Chapter 410 Dividing the spoils and rewarding based on merit!
Boulder City.
In the conference room on the third floor of the city hall, the long conference table was completely silent, leaving only the cigarette ashes shaken off from time to time and the everlasting nicotine.
The legion is gone, or running with its tail between its legs, and probably won't care about the River Valley Province for a long time.
This is something to be happy about.
However……
Everyone sitting at the conference table was completely unhappy.
At this moment, the atmosphere in the conference room was so solemn that it almost didn't feel like a meeting, but rather like a funeral.
The only thing that was incompatible with this funeral-like atmosphere was probably the brown shirt Du Long wore inside out under his black coat.
It wasn't until he was sitting here that he realized that he was wearing it backwards, but it was too late to change it, so he could only repeatedly fiddle with the collar of his coat with his hands.
This meeting lasted from late night to dawn.
Trying to hold up his heavy eyelids, Du Jiang quietly glanced around the people at the conference table again, trying to read some changes in their positions from their expressions.
However, there is still no clue.
In order to ease the stiff atmosphere at the conference table, he cleared his throat and spoke in a tactful tone.
"...At least, he didn't lie to us."
Seeing that no one interrupted him, Dulong continued.
"Not a single bullet... not even a bullet casing fell on our giant wall last night, and the ammunition they fired were undoubtedly fireworks."
"I think there is no need for us to be overly nervous. The Alliance is a very friendly neighbor and they have always cared about their relationship with us."
When he said these words, Du Long kept his posture very low and used a soliciting tone. After all, there were few people sitting here with lower status than him.
Except for Malvern, the president of the Bank of Boulder City, and Yeager, the deputy director who was always at odds with him, the rest of the people were either nobles from the inner city or officers in the militia... and the latter were the Boulders.
The real dignitaries of the city.
In comparison, he is more like a servant of the Lord of the City, a steward who takes care of his "non-core business".
Several people at the conference table exchanged glances and whispered a few words.
The expressions of several nobles in the inner city showed a hint of relief, and they felt that what he said seemed to make sense. After all, the Alliance had indeed not actively provoked them, and had also sold them many interesting gadgets, which enriched their days and nights.
Only the man in the militia uniform still stared at Dulong with a straight face and his expression did not change at all, snorting coldly through his nose in reply.
"Oh? So we have to thank them? His name is Weilun. He is the commander of the 1,000-man team of the Boulder City People's New Year League. He is a veteran nobleman in the inner city and is also the most difficult hardliner to deal with.
Although isolation is the consensus among residents of the inner city of Boulder City, how and how to isolate is a matter that can be discussed.
"You misunderstood, that's not what I meant.
Du Long sighed softly, looked at the officer with a headache, and continued.
"Let's look at the problem objectively. It's better for that airship... or that 400mm main gun to fall into the hands of the Alliance than to be held by the Legion, right? Even if those people in the northern suburbs are a bunch of country bumpkins, playing in the mud,
Claw crabs are also relatively civilized.
The officer narrowed his eyes slightly and said coldly.
"You mean I'm not objective enough?"
Dulong: Seeing that the meeting reached a deadlock again, Malvern, who was sitting at the corner of the long table, coughed lightly and said in a smoothing tone.
"I think Mr. Director wants to express that the situation we are facing has improved a lot compared to half a month ago, and there is no need to look so gloomy."
Seeing his ally speaking, Dulong immediately answered his words.
"That's what I mean.
Sitting next to Weilun, a star officer responsible for Qingcheng Defense suddenly sighed.
"Automated anti-aircraft firepower, hundreds of artillery pieces... My God, how did they break through that thing?
At 7:58 last night, the alliance set off fireworks for an hour and two minutes, and the anti-aircraft guns and missiles on the giant wall were also loaded and on standby all night.
If the dense fireworks were replaced by artillery shells equipped with proximity fuses, not a single plane in Boulder City would be able to successfully take off.
After all, a fighter jet that takes off and lands vertically, even if it can switch to fixed-wing mode, still needs a distance of more than ten kilometers to complete acceleration.
Prior to this, shooting it down did not require sophisticated technology; a salvo of broadside fire was enough.
There is no doubt that the hillbillies in the northern suburbs are using the name of celebration to show off their poor muscles.
Thinking of this, the officer couldn't help gritting his teeth and cursing in his mind.
It was just a matter of luck that he won a battle with the Legion and showed off his power in front of them.
This villain's triumphant face...
I deserve a beating!
"I still have that view," Weilun said expressionlessly, "We should tighten our assistance to them! Immediately!
Dulong sighed.
"for example?"
Weilun said without hesitation.
"Suspend loans! Suspend trade with the north!"
Dulong was not surprised at all that he would say this. The bosses of these militia groups had no idea that firewood, rice, oil and salt were expensive.
He was about to say something.
