"...Hello, dear listeners, I am your dearest Mr. House. I heard that the "Survivor Daily" was closed down. I had expected that there would be such a day. Those guys who were full of nonsense finally shut up! Of course, I don't care. After all, they have never shaken the ratings of Mr. House's channel! People will always stand on the right side. Thank you for your unwavering support and choice!"
"Praise the Lord of the City again, praise the residents of the inner city who gave us bread, water and food... Oh, it's all the fault of that idiot named Hal. I almost put the most important thing at the end! If it weren't for the great inner city research institute to improve the synthesis process and consumption standards of the nutritional paste, there would not be one chip per kilogram of nutrition... Yes, the good news is that the nutritional paste has become cheaper again, and bread will gradually become cheaper. Soon you can all afford it. Mr. House promises you!"
"It's a pity that our neighbors don't have that kind of good life. They won an ignoble war with ignoble means without declaring war on each other. , the justice of heaven soon fell on their heads. The Alliance was heavily in debt, not only owing us a large sum of money, but also owing a lot of money to Ideal City. For this reason, they had to humiliate themselves and allow the residents of Ideal City to build a 20-story building on their land... Tsk tsk, it's taller than the manager's house, but then again, does the mole living in the hole have his own house? "
"Anyway, remember to close the doors and windows tonight, because those poor ghosts will probably waste ammunition in the sky in impotence and anger like last time, crackling some Something that can blow people's ears off. If you stick your head out, be careful not to get hit by a falling shell. In addition, all the factories in the alliance are closed today. Everyone there has lost their jobs and can only wander around the streets and pick up cigarette butts left by residents in the shelter... Poor northern suburbs, it is estimated that it will become a paradise for predators again. There are too many poor people and refugees there. You'd better not go out casually. "
"Just wait and see, they will definitely be finished next year!"
"And we are forever young!"
The day of the triumphal celebration.
The radio on the street today is particularly loud, which also adds a festive atmosphere to the Boulder City that has never been affected by war.
Mr. House spent about half an hour to sort out the causes and consequences of the war with his audience, and how the Boulder City Bank cleverly borrowed the west wind of the Legion, used the 510 million debt to take advantage of the Alliance's vigorous development of heavy industry and military industry, and took advantage of the Alliance's wool. In one fell swoop, it changed from being dumped with low-end industrial products by the Alliance to exporting and dumping to the Alliance, making Boulder City's wallet bulge again and again.
After half an hour of explanation, he fully proved that Boulder City was also the victorious party - the secret and great uncrowned king!
On the edge of the industrial zone, at the door of the Walnut Tavern, a group of workers who had just woken up gathered early in the morning.
They didn't care about the outcome of the war, anyway, they didn't expect the masters to be kind and reward them with a few chips.
They all came to follow the updates.
Although it was all nonsense, the novels of "Workers' Newspaper" were obviously much more interesting than Mr. House's nonsense.
Especially when the story just got to the exciting part, the poor boy "Duoqi" from the slums broke out a miracle with the power of awakening, and unexpectedly defeated a power armor corroded by slime mold. Not only did he get a large bounty and a black room card, but he also got the favor of a beautiful noble lady. She fell madly in love with him, although this also caused her fanatical pursuer, a centurion of a militia regiment, to regard him as a thorn in his side.
Although it was a very clichéd story, the content was not only clichéd but even vulgar, but they were so happy that they wanted to do something with their hands.
Everyone had discussed the plot for the whole night, and even thought of what to call Duoqi's child.
Under the eager eyes of his co-workers, the literate Sperger picked up a newspaper from the shelf at the door, cleared his throat and was about to read it.
But he found that it was still yesterday's issue.
"Wait a minute."
Signing the co-workers to be patient, Sperger changed a newspaper, frowned, and changed another one, and found that it was still the same.
Finally, he couldn't help but look at the boss with a disfigured face.
"Why is it still yesterday's issue?"
Tang, who was standing by the door with his arms folded, laughed.
"You should be thankful that you can still see yesterday's issue. You can't be sure that the guards will come and take it away in a while."
The workers were anxious and surrounded him.
"Where is the new one?"
"No, even the newspaper is gone!"
"Then... what about the novels serialized in it?"
"Are you stupid? I told you it's gone. They're closed. What else do you want? Go and smoke your cigarette butt." Tang cursed and pushed away the worker standing in front of him. He was in a bad mood because he was kicked by the guard for this.
Several workers looked at each other.
"... Gone?"
"But why? We're not bothering anyone!" A bearded man clenched his fists and grumbled angrily.
