Chapter 699.1: "These Guys Are Pretty Good At Stacking Buffs On Themselves"
Just as Peepo had expected, by the time they finished launching the second wave of their offensive, Chu Guang, far away in Shelter 404, had already received the battle report from the front line.
And the departure report and the victory report arrived at the same time.
Ample Time had played a little trick. The first report was delivered via the airship, while the second came through the official website’s quest system.
Looking at the two reports spread out in front of him, Chu Guang shook his head with a smile.
“These guys really do treat me like an NPC.”
But that was understandable. He had hidden himself well. The players didn’t know that besides being the administrator, he also wore the hat of the “Doggy Developer.”
In other words, long before they sent these reports, he already knew everything, he just hadn’t stopped them.
First, the players hadn’t violated any server rules. He had never asked them all to be saints. He only told them to be mindful of limits.
Second, the envoys of the Xilande Empire were genuinely annoying, always bickering with him at the Mutant Slime Mold Research Committee. Giving them a knock was fine.
Third, and most importantly, the Xilande Empire had struck first.
The New Alliance rarely went looking for trouble, but there wasn’t a single settlement that hadn’t bled, even Boulder Town, which had joined them voluntarily still had rivers of blood flowing down their streets.
If someone wanted to test whether their fists were hard enough, Chu Guang wasn’t going to stop them.
[Report 1: The Xilande Army brazenly entered our alert zone, failed to identify themselves, and opened fire on our forces with intent to cause a massacre. We have responded with a counterstrike against their point of departure, Port Gallon!]
[Report 2: Our force of over 500 successfully landed at Port Gallon, has routed the port’s garrison, and captured the Governor!]
Not particularly interested in the first report, which he had already read, Chu Guang opened the attachments to the second report directly.
He soon discovered, to his surprise, that Ample Time had not only tallied the battle’s death ratio and ammunition consumption, but had even compiled a full inventory of the spoils of war.
Though it felt a bit like bullying kids, the battle could indeed be described as an epic victory.
The New Alliance lost a total of 11 Type 5 Light Cavalry exoskeletons and one Type 6 Heavy Cavalry exoskeleton. A small number of players sustained light injuries that weren’t counted. There were no combat or non-combat fatalities.
As for the Port Gallon garrison, 1,407 bodies had been counted and 316 were wounded. Although their highest commander was not captured, their entire organizational structure had been completely wiped out in the fighting.
At the same time, the New Alliance forces stationed in the port area spent just one morning absorbing the Guard Station and hastily organizing an armed militia of roughly 5,000, composed of freed slaves.
The militia, along with the liberated slaves, was currently stationed at Rowell Camp, with Peepo and other players responsible for training them.
The Burning Corps’ actual controlled area accounted for only one-tenth, or even less, of Port Gallon. Yet that sliver of the city generated over 90% of the settlement’s total economic output.
Beyond the immediate military gains, the spoils seized in this campaign were astonishingly rich.
At the bank on Tulip Street, nearly 500,000,000 Dinars were stored in the vaults!
The money had been earned mainly through the trade of population, livestock, spices, textiles, and basic resources. More than half of it was held under the emperor’s name, managed by the Governor he appointed.
In addition, there were 30,000,000 silver, 9,000,000 CR, and assorted Camel and Lion Coins. The former were likely earned through exporting cattle and minerals, and the latter probably through similar means, though their low circulation meant smaller reserves.
Even so, their foreign currency reserve was terrifying. If Boulder Town Bank had possessed so much money back then, it would never have gone bankrupt.
But what truly shocked Chu Guang came next.
The amount of Xilande currency recorded on the books alone totaled a staggering 120,000,000,000! All of it was in cash.
The number was so absurd that at first he thought he’d miscounted the zeros. Only after repeatedly verifying it did he accept that his eyes weren’t deceiving him.
According to player investigations, 10,000 Xilande Coins could buy a pig, which meant the currency did have purchasing power.
With so many points begging for ridicule, Chu Guang didn’t even know where to start.
