Winter has entered on the east coast. Although it does not snow like last year, the low sky is still covered with thick clouds.
For the residents of Ideal City, today is undoubtedly a sad day.
Their hero never returned home.
After waiting for a long time, all we got was this result, which many people could not accept.
The scene of the press conference.
The spacious venue was crowded, and reporters from various media gathered together.
Although Wu Changnian, deputy director of the General Management Department, had just gotten off the plane not long ago, the relevant news had already spread all over the city two days ago. So much so that while he was still taking a nap in the sky, people on the ground were already helping him take care of himself after landing.
The itinerary is arranged.
Taking advantage of the fact that there was still some time before the press conference officially started, everyone at the scene began to communicate in whispers.
"We spent billions and fought a local war... and this is the final result?"
"I don't know what the council thinks."
"What can you think? By the time our people arrive, they will have been cold for a long time, and it was a few months ago."
"Why."
"Actually, what concerns me more is the enlightenment meeting."
"Indeed, replacing human memories... sounds like it gives people goosebumps."
"Is that really the Blue Jackets' organization?"
"I hope there won't be any of those guys in the shelter in the Cloud Province."
"We shouldn't be pinning our hopes on hope, the council should do something to make sure we don't have those guys around us!"
The whispers grew louder and louder.
People are concerned not only that the Pioneer has gained nothing, but that tens of billions of investments have been wasted, and billions of budgets have been spent on it.
Most people are still more concerned about the enlightenment meeting that is terrifying to contemplate.
If the fruits of today's labor may be usurped some day in the future, it will be meaningless no matter how much value is created.
No one can accept it, coming home from get off work one day and meeting a pair of unfamiliar eyes, let alone a group of little ghosts hiding in the dark to secretly replace them.
It's more than five thousand kilometers, which is not too far. There is always a way to get there.
At the same time, in the preparation room next to the conference site, Wu Changnian, who had just gotten off the plane and transferred to the bus, walked towards the site before taking a sip of water.
Chasing after him with documents, his office secretary persuaded him earnestly.
".·····At least sit down and rest for a while!"
"No, I have rested long enough on the plane, from the Great Desert, to the Lion Kingdom, to Dawn City, and then here. There is also a council meeting in the afternoon, and I must first finish the press conference.
Done...
This is the task assigned to me by the council." Wu Changnian opened the holographic computer pen and glanced at today's schedule, and his scalp felt numb.
He was only a deputy, so being so busy was beyond his expectation. But it was not a bad thing to be suddenly busy.
This is a good sign. Maybe it won't be too long before he can take a step forward in his career.
Thinking of this, the slightly tired face became energetic again. Although he only went there for a walk, he was still a tough guy who had been on the battlefield.
"The reporters outside look aggressive. I'm afraid they won't let you go easily." The secretary on the side smiled bitterly and gave his final persuasion, but he pushed him away.
"Then let them come!" The door opened and the lights flickered.
As soon as Wu Changnian walked to the front desk, before he could say anything, interview drones rushed over and lined up neatly in an arc in front of him, followed by a barrage of questions.
"Mr. Wu Changnian, how do you evaluate this rescue operation?"
"Deputy Minister Wu, we spent countless resources to build the Pioneer and sent the best personnel to the wilderness. In the end, we found nothing... Do you think this is a waste of resources?"
"Excuse me, does the council have nothing to say about this?"
"Whether the setback in Silver Wing Group's share price will affect the change of its board of directors seats."
"I heard that only one person was rescued. That person happened to be the CEO of Silver Wing Group and the eldest son of the company's supreme council member. I want to know about the rescue work.
Is there any bias?"
"Should we increase our interference in the forces of the Sanctuary -" "Enough! Quiet!"
The loud voice suddenly erupted, instantly suffocating the entire audience, and the hustle and bustle at the press conference fell silent for a few seconds.
Looking at the noisy scene and the confused faces, Wu Changnian took a deep breath, slowed down his speaking speed and tone and continued.