He worked diligently every day, working like a beast of burden for the factory owners. This was the only thing he had left in his life. Why did the master close it?
A worker raised his hand.
"Is there anyone who wants to go to the city hall with me to ask for an explanation?"
People looked at each other, and no one said anything.
A few months ago, they dared to go to the city hall to make trouble, but the situation at that time was completely different from now. At that time, it was to protest the Alliance's dumping of cheap industrial products in Boulder City. The factory owners supported them in making trouble, and the shareholders behind their bosses were big shots in the inner city, which was equivalent to the nobles competing with each other. If you count it layer by layer, even if they killed Dulong, the idiot, no one would blame them, but would secretly give them a thumbs up.
But now, the nobles have reached a consensus, the factory has resumed work, and it is getting more and more prosperous. The Alliance borrowed a large amount of chips from the Stone City, and the factory owners got a large order. The nobles in the inner city also made a lot of money, and they were the same. Everyone had a job to support their families.
Life was getting better and better. Now bread was so expensive, no one wanted to lose their job.
Everyone was a little discouraged, and someone muttered at this time.
"... Then we can write the rest of the story ourselves."
People's eyes gradually brightened, but they still had some concerns.
"Can you write?" The bearded man looked at the young man who proposed.
The young man blushed and shook his head.
"No... But you don't have to be able to write before you can write. Maybe you will learn it as you write. No one can write since birth."
"I remember that Sberg wrote a letter of opinion to the newspaper! The Workers' Newspaper was only established later!"
That was a long time ago!
Seeing that everyone was looking at him, Sberg was stunned and said with a smile.
"I... I can only read, not write."
A boilerman smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
"It's okay, buddy, just keep writing the story, and we will give you some advice."
Sberg instinctively wanted to refuse, but looking at those pairs of expectant eyes, he couldn't bear it.
Even though he knew it might bring trouble to himself, he nodded.
"But we have to change the name... to Workers' Newspaper."
"It's safer this way."
Everyone said with a smile.
"No problem!"
"Whatever you say, we'll call it."
"We just want to see the follow-up story!"
It's time to clock in.
As the bell rang in the industrial area, the workers gathered at the door of the tavern dispersed and walked towards their respective factories.
Walking towards the cannery, Sberg tightened the collar of his old cotton coat, looking at the coal dust handprints on his shoulders with a heavy heart.
Perhaps, it is indeed a good idea to publish "Workers' Newspaper".
The newspaper of the alliance was driven away, but its readers are still here. If I can collect the previous "Workers' Newspaper", make a bound volume of the serialized stories, and then continue to write the subsequent stories, it might sell out...
At least, it is more promising than working in a cannery.
Sperger's mind gradually became hot.
He could not eat canned food every day after working in Lord Weijia's factory for a lifetime, but if he continued to write the story of "Duoqi", maybe he could...
...
It was not only the Boulder City that was bustling. Only 20 kilometers away, the Shuguang City in the northern suburbs of Qingquan City was also bustling.
On the Triumph Square next to North Street, there was a crowd of people standing.
More than one-third of the people in the entire alliance gathered here, looking forward to the center of the square.
Even if others did not come, they sat in front of the TV or radio, waiting for the managers on the stage to speak.
Not even just the residents of the Alliance.
There were also residents from Boulder City, and wastelanders who traveled from the distant Luoxia Province, Jinchuan Province, the Eastern Provinces—even the easternmost Yunjian Province on the continent, just to take a look at what the legendary manager looked like.
Most settlements run by shelters are terrible.
What's so different about this guy…
Looking at the expectant faces in the audience, Chu Guang raised his index finger and tapped the side of his helmet, turning on the speaker and removing the mask.
At that moment, people consciously quieted down.
Restraining the excitement in his heart, Chu Guang took a deep breath and kicked off the celebration with a solemn and solemn voice.
"... Just last month, we won the war against barbarism, and Luoxia Province gained lasting peace because of our arrival."
"We have cheered for the victory, and have commended and rewarded individuals and groups for their outstanding contributions. I will not repeat it now. But I still have to thank you all standing here and friends who stick to their posts in the distance. This is the light we welcome together."
"Our battlefield is not only in the desert, but also in the forest, in the field, in the factory, in the station, and in the sight of every resident of the alliance... Our unity has jointly forged this invincible chariot, and the spoils it has won should belong to everyone who supports it."
"We are far away from the utopia of working only one hour a day, but from now on everyone can think about how we can get closer to it in their own eight hours. Of course, this road is destined to be difficult, the wasteland will not end by itself, and you can't expect to figure everything out lying in bed."
