This Game Is Too Real-Chapter 752: The Current Situation of Potato Harbor and the Southern Line

Chapter 752: Chapter 752: The Current Situation of Potato Harbor and the Southern Line

"Wasteland OL" Official Website.

["Battle for Heaven" Battlefront Progress: Important checkpoints on the northern front have been successively broken through, Ten Peaks Mountain is now under Allied forces control, and the gateway to Haiye Province has been opened!

The southern battlefront remains in the Southern sea area. Players in this region, keep up the good work—the final reward will be tied to the progress of the battlefront!

]

Shortly after the announcement was posted on the official forum, the forum instantly buzzed with activity.

Elena: "Well, I’ll be damned, the Dog Plan urging for updates now. (Sarcastic)"

Gnome King Riches: "Other games nerf equipments to slow down player progress, afraid the players will clear too fast, but here they’re unique for complaining players don’t clear fast enough. (Sarcastic)"

Canyon Escape Mole: "Fang Chang, are you guys even up to this? (Sarcastic)"

tail: "Dolly: Fang Chang, are you capable or not?! (Shy)"

Si Si: "Ah Wei, calm down a bit, you’re on the southern front, too."

tail: "Yikes! I forgot! °ロ°)!"

Makabazi: "That’s so dumb! (Sarcastic)"

Feng Qing: "No other way, the W-2 has too low cruising speed, it simply can’t break through the close-defense fire network of the Federal destroyers, the limitations of old-fashioned propeller planes are just too evident. T.T"

Gui Gui: "+10086, the southern front urgently needs supersonic fighters!"

There are quite a few Mosquitoes in WC: "Cough, those divine wind devices are too expensive, you guys better make do with the propeller ones for now, or maybe I’ll get you one without landing gear."

Feng Qing: "!!!"

Gui Gui: "Goddammit! Commander, are you even human!"

Elena: "This game is too realistic. (Sarcastic)"

...

Watching the complaints in the comment section of the official announcement, Fang Chang couldn’t help but twitch his eyebrows and ultimately resisted the urge to join in.

That Ah Guang was seriously a bit unreasonable.

Could the slow progress on the southern front really be the fault of the players?

Just the few destroyers of the North Federation and the islands in the Southern sea area, each one, if brought into the real world, would be a force strong enough to dominate a group of "concept ships".

On the other hand, the Baiyue Corporation only had a bunch of modified and re-modified propeller planes.

Let’s be frank, these things were indeed effective for ground attacks, with the advantages of long loiter times, low cost, and large quantities.

But when facing the powerful Dot Defense System and high-precision guided weapons, they seemed somewhat inadequate.

Especially with sea battles mainly conducted over the horizon, often they had barely taken off from the airport when they were already targeted by the enemy.

Of course, the Alliance also had its advantages, such as superior combat power of ground forces and individual soldier equipments far surpassing those of the North Federation.

If they could get past the Federation fleet’s maritime surveillance area and land directly on the Federation’s islands, the situation would be much more favorable than it was now.

However, the crux of the problem was that the enemy clearly knew this, so the sonar and radar alerts were on a 24-hour standby, and patrol boats carrying deep-water bombs patrolled the unmanned sea area non-stop.

Forget about landing; getting within 100 kilometers put them at risk of over-the-horizon attacks.

Of course, this was true for both sides.

The North Federation was on the lookout for the Alliance’s planes and paratroopers, while the Southern Archipelago Alliance similarly alerted to the Torch Church’s "frogman" units, with various early warning and over-the-horizon strike measures ready 24 hours a day.

Previously, several waves of Mutants equipped with professional underwater combat devices attempted to swim to Anle Island for a surprise attack, yet before they could reach Coral City, most were dispatched by a couple of deep-water bombs, while the surviving scattered Mutants ended as fish feed.

The Variants lurking in the ocean were far more terrifying than those on land, and their species were even more diverse.