"You have more questions than the bullets that flew past my head. I know you want to ask a lot of things. Captain Lu Yang's video will answer part of your confusion. We will upload that recording to the endpoint cloud and save it in the museum.
For everyone to check... Before that, listen to me!"
After a pause, his tone became a little deeper.
"Today...I'm going to tell a sad story."
"A group of brave young men embarked on an expedition with their ideals in mind. They traveled across mountains and rivers, through plains, forests, mountains and deserts, not to find wealth, land or conquest... but for a message that has been passed down to us.
A legend between people, an ideal that we have repeatedly preached for a century but no one has tried to verify it."
"Our civilization has stagnated. We are afraid of the risks in the wasteland. We imagine an omnipotent savior living in the dormant cabin of Shelter 0, waiting for the great kingdom of heaven to run to our feet...
··If no one goes there to take a look, we will never give up that childish idea.
"I want to say that he did an amazing thing. Even though he might have guessed that the ending would not be perfect at the beginning, he still did what he thought he should do. And he had no regrets until the end, so if you ask me
, whether I will feel regret, whether I will regret it, my answer is no."
"never!"
his
His voice was firm and his eyes were as bright as a torch.
The man standing here now does not look like a man in his forties or fifties, even the vertical and horizontal wrinkles have regained their youthful glow.
"Even if only one person is rescued, even if no one is rescued, this rescue is by no means meaningless to us."
"More valuable than gold is credit. We have kept our promise and will not give up any of the displaced residents. We have shown our determination to never compromise to those who doubted us. We have gained valuable valuables during the journey.
friendship··"
"What's more important is our bravery!"
Looking at the drones in front of him, he saw faces through them, as well as the prosperous city beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows.
"We are worthy of our ancestors, and the residents of Vault 6 and the USS Reach will be proud of our choice."
"We are worthy of being the descendants of heroes!"
There was applause.
At first it was light rain, then it was a storm.
Even the reporters who were prepared to ask difficult questions from the beginning were infected by the atmosphere and couldn't help but put their hands together.
At least the applause at this moment was not for someone present, but for himself.
In the lounge not far away, Ye Shi clapped his hands, feeling sad in his heart but also saying something sour in a humane way.
"Hey, that's really nice to say."
He could remember clearly that those guys backed down more than once. At least in his opinion, if the managers had not withstood the pressure and promised to end the war within the year, today's press conference might have announced the "missing" of the Pioneer.
"Yes.
By the way, he came to Ideal City by "hitchhiking" from Vice Minister Wu.
Not just him, but also Lao Bai, Guangfeng, Mole, etc.
Fang Chang, who was standing aside, smiled, patted Brother Ye Shi on the shoulder and said.
"You just like to play devil's advocate. The other person is the deputy department of Ideal City. He represents Ideal City and the Board of Directors. If he doesn't say that, you tell me how to say it."
Ye Shi thought for a while and tried hard to find a fault. "At least emphasize our role more."
"Our role does not need any verbal emphasis. Some people will remember our kindness. Things that need to be emphasized repeatedly are not so important." Fang Chang patted his shoulder, and then looked at Lao Bai and Bang Feng.
Good brother, he smiled and said, "Come with me and show you what I have accomplished in the past few months.
The group of people walked into the elevator and arrived at the observation deck on the top floor of the building.
Ye Shi glanced around and saw nothing, so he looked at this guy and joked.
"Don't tell me that the result of your past few months is this rooftop."
Fang Chang said nothing, looked at the time on his watch, and then turned his attention to the Council Building in the center of Ideal City.
"there."
As soon as he finished speaking, the gorgeous light and shadow converged on the wall of the building into a bucket filled with fried chicken and a large glass of black drink.
This is very important for the real world with close cultural exchanges.
It's not a novel thing for me, but it's novel enough for the residents of Ideal City.
Lines of advertising slogans flashed across the screen.
