Chapter 327.1: A Toast To The Alliance's Victory!

"Let's raise our glasses to victory!"

"Hahaha, cheers!"

"Long live the Alliance!"

On the northern street of Dawