This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 553: A Change in the Weather

Chapter 553: Chapter 553: A Change in the Weather

Military operations against the various gangs in the slum continued until midnight.

First Army Corps had dispatched two thousand teams with a total of fifty-two wheeled armored vehicles and twelve Type 1 tanks.

The Militia Group of Giant Stone City initially sent two thousand teams but later increased that number to three.

For the gangs hiding in the slums, such a disproportionate military force was undoubtedly like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Many survivors held a similar view.

However, according to the Manager, the gang forces that took refuge in the slums had become breeding grounds for Looters and crime.

They maintained a limited order but were also the root of all chaos in Qingquan City.

If this trouble wasn’t completely resolved, it would be futile no matter how many Looter Tribes were exterminated; those guys would pop up like monsters.

This chronic issue had persisted for over a century and had to be treated with strong measures.

The Alliance not only wanted to blast this fly with artillery but also to let all those itching to move see how the fly died!

Therefore, no Army Corps held back, arresting everyone who resisted with guns or bore gang tattoos.

The number of people involved turned out to be much larger than anyone had anticipated.

Just the Dagger Gang alone accounted for one thousand of the apprehended; the second-largest gang, Dean Gang, had over eight hundred; Poison Gang had six hundred.

A massive crowd stood at the gate of Giant Stone City, firmly bound in groups of ten by ropes, with another group under the distant overpass.

Jeff, who had his head forced down, was bewildered himself; he usually interacted with just a few core members of the gang.

He hadn’t realized that the miscellaneous people under his command added up to so many.

What terrified him even more was that the Alliance understood his assets better than he did.

West was just as dumbfounded.

Previously, he thought the Alliance had set their sights on them during the takeover of Giant Stone City, but now it seemed these guys might have planned to make their move long before that...

Approaching Chu Guang, Wrench stood at attention and saluted.

"In total, we have arrested 4,713 people and killed 671 during the operation!"

Standing beside Chu Guang, Joey heard the number and couldn’t help but be slightly moved.

"There are so many of them... almost two percent of the total population of the slums."

The exact population of Giant Stone City’s slums had never been counted, but it was roughly estimated to be around two hundred thousand.

Wrench continued solemnly.

"The situation here is probably more complex than we anticipated. We’ve only caught the core members who were nearby and those gang members who resisted. There’s still a large number of peripheral personnel hiding inside."

They were soldiers, not detectives, and their execution process was bound to be much more brutal, so it was inevitable that some incorrect arrests were made.

But to say they were wrongly accused was not quite accurate either.

The Alliance had warned the survivors in the slums to stay indoors.

If they were neither in the construction crew nor heeding the warning, were between the ages of 16 to 35, and happened to be carrying weapons near gang strongholds, getting caught as a gang member was no one’s fault but their own.

Later, the Alliance would interrogate those arrested, release some of the innocent based on testimonies and collected evidence, and deal with the rest accordingly.

Looking at the people in the distance, Chu Guang nodded.

"Arrest many, release a few; repeat this process several times, focusing on clearing out organized criminals without missing one. As for peripheral personnel with minor involvement, prioritize rehabilitation; have the guard team record and file their information for future reference. If they reoffend, impose severe punishment."

People couldn’t live in a vacuum; the young and strong in the slums were inevitably tainted by the gang-ruled order.

In reality, the construction crew itself was a method of division and transformation. As long as they sincerely worked, today’s events would have nothing to do with them.

By uniting some of the peripheral personnel with a new order, the risk of bombs buried in the slums exploding would be minimized.

Then, send in the army to thoroughly smash the pot of criminal forces.

This was the entire plan.

Wrench asked in a serious tone.

"What should we do with these people?"

"Like with the Looters, execute the gang leaders first, then trial the core members, and send the general gang members to the POW Camp..."

Pausing, Chu Guang changed his mind.

"Forget it, don’t send them to the POW Camp. Set up a Punishment Camp instead, the Tide is coming."

Locking up criminals with POWs didn’t seem very humane; it was better to keep the trash separated.

