"Goodbye, brothers, don't miss me... You Pangolin uncle will have to solo for a while."
The Iron Heart put away the anchor chain and headed eastward in the midday sun.
Thousands of thoughts were taken away by the giant whale floating in the clouds. Zhan Di Lao waved his hand and said goodbye to his triumphant brothers.
He will also triumph in a while.
It's just that he is not going to Dawn City, but Triumph City.
Although it is unknown what means the commander of the Eastern Legion, Saren, used, they returned to Triumph City as victors.
To be honest, Zhan Di Lao is still lost in the lake.
The Legion fought an inexplicable war and then went home inexplicably. Apart from scaring the enterprise and the academy, how did these big noses win?
Just consider it a win.
He didn't care about such insignificant things. What made him extremely melancholy was another thing.
At first, it was just a sudden inspiration, even a joke, but I didn't expect that I would cross the entire desert for it, and even go to the far west...
Triumph City.
Forget it, just treat it as an early experience of the new version.
Closed beta, closed beta...
Isn't that what closed beta players do?
"What are you talking about?"
A pleasant voice came from behind.
Guessing who that person was, the old battlefield expertly switched to human communication and said seriously.
"That's the curse of my hometown, bad luck will entangle their oars."
Penny was stunned for a moment, and chuckled.
"...You are so humorous."
Looking at the silent pangolin, Penny thought he was still brooding over the matter of Shelter No. 0, so she lowered her voice to comfort him.
"Governor Cohen didn't blame you for Wall-E's matter... It's not your fault. You faithfully fulfilled your mission and brought back the original Torch Plan, so that we would not be kept in the dark by the greedy and cunning East Coast people and the dark and evil Swamp People."
Zhan Di Lao said in a deep voice, holding back a smile.
"That's what I should do."
Penny looked at him with bright eyes.
"Can you do me a small favor?"
"It's an honor to serve you."
Looking at the sometimes dull and sometimes gentlemanly Pangolin, Penny couldn't help but curl her lips, but soon her expression took on a rare shyness.
"My... uh, father wants to see you."
"Your father?" Seeing Penny looking away, Zhan Di Lao was stunned, "Why would he want to see me?"
"You may not know..." Penny shook her bangs lightly and said in a tone that sounded ordinary, "The Triumph Newspaper has reported your deeds a lot, and it just so happens that many of the materials sent to the capital were written by me. Anyway, can you help me?"
I always felt that the ordinary tone was not natural, but Zhan Di Lao didn't say anything and nodded.
In fact, he was not good at rejecting people, whether in reality or in the game.
Just treat it as a triggered side quest.
Seeing this wooden man nod, Penny showed a happy smile on her face and cast her eyes on the thin clouds in the sky.
"By the way...are we going to stay here for the whole winter?"
"Well," Zhan Di Lao nodded, "Without airships, it's too dangerous to go by land...If you don't follow the main force, accidents are likely to happen."
The northern industrial zone was once the logistics center of the Human Union era. Although it had the most dense transportation network, that was already a prosperous era.
Now those high-speed networks and underground passages are completely cut off, forming a three-dimensional maze with the intricate office buildings and warehouses.
The desertification there is not as serious as that in the eastern industrial zone, but the danger is no less than here. If you want to bypass it, you have to go through the Wandering Swamp, which is the moat of the academy and is also not a beautiful place.
Just looking at the description on the official website of "Wasteland OL", Zhan Di Lao has no confidence that he can solo the Great Desert or the Wandering Swamp. Maybe it will be better when he reaches level 50 or 60.
By the way, he has just passed level 30, the fourth stage of the gene sequence, which is the third awakening according to the common saying in the wasteland.
This game is only easier to level up in the first 10 levels. He couldn't help wondering if A Guang was deliberately suppressing the levels of the closed beta players.
At this rate, almost no one can reach the legendary level 100.
Penny sighed softly.
"I want to go home soon..."
It was just a casual remark, but it made someone next to him feel "homesick".
I heard that Old Hook bought the warehouse behind the Highway Town Hotel and rebuilt it into a building, with a large yard in the middle. The trading post was originally at the edge of Dawn City, but now it has been enclosed in the secondary center due to the increasing number of houses.
