Morning.

Chu Guang had slept in for the first time in a long while. It was already 9:00 in the morning when he finally stepped out. Strolling leisurely toward the snack street, he ordered two baskets of soup dumplings, two baskets of steamed buns, and three cups of soy milk, then found a quiet corner seat at Zhang Hai’s ramen stall.

The carbs and calories of this meal were explosive, but with his metabolism, it was nothing.

“One bowl of ramen, please.”

Steam rose thick and milky from the big pot, and the stall was crowded with customers.

Zhang Hai was as busy as ever, his head nearly buried in the pot. Without looking up, he called over the clatter of ladles, “Got it! Do you want the meat thinly sliced or do you want it thick?”

Chu Guang smiled. “Give it to me thin then. I want to see how thin you can really slice it.”

Hearing someone request thinner cuts for the first time, Zhang Hai chuckled. “Heh, you’re joking, right? The thinnest I’ve got, ” He looked up mid-sentence, but the moment his gaze pierced through the rising steam, he froze. “Holy crap, Honorable Administrator?!”

Because Chu Guang wasn’t wearing his exoframe, few people recognized him. Zhang Hai hadn’t either, until he saw that warm, springlike smile.

They were speaking in Mandarin, so none of the nearby NPC patrons paid them any mind. Chu Guang gave Zhang Hai a subtle look, then began eating the buns he had brought himself.

Before long, a bowl of beef ramen was placed on the table, the beef slices so thick they could rival silver coins. Other players nearby immediately protested.

“What the hell!”

“Zhang Hai, you dog! Not fair!”

“Why’s there so little beef in my bowl?”

“Is this some kind of scam?!”

With his face red with shame, Zhang Hai scratched his head. Normally he would joke back, but this time he had been caught red-handed giving special treatment to certain NPCs.

“Quit whining! Are you the administrator? I-I just feel bad for him! He works himself to death for the New Alliance. Can’t I feed him a little more?”

Everyone fell silent.

Good lord... So that's allowed now?

Chu Guang couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head. He pulled out 15 silver coins and set them on the table. “Thank you for your kindness, but no need to treat me. I prefer a proper trade and to pay for what I buy. Keep the change.”

Given the size of the serving, paying triple the normal price seemed fair enough. That much money could buy two whole pounds of beef. He had no intention of owing anyone a favor over a few coins.

“Thank you, sir!” Zhang Hai accepted the payment with visible pain on his face, thinking how he had just lost a great deal.

If he could have traded that for the administrator’s favor, no amount of silver coins would’ve been too much, but now, all he earned for those two slices of beef was the price of three bowls of noodles. What a loss!

He sold himself short, and a loss was a loss.

Adding some chili and vinegar to the broth, Chu Guang ate slowly, watching his cute little new players wandering up and down the street. A wave of nostalgia washed over him.

Two years ago, that had been the most bustling street in the New Alliance, separated from the main plaza by nothing but a crooked cement wall.

Now, two years later, the street had grown, but it still couldn’t compare to the sprawling, prosperous Longevity Town.

After Dawn City was founded, both their original outpost and Longevity Town were absorbed into the new settlement as historic districts. Gradually, the north street of the original outpost was replaced by the busier, NPC-dominated North Street of Dawn City.

A few sentimental old players still kept their stalls and lakeside homes there, but most had moved their shops to the more prosperous city center.

Chu Guang, however, remained fond of that place.

He could find all his favorite hometown dishes there, and the chattering newbies outside plaza never failed to amuse him.

For him, and for most Wasteland Online players, that was the place where dreams began.

A random thought struck him. Maybe after retirement, he could set up a stall here too. He would sell pancakes or something.

The idea made him laugh after just two seconds.

By the time he could lay down all his burdens... that would be a very, very long time later.

After eating until he was about full, Chu Guang bought six more baskets of buns and brought them to Neeko as snacks.

The big girl, much like Xiaoyu, had an irresistible love for human food, especially salty, oily, sugary junk.

He still remembered the last time he gave her a bottle of cola. She stomped her feet in excitement and almost kicked over her own shed.

After a short ride with Neeko around the lakeside, Chu Guang placed her back at the pen, then headed toward the shelter.

As he stepped into the elevator, he noticed a guard holding a plastic basket filled with letters. Curious, he asked, “What’s that?”

The guard straightened immediately. “These are letters sent to you by citizens of Dawn City, sir.”

That piqued Chu Guang’s interest. “My letters? Let me take a look.”

He recalled Little Seven mentioning that since the Alliance Tower had been completed, letters had been pouring in from all across the New Alliance, many of them addressed directly to him.

