Chapter 360 This is a precious mission item
The east gate of Boulder City.
Next to the unloading point of the trading post, boxes and bundles of goods piled up into a small mountain.
Standing next to a pile of grain, the topless loader threw the dirty rag on his shoulder, stretched out his hand to push the sturdy sack, and surprise appeared in his eyes.
"Is this the batch of goods from yesterday?"
Henry still remembered it clearly.
Yesterday morning, he had just unloaded this batch of goods from the back of the two-headed ox, but he didn't expect to load it back so soon.
A worker next to him said with gritted teeth.
"Yes, the grain shipped from the farm in the south smells as good as freshly dried clothes."
After entering June, the weather here is getting hotter and hotter. It would be great if I could have a bottle of iced Nuka Cola.
But with their income, they can't afford such luxury.
"Where are these goods going?" A tanned boy came over and asked curiously.
Henry remembered his name, which seemed to be Hang. He lived in a nearby slum. He was not sure whether he was thirteen or twelve years old, but he was not very old.
The trading post was different from other places. Many employees here came from the slums outside the giant wall.
I heard that these people wanted less salary than them. One chip and two spoons of sticky nutrition paste every day were enough.
To be honest, Henry didn't like these slum children very much, because there were always some people willing to endure a lower standard of living, which led to their wages being reduced again and again.
One chip might be enough for him to live alone, but he had to support a whole family!
"Send it to our neighbors." Henry said in a cold tone.
The stevedores on the side couldn't help complaining.
"Damn... With so much food, why don't those profiteers sell it to us cheaper?"
If a kilogram of bread only cost one chip, they could still afford it, but usually, it was only enough to buy a piece of green wheat cake as hard as a stone.
At this time, the manager of the trading post came over and happened to hear the complaints of these poor people. He rolled his eyes without thinking.
"You are dreaming!"
"Do you expect the food grown in the field to be as cheap as the nutritional paste? Stop talking nonsense and get to work. If you don't work hard, you can't even afford the nutritional paste!"
Under the urging of the manager, the stevedores who had gathered together to complain quickly dispersed, buried their heads in work, and dared not say anything more.
Although they were full of resentment and dissatisfaction, it was not easy to find a job these days. If they were fired, the whole family would have to starve...
...
It was not just food that needed to be transported.
There were also bundles of cotton cloth, parts and tools needed for construction, as well as lighting equipment and generators.
The total value of these goods was as high as 500,000 chips, weighing a full 450 tons.
If they can carry out 10 such trips a month, the trade volume will be 5 million, and 60 million a year.
If the freight is also included, 200 million chips are not that expensive...
At the same time, not far from the trading station, several fully armed players have also completed their assembly.
Old White, wearing an exoskeleton and carrying a rifle, glanced in the direction of the slums.
It was calm there.
The faces with lifeless eyes were ordinary, and it was impossible to tell that a murder had happened here a few days ago.
There was no sense that someone was looking at this side with ill intentions.
Old White breathed a sigh of relief.
As he expected, the Dagger Gang did not dare to cause trouble for them.
Their alliance was very young, and its size was not as big as the Boulder City, which had been leading for two hundred years, nor as big as the military and industrial giants and city lords riding on the top of the giant wall.
But in front of a few predator gangs, they were still an elephant.
The two sides were not in the same dimension at all.
The other party was naturally aware of this and would not trouble him for the life of a little brother.
Of course, it is also possible that he was overthinking, or perhaps there was simply no follow-up to that plot in the game program.
Just as Lao Bai was thinking about it, an office guard NPC came over, stopped in front of him and said.
"The trade station is loading the goods, we have to wait a while."
Lao Bai was not very good at human communication, so he just nodded and answered concisely.
"It's okay, it's okay to wait a while."
The trade station not far away was busy at the moment.
The bare-chested loaders shuttled back and forth between the material piles and the camel caravan, carrying the goods to the back of the two-headed cow and tying them up.
