The east gate of Boulder City.

Next to the unloading point at the trading post, boxes and bundles of goods are piled up in a small hill.

Standing next to a pile of grain, the topless stevedore, tossing the dirty rag over his shoulder, reached out and pushed the sturdy sack, his eyes filled with surprise.

"Is this yesterday's shipment?"

Henry remembers it well.

Yesterday morning, he had just unloaded the goods from the back of the two-headed cow, and he didn't expect to be loaded back so soon.

The worker on the side bared his teeth and said.

"Yes, the millet from the farms in the south smells as good as freshly dried clothes."

It's getting hotter and hotter in June, so it's nice to have a cold bottle of Nuka Coke.

But with their income, they can't afford to spend that luxury.

"Where are these goods going?" A tanned teenager leaned over and asked curiously.

Henry remembered his name, it seemed to be called Hang, who lived in a nearby slum, and I don't know if he was thirteen or twelve, but he was not very old.

Unlike other places, the Trade Post has many employees from the slums outside the Great Wall.

I've heard that these people ask for less than they do, and one chip and two spoonfuls of slimy paste a day are enough......

To be honest, Henry disliked these slum children very much, because there were always people who were willing to put up with a lower standard of living, which caused their wages to fall again and again.

A chip may be enough for him to live alone, but he has to support a large family!

"Send it to our neighbors." Henry said in a cold tone.

The stevedore on the side couldn't help but complain.

"...... With so much grain, why don't those profiteers sell it to us cheaper? ”

If a kilogram of bread cost a chip, they could still afford it, but usually, it was only enough to buy a hard and stone-like green wheat cake.

At this moment, the steward of the trading post came from the side, and happened to hear the complaints of the poor ghosts, and rolled his eyes without thinking.

"You're daydreaming!"

"Do you expect the grain grown in the field to be as cheap as the paste? Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and get to work, if you don't work hard, you can't even afford to eat nutritional paste! ”

At the urging of the steward, the grumbling stevedores quickly dispersed, buried themselves in their work, and did not dare to say more.

Although I am resentful and dissatisfied, it is not easy to find a job these days. If he is expelled, the whole family will starve......

……

It's not just food that needs to be moved.

There are also bales of cotton cloth, parts and appliances for construction, as well as lighting equipment and generators.

The total value of these goods was 500,000 chips and weighed a full 450 tons.

If you can make 10 trips a month, the trade volume will be 5 million, and 60 million in a year.

If you also include the freight, the 200 million chips are actually not so expensive......

At the same time, not far from the trading post, several heavily armed players have also completed the assembly.

Wearing an exoskeleton and carrying a rifle on his back, Lao Bai glanced in the direction of the slum.

It was calm there.

The blank faces were so ordinary that they couldn't tell that there had been a murder here a few days ago.

I didn't feel it at all, someone was throwing a malicious look at me.

Lao Bai breathed a sigh of relief.

As he had expected, the Dagger Gang didn't dare to trouble them.

Their alliance is very young, and its size is not comparable to that of Boulder City, which has led for two hundred years, nor can it be compared to the military-industrial giants and city lords who ride on the top of the giant wall.

But in front of a few marauder gangs, they are still elephants.

The two sides are not the same dimension at all.

The other party is naturally aware of this, and it is impossible to come to him for trouble for the sake of a little brother's life.

Of course, it's also possible that I'm thinking too much, maybe it's just that there is no follow-up to that plot in the game program.

Just as Lao Bai was thinking nonsense, an office guard P walked over, stopped in front of him and said.

"The trading post is loading the cargo, and we'll have to wait a while."

Lao Bai is not very good at human language, so he just nodded and replied concisely.

"It's okay, it's okay to wait a while."

The trading post not far away is busy at the moment.

Topless stevedores weave back and forth between stockpiles and caravans, carrying goods onto the backs of two oxen and tying them up.

This kind of cattle with two heads has a docile temperament and a strong physique, with a foot of five or six hundred kilograms, and the mutant species can even reach an astonishing ton, which is as large as a hippopotamus.

Crucially, these animals are not picky eaters, have iron stomachs comparable to mutant hyenas, and develop relatively quickly, so they are widely used as vehicles in the wasteland.