However, before he could speak, a man in rich clothes said everything he wanted to say.
"The latter part is unrealistic. What you eat, wear, and use...all come from trade between us and other survivor settlements."
Du Long took a look at this man. He recognized this man, his name was Sid, he was a famous nobleman in the inner city, and he was also the major shareholder behind Weijia Trading Company.
This guy's property is not just the Weijia Trading Company, and it's not just in Boulder City. He also has shares in the farms in the south and the mercenary group raised there. His family fortune is so rich that it is difficult to calculate it with chips.
At the same time, Dulong also noticed the clothes made of devil silk and the leather shoes made of death claw skin on his feet.
In a sense, what he said is indeed correct. His food and clothing expenses do come from trade with the outside world.
As soon as Sid finished speaking, another inner city aristocrat with equally high status spoke immediately.
"Yes, and it is simply unrealistic to suspend trade with one party alone! After leaving the giant wall, those caravans will not let you know where they have gone. Even if you close the door to the north, even if you only leave a door to the south
, as long as the business in the northern suburbs is still profitable, they will go around in a big circle."
Weilun's brow twitched.
Although his attitude was still tough, he may have realized that his words had not been thought through, so he changed his words and made some concessions.
"Ignore the trade, at least the loan must be stopped!" He knew that the money was in the Bank of Boulder City.
It's easy to stop a loan, and hundreds of millions of chips can be frozen at the touch of a finger.
The nobles didn't have any objections. Anyway, the alliance's money bag had nothing to do with them. However, just when Weilun's face was about to show a smile, the bank president Malvin coughed dryly and suddenly spoke.
"I also have something to say about this.
Seeing everyone looking at him, he continued.
"Those loans are not so much an aid to them as they are to ourselves. The residents of Boulder City cannot afford to buy our things. If we suspend loans to the alliance, at least half of the factories will
It closed down because of this.”
Upon hearing this, Sid quickly spoke.
"That's not possible! Loans cannot be stopped!
All the nobles nodded in agreement and expressed almost the same opinions.
"That's right!"
"The idea of suspending loans is simply stupid! Our factories have already started operations. If we suspend their loans, who will pay the wages to the workers!"
"Even if we want to stop, we still have to wait for those country bumpkins to pay off the goods!"
Seeing that there were more and more allies on his side, Malvern breathed a sigh of relief and continued to speak while the iron was hot.
"I think so too. The economy that has been stagnant for a century has finally shown signs of recovery. We cannot let it be interrupted...at least not now.
The officer sitting next to Weilun couldn't help but clenched his fists and scolded.
"Are we just going to watch them grow bigger?"
Dulong said softly.
"I have to explain this, their power is indeed growing, but we are also becoming stronger.
"If nothing else, let's just say that among the three thousand mercenaries who were hired to fight on the front line, excluding those who died and those who stayed there, at least one or two thousand came back. They were all soldiers who had been on the battlefield, not that kind of soldiers.
The battlefield to clean up the slime mold is a hot battle between firepower and firepower. We can definitely recruit them and train them as grassroots officers!"
He has always dreamed of having the city hall have its own armed forces, and now is undoubtedly the best opportunity.
Seeing Weilun lost in thought, Dulong felt slightly happy. However, before he could be happy, his ally Malvern suddenly betrayed him.
"As for military expansion... I don't think it's necessary. It's enough for us to ensure that we have the ability to destroy each other with our neighbors. They are economically dependent on us and will become even more dependent on us in the future, and those loans are just around their necks.
The chains on... This is more effective than expanding the army.
joke.
Once the army expands, it means raising taxes, and the city hall is not in peace, so he can't care less.
The residents in the outer cities have been squeezed dry, and there is no hope for them to make any profit. Only recently with the increase in jobs, the situation has improved a little.
It is obvious where the money will come from.
Ignoring Dulong's frantic look at him, Malvern continued.
"If our city lord has no plans to expand his territory, raising so many troops will only become a burden for us."
The nobles sitting at the conference table also nodded.
Most of them have properties in the city. If they expand their army, it will inevitably lead to an increase in taxes and further increase their operating costs.
At least on this matter, their position is consistent with that of Jushi Bank.
Weilun frowned.
He could ignore the opinions of Du Long and Governor Malvern, but he could not ignore the nobles sitting here.
Two centuries of intermarriage have made the inner city's power structure deeply entangled.
Especially the old aristocrats, many of them did not spend money to buy "tickets" to enter the inner city, but were in the original building from the beginning.
Some of them maintain the operation of the city lord's "core business", and some manage assets in distant worlds. Even the city lord will listen to their opinions.
At least listen selectively.
At this time, Malvern coughed slightly and smoothed things over again.
"Actually, don't worry too much. Our neighbors are very trustworthy.