Perhaps the bank’s credit business could explain the bizarre economic phenomenon, but Ample Time hadn’t had time to sort through the bank’s operations.
Clearly, the players were only interested in the money inside the vault.
At the end of the report, Ample Time provided a summary.
[... We unanimously believe that unless Port Gallon’s current situation is fundamentally changed, by completely abolishing slavery and royal authority in the region, similar attacks will never truly cease. Therefore, in addition to putting the masterminds on trial, our strategic objectives include transforming this region along New Alliance lines.]
Reaching the end, Chu Guang couldn’t help but smile.
Perhaps sensing his expression, Little Seven, sitting on his pen holder, also smiled happily and nodded its little head in praise. “It seems your little players have grown up.”
Chu Guang smiled faintly. “Have they?”
“Hm?” Feeling there was some deeper meaning in his words, Little Seven tilted its head and looked at him.
After thinking for a moment, Chu Guang spoke softly. “I don’t actually have much hope that they’ll achieve all their stated strategic goals. I’ve never tried to fully implement the New Alliance’s policies in the Sunset Province, because our methods don’t have a broad popular base there. Ending the wasteland is every shelter resident’s natural duty, but at the same time, we must respect the wishes of those living on the wasteland.”
Unity required respect. Equality imposed by force was just another form of oppression.
If the New Alliance was to walk the path of unity, it was destined not to bring everyone into the new era, only those willing to go forward.
Even if one day they completely reclaimed the territories that once belonged to the Federation, many people would still continue living as they did in the old age.
The difference is that in the past, people had no choice but to passively accept an unequal fate. In the new era, everyone will have the right to choose, or refuse.
Just like the survivors of Singularity City. As long as they promise never to return, they could leave that AI-run rehab center at any time.
Chu Guang wasn’t very optimistic about the Burning Corps’ actions in the Poro Province. To some extent, they had made the same mistake most shelters once did, trying to preach atheism to people who believed in the Great Stag God, and trying to build a skyscraper on soil without a foundation.
They hadn’t truly helped the slaves stand up. Their so-called mobilization looked more like a disguised form of scams and the very name “New Alliance First Avengers Corps” reeked of riot.
Well, it was basically a damn riot.
A group of slaves who had lived under oppression day after day suddenly got their hands on fire pokers capable of killing lords, fire pokers bestowed by a group of heavenly beings.
They weren’t dying for ideals, but for new owners.
What they sought to destroy wasn’t the rules that enslaved them, but to exact even harsher repayment from others for what they had lost.
If left unchecked, the victims would soon shift from the guards of Rowell Camp to other unfortunate people.
In fact, Chu Guang himself had reservations about whether the players could rein in the runaway horse.
After a pause, he looked at the puzzled Little Seven and continued gently, “Of course, it’s also possible that my cute little players’ true intentions don’t entirely match what they’re claiming.”
Little Seven stared at him in surprise. “You mean... your players are lying to you?”
“That’s not lying. That’s selling a dream,” Chu Guang said with a faint smile. “We proclaim that we’ll build an Ideal City in the northern suburbs of Clearspring City, and we lead people to do it. Even if we haven’t achieved it yet, we already have Dawn City. If I didn’t draw that dream in the first place, there would be nothing here. If it’s just keeping survivors alive, a bowl of porridge would be enough.”
Standing up under orders was still standing up. They didn’t have the luxury of slowly starting night schools and literacy programs like they had in Clearspring City.
Judging purely by results, they might very well establish formal equality in that settlement, or at least create a vassal that had no choice but to rely on the New Alliance.
In a sense, they truly had become a group of mature little critters.
They had learned to use their own methods to deal with him, an NPC, as well as outsiders.
After some thought, Chu Guang extended his index finger toward the holographic screen and, smiling, added his approval to the report.
[... Authorization granted for limited military action at Port Gallon. Do not proactively escalate military conflict. Do not commit Army-style mistakes.]
Chu Guang considered adding a third “do not,” but just then, a third report appeared in his inbox.
It had been submitted through the official website’s quest system.
[Report No.3: Rowell Camp Investigation Report (Part I)]
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