Without the cover of a "Boat Song", solitary Mutants couldn’t survive in deep waters for over an hour.

Wary of the submarines near Anle Island, the Federation’s fleet also dared not cross the surveillance zone and venture deep into the hinterlands of the Southern Archipelago Alliance.

For this reason, both sides fell into a peculiar state of war.

It was like two sturdy men with guns, each behind their own cover, with 50 meters between them, occasionally firing a couple of shots at the other side and then quickly ducking back behind their shelter.

Neither could afford the cost of a mistake, so neither dared to step out of cover to attack.

But—

That didn’t mean they’d keep this up indefinitely.

On the side of the Southern Archipelago Alliance, an "Underwater submarine" was being developed with the support of the Alliance, preparing for the landings on North Island.

Meanwhile, it was clear that the North Federation, with the support of the Torch Church, was getting ready with its own ace up the sleeve.

Both sides were well aware that the war wouldn’t drag on for long. Especially lately, with the Allied forces pressing hard from the north, it became urgent for the Torch Church to open up strategic space to the south.

Everyone was preparing for the imminent decisive battle.

Under such circumstances, the space for player actions was actually quite limited.

Even Fang Chang himself, apart from putting more effort into infrastructure projects in the Southern sea area and the Baiyue Strait and using economic and trade means to win over the islands standing with the Alliance, seemed to have nothing else to do.

After a simple dinner, Fang Chang went for an evening jog downstairs and then put on his headgear to return to Game.

A regular meeting was scheduled to start at 10 a.m. in the Governor’s Office at the Fries Port City Hall.

As the CEO and chairman of Baiyue Corporation, the governor from the City of Dawn would exchange views with him on regional affairs and the next phase of development work and also convey the Manager’s wishes by the way.

In fact, the governor here had a fundamentally different meaning from the governors of the Empire.

The latter represented the interests and authority of the emperor and was akin to the emperor’s avatar in the locale, while the former represented the Alliance and the constitution of the Alliance.

From the perspective of rights and obligations, this position in the Alliance was more like a role similar to that of a "lord of the city."

That is, representing the Central Alliance to exercise the power of supervision over local affairs, being responsible for the daily defense work in the area, and making judgments on affairs related to the overall interests of the Alliance from the standpoint of the Alliance.

As for the specific local affairs and the execution of public authority, these were undertaken by the city hall or more specific service agencies.

Only under extremely special circumstances, such as when the locals completely lacked a sense of self-management and the foundation for it, or when the Alliance needed a place to accommodate such survivors, would the lord or governor also manage the specific local affairs.

For example, Singular Point City.

If the Alliance didn’t send someone over to oversee things, the local survivors would turn the constitution of the Alliance into toilet paper in minutes and set up a "Red River Alliance" that was all facade and no substance.

As for places like Fries Port, where players themselves could develop it well, the Manager was happy to leave it to the players and the locals to manage, so a governor’s office was simply established at the city hall.

When there was no active work, the governor would typically spend his time drinking tea, reading the newspaper, and summarizing the local situation to send a telegraph to report to the Manager, while also providing some guidance to local institutions based on the Manager’s feedback...

That is if Mr. Manager even had any feedback to give.

At least in the past few months, the Manager’s feedback has always been "read."

Clearly, even the meticulous Mr. Manager couldn’t find fault with their work.

However, this time was different.

Hearing that the Manager had rarely given explicit instructions, Fang Chang couldn’t help but become curious about the upcoming meeting.

With some time left before the meeting, he didn’t rush to report to the city hall but took a leisurely stroll in the settlement that they had established themselves.

Perhaps by the time he reached city hall, he wouldn’t need the governor from the City of Dawn to explain; he could guess what the Manager’s instructions were.

Game time had reached early August, a period of intermittent rain and sunshine in the Baiyue Strait during the rainy season.

It was common for it to be bright and sunny one second and pouring rain the next.

