This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 722: Turns out I was the one who flipped the table

Chapter 722: Chapter 722: Turns out I was the one who flipped the table

"Oh, it’s me flipping the table again, nice..."

Shelter No. 404, Floor B4 Viewing Room.

After finishing a day’s work, Chu Guang reclined on the sofa, scrolling through the posts on the forum, only to find himself caught between laughter and tears—

"Whoa! Pass it on! Fang Chang is making money too fast and got penalized by the big boss planner!"

"Hahaha! Divine justice from above!"

"Wait, Ah Wei, aren’t you a shareholder too?"

"!! Giao!"

"I’d like to call it... efficient resource allocation! (wry smile)"

"Brothers of the Death Legion! Give Brother Edge a round of 666!"

"??? What’s that got to do with me!"

"It doesn’t matter! Seeing you lose money is more satisfying than me making money!"

"Damn! Is it that real?"

"..."

Having two identities did indeed have a lot of benefits for him, especially the planner identity, which gave him boundless power outside the game rules.

However, it wasn’t all good. Few people realized that with infinite power came equally infinite responsibility.

Therefore, apart from rational analysis, there was always another type of humorous commentary on the forum. For instance, the collapse of the great buildings of Giant Stone City was actually his doing, the human disaster in Poluo Province was orchestrated by him, and he was even accused of instigating the Federation’s civil war.

If one were to continue with that logic, not only would the "Three-Year War" be attributed to him, but even Mount Bu Zhou might have been bumped by him.

Sitting atop the pen holder, Xiao Qi giggled with its hand on its stomach. Chu Guang couldn’t help but flick its forehead with his index finger.

After letting out a weird cry, it fell back into the penholder, only to soon cling to the edge with both hands, looking pitifully at him.

"Wuu wuu..."

"Alright, quit the pathetic act, go do something for me,"

Knowing that the critter didn’t really feel pain, Chu Guang ignored its antics and, after pondering for a moment, continued to speak.

"...Send a message through the official website’s task system to the players who got temporary access to Shelter No. 70, telling them they can now start heading to Shelter No. 70."

Although it felt a bit dejected for failing to garner any sympathy, Xiao Qi obediently executed the task Chu Guang assigned.

The entrance to Shelter No. 70 had always been blocked by the Federal Fleet; even a nuclear-powered submarine would find it hard to sneak past under close surveillance.

Those thirteen ships were bona fide warships, possibly fitted with weapons adapted from those on starships, significantly different from the so-called "warships" of the West Winds Empire that could peck at merchant vessels for hundreds of rounds.

If deflection shields were the "shields" of starships, then it was quite likely that those warships were equipped with the "spears" of starships.

The opening of Shelter No. 70 was timed at the year 100 of the Wasteland Era, by which time the Post-War Reconstruction Committee had already split nearly fifty years ago.

Considering the steady exchange of information between Shelter No. 70 and Shelter No.117, they would surely be aware of the army’s situation.

In other words, the initial purpose of the Federal Fleet’s construction might not have been to counter the Wasteland’s Looters but to combat an imagined enemy in the form of the Army, which controlled a massive number of starship cores.

Both sides possessed powers the other hadn’t come into contact with.

And for this very reason, both Chu Guang himself and the players active in the area maintained the necessary caution when making contact with the islands in the southern sea area.

Xiao Qi’s pupils flashed with a stream of data, and after a moment, it looked up to say.

"They’re already on their way."

"They’re already on their way?"

Chu Guang glanced at the holographic screen in surprise, noting the IDs which were still chattering away.

Sure enough.

The self-aware players are increasingly numerous.

That saves him the trouble of worrying about these trivial matters.

...

The setting sun sank into the sea, its shimmering light gradually receding with the twilight, while darkness began to engulf the tumultuous sea area.

On the sandy beach of Death Coast at the frontier of Haiya Province, an old man cloaked in a gray robe stood quietly, allowing the sea breeze to whip his cloak into a loud flutter.