Where tires and tracks can't get in, they can walk on the ground.

Although the speed is not fast, it is stable enough, and it can even be used as cover when fighting.

Players are no stranger to creatures like the two-headed cow, and the Frostspear Ranch in the northern suburbs is already being raised.

However, to the surprise of the players, the two-headed cow they saw this time was different from the previous ones, not only was it larger, but it also had a metal utensil on it.

It looks like an exoskeleton.

"I'm ...... Even cows have exoskeletons? Looking at the camel caravan not far away, the killing dagger said in surprise.

The dog brother who was standing on the side followed his line of sight, stared at the cows for a while, and then said.

"That's a non-powered exoskeleton."

"What is a non-powered exoskeleton?" The killing dagger asked curiously.

The Kidney Fighter on the side explained.

"There is no power supply, no motor, the role is equivalent to a wheeled cart, which allows you to unload part of the weight of the cargo on the ground."

"Then why don't you just make a mechanical cow?"

Brother Dog rolled his eyes.

"It's just a rocket."

The kidney fighter said casually: "Because the transportation cost of the mechanical ox is not a handful of grass for 100 kilometers, and the wear parts have to be replaced and the engine oil is regularly used...... I guess. ”

This statement can be accepted by the killing dagger.

However, equipping the two-headed cow with a non-powered exoskeleton can be regarded as the ultimate interpretation of the word "make the best use of things".

Loading didn't take long.

Lao Bai raised his arm and looked at it, only to see a line of pop-ups appear on the V screen.

The escort mission begins.

They need to deliver goods to the northern suburbs within 48 hours and guarantee the safety of people and supplies.

"The goods are already loaded."

"Where's Fang Chang?" The killing dagger glanced left and right and found that there was no one missing.

Lao Bai said casually: "He has something to do, he wants to stay here for a while, let's go on the road first." ”

Brother Dog let out a howl.

"Damn, this guy is eating alone again!"

"That's it! If you act alone every day these days, you must be doing bad things! ”

Hearing the complaints of his teammates, Lao Bai smiled heartily.

"Regardless of him, he has his own affairs to deal with, and he will come back naturally when he takes care of it."

Looking at the caravan behind him, he waved his hand forward cleanly.

"Let's go!"

The team began to move.

Escorting more than 200 double-headed cattle and hundreds of tons of supplies, the group embarked on a mighty journey to the northern suburbs under the watchful eyes of the wasteland visitors.

The people escorting the caravan were not only a few players from the Burning Corps, but also two local mercenary groups from Boulder City, adding up to more than a hundred people.

For such caravans, the general marauders see that they are far away.

Not to mention leaning over to tempt, these guys who bully the weak and are afraid of the hard don't dare to look here.

It is said that the new alliance also plans to renovate the subway tunnel from Boulder City to the northern suburbs, sealing all the forks, so that the original two-day journey can be shortened to one day.

If you lay the cables and arrange a few trams to go back and forth in the tunnel, you can't make a trip in two or three hours!

Originally, the straight-line distance from Boulder City to Bate Street was only 10 kilometers, and the extension to Linghu Wetland Park was only 14 or 5 kilometers.

However, the project has not yet been negotiated.

The Boulder City Hall was reluctant to pay the money, and the reason given by Dulong was quite good, they couldn't spend the taxes of the people of the outer city outside the giant wall.

Although the new alliance said that it could build the tunnel itself and be responsible for its operation, the cost of such a huge project was astronomical.

The current financial situation of the new alliance simply cannot afford it, so it can only borrow money from the Bank of Boulder.

Although President Malvern said that he wished that the new alliance would borrow another 100 million points, but the two hundred million had just been thrown out and had not seen the effect, and he was also a little drumming in his heart, and he planned to see the results first.

Chu Guang did not urge.

This kind of thing has to be done for a long time.

The perfect scenario is that after the first chip he borrowed was spent, Boulder City was ushering in the first round of inflation, and the price of "commodities" priced with chips began to skyrocket.

But if the other party's production capacity is overdrawn, it will not be his debt that will shrink, but the money he has just borrowed......

……

To the northwest of Dawning City is the granary of the northern suburbs.

