This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 687: The Path Widens as We Go

Chapter 687: Chapter 687: The Path Widens as We Go

At first, when he heard that "unreasonable" proposition, Chen Jianhong’s heart was resistant.

The reason was simple.

The Dolphin-class submarine was the property of the residents of Coral City, not something he privately owned.

Whether from the standpoint of law or duty, he had no reason, no right, and should not take this submarine to join the Alliance.

However—

Despite this.

Whenever he thought of Sun Yuechi, who was currently living it up in City of Dawn, that ironclad will inevitably showed signs of wavering.

Why shouldn’t he?

He couldn’t help but question himself.

Even that dear Manager—the one who should least relinquish his responsibilities and obligations—handed over everything about him without hesitation, not even frowning in the process.

And he was just the captain of a cargo-carrying submarine; he wasn’t a soldier, nor did he have the duty to manage the livelihoods of these several hundred people. What reason did he have to continue in a war that was sure to yield no results?

Moreover, it couldn’t even be called a war.

The submarine didn’t have weapons capable of causing significant damage to the federal warships; it was all just one-sided battering and dodging from start to finish.

He was fed up with these suffocating days and the responsibilities forcibly placed upon his shoulders.

Rather, it would be correct to say that catching the olive branch thrown by the Alliance was the right choice.

After all, according to what those two had said, the management authority of Shelter No. 70 had already been transferred to the hands of the Alliance, so handing over the "Dolphin," which was designed and built by the residents of Shelter No. 70, to the Alliance for their use seemed to be without issue?

He was not surrendering to the thugs of the Southern Islands Federation.

And for the more than five hundred survivors on the submarine, as well as the more than fifty crew members, this was undoubtedly the best choice.

The moment his thoughts cleared, he suddenly felt a sense of liberation, and the resentment that had accumulated due to the Manager’s current situation dissipated like smoke.

If you join, I join; now we’re all the same.

With a radiant smile on his face, he stretched out his right hand to Ah Wei almost without hesitation.

"This idea... seems pretty good."

"Just as you said, since our Manager is already with you guys, we might as well join you... if you don’t mind."

The two soldiers standing beside him cast surprised glances at him in unison, as if looking at someone who had taken the wrong medication.

Defect to the Alliance?!

This...

Was truly an unanticipated path.

However, Ah Wei didn’t seem to think there was any issue at all, happily clasping the right hand extended by Chen Jianhong in front of him.

"Oh! I’m glad you’ve decided to choose us. Our Manager said the Alliance welcomes all survivors to join, of course, that includes you. Potato Harbor will hold a grand ceremony to greet and entertain you! I guarantee it!"

Chen Jianhong smiled faintly, shaking Ah Wei’s hand before letting go.

"Ceremonies aren’t important. If you can provide us with necessary food, fresh water, shelter, and other supplies, that will be enough. There are some engineers from Coral City on board, along with some engineering equipment we brought from Coral City... They can help you with some complex work within their capabilities."

"Oh! Don’t worry! Whether it’s welcome flowers, or water, food, and shelter, we’ll have them all!" With glittering eyes, Ah Wei promised, thumping his chest.

Lost a submersible, picked up a nuclear submarine!

This deal is a huge win, okay?

Faced with this sudden turn of events, Si Si, who was watching from the side, was dumbfounded.

She never even considered that this guy would agree—she had even prepared to give Tail a dignified exit. But this guy actually said yes?!

Even though they are all residents of the refuge, and communications aren’t that much of an obstacle...

They had only just met less than an hour ago, right?!

It took her a good while to snap out of her stupor, subconsciously moving her lips and murmuring to herself.

"I giao..."

This is just too outrageous, isn’t it?!

...

What happened next was even more outrageous than what Si Si had imagined.

As soon as he agreed to join the Alliance, the captain, without hesitation, led the two to his office and announced to all the crew via broadcast that the Dolphin-class submarine was joining the Alliance.

Most of the survivors on the submarine did not react much to the broadcast; some even let out a sigh of relief and looked relieved.

They were completely lost in this war, many of them clueless and swept up into the conflict.

They didn’t even care about winning or losing.

Whether it’s the Federation or everything staying the same.

They just wanted to end this resource-scarce and oppressive life as soon as possible and return to a normal routine.

After announcing the joining of the Alliance, Captain Chen Jianhong immediately took on his new identity. On one hand, he ordered an adjustment of the course towards the Baiyue Strait, and on the other hand, he enthusiastically began showing the two, who were curious about the submarine, around.