"Yes, sir!"

Wrench placed his right fist on his chest, saluted, and then turned to head towards the nearby troops, calling over his subordinates to arrange tasks.

After entrusting the punishment of these gang members to Wrench, Chu Guang looked towards a briefcase lying on the snow nearby.

Inside lay bundles of light brown paper money, each note worth a staggering one hundred thousand.

This was the loot seized from the Dagger Gang’s stronghold.

There had been some silver coins, dinars, and Cr inside, which he had already sent to the courthouse with the rest of the confiscated items.

The players’ rewards would be calculated separately; this loot would be confiscated after the trial was concluded.

"Bugra... I remember this is the currency of the Free State."

Following Chu Guang’s gaze at those paper notes, Joey frowned and continued in a low voice, "I heard a long time ago that there were people from the Free State in the gangs of the slums outside the city."

Gangs were one of the specialties of the Free State.

There, corporate armed forces were the most powerful, followed by a mixture of gangs, mercenaries, bounty hunters, and so on, with the government military and police forces coming in last.

They sold the weapons of civilization to Looters and exported the ways of Looters to civilized people.

Compared to pure Looters and survivor forces, the corporations of the Free State preferred to trade with those who straddled the two worlds.

Because dealing with such clients allowed them to export both weapons and experts while earning heftier compensation.

Chu Guang nodded slightly and spoke slowly,

"The information I received was consistent. The people from Free State had bribed some nobles of the Inner City. According to the testimony of a Thousands of leaders named Wallace, they had taken notice of the guests from the North a while ago. But since those people hardly touched their cake, they didn’t pay much attention to them and even occasionally conducted transactions with them, letting those people do some of the dirty work they couldn’t do themselves."

The Dagger Gang was a faction fostered by the Bugra Free State.

They had a secretive style of operation, preferring to establish a set of rules hidden beneath the existing order, and then squeezing extra benefits from the marginalized and the weak.

Since they did not touch the cake of those with vested interests, and would even cooperate with them, most Survivor Settlements or Survivor Forces did not want to expend the effort to deal with them.

"It’s tough..." Joey sighed, "If we don’t resolve the trouble from the North, even if we squash these few cockroaches, a bunch of little bugs will emerge later on."

"No matter how tough, it needs to be done."

Looking in the direction of the slums, Chu Guang squinted his eyes.

"Even without the Northern neighbors, the Wasteland never ceases to export chaos to us. In order to maintain our achievements, we must do a good follow-up, establish a complete system, block every possible loophole, and incrementally shrink the living space for those cockroaches until our Alliance completely eradicates their breeding ground."

It couldn’t be said that flies don’t buzz around a seamless egg, but there were indeed places on this Wasteland that the infiltration of Bugra Free State could not pervade.

Such as the Academy. Such as corporations.

"...I will communicate these matters with Lovett, Luka, and the others. Of course, it will also require the cooperation of your Militia Group."

Feeling the determination in those words, Joey nodded slightly, his right fist respectfully placed against his chest.

"It’s an honor to serve you."

...

The latter half of the night was calm, with nothing happening.

The next morning came, the sky not yet fully bright.

Twenty gang leaders, dirty and disheveled, were then escorted by a team of a hundred men to the open space between the market and the main gate.

The commotion at the gate attracted countless observers, and the Wasteland Wanderers who were stranded in the market gathered at the entrance to watch the excitement.

Many merchants who frequently came to Giant Stone City to do business recognized those bound figures, some even shockingly calling out their names.

"Jeff... and West?!"

"The Dagger Gang’s big boss and second boss!"

"The third boss is there too!"

"And there’s Dean Gang and Poison Gang..."

"Good lord, all three gangs gathered?!"

"What is the Alliance up to?"

People curiously looked towards the Giant Wall Gate, watching as the soldiers of the Alliance placed hood made of plastic cloth over the heads of those men, whispering speculations about what the Alliance was planning.

However, their curiosity didn’t last long, as the mystery was quickly revealed.