After a pause, he continued
"Just yesterday, the manager's subordinates sent us 12 boxes of treasures. They are all collected by General McClun. The valuation given by my professional evaluation team is 8 to 9.6 million chips.
…The money will be used as an advance payment to repay interest over the next three years.”
Before he finished speaking, the eyes of all the nobles instantly turned hot when he saw them.
Especially the shareholders of Boulder City Bank,
Although these treasures entered the bank's vault and were not directly related to them, these treasures will soon appear at auction.
To them, chips are just numbers, and the money spent can maintain its value forever, whether it is buying real estate, rare metals, imported goods from the ideal city, or treasures from the pre-war era.
The Legion Captain's Collection...
I'm sure they won't be disappointed.
The atmosphere on the conference table suddenly became lively, with excited whispers and sleepy faces, which caught Du Long and Weilun off guard for a moment.
"I didn't expect those country bumpkins to be quite generous."
"This is not generous, this is the interest that should be paid to us!
A nobleman sighed.
"War brings in money so quickly.
Looking at the nobles chatting excitedly, Malvern breathed a sigh of relief and smiled on his face.
It seems that this card was played at the right time...
If there is anyone who would be least able to accept the termination of financial cooperation with the Alliance, it is undoubtedly Boulder City Bank.
The bankruptcy of the factories in Boulder City will make the nobles in the inner city uncomfortable and unable to eat, and may even lead a life of poverty, but it will not cause any damage to their muscles and bones.
But Malvern is different.
His bank is not only a creditor of the alliance, but also lends money to the factories in Boulder City so that the factory owners can expand production.
If the alliance's loans are frozen, those factories will not be able to collect their debts and will not be able to repay their money. Large-scale bad debts will instantly trigger systemic risks.
That is, liquidity dries up.
Those country bumpkins in the northern suburbs are very cunning. As soon as they got the loan, they signed a large number of orders with the factory in Boulder City, and the production tasks were even scheduled until next year.
Only now did Malvern realize why the representatives of the alliance were so quick when signing the contract. They all agreed to a series of unequal treaties including not being able to be used for spot transactions, including the scope of use of chips, including the establishment of custody accounts, etc.
I bet these guys had planned it from the beginning and tied him to their chariot.
There is no doubt that he is the richest man in the city, but not all of his money is his own. A large part of it is given to him by others.
Including the residents of the outer city, the nobles of the inner city, and even the city lord. In addition to private accounts, there are also taxes from the city hall, military expenses of the militia, etc.
If something goes wrong, it can't be solved by burning a few ledgers and killing a few people.
Thinking of the series of consequences, Malvern felt a headache but also felt dumbfounded.
He had never been to the Alliance, but he was forced to become half a member of the Alliance, and even had to withstand the pressure from the inner city for the Alliance...
And he just couldn't quit.
Because the benefits given by those people are too many...
The meeting ended and I finally returned home.
Sitting on the soft sofa, Malvin rubbed the sore bags under his eyes and couldn't help but curse in a low voice.
"These cunning skunks..."
Alyssa, who was reading the newspaper, tilted her head.
"dad?
"What's wrong, my good daughter?" Halvin immediately put on a gentle expression and rubbed his daughter's fluffy hair lovingly, "Dad is just a little tired, please rest for a while.
Alyssa blinked and Bingxue said intelligently.
"Because of the war?"
"It doesn't count, but it does have something to do with it..." Malvern sighed and said to himself tiredly, "The best situation is that the Alliance takes our money and fights with the Legion, which will hurt both sides. In this way
We can do business with the alliance that wants us, and at the same time let the alliance act according to our requirements.
"But something unexpected happened and they got the airship.
Alyssa said thoughtfully.
Glancing at the newspaper in her hand, Malvin smiled and nodded.
"That's right... they got the airship, and they even used fireworks to tell us that they had repaired it and it was now ready for use... these cunning little foxes."
"Not a skunk?
"Ahem," Malvern coughed dryly, "Don't imitate what dad says... By the way, why am I talking about these boring things.
He doesn't want his lovely little daughter to think about those annoying things. His two sons are both excellent people.
One is familiar with business in the inner city, and the other travels in the ideal city. He can trust them with the future of his family.
Malvern yawned.
"It's getting late, your music teacher will be here soon... You'd better put the newspaper away, otherwise your mother will be unhappy if she sees it.
Alyssa made a helpless expression and put down the newspaper in her hand.
"All right"
That voice was full of reluctance,
She drew out the last syllable.
Before dawn arrives in the wasteland.
The night's celebration has come to an end, but the excitement on the forum continues.
And the cause of everything is naturally the announcement of A Guang's announcement by Gou.
[The "Battle of Ruigu City" campaign rewards have been distributed, and the lottery is open for a limited time. Please redeem your points for prizes in time! 】
[The "Ten Thousand Miles of Yellow Sand" expansion pack is officially launched. In order to consolidate the fruits of victory, we will support our neighbors and drive the legions spreading chaos and plague into the desert.