But that rain wasn’t at all bothersome; Fries Port after the rain cleared was like polished glass, refreshing both inside and out and uplifting to one’s spirits.

After a few months of development, Fries Port had begun to take shape.

With the completion of the port, a large surplus of construction materials like cement, steel, bricks, and construction equipment were left over. The port’s city hall simply signed a document to improve resident housing, encouraging locals to convert their handcrafted detached wooden cottages into three-story Western-style houses with a primarily concrete structure through subsidies.

This move was obviously for the appearance of Fries Port as much as it was to pre-empt tsunamis and earthquakes; after all, the wooden houses had only been a temporary solution. But even more, it was to stimulate the local economy, taking the long view to catch a big fish.

After all, only when those survivors had their own houses could they rent out unneeded floors or set up a little business on the street level.

For a sparsely populated place like Fries Port, land could be said to be the least valuable thing.

Not only did the local survivors’ homes change, but so too did the roads at their front doors.

The muddy roads that had been impassable on rainy days had all been replaced with clean and tidy cement roads.

Speaking of these cement roads, there was also quite some planning.

For well-known reasons, the cost of road maintenance in the Baiyue Strait was quite high, and it wouldn’t make sense to use the City of Dawn’s method to build a settlement.

However, a research team from the Alliance Biological Research Institute, based on their studies of biological samples collected locally and at the Qingquan City Lair, developed a type of biomaterial known as "active cement."

This material had the remarkable property of self-repair, being able to draw in energy and nutrients from surface biomass and physically maintain the "structural material" as the base to keep its original form.

To make a vivid but inaccurate metaphor, the microorganisms adhering to the material were like miniature hermit crabs, and the pores of the active cement were the "shells" they depended on to survive.

To protect their own "shells," they would proactively attack any biological elements that sought to destabilize the concrete structure and use themselves as a binder to maintain the stability of the structure.

The initiator of this project was none other than Chen Yutong, head of the Fries Port branch of the Alliance Biological Research Institute.

It was no exaggeration to say that this astonishing technology effectively removed the "+900% industrial and infrastructure cost" debuff of Fries Port.

This self-repairing "active cement," being a living thing in its own right, was not only resistant to erosion by the abundant local species but could also benefit from the "flourishing" buff, thereby reducing road maintenance costs.

The one slight disappointment was that using this active material, whether in production or application, required an additional step compared to traditional cement.

However, compared to the benefits of this material, those extra costs were negligible.

As it turned out, there were always more solutions than problems.

As technology progressed, what had been seen as impossible gradually became possible.

Yet even with the industrial debuff removed, Fang Chang had no immediate plans to change the local development strategy of "primary industry leading, tertiary supporting," with secondary industry coming last.

After all, the accelerated growth buff was simply too enticing for crops!

The same crops can only yield one season in the City of Dawn, but here they can yield three seasons without any concerns about declining fertility, and the efficiency even surpasses that of Falling Leaves Province.

It’s just that right now the scale and transport capacity aren’t up to par. Once Potato Harbor develops, this place might even become a bigger granary than Falling Leaves Province!

As for the secondary industry, leaving it to Jin Galun Port will do the trick.

Recently, a large number of immigrants have been pouring into the suburbs of Jin Jialun Port along the Everflow River, and the massive young adult labor force is even close to exceeding the capacity of the local infrastructure.

There’s no better place suited for the development of secondary industries than there.

Finally strolling leisurely to the entrance of the city hall, Fang Chang squinted at the landmark brick and stone structure for a moment, then suddenly stopped an NPC coming out of the building and asked with a smile.

"Friend, where are you from?"

The person must have been a recent immigrant and did not recognize his face. Startled by this seemingly random question, he then replied.

"Silver Moon Bay... why do you ask?"

Fang Chang continued with a smile.

"How do you find life here in Potato Harbor? Are you satisfied with this place?"

Upon hearing this, a wistful expression immediately surfaced on the man’s face as he exclaimed earnestly.