The biggest change is the train station. There used to be an open space in front of the platform, but now there are rows of concrete buildings around it.
The square where they held the triumphal ceremony before has now been planted with a lot of green plants, and has become a popular place for Dawn City residents to walk, socialize, and relax. The newly established municipal garden management department of the Dawn City Hall is responsible for the planning of public buildings and keeps everything in order... I heard that this is inseparable from the contribution of a professional life player who specializes in urban planning.
If the regional reputation of a specific NPC settlement reaches more than 1,000, you can invest in a factory, if it is more than 10,000, you can participate in municipal grassroots work, and if it is more than 100,000, you can even serve as the mayor of the city hall in charge of municipal affairs. It was only recently that I heard that there are players who are working tirelessly to brush regional reputation just to be a mayor in the game.
Wouldn't it be better to just start a game of "Cities Skylines"?
Since the beginning of the year, Yaya has been updating the aerial photos of Dawn City on the official website from time to time, and I have also seen that post.
However, he always felt unsatisfied with what he saw in the photos, as if something was missing.
At this moment, he realized that what was missing was people.
Those NPCs with their own behavioral logic are like living people. They and many players from the "other world" together constitute the entire society and give real meaning to the latter's behavior.
He knows what he really misses.
Damn...
I want to go home too!
...
Just as the Iron Heart was returning, the official website of "Wasteland OL" updated new content.
Although there is still no news about Beta0.5 and new closed beta qualifications, the content is no less than Beta0.4.
[New survivor settlement - Pioneer City: Pioneer City, standing on the ruins of the Eastern Industrial Zone of the People's Union, is not suitable for living, but there is a richer pre-war civilization heritage than Dawn City. A group of brave adventurers once came here, and brave people will continue to move forward along their footsteps. ]
[New NPC Corps - Bicester First, Second, Third, Fourth Construction Corps: The prisoners of the Falcon Kingdom refused to go back to be the cattle and horses of the nobles. They would rather face the yellow sand under the scorching sun. Even if it is not easy to build a city in the desert, at least the sweat that is baked is for themselves. They will prove that even without those arrogant masters, they can still live well! ]
[New NPC Corps - Thorn Corps: Among them are tailors, herdsmen, carpenters, teachers and even scholars. The poison of chaos destroyed their past lives, but it did not defeat them. In order to spread the light of order and save those who have not yet been saved, they resolutely chose to stay, declared war on all chaos and barbarism, and avenged the Enlightenment that deprived them of their past...]
[New map - Eastern Industrial Zone: The processing center of the Human Union era. Even though it has completely turned into ruins, unexpected treasures can still be dug under the dilapidated concrete and iron-containing sand. If you find dormant blue jackets, please bring them to Pioneer City before the Enlightenment. Map recommended level: Lv15 or above. (Note: Since it is far from the resurrection point, players who explore this map should be careful not to commit suicide.)]
Tail: "Oh! Sister Thorn! Cunning spellcaster! Si! Let's go sign up! (?ω?)"
Debt Eyes: "Sister Thorn is OK, wouldn't the 11th Interstellar Corps be more suitable! Bad review!"
Sisi: "Awei, wake up, we finally got to the Southern Islands, and it will probably take thousands of kilometers to go back."
Tail: "Damn, the boat is too slow... It would be great if we could get an airship. (??`ω′?)"
Roushan Big Bun: "That will probably cost tens of billions of silver coins."
Night Ten: "Be more confident, remove the word "I'm afraid". (Funny)"
Aoao Sesame Lake: "Ahahaha... Too many."
Edge Water: "By the way, can we leave the defense to the local survivors?"
Fang Chang: "From the Falcon Kingdom to the Honey Badger Kingdom, there are too many places that need garrisons, and the Alliance's standing corps have been The army is not enough, but there are still a lot of exoskeletons, bulletproof armor and guns left. The local survivors are willing to protect themselves, which I think is worth encouraging. "
Canyon Fleeing Mole: "+1, from an economic point of view, it is better to recruit soldiers from the local area than to send troops from the Alliance to station there. Anyway, it is unlikely that there will be large-scale military conflicts there recently. As for small-scale conflicts... Isn't there someone left there?"
