More than two hundred years ago, the cold wind tore the land, and even Camp Lowell, near the equatorial line, did not please much.

The two figures limped in the cold wind.

One of them was wearing power armor, the other was wearing a full hazmat suit with the institute's logo on it, and judging by the fog that hung on the inside of the helmet's visor, they all had a lot of injuries.

It is also true that fierce protests are never free.

The insulation system has been compromised.

With a low temperature of minus 30 degrees, even slime molds have nothing to do, let alone they are about to lose their last means of keeping out the cold.

By the time the mist had turned to ice, it was almost time for them to die.

But even so, they were in better condition than the corpse they were carrying—

The blood that flowed down the wound had frozen into red ice, freezing the bullet holes, freezing the twisted face, and freezing the almost mad desire.

And the mouth sealed by blood and ice seems to be still screaming silently-

Why don't you listen to me? ’

Why......

The soldier grinned, exhaled the turbid breath from his chest, and blew it into the translucent mask.

That's their general.

As for why he was executed, that's a long story.

Anyway, he didn't want to remember the fungal infected people who died in the lab, and the people who had been executed for opposing the noble lord...... After all, he also had some blood on his hands.

Yes.

He is an accomplice.

But who isn't?

Let the past pass.

Their children don't have to carry this heavy memory on their backs.

Everyone has compassion, and as an ordinary soldier, he is certainly no exception.

They wasted a lot of resources, killed a lot of innocent people, missed the best window to save themselves, and as a result, no one was saved...... And all this is only because of Lowell's slogan that to save the survivors who are flocking to Borneo from the center of the world, they need a "rearable fungus that can work at temperatures of -30 or even 50 degrees Celsius".

This is also known as red clay......

He didn't know what to say about what he had done, but at least it took courage to be a joke in someone's mouth.

The two threw the body in the freezing wilderness.

They took out their sapper shovels and, as planned, chiseled through the frozen soil with all their might, dug a large pit, and threw the corpse of their general into it along with the research materials.

The Wasteland Age is always over.

When everything is over, when their children's children dig these things out, they may give a more objective assessment of what is happening here from a higher perspective, rather than simply defining Lowell as a bad person or a good person, and those who support or oppose him as righteous or evil.

Only when this whole memory is completely history, they don't have to become a joke in people's mouths, and all this can be successfully ended.

They are just duckweed in the waves, dandelions blown away to a corner of the world by the aftermath of the explosion.

That's all.

At least that's what the soldiers say about themselves.

When it was time to bury the pit at the end, the researcher raised his hand and stopped the soldiers who were about to fill the frozen ground.

"This is the last sample."

He lifted his sore arm, typed the code with his trembling index finger, and pulled a scarlet test tube from the negative pressure sample box around his waist.

The scarlet color was like blood.

There was no difference between the blood on Rowell's body, and the moment it came into contact with the outside world, the howling cold wind caused the test tube to freeze with frost, and finally completely froze into an ice sculpture.

It's like a mockery of that crazy plan......

"Keep your eyes open and look at ......"

Looking down at the hideous face in the pit, the researcher ripped open the corners of his stiff mouth and threw the test tube down with all his might, smashing it into Lowell's already hardened corpse.

"At minus 30 degrees, the water freezes in an instant! What kind of spores are there...... It can germinate at ultra-low temperatures of minus 30 degrees Celsius! Are you going to let me use your lab to get silicon-based creatures out? ”

"Why don't you invite God to the lab!"

This idiot......

When death is imminent, he still admits his mistakes.

The researcher had enough of cursing, pulled up the sapper shovel that had been stuck to the ground, and rolled the pit into the pit with a vent.

Digging and filling in the pit took the two of them a whole day.

But for the two of them, this day was more meaningful than every day before.

Because henceforth they are no longer enemies, they are compatriots again.

Although there is not much left in the following days......

Glancing at the little energy left, the soldier grabbed the researcher as he prepared to return to the camp, shaking his head at the latter.