"...This Dolphin-class was built ten years ago, it is currently the largest nuclear-powered submarine in terms of tonnage in the Southern sea area, and it also has the largest cargo capacity! The main purpose of this submarine is to transport goods between the islands and settlements, while also undertaking underwater construction tasks for seabed facilities."

"I remember its maximum diving depth can reach one thousand meters below sea level, but there’s generally no need to dive that deep. In my memory, the deepest seabed facility here is only about six hundred meters below sea level, which is a deep-sea observation station, and the average sea level of Coral City seems to be only two or three hundred meters below."

Tail said, her eyes sparkling.

"Underwater settlements! I’d love to see that!"

Captain Chen Jianhong smiled and said,

"Unfortunately, you can’t go now. After the power outage, it’s become a dead city. After the war is over, we’ll see. I hope it doesn’t drag on too long, otherwise, we’ll only be able to go there for archaeology."

He spoke with a hint of melancholy in his tone.

It was the miracle created by the survivors who lived in these waters, with nearly a century of time and sweat.

Yet to destroy it all, all it took was one foolish war.

Tail thoughtfully stroked her chin and nodded.

"Kind of like how a house can’t be lived in if it’s left empty for too long, right?"

Captain Chen Jianhong nodded and sighed softly,

"That’s about right."

Although their topics of conversation were occasionally completely disconnected, the two surprisingly found common ground to chat.

Walking beside them, Si Si rested her hand on the railing, looking over at the area filled with containers, and said with a sense of reflection.

"The size of this submarine is indeed impressive... Putting other things aside, just its length alone is longer than both Ohio-class and Biergorodh."

Width doesn’t even need to be mentioned.

You could fit a cargo hold in the middle; this thing is practically an aircraft carrier traversing the ocean floor.

Hearing her statement, Chen Jianhong paused for a moment.

"Ohio... What is that?"

Si Si was taken aback too, then chuckled.

"It’s nothing, not worth mentioning."

It really wasn’t worth mentioning.

After all, this was a nuclear fusion-powered vessel, not something like those old relics that burn water.

Both sides, whether in terms of materials or energy types, were not even on the same plane.

Chen Jianhong looked on bewildered, but he didn’t ask further; it wasn’t the first time he couldn’t understand what these two were talking about.

After a pause, he continued to introduce the layout of the submarine.

"... I’ve divided the cabins into three sections; one is the living area, two is the logistics storage, three is the work area... that is, the area up front, mainly consisting of various production facilities."

Tail asked with anticipation.

"What do you produce?"

Chen Jianhong answered, "Everything we can produce. This submarine is equipped with nearly six hundred people, significantly over its capacity. We need to do everything possible to meet everyone’s needs."

Si Si pondered for a while, then suddenly spoke.

"I’ve always been curious, how did you solve your food problem over the past two-plus months? Fishing?"

Chen Jianhong continued,

"We mainly rely on artificially growing some fast-developing algae that can be used to extract nutritional substances and, incidentally, improve the air quality inside the cabin. Fortunately, what we don’t lack here is electricity and light. By rationing, we have enough to eat. In addition to that, sometimes we encounter schools of fish, and if we’re lucky, we can haul up a netful and slightly improve the survivors’ meals on board."

Their main threat wasn’t the Variants on the ocean floor, it was the Federal destroyers.

Although the Dolphin seemed large, sinking it would only take a few deep-sea bombs.

Tail looked at him in surprise.

"Eh? So, it sounds like your meals are quite good?"

"Good? Haha."

Chen Jianhong’s expression turned grim as he twisted his mouth corner and continued with a complicated look.

"If you’re interested, you can try it yourself, eating that green gooey nutrient paste and fish so stinky it has no limits... The only seasoning we can use here is salt, and maybe the spices from Poluo Province would make it better. Eventually, we tried making some vinegar and soy sauce, but honestly, it tasted better without it."

Imagining that scene, Tail shrank her neck and nodded in deep sympathy, consoling him with a word.

"That sounds really rough..."

Si Si’s gaze went towards the cargo hold in the middle, piled with containers, and she continued to ask.

"So, what’s inside all these containers?"

Chen Jianhong replied, "Mainly industrial finished products; there’s equipment to maintain the connection to the underwater facilities of Coral City, and some automated tools. We’ve dismantled some containers to reclaim the contents, but there’s still quite a bit that we haven’t unpacked. If you’re interested, you can rummage through them, you might find some useful things."

Upon hearing this, Tail’s eyes immediately brightened, and she became excited.

"Wow! Then Tail won’t stand on ceremony!"

She was best at picking through trash!

"Go ahead, it’s not like the order can be completed anymore."

Glancing at this not-very-smart fellow, Chen Jianhong looked at the wrist-mounted computer on his left arm and then back at the two Blue Jackets from the Alliance.