Twenty soldiers, armed with rifles, marched in neat steps to a position not far behind the group, and then, without a word, loaded their rifles.

Some wanderers vaguely anticipated what was about to happen next but could hardly believe the Alliance would really do it, their faces filled with astonishment.

"Bang, bang—!"

A burst of gunfire rang out, and a mist of blood sprayed from the back of the heads and backs of the twenty ringleaders who fell to the ground, silent in the snow.

They had probably thought they still held some value, that they should at least be tried, and likely didn’t anticipate that the Alliance would simply execute them.

At the time of the gunfire, they had no mental preparation whatsoever.

One particularly fortunate individual didn’t die on the spot, convulsing in the blood-drenched snow, his plastic hood scraped off.

That man was Jeff, the underground emperor of not just the slums but all of Giant Stone City!

The boss of the Dagger Gang!

"Click... ah..."

He opened and closed his bloody mouth, blood continuously bubbling out, trying to say something to plead, but he couldn’t utter a complete sentence—his gaze could only appealingly look at the soldier approaching, reaching out a trembling hand.

His lips shaped as though to say—

’Give me another chance.’

The soldier didn’t waste words with him, nor did he recognize this man at all.

Noticing one more Looter leader not taken care of, the young man quickened his steps, raised his rifle, and delivered another shot to his head.

"Bang—!"

An eerie silence fell over the market.

Only the fading echo remained.

Jeff’s pupils gradually dilated, his lifted arm collapsing into the snow; thus ended his wicked life in an unbefitting manner.

Seeing the boss of the Dagger Gang die like a stray dog, an involuntary gulp was shared among the wanderers.

As they looked towards those soldiers in exoskeletons, a bone-deep fear unwittingly entered their eyes.

These guys meant business!

Even someone as significant as Jeff was taken out!

It appeared that the skies here had truly changed...

Apart from the onlookers, the gang members detained near the execution site were, without exception, pale-faced and soulless.

Some were frozen, others were scared stiff.

Looking at the boss lying dead at the city gate, nearly every person’s calves couldn’t help but tremble.

Some couldn’t hold their urine and wet a large patch of their pants, while the youngest or the most timid simply started to cry.

Most people are afraid of death.

Those who weren’t afraid of death had already perished in the firefight before nightfall yesterday.

The soldiers holding rifles on duty gave these scoundrels a cold glance, with a disdainful twitch at the corner of their mouths.

"Now you’re scared?"

"What were you doing earlier?"

The execution by firing squad took place over three rounds, and it happened in front of everyone.

In order for every prisoner to witness the fate of these ringleaders, Wrench purposefully took the captives in turns to the side of the Giant Wall to watch.

Perhaps it was the sight of the leaders’ miserable end that made the interrogation work much smoother.

The gang members in the market were the first to confess, and those who hid out of wishful thinking were also exposed by other merchants.

Since the Alliance was serious, the truly honest merchants no longer had to worry about retaliation.

Then came the prisoners caught in the slums, some of whom confessed to petty crimes like chicken thieving and dog snatching, while others frantically turned on their own, desperately divulging any accomplice they knew to seek clemency.

The list soon grew very long.

Although some unlucky folks who got involved were released, more and more people were continuously brought out of the slums.

The scale of the Punishment Camp grew instead of shrinking, reaching over five thousand people.

Meanwhile, as the dens hidden in the slums were successively destroyed, a number of controlled survivors were rescued.

Among them, kids aged twelve to sixteen were the majority, totaling over three thousand.

Some suffered from lung diseases due to living in dark and damp environments for too long, and their vision seriously deteriorated; others were forced into prostitution and contracted severe diseases at a young age.

This piece of news was quickly published in "Survivor’s Daily."

Not only residents within Giant Rock City but the whole Alliance was shocked by the evil hidden in the shadow of the Giant Wall...

...

Ideal City.

Inside the towering skyscraper.

Sitting on the couch, Wu Changnian let out a light sigh after reading the "antique"-looking newspaper and placed it on the table.

"So many victims..." he murmured.