Because the volume was too large, the staff hadn’t known what to do and handed them all to the Guard Corps. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Standing behind him, Lu Bei hesitated before stepping forward cautiously. “Sir, please allow me to inspect them first, to make sure there’s nothing dangerous inside.”

Though the letters had already been X-rayed and disinfected with ultraviolet light, only opening them could ensure complete safety.

Chu Guang laughed. “What, you think someone hid a razor blade in there to cut me?”

Lu Bei replied softly, “Not that, sir, but it’s better to be careful.”

Seeing the young man’s persistence, Chu Guang chuckled. “Alright then. How about this, you read them for me. Let’s see how your literacy lessons are coming along.”

Chu Guang’s mention of a test immediately perked the young guard up. He straightened, thumping a fist over his chest. “Yes, sir!”

Satisfied, Chu Guang nodded. Taking the basket, he led Lu Bei down to level B4. After seating him, he handed over pen and paper. “Perfect. You can write the replies for me too. I’ll dictate.”

Lu Bei nodded eagerly, then pulled a letter from the basket, opened it, and began to read aloud.

“Dear administrator, I am a bricklayer. On this joyous day, I wish to express my respect and share my happiness with you! My wife and I are expecting our first child in a month. We’ve already bought all the clothes, a cradle, and toys for the first five years of his life. Every day, we count down to the day our little one arrives. Thank you again for giving us a roof over our heads and a job that lets us afford all this.”

Lu Bei read with deep emotion, so deeply that he sounded more moved than the letter’s author probably was.

Watching him, Chu Guang smiled warmly. When the reading ended, he cleared his throat and began dictating. “You’re too kind... I will do everything in my power to ensure that every hardworking citizen of the New Alliance enjoys a dignified life and career, and that every child grows up under the sun. Of course, this requires all of us to work together.”

As Chu Guang spoke, Lu Bei wrote swiftly. Soon the reply was done and set aside with the address.

Then he picked up the next letter, took a breath, and began again.

“Your grace and majesty are like the noonday sun, banishing the long night and restoring glory to this land! Forgive my exaggeration, it is not flattery. Perhaps to you, Dr. Edmund was a minor criminal, but I will never forget what happened that day at the Golden Dunes Cinema. My child and I were locked in a cage. No one cared whether we lived or died, but you and your soldiers did. I offer you my eternal loyalty!”

Golden Dunes Cinema?

Chu Guang frowned, trying to recall the name, but drew a blank. The same with Dr. Edmund.

Still, it wasn’t hard to guess. The writer was likely a survivor rescued from marauders by one of his players. What might have been a routine side quest for a player had changed the course of a survivor’s life forever.

A faint smile crept across Chu Guang’s face. He decided to have Little Seven post the letter on the forum later. Surely someone would recognize the easter egg.

When that kindhearted player discovered it, they would be delighted to know their good deed had been remembered.

“This one I’ll keep,” Chu Guang said. “I’ll make sure it’s delivered to the one who truly deserves the thanks, and they can decide whether to reply.”

“Yes, sir,” Lu Bei replied solemnly, setting down his pen before opening the next envelope.

This letter was much shorter, its opening line already summed up everything the writer wanted to say.

“Head north, my lord! At your command, we will offer our hearts! The merchants from the Bugra Free State are despicable villains, they corrupt us with deceit! It is time to punish those treacherous swine!”

Lu Bei read it with a fervent, heroic tone, sneaking a glance at Chu Guang between sentences. Clearly, the young man felt the same way.

Chu Guang pondered for a moment, then replied calmly, “The greatest humiliation to a clown isn’t to throw him into the fire, but to make him watch us live better, more united, more confident, and stronger than him. Then he will spend his days tormented by regret. I understand your concern about the northern border, but they’re not our main problem, at least not yet.”

Though disappointed, Lu Bei trusted that the administrator possessed foresight beyond his own, and so he didn’t argue.

He finished the reply, then opened the next letter.

But as soon as he saw the elegant handwriting and affectionate greeting, an uneasy feeling crept over him.

“Dearest administrator, I have admired you for so long. When I heard that you still have no children of your own, my heart could no longer remain calm...”

Halfway through the sentence, Lu Bei froze, stammering awkwardly, unable to go on.

No guessing was needed to know what the letter said. It was surely another variation of when he was getting married or someone interested in matchmaking him. Chu Guang couldn’t help laughing and shaking his head.

These people... Always worrying about nonsense. They will be better off raising a few more pigs instead.