Yin Lena: "You can trick newcomers to help. (Funny)"
Quanshui Commander: "But then again... the processing center of the Human Union era, even in terms of probability, there are several times more good things there than in Qingquan City."
I am the darkest: "Gan! I regret what you said, I should stay to accompany that grandson of the dog battlefield!"
Debt Big Eyes: "Hahahaha!"
Compared to the newly established NPC Corps, most players are obviously more interested in the ruins of the "Human Union Eastern Industrial Zone".
No one knows what is buried under the concrete ruins.
If we can dig out a set of usable power armor, we will become T0 in seconds!
The only problem is the distance.
The Great Desert is too far from Dawn City.
If we start from Dawn City and do not rent a corporate transport plane, we need to take a train through Fallen Leaf City to the Lion Kingdom, then take a truck to the northwest to the Honey Badger Kingdom, then go to Bicester Town, bypass the entire southern part of Oasis No. 2, and then enter the Great Desert.
This trip will take at least half a month.
It may be faster after the Alliance's railway is laid to the Honey Badger Kingdom, or we can only wait for the Alliance to come up with a longer range and faster means of transportation.
While the players on the forum were talking about the new map, Chu Guang was standing in front of the French window of the airship bridge, looking at the horizon.
Sitting on Chu Guang's shoulders, Xiao Qi swung his legs and pointed at the mountains and forests in the distance and shouted excitedly.
"Master, the River Valley Province is ahead!"
Finally, I'm going home!
The communication in the desert was intermittent, and she was disconnected most of the day. When she returned to the River Valley Province, she would not have this trouble.
Looking at the horizon and squinting his eyes, Chu Guang couldn't help but smile.
"Yeah."
It's been a long time since I went back, and he missed the people there. I believe the residents of Dawn City must miss him too.
Because some armor was abandoned and some supplies were left in the pioneer city, the return speed of the Heart of Steel was much faster than the outbound speed. The average cruising speed of long-distance travel can even reach 80 kilometers per hour!
Although this speed can't catch up with the plane, it can fly nearly 2,000 kilometers a day. It doesn't even take two days to get from the Great Desert to the River Valley Province.
It must be said that in the wasteland full of alien species, the airship is indeed a good long-distance transportation tool, even if the rare anti-gravity device is not considered.
The only drawback is that hydrogen is too dangerous and helium is not easy to get.
"Our Fallen Leaf City is ahead." Standing next to Chu Guang, the acting captain stared at the settlement next to Ruigu City with great enthusiasm.
Rows of houses surround the two sides of the train station, and the warehouse next to the station is full of crops shipped from Luoxia Province and industrial products that will be sent to the desert.
The Alliance originally built this settlement just to accommodate the wastelanders gathered by the Legion. After the Alliance's expeditionary force officially went to Luoxia Province, it served as a transit station for front-line supplies, attracting a large number of merchants from the Hump Kingdom and Boulder City, as well as refugees who fled from the war.
Now that the war is over, the prosperity here has not ended. Instead, it has risen to a higher level because of the increase in merchants.
In the future, this survivor settlement will continue to exist as a trade hub connecting Luoxia Province and River Valley Province.
Chu Guang still has great expectations for the future of this settlement.
Compared with Dawn City and Liming City, Luoye City has a wider plain to use, and without the huge ruins of Qingquan City, it will be easier to go from Luoye City to Jinchuan Province.
It would be great if Jinchuan Province in the south could also be included in the trade map of the alliance.
Even if it has Luoxia Province as a granary, the alliance no longer needs the food there, and the development value of that land is also very high.
Moreover, according to the intelligence investigated by the White Bear Knights and the relevant clues revealed by the company, the development of the ocean in the era of the Human Alliance is not inferior to that of the land. From the sea level to the seabed, there are many relics of the prosperous era, and even shelters!
If you want to use those resources on a large scale, you must first have an outlet that belongs to the alliance. Starting from Luoye City, opening a corridor to the south will be a good choice, at least from the map.