[Kenda Chicken’s first store is open! Food from exotic places is waiting for your visit! 】
【Store address:··.··】
At first, Ye Shi couldn't understand what was written on it. After opening the VM and translating it, he almost laughed out loud.
"Pfft! It's okay if you're willing to beat the chicken. There are so many old jokes."
"It's really an old joke." Bang Feng couldn't help but complain.
"Haha, it means I'm not young anymore." Fang Chang smiled happily.
Lao Bai laughed and joked.
"Good guy, you are moving all the real things into the wasteland."
"It's just complementary advantages," Fang Chang continued while touching the bridge of his nose with his index finger. "Fried chicken and Coca-Cola are just the first step to test the water. Then there will be steamed buns, steamed buns, pancakes, dumplings and pre-made dishes, etc. The plan includes
With "Mr. Xiaomi" and many other fast food brands, we plan to make these food products from the alliance form a matrix with cultural added value in Ideal City.
"And we only need to do a good job in standards and quality control, and specific store operations
You can cooperate with other food and catering companies in the form of franchises to produce and sell locally... At present, this cooperation model is the most suitable for us."
After all, the alliance cannot send too many employees to the company. One is that it is difficult to integrate into the local society, and the other is that it may take away local job opportunities.
Only providing concepts and creativity was Fang Chang's plan from the beginning. As long as the "fried chicken" is labeled with the alliance, the residents of Ideal City will immediately identify the alliance company as soon as they think of the delicious food.
Certified store.
If operating conditions are good, Changyue Group will open up a considerable market worth tens of billions for Niuma Group in Ideal City.
Once the market opens and the residents of Ideal City accept the culture of Dawn City, some professional life players can also go to Ideal City to open stores.
Everyone can benefit from it, and it is undoubtedly a win-win situation.
Ye Shi was confused about the business blueprint described by Fang Chang. He scratched the back of his head for a long time and couldn't understand it, so he simply gave up.
Among all the people he knew, Elder Brother Fang was the only one who could play the game this far.
He thought he was not the type to do this, so he simply lay down.
After talking about Niuma Group's future business plan, Fang Chang suddenly turned his attention to Ye Shi and asked with interest.
"By the way, I heard from Lao Bai that you recently met a researcher from the college? What's going on?"
He had always been interested in the academy in the swamp.
Legend has it that there are more black technologies there than companies, but they rarely flow into the wasteland. According to the official settings, if you really want to buy top-notch equipment, it seems you have to find a way to pry open the academy's door.
Maybe Ye Shi can be a breakthrough.
However, looking at those gossipy eyes, Ye Shi looked confused.
"What's going on?"
Patting Ye Shi on the shoulder, Lao Bai smiled at Fang Chang and said
.
"You underestimate this guy. Not only the researchers at the college, but also the grandmothers in the company are interested in him."
Thinking of the incident that happened on the plane, Fang Feng nodded subtly.
"But I think there is still a difference...could the person just want to have a godson?"
Fang Chang looked at Ye Shi in surprise.
"Damn it, you kid is not interesting enough... you don't tell your father anything."
"Go away! I don't even know what you are talking about. I...I never thought about dating an NPC."
Seeing that Fang Chang's smiling expression didn't look like he had listened to his own explanation, Ye Shi, who was blushing, hurriedly ended this inexplicable topic, and then shifted his focus to the bitch himself.
"Tch, stop talking about me, when are you going back?"
Fang Chang said simply.
"I'll go back with you later."
Ye Shi was stunned for a moment, looking at this guy with some disbelief. He didn't mean to show it to others.
"Just left like that?" Fang Chang looked at him strangely. "Yes, what else?"
"It's nothing," Ye Shi scratched the back of his head, "I'm just a little surprised."
Fang Chang probably guessed what he was surprised about, and said with a smile.
"Things here have been arranged properly. Professional managers are responsible for the specific operations of Changyue Group. There are not many things that we need to worry about. This cooperation plan is more of a test of water. After all, in the past more than a year
Century, Ideal City has never had direct business cooperation across such a long distance, so I spent a little more time." 1
Prior to this, most cooperation between enterprises and the outside world would be conducted through indirect means.