"... We still have fifty-odd kilometers to go before we reach Baiyue Strait; don’t you want to say hello to the people on shore first? Do they have a fixed radio channel?"

Si Si smiled slightly and said,

"Of course, but we’ve already sent our greetings."

Chen Jianhong was taken aback.

"Already sent... greetings?"

"We have a special way of communicating; it’s enough that we head directly there." Si Si didn’t explain in detail, simply giving a concise explanation.

While using the restroom just now, Tail had already logged off to send greetings on the forum.

Hearing that Ah Wei had hijacked a nuclear submarine, everyone on the forum expressed their disbelief.

To be honest, not just the onlookers standing on the shore, but even Tail, standing on the submarine at this moment, couldn’t believe things had gone so smoothly, and it still felt like a dream.

Chen Jianhong cast a doubtful look at a woman named Si Si but didn’t say anything.

Let’s just assume that’s the case for now...

...

At this very moment,

On the shore of Potato Harbor, a large group of players huddled together, all craning their necks out of curiosity, looking like they hadn’t seen much of the world, gazing at the turbulent sea in the distance.

Let’s speak frankly.

They had all come to see the nuclear submarine.

According to a certain Tail’s bragging on the forum, not only did the submarine use second-generation controlled nuclear fusion power, but its size was so large that cargo could be carried inside the cabin, virtually like an aircraft carrier underwater!

How huge could that be?!

It was already past five in the morning, and a dim glimmer was beginning to reveal itself on the distant ocean, but the submarine itself was nowhere to be seen.

The crowd had been standing here for almost half an hour.

Thinking about the previous maid outfit affair, many started to have their doubts.

"I’m starting to feel like that guy is bluffing again."

"+1, and you’re not the only one."

"Let’s not do the maid outfit this time; let’s change it up."

"How about a bikini?"

"Holy moly, that’s explosive, isn’t it?"

Listening to everyone’s murmuring, Spare people under the knife crossed his arms, staring at the distant sea, his heart also filled with skepticism.

He wasn’t an expert in naval architecture or materials science, so whether a submarine as big as an aircraft carrier that could haul cargo in its cavities was feasible or not, he wouldn’t comment, but he knew Ah Guang!

Would Ah Guang really just give them a submarine for nothing?

He just wouldn’t believe it!

"If it doesn’t come soon, I’m going into the forest to farm monsters," Killer Dagger yawned lazily.

Ground Model, standing by his side, glanced at him.

"Not on guard duty today?"

"How can I be on guard duty every day? Today it’s Old Kidney’s... Holy shit!" Killer Dagger suddenly widened his eyes, mouth forming an O.

Ground Model, startled by his sudden outburst, paused.

"What’s wrong?"

"There, in the sea ahead!" Killer Dagger pointed excitedly ahead as he shouted.

The reminder was completely unnecessary.

On the sea surface illuminated by the dawn’s light, an imposing iron beast rose majestically from beneath, pushing through the waves to reveal its broad bow and hull.

Waves crashed against the ship’s bow, throwing up white foam, while strings of crystal-clear droplets slid along the pitch-black contours, sparkling like pearls under the morning sun’s glow.

The twilight’s light spilled over the surface behind the submarine, stretching out into an orange trail that extended to the horizon.

Inside the cockpit, Chen Jianhong turned to Tail and asked with a look of puzzlement.

"Why did we have to surface at this time? Is there any special meaning to it?"

They had actually arrived half an hour earlier.

But at someone’s request, they had waited a full half hour before surfacing.

Looking out at the sea bathed in the morning light through the porthole, Tail’s eyes twinkled as he said.

"Don’t you think it’s really cool!"

Chen Jianhong: "...?"

To be fair, the scene was indeed stunning.

The crew inside the submarine might not feel it, but the players standing on the shore were all staring with wide eyes.

"Holy crap?!"

"Is this for real?!"

"Is that a freaking submarine?!"

"That’s too Niubi!"

The shore was abuzz with loud voices, surprise and disbelief written on almost everyone’s faces.

Besides those who were shouting and excitedly taking photos, some people even fainted on the spot.

However, that wasn’t real fainting, but rather logging off to share their excitement and joy on the Forum with fellow sand sculptures.

Players were already accustomed to such spectacles, but it gave the kind-hearted Moon tribeswomen quite a scare, thinking it was heatstroke and preparing to administer CPR—a good thing the well-meaning players managed to stop them.

Meanwhile, on the gleaming golden sea surface, the pitch-black bow and deck had fully emerged from the water.

Crew members in exoskeletons, led by Captain Chen Jianhong, stepped onto the deck.

Looking at the lonely and shabby wooden dock in front of him, he paused, his open mouth expressing either surprise or disbelief.

After a good long while, he turned to Si Si and asked.

"This is your... dock?"

Si Si’s expression was complex, not as thick-skinned as Ah Wei. With an embarrassed cough, he said gently,

"The facilities are a bit rudimentary, but please don’t mind it, everything will get better slowly."

Tail also nodded, puffing up his chest and saying,

"Oh! We are just in the early stages of starting up, everything will get better!"

"..."

Chen Jianhong’s eyebrows twitched fiercely but he said nothing.

Actually, thinking about it, things here weren’t as bad as he had imagined.

At least there was a pier that extended to deep water, so they didn’t have to row to shore in rubber boats—they just needed to set up a pontoon bridge between the dock and the planks.

And besides, port facilities were secondary, the key point was that they had the protection of the Alliance!

Unless the Southern Islands Federation was ready to wage war against the Alliance, they probably wouldn’t continue attacking them, even if they just stayed in the submarine without disembarking.

However, that was what he thought. The residents who had already stepped onto the deck had different ideas.

Looking at the golden sand beach and the village standing at the edge of the beach, the malnourished faces all showed longing.

They didn’t mind if the living conditions were crude, they just wanted to leave the cursed deep sea and return to life under the sunlit land as soon as possible.

"... Speaking of which, I almost forgot to ask, are you sure it’s okay to set up a settlement here? This place is Baiyue Province," Chen Jianhong said, turning to Si Si to confirm once again.

Knowing what he was worried about, Si Si gave him a reassuring look.

"Don’t worry, our people will take care of the safety; the Variants here won’t harm you. You should be able to see it, there are already some people living on the shore."

Chen Jianhong nodded, his tense eyebrows relaxing slightly.

"I want to meet the person in charge here."

Turning her gaze to the sea not far away, Si Si said with a light smile,

"He’s already on the way here."

As her words fell, a small boat had already approached the side of the submarine.

Climbing up the ladder onto the deck, Fang Chang patted the slimy seaweed leaves off his hands and walked over with a smile, extending his right hand to Chen Jianhong.

"Welcome! Captain Chen! I am Fang Chang, the manager of Potato Harbor!"

Chen Jianhong shook his hand and glanced at the people on the shore, then back at him.

"Thank you for your warm reception... My crew and I, along with the survivors on board, join you with sincerity and hope to receive the treatment and status of Alliance citizens."

Fang Chang’s face beamed with a bright smile.

"Rest assured, I have already discussed your situation with the Manager, and he welcomes your choice! Furthermore, he specifically instructed me to inform you that as of today, you are citizens of the Alliance, protected by Alliance law and also bearing the duty to obey and actively maintain it."

Chen Jianhong breathed a sigh of relief, saying with a sense of unburdening,

"Thank you."

"You’re welcome, it’s we who should be grateful. On this path to rebuild civilization and order, we have gained another reliable ally!"

After releasing Captain Chen’s hand, Fang Chang continued with a smile,

"Since the Alliance currently has no naval headquarters and we lack experts in this field, you’ll have to continue as captain of the Dolphin. We’ll temporarily pay you and your entire crew’s salaries according to Army standards!"

Chen Jianhong was stunned for a moment and quickly asked.

"Wait, the Navy? The Dolphin isn’t a warship, and I’m not a soldier—"

Seeing him hastily explaining, Fang Chang quickly reassured him.

"I know, please rest assured, you will not be executing combat missions, and we have no enemies to attack in these waters."

Hearing this, Chen Jianhong finally breathed a sigh of relief.

However, upon further thought, he felt that his earlier statement was somewhat embarrassing, so he awkwardly explained again.

"I’m not afraid of war. If it were the Navy of the Southern Islands Federation, I would beat them without hesitation, but unfortunately, this submarine doesn’t have a single decent weapon. Also, it’s too big and not suitable as an offensive weapon. I hope you understand."

He paused for a moment, then continued.

"Also, we’ve been adrift underwater for some time, and many devices on the submarine need maintenance and repairs. Could I trouble you to build a port here... not a wooden one like this, but rather something a bit more reliable."

Fang Chang was about to say that he was already contacting companies in Ideal City.

Just then, a person suddenly squeezed out from the group of survivors on the deck, raising his right hand and saying.

"If you’re planning on building a port, I can help!"

Dressed in a faded brown shirt, he looked somewhat haggard, but his eyes shone brightly.

Looking at this enthusiastic man, Fang Chang was slightly taken aback and curiously asked.

"Who are you...?"

Chen Jianhong glanced at the man and introduced him on his behalf.