As he gazed at the waves bidding farewell to dusk, a trace of excitement and joy slowly crept onto Alzu’s face, lined with deep grooves.

Even though he knew he should restrain human emotions, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

"Ha ha ha..."

Success!

All their planning in the southern sea area had not been in vain.

Having been pushed into a corner, their vacillating ally had finally realized what cards they truly held in their hand.

Once the southern sea area was fully under the influence of the Torch, they would be able to open up an even broader strategic space to the south!

Even to the extent of letting the Torch’s Heaven envelope the entire ocean!

He didn’t have to wait too long; soon, a faint signal came from afar.

This time, Alzu did not ignore it, but gladly allowed the signal to connect with his ocean of consciousness.

As he watched Charles’s figure emerge before him, he smiled and nodded.

"Congratulations, Mr. Charles."

Charles looked at him expressionlessly.

"It seems you’re already aware."

Alzu spoke in a pleased tone.

"Of course. Since there are your supporters on North Island, as well as those who support your declaration, naturally, we have our followers there too. Even your smooth ascent to the presidency has not been without our support and operation."

Charles snorted noncommittally to this ambiguous statement and continued tersely,

"We’ve run into a bit of trouble."

Alzu spoke softly.

"Anle Island, right?"

Charles nodded, his expression grave as he continued,

"That’s right. Shortly after we made our move, the vice president also delivered an inaugural speech and established a new authority. We were fast enough, but they were not slow either. Aside from the neutral governors of Ring Island and Shazhou Island, that Li Minghui still managed to rally four governors."

"But the Battleship ’Haiya’ is in your hands," Alzu whispered. "I’ve heard its main cannon was stripped from a starship."

Charles patiently said, "Yes, but that doesn’t mean it’s invincible, especially if threats come from beneath the sea. The current trouble is that Coral City and Shelter No. 70 are closer to Anle Island than North Island. If they manage to take control there—"

"Don’t worry about that. Our people can breathe underwater, so they’ll stand no chance. You just focus on dealing with Anle Island’s fleet. Leave the battleground beneath the sea to us," Alzu cut him off before he could finish.

Charles paused, quickly realizing what the other had taken advantage of while the Southern Islands Federation was in turmoil, his brows slowly furrowing.

"You... "

Alzu continued nonchalantly.

"You promised to lend us the scientific research facilities of Coral City, and now we are merely cashing in the check ahead of time. Or are you playing us?"

"I did promise, but I never said mutants would appear there."

Charles narrowed his eyes at him, his tone carrying a warning, "Listen, your people had better not do anything stupid nearby. I’m not joking. Forcing entry without power will only destroy the place!"

Alzu chuckled softly and said,

"Don’t get worked up, I didn’t let those scale-covered beasts in, nor do I want that place turned into ruins. They are only standing guard in your stead for a while—"

However, just at that moment, as he was speaking, he suddenly stopped, and the confident expression on his face involuntarily stiffened.

Noticing the change in his expression, Charles vaguely sensed something was amiss and hastily asked,

"What’s happened?"

"Nothing..."

Alzu muttered with a flickering gaze, and before Charles could pursue the matter, Alzu hastily waved a finger and ended the communication.

Almost simultaneously with the end of the communication, his wrinkled face twisted, and his withered hand supported his forehead as he cursed at the reef rocks on the beach.

"... good-for-nothing incompetents, more trouble than they’re worth!"

...

In the deep and gloomy sea, an imposing nuclear fusion-powered submarine was silently progressing along the edge of a seaweed forest, close to the jagged rocks.

It had been a full two hours since the crew of the Dolphin had fished out Dongwen and the rest of the Glory’s crew, and they had traveled from the southwestern part of the southern sea area to a region slightly to the south of the center.

Inside the bridge of the submarine, Chen Jianhong put down the coffee cup in his hand, squinted his eyes with a smile as he gazed out the porthole into the pitch-black sea.

"We’re almost there."