The newspaper had been delivered by the embassy of the Alliance.

And it was Shu Yu, the ambassador, who brought it personally.

Although it might sound cold-blooded, tragically worse incidents were all too common in the Wasteland, and beyond congratulating the Alliance, he did not want to meddle too much.

As Wu Changnian pondered, Shu Yu said earnestly.

"We need your help! Honestly speaking... just assisting the survivors within Giant Stone City has already exceeded our capacity, and now we have an additional two hundred thousand survivors in need of help. We can’t do much for them alone."

Wu Changnian closed his eyes and sighed again.

He knew about Giant Stone City; it was once one of the Survivor Settlements under the War Construction Committee. Many of its factories were helped by the predecessors of his company’s Production Department.

The affairs of that time were too complicated, with both man-made and natural factors contributing to an indistinguishable mess.

Those settlements forced to fend for themselves were but an interlude among many issues.

After learning that the weapon was in the hands of the Alliance, the council had stopped inquiring about Giant Stone City’s affairs. Half a month had passed, and here he was again, troubled by the survivors three thousand kilometers away.

Tapping lightly on his knee with his index finger, Wu Changnian asked in a deep voice,

"What do you need?"

Based on his past experience with the Alliance, those people would never miss an opportunity to benefit from them.

Yet Shu Yu’s reply was unexpected.

"Teachers!"

Wu Changnian was stunned for a moment, thinking he had heard wrong.

"... Teachers?" He had expected the Alliance to seize the opportunity to demand money.

"Yes," Shu Yu nodded seriously, "Alliance’s full-time schools and evening classes are already operating over capacity, and in Giant Stone City, there’s hardly any infrastructure for education. We’ve already allocated a significant part of our educational resources to Giant Stone City, but now we have over three thousand additional people."

"I see your point; indeed, there is a problem," Wu Changnian relaxed inwardly and after a moment of contemplation continued, "... We will fundraise for you on Endpoint Cloud and recruit some volunteers to assist you, but you need to ensure their safety."

This matter was not worth discussing at the council meeting. It was more appropriate to resolve the issue within the scope of authority of the Comprehensive Management Department.

The Alliance clearly did not want to owe the company too many favors, so they did not propose excessive demands like "sending those people to Ideal City."

Just mobilizing the private sector would not cost much.

With the promise from the deputy director, Shu Yu too, breathed a sigh of relief, smiling sincerely.

"Please rest assured! We will not only ensure their personal safety, accommodation, and health but will also provide them with fair wages!"

Wu Changnian chuckled.

"That’s not necessary. Most of our residents who are interested in helping survivors outside have decent living conditions. You just need to take care of their accommodation."

Shu Yu shook his head firmly.

"That’s a separate matter. Here, whoever is working must be compensated, and how could we allow these kind people to pay out of their own pockets? Consider it a token of our appreciation."

Seeing the ambassador insist, Wu Changnian no longer declined and nodded.

"Then I thank you on their behalf."

"It is us who should be saying thank you!" As he said this, Shu Yu smiled embarrassingly and continued, "By the way, in addition to teachers, we also need medical staff and experts in medicine and biology."

Wu Changnian was taken aback.

"Medical staff I can understand, we could even sponsor some medicines for you... But experts in biology and medical science?"

Shu Yu looked embarrassed.

"The timing is just too unfortunate! Every early spring, Qingquan City faces a Tide, and it’s particularly fierce after a warm winter. Now there’s been such a major incident, our manpower is tight in every sense... Not just educational resources, but including medical, production, and all other areas—"

Wu Changnian quickly coughed to interrupt him.

"You really have it tough."

Shu Yu sighed.

"There’s no helping it... We have to clean up the mess left by our predecessors, we can’t just abandon those poor people."

Although it was clear that this straightforward young man was referring to the United Human of an earlier era, Wu Changnian’s brow still twitched involuntarily.

He coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment and spoke with the authority of an elder.

"I’ll think of a way to help you."

Shu Yu’s face lit up with a radiant smile, and he nodded vigorously.