The latter was slightly stunned, quickly understood what he meant, and then nodded with a wry smile.

Truly.

There was no need for them to go back.

One less opening and closing of the buffer door in the institute might allow the people staying inside to live for two more days.

Just leave that energy and nutrients for the rest......

Besides, when the nutrients and energy are depleted, it is really unknown what kind of hell it will become.

Die?

They have long been downplayed.

Since you have to leave sooner or later, it's better to leave early.

Moreover, this history should not be left only with Lowell's body.

They are the last brick of the tombstone.

Someone had to go down with him.

Only then will those who have come here later know what happened here......

After all that was done, the two did not return home, but continued to move forward in the frozen wilderness, and finally found a "frozen tree" that looked quite sturdy.

The two looked at each other, and both understood what they meant.

This is it......

They stepped forward in accord, smoothed out the snow on the ground, and then sat down on it, leaning against the edge of the frozen tree.

The howling cold wind seemed to be somewhat blocked by the freeze-dried tree trunks, but perhaps their senses were weakened.

The researcher threw the sapper shovels out of his hand, as they no longer needed them.

The soldier took out the cigarette case that he was reluctant to smoke on weekdays, and wanted to have another one at the end, but found that the helmet was separated by the power armor, and finally gave up with a wry smile.

Following the researcher's example, he threw out the few cigarette cases that were left in his hand.

Let's take it as a precept.

After that, his name was "Quit Smoking".

The fog on the helmet had frozen, and the alarm lights that were still beating were no longer moving.

The soldier closed his eyes for a moment, then suddenly spoke.

"Before he died, Lowell sent a message to the War Construction Committee...... Damn, I don't know how he buried us in the email, do you think he will push the idea of 'red clay' on us? ”

"Whatever, they'd better send a force over and take a look." The researcher pouted.

If you're going to die, do you care about this?

"I've seen enough choking ......"

The soldier shook his head, suddenly remembering something, and stopped the researcher who was about to fall asleep.

"Hey."

“…… What's wrong. ”

"You're a scientist...... If you tell me the truth, will this planet ever get better? ”

The researcher, who was already asleep, shook his head.

"I don't know, no one knows, but we've done everything we can...... As long as one person survives to the end, this war is won by us. ”

There were also some people who went to Luoxia Province, the granary of the Prosperous Era.

If the survivors there can keep the "embankment" running, they may be able to keep some of the oasis.

Besides, it's not far from the Great Rift Valley, and the people of the War Construction Committee should be able to help them.

The soldier was silent for a moment and sighed.

"I really regret it......"

“…… What's wrong with you? ”

"I'm so stupid, why did I believe it...... Damn, if only I hadn't listened to his, and blame you, why didn't you tell the truth......"

"Huh...... Didn't anyone say that. ”

Listening to the slightly self-deprecating reply, the soldier fell silent and sighed after a moment.

"It's also ......"

Man cannot overcome nature.

You can only overcome yourself.

It wasn't until the last moment of his life that he realized that their worst enemy wasn't Gaia, not Winter, not even Lowell and his accomplices who had been stubborn until the end......

It's yourself.

And always has been.

The dead become fuel for the living, drowning in the dust of history.

The era of the People's Federation has come to an end.

If Camp Lowell were to be compared to a local battle, they both won and lost......

Because it's all over.

"You say...... What will people in the future say about us. ”

There was no answer.

The soldier turned his head sideways and glanced at his friend sitting next to him, only to see that he had merged with the ice sculpture behind him, just like General Lowell, whom they had buried.

The low temperature of minus 30 degrees Celsius can't even survive on red soil, let alone people......

But there was no fear in the soldier's heart about the impending death.

Think of it as paying off your debts......

Hopefully, they won't become Cretaceous dinosaurs, and this memory will have to be burned as fossil fuel.

He sighed inwardly and looked up at the gray sky, which was no more than a glimmer of light.

