This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 667: Build More Settlements, Don’t Be Shy

Chapter 667: Chapter 667: Build More Settlements, Don’t Be Shy

"Dear Manager, by the time you read this email, our Bull-Horse cargo airship has already arrived over the Baiyue Strait, and we have established our first base on the north shore of the outlet leading to the Southern sea area."

"To be honest, the situation here is more complex than we imagined. Traces of civilization have completely disappeared under the erosion of seawater, and the nearest Survivor Settlement is over a hundred nautical miles away on an island, meaning we can’t gain experiential help from the local survivors. We have to rely entirely on ourselves."

"Moreover, the suitable climate has enabled the mutated creatures here to evolve at an incredible rate. The rainforests are filled with Variants we’ve never seen before. On the first day we arrived, we encountered lizards bigger than crocodiles, crocodiles comparable to dinosaurs, pythons that could swallow a Double-headed Cow, as well as baby-sized bats, and scorpions and rats half a person tall... even carnivorous plants!"

"Of course, the most incredible thing was discovering wild ’Nago’ here, which might be the most primitive strain! What’s puzzling is that our enemies haven’t transplanted the modified Nago to this area to make it a breeding ground for Nago fungus. We can’t help but suspect that there is some unspeakable secret involved. Regardless, we’ve sampled the strain, and it will be returned to the City of Dawn on the next return flight."

"Returning to the point, a series of troubles has caused significant casualties to our exploration teams searching for water sources in the jungle. Fortunately, we only lost twenty-two lives, managed to map the area within ten kilometers of the landing point, and cleared an area of open space near the shore that is relatively safe."

"Next, we plan to encircle our camp with the Enclosing Wall, replace our tents with proper housing while removing the nearby rainforest. For this, we need a large amount of building materials, more airships, and the help of the Jungle Corps. It would be great if you’re willing to provide some help for the future port for the Alliance; our strength is too thin, and it would take a very long time to complete this work on our own."

"Additionally, following your teachings, we have initiated peaceful contact with nearby Survivor Settlements to avoid direct military conflicts. Thanks to the crew of the Meat Meat, the governor of Ring Island has agreed to trade with us, and if we can solve the freshwater problem, they agree to help us produce some of the tools we need."

"I think this is a good breakthrough. If we can prove that our methods are more efficient than those of the Torch Church, we might rally some of the islands to join our camp, thus weakening the influence of the Torch Church in the Southern sea area, and even completely win over the local survivors to our side, forming an encirclement against the Torch Church from the South!"

"Our final battle with the Torch Church is inevitable, and I can feel that this ultimate battle is not far off. I believe you think the same and have always been preparing for that day. I am absolutely certain that the outcome of this final battle will determine our future and the future of our civilization!"

"For this reason, we once again earnestly request your help, not only in terms of resources and manpower, but also the assistance of professional biologists to help us deal with the troubles on this land. Please believe in us, this investment will definitely not disappoint you!"

"—Your most loyal subordinate, Long Days Ahead"

Not bad.

He has potential.

Reading the email on the holographic screen—or rather, the big pie in it—Chu Guang couldn’t help but smile lightly.

He had always been drawing pies for the players as the Dog plan.

Now, his little player had finally learned his best skill and started drawing pies for him, the Manager of the Alliance.

The email was written by Brother Fang Chang after he logged off, sent to him via "Wasteland OL" Official Website’s Task system.

But it has to be said, it’s quite an enticing pie.

If his little players really could unite the survivors of the Southern sea area and remove the influence of the Torch Church from there, the Alliance could encircle the Torch Church from both North and South, sealing off all escape routes for these roaches.

At the least, it could prevent them from fleeing southward and continuing to cause trouble in other parts of the Wasteland...

After rereading the email twice, Chu Guang tapped his finger lightly on the desk and pondered for a long time before speaking.

"Xiao Qi."

"Here, Master," Xiao Qi, seated on the pen holder, raised his right hand high with an eager expression on his face.

Seeing that enthusiastic demeanor, Chu Guang chuckled lightly and extended his index finger to gently rub the top of its head, saying,

"Help me compose a reply, I’ll dictate and you write."