This stretch of water, located between Anle Island and Coral City, was one of the routes he sailed most frequently.

It was no exaggeration to say that he could navigate the submarine to the doorstep of Shelter No. 70 with his eyes closed.

Recently reconnected online, Si Si eagerly peered outside, making a gesture of looking into the distance.

"Wow, it’s huge—Damn it, why can’t Si Si see anything!"

Meat Meat, squatting by his side, covered her mouth and giggled twice, not forgetting to tease him.

"Maybe because it’s only visible to smart people, and a dummy like you can’t see it."

Hearing this, Si Si turned his eyes quickly towards Meat Meat and said with a mischievous smile,

"Heh heh, then how about Meat Meat tells us what the settlement looks like?"

"Uh—" Caught in her own trap, Meat Meat hesitated for a moment but then cleverly said, "How would I know, I’m just a bear."

Si Si looked at Meat Meat in surprise.

"...Well, I’ll be, Meat Meat got smart."

Unable to help herself, Meat Meat rolled her eyes.

"I wasn’t dumb before, you know!"

Watching the noisy pair, one human and one bear, the nearby Sesame Paste couldn’t help but smile, and even the corners of Si Si’s mouth curled into a faint grin.

Although he didn’t understand the conversation, Chen Jianhong noticed the short-haired girl looking outside and immediately guessed what was on her mind. He gestured to a crew member sitting nearby, signaling him to turn on the main searchlight at the bow of the submarine.

A dazzling beam of light shot out, illuminating the dark area of sea nearby and also scattering the fish and crabs lurking beneath the rocks.

As the beam of light swayed, a huge underwater settlement soon came into view for everyone, causing Ah Wei, Meat Meat, and a dozen strength type creatures from the Jungle Corps to involuntarily widen their eyes.

It was a small city standing on the seabed.

Groups of transparent dome-shaped structures enveloped the metallic framework within, with tubes connecting one "bulb" to another, sprawling from the central giant dome in a web-like fashion.

The settlement resembled a giant set of building blocks, composed of well-sealed modules, stacked into a three-dimensional habitation.

Exquisite and vibrant corals of various shapes adorned its surroundings, giving this underwater settlement an exceptionally dazzling appearance from the outside.

It was hard to imagine that this settlement was built in the years following the end of the Era of Prosperity...

Not only were the players entranced, but even the crew members on the bridge all showed a nostalgic look as they gazed at their home, which they had not returned to for four months.

Chen Jianhong squinted his eyes, his voice carrying a hint of longing.

"You’ve come at the wrong time. If it were four months earlier, the scenery here would have been even more beautiful. See that central dome? That’s the plaza of Coral City. The light emitted from the four fluorescent screens there could even project onto the surface of the sea."

Attempting to imagine that scene, Meat Meat couldn’t help but swallow his saliva as a "giao" escaped from his fluffy mouth.

Tail, standing by his side, had a face full of shock and anticipation.

"Even more astonishing..."

Si Si pondered for a moment, then suddenly blurted out an idea.

"If we connect the nuclear submarine’s reactor to the power system of that settlement... could we get the settlement up and running again?"

Chen Jianhong was taken aback and then reacted with a mix of laughter and helplessness.

"It’s not that simple..."

The submarine’s reactor was designed specifically for nuclear submarines.

Not to mention whether this method could be executed in practice, even if it could, there would likely be a host of compatibility issues.

Seeing Captain Chen respond this way, Si Si had no choice but to give up the idea of sneaking into the new map to explore ahead of time, reluctantly saying,

"Alright, it was just a thought."

Perhaps, the game developers hadn’t finished this map yet.

While the two were communicating, the sonar system in the cockpit suddenly detected abnormal noises coming from the direction of Coral City.

And it wasn’t just one source of noise; multiple ones were rapidly converging towards the submarine.

Chen Jianhong hurried to the console, looked at the sonar screen’s feedback, and his expression suddenly changed.

"There’s something happening at Coral City!"