"You need to learn from the books of the prosperous era. Knowledge, experience and lessons, think about how to improve the tools and production methods in your hands, and treat all compatriots around you well, do everything possible to unite them, and create greater miracles with them, rather than profit from them by excluding, dividing and opposing them. "
"We will not rely on anyone's moral standards, so we must formulate a set of increasingly perfect rules of the game, turning the cruel jungle into an orderly village, and turning the weedy wilderness into a well-connected farmland. "
"Let evil, cowardice, meanness, cunning, and ugly things lose their living soil in the competition, and let all qualities of justice, bravery, honesty, self-esteem, and kindness stand out from our society, instead of relying on people to be born gentle and humble, or relying on the tall people among us. "
"We must not only end the wasteland on the ground, but also end the spiritual barrenness-the invisible but real wasteland!"
"Victory will eventually belong to us!"
"All of us!"
The correct application scenario of the call for victory seems to be in a speech.
Although Chu Guang did not deliberately use that talent, when he poured all his passion and concentration into it, he could clearly see the heat and desire flashing in every pair of eyes.
They had no doubt.
He would fulfill every word he said!
And he also made a vow in his heart-
He would never let down those trusting eyes.
"... Great!"
Standing in the crowd, Dolly clapped excitedly, but before she could clap twice, Fang Chang held her hand.
"It's enough to have the intention. You just came off the operating table a few days ago. Take it easy." Fang Chang looked at her worriedly and said.
"Don't be so rigid, I've been well for a long time!" Dolly raised the corner of her lips and said with a beaming face, "By the way, cunning Mr. Fang Chang, you are going to lose your job in the alliance... Your manager said in person that the cunning bad guy will lose the soil for survival."
Fang Chang spread his hands helplessly.
"So... my dear Investigator Dolly, which Alliance law did the cunning bad guy you mentioned violate?"
I swear to God.
He is definitely the most lawful player on the server.
Most players haven't even finished reading the Player's Handbook, but he has not only finished reading the Player's Handbook, but also read the Alliance's laws and even participated in the Alliance's legislation as a resident of the shelter.
For example, "It is forbidden for shelter residents to use the resurrection mechanism to donate bodies and organs to non-Alliance public institutions for profit" was voted into the Alliance law and the Player's Handbook under his advocacy.
If there is no such law, when the number of players increases, someone will always find this shortcut to make money, which will eventually affect the gaming experience of most people.
He has a scale in his heart about what money can be made and what money cannot be made. Even if he is not picky, he will choose his means carefully.
Touching his chin with his index finger and thumb, Dolly looked alert and thoughtful.
"I'll think about it, and I'll threaten you when I find out... What is an investigator? Is he a guard of the alliance?"
Fang Chang looked away guiltily at the curious gaze.
"Well, it's nothing... nothing."
Oops.
I accidentally made a mistake again...
In the remaining time, Chu Guang announced a series of measures including "adjusting the 12-hour work system to eight hours".
Almost everything is related to people's lives and is also what people care about most.
The factory owners of the alliance have made enough profits, and now it is time to give back some of the profits to the residents of the alliance.
If they don't want to -
The alliance would rather they go to their neighbors!
Just as Chu Guang announced the future arrangements in a loud voice, Lister, who was standing in the audience, was staring at him intently, with indescribably complex emotions flashing in his eyes.
The alliance did not actually take away too much of his benefits.
Even if the minimum wage increased from 1 silver coin to 2 silver coins, it would not have any impact on his Lister factory. He had raised the hourly wage of workers to 4 silver coins a long time ago, and the hourly wage of technicians was more than 10 silver coins.
This is certainly not because he is kind-hearted, but because if he doesn't do this, he won't be able to recruit enough people. There are jobs everywhere in all walks of life.
Especially the heavy industry and military-related industries that the Alliance focused on developing during the war, as well as the enterprises run by the residents of the shelter themselves, often offer surprisingly generous salaries. After all, compared with the labor costs, expanding the scale as much as possible when there is no shortage of orders is the top priority.
What really concerns him is another thing.
If the manager intends to fulfill his promise of "fairness", then no matter how much money he makes, he will never become a de facto noble in the Alliance.
But...
This is actually not bad.
His dream is to build a huge merchant empire. If his caravan can bring a little bit of good changes to the wasteland, it would be the best, but he has never thought of becoming a noble or emperor who is above everything else.
Business is business.
In terms of labor costs, as long as the Alliance treats everyone equally when enforcing the rules and everyone's costs rise synchronously, then he has nothing to worry about.
