The old man in a robe looked at the young man at the foot of the steps, and his cloudy pupils couldn't help but feel a trace of nostalgia.
picture……
It's so similar.
But it's not...
People who have lived for too long will have a putrid smell that cannot be smelled by the nose but can be seen with the eyes. If it is an old monster like himself who has lived for more than two hundred years, he will definitely be able to see it.
But it was obvious that the young man in front of him did not have that smell.
So there is only one possibility...
Thinking of the only possibility, the old man's eyes couldn't help but feel a little melancholy.
And when the old man was observing Chu Guang, Chu Guang was also sizing him up.
Just by looking at the wrinkles on his face, he couldn't tell how old this guy was.
Perhaps for this chief gentleman, life span has become a nihilistic concept.
But there was no envy in his heart.
Only after death can there be life.
What is immortal is the stone, but it is also a curse on the living.
The Great Rift Valley is like this. People living here, young and old, are as lifeless as gravel rolling down from the top of a mountain.
And it is precisely because of this stale atmosphere that aroused the resistance and extreme yearning for freedom in the Free State.
No one wants to be born in a coffin and be buried with them for the foreseeable future.
Compared to the City of Origin, which has witnessed the entire Wasteland Era, Bugra, composed of Wastelanders, is undoubtedly that baby.
An unexpected thought suddenly appeared in Chu Guang's mind.
This guy is like an undead in a fantasy novel...
"I came to the Great Rift Valley at your invitation," Chu Guang nodded to the old man, and then used his eyes to indicate to a filial son who came to have a relationship without any reason to play, and then continued, "I, like you, have long been
Want to visit you."
Zhou Xianlin scratched his head, but he could read the air. This was not a situation where he could interrupt.
After glancing at the leader of a certain survivor force who had left wisely, the old man looked at Chu Guang again with a smile on his face and said in a gentle tone.
“A very energetic young man.”
"...you mean me?"
"No," the old man shook his head and said with a smile, "I'm talking about your apprentice."
Chu Guang was stunned for a moment, then realized who the old man was talking about and hurriedly denied it.
"You can eat randomly, but you can't talk nonsense! I have never had an apprentice, and I have never taught anyone!"
Looking at Chu Guang who hurriedly denied it, the old man laughed and said in a joking tone.
"The master brings you in. Cultivation depends on the individual. If you fail to cultivate well, it is a personal fate. How can you blame the teacher if you don't learn well? Don't worry, no one will blame you."
Seeing that the old man couldn't listen to human words, Chu Guang also gave up his plan to explain to him.
Fortunately there are no reporters here.
Otherwise, even if he jumped into the heavenly water, he wouldn't be able to wash it away.
The old man didn't continue to make fun of him. He seemed to be joking just to lighten the atmosphere.
The old man standing on the steps waited for a while. After Chu Guang walked up the steps, he walked beside him and continued in a casual tone.
"...Actually, you don't have to blame yourself. The king threw a horse, lost a war, and destroyed an empire. It seems regrettable, but looking at the whole story, there is nothing to regret. Even if
If the horse does not fall, the war may not be won, and the decline of an empire may not be the beginning of another rise and fall."
Seeing that the story between the old man and Dam City couldn't be reconciled, Chu Guang couldn't help but go back with a insult.
"So the demise of the People's Federation doesn't matter to you. After all, it's just the beginning of another rise and fall."
Chu Guang thought the old man would be speechless, but he didn't expect him to be so thick-skinned and simply nodded.
"I do think so, and I am becoming more and more sure of my thoughts... The Wasteland Era is becoming history, aren't you just a continuation of the past? Different from us, originating from us, more advanced and open than us,
Full of dreams for the future. Soon you will have your own children, and by then you will understand my feelings."
Chu Guang glanced at the old man in surprise, not expecting that he could receive such a review.
Should this be considered a compliment?
After thinking for a moment, he spoke.
"But I don't want to understand it this way. It will turn the study of history into fortune telling and legitimize suffering."
The old man shook his head.