Upon hearing this, the Ground Model, who had been bored, suddenly looked excited.

"A Federation submarine?"

Several players from the Jungle Corps nearby also showed expressions eager to try.

"Not... It seems to be humanoid in shape, with a scaly surface..." After locking onto one of the noise sources, Chen Jianhong pointed his finger at the screen, locked the camera onto that noise source, and zoomed in on the image.

When the blue-skinned monster appeared on the screen, almost all the crew members let out cries of surprise.

"Mutants!"

Chen Jianhong’s expression became even more grave as he mused,

"These guys must have slipped in when the Federal Fleet was in chaos."

The crew member at the console swallowed nervously and asked,

"Should we turn off the searchlights?"

Chen Jianhong was about to give the order when the Ground Model interjected.

"No need. Just point the searchlights at them; those guys are afraid of light, especially underwater! Keep moving forward, and leave the rest to us!"

With that, he patted Captain Chen on the shoulder, strode to the door, and shouted to the brothers in the bridge, "Brothers! It’s the mutants! Get ready for some action!"

"Roar, roar, roar!" The brothers from the Jungle Corps let out excited roars and, to the stunned gaze of a group of NPCs, flooded towards the door.

Tail, getting caught up in the commotion, also tried to join in but was promptly caught by the already prepared Meat Meat.

"Ah Wei, calm down; we didn’t bring diving gear, and the moment we go out, we might just disappear, you know."

After calming the restless Tail, Si Si looked towards Captain Chen Jianhong and continued,

"Our friends from the Jungle Corps will buy us some time. Let’s take this opportunity to make a run for it."

Captain Chen Jianhong nodded, yet worry inevitably crept onto his face, for the sonar screen estimated at least four to five hundred units.

"Do they have any problems?"

A hint of a smile surfaced on Si Si’s face.

"Don’t worry, they just fought those guys during the day; this number isn’t an issue."

Reassured by her statement, Captain Chen Jianhong let go of his concerns and turned to the crew member at the console to issue an order.

"Target Shelter No. 70! Full speed ahead!"

...

As the Dolphin Nuclear Submarine’s engine power increased to its maximum and it made a beeline toward Shelter No. 70, the Aquatic Variant Humans stationed around Coral City also noticed the large intruder that had suddenly entered their territory.

"Crack——!"

A Mutant Priest issued an intimidating roar, signaling to a group of scaly minions to pick up their weapons and charge towards the submarine.

Although their fleshly bodies seemed weak in the face of the Federal destroyers, which were designed for both searching and destroying, their thermite bombs and various homemade explosives could still pose a certain threat to an unarmed cargo submarine like the Dolphin.

Just as the swarm of "Fishmen" rushed towards the dazzling lights, slender jets of water suddenly pounced on them like locusts, instantly turning the vanguard of a dozen or so into sieves.

The Fishmen panicked, halting their advance and peering against the blinding searchlight, only to see nineteen huge Iron Crabs standing on a nearby reef, guns drawn and aimed at them.

Through the pilothouse’s observation window, watching those faces filled with terror, Ground Model, gripping the joystick with both hands, let a savage smile creep across his face.

"You’re up against me, you little bastards!"

He hadn’t had his fill in the previous battle; he had only chopped up a dozen or so fish before the kills were snatched away by the Goblin Corps’ planes.

This was the midpoint of the Southern sea area, well beyond the operating radius of friendly forces; he wouldn’t have to worry about interruptions now.

However, no sooner had his cocky remark dropped than his teammate’s teasing came through his earpiece.

"Old Demon, you should have added a ’guys’ after that; otherwise, it sounds like you’re the runt."

"Ha ha ha ha!"

With the laughter echoing over the communication channel, Ground Model blushed and cursed, silencing that talkative teammate’s mic.

"Damn it! Always you with the chatter!"

While they were speaking, the "King Crabs" that had jumped out from the submarine’s forehatch engaged the scaly Mutants in combat.