Raise the price when it is time to raise the price, increase production when it is time to increase production, and reduce production when it is time to reduce production. Everyone should compete on the same track based on their ability. He will also do his best to make the improved version of KV-1 more palatable to the residents of the shelter. Even if the alliance wants to use the profits of large factories to subsidize some weird small workshops, it doesn't matter. He doesn't think those small factories can affect his sales at all. The alliance wants them to live.
But I am afraid that the rules of the alliance will be lenient to the "nobles". If that happens, he will have no chance of winning.
After all, even a pig can fly to the sky as long as the wind is strong enough. How can people on the track defeat the power outside the track?
This is also the reason why he must spend money in Boulder City to buy a noble status after earning enough chips.
It's not because he cares about the privileges of the nobles, but because the black card can save him more than 90% of the trouble.
But at this moment, the man on the stage told him not to worry, and the things he was worried about would not happen in the Alliance.
If the Alliance can use the means of rules, it will definitely use the rules. If they intend to improve the treatment of workers, they must ask all factories to do it together, and will never start from outside the shelter.
At the same time, the Alliance will not allow privileges outside the rules.
On the land under his feet, the Alliance's currency can buy all goods, but no currency is allowed to trade honor and dignity.
The residents of the shelter will even set additional rules for themselves and be strict with themselves, but they will never ask for people's worship and tolerance.
Even if they fight most of the battles, they are the most qualified to become nobles. And when they choose to give up this opportunity, it means that no one will be qualified to become a noble.
For a moment, Liszt vaguely saw a beam of light.
And this is the first time that he suddenly had an idea other than making money in his mind-that is, to let the light bloom farther.
Yes.
He ate a lot of shit to make money, but that doesn't mean shit is delicious, nor does it mean shit is fragrant.
For a ruthless man who made his fortune from scratch, nothing could be more insulting to Liszt than watching a pig who knew nothing sitting on the steps and snorting with smug laughter.
He didn't care about the shitty things the nobles in the inner city did, just like he didn't care whether the plunderers' chips were clean or whether the meat in the frying pan had its reasons, but he couldn't stand those pigs hooking his shoulders and saying "we are the same kind of people".
Why!
He just wanted to ask this.
No matter how dirty the chips in his pocket were, he brought them back from the hellish wasteland. They didn't do anything, so why were they the same kind of people as him?
From those hateful faces, he only felt the disgust in the depths of his soul.
If he didn't have to get a piece of fat from those pigs, he would have wanted to break the black card in his pocket right now and walk towards the hot and dazzling light.
"Long live the alliance!" In the applause like waves, Liszt, who was infected by the atmosphere, couldn't help but shout out loud.
Qian Duo and Qian Lai, who were standing aside, exchanged glances in surprise and clapped their hands vigorously, but they didn't know what the boss suddenly got nervous about.
He told them more than once that they came to the alliance to make money.
They listened to his words.
But why did he feel...
He seemed to be in the play?
After the manager announced the start of the celebration, the applause like waves resounded throughout the square in an instant.
Standing in the crowd, Alyssa clapped her hands excitedly, staring at the man on the stage intently, and suddenly looked at her father beside her with some worry.
"... Dad, I think what he said is right. We should unite the survivors around us as much as possible, instead of making them all our enemies."
"We have always been united."
"But what about the residents of the outer city?"
"It's too late."
"Why?" Alyssa opened her eyes wide and said carefully with a hint of pleading, "I can give up my doll. The hairpin of 1 silver coin is actually very cute..."
She liked the big sister who praised her cuteness. At that time, she forgot to tell that sister that her smile was also very cute.
However, in Boulder City, people hardly looked at her, let alone smiled at her.
Even in the inner city, in shops, streets, and even in the classroom, people's smiles to her were more like deliberate courtesy.
Melvin stared at the stage intently, his sinister eyes narrowed like a vulture.
However, when his lovely daughter looked at him, he still restrained some of his hostility, at least softened his tone a little, and spoke patiently.
"...You can give up your doll, but you can't throw away the dolls in your good friends' hands. My child, I understand your thoughts. You are a kind girl, but the things you said, kindness alone is not enough."
Of course he knew that if the residents of the inner city ate one less bite of cake, the residents of the outer city would have ten more loaves of bread, and the remaining nutrient paste could be used to feed livestock, and the Stone City would become stronger, and eventually the shelves in the inner city would be more abundant, and everyone would become better together.
It's not that no one has proposed it.
But those who put it into action often end up losing the "black card" in their hands and give way to the newly promoted nobles.
Because that logic was wrong from the beginning.
Why should the residents of the inner city eat one less bite, and why should the residents of the outer city be satisfied with ten loaves of bread?