Standing next to the towering mill, Chu Guangzheng, accompanied by old Charlie, inspected the situation in the fields.

After a series of reforms and personnel changes, Charles has left the trade union and transferred to the Union Economic Department as minister.

The vacant position of president of the merchants' guild was filled by the former head of the trading post.

This was also the advice of the elder Charlie himself.

The staff of the Trading Post often deal with the traders of the wasteland, especially those who have been promoted from the grassroots level, and they are not only familiar with the temperament and transaction process of the wasteland people, but also have a good relationship with the wasteland people.

It's only fitting that the leader of the Outpost is in charge of the Merchants' Guild!

The Merchants' Guild primarily serves players, but not just players.

This agency is more of a service sector that acts as a bridge between players and Ps in the field of trade.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs, on the other hand, is more responsible for the formulation of macro strategies and serves the entire alliance, which is also more significant.

Although there is currently only one office, and all the staff can be counted on one hand, the position of this department in the alliance will become more and more important in the future.

The reform of the alliance's management has finally been completed, and Chu Guang has been rare recently.

When he's not too busy, he likes to walk around the farm, relax, and see how the crops are growing.

Sometimes he came alone, and occasionally he brought someone else with him.

Probably the most spectacular of all is the rice paddy field, where the crops are growing quite well, and the thick dark green seedlings are already showing a little yellow.

With improved seeds grown in CNC plantations, fertilizer produced in chemical plants, and hard-working players and survivors, this year's harvest is sure to be quite gratifying.

If you don't know how to do it, the yield per mu in the first year will break a thousand catties!

At present, the cultivated area of the new alliance has increased from 30,000 mu to 40,000, and more than half of it is high-yield corn and rice.

Wait another two months.

By the time August comes, the grain from this fertile soil will fill the Coalition's granary!

Looking at the endless farmland, Chu Guang's face couldn't help but smile like an old father.

That's nice!

But......

These alone are clearly not enough.

“…… I originally thought that the original plan of 30,000 acres was completely enough, but I didn't expect that the plan still couldn't catch up with the changes. ”

Ideally, 1~2 acres of land can support one survivor, and 3 acres of land can support one player.

With the population of Shuguang City, the 30,000 mu planned by Chuguang in the early days is enough.

What's more, in the "Forged Swords into Ploughshares" expansion pack, the players actually reclaimed 5,000 acres of land more than in his actual plan.

In Chu Guang's vision, the grain produced by these lands would not only fill the stomachs of the residents of the New Alliance, but also enrich a lot.

However, at the beginning of the year, he could not have imagined that by the middle of the year, the permanent population of the new alliance had increased several times, from 3,000 to nearly 30,000......

And that's not even counting the super eatable players and the more than 20,000 slaves in the POW camp.

Due to the drastic fluctuations in the population, the granary of the new alliance is like Schrödinger's cat, constantly switching back and forth between what is enough and what is not enough.

"We're really growing a little bit faster...... The rate of growth is far outpacing the area of our arable land. Following Chu Guang's side, old Charlie also had a little worry in his eyes.

A large number of people is of course a good thing, and in the wasteland, the population itself is a valuable asset.

However, it is also a double-edged sword.

Only when people are full of food can they have the strength to work, when they have clothes to wear, when they have a house to sleep in, when they have a house to sleep in, will they be faithful, and only when they form a family will they think about the future of the next generation.

If it is not possible to meet the excessively rapid growth of demand, the surplus population will become a burden.

"There's no way, you can't just leave those people alone." Looking at the survivors working in the fields in the distance, Chu Guang replied succinctly and casually.

He had lived in Bate Street for a not-so-short time.

For him, the survivors were alive, not just numbers.

It is precisely because of this that so many people are willing to offer their loyalty to the alliance from the bottom of their hearts.

In fact, if you are optimistic, there are still many ways.

He has a lot of cards to play.

“…… 35,000 acres of arable land is far from enough, and we need to reclaim more farmland. Before the sowing of winter wheat begins, we must ensure that the cultivated area is expanded to 50,000 mu, and before the spring ploughing of the following year, it will reach 100,000 mu. ”

After thinking for a moment, Chu Guang continued.