During the fray, some cunning foes attempted to break from the fight and intercept the vessel, only to be caught up by 19mm harpoons that left them half-bodied with a bang.

Even the Mutants couldn’t help but shiver at that terrifying power.

Nevertheless, these creatures were different from the ones the players had encountered before; they did not lose their composure amidst the casualties.

Realizing they wouldn’t get close to the submarine without dealing with the Iron Crabs, they screamed, turning about and trying to avoid the direct lights aimed at their eyes from behind the players.

Contact sparked an immediate clash; whirling chainsaws and wildly flying harpoons raised a bloody tempest in the deep seas.

Mutants died in rapid succession, their alarming blood rendering almost the entire area red.

Yet despite this, the nineteen surrounded players from the Jungle Corps still felt an unusual strain.

These creatures—

Were entirely different from the previous ones!

They didn’t mindlessly surge forward with harpoons, but rather employed tactics, attempting to divide and surround the players!

"Be careful, everyone! These guys are different from those who attacked the undersea pipe before!"

"What’s the difference——"

"The player had not finished speaking when the sparks of a suicidal explosion rose from the surface of the armor, blasting a heap of iron scraps together with a large number of bubbles.

A mutant was shouldering a thick and long launcher, watching the iron crab sprouting bubbles with a raspy and muffled strange laugh.

It was that very launcher that had fired a small torpedo, piercing through the shells of those crabs.

Judging by the scale of the explosion, it likely triggered the ammunition racks.

"Dammit!!"

One player roared in anger and grief, rushing forward with a chainsaw, and amidst panicked squawks and cries from the mutant, cleaved it cleanly in two.

Seeing the casualty indicator on the squad list, Ground Model’s heart couldn’t help but sink slightly.

Less than 5 minutes into contact with the enemy, there had already been a casualty!

There were hundreds, if not thousands, of mutants before them, and they had no backup they could call upon...

This battle would probably be even tougher than they had imagined!

Yet despite this, there was not a trace of fear on his face; on the contrary, his eyes burned with a surging fighting spirit.

Compared to a bunch of fools standing still just to be hacked at, evenly matched opponents were obviously more interesting.

"Bring it on!"

Stomping on the direction pedal to dodge a torpedo coming from the side, Ground Model flipped over and with a fierce swing of his chainsaw, sliced a mutant trying to stick thermite on his back into two.

Driven by the instinct to survive, he was getting more and more proficient with this thing.

At this moment, he felt as if he had really become a crab.

Though he was not operating it through a neural connection device.

Driven to bloodlust, Ground Model let out an excited roar.

"Show me all you’ve got! Let’s see what else you can do!"

Separated by thick armor and the vast sea, that impassioned roar was doomed to be heard by him alone.

But even without hearing the shouts of the battle, the crew on the bridge could still sense the ferocity of the fight through the images captured by the cameras.

Watching one armored device after another being blasted to pieces under the searchlights, the crew fell silent.

Chen Jianhong’s Adam’s apple moved, and he couldn’t help but turn to Si Si and asked.

"Are they... really going to be okay?"

Given the current speed of the Dolphin, it seemed that they had left those guys behind.

But this also meant that the warriors who had jumped out of the hatch in their iron crabs could only rely on themselves now...

Si Si fell silent for a moment, and thinking of an appropriate thing to say without violating the players’ code, said.

"From the moment we step out of the shelter, we are ready for our mission, and death to us is simply a return."

Chen Jianhong’s Adam’s apple moved again, he didn’t speak, just continued to look in the direction outside the porthole.

The crew members on the Glory, sitting in the lounge, saw the fierce battle on the TV in the corner of the ceiling and felt heavy at heart.

Those guys...

They had just seen them earlier in the day, and it was in the northwestern waters off Ring Island.

Some saluted silently, while others couldn’t help but clench the fists resting on their knees.

Protecting this sea was their duty.

Yet now, others were fulfilling what should have been their own obligation.

This guilt made many lower their heads...

..."