“…… Sorry kids, we took a bit of a detour. ”

Anyway, winter will pass......

With such conviction, the soldier took his last breath and became one with the ice and snow.

Time flies, like a white horse passing through a gap.

The howling cold wind lasted for half a century, but in the end it could not stop the scorching sun.

The cold winter is finally over.

Blades of grass emerged from the soil, and everything that was huddled in the cave poked its head out curiously, like a blue sky that had not been seen for a long time.

This is the equator.

This is where the recovery begins.

The survivors have emerged from their burrows and dilapidated shelters, built settlements on the banks of the Yongliu River, hunted wild animals, erected totem poles for victory after victory, and slowly recovered fragments of the Age of Prosperity......

The savagery and gore here are not inferior to any corner of the wasteland, but nowhere near as brutal as the latter.

At least there are no sandstorms and giant beasts in the Great Desert, nor are there the dead claws of the River Valley Province and the poisonous insects of the Luoxia Province.

It's like a natural refuge.

Civilization is gradually recovering.

Until this moment, Red Clay had not officially appeared on the Borneo stage, and the history of Lowell's camp seemed to have been completely forgotten.

But that's not really true.

This natural sanctuary has everything in it, and the animals left behind in the prosperous era are enough for the locals to eat the delicacies of the mountains and seas, and when they are done, they can farm and hone their cooking skills.

This is a painful and happy time, and the sprout of civilization is slowly moving forward in the process.

Time goes on.

The survivors of Boulder City raised their chips high in the chamber and sent off the last old man who had seen the Age of Prosperity, and the tribal melee in Borneo soon turned into a kingdom war as the population grew.

The Humans' Romance is the greatest legacy left by the Age of Prosperity to the Wasteland Age.

Local survivors don't have to waste much time on trial and error.

Even if they can't remember the lessons of history, they can remember a few words from their distant memories, so that they can quickly match the lifestyle that suits their productivity.

After the chieftain, it is time for the king.

The province of four million square kilometers soon gave birth to thirteen kings, corresponding to thirteen protected areas, or thirteen "states".

It was at this time that the ambitious "Moon King" summoned a wealthy farmer.

The latter, with a small plantation, fed hundreds of thousands of slaves!

And at this moment, the farmer was holding a handful of scarlet soil in his hand......

Samsara is only now a complete circle.

Today's thirteen states in Borneo do not have the state of the moon, but there was one a long time ago.

It's just that the moon rises in the sky, and after the moon sets and the sun rises, Yuezhou was changed to Luowei State by the Xilan Empire, which came later.

And that was another eventful time......

……

Time is back to the present.

What has happened in the past 200 years is unknown, and even the Coalition, which built the research station on the site of Camp Lowell in Port Gallen, has been able to recover a limited amount of historical material from the rubble.

Among the many subjects of the Union Institute of Social Sciences, the study of Borneo is only a relatively broad thread, as an "unnumbered refuge", parallel to the numbered refuges 70, 79, 100, 101, 117, 401, etc.

Naturally, the chief of the Great Rift Valley could not have known that history.

Due to the clutter between radioactive fallout and orbital debris, the last piece of information sent by Lowell did not even reach the headquarters of the War Construction Committee......

The obstacle of "long-distance radio communication" in the wasteland still exists to this day, and the alliance also relies on wired cables to achieve instant communication between domestic and foreign signals.

Absek, who had left the Rift Valley Chief, looked stunned, seemed to understand, and did not seem to understand.

Looking at Vadya, the internal affairs commissioner who was following him with a worried face, he suddenly laughed out loud and touched his chin.

"That old man wants to save my life......"

Wadia was stunned, not understanding what his boss was saying, but he remembered that it was on someone else's territory, and hurriedly reminded with a wry smile.