This kind of cow with two heads is gentle and strong, with a weight of 500 to 600 kilograms. The mutant can even reach an astonishing one ton, as big as a hippopotamus.
The most important thing is that these animals are not picky eaters, have iron stomachs comparable to mutant hyenas, and develop relatively quickly, so they are widely used as transportation in the wasteland.
They can walk on flat ground in places where tires and tracks cannot enter.
Although they are not fast, they are stable enough and can even be used as cover during fights.
Players are not surprised by creatures like two-headed cows. Frostspear Ranch in the northern suburbs raises them.
However, what surprised the players was that the two-headed cows they saw this time were different from the past. Not only were they bigger, but they also had a metal device on their bodies.
They looked like exoskeletons.
"Damn...even cows have exoskeletons?" Looking at the camel caravan not far away, Sha Bi said in surprise.
Dog brother standing next to him followed his line of sight and said after staring at the cows for a while.
"That's an unpowered exoskeleton."
"What is an unpowered exoskeleton?" Sha Bi asked curiously.
The Kidney Fighter on the side explained.
"It has no power supply and no motor. It is equivalent to a cart with wheels, which allows you to unload part of the weight of the goods on the ground."
"Why not just get a mechanical bull?"
Brother Gou rolled his eyes.
"Just use a rocket to transport it."
The Kidney Fighter said casually: "Because the transportation cost of a mechanical bull is not just a handful of grass per 100 kilometers, and you have to replace worn parts and apply oil regularly... I guess."
This statement can be accepted by Sha Bi.
However, equipping the two-headed bull with a non-powered exoskeleton can be regarded as the ultimate interpretation of the phrase "making the best use of everything".
It didn't take too long to load the goods.
Lao Bai raised his arm and looked at it, only to see a pop-up window appear on the VM screen.
The escort mission began.
They need to deliver the goods to the northern suburbs within 48 hours and ensure the safety of personnel and materials.
"The goods have been loaded."
"Where is Fang Chang?" Sha Bi glanced around and found that one person was missing.
Lao Bai said casually: "He has something to do, so he has to stay here for a while. Let's get going first."
Dog brother howled.
"Damn, this guy is eating alone again!"
"That's right! He has been acting alone every day these days, so he must be doing something bad!"
Hearing the complaints from his teammates, Lao Bai smiled heartily.
"Don't worry about him, he has his own things to deal with, and he will come back naturally after he finishes them."
Looking at the camel caravan behind him, he waved his hand forward neatly.
"Let's go!"
The team started to move.
Escorting more than 200 two-headed cows and hundreds of tons of supplies, the group set off on a journey to the northern suburbs under the gaze of the passing wastelanders.
The people escorting the caravan were not only a few players from the Burning Legion, but also two local mercenary groups in Boulder City, with a total of more than 100 people.
For such a caravan, ordinary predators would stay away from it.
Let alone approaching to test, these bullies who only fear the strong and bully the weak dare not even look at this place.
I heard that the New Alliance also plans to renovate the subway tunnel from Boulder City to the northern suburbs and seal all the forks, so that the original two-day journey can be shortened to one day.
If cables are laid and several trams are arranged to go back and forth in the tunnel, it may take two or three hours to go there!
Originally, the straight-line distance from Boulder City to Beth Street was only ten kilometers, and the extension to Linghu Wetland Park was only about fourteen or fifteen kilometers.
However, this project has not been negotiated yet.
The Boulder City Hall is not willing to pay this money, and Du Long's reason is quite sufficient. They can't spend the taxes of the people in the outer city outside the giant wall.
Although the New Alliance said that it can build this tunnel by itself and be responsible for the operation of the tunnel, such a huge project will cost an astronomical amount.
With the current financial situation of the New Alliance, it can't afford it at all, and can only borrow money from the Boulder City Bank.