Having said that, Chu Guang leaned back on the couch, gazing at the ceiling of the viewing room, and after thinking for a moment, he began,

"I am comforted to see your growth; you have learned how to actively strengthen our forces and spread the light of order to distant places... and this has come sooner than I imagined. You have given me hope of achieving our ideals in my lifetime."

"I will provide you with all the necessary support; the Jungle Corps will immediately begin moving to Baiyue Province by airship. At the same time, a team of biological experts will be stationed at the settlement when the situation permits."

"You need to ensure a stable supply of electricity, fresh water, food, and basic living materials locally, and achieve a balance of income and expenditures. Moreover, you also need to help the local survivors establish order and guide them to participate actively in our endeavors, rather than simply waiting to be fed or supported by you."

"This is not an easy task, but I believe that with so many ready references, you can definitely complete this arduous yet glorious mission."

"Lastly, why not name this future gem of the sea? It will follow us into a new era, so take some time to think seriously about it!"

Just as Chu Guang finished speaking, Xiao Qi had already edited the email and even automatically polished it for him.

"Should I send it now?"

Looking at Xiao Qi, who asked him, Chu Guang thought for a moment then said,

"Send it now. Also, later help me draft another task and send it to the Jungle Corps and the Burning Corps, instructing them to deploy in the Baiyue Strait area."

"We need to construct a military base with airport facilities locally, support the construction of the survivor settlement, and ensure the safety of the settlement when necessary. Once the military base is completed, we will assign a few reliable officers from the staff headquarters to issue tasks as NPCs; it seems more appropriate for tasks concerning the army to be issued by us."

Chu Guang’s instructions were fully noted down, and Xiao Qi nodded earnestly.

"Received!"

...

Southern sea area, North Island, Presidential Mansion.

A man, around thirty years old, stood by the wall displaying a map of the Southern sea area, staring intently at the thirteen islands and various colored markers on the map.

He was tall, dressed in an old Air and Space Army uniform, his brows furrowed into a gray line, his gray eyes shining brightly.

His name was Mongo, the first president of the Southern Islands Federation, and also the supreme commander of the Federal Navy.

Standing behind him was Charles, the director of the Presidential Office and the Chief of Staff of the Federal Navy, who was also his most trusted aide.

The Southern Islands Federation had been established just two months ago, its organizational structure was still rough, with the cabinet only just completed and the parliament still in preparation. Although their initial plan was to establish an independent naval command system, the war with Shelter No. 70 did not wait for them.

Therefore, the Federal Navy was currently directed by the Presidential Mansion, with most of the mansion’s staff also holding naval positions.

Watching the expressionless president, Charles reported with a grave expression.

"...The submersibles from Shelter No. 70 are still continuously attacking our vessels. Just yesterday, another cargo ship was sunk two hundred nautical miles east of North Island, and all fifteen crew members on board perished. We received a distress signal and immediately dispatched a warship to search the nearby waters, but unfortunately, the attackers had already escaped by the time we arrived."

Mongo said nothing, just kept his eyes fixed on the map’s upper right corner where a red circle and the small number fifteen were marked.

This cargo ship was different from others; it did not carry much cargo but some daily necessities and camping tools.

Besides eight sailors, there were four experts in geology and biology, along with two soldiers responsible for their safety.

Their original plan was to head to the northwest frontier of Haiya Province, beach the cargo ship ashore, and in the unoccupied coastal mountain areas, find a suitable location to establish an inspection station.

One of the reasons was to search for fresh water and minerals on land, preparing for the Southern Islands Federation to establish settlements on land. Another reason was to examine the actual conditions of Haiya Province, to see what their "Heaven" was really like, and whether it was as wonderful as The Church described.

After all, somethings cannot be understood with a mere glance; only through prolonged contact can their true nature be revealed.

Mongo did not completely believe in The Church and its described "Heaven," even though he had previously seen the land where people and nature existed in harmony.

Rather than allowing The Church to unilaterally share their experience in governing Mutated slime fungus and variants, he preferred to send some experts to Haiya Province for a firsthand inspection.

Even if it was just around the perimeter of Heaven.

This way, the Southern Islands Federation could take the initiative in introducing technology, avoiding being completely led by others.