"I never said that the Wasteland Era is correct, I just want to tell you that it is the 'fruit' planted by the Prosperity Era. A long time ago, I discussed this issue with a guy named Professor, and this is actually part of his point of view.
"
Chu Guang frowned.
"professor?"
He suddenly remembered a recording.
He got it from a guard's room in Area B2 a long time ago, and it records stories other than those mentioned in the "Bloody Hand Diary".
That professor seemed to have a very deep relationship with the first-generation manager of Vault 404, and he might even be the same person...and this was also the conjecture he made at the time.
Looking at Chu Guang who was deep in thought, the old man seemed to have some expectation and continued in a very soft voice.
"Many people have forgotten his name, or may not know it at all, but people in the wasteland have more or less been helped by him, or indirectly influenced by him. People in the academy should still remember him,
If you are interested, you can chat with them... Although it is a pity that the most decisive 'conclusion' is not here, only the chief technology officer he appointed."
Chu Guang felt a little headache and pressed his eyebrows.
"...Your names are all too unique. Is this the case in the People's League era?"
The old man laughed.
"That era was so avant-garde. A person may have two names in his life. One is the high hopes that their parents have for them, and the other is their expectations for themselves and the future... Of course, only a few people are...
In this way, most people are relatively traditional and can even trace their cultural origins through the structure of their names."
When he said this, the old man was silent for a while and continued in a very soft voice.
"In fact, it's not just the name, it's many things. The Post-War Reconstruction Committee tried to use the experience of the People's Federation to save the declining world, but we soon discovered that we are still us, and you are no longer us. Some people tried to use unplanned
Some people tried to finish the unfinished things, but most of their efforts failed. Instead, the seeds we had not expected blossomed."
"Take Julius, for example. Every War Construction Committee officer who opposed him angrily accused his compassion and weakness of destroying human civilization. But in fact, human civilization is not as fragile as they say.
The only ones in hell are themselves - the criminals who firmly believe in 'necessary evil' and the War and Construction Committee who condone them."
"As for Julius, who was looked down upon by them, he has become the iron-blooded marshal respected by thousands of people... Including the residents of the shelter, there are many people who support him. Otherwise, how could the Heart of Steel fly? Just relying on
It is impossible for the Velant people to complete their own knowledge reserve, including the recovery of their own genetic source code. Although the child was indeed confused about the matter in Avent City later, that is another story."
Chu Guang patiently listened to his story and asked thoughtfully.
"What do you want to express to me?"
The old man looked back at the tarmac in the distance behind him, looked at the helpless Xiao Zhou standing in the crowd, smiled lightly and continued.
"I just want to tell you that the People's League is too far away for you. You have your own history to refer to."
"One more thing, you don't have to be afraid of failure, and you don't have to blame yourself for the mistakes that have already happened. The reason why history repeats itself is that mistakes are inevitable. If they don't happen today, they will happen tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.
The memory of falling will become the fuel that supports you to continue moving forward. Even if you fall and cannot get up, you can also serve as fuel for your children to help them go further."
"You are still young, and this is the time when you should show off your talents without reservation. Don't end up like me, an old man who can't get up after a fall."
Those cloudy pupils seemed to see through himself.
Meeting the old man's eyes, Chu Guang suddenly saw his own reflection in the turbid "mirror".
The self that is restrained.
However, he did not think that what the old man said was necessarily correct, and there was nothing wrong with his choice.
The only unfettered existence of the Alliance is himself, and his control of himself is an indispensable part of the plan.
And this old man thinks that his driving speed is too slow. Maybe he is not doing it for his own good, but he hopes that he and the alliance can be like the People's Federation and be the fuel for the children of the future.
Just like what Julius had already done, the disintegration of the legion made the Wilantes glorious. He did not expand like Julius, which obviously made the old man anxious.
Looking at the old man with a hint of encouragement in his eyes, Chu Guang, who gradually understood everything, was glad that he had not been entangled. He laughed freely and broke the old man's trap.
"It seems that people tend to become nihilistic when they grow old. I have to take this as a warning."