For example, an enterprise's company cooperates with the merchants of Yunjian Province to trade the resources needed by Ideal City, while the merchants of Yunjian Province take the products of Ideal City to further places in exchange for what they need.
This is undoubtedly a major change.
As for the impact it will have on the future, it is still unknown. By the way, just a few days ago, Fang Chang had completed several courses at Yunjian University.
Although it was only some superficial knowledge, it was enough for him to digest for a long time.
If there is a chance in the future, he will come back to study again and try to get that diploma. 2
"Li Shuyue, CEO of Ruyue Group, is also full of confidence in this. She also believes that this will become a historic moment... After more than a century, Ideal City's direct business has once again expanded beyond the Yunjian Province.
The residents here finally left this fortress and headed back to the wasteland. From what she said, they are quite grateful to us."
Kuangfeng sighed.
"Sounds a bit like the beginning of a new story."
Fang Chang smiled.
"right?"
Because of an expedition, stagnant history began to move forward, and each of them was a witness to this moment. And in the distant future, when people remember that ancient version, they will probably also think of the names of these participants.
.
Ye Shi suddenly laughed slyly and said.
"By the way, I almost forgot to ask, what does Li Shuyue have to do with you?"
Fang Chang rolled his eyes.
"It doesn't matter... and I'm warning you, don't talk nonsense everywhere, especially not over there. I have a wife."
Ye Shi: "Damn! You are so particular in the game!"
"You don't understand," Fang Chang shook his head and said quietly, "The reason why sincerity is precious is because it only happens once."
"Ugh, vomit, vomit!"
Just when Ye Shi was holding on to the wall and vomiting, Fang Chang looked at Lao Bai who was looking at them with a smile.
"By the way, Lao Bai, what task does the manager give us this time?" Lao Bai said with a grin.
"One thousand cubic meters of helium 3 is waiting for us to recycle it in a research institute in Jinchuan Province."
Fang Chang took a breath of cold air. "How much will it cost?"
"Based on the energy consumption in the real world, assuming that the third generation of fusion technology is unlocked, one thousand cubic meters of helium-3 is enough for the earth to consume for one year. As for the game," Kuangfeng thought for a while and shrugged, "it is estimated that the energy consumption of the alliance
The level is enough to last until the service is stopped."
Even in an ideal city, the energy consumption per year should not exceed this number.
One can imagine what a huge wealth this is!
"It's too exaggerated to stop the service," Fang Chang couldn't help but smile in surprise and looked up at the sky, "Where is our end."
"Stop talking nonsense, how long do you plan to rest?" Lao Bai patted his buddy on the shoulder and said with a smile, "The manager has given us plenty of time. We can finish it within half a year."
"How long will you rest?" Fang Chang was stunned for a moment, "Didn't I say that I will go back with you this time -"
Ye Shi rolled his eyes.
"Are you sure? You won't be with your Dolly when you go back?"
The usually calm face rarely showed a hint of morning glow. Fang Chang coughed slightly in embarrassment and looked to the side.
"Wait for me for a few days..."
Looking at Fang Chang who suddenly became "shy", Ye Shi felt goose bumps all over his body and turned his face to the sky with a look of discomfort.
"Damn it... I really want to throw this guy off the rooftop!"
Looking at Ye Shi, who was twisted with envy, jealousy and hatred, Lao Bai laughed heartily and patted him hard on the shoulder.
Guangfeng, who was standing aside, gave the boy a sidelong glance.
".·····Didn't you insist on mentioning this yourself?"
A week has passed since the "Vault 0" incident.
Across the vast desert more than 5,000 kilometers away, people who have not yet evacuated are still busy doing some cleaning and finishing work on the battlefield.
Although some fast young players have returned to the alliance early, and even went as far as the easternmost part of the Central Continent, Chu Guang, as the manager, has not left yet.
