In front of the square, a crowd gathered, their gazes lifted skyward, where the imposing steel fortress parted the vast ocean of clouds, slowly rising and falling under the midday sun.
At that mont, whether it was the residents of the alliance or travelers passing through, they couldn’t help but cast their reverent eyes to the sky.
Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows on the bridge.
Just eting those expectant gazes, Chu Guang’s heart surged uncontrollably.
"Xiao Qi."
"What’s up, Master?" A light voice drifted into Chu Guang’s ears, like a gentle breeze.
Perched on his shoulder, Xiao Qi dangled her small legs like chopsticks, hands propping her cheeks as she gazed intently at his side profile, her face brimming with a happy smile.
Chu Guang squinted slightly, smiling as he spoke.
"It’s nothing, I just suddenly felt like calling your na."
Xiao Qi: "Hehe, are you feeling very excited right now, Master?"
"Yeah, I am a bit," Chu Guang honestly nodded, his gaze unwavering as he continued to watch the grand scene beyond the window.
Seeing the sapling he had nurtured finally beco a towering tree was a joy beyond words!
Chu Guang believed that it wasn’t just him; all the citizens of the whole alliance, whether players or NPCs, must feel the sa tumultuous emotions in their hearts at this mont.
They had overco the curse etched into this land!
They had vanquished that which proclaid itself the everlasting threat!
And turned the page of this land’s history to a brand-new Chapter—
Though the journey was fraught with twists and turns, the people living on this land had ultimately co together.
Chu Guang could almost hear the sound of thousands of hearts beating in unison, driving a single-minded sincerity.
No matter where they were.
No matter when it was.
From now on, they would advance and retreat together.
Share glory and disgrace!
A pale blue holographic panel unfolded before Chu Guang.
Looking at the countdown reaching zero, he extended his index finger to press the play button, connecting to the broadcasts spread across the plaza and aboard the Steel Heart—
Then injected the rousing shout!
"Celebrate!"
"All of you standing on this land!"
"We have completely conquered the tides that surged back ti and again!"
"We have ended this feud that lasted two centuries!"
"Victory belongs to us!"
"It will always be ours!"
Hearing that affirmation from the manager, a wave-like roar of applause and cheers filled the venue. n, won, elders, and kids all wore faces flushed with excitent and the glow of agitation.
"Long live the alliance!"
"Long live the manager!"
"Long live all the survivors who suffered!"
"We shall eventually end this Wasteland!"
"Oh oh oh!"
In this mont of celebration, people threw petals and strears into the sky, their collective shouts even shattering the heavens.
Even the survivors who had co to this settlent for the first ti couldn’t help but be swept up in the blood-pumping atmosphere, involuntarily joining the tide of cheers.
They might not feel as strongly about the alliance and the manager as those who lived on this land did, but their desire for order and an end to chaos was the sa.
At least right now.
They saw the hope of an ideal coming true...
This was probably the shortest speech ever given by the manager of the alliance at a celebration.
Yet it was also the most aningful.
The applause and cheers that echoed throughout the city were no less than before, they were even more intense!
Whether it was the survivors from Qingquan City or descendants of those ancient survivor forces, all could feel the greatness and hard-won nature of this miracle.
At this mont, the soaring Ideal Grand Hotel, with its executive lounge on the upper floors, offered the best view of the celebration.
Entrepreneurs from Ideal City and those civilians who ca with ideals did not wish to squeeze into the noisy crowd, but their curiosity about the celebration was no less than anyone else’s.
Where there are people, there is a market, and people filled with confidence in the future are indeed the finest gold mines.
For this reason, the hotel manager had specially acquired a batch of monoculars for the executive lounge on the high floors, so that guests could see clearly.
Looking at the bustling streets and plaza, those standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows whispered among themselves, astonishnt, and amazent simultaneously written on their faces.
They were astonished at their unity and stunned by the imnse creative power and visionary space reflected by this force of cohesion.
Before Ideal City’s nurous corporate heads, many harbored doubts about this youthful rising power, fearing it would prematurely perish in the perilous Wasteland.
However, the course of events defied everyone’s expectations.
After defeating the Army, they continued to hold off the threat from the southern Torch. Not only did they not buckle under the weight of the war, never recovering, but they grew stronger with each battle, even defeating the Lair nestled in the heart of Qingquan City!
The Tide was no longer the cloud hanging over the heads of Qingquan City’s survivors.
They could devote more of their efforts to transforming the Wasteland.
Nothing could stop their rise now!
"It’s a pity... the cake has already been divided. If only I had arrived earlier!" lanted an entrepreneur, his face etched with regret and sorrow.