West!】
[Registration for the Expeditionary Force is open! (Note: Only combat professions are counted, players of daily professions do not need to worry, there will be exclusive expansion pack related tasks released in the future.)]
Tails: "Cough! Golden Legend! (OwO)" Roushan Big Momo: "!!! What did you draw?" Tails: "Wait a minute, wait until I'm healthy first."
Quit smoking: “???”
Si Si: "Oh, as expected of O Wei, compared to the lottery, the first floor is more important! (マ一)
Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Cry, I can't receive the prize I drew in Luoxia Province at all."
I’m the darkest: “It’s okay pangolin, we’ll use it for you first! (Funny)
(angry)"
Quit smoking: "Where's Fang Chang! The new expansion pack is out!"
Irena: "Where's the analysis? Where's the explanation? Why haven't you come out yet! Haven't you had enough to eat? (Funny)" Crow Crow: "It's time for Master Yun to go to work!"
Mole on the run in the canyon: "Damn it...this guy must have won the jackpot and dared not take the risk!"
Commander of the Fountain: "(trembling.jpg)"
Debt-eyed: "Fuck! The Dogecoin European King is out!
(angry)"
Construction site boy and Brick: "Be honest with me about what I drew!"
(angry)"
Commander of the Fountain: "Ahem... lollipop."
The construction site boy and Brick: "Hahahaha! Noob!"
Teng Teng: "You...you really believed what he said.
Ye Shi: "Damn, that bitch Fang Chang has really disappeared... Damn it, no wait, it's going to be time in a few minutes, see you online, brothers!"
Lao Bai: "See you online. (Baring teeth)"
Guangfeng: "(squinting smile)"
Garbage Picking Level 99: "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayes! Meet at the door of Sewer Mission No. 117! The bus will leave on time at seven o'clock. Come quickly if you want to brush up the serial level!"
Seeing the noisy little players on the forum, Chu Guang was sincerely happy for them.
Although he suffered a lot this time, and the alliance spent the entire expected year's budget in just one month, his little players have gained a lot.
The rewards for most players are above 2,000 silver coins, which is enough to buy a miner type exoskeleton, and for many players who have made outstanding contributions, the rewards are even above 20,000 silver coins.
Excluding a series of expenses such as ammunition, supplies, weapon losses, logistics losses, etc., the "direct rewards" issued to players in this battle alone reached 30 million silver coins!
This does not include the cost of the lottery.
At present, the silver price on the official website trading platform is also fluctuating violently, but Chu Guang doesn't care much.
The Banking Exchange is not a casino, let alone a financial product.
It is a "financing" channel for the closed beta test of "Wasteland OL" and the players, or it is a tool he uses to "pay wages and subsidies" to the players.
After the trading volume shrinks to a suitable level and most speculators leave the market, he will add some technologies that are not difficult to digest in the 21st century.
Alternative options include aviation fuel, laser components for igniting controlled fusion, etc... These are all technologies before the Age of Prosperity.
As for how to properly use these technologies, that is not his concern, and I believe he does not need to worry about it.
Chu Guang also discovered it suddenly.
Although his "business ability" was a bit rusty at first, after staying in the position of a manager for a long time, he became more and more comfortable handling these matters.
In addition, the points accumulated from the last expansion pack to now are finally put to use.
Except for a small fraction of the basic blind boxes and intermediate blind boxes, he has listed most of the equipment from the advanced blind boxes as raffle prizes on the official website.
Chu Guang divided the rewards into three "reward pools".
The first-level reward pool mainly consists of trophies seized from the legion, as well as basic weapons produced by the alliance, light weapons aided by the Boulder City military, etc., with a value ranging from 1 to 500 silver coins.
The secondary reward pool is mainly composed of relatively expensive equipment, including weapon accessories and exoskeletons, with values ranging from 500 silver coins to 2,000 silver coins.
The third-level reward pool is mostly the prizes that Chu Guang opened the blind box himself, as well as the good things he got from Ideal City, etc.
The quality of these equipment is quite good, and Chu Guang believes that his little players can give full play to their imagination and maximize their value in the right situations.
As for Chu Guang himself, his need for equipment is not that great.
Not to mention that there are not many opportunities for him to go to the front line. This magical costume is already close to full equipment. If he is given another ax, he will not change from "Karl Franz" to "Hill Dwarf"
Really? That’s too much!
Now that even Nicole wears an exoskeleton, Chu Guang even has the confidence to defeat a tank alone on a frontal battlefield.
It is no exaggeration to say this.
After all, the nitrogen-powered hammer itself is used to destroy bunkers and anti-armor.
In addition, in addition to the high-tech equipment obtained from the blind boxes, Chu Guang was even more surprised by the changes that had taken place in himself.