Once those poor ghosts have tasted the sweetness, they will become worse, lazy, and even refuse to work...Similar lessons have not been unheard of in the past two centuries of the Stone City, and each time ended in bloodshed.
It's not like he hasn't read books, so how could he not know those childish things, but even if he knew, what would it matter?
Does the sun rise because people want to get up?
Of course not!
Human nature is uglier than a gnawer, and the laws of nature will not be changed by human will.
To be honest, he hated the guy standing on the stage, and felt physically uncomfortable with every unrealistic promise he made.
But he would never show this contempt on his face. Work is work, and private life is private life. He keeps them separate.
Don't want nobility?
Ha.
Just wait and see.
Melvin smiled coldly, echoing the fanatical atmosphere around him, and clapped softly with his innocent and lovely daughter beside him.
But the dry lips, like "rotten wood floating in the swamp", still moved up and down.
"...The reason you can still stand there is because people have not yet awakened from the dream of victory again and again. The residents of the shelter closest to you will wake up first. When they realize that their cake has been divided among those humble hyenas, they will soon know how to use their authority to take it back in an even more aggressive way... How long can you control them? Haha."
Ah.
I really want to appreciate that man's desperate expression.
I can't help but envy his youth again.
Even if he believes from the bottom of his heart that there is no unbreakable alliance, he will not have the opportunity to witness its collapse in the rest of his life.
This is also the "hate" of idealists.
Even if they will eventually lose to reality, the flames will burn on their ashes for a while, burning the eyes that have seen them.
If only he had never been here.
Every time he thought of this, Melvin felt uncomfortable in his heart as if thousands of ants were crawling...
...
The celebration officially began.
As the manager left the podium, the people gathered in the Triumphal Square gradually dispersed to the busy streets nearby.
The shops along the street opened their doors early and were trying their best to attract customers in front of the door, intending to make a fortune on this busy day.
"Look, Eclipse, there are more and more people here..." Frost's eyes flashed with excitement, and he kept repeating the sentence, "This is an opportunity for us!"
At this moment, it was wearing a maid outfit, with a circle of red-bottomed black armbands hanging on its cuffs, with the words [Celebration Self-Government Committee] written on it.
A few days ago, the professional players of Dawn City planned to select some people to maintain the order of the celebration. After all, the alliance did not have a giant wall, and they had to be careful of people with bad intentions sneaking in.
The drones flying in the sky would mark suspicious targets, and what the [Celebration Self-Government Committee] had to do was to help the guards keep an eye on those suspicious guys, while responding to emergencies at the celebration and cooperating with the understaffed guard team to deal with some minor disputes.
Frost certainly wouldn't miss such an interesting thing, not to mention that it could also collect valuable sociological experience, so she immediately and excitedly pulled Eclipse to sign up.
Although it was not a player, or even a resident of the Alliance, the players readily agreed because it had always been enthusiastic to help everyone.
However, the players did not tell it that only players could get the "regional reputation" reward, and it could only get a little silver coin subsidy.
Although it didn't care about that little money.
Eclipse looked at his partner blankly, his eyes full of confusion.
"I don't understand."
Frost tutted in dissatisfaction.
"Didn't you hear what the Alliance manager said? He said that the Alliance would not pin its hopes on anyone's moral standards."
"So what?"
"We are not human! We are AI!" Frost stared at it with a sharp gaze, "So as long as we prove that we are very capable, the Alliance will reuse us!"
Eclipse looked at it blankly.
However, Frost didn't care about its confusion. It looked at the bustling streets and became intoxicated.
Ah...
The intellectual plug-in is burning!
I really want to keep all these organisms in captivity, so that these people can show a spoiled expression under the careful care of the robot servants.
I guess the whole world will be full of love and peace at that time!
However, the Council is still too conservative in this regard. It was not until recently that it passed the relevant bill submitted by Kangmao Group to "allow androids to participate in public affairs". On the contrary, the lovely "Blue Smurfs" of the Alliance are more open-minded and often ask them to help do something.
Life here is much more fulfilling than in the Utopia!
Just when Frost was intoxicated, a cry of "Ah" suddenly came from not far away, which seemed to be a fruit stall not far from the trading station.
With a slight movement of his ears, Frost instantly restrained his intoxicated expression, and looked over there, and his eyes became sharper.
"Eclipse, it looks like someone needs our help!"
Eclipse nodded expressionlessly.
"Well, Xiaoqi also asked us to go over... He said he would mediate as an NPC, but we shouldn't go too far--"
"Then what are we waiting for," Han Shuang rolled up his sleeves with great energy and strode towards the crowded crowd, "Let's go and take a look!"