Although President Melvin said that he was eager for the new alliance to borrow more 100 million, he was a little hesitant in his heart because he had just thrown out the 200 million and had not seen any effect. He planned to wait and see the results first.
Chu Guang did not urge him.
Things like wooling wool have to be done slowly and steadily.
The perfect situation is that after he spent the first chip he borrowed, Boulder City just ushered in the first round of inflation, and the price of "commodities" priced with chips began to soar.
But if he overdraws the other party's production capacity, it is not his debt that shrinks, but the money he just borrowed...
...
To the northwest of Dawn City, this is the granary in the northern suburbs.
Standing next to the towering mill, Chu Guang was inspecting the situation in the field accompanied by old Charlie.
After a series of reforms and personnel changes, Charlie has resigned from the Merchants Guild and transferred to the Minister of the Alliance's Economic Department.
The vacant position of the President of the Merchants Guild was taken by the former head of the trading station.
This is also the suggestion of Old Charlie himself.
The staff of the trading station often deal with merchants in the wasteland, especially the managers promoted from the grassroots. They are not only familiar with the temperament and transaction process of those wastelanders, but also have a good handle on dealing with those wastelanders.
It is most appropriate for the head of the trading station to manage the Merchants Guild!
The Merchants Guild mainly serves players, but not only players.
This organization is more like a service department, acting as a bridge between players and NPCs in the field of trade.
The Economic Department is more responsible for the formulation of macro strategies and serves the entire alliance, which is more significant.
Although there is only one office at present, and all the staff can be counted on one hand, the status of this department in the alliance will become more and more important in the future.
The work of the alliance management reform has finally been completed, and Chu Guang has rarely had time recently.
When he is not too busy, he likes to come around the farm to relax and see how the crops in the field are growing.
Sometimes he comes alone, and occasionally brings others.
The most spectacular thing is probably the rice fields. The crops in the fields are growing very well, and some tender yellow has already appeared on the thick dark green seedlings.
The improved seeds cultivated by the CNC planting tower, combined with the fertilizers produced by the chemical factory, plus the hardworking little players and survivors, the harvest in the fields this year will surely be very gratifying.
Maybe the yield per mu in the first year will exceed 1,000 kilograms!
At present, the cultivated land area of the New Alliance has increased from 30,000 mu to 40,000 mu, more than half of which are high-yield corn and rice.
Wait for two more months.
By August, the grain produced from this fertile land will fill the granary of the Alliance!
Looking at the endless farmland, Chu Guang couldn't help but smile like an old father.
That's great!
But...
Obviously, this alone is not enough.
"...I originally thought that the 30,000 mu planned initially was enough, but I didn't expect that the plan couldn't keep up with the changes."
Ideally, 1-2 mu of land can feed one survivor, and 3 mu of land can feed one player.
With the population of Dawn City, the 30,000 mu planned by Chu Guang in the early stage was enough.
What's more, in the "Swords into Plowshares" expansion pack, the players actually reclaimed 5,000 mu more land than he actually planned.
In Chu Guang's vision, the food produced by these lands can not only fill the stomachs of the residents of the New Alliance, but also make a lot of money.
However, at the beginning of the year, he had no idea that by the middle of the year, the permanent population of the New Alliance had doubled several times, from 3,000 to nearly 30,000...
This does not include the super-gluttonous players and the more than 20,000 slaves in the prisoner-of-war camp.
Due to the drastic fluctuations in population, the granary of the New Alliance is like Schrödinger's cat, switching back and forth between being enough and not enough.
"Our population growth is indeed a bit fast... The growth rate far exceeds our arable land area." Following Chu Guang, Old Charlie's eyes were also a bit worried.
More people is of course a good thing. In the wasteland, population itself is a valuable asset.
However, this is also a double-edged sword.
People only have the strength to work when they are full, they will know shame when they have clothes to wear, they will be loyal when they have a house to sleep in, and they will think about the future of the next generation only when they form a family.
If the demand for rapid growth cannot be filled, the excess population will become a burden.