"...I didn't expect that such a big change would happen in a few months." Looking at the night view of Fallen Leaf City, Chu Guang couldn't help but feel a little bit of anticipation in his heart.
I wonder what it would feel like to overlook the night view of Dawn City from a high altitude.
It seems that it has been a while since the last celebration.
The acting captain standing next to him, who had been observing the expression on Chu Guang's face, said respectfully.
"...Sir, do you want to stop here?"
"No, keep moving forward. Rather than enjoying this beautiful night view, I would rather bring back the news of the triumph as soon as possible."
After a pause, Chu Guang said with a smile.
"By the way, hang up our flag! Let everyone see it! Don't let those compatriots who are looking forward to our return home wait impatiently, and let those who curse us see it by the way."
"Not only are we back, but we are back with victory and glory!"
Looking at the manager with a sharp gaze, the acting captain excitedly straightened his back and saluted with his right fist on his chest.
"Yes!"
...
Just as the Iron Heart hoisted the Alliance flag and returned with great fanfare, Boulder City was in a state of prosperity.
It was not only the Alliance that made a fortune from the war, but also the major business houses and factory owners who had invested in the Alliance early on.
The door of the Queen of the Night bar was full of guests, and the temperature of the whole street rose by several degrees. Whether it was the nobles in the inner city or the bosses of the factories, they had to find a place to spend their money after making a lot of money, otherwise what was the point of making money?
It was not only the bars and commercial streets that were bustling, but also the city hall across several streets.
Because of the wise decision made a few months ago, Mr. Melvin, the president of Boulder City Bank, was in the limelight.
If he and Dulong had not passed the resolution to lend money to the Alliance against all odds, there would be no prosperity in Boulder City today!
Now everyone is making a lot of money, and he should be the first to make a contribution!
Melvin had just returned home from a meeting and wanted to have a drink to relax, but he was pestered by his cute little daughter, who said she wanted to tell him a bedtime story.
Melvin was originally very happy, but his face was not very good when he saw the "Survivor Daily" on the table.
He could guess from his hair that this little girl probably learned some of the accents of those wastelanders and wanted to tell him some great truths that she herself didn't really understand.
Although impatient, after all, she was his most beloved little daughter, and Melvin couldn't get angry. It happened that he was in a good mood, so he patiently sat on the sofa.
Alyssa cleared her throat, picked up the picture book in her hand, and read in a childish voice.
"...In the long history of the Human Union, there was a very small kingdom, which was even smaller than the Honey Badger Kingdom."
"In order to open up the future of the kingdom, merchants set sail with the support of the king. However, after those merchants made huge fortunes, they bribed the people of the kingdom, pushed the old king to the gallows, and became the uncrowned king of the kingdom."
"Although there was no king, the lives of the people of the kingdom did not get better. They used to work in the fields for the feudal lords, working from sunrise to sunset, but now they are driven into coal mines and factories, working all day long regardless of age."
"Until later, the unbearable citizens united and overthrew the kingdom jointly ruled by merchants and nobles, and hung those who cheated them of their property on street lamps...just like those merchants pushed the king to the gallows."
After listening to his daughter's story, Melvin pinched his eyebrows and sighed.
"You mean we are in a dangerous situation now."
Alyssa stared at her father intently, her young face showing intelligence and agility that was not in line with her age.
"I heard from the servants at home that a piece of bread outside has been sold for 2 chips, and even the price of nutritional paste has tripled... This is very strange. You said that our factories have increased, there are more jobs, and everything is getting better, but the lives of the residents of Boulder City have not improved much. This is very abnormal, isn't it? I don't think this is a good sign."
Not a good sign...
What else is good?
Listening to the young voice, Melvin smiled and shook his head.
Is there a better sign than "everyone's pockets are full of chips"?
"My child, we are fundamentally different from the kingdom in the fairy tale picture book in your hand. Have you forgotten the origin of the outer city? Originally, there was only one building and one inner city... If we hadn't taken in those wastelanders who now live in the outer city, they would have been exposed to the wilderness and become the residue in the mouths of gnawers and hyenas! Became the predators and mutants... In short, they are not good things."