"The unification is the leading student...... We're in the Great Rift Valley now, and that's what you call their Führer—"

"I know, it's out of the way, old ...... People don't care," Absec waved his hand, interrupting Wadia, who was still about to say something, "You leave me alone, I want to be alone quietly, and I will inform you if there is any arrangement." ”

He originally planned to visit Xia Chuguang, but thinking about it, it didn't seem that necessary.

What if you see it?

After all, the problems of the Brahminas have to be solved by themselves, and they really can't go around looking for their father anymore.

Besides, with such a large population, no one can help them, and those who can help them have already helped.

Technology, money, machines, methods of production, ideological enlightenment, indigenous talents, and even some "sociological materials that were originally their own, but as a result, they lost themselves......

He really couldn't think of anything he could ask for for the survivors of Borneo.

It's no longer enough, so I can only ask the manager to come over.

Moreover, in the period leading up to the meeting, the management of the alliance should also have their own arrangements.

For example, when it comes to post-war issues, the three former legion commanders and the archons of Triumph City must meet, right?

Tyr probably didn't have the courage to come, and it didn't seem to make much sense to come, and he, the commander of the Borneo country, could see that the Southern Legion was about to lose.

Another example is the discussion about ending the Wasteland Era, and the CTO of the Academy and the director of Ideal City can meet with each other, right?

The schedule is almost crammed, so don't bother the gentleman.

I'll see you when the meeting is over......

……

In the spacious and bright room, Zhou Xianlin, who had a blue nose and swollen face, was applying medicine to the wound under the service of the old housekeeper.

As the leader of the Dam Alliance, how could he have suffered such a bird anger, and was beaten by someone by the collar.

The soldier in the power armor shouldn't have pulled him away.

He almost had to bite the guy's ear off!

It's a pity that until the end, he couldn't let the people of the valley see the bravery of the Prancing Horse

The more he thought about it, the more angry he became, Zhou Xianlin looked at the old housekeeper next to him with a sinister face, and said in a vicious voice.

"Where is the Red River Alliance? Find them on the map for me! Damn, these dogs dare to kick their noses in the face with me, and see that I don't chop them up and feed them to the dogs! ”

The old butler shuddered, and the iodine in his hand almost spilled out, and he said profusely sweating.

"Young Master...... Red River Union ...... They may have fought the Marauders, and the ones they locked up in the mines are real Marauders. ”

Zhou Xianlin was slightly stunned, and suddenly stared at the old housekeeper with a dark face.

“…… What do you mean? We didn't fight the marauders? ”

"I've beaten, I've beaten," the old butler nodded quickly, looking like he was about to cry, "I just want to say...... The Bone Chewing Tribe is special, unlike other marauders. Also, the Red River Alliance has a garrison of the Alliance, although I heard that there are only one or two hundred people, but it is better not to provoke them. ”

In fact, what is more difficult is how to send people over.

You can't take the Union train to beat people, right?

Fortunately, this time, the little master of his family finally understood the words and swallowed this breath.

Zhou Xianlin sneered.

"Who should I be...... It's just a dog on a leash! Forget it, it depends on the owner to beat the dog, so I left this dog on a leash to my eldest brother to clean up! ”

Old butler: "......"

……

On the other side, the granite carved conference room, where the Praetorian guards of Triumph City and the Allies' guards checked the room, exited the outside of the conference room and closed the door.

The only thing left in the entire room was the archons of Triumph City and the administrators of the Alliance.

Finally, there was no third person, and the battlefield guy sitting in the golden can had a "I am tired" expression, and the whole person leaned back on the chair, but he didn't want to "click" to cut off the backrest, and almost fell backwards to the ground.

Facing Chu Guang's smiling expression, he touched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Sorry...... Let you see the joke. ”

Chu Guang smiled faintly.

"It's okay, I've seen a lot, and when I first put on the power armor, I broke a lot of chairs."

There are always players who treat him as an NPC, talking and performing performance art in front of him.

There are also the guys who see him talk less and speak strictly, treat him like a tree hole, and then tell him all kinds of messy things, and ask him how he had a baby with an NPC.