The blood-soaked battlefield became more and more distant, the searchlight’s beam no longer reaching the seaweed forest where the fierce struggle had taken place.

The Dolphin Submarine slowly reached above a seafloor canyon, descending into the seemingly bottomless abyss.

As the submarine circumvented a T-shaped rock pillar and entered a vast cave structure, the concrete-poured walls soon appeared on both sides of the submarine’s cabin.

Looking at the structure on both sides, Chen Jianhong’s face carried a faint pride as he spoke with a nostalgic tone.

"...This is the entrance to the shelter, and it was also the practical engineering entrance when the shelter was being constructed. I’ve heard that back then, people sealed off the entire cave that was hundreds of meters wide and kilometers long, drained the seawater, established a buffer gate, and then laid down steel reinforcement and poured concrete... Generally, only the residents of the refuge would know about this."

He had never personally witnessed how that grand project began, but his father had told him the stories from that time.

Si Si nodded, suddenly struck with a curious thought.

"How do you distinguish the residents of the refuge? I’m a little curious."

Chen Jianhong: "Generally speaking... if one parent is a resident of the refuge, those born inside the refuge are considered residents, or if both parents are residents, it doesn’t matter where you are born, isn’t it the same for you?"

"Oh, we haven’t had any children yet, we don’t know!" the tail suddenly interjected.

Si Si’s face involuntarily flushed, but having been accustomed to Ah Wei’s tactlessness for so long, she just coughed lightly.

"We don’t have that situation where we are."

"I see, I think I’ve heard someone mention that your shelter... uses cryogenic hibernation, right? This means you’re the ’first generation’," Chen Jianhong touched his nose, suddenly reflecting, "That’s great, you can peacefully live for a hundred years. We’ve already found the mines ahead for you... Of course, whether or not to clear them is up to you."

Si Si glanced at him.

"Mines?"

Chen Jianhong nodded.

"Unlimited power comes with unlimited responsibility... but, before a truly irreversible problem arises, there is no real accountability. Before we emerged from the refuge, we didn’t realize that the position of the Manager itself had a huge bug. After all, when designing the refuge, the Manager was just a manager, nothing more complex. I guess the people of the Era of Prosperity didn’t think so much about it either."

Si Si pondered for a moment.

"I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing if the Manager can handle things well."

"Then who defines what ’well’ is?"

Chen Jianhong looked at her meaningfully and chuckled, "If Charles wins, the pipeline you repaired will be a noose around the necks of the Federation’s citizens. If the folks at Anle Island win, it’ll be an olive branch of friendship."

"A pipeline is a pipeline, a deal is a deal, the objective facts are hard to alter, once changed they are full of holes, but there are many ways to interpret them... do you believe if Charles wins, even the Mutants could become friends of the Federation? Those things not only eat people but also conduct living sacrifices—are pretty bad, right?"

The tail clenched his fists, staring intently into his eyes.

"Oh! Although it’s said like that, we will not let them win!"

Chen Jianhong smiled and said.

"I’m just giving an example. Our development paths are similar, but there are also significant differences. When I went to report to the City of Dawn, I met your Manager. That gentleman is a smart man. He has almost absorbed all the experiences of all the refuges you’ve encountered, successful or not, and has kept every Administrator’s Log well preserved. Maybe your future will be different."

After a pause, he continued.

"Also, never underestimate your opponent. Those guys actually have a chance, especially that battleship—that’s a big problem for you. We’ve calculated that its main gun only needs 2 to 3 shots to overload the shield core of a space escort ship. We built it to defend against the Army, but we didn’t expect that the Army wouldn’t reach here for a century, and it turned out to be used on our own people first."

Those standing on the bridge exchanged glances; this was indeed significant intelligence.

It seemed that the Steel Heart used "Escort ship’s core." So, the battleship’s main cannon was taken from a space escort ship?

But how exactly did they solve the frictional resistance problem of kinetic energy weapons in the atmosphere?

While they were talking, a steep concrete wall suddenly appeared right in front of the bridge, blocking their way forward.