The old man's brows twitched slightly and he shook his head in retort.
"This is not a problem of aging, but is related to the information received. Some people are dying and still can't let go of their obsessions, and some people have just begun their lives and have already entered their forties. I don't think this is a good thing.
.You are outstanding, even better than the other you. I am quite optimistic about you."
"……another me?"
Chu Guang frowned, but the old man's expression changed and he closed his mouth as if he had let something slip.
"Ahem... It's too early to talk about this now. I have something else to do so I'll send you here and we'll talk about it later."
After saying that, the old man turned around and left.
Looking at the guy who stopped talking mid-sentence, Chu Guang had a look on his face that didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
They chatted for so long, and the guy didn't even tell himself his name.
"At least tell me your name."
The old man paused, thought for a moment, and then tilted his head slightly.
"Name...call me Qianwu, but I haven't used this name for many years, and you may not be able to react if you call me."
Chu Guang nodded.
"It doesn't matter, it's just a matter of politeness."
chief:"……"
Watching the two-hundred-year-old man leave, Chu Guang looked at the entourage assigned to him by the Rift Valley and nodded to the big man in power armor to continue leading the way.
The two walked forward for a while and entered the silver-gray building at the top of the Great Rift Valley.
The entire building is like a spaceship lying flat on the valley, with its streamlined shell integrated into the transparent dome.
This seems to be the core of the Holy Shield system, and it is also said to be the safest place in the entire wasteland, even safer than the shelter.
After all, the latter also needs to consider the supply of fuel, while the former lies at the feet of a vast sea of energy.
Players came here a long time ago and brought the photos they took back to the official website.
Chu Guang had seen those photos at that time, and the version without filters, so he was not too surprised by the exaggeratedly grand scene here.
However, when he walked through the silver trap door and walked into the hall, he was stunned by the scene in front of him.
I saw a heavy and bloated "gold can" standing in the center of the hall, and a familiar face was mounted on top of the gold can.
That guy is none other than his "Ace Double Pangolin"——
Battlefield atmosphere group!
Standing next to this guy at this moment is Captain Benoit Ten Thousand, the former legion ambassador to the alliance and now an important minister of the Triumph City Civil Service Group.
Although this guy had quarreled with him a lot in the past at community meetings, it was purely because of stance issues. Even if they got angry, it had nothing to do with personal grudges.
Since the Xifan Port incident, the Alliance has been helping the civilian clique.
Since then, Triumph City has been very close to Dawn City. On the contrary, the Southern Legion, which has trade relations with the Alliance, has gradually drifted away from the Alliance due to geographical conflicts.
As for now, due to the establishment of the Weiland Alliance and the alliance's no-cost assistance to Triumph City in fighting the "death agent", Triumph City and Dawn City are also in the honeymoon period of being inseparable. Benoit's attitude towards the alliance has naturally changed.
A 180-degree change.
As soon as he saw the blue tin can entering the hall, the old man's eyes suddenly lit up and he came forward with a smile on his face.
"Haha! Dear Mr. Manager, it's been so long! You are still as handsome as before!"
"So are you, still as strong as before..." Chu Guang's expression was a little subtle, not because of the contrast with Captain Benoit, but because he didn't expect to see his little player here.
Apparently he wasn't the only one who was embarrassed, someone squatting in the gold can had already smiled sheepishly at him.
But Benoit didn't feel any embarrassment, and he didn't notice at all that the big toe behind him was already digging into his hands, and he was still talking enthusiastically.
"Please allow me to introduce you... The person next to me is the Archon of Triumph City, the heir to the golden armor, the hero of the survivors of the provinces of Valeant and Batoria! Mr. Pangolin!"
After finishing this sentence in a mellow tone, he looked at Chu Guang and continued to speak rather show off.
"He is an amazing man! I could tell more stories about him for three days and three nights -"
Looking at Chu Guang, who could hardly hold back his laughter, the warlord coughed hard, interrupted Benoit's words, and then spoke in a hurry.
"Okay, let's not talk about my little things... Alliance manager, there is something I want to talk to you about. Is it convenient for you now?"