He had been worried about the potential risks faced by the Alliance until he saw the booming business of the Long Moon Group and the soaring market value of the Ruyue Group. Finally, under the lure of profit, he resolved to take a flight to the City of Dawn.
Yet, the scene before him was just as he’d seen: this settlent was no longer the dilapidated little village it once was.
Its people had rosy cheeks, they were brimming with energy, dressed in clean clothes, standing tall with straight backs, their pursuit of a better life infused in every aspect of the settlent.
The old kerosene street lamps had been completely replaced by more fashionable electric ones, the red-brick houses were painted with vivid colors, and the bare exteriors now bore many neon-lit steel signs.
Including traffic lights guiding the flow and the painted white lines on the roads – these were added after the public transport system was completed.
And now on the roads not only were there buses, but engines and steel once produced for war had flowed into the civilian car industry.
Though private cars were still a rarity, scooters and bicycles were no longer uncommon sights here. The thriving shopping districts had begun erecting parking lots and charging stations with universal interfaces.
So wealthy survivors now lived in standalone houses with garages, and even the vagrants with nothing to their nas had access to free prefabricated apartnts.
Even if the Alliance’s aggressive debt monetization strategy was cause for worry about tomorrows, at least today they had indeed invested borrowed wealth in places most people could benefit from.
What left the entrepreneurs and rchants in the bar in awe was that even though these people had surpassed the forr inhabitants of Qingquan City in terms of clothing, food, shelter, and cultural life, they were still not satisfied with the current achievents. They kept on imagining ways to revive the fruits of the old civilization in this settlent built in the wilderness.
Whether standing in the bar of the Ideal Grand Hotel or on the bustling streets, it wasn’t hard to see the light of order slowly enveloping this Earth.
And with it, ca the visible prosperity and hope.
"Actually, it’s not too late to invest now... I heard the Academy is planning to establish a joint developnt special zone with the Alliance in the Wandering Swamp."
"The Academy?!" Upon hearing the whispers nearby, another entrepreneur from Ideal City couldn’t help but reveal a look of surprise.
He wasn’t the only one interested in that word.
Almost everyone there showed keen interest, joining in the discussion.
"When did those slugs in the swamp start being interested in doing business?"
"I thought they were only interested in potatoes and junk."
"They really aren’t interested. The special zone is being established for scientific research purposes. It’s said that it’s for cooperative research on the dormant Lair near Ice Sea City... But what they aren’t interested in, we can worry about for them, right?"
"This sounds quite interesting..."
"Indeed, while those slugs might not excel in production, the technological reserves they hold are quite valuable."
"Here cos the problem, they don’t use money, how do we do business with them?"
"That will depend on how the negotiations go."
As they spoke, several entrepreneurial eyes unconsciously turned toward two individuals standing in a corner of the bar.
One was Yi Chuan, the Corporate Ambassador to the Alliance, and the residents of Ideal City who frequented here were not strangers to him, often interacting with him.
The identity of the other was much more significant, Luo Yong – the Silver Wing Group’s director and CEO, holding a seat on the Board.
Although he alone didn’t represent the entire Silver Wing Group, the Silver Wing Group did account for a fifth of a corporation.
In a sense, his words might carry more weight than the Minister of the Corporate Comprehensive Managent Departnt because the Board was the real decision-maker of the corporation.
No one expected to see him here.
Even if the Alliance was a strategic partner for corporations, this was a rather high profile.
Peering through the telescope at the bustling square, Luo Yong suddenly smiled and said,
"Now I think I understand why they won last year’s war so smoothly."
Wearing a respectful expression, Yi Chuan, who trailed half a step behind him, also smiled and said,
"Back then, the City of Dawn was not as exaggerated as it is now. I rember at that ti, their roads were constructed with the help of the Ideal Group."
Luo Yong smiled faintly and said softly,
"Concrete and steel are the results of developnt, but the human heart is the foundation of it. Although I’m a materialist, over the years, I’ve co to believe more and more in the power of the human heart and faith...especially after seeing the young people of the Pioneer and those who followed in their footsteps to forge ahead."
This included his child.
He never thought that the kid who used to loiter in bars all day would one day cross the entire desert under the siege of the Army to save others.
"...Julius unified all the Weilante People, and they have successfully united all survivors. Although many survivor settlents have tried to take this path before, it seems that only they have succeeded so far."
Although calling it success now might be premature, Luo Yong found himself filled with confidence in these Wasteland Wanderers he had never t before – a confidence that surprised even him.
Standing to the side, Yi Chuan smiled and said,
"This indeed is their unique difference."
He didn’t know how to describe this feeling, but every ti he interacted with the managers of the Alliance, he couldn’t help but have similar thoughts, feeling confident about the future of the Alliance.
At least so far, they had never let him down.