There are still a lot of things waiting for him to deal with.
In the previous battle, the Alliance captured a total of 120 disciples of the Enlightenment Society. These people will be brought back to Dawn City and entered into court at the court there.
Conduct judgment.
Although they are residents of the Vault, the Alliance will not treat them differently because of where they come from, and will treat them the same as other prisoners in terms of punishment.
However, the legal workers of the alliance and the public still need to discuss which law should be used as the criterion and the details of sentencing for different levels of personnel.
But one thing won't change.
Even if they are also victims of the Enlightenment, they are still responsible for becoming the devil's accomplices.
They will be sentenced to more than ten years in prison and undergo labor reform during their imprisonment. At the same time, they will undertake voluntary work in refugee homes, workers' schools and other welfare institutions, and help rescued survivors in the wasteland in medical and education-related fields.
Performance during the sentence may reduce the sentence.
If you make special contributions while serving your sentence, your criminal liability can also be reduced.
Punishment is only a means, not an end. The knowledge, skills and experience possessed by shelter residents are a valuable asset, which is also the legacy left by the Awami League.
The stubborn part had already died on the battlefield, and Chu Guang felt that it was worth giving these prisoners a chance to change their ways when they were wavering in the face of death.
In addition to the placement of more than a hundred prisoners, there is another important matter that must be resolved before returning home.
That was the airship anchored next to the camp.
Although buffer airbags and parachutes slow down the speed of the airship's fall and the impact of hitting the ground, they do not have no impact on the structure of the airship.
Especially the wings on both sides.
When the outer armor was blown up to reduce weight, the connection between the wing and the airship was damaged, causing it to break during the fall.
Even if everything works fine with the anti-gravity device, this guy can't go anywhere.
Fortunately, those five base vehicles can process the parts needed to repair the airship wings and propeller engines, and they have almost been repaired this week.
In comparison, the situation of the Arbitrator is much miserable.
Although Chu Guang didn't ask, he could guess just by looking at Captain Adria's face that the situation of that thing must be terrible.
In the past two days, the players who planned to go back with the Heart of Steel have been wandering around, building the alliance's outpost in the desert while searching for traces of the Enlightenment Society.
However, they did not find any clues about the Enlightenment Society. Instead, they discovered many mutant lairs hidden in the ruins.
As a result, there were nearly 160 more rescued survivors in the Alliance camp.
Including those who came before, the number of survivors in the camp is close to three hundred.
What makes people feel complicated is that this may be just the tip of the iceberg of this hell. In places where the Alliance has not yet set foot, there are many similar tragedies near industrial buildings.
A sharp-edged concrete slab stood on the steps of the main entrance of the building. On the steep slab, lines of names familiar to Chu Guang were engraved.
The company took away the belongings left by employees in the wreckage of the Pioneer.
Before setting off for the return voyage, the man named Yun Song and his 26th Commando found a piece of concrete nearby as a stone tablet and engraved the names of the Pioneer crew members on it as a souvenir.
A stronger and more beautiful monument is still being made, and it will be delivered to the Alliance from Ideal City next month, and then the Alliance will deliver it here.
In the past few days, Chu Guang would come here every day to see the familiar names and the places where they had fought.
In fact, he always remembered it.
The seemingly gentle Luo Hua is actually an alcoholic, but he will not refuse the delicious mushroom soup. The beautiful bodyguard Ai Si, who rarely talks, likes furry things...such as meat, and she is even willing to do it.
Spend money.
The water tanker driver Yuan Hao liked to eat steamed buns. He bought more than fifty at a time and distributed them to his colleagues. That was the beginning of the alliance's "light industry". The logistics section chief Li De was a cunning old man, but he still paid in a very regular manner.
paid
······There are many, many interesting people.
In order to earn more Cr from them, Fang Chang and Brother Mole wrote a lot of strategies, and Chu Guang would sometimes take a peek and learn a trick in secret.
As for Lu Yang.