"It’s a good place, and I don’t know how else to describe it... But I can say for sure, if heaven exists, it must look like this."

Here there is no king, no nobles, and no priests requiring support—just hard work to get rich. That’s what satisfied him the most.

Of course, what made him most reluctant to leave were the bars along the coastal streets.

At least a third of what he earned last month he spent there.

Listening to sailors and mercenaries brag was a lot more interesting than praying to a statue!

Watching this guy who had cast aside the Spirit of the Sand Sea and the Silver Moon Goddess, Fang Chang laughed heartily and said.

"I think so too, this place is simply paradise... It’s good that you all like it; it means we didn’t come here for nothing."

After saying this, he walked towards the great doors of the city hall under the man’s puzzled gaze.

...

By the time Fang Chang reached the meeting room, the governor had just about arrived as well, and kindly had his secretary make him a cup of tea.

There wasn’t much small talk.

The governor from the City of Dawn quickly got to the point, speaking sincerely.

"Recently, Potato Harbor has been developing rapidly, and there’s a huge demand for workers in all sectors. The city hall has requested us to bring in more immigrants from outside the Alliance, but we can’t just let anyone in. That would impact our refugee reception system. I’m wondering if you have any good ideas."

Fang Chang asked.

"What does the Manager suggest?"

The governor inquired earnestly.

"The Manager asked for your opinion."

Fang Chang pondered for a moment and said.

"It’s simple. Use the financial budget of Potato Harbor or commission a third party to build some standard training institutions and schools in Jin Jialun Port. Then encourage employers in need of labor to recruit graduates with professional skills certifications from those schools. And all we have to do is issue visas to those who have already secured employment contracts. This way, they’ll have jobs as soon as they land, and if they have jobs and a place to live, they can’t be considered refugees."

The governor’s eyes lit up, and he gave a thumbs-up.

"That’s a good idea!"

Fang Chang made a helpless expression.

Isn’t this basic?

However, considering that visas probably didn’t exist in the Prosperity Epoch, and that there was a discontinuity in the civilization of the Wasteland Era, it’s understandable that this good tradition was lost.

After all, the Ideal City doesn’t even have "steamed dishes"—a culinary desert—when compared horizontally to his old home in Shanghai, it’s unimaginable.

In fact, the Manager recently came up with that "electronic pass" through the Sticky Community, which is a bit like a passport and visa.

Because of the electronic pass, the previously closed Survivor Forces opened a crack in their doors, and the survivors living in the Sticky Community gained the right to "freely migrate within a limited range" rather than not having much choice most of the time as before.

To be honest, this is the most counterintuitive part.

A Manager from the Human Alliance Era suddenly produced something that wasn’t in existence during the Human Alliance Era and is using it proficiently.

Sometimes, Fang Chang couldn’t help but wonder if the guy might actually be a real person playing an NPC.

While Fang Chang was lost in his thoughts, the governor sitting opposite him cleared his throat and continued speaking.

"There’s another matter, mainly regarding Baiyue Corporation."

Fang Chang snapped back to reality and said succinctly.

"Please, go ahead."

The governor spoke seriously.

"The Manager hopes that you will temporarily suspend military conflicts with the Empire and focus more on the Southern sea area."

Although it was something he had expected, Fang Chang’s face still couldn’t help but reveal a hint of helplessness.

"We have already been doing this, including subsea power grids, freshwater pipelines, ocean current power stations, and the restart of Coral City. These infrastructure projects are subtly bringing the survivors of the Southern sea area to our side... However, you also know that the influence of these efforts is hard to reflect immediately. The benefits of order need time to manifest."

Upon hearing these words, the governor immediately realized that he had misunderstood and hurried to explain.

"You have misunderstood. The Manager is not questioning your Work. On the contrary, he believes that you have done quite well. Whether it’s uniting survivors in the Southern sea area or dealing with the Expeditionary Army, you have thought seriously about the problems they encounter from the perspective of being ’managed.’"