However, it seemed that someone was trying to stop them from doing this.

This was the third cargo ship to be sunk.

While various clues indicated that all three attacks were the work of Shelter No. 70, Mongo couldn’t help but harbor some doubts.

He was all too familiar with the residents of Shelter No. 70.

Like other Blue Jackets, their most notable trait was their confidence—or rather, an almost arrogant self-assurance.

This self-assurance stemmed from the era they remembered and the knowledge, experience, and methods they inherited from that era. Although this made them seem somewhat out of place in the Wasteland Era, they never doubted that they were right.

In other words, they were more dismissive than apprehensive about The Church’s plans.

Even if they couldn’t offer a better solution, they had absolute confidence that The Church’s methods would definitely not work.

Therefore, Shelter No. 70 did not oppose contact between the survivors in the Southern sea area and the people of The Church. In the past twenty years, the survivor settlements in the Southern sea area had never closed their ports to the people from the north.

It wasn’t about the simple dichotomy of right and wrong. A person with ultimate confidence does not bother about how individuals with opposing views blabber.

To him, that is nothing more than the nonsense of a madman on his deathbed.

If attacking the Southern Islands Federation’s cargo ships were a reasonable tactic during wartime, the rationale for attacking the survey ship seemed somewhat far-fetched.

"They should have been eager for the survivors in the Southern sea area to see the true colors of those fellows earlier, so why would they hinder the Southern Islands Federation’s exploration vessels from delving deeper into understanding the situation at Haiya Province?"

"Three times in succession they sank them, and moreover, these occurred when the cargo ships clearly deviated from the trade routes."

"If this is to be called an accident, it’s too far-fetched."

"... It seems they are intent on taking this war to the end."

Watching President Mongo, who had been silent, suddenly speak, Charles, standing not far behind him, quickly echoed the sentiment.

"Indeed, their range of attacks is getting broader, and it has reached a point of indiscriminate nature, so we must be prepared for a long-term confrontation with them."

Mongo turned away from the map and faced his staff, asking,

"Do you have any good suggestions?"

Charles cleared his throat, choosing his words carefully,

"Relying solely on our own strength, it will be difficult to win this war... Their submarines appear and disappear unpredictively; if we let them continue to deplete our resources, in another two months we may have no ships left other than warships. Meanwhile, they can stay in the refuges indefinitely and don’t have the burden of a large population, which places us at a disadvantage the longer the war drags on."

At this point, Charles shifted his tone and continued,

"Coincidentally, we’ve recently received news from the Torch Church that they are willing to take over the management of the underwater settlement near Shelter No. 70 and set up a security zone in the nearby waters... We could smoothly transition and entrust Coral City to their management. In doing so, nearby facilities such as the ocean current power station, submarine power cables, and seawater desalination devices will also be secured."

"If we can ensure the supply of electricity and fresh water, the various islands of the Federation will have more confidence in our conflict with Shelter No. 70."

Coral City is the fourteenth settlement of the Southern Islands Federation, and the only one directly governed by Shelter No. 70.

With a regular population of about thirty thousand, it is located next to the entrance of Shelter No. 70, just five kilometers from the ruins of the Tiangong Space Station.

The settlement houses residents of Shelter No. 70 and some experts trained by the refuge, mainly engaged in the development of marine resources and research on the lair at Tiangong Space Station.

Before the establishment of the Southern Islands Federation, Coral City’s experts were responsible for operating most of the maritime facilities in the Southern sea area.

After the outbreak of war, Shelter No. 70 completely severed ties with the survivors outside the refuge, including those from Coral City.

To punish what they called traitors, Blue Jacket from Shelter No. 70 barbarically blew up the nearby ocean current power station and cut off Coral City’s power and oxygen supply systems, nearly dooming those thirty thousand survivors to a watery grave.

Fortunately, the Southern Islands Federation provided timely aid, restarted the gate facilities of Coral City, and transferred the survivors of Coral City to several islands in the northern part of the federation such as Bawei Island and Anle Island before the oxygen ran out.

Coral City is the closest settlement to the lair and has a lot of ready-to-use scientific research facilities and data.