Luo Yong nodded in agreent to his opinion, and after a mont, said with a light-hearted tone,
"Investing in them might just beco the most successful of all our external investnts over the past two hundred years... perhaps one day, we truly will achieve our longstanding wish of restoring civilization to this planet."
Upon hearing Luo Yong speak in such a manner, Yi Chuan was moved and took the opportunity to throw out a question.
"So... what does the council think about that matter?"
The matter he referred to was naturally the recent proposal submitted to the council for discussion: "The establishnt of a cross-regional cooperation organization targeting the ’mutated sli fungus’."
As if anticipating his question, Luo Yong shifted his gaze from the telescope, squinted his eyes, and said with a faint smile,
"I’ve co specifically for this matter."
Yi Chuan blinked in surprise, then a look of unexpected joy surfaced on his face.
Catching the micro-expression on his face, Luo Yong made a teasing remark.
"Finds it quite incredible, don’t you?"
"Indeed... it’s a bit unusual," Yi Chuan, looking at the cheerful council mber, steadied himself and honestly expressed his perplexity, "in my mory, the council has never made decisions so swiftly."
Luo Yong laughed lightly, speaking in a relaxed tone.
"In dealing with disagreents, we do indeed spend a lot of ti carefully discussing the details... but regarding this matter, my old friends and I surprisingly had no disagreents."
Yi Chuan looked at him in amazent.
"The council unanimously agreed?"
"That’s right."
Speaking in a voice that only the two of them could hear, Luo Yong said softly, "If they can eliminate the Lair in Cloud-Below-City for us, we might even start cooperation imdiately..."
...
While Yi Chuan was still taken aback by the council’s resolution, the Manager inside the Steel Heart’s bridge announced the start of the celebration.
Just like the previous few tis.
Standing on the lift, Chu Guang ascended onto the plaza and amid the attention of thousands, awarded dals to the warriors who had made exceptional contributions in the Tide Battle.
Standing on the red carpet, Mosquito, with eight chanical hands on his back, respectfully perford an Alliance Army salute and began speaking with an exaggerated tone.
"Honorable Manager, this humble WC, Mosquito, admires you as endless as the vast galaxy—"
"Thank you for your blessing, I am proud and honored on your behalf."
To prevent this fellow from making a fool of himself on such a solemn occasion, Chu Guang seamlessly interrupted his ramblings with a standard line and then pinned a silver dal with an airplane engraving onto his chest.
After being cut off halfway through his speech, Mosquito smacked his lips, feeling the speech unfinished, and made space for the next person to receive the honor, as he turned and stepped back into the crowd.
Following him was Feng Qing from the sa Goblin Corps.
Standing on the red carpet and being watched by so many, she felt both excited and nervous, her palms filled with sweat, and she had completely forgotten the lines she had worked hard to rember.
In real life, there aren’t many opportunities to be the center of attention.
To her, this was even more thrilling than solo raiding a Looter outpost...
Without letting the adorable little player feel awkward, Chu Guang dutifully perford his NPC role and in the applause of the crowd, he adorned her with the honorable silver flying dal.
"May victory and glory always be with you, your courage is the wings that protect us."
With a blushing face beneath her short hair, Feng Qing nodded hastily, her voice excited and altered.
"Thank, thank you!"
Chu Guang smiled kindly at her and said.
"You’re welco, this honor is rightfully yours, we are the ones who should be saying thanks."
The venue erupted again in cheers and applause.
Watching Feng Qing walk down the red carpet with a silly grin and clutching her dal, Mosquito, who had been applauding for his team mbers, suddenly ca to his senses and complained dissatisfiedly,
"Damn! That’s not fair, why did she get one more line than !"
Night Ten, who had just finished clapping, teased him.
"It’s your own fault for talking too much, the Manager probably wanted to say more but held it back because of you."
Noticing Night Ten standing beside him, Mosquito paused for a mont, then exclaid in surprise,
"What are you doing here? Didn’t you say in the group chat yesterday that you were having Fang Chang pick it up for you?"
Night Ten sighed heavily,
"Ah, that’s a long story, I’d rather not talk about it."
He felt it was sowhat embarrassing to tell the story,
Even though he didn’t know exactly what part was embarrassing.
Mosquito: "Damn it! If you’re gonna say it, just say it, don’t effin’ leave us hanging!"
Night Ten: "Then just pretend I didn’t say anything."
Mosquito: "%￥@#!"
While the two were talking, many more people ca up to receive their dals.
The majority of these honorees were Residents of the refuge.
Although mbers of the Blue Jacket had an overwhelming presence among the trainees, no one felt this was inappropriate, nor did anyone think it was biased.
Long before the battle had just ended, "Survivor’s Daily" newspapers and radios reported the entire battle process, and various privately run TV stations showcased the combat recordings publicly selected by the Alliance authorities.