"A closed-door meeting before a human meeting?" Chu Guang said in a joking tone.
The battlefield atmosphere team said in a dumbfounded voice.
"Exactly..."
The performance of this play to this point was purely due to his on-the-spot performance, and he really didn't know how to perform it next.
Chu Guang nodded, then looked at the attendant on the side.
"I need a separate conference room, can you arrange it for me?"
The attendant in power armor nodded respectfully.
"no problem."
…
On the other side, there was a commotion on the tarmac.
The plane from the enterprise caused quite a stir when it landed, so much so that the leader of the Red River Alliance accidentally stepped on the shoes of the leader of the Dam Alliance, and the two almost had a diplomatic incident.
Fortunately, the soldiers of the Great Rift Valley separated the two in time and politely invited them back to their respective rooms.
Unlike the "rose with thorns" like the Alliance, Ideal City is the purest form of wealth!
Especially for those guys who just want to get rich and don't want to make progress, they are a much more delicious food than the Alliance.
For example, Mayor Otto.
When he saw the representative of the Ideal City Council getting off the tarmac, his eyes could not wait to shine golden light.
The Chief of the Rift Valley, who was standing in the distance and watching them, had a gratified smile on his wrinkled face.
Although the "human meeting" has not officially started yet and is still a warm-up before the meeting, it has actually begun from the moment the first plane landed.
Standing here are those who can decide the future fate of the wasteland, whether it is the fate of hundreds of millions of people or the fate of hundreds of thousands of people.
Rather than saying that it was his invitation that brought them here, it was more that the survivors in the wasteland pushed them to the forefront.
As the night watchman of the old era, he will perform his last duty here - to build a stage for these new era trendsetters.
This is what he really wants to do.
As for the final meeting, there is nothing to look forward to. Things that are really worth discussing are often decided before the meeting...
Just as the old man was admiring his masterpiece, footsteps came from behind him.
"Old sir, are you the chief of the Great Rift Valley?"
Absek looked at the old man's back respectfully.
When Chu Guang was chatting with this person before, he had been paying attention to this old gentleman.
When everyone was gathered in front of the tarmac, he saw that there was no chance to squeeze in, so he came here with an idea.
His intuition told him that this person was also a heavyweight who could influence the situation in the wasteland.
If you really can't climb the big corporate tree, it would be great to reach the branches of the Great Rift Valley.
The Borneo people are all extremely smart, but the points of smartness are different.
The old man turned around, looked at Absek up and down, and then smiled gently.
"It's me, what's the matter?"
The easy-going tone is like the spring breeze blowing in the face, and the undercurrent under the steps are like two different worlds.
Abu Saik was in awe,
"I have admired your name for a long time. I am Abu Saik, the commander-in-chief of Borneo. Please allow me to express my most sincere greetings to you on behalf of hundreds of millions of people in Borneo."
Borneo...
The old man's eyes fell into memories,
So, this person should be a descendant of General Rowell.
He could still use the word "child" when calling Julius, but that guy would have to be his peer...
Thinking of this, the old man smiled friendly and said in a gentle tone.
"Hello, Commander-in-Chief of Borneo, please also send my regards to the hundreds of millions of survivors in Borneo."
Unexpectedly, this big shot could be so approachable, and Absek was filled with admiration.
The world outside Borneo is far bigger than he imagined. It seems that he still has a long way to go...
"I will definitely bring your greetings to them!" He smiled and cupped his hands, and Absek skillfully established a relationship, "Speaking of which, the survivors of Borneo and the survivors of the Great Rift Valley have some connections.
! It was only later that I learned that General Rowell, who led us through the difficulties, was actually an active officer of the People's Federation! We were like two buds growing on a tree, one fell to the south and the other
It fell in the north, but the roots are the same."
Amused by this statement, the old man laughed and continued after a pause.
"Lowell... I remember this name, so let's shamelessly call him an old comrade! It's embarrassing to say that the War Construction Committee was actually very sorry for him and failed to lend a helping hand to him when he needed help the most."