For the Torch Church wanting to take over the abandoned Coral City settlement, it wasn’t surprising to Mongo at all; in fact, it was completely expected.

They had been eyeing the place for a while, and this wasn’t a recent development.

Long ago, they had suggested occupying Coral City to cooperate with Shelter No. 70 in researching the lair at Tiangong Space Station, but they were refused.

Still, their direct request caused Mongo to slightly raise his eyebrows and say with a half-smile,

"Is there such a good deal?"

Charles respectfully spoke,

"They might not have good intentions, but I think we could consider it. As you know, the settlement is currently in an abandoned state without maintenance; if it’s left untended long enough and a leak or other accidents occur, it may soon become uninhabitable."

"If the Torch is willing to take over the settlement, our defensive pressure at sea will also be greatly reduced. If the submarines from Shelter No. 70 attack those facilities promised protection by the Torch Church, it would undoubtedly be equivalent to declaring war on the Church... Whether they have the guts to do so or not, it would be all benefit and no harm for us."

Mongo said expressionlessly,

"The conflict between us and Shelter No. 70, we will resolve it ourselves; we don’t need them to trouble themselves over Coral City."

Seeing that His Excellency the President had no intention of relenting, Charles, wanting to say more but unable, simply gave up on persuading him and nodded,

"I will comply with your arrangements, I was only providing a viable option... However, I still suggest you reconsider my proposal."

"We’ll see, I will think about it."

Drawing his gaze away from his aide, Mongo turned his attention back to the sea chart hanging on the wall and continued speaking.

"Is there anything else to report?"

Charles nodded quickly and replied,

"Yes."

Mongo said, "Speak."

Charles immediately said,

"The alliance’s airship has arrived at the eastern mouth of Baiyue Strait, located to our southwest, and they have established a base there."

Alliance...

Mongo’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He had heard of those fellows.

It seemed they were a force risen in the Southern River Province, more than two thousand kilometers away from here. Only a few merchants from Silver Moon Bay had visited there, and the rumors about that place were many and varied, making it hard to discern truth from fiction.

"What are they trying to do?"

Charles hesitated before saying,

"It’s not clear yet. The governor of Ring Island reported to us that those people are planning to build a settlement in the Baiyue Strait... Currently, there are about three hundred people there, but that was yesterday’s count. Today’s numbers are still unknown."

Upon hearing this interesting statement, Mongo couldn’t help but laugh out loud, coughing into his fist that he pressed against his lips.

Charles also chuckled and continued,

"They show no hostile intentions for now, but I feel their motives for coming here are not pure... This morning, they sent us a telegram via the Governor’s Mansion on Ring Island."

Mongo extended his hand.

"Let me see it."

Charles nodded, quickly pulled out the telegram from the folder beneath his elbow, and respectfully handed it over.

Mongo took the paper and briefly scanned it.

The message was brief, succinct enough to sum up in two sentences: first, a cordial and friendly greeting to the neighbors, and second, declaring the alliance’s ownership of that region.

Mongo didn’t pay much attention to either statement and even found them amusing.

A little more than a month ago, he had proposed to the Torch Church that they establish a "Cooperation Pilot" on the east coast of Baiyue Province, given that the climate conditions were similar to those of the Southern sea area.

However, the latter refused their suggestion citing the complexity of the situation in Baiyue Province, insisting on conducting research in either an island or underwater settlement in the Southern sea area.

Clearly, it wasn’t just Shelter No. 70; even the Torch Church was temporarily at a loss about what to do with that land. Mongo did not think those guys, situated more than two thousand kilometers away, had any better ideas.

Especially when he saw the last line of the telegram signed off, he couldn’t help but laugh for a second time.

"...Potato Harbor."

What a ridiculous name.

Were these guys serious?

Charles also chuckled along, remarking sarcastically,

"It sounds like a joke."

"Whether it’s a joke or not, it’s better to formally reply."

Holding the telegram, Mongo pondered for a couple of seconds, then threw it back at Charles and cleared his throat to continue,

"Send them a telegram back, saying... Hope you are having fun in the woods, and feel free to build more settlements in Baiyue Province, don’t be shy."

"And when you return, remember to send my regards to your manager."