As he spoke, he unconsciously brought the high-spirited spirit at the conference table back home.
Alyssa frowned, very dissatisfied with her father's tone, and corrected him seriously.
"... This is not a fairy tale picture book, it is our history."
"Of course, my child... This is indeed something that may have happened on this planet."
Immediately realizing that his tone was a little wrong, Melvin made his words sound more gentle.
Looking at his lovely little daughter, he continued patiently.
"...But the difference is that Boulder City has never been ruled by merchants. Do you really think it is the bank that makes them unable to afford bread? On the contrary, your father may not be a good man, but if I hadn't lent money to those factories, those poor people wouldn't have even a chip in their pockets, so what's the use of cheaper bread?"
A trace of confusion appeared in Alyssa's eyes.
Although she learned a little bit from newspapers and books, it was only the little bit that others said...and what her father said was beyond her knowledge.
Melven touched his daughter's head and said lovingly.
"Don't think about things mechanically. Our situation is different from your picture book from the beginning of the story. Whether it is Weijia Commercial Bank or our Boulder City Bank, our shareholders were the nobles in the inner city at the beginning. They lent us the first chip."
"I should have told you that your mother's family... her ancestors were the first survivors of the Boulder Building. I hope you can learn more about the etiquette and ways of dealing with the world from her. If not, I can only send you to study in Ideal City."
He likes this smart little daughter very much, but sometimes he would think that if she was not so smart... or a little dumber.
Being smart is not a bad thing.
But if you add childishness, it is easy to cause big problems.
She is not young anymore. In two years, it will be time for her to get married. Maybe I should be a little stricter, at least I shouldn't continue to treat her like a child.
Alyssa blinked.
"Brother's place?"
Melven nodded.
"Yes."
This is a way out.
Of course he knew that there were hidden concerns in the current situation of Giant Stone City, but this was not a problem he could solve.
The city lord would not support him, the militia leader would not, the chairman of Giant Stone Military Industry would not, and the nobles in the inner city would not.
Animals all know how to seek benefits and avoid harm, let alone a banker with a keen sense of smell like him. Since the problem cannot be solved, it is better to make more money before the problem arises.
Especially recently he found a good channel, that is, the rising alliance in the northern suburbs.
Although those wastelanders and blue jackets always do things that he can't understand, the final result is unexpectedly good.
Not only did they support the attack of the legion, they even gained the friendship of the ancient survivor forces.
I heard from his youngest son who was far away in Ideal City in the letter that the merchants of the alliance even sold fried chicken wings and Coke to Ideal City!
This is incredible!
God knows how those guys solved the transportation problem!
But this is not the key. The key is that silver coins can be exchanged for Cr in "large quantities", which is something that chips can't do.
If you want to exchange for Cr in the past, you have to exchange it at the exchange in Boulder City like buying trading goods, and the transaction volume is pitifully low.
Don't think that one chip can be exchanged for several Cr now, that's because the caravans from Yunjian Province rarely come, and most people can't use Cr.
If the exchange volume really increases, 10 million chips may not be able to exchange for 1 million Cr at the exchange in Boulder City.
Thinking of this, Melvin's eyes unconsciously looked at the "Survivor Daily" on the coffee table, and he touched his chin thoughtfully.
"Speaking of which, the manager is back."
Alyssa nodded vigorously and looked at her father expectantly.
"Well! I heard that there will be a big triumphal celebration... Can we go over there to take a look?"
Touching his daughter's head, Melvin smiled and said in a gentle tone.
"Of course... but you have to listen to your father. After all, it's a wasteland outside the wall, not as safe as home."
"Really?! Great!"
The quiet face showed rare excitement. Alyssa looked at her father with a kind smile in surprise and swore seriously.
"I promise you, I will be good!"
Looking at his daughter with expectations on her face, Melvin smiled gently, but he was thinking about other things.
Before, Boulder City borrowed a lot of money from the alliance to fight. It's time to pay the interest soon. I believe that person should bring back a lot of good things.
However, what he was thinking about was not the treasure house of the king of the Falcon Kingdom and the golden but useless gold, but other things.
Maybe...
The cooperation between them can be deepened.