"There is no way, we can't just leave those people alone." Looking at the survivors working in the fields in the distance, Chu Guang replied concisely.
He once lived on Bet Street for a long time.
For him, those survivors are living people, not just a number.
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 think optimistically, there are still many ways.
He has a lot of cards to play.
"…35,000 mu of arable land is far from enough. We need to open up more farmland. Before the winter wheat planting begins, we must ensure that the arable land area is expanded to 50,000 mu, and reach 100,000 mu before the spring plowing next year."
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. Although the terrain there is a bit rugged, the soil is fertile. When the lake embankment on the east bank of Xizhou Lake is completed, it should not be a problem to gather 100,000 mu of arable land."
"Before we can fully achieve food self-sufficiency, we can only try to import from farmers in the south. Regarding trade issues, you and the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs need to pay more attention."
Old Charlie nodded seriously.
"I'll pay attention."
Fortunately, the industrial products of the New Alliance are quite popular in the south.
Especially the LD-47 series rifles and various large-caliber weapons are perfect for dealing with mutants active in Jinchuan Province.
Those green-skinned musclemen have strong recovery and fierce close combat ability. They can be shot like nothing, but even so, they can't withstand the 7mm full-power bullets and the 20mm high-explosive bullets fired by the "cavalry gun".
Recently, many farmers have sent their servants to buy some propeller planes.
However, flying this kind of plane requires certain skills.
The plan of those farmers is to send a group of loyal servants to learn, and then fly the planes back directly after learning.
Of course, they will use food to pay for the tuition.
The profit from selling airplanes is much higher than that from selling rifles. Although it is a propeller plane, it can fly after all.
It is no problem to exchange one airplane for the rations of 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."
"This morning, Luca called me and said that the materials we imported for 500,000 chips have been shipped. This includes the food, cotton cloth, equipment needed to build the power grid, and construction tools we need."
"In two days, he will arrive in the northern suburbs with these 450 tons of materials, and a large number of new materials will be delivered to us every three days."
"With these goods, our construction site in Dawn City will be more efficient. Maybe in less than two years, before the end of this year, our new settlement will be on the right track!"
Looking at the happy manager, Old Charlie also squeezed out a smile from his face, but that smile was somewhat awkward.
Can this be considered good news?
500,000 chips...
In just one day, they spent the life savings of five old leeches.
All this money must be paid back...
...
Boulderstone City.
A mansion near the inner city.
Sitting on a luxurious chair, Alyssa stretched out her slender index finger and gently teased the black short-haired cat lying in her arms.
Listening to the cat's coquettish snoring in her arms, the slightly curled eyelashes curved into a soft crescent.
Next to her chair, stood two bodyguards and a servant.
In the eye sockets of one of the bodyguards, a metallic electronic eye was rotating, staring at the strange guest in the room.
Although he was stared at by three pairs of eyes, Fang Chang didn't care.
NPC.
When the plot is triggered, isn't it normal to pay attention to the player?
What he cares about more is the girl sitting on the chair.
She was wearing a long dress that looked expensive, and her dark brown hair was tied up delicately, revealing her fair neck.
Unlike Dolly, she had an indescribable temperament, as if she didn't belong to this world.
If you think about it carefully, it's not surprising.
After all, standing in this mansion, no matter which window you look out, you can't see any wasteland scenery.
Looking at the girl sitting on the chair, Fang Chang couldn't help but sigh in his heart that the game production team should really add two more chicken legs to the modeler's lunch box.
Incorporating three completely different artistic styles into the same map, the scene switching brings a strong visual contrast but there is no disobedience at all.
What is the ninth art?
This is the ninth art, okay!
"Thank you, Mr. Mercenary."
"I thought I would never see my Xiao Hei again."
The pleasant voice brought Fang Chang back to reality. He came to his senses and retracted his gaze and replied politely.
"You're welcome. It's my honor to worry you."