"His name is Li Shihao, an engineer from Coral City, previously worked at the submarine docking station, seems to be an engineer, but I forgot what he specializes in—"

"It’s port and waterway engineering!" The man interjected, eagerly continuing with an astonished Fang Chang, speaking rapidly, "I’ve been involved in the renovation projects of the Ring Island and Anle Island ports, as well as the design of the Coral City submarine docking station... Give me enough manpower and materials, and I can build a universal port for this submarine to dock!"

Upon hearing the last sentence, Fang Chang’s eyes immediately lit up, and he promptly stated.

"Great! You’re hired. I’ll give you not only enough manpower and materials, but also pay you a monthly salary of ten thousand silver coins! That’s just the base salary, there’s also performance bonuses and commissions! As long as you work hard, I guarantee your life in the Alliance will be even more comfortable than the Governor of your previous refuge! Ah right, the choice to accept employment is yours—"

"I accept!" The man nodded eagerly, his expression full of excitement.

Although he didn’t know how much purchasing power ten thousand silver coins had, having a job to start with could never be wrong.

Seeing that someone hadn’t even landed yet and had found work, the rest of the survivors on the deck began to show envious expressions.

With somebody setting an example, several others also raised their hands, bravely stepping forward.

"I’m his colleague!"

"I can do that work too, I can help!"

"Do you need someone who knows how to raise fish? I can! The fish I raised in Coral City were great!"

"I specialize in underwater exploration... Of course, I can do it on land too!"

"I’m a miner!"

"Wait, are you interested in underwater automatic construction equipment? I’ve worked on the design of the Electric Eel unmanned boats! You know, the ones for underwater automatic welding!"

"Look at me too, I research materials for waterproofing and rust prevention..."

Fang Chang’s face was overcome with joy.

Looking at these people, he saw them as a walking gold mine!

Si Si and Tail simultaneously revealed looks of surprise.

On one hand, they were astonished by the sheer talent among these survivors, and on the other, they were stunned that Fang Chang, the old fox, started a recruitment event on the spot.

"I Giao!"

"This dude is way too slick..."

As he watched the excited crowd, Fang Chang quickly raised his hand, soothingly shouting to calm everyone down.

"Everyone, don’t be agitated! Don’t rush! What we need most right now are people, especially those of you who possess knowledge and professional skills!"

"When issuing identification cards later, I will register each of your occupations and specialties! I assure you that you will all find jobs that you love and start a new life on this sun-drenched land!"

"Additionally, we have prepared delicacies and fine wines from the City of Dawn for you! Before we begin anew, let’s say a complete goodbye to the hassle and worries of the past!"

Food!

Wine!

With that voice, rising and falling, there was suddenly an eruption of excited cheers and whistles on the deck.

Every face, which was pale with hunger, now brimmed with excitement and joy.

Everyone on the deck, filled with anticipation and hope for a new life, was spirited, energized as if injected with adrenaline—especially Tail, who was also howling and joining in the excitement.

Watching the cheering crew and survivors, Captain Chen Jianhong also showed a relieved smile on his face.

To be able to end this two and a half months of wandering in this way, it really justified his suffering during this time...

With the help of the players on the shore, a makeshift pontoon was quickly erected between the dock and the submarine, and the survivors and crew on deck gradually set foot on the beach.

Yiren Tavern, which was supposed to open in the evening, started bustling early in the morning.

On the beach, tables and chairs were set up, and the atmosphere was festive, as if it were a holiday.

At this very moment, far out at sea, a speedboat belonging to the Southern Islands Federation was rapidly approaching Potato Harbor.

It was Muda’s speedboat.

After finally dealing with the interrogation by the Federal Navy, he didn’t return to Ring Island to change crews but headed straight here.

All he wanted now was to quickly hand over the hot potato tied under the ship to the Alliance and tell them about the disappearance of the two girls near the wreckage of the ocean current generator.

What Muda had not anticipated was that as soon as he entered the eastern part of the Baiyue Strait, he spotted that colossal vessel floating on the water.

The Dolphin!

The Underwater Ghost that had sunk twelve of the Federation’s cargo ships!

The number one target wanted by the Federal Navy!

Standing at the bow of the speedboat, Muda stared dumbfounded at the giant beast on the water’s surface and was momentarily lost for words.

The sailor standing behind him swallowed hard and asked with a trembling voice,

"Captain?"

Muda’s gaze struggled for a while, and finally, with gritted teeth, he gave a low order,

"...Approach it."

That sailor and the one steering the boat in the cabin exchanged glances, each seeing deep unease and confusion in the other’s eyes.

It felt like they were walking down an increasingly dark path...

This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om