"There's nothing we can do about it. We can understand that you also have your difficulties," Abu Saik sighed softly, pretending to be magnanimous and let go of the past, "Let the past go by, Born people.
Already ready to move on to a new era, we are now more concerned about our future and that of our children."
This is a beautiful statement. The speaker does not need to take it too seriously, and the listener does not need to take it too seriously.
However, after hearing this, the old man looked at him and smiled meaningfully.
"Are you really ready?"
Seeing that spring-like smile suddenly change, Absek couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, looking at the chief gentleman with some confusion.
"That's natural...If I wasn't prepared, how could I be here?"
Hearing this, the old man smiled and nodded, and suddenly looked beyond him into the distance.
"Rowell... I know the story of this comrade. He is probably the earliest savior in this wasteland, and he is a savior in the true sense. Unlike disaster relief agencies like us, what we do is just try our best.
Reduce the losses as much as possible, and save the last fire for the human civilization that has only one breath left. But he is different. No matter whether his idea is smart or not, we have to admit his bravery, trying to save a group of people who are bound to die... And this
This kind of courage is something we don’t have.”
"In order to keep as many people alive as possible, we gave up the illusion of never giving up on everyone very early, whether it was me or the 'professor'."
Absek looked at the old man blankly, not understanding what this sentence meant.
However, as a smart man, he naturally would not go against the "behemoth" in front of him.
Studying what Rowell did was done by people like "Mr. Rat" Niyan and Commissioner Kabah, what was right or wrong 200 years ago has no meaning to the commander-in-chief of Borneo.
"...We also think so, he is the real savior."
Absek originally thought that the old man would nod happily, but unexpectedly the latter laughed out loud.
What confused him even more was what the chief gentleman said next.
"The managers of the alliance said that I am nihilistic and that my understanding of history is like fortune-telling. They also said that I should learn from it... This young man looks down on me, haha. In this case, then I will take care of this nihilist.
Close relatives - pragmatists will do their fortune-telling."
Absek looked at him blankly, not understanding what he wanted to do, or even who the pragmatist he was talking about was.
The 200-year-old man closed his eyes and thought for a while, then suddenly opened his eyes with a trance.
"How many people are there in your country of Borneo?"
Absek swallowed and didn't want to tell him, but after thinking about it, it would be easy for him to want to know, so he confessed honestly.
"Less than 200 million."
"That's terrible," the old man shook his head, "If you say less, another 20 million people will die."
Absek held his breath for a moment and hurriedly retorted.
"How is this possible! Twenty million?! Even the Weiland people can't kill so many people! There are not so many people in the three northern continents combined! Do you mean that Lacy is going to start a killing spree? No, wait..."
He suddenly calmed down.
You are in charge anyway, there is no need to lose control because of an old man's nonsense.
Maybe this is the strategy of the Great Rift Valley...
They saw through that they did not want to fight this civil war, so they deliberately used words to provoke themselves.
But why?!
Absek's eyes were blank, as if he had fallen from the pinnacle of his life into a dry well, with thick walls on both sides and unreachable clouds above his head.
Except for Lacy's sudden madness, he really couldn't figure out how to get the 20 million heads.
famine?
They have no shortage of food.
Flood?
Again, there aren’t that many people along the Tasang River!
plague?
This is possible, but it is also impossible. After all, Borneo Province does not have as developed a road network as Batoya Province. The Wilantes have proven that their virus can kill at most a village or a town, and then it will be gone.
The message won’t be far away...
Moreover, the alliance’s medical technology ranks first in the world!
There are also companies! If something like that happens, companies will help!
A trace of anger appeared on Absek's face, as if he had been teased.
If he hadn't thought that this old man was the leader of the Great Rift Valley and he couldn't afford to offend him, he would have turned around and left!
In fact, he didn't understand what kind of existence the Great Rift Valley was, so he subconsciously used the thinking of his hometown.
If he could see the true nature of the Great Rift Valley like Chu Guang, he wouldn't care about losing face, let alone come over to curry favor with this group of people.