"In addition, we have to mobilize prisoners of war to reclaim the land from the east of Xizhou Lake to the south bank of Tianshui. The terrain is a bit rougher, but the soil is fertile. When the embankment on the east bank of Xizhou Lake is completed, it should not be a problem to gather 100,000 mu of cultivated land. ”

"Until we are fully self-sufficient, we have to import as much as we can from farmers in the south. As for the issue of trade, you need to pay more attention to it with the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ”

The noisy bacteria europium is left to be noisy and has no competition with the world

Old Charlie nodded earnestly.

"I'll keep an eye on it."

Fortunately, the industrial products of the new alliance are quite popular in the south.

In particular, the LD-47 series rifles and various large-caliber weapons are simply suitable for dealing with the mutants who are active in Geumcheon Province.

Those green-skinned muscular guys have strong resilience and fierce melee ability, and they are just as good as if they were all right after a few shots, but even so, they can't withstand the strafing of 7mm full-power bullets and the 20 high-explosive rounds fired by the "cavalry gun".

Recently, quite a few farmers have sent their servants to buy some propeller planes to go back.

However, flying such an aircraft requires a certain amount of skill.

The plan of the farmers was to send a group of loyal servants to study, and they learned to fly the plane back directly.

Of course, they will pay for school fees with food.

The profit from selling an airplane is much higher than selling a rifle, and although it is a propeller aircraft, it can fly anyway.

It is not a problem at all for a plane to exchange rations for one or two thousand people.

After talking about the future plan, Chu Guang looked at Old Charlie and continued with a smile.

"Let's talk about something happy."

Grain pigs

"This morning, Luca and I spoke on the phone and said that the supplies we imported for 500,000 chips had already departed. This includes food, cotton cloth, equipment needed to build the power grid, and tools for construction. ”

"Two days later, he will arrive in the northern suburbs with the 450 tons of supplies, and then a large number of new supplies will be delivered to us every three days."

"With these goods, our construction site in Dawn City will be twice as effective with half the effort. Maybe in less than two years, by the end of this year, our new settlement will be on track! ”

Looking at the manager with happiness written on his face, although old Charlie also squeezed out a smile from his face, the smile was somewhat crying and laughing.

Is this good news?

500,000 chips......

In just one day, they spent the life savings of five old leeches.

All this money has to be repaid......

……

Boulder.

A mansion close to the inner city.

Sitting in an elegant chair, Alyssa stretched out her white index finger and gently teased the black shorthair cat lying in her arms.

Listening to the coquettish purr of the cat in her arms, the slightly curled eyelashes curved into a soft crescent.

Next to her chair, stood two bodyguards and a servant.

One of the bodyguards had a metallic electronic eye in his eyes, staring intently at the strange guest in the room.

Although he was stared at by three pairs of eyes, Fang Chang didn't care.

P.

Isn't it normal to pay attention to the player when the story is triggered?

What made him more concerned was the girl sitting in the chair.

She wore a long dress that was expensive at first glance, and her dark brown hair was delicately tied, revealing her fair neck.

Unlike Dolly, she has an indescribable temperament in her, like she doesn't belong to this world.

When you think about it, it's not surprising.

After all, standing in this mansion, no matter which window you look out of, you can't see the slightest view of the wasteland.

Looking at the girl sitting on the chair, Fang Chang couldn't help but sigh in his heart, this game production team should really add two more chicken legs to the modeler's lunch.

Combining three distinct art styles in the same map, the scene transitions create a strong visual contrast without disagreeing in the slightest.

What is the Ninth Art?

This is called the ninth art, okay?

"Thank you, Mr. Mercenary."

"I thought I'd never see my little black again."

The pleasant voice pulled Fang Chang back to reality, and when he came back to his senses, he withdrew his gaze and replied politely.

"You're welcome. It's my pleasure to worry you. ”

Recently, he has become more and more proficient in Renlian, and in line with the principle of saying more if he can speak, he has spoken a few more sentences.

however

It may be that your expression is not accurate enough, or there is something wrong with your grammar.

The bodyguards and servants next to P, who was named Alyssa, all looked at him dumbfounded.

Alyssa was visibly stunned.

But the girl who came back to her senses just smiled, then blinked and said in that beautiful and pleasant voice.

"Maybe you want to say something else."