Recently, he has become more and more proficient in human language. Based on the principle of speaking more when he can speak, he said a few more words.
However——
Maybe his expression is not accurate enough, or there is a problem with grammar.
The bodyguards and servants beside the NPC named Alyssa looked at him in amazement.
Alyssa was obviously stunned.
But the girl who came to her senses just smiled, then blinked and said in that beautiful and pleasant voice.
"Maybe you want to express something else."
"Anyway, thanks to your help, I can find Xiao Hei back."
Two days ago, when the unknown tabloid found her, Alyssa didn't actually have much hope.
However, what she didn't expect was that they actually found the lost Xiao Hei.
Out of curiosity, she asked the servant to bring the mercenary to her.
It's not quite the same as she imagined.
She thought that mercenaries were all rough men with beards and more scars than wrinkles, but she didn't expect that a young man who looked gentle and polite would come in.
After staring at Fang Chang for a while, Alyssa asked with interest.
"Can you tell me how you did it?"
Fang Chang's expression was a little subtle.
Of course, he couldn't say it. He spent 200 silver coins to ask a fat mouse for help, and then he found this stupid cat jumping up and down halfway up the giant wall.
Of course, it wasn't all the credit of the forced brother. Dolly also helped him a lot in the past two days.
For some reason, the black cat like a coal ball was a little afraid of him, but not so afraid of Dolly.
Could it be that the smell of motor oil made him feel intoxicated?
In any case, this commission entrusted to him by the head of the alliance office was finally completed.
The total reward was 25 chips.
Without considering contribution points and regional reputation, he still lost a little from the perspective of the amount alone.
"That's a long story..."
"...It seems that it's a secret that is not convenient to disclose, so I won't ask."
Alyssa didn't ask any more questions. She comforted the cat in her arms for a while and then gently put it aside.
Looking at the man standing in front of her again, she suddenly winked playfully.
"In exchange, can you tell me about the world outside the giant wall?"
"Outside the giant wall..."
Fang Chang was a little embarrassed and showed a troubled expression, "This range is too large, where should I start?"
Alyssa said.
"Just tell me your story. For example...where are you from?"
"Northern Suburbs." Fang Chang said truthfully.
Hearing this answer, Alyssa's eyes were filled with surprise.
"Are you a resident of the northern suburbs?"
"Yes, what's wrong?"
"Well, nothing, but I've been hearing my father talk about that place recently."
Shaking her head gently, Alyssa's eyes were full of obvious curiosity, "Can you tell me what kind of place it is?"
"It's hard to describe. If I were to evaluate it, it's not rich, but it's a place full of hope..."
Fang Chang sorted out his thoughts for a moment and used his limited vocabulary to briefly describe the situation there.
He thought the girl would not be interested, but he didn't expect her to listen so seriously.
After about ten minutes, Alyssa closed her eyes and thought for a while, and suddenly a smile appeared on her face.
"Thank you for chatting with me for so long."
"You're welcome... By the way, can you please write a thank-you letter?" Fang Chang suddenly remembered the NPC named Hal who asked him to do something, and he quickly added.
Good luck.
I almost forgot the 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 him, 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 folded under a street lamp.
The little girl with short green hair was kicking the bottle caps on the ground with her toes to kill time.
Seeing Fang Chang coming from the corner of the street, she immediately stopped and asked.
"You gave Xiao Hei to her?"
"Well, you have developed feelings for her in just half a day?" Fang Chang looked at her and said teasingly.
Dolly raised her eyebrows.
"How is it possible? I... just asked casually."
Fang Chang laughed and said.
"I believe it."
He could feel that this little girl actually liked the clingy Xiao Hei.
But she knew in her heart that it was someone else's pet after all. Not to mention that she couldn't even take care of herself, and that picky animal would only suffer if it followed her.
"Hello."
"What's wrong?"
"Is the daughter of the bank president pretty?" Dolly asked curiously.
Fang Chang answered casually.