Meat Meat blinked, murmuring softly.

"No more road?"

Glancing at the talking White bear, Chen Jianhong pointed upward and laughed.

"It’s above."

Just as his voice faded, the halted submarine began to slowly ascend to the surface.

After a brief wait, the conning tower broke through the water, and the view ahead suddenly opened up.

This was a cave deep in the ocean, with an open space right above the concrete walls. At the end of this space was a giant gear-shaped metal door.

It locked onto the thick rock like a button, sealed tightly in place.

Gazing at the scene outside the porthole, those standing in the conning tower, including Tail, all widened their eyes, their pupils reflecting disbelief.

The crew members in the conning tower did the same, their faces lighting up with excitement.

Most of them were residents of the refuges, including those from Coral City, and that gigantic metal door was like a road sign at their front door.

"We’re finally back..."

Chen Jianhong’s face showed a relieved smile as he shouted to the people inside the cabin, "What are we waiting for? Turn 90 degrees to the left! Line up with the hatch, let’s go home!"

With everyone’s cooperation, the submarine quickly docked at the concrete "harbor".

At the same time, the people in the refuge noticed them, and a surprised voice soon came over the loudspeaker from above the plaza.

"Dolphin? That’s great, you’re still alive!"

Setting foot on land, Chen Jianhong poked his ears with his index finger to finally adjust to the outside pressure and shouted with a laugh.

"Hahaha! We’re in terrific shape!"

He paused, then turned back to look at Tail and the others who had just come ashore, explaining,

"You wouldn’t believe if I told you, but two months after that incident, friends from Shelter No. 404 found us. Remember Baiyue Province? They came over in airships and built a settlement there."

A gasp came over the broadcast.

"Baiyue Province?! How did they manage that?"

Landing there wasn’t difficult, but to stay meant enduring continuous loss and casualties. Shelter No. 70 also tried a few times in earlier years, but after several serious casualty incidents, the colonization had to be suspended.

While the land resources were essential, the cost was simply too high.

"Them... I didn’t quite understand how they persevered, but now they are our neighbors. Oh, their original home was in River Valley Province, where they’ve built a survivor’s alliance! I paid them a visit, and the locals were very welcoming, especially towards us from the refuges. I even met..." He trailed off, "Never mind, it’s a long story, just hurry up and open the gate, I’ve brought some local specialties from there."

Chen Jianhong had wanted to talk about Sun Yuechi, but that was a topic that would take too long to get into.

After all, he brought the latest issue of the Goblin Observation Report, and once inside the refuge, they would have plenty of time to chat about it.

A cheerful voice came through the broadcast.

"No problem, we’re powering the refuge’s main gate now! It’s been a long time since these doors were last used, so we need to equalize the pressure in the buffer room, which might take some time. By the way, cough cough! Ladies from Shelter No. 404... can I get a contact? Wait, does your vm have a chat feature?"

"We’ve retrofitted it a long time ago, but our operating systems are probably different, so I’m afraid we can’t exchange those details with you."

Si Si, disliking the frivolous tone, politely rejected his request, but then remembered this was a game and regretted possibly missing out on a side quest.

"Alright... what a pity. My name is Lin Nuo, at least allow me the honor of showing you around."

The voice on the other end didn’t persist but didn’t seem to have given up entirely either.

Chen Jianhong cleared his throat and shouted,

"Okay, Alin, stop using the broadcast for private chats, how much longer do you need?"

"Ten minutes... these doors haven’t been used in a while. By the way, who are those people behind you? I don’t remember Dolphin having so many crew members, are they also from Shelter No. 404?"

The voice was clearly tinged with suspicion.

Knowing that the truth could not be hidden, the guy must have run off to compare facial data, Chen Jianhong coughed lightly and candidly admitted,

"They are crew members from the Glory—"

But before he could finish, a burst of static overtook the broadcast, as if someone had snatched the microphone away.

Then a cold voice followed,

"Tell them to leave."