gathered, intending to see what new work his little players had come up with.

As he passed by the player-constructed community, he happened to run into Hal, who had just left Fang Chang’s home.

Before he could think of an explanation and intending to avoid Chu Guang, Hal saw that he had already been spotted and had no choice but to steel himself to greet him. Before Chu Guang could ask, Hal explained everything from start to finish.

With his head down, not daring to meet the Manager’s eyes, Hal quietly apologized.

"I’m sorry... I’ve let you down and screwed up the newspaper."

Seeing his trepidation, Chu Guang, who happened to be in good spirits, smiled and said.

"Did I ever tell you what my expectations were?"

Hal was slightly taken aback, confusion dawning in his eyes.

He couldn’t recall and scratched his head.

"What were they?"

"Nothing at all. I simply asked you to do it. I never specified how it had to be done. But now it seems that this investment has yielded some unexpected returns, and your choices and decisions have made it more than worthwhile."

Chu Guang chuckled, looking at the perplexed young man.

"Starting a newspaper in the Falling Leaves Province is a good idea. Do whatever you feel like doing, and, when you go back, remember to send my regards to your father. By the way, have you had anything to eat?"

Hal snapped back to reality as his stomach growled. His face turned red as he shook his head in denial.

"No...."

"Well, perfect. Let’s do it together."

Hal was stunned upon hearing this, and then he hurriedly waved his hands and declined, flattered and surprised.

"How could I impose..."

Chu Guang laughed, clapped him on the shoulder, and made a joke.

"What’s there to impose about? Wasn’t the first meal you had in Clear Spring City on me? You didn’t seem too embarrassed then."

Hal coughed dryly.

"That was different... I was hungry."

And back then, it couldn’t compare with the present!

The Alliance had already grown into a towering tree, and even his royal father had to treat the Manager of the Alliance with the utmost respect.

Let alone him.

"Consider it a farewell feast before you leave! Once you’re in the desert, remember to tell the people there what I actually look like, instead of imagining me from some painting." Watching Hal still feeling awkward, Chu Guang cheerfully urged, "Let’s go, drink up, no dilly-dallying!"

Declining again would seem disrespectful.

Hal, caught between laughter and tears, nodded and let himself be dragged by Chu Guang to a barbecue stand.

Many of the refugees were here.

Their surprise at the Manager’s arrival wasn’t much; most people kept busy with their own things, and only a few idle revelers came up to "pay their respects."

However, Hal could tell that the titles they concocted with slick and sycophantic words were not because they saw the dignitary as an untouchable figure, nor was there any sarcastic mocking in their tones. They merely hoped to draw his attention through this performative art.

But what good would that do them?

Deep down, they knew, didn’t they, that the Manager wouldn’t show them favoritism just because they "buttered him up"?

Hal didn’t know what they were up to and simply observed these refugees with curiosity. Everything here was fresh and new to him, who had always stayed in Giant Stone City.

As night fell, the noise grew louder, and even melodious music began to play.

The people here seemed to be celebrating the last night of the festivities.

They mixed Crack Claw Crab meat with flour, sprinkled spices to make patties, and put tables together, sharing victorious wine and stories of adventures.

It seemed they never tired.

They didn’t give the Wasteland a second thought.

The oily fragrance was even more intoxicating than the foam on beer, and what captured one’s gaze more was the rising bonfire and the dancers twirling before it.

And the Manager who brought him here had long since disappeared to who knows where.

Hal, who had carelessly drunk too much, gazed blurrily at the increasingly hazy world in front of him and hummed a ditty he made up on the spot—

"Bright lights and festive decor, the Hyena joins the fun, greedily jumps into the fryer, some cry, and some laugh."

Wait and see.

Those arrogant folks.

Thinking that once he went to the desert, he would miss seeing those noblemen’s mournful expressions, Hal suddenly felt a bit reluctant to leave...

---

(Too many updates, the keyboard is breaking ರ_ರ)