No matter whether he scorns the Great Rift Valley or not, the oldest old man in the wasteland will not make things difficult for him.
And the fact that the old man was willing to speak so directly was actually a sign of goodwill.
This is entirely for Rowell's sake.
As a "chess spectator", he would never extend his little finger to the chessboard unless absolutely necessary.
"Mr. Absek, a smart man elected by Borneo, please answer my question. There are 100 million sheep on the prairie, and 100 million of them froze to death in the Wasteland Era. How many are left now?"
Absek answered subconsciously.
"Of course there won't be any left -"
"My calculation was wrong," the old man shook his head and said with a smile, "I tell you, there are 100 million left."
"How is that possible?" Absek's eyes widened in surprise, and then he calmed down, "Old sir, is this some kind of sophistry?"
"It's not sophistry, it's the law of nature," the old man said slowly. "The Wasteland Era is not a gust of wind, but the sand blown by the wind. I only feel pain when I rub my eyes. The war comes quickly. When we realize the winner or loser
When it is a serious matter, everything we miss is over... For some people, this process is one day, for some people it is 200 years, for you living on the prairie
Probably half a century."
"The most severe winter lasted about 43 years, maybe 46 years. I can't remember the specifics... If there were no predators, no alien species, and sufficient water and food, even if the sheep were starved to death, only the remaining
Ten thousand, and the remaining sheep can be restored to 100 million in the next century and a half."
"You thank Lowell for saving at least 100 million people, but how do you explain the cessation of civilization that occurred in you? Is it just that the father did not teach his knowledge to his son?"
"Is there a possibility that his self-righteous torment killed people who should not have died? There were originally ten thousand sheep left on the grassland, but in the end there were only five thousand left, and his red soil was in the cold winter
In fact, it did not have any obvious effect. However, Borneo Province is not a desert after all. It is a natural refuge. There are no alien species and slime molds, and it is not easy for outside predators to come in. In the end, not only did the number of sheep not decrease, but
It doubled...but the credit goes to Rowell."
"Perhaps only the red soil can tell you the correct answer, but I can tell you responsibly that if that generation really survived because of Lowell, it would not be the turn of the Wilant people who have nothing to teach you, and
It's your turn to shoulder the mission of ending the Wasteland Era, to save the River Valley Province, to save the Triumph City, and then I will award you with victory medals... Of course, at that time, you will probably treat me the same as that kid.
This kind of scum is despised."
Looking at Absek who held his breath, the old man smiled and said.
"You should actually have a more objective evaluation of Rowell. This is the only chance to survive. Some people have realized it, but it is far from enough. Otherwise, I am not kidding, he will really come back to you and continue to talk to you.
Play his savior game, then become the new Lowell and take you to the next exam room."
Speaking of this, the old man felt a little regretful.
In fact, he shouldn't have "divulged the story". If these people really found that Rowell, buried him hastily like they did two hundred years ago, and then left the unpleasant memories behind, the next
Rowell will be more ruthless and kill more people.
However, the Great Rift Valley was rarely as lively as it was today. He was indeed a little too excited, and he really liked this young man.
Maybe it can save someone's life?
Although this life may have to be exchanged for countless lives, he really doesn't care much anymore.
"Are you talking about Janusz..." Absek's voice trembled, and a drop of cold sweat streaked across his forehead.
There is no doubt that the guy is dead, but it has become a lingering nightmare in his head.
Some time ago, he always had nightmares, but later he became a little better after believing in the Silver Moon Goddess.
As a result, the old man's two words reminded him of the bloody man staring at him with his eyes open.
The guy seemed to be telling him that he would come back, return to the blood-stained throne, and ask for everything that was taken away from him.
Not wanting to scare the child too much, the old man hesitated for a while between saving or not saving, and finally sighed softly.
"I don't know the Janusz you're talking about, and it doesn't matter who he is or what his name is."
"You think I said this to tell you that Rowell has harmed you, but that's not the case."
"I want to remind you that every resident of Vault 404 is Chu Guang, and every Borneo is Rowell."