"Anyway, thanks to your help, I was able to get Xiao Hei back."

When the little-known little newspaper found her two days ago, Alyssa didn't really have much hope.

However, what she didn't expect was that they actually found the lost little black.

Out of curiosity, she asked the servant to bring the mercenary to her.

It's not the same as you imagined.

She thought that the mercenaries were all rough people with beards and more scars than wrinkles, but she didn't expect that it was a young man who looked at Svenwen when she came in.

Staring at Fang Chang for a while, Alyssa asked with interest.

"Can you tell me, how did you do that?"

Fang Chang's expression was a little subtle.

Of course, he couldn't say, he spent 200 silver coins to ask a fat mouse for help, and found this stupid cat jumping up and down on the waist of the giant wall.

Of course, it's not all the credit of the strong brothers, and these two Dolly also helped him a lot.

The black, briquette-like kitten was somehow afraid of him, but not so much of Dolly.

Could it be that the smell of engine oil is on the top?

In any case, the commission, which was personally requested by the head of the alliance office, was finally completed.

The reward is a total of 25 chips.

Regardless of contribution points and regional prestige, he has lost a bit in terms of amount alone.

"That's a long story......"

“…… It seems that it is inconvenient to reveal the secret, so I won't ask. ”

Alyssa didn't ask, but after soothing the cat in her arms for a while, she gently put it aside.

Looking back at the man standing in front of her, she suddenly blinked playfully.

"In exchange, can you tell me about the world beyond the Great Wall?"

"Beyond the Wall......

Fang Chang was a little embarrassed, showing a nerve-wracking expression, "This range is too big, where should I start?" ”

Alyssa said.

"Tell me your story. Like what...... Where are you from? ”

"Northern suburbs." Fang Chang said truthfully.

Hearing this answer, a look of surprise appeared in Alyssa's eyes.

"Are you a resident of the northern suburbs?"

"yes, what's wrong?"

"Well, it's nothing, it's just that I've been hearing my father talk about that place lately."

Shaking her head slightly, Alyssa's eyes were marked with obvious curiosity, "Can you tell me what kind of place it is?" ”

"It's hard to describe, if I had to judge, it's not rich, but it's a place full of hope......"

Fang Chang sorted out his thoughts for a moment, and with a limited vocabulary, briefly described the situation there.

He didn't expect this girl to be interested, but he didn't expect her to listen to it surprisingly seriously.

After about ten minutes, Alyssa closed her eyes and thought for a while, and a smile suddenly appeared on her face.

"Thank you for talking to me for so long."

"You're welcome...... By the way, can I please write a thank you note? Suddenly remembering that P, whose name was Hal, had asked for himself, Fang Chang hurriedly added.

It's dangerous.

I almost forgot about business.

"No problem, I've already written it." Alyssa smiled and nodded to the servant beside her.

The slightly old servant stepped forward, took a letter from his bosom and handed it to Fang Chang.

Fang Chang took the letter from his hand, politely declined the invitation for afternoon tea, thanked him, and then left the luxurious mansion under the "escort" of two guards.

After turning two streets, he saw Dolly with her arms crossed under a streetlamp.

The little girl with short green hair was kicking the cap of a bottle on the floor with her toes to pass the time of boredom.

Seeing Fang Chang coming from the corner of the street, she immediately stopped her movements and asked when she went up.

"You gave her Blackie?"

"Well, it's only been half a day to develop a relationship?" Fang Chang looked at her and said teasingly.

Dolly raised an eyebrow.

"How is that possible, I ...... It's just a casual question. ”

Fang Chang said with a smile.

"I believe it."

He could feel that this little girl actually liked the clingy little black one.

But she also knew in her heart that it was someone else's pet after all. Not to mention that she can't even take care of herself, that kind of picky eater will only suffer if she follows her.

"Hey."

"What's wrong?"

"Is the bank president's daughter beautiful?" Dolly asked curiously.

Fang Chang replied casually.

"It's good-looking, it's a dignified and elegant girl."

Dolly moved the tip of her nose, as if her curiosity was satisfied, but her expression was quite intriguing.