"Too kind. We are merely doing what we ought to do." Fang Chang said modestly after taking a sip from his teacup, though the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but curve up slightly.

That guy’s affirmation was indeed valuable to him.

The governor nodded.

"It’s good that you understand. In any case, the Manager is not urging you to gain an immediate advantage on the front lines; he actually hopes that you can appropriately ease the attitude towards the Empire."

Fang Chang’s mouth twitched, barely holding back a grin.

"Have we been strict with the Empire?"

The embargo was clearly a unilateral action by the Empire; they had never restricted the movement of people and goods to and from Jin Jialun Port, even tacitly allowing the existence of shadow ports like Banana Head Bay.

As for those military factions that appeared on the border—that was even less their concern.

Due to ceasefire negotiations, he had even postponed the contact with the rebel forces within the Empire.

Facing Fang Chang’s "grievances," the governor made a helpless expression.

"I’m not familiar with your affairs across the sea. I’m just conveying the Manager’s message. Additionally, the Alliance is about to sign a formal ceasefire agreement with the Empire. Duke Garava has already made concessions on several key agreements, and Mr. Manager hopes that the Jin Jialun Port side can release Governor Nihak as a display of our sincerity."

Fang Chang was stunned for a moment.

"Just this?"

Governor: "Is there a problem?"

"No... it’s rather too simple."

Fang Chang said with a chuckle and then immediately opened his vm in front of him, edited a message, and hit send.

In just a few minutes, the Fries Port City Hall would receive a telegram from Potato Harbor, and his promoted secretary would quickly sort everything out.

By the most tomorrow at this time, Governor Nihak would be leaving prison, standing in the drastically changed streets of Jin Jialun Port...

Hopefully, the governor wouldn’t be too shocked by the changes that had occurred in the place he once governed.

If the Empire was willing to take this as a gesture of goodwill, it wouldn’t be impossible to let the more than 10,000 POWs return home from the POW camps.

Having sent the message, Fang Chang looked toward the governor sitting across from him and said calmly,

"All taken care of."

It was probably the task he had completed the quickest out of all the tasks he had done.

The expression of astonishment on Mr. Governor’s face seemed to come from surprise at his speed.

Fang Chang looked at him and continued to ask.

"Anything else?"

Be it immigration management or demonstrating sincerity for the ceasefire, he regarded them as minor matters.

If it was just these things, there would be no need to pass the message through the governor; adding a line on the taskbar would be enough.

He inclined to believe that there was something more important.

And indeed, things turned out as he expected, and the governor indeed had more to say.

The latter cleared his throat and continued.

"Additionally, regarding the Baiyue Corporation’s going public that you mentioned earlier, Mr. Manager has discussed it with experts from Camp 101, and he believes that your request is reasonable."

"The residents of the Alliance should share in the achievements brought about by the development of the Baiyue Strait, which will inspire their enthusiasm for exploring the Wasteland. For you, going public means that you can obtain funds more conveniently and expand your business faster, therefore making the cake bigger."

"However, before that, you need to cooperate with regulatory personnel commissioned by the Alliance Bank to audit and assess your business, finances, and assets to ensure the legal interests of investors and that equity transactions are conducted openly, fairly, and justly."

"If all goes well, your IPO will serve as a successful example. Mr. Manager plans to establish a dedicated stock exchange in the City of Dawn afterward, providing listing services to other companies with financing needs and good business performance."

Hearing this, Fang Chang was at first startled, then a shade of delight immediately spread across his face. He agreed without a second thought.

"Please rest assured Mr. Manager! We will do our utmost to cooperate with the Alliance Bank in completing the financial audit!"

The governor smiled and nodded.

"Compared to the first two issues, this is just a minor matter, hardly worth mentioning. It’s good for you to be informed."

With a radiant smile on his face, Fang Chang nonetheless said nothing.

A minor matter?

If this were considered minor, then there probably were no bigger issues than this!

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