He is a man with a strong sense of justice. His decisiveness, bravery and kindness are impressive and enviable.
It's a pity... many people are no longer here.
"...When I saw Luo Hua, I actually thought that you might have encountered an accident, and this rescue might not have any results. But I still told my partners that our
Our friends are in danger and we have to pick them back."
"We crossed deserts, crossed valleys, marched 2,500 kilometers, and defeated powerful enemies that were considered invincible... It's a pity that we couldn't bring you back in the end."
"I thought for a moment that I would kill those captives to avenge you. Even if those disciples were not the murderers, they were accomplices of the murderers. But I quickly thought that if you were still alive, you would definitely stop me and tell me this.
Not revenge, just pure venting of anger, meaningless and ugly..." Chu Guang sighed softly and placed a bouquet of wild flowers in front of the tombstone.
"The right choice is always the most difficult. If we don't correct the mistakes that have happened and are happening, the Wasteland Era will never end."
"You are an amazing group of adventurers."
"Thank you for coming."
The Heart of Steel has been repaired and will return tomorrow. However, I will come back to visit you.
Chu Guang withdrew his gaze from the tall concrete stone monument, turned around and walked down the steps, when suddenly there was movement from the side.
Chu Guang stopped and looked aside, only to see Rama standing there.
He remembered this brave girl who was the first to stand up and provide many important clues when everyone was silent.
Seeing through the expression on her face that she had something to say, Chu Guang said in a gentle tone.
"Is there a problem?"
Rama hesitated for a moment, but the determination in her eyes did not change. She bit her lower lip, said nothing, and knelt on the ground on one knee.
Chu Guang sighed.
He was not used to the survivors being like this. "Get up and talk."
Hearing the tone that refused to be refused, Rama stood up silently, and after a short while, he slowly spoke.
"Dear manager, I...want to stay." Chu Guang said patiently, probably guessing her concerns.
"You can start a new life in the Alliance. There are many survivors like you there, and people won't care about your past."
"I believe you, but... I still want to stay here," Rama whispered after a long silence, "There are still many people here who have not been rescued."
Chu Guang glanced at her in surprise, not expecting her to be so aware. His eyes gradually became serious, and he asked again in a serious tone.
"Have you thought about it?"
Rama nodded seriously.
"Well... This is not a temporary idea of mine. I have thought about it for a long time. I am very grateful to you for saving us. If possible, we also want to do something."
After she saw the girls who were rescued from the mutant lair by the Alliance, and after she thought that there were countless mutant tribes like the "Blackstone" tribe in this wasteland, she had the idea of staying in her heart.
idea.
Even though the battle is not easy, no one is born as an awakened person. If you don't take the first step, you will always be a lamb in the sheepfold. In fact, this is not her only idea.
This is also a thought shared by many rescued survivors.
Their thoughts are more simple. Instead of going to an unknown place to start a new life, it is better to start from the land under their feet.
There is plenty of fresh water here, there are food sources, and there are already built houses. Even if you don't become a warrior, you can take care of crops or raise insects. Although life here is accompanied by dangers, where is this wasteland?
What about safe ones?
At least here, they don't have to face strange looks from strangers... The surprised looks turned into approval. Chu Guang looked at her and nodded, saying happily.
"I'm glad you think so. I will leave you some weapons, enough for you to protect yourself. We will also leave some people to act with you, and we will send people to send supplies from time to time. If we encounter problems that cannot be solved
Please, you can ask for their help. Although they have their own tasks, they will also be happy to complete some challenges outside of the tasks."
"In addition, if the tools on the Pioneer are still usable, they can be recycled. After retirement, you can help others, that person will feel gratified... Remember to come here occasionally to visit the graves, right?
Just say thank you."
Rama nodded and said respectfully. "I will keep your teachings in mind." "It's not a discussion, it's just a suggestion."
Chu Guang cast his eyes on the stone tablet not far away. He had had similar thoughts before.
The company has commemorated those brave people in its own way, and the alliance will also commemorate those partners in its own way...