As early as the alpha version, his ability to "hold on" has been perfected.

Changed chairs and sat down, this time the battlefield guy no longer leaned back, but put his arm on the table like Chu Guang.

It is worthy of a professional tin can, and this sitting posture is really much more stable.

The battlefield guy sighed, wanted to say something but couldn't find an opening sentence, so he could only say a word.

"Frankly, I'm not a good person, and the Willantes of Triumph may have misunderstood something. Although the trust forum ...... Well, I mean, thanks to my staff, I'm okay as an archon, but I didn't think about the future at all. I'll tell you the truth, I've wanted to quit more than once, or if you can show me the way. ”

Looking at the battlefield atmosphere group that was really worried and didn't treat everything as a game, Chu Guang smiled when he heard this, and said it in a casual tone.

"There are no good people in this world in the absolute sense, only bad people and people who are beginning to examine their own hearts."

The Battlefield Atmosphere Group was stunned for a moment.

“…… What do you mean? ”

Chu Guang didn't answer, but looked him straight in the eye and asked.

"Are you a bad person?"

The Battlefield Atmosphere Group looked confused for a while, wanting to say no, but couldn't make up their minds.

After all, he did lie about his identity, and he still hadn't figured out how to face Razor's test and confess to the Wilantes of Triumph City.

He shook his head and said calmly.

"I don't know."

Chu Guang's eyes showed a glint of approval, and he stretched his right hand forward.

"By the time you tell me you don't know, at least you're no longer a bad person, or a 'bad consul'...... You should be able to realize that you have already begun to look inside yourself. ”

A stunned expression appeared on the face of the battlefield atmosphere team, and they frowned and thought for a while, as if that was really the case.

In just half a minute, he looked back on his life...... At least this one life in the game world.

True is false, and false is true...... Regardless of whether his original intention is good or not, his pangolin is always worthy of his conscience, and he is seriously thinking about what his conscience is.

He wasn't the savior of the Willantes, nor did he want to be their savior, he just did what he thought was right and what he should do.

For such a person, a mixed evaluation should be deserved, even if he took off his waistcoat in front of all the Willantes.

Looking at the battlefield atmosphere group with a hint of enlightenment floating in his eyes, Chu Guang continued in a gentle voice.

"Soon you'll find your flaw, patch it, and climb out of the dry well that traps you...... It's also a way to grow. ”

"You want to tell me you're not fit to be an archon, but I think you've done a good job. Most people spend their entire lives discovering their own well, and even fewer try to climb out, and you're at least on your way to it. ”

He rarely said anything like this, but the little player in front of him was like his child, and he really watched this guy grow up little by little.

Although the old fool said a lot of nonsense, there was one sentence that really spoke to his heart.

He did experience what it was like to be a father, and he had experienced it a long time ago.

However, with the old man who read "good is the right of evil, blessing and misfortune", and handed over the child to the wasteland to be trained, Chu Guang still preferred to be a stern and enlightened father.

The old man may be "accurate", and it is natural for him to see the laws of the cycles after living countless cycles.

But the children of the Alliance cannot go to the future with that kind of nihilistic thought.

They should stand in the position of "changeables", see the unchanging mountains and rivers, as well as the sun, moon and stars, and create a new future that no one in the old era has ever seen with a braver and more vibrant attitude!

And this is also Chu Guang's expectation for the descendants of the alliance.

So they lived up to their coming......

"Maybe, I'm afraid I'll betray their trust." The Battlefield Atmosphere team looked up and stared at the ceiling.

Chu Guang was very experienced with his troubles, and said with a smile.

"Do you know why you're afraid of betraying their trust?"

The battlefield atmosphere group subconsciously said.

"Why?"

Chu Guang said sharply.

"Because...... You became consuls because of their trust, and this matter itself has nothing to do with any conspiracy, and their trust is something you have earned with sincerity, not a deception or a grab. ”

The Battlefield Atmosphere Group's eyes lit up, but they coughed again.