"She's pretty, a dignified and elegant girl."
Dolly moved her nose, and it seemed that her curiosity was satisfied, but her expression was quite intriguing.
"...By the way, are you also interested in the commission of 25 chips?"
"Chips are not my goal, what I need is this letter." Fang Chang gently shook the envelope between his fingertips and put it back in his pocket.
25 chips are only part of the task reward.
If it was just for money, he would not accept this commission at all.
But it's too troublesome to explain this to the NPC.
It's not that no one has tried it, but they don't even understand what a game is, and it's too rude to say that your world is just a "game".
Perhaps this is also part of the setting.
"Letter?"
"Yes, a valuable task item."
"...?"
Without explaining to the confused Dolly, Fang Chang took her straight to the newspaper office.
Handing the letter to Hal, the NPC in the newspaper office, the task was completed.
Although I don't know what the new NPC named Hal is for, it's always a good idea to brush up the favorability.
Looking at Fang Chang who was in a good mood, Dolly, who was following him, had a complicated expression on her face.
She still didn't understand why the man in front of her, who could easily take out more than 50,000 chips, would be interested in a commission of only 25 chips.
Could it be that he likes cats?
But it doesn't seem like that.
Or...
He wants to get close to the daughter of the president of Boulder City Bank through Xiao Hei, become Mr. Melvin's son-in-law, and jump into the rich family from then on.
Thinking of this, the expression on Dolly's face was no longer complicated, but contemptuous.
She snorted and sneered.
"...I'm dreaming."
"Hmm? What did you say?"
"Nothing."
After saying this, Dolly turned her face to the side, and this time it was Fang Chang's turn to be confused.
The two came to the newspaper office.
The room was noisy, and everyone had dark circles under their eyes, but everyone was very motivated.
Even excited.
After listening to Hal's plan, the top leaders of the alliance immediately approved a monthly budget of 200,000 chips for them.
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 City" doesn't make that much money in a year!
And their boss is willing to take out such a huge 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!
Just when the people in the newspaper office were discussing the next plan, the door of the office opened.
Seeing Fang Chang coming back with a thank-you letter in his hand, Hal's face immediately showed an overjoyed expression, and he took the letter.
"Great, you are finally back, my friend! We are discussing the layout of the next issue, and you are here just in time!"
"I don't really understand, what does finding the cat of the bank president's daughter have to do with your newspaper?" Looking at Hal holding the envelope as if it were a treasure, Fang Chang couldn't help but ask curiously.
Before Hal spoke, the editor next to him spoke for him with a beaming face.
"We plan to set aside a page in the newspaper for publishing commissions. How to attract those who need to write to us? The best way is of course to let them see the effect."
Another bald editor also came over and said.
"That's right, and I'm sure that those 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 interrupted.
Hal's eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers.
"That's a good idea!"
Fang Chang coughed dryly.
"If you ask me... you might as well serialize your novel in the newspaper, update 500 words every three days, and break at the most critical part every day. I guarantee that your newspaper will sell out."
Hearing this, Hal was slightly stunned for a few seconds.
Suddenly, he reacted suddenly, and an ecstatic expression appeared on his face.
"This idea is simply great! Friend, why don't you come to work in the newspaper?"
"I don't need it..." Fang Chang coughed dryly, and he suddenly felt that he seemed to have come up with a bad idea.
But...
He was actually quite curious about what the serialized novels of NPCs would look like.
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 just shown a disappointed expression, immediately nodded excitedly when he saw that Fang Chang had changed his mind.
"Of course, we are short of reporters, editors, and everything... It would be great if you are willing to help us!"
"Ahem, I am not cut out for this job, but I can recommend an expert to you. There is nothing in the entire Boulder City that she doesn't know, and even if she doesn't know, I believe she must have a way to know..."
Speaking of this, Fang Chang looked at the short-haired girl with her arms folded and a bored look at the door of the office.
"What do you think of her?"