“…… Having said that, are you also interested in entrusting 25 chips? ”

"Chips weren't my goal, what I needed was this letter." Fang Chang gently shook the envelope clipped to his fingertips and put it back in his pocket.

25 chips is only part of the mission reward.

If it was just for money, he wouldn't have taken this commission at all.

But it's too much trouble to explain this with P.

It's not that no one has tried it, it's just that they don't even understand what a game is, and it's rude to say that your world is just a "game".

Maybe that's part of the setting.

"Letter?"

"Well, valuable quest items."

“……？”

Without explaining to the confused Dolly, Fang Chang took her straight to the newspaper office.

Give the letter to Phar at the newspaper, and the task will be completed.

Although I don't know what the new P named Hal is for, it is always possible to brush up on the favorability.

Looking at Fang Chang, who was in a happy mood, Dolly, who was following behind him, had a complicated expression written on his face.

She still didn't understand why the man in front of her, who could casually take out more than 50,000 chips, would be interested in the commission of just 25 chips.

Do you like cats?

It's not like that.

Or is it ......

He wanted to get close to the daughter of the president of the Bank of Boulder City through Xiao Hei, become Mr. Malvern's son-in-law, and leap into a wealthy family.

Thinking of this, the expression on Dolly's face was no longer complicated, but disdainful.

She snorted and sneered.

“…… It's really a dream. ”

"Huh? What did you just say? ”

"Nothing."

Throwing this sentence, Dolly turned her face to the side, this time it was Fang Chang's turn to be confused.

The two came to the newspaper office.

The room was noisy, with dark circles on every face, but everyone was motivated.

Even hyperactive.

After hearing about Hal's plan, the league's top brass immediately approved a monthly budget of 200,000 chips.

200,000 chips!

And it's monthly!

When they heard the news, the editors who had worked under Mr. House were so excited that they almost forgot to breathe.

"The Voice of Boulder" can't make that much money in a year!

And their boss is willing to spend such a large sum of money every month and continue to sponsor their business without seeing any return.

With this money, they can do a lot of things!

While the people in the newspaper office were discussing their next steps, the office door opened.

Looking at Fang Chang, who came back with a thank you note in his hand, Hal's face immediately showed an expression of overjoy, and he took the letter.

"It's great that you're finally back, my friend! We're talking about the next installment, and it's just in time! ”

"I don't really understand, find the cat of the bank president's daughter...... Does it have anything to do with your newspaper? Looking at Hal who was holding the envelope like a treasure, Fang Chang couldn't help but ask curiously.

Before Hal could speak, the editor on the side said for him with a fluttering eyebrow.

"We intend to dedicate a page in the newspaper to the commission. How to attract those who need to write to us? The best thing to do is, of course, to let them see the results. ”

Another balding editor also leaned over and said.

"That's right, and I'm sure the mercenaries who have never been interested in reading newspapers will start buying our newspapers from now on!"

"Why don't we open a "Mercenary Newspaper?" An editor interjected.

Hal's eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers.

"That's a good idea!"

Fang Chang coughed dryly.

"If you want me to say...... You might as well serialize it in the newspaper, and make it 500 words in three days, and break it in the most critical place every day, and I can guarantee that your newspaper will sell out. ”

Hearing this, Hal was slightly stunned for a few seconds.

Suddenly, he reacted violently, and an expression of ecstasy appeared on his face.

"What a great idea! Friend, why don't you come to work at the newspaper? ”

"I don't need to......" Fang Chang coughed dryly, he suddenly felt as if he had a bad idea.

But......

He's actually quite curious about what they're going to be serialized.

At this moment, Fang Chang's eyes suddenly fell on the advertisement for recruiting reporters on the side, and his heart couldn't help but move slightly.

"Are you short of people here?"

Hal, who had a disappointed expression just now, saw that Fang Chang had a change of heart, and immediately nodded excitedly.

"Of course, we don't have journalists, we don't have editors, we don't have anything...... It would be great if you would help us! ”

"Ahem, I'm not in this business, but I can recommend you an expert. There's nothing in the whole of Boulder City that she doesn't know, and even if she doesn't, I'm sure she'll have a way to know......"

Speaking of this, Fang Chang looked at the door of the office, the short-haired girl with her arms crossed and a look of idleness.

"What do you think of her?" -