"I'm actually looking to you for specific advice......"

"It's a pity, all I can give you is encouragement," Chu Guang paused and said with a smile, "Why don't you go and ask for advice from other Willantes?" Think about what you are getting support for, and why they are supporting you, not others. ”

"With that in mind, you can erect a podium where everyone can go up and say two sentences in the place where you spoke, put up a few more mailboxes where people support you, and stipulate that future consuls must speak their dreams and fulfill their promises in the same way as you, and what will happen if they don't...... These things need to be thought of for yourself. ”

The battlefield atmosphere group suddenly brightened up and sat up straight in a serious manner.

"I see."

Chu Guang nodded.

"Got it, let's get down to business."

The Battlefield Atmosphere Group was stunned for a moment.

"Positive...... Serious business? ”

Isn't that just the right thing?

Chu Guang nodded as a matter of course and continued.

"Of course, you are the Archon of Triumph City, I am the administrator of the Alliance, and you represent no less people than I do...... You don't think that the two idle sentences to warm up the scene are the right thing. ”

“…… Not really. Facing Shang Chuguang's smiling eyes, the battlefield atmosphere group said inconsistently.

Isn't it?

And if there's really something big, you can get the task directly from the taskbar......

But speaking of which, it seems that since the last time I replied to [read], there has been no new news for a long time.

Chu Guang didn't joke with him, and said after clearing his throat.

"In order to reduce the estrangement, I propose that a long-term and effective dialogue mechanism should be established between Triumph City and Dawn City, and I intend to lay a cable to Triumph City...... This money can be borne by us. It's not just for now, it's for the future as well. ”

The Battlefield Atmosphere Group nodded.

"No problem."

And that's a good thing indeed.

He can't be this consul all the time, and the next consul won't have such a thing as a "taskbar".

Chu Guang continued.

"In addition, with the increasing exchanges between the east and west coasts of the Middle-earth continent, we intend to build a direct railway to Triumph City while opening up new sea routes. The railway would start from the town of Bicester in the province of Luoxia and cross the great desert through the vast grasslands of the Eastern Empire, perhaps spreading the fire of civilization to the places it passed...... For this reason, we are willing to take 60% of the investment, and you only need to bear 40%. Of course, considering that your economy is not well-off, this money can be lent to you by the alliance's banks first. ”

"No problem." The Battlefield Atmosphere team found themselves completely unable to interject, only nodding.

Chu Guang stared at him seriously.

"Do you have anything to add?"

The Battlefield Atmosphere Team just wanted to say no, but when they met the sharp eyes, they finally held back the words on their lips.

"There are a large number of refugees in the province of Willante and the province of Batoya needs to be rebuilt...... You know we don't have any money. Anyway, if you have already invested in the railway, it is better to invest in something else, the road in Triumph City is about to be renovated, how about you take some money to set up a development bank? So that you do not lose, and we do not lose...... How do you say that, win-win? ”

Chu Guang smiled and nodded.

"That's a good idea, and I think it's not just that we're interested, but companies will be happy to help you."

"That's it."

The battlefield atmosphere group spread out their hands and wanted to lean on the chair, but they were stopped in time.

"Ahem...... Anyway, we're done talking about what we're going to talk about at the conference, and what are we going to talk about when the human conference begins? ”

To tell the truth, the proposal he brought was really "asking for money". The ministers of the civilian bureaucracy, including Bennott, had been blowing the wind on him since before he left, asking him to find a way to get some money from the alliance back.

As for the manager's proposal, he also understood, and it was nothing more than the word "communication" in summary.

Eliminate differences, estrangements, and hatred in communication...... And this in itself is what the people of Willant must do to integrate into the world.

He really didn't have a reason to shake his head.

Looking at the archon with a confused face, Chu Guang smiled.

"That's not easy, just speak your mind."

"It's rare for the Rift Valley to be so lively, and so many people have come, of course, they can talk about whatever they want."