"Thank you! I appreciate it!"

Wu Changnian watched the young man for a while, feeling vaguely that he resembled someone familiar.

Especially that statement, it was just too similar!

Was it an illusion?

...

Securing external support was just one aspect of the multitude of tasks.

The follow-up efforts for this "military operation" conducted by the Alliance were far from complete and were not likely to be resolved in a day or two.

After an initial screening, the over five thousand prisoners consigned to the Punishment camp were taken by the First Army Corps to Qingstone County, north of the Dawn City.

There they would undergo two months of military training, after which the Alliance would send them to their designated places.

With the large gangs thoroughly dismantled, the slums and the market had their blockades lifted one after another.

Some Waste Land Wanderers grumbled as they headed into the wilderness, opting to leave this dangerous place, but most, after witnessing the Alliance’s swift and forceful measures, felt even more confident about Giant Stone City’s future and therefore chose to stay.

Moreover, despite the occurrence of such a significant event, the New Year’s Eve celebration was not canceled.

In the Manager’s words, the new order established by the Alliance was meant to prevent the bad from celebrating the New Year, not the good.

A few flies shouldn’t affect the festive atmosphere of a holiday.

Besides, this was hardly a real issue.

Last New Year’s Eve, right after setting down their wine bottles, they had to pick up their rifles and head to the battlefield.

Stone City Hall.

In the Manager’s Office reserved for Chu Guang by the new authority, the newly appointed captain of the police reported to Chu Guang the patrol plan for New Year’s Eve and then hesitantly voiced his concerns.

"...With so many people gathering in the streets, and at night, I’m worried that the fish that slipped through the net during the last operation might take this opportunity to retaliate against us."

Chu Guang spoke calmly.

"Then let them come, since it’s a matter of sooner or later, it’s better sooner."

He didn’t worry about those people being able to cause any big trouble.

Not to mention that Xiao Qi had taken over the surveillance cameras of this giant wall since Giant Stone City joined the communication range of City of Dawn, every player waiting to burst Gold coins were his eyes.

Later, he would post a notice, reminding participating players to keep their eyes wide open and watch those who tried to stir up trouble.

The captain of the police hesitated and then said softly.

"...I’m actually more worried about them coming after you."

Mentioning this, Chu Guang gave a faint smile.

"Even better, I couldn’t ask for more."

The players were getting more and more capable; although he didn’t slack in his training, it had been a long time since he had acted personally.

If there were any foolish enough people who wanted to make a fool of themselves in front of him, he wouldn’t mind offering them a couple of moves.

Otherwise, only Heya in the entire Alliance knew his strength, it’d be a waste of the Pentagon Warrior Attribute Panel.

The captain of the police was stunned, obviously thrown off by this comment and didn’t know quite what to say, at a loss whether to laugh or to cry.

’Ask for it’, indeed...

Although he knew that the Guards Corps had many experts, and the respected Manager always appeared in public in power armor, he still thought it’d be better to be cautious.

However, seeing how confident the superior was in his subordinates, it didn’t seem right to say much more, and he just nodded slightly before turning to take his leave.

Not long after the office door closed, Chu Guang picked up the pen ready to review the documents in his hand, but shortly after, there was a soft knock at the door.

"Come in."

The door cracked open, Alyssa looked left and right to make sure no one was watching, stealthily entered, and gently closed the door behind her.

Seeing her cautious demeanor, Chu Guang couldn’t help but smile and put down the pen he had just picked up not long ago.

"Is someone following you?"

Hearing this tease, Alyssa’s face turned red, and she shook her head.

"No... Do you have a moment right now?"

She didn’t really want to disturb the Manager’s work, especially for her own personal matters, but since it concerned an important life decision, she still wanted to consider it seriously before making a choice.

"You’ve come all this way, I can’t just make you take back what you came to say," Chu Guang joked and continued, "Go ahead, what’s the matter?"

"...It’s about Shelter 101."

Alyssa hesitated for a long time with a face that found it difficult to speak, then continued quietly, "Is it really as magical as Pai said?"