The deadly battle between Death Legion and Titan, along with the Skeleton Corps’ reinforcents to Giant Stone City and the beheading of Mother Xiya, moved viewers profoundly.
Especially the Burning Corps’ surprise attack on the city center.
That battle, which had been a near-death experience, ultimately left only three survivors.
Each dal awarded at this ceremony carried the honor that matched it, an honor witnessed by all citizens of the Alliance!
Watching Night Ten receive his dal earnestly on the stage, Jiang Xuezhou’s lips couldn’t help but curl up into a smug smile, yet it didn’t take long for her smirking lips to sag.
Night Eleven, sporting a gold dal entering the crowd with a flirty smile, waved energetically at the cheering crowd.
It was at that mont that a mature-looking girl burst out from the crowd and bit his face right there and then.
Compared to the restrained refugees and academy researchers, the Waste Land Wanderers were mostly passionate and unrestrained, articulating their emotions without mincing words.
However, this passion seed sowhat heretical in the eyes of the reserved.
Watching Night Ten’s apple-red face and the surrounding crowd’s teasing, Jiang Xuezhou felt her blood pressure surge in an instant, her teeth grinding noisily, wishing she could call Little Wang to flatten these annoying bastards right away!
Whether it was because of his "tough talk of disinterest in paper dolls," or the inability to accept an emotionless confession, Night Ten ultimately rejected the passionate girl’s proposal. Under her eyes that were filled with loss yet understanding, he scrambled out of the dense crowd.
Looking at Night Ten, who had a lipstick mark on his face and slightly disheveled clothes, Jiang Xuezhou gnashed her teeth furiously, glaring fiercely at him as she asked.
"Who was that person?"
Bewildered by the question, Night Ten looked at the inexplicably angry Xiao Jiang, his instinct telling him the question must be about the woman who had bitten him earlier, so he responded, utterly clueless.
"I don’t know..."
"You! You don’t know her, and you still let her..." Mid-sentence, Jiang Xuezhou suddenly realized it wasn’t actually his fault.
Moreover...
She wasn’t anyone to him, so it seed she didn’t have the right to be angry.
But having already spoken out, she couldn’t take it back without losing face, so she stood there red-faced, her lips moving but no words coming out.
Seeing her embarrassed and angry expression, Night Ten vaguely seed to understand sothing and suddenly burst out laughing.
Watching his reaction, Jiang Xuezhou panicked.
"You, what are you laughing at?"
Night Ten joked with a smile.
"Are you jealous?"
Jiang Xuezhou’s face turned bright red like a lantern, glaring at him fiercely.
"What nonsense are you talking about, narcissist? When have I ever...psh, how could I possibly be jealous!"
Night Ten wore a smug, maternal-like smile, watching Jiang Xuezhou beco increasingly incoherent.
Playing hard to get, huh.
Didn’t think the Dog plan was capable of that.
Too bad, I’m not like Fang Chang, that bastard, getting hooked the mont soone beckons.
Especially knowing that soone lurking outside the server screens was secretly laughing, he instantly lost interest in having a deeper emotional exchange with the NPC.
But fair is fair, the Dog plan’s tactics were indeed dirty, training artificial intelligence by using a beauty trap on a good brother!
Having realized this, Night Ten also let go of his inhibitions and teased Jiang Xuezhou, whose face was flushed and argued with passion.
"Stop muttering; if you feel you’ve been shortchanged, I can offer the left side of my face for you to kiss."
These were flowery words he would never ordinarily dare to utter, but it seed harmless when said to an NPC.
At the instant she heard these words, Jiang Xuezhou stopped her incessant babble, her brain freezing as if it had crashed.
Night Ten was also stunned for a mont.
Really? Just one sentence and her CPU overheated?
After a long silence, she squeezed a faint voice through her stamring lips.
"Litt..."
Not hearing her clearly, Night Ten leaned in closer.
"Litt?"
"Little Wang!!!"
Seeing Jiang Xuezhou suddenly go berserk and the four-legged robot that erged from the crowd in response to the call, Night Ten was startled and hastily hid in a nearby alley.
"Damn it! Calm down! I was just joking!"
Fortunately, Little Wang was not equipped with weapons, and her indignant actions weren’t actually ant to dismantle him.
But this "love-hate" interaction seed a bit too hardcore for onlookers, as Teng Teng, who was passing by, held her forehead and helped call the police.
The duo was taken to the police station, staying from noon until dusk before they were released.
However, compared to the other players’ outrageous behaviors during the celebration, this level of disturbance was rely a minor affair...
——
(Thanks to the overlord "Beyond the Skies" for the reward!!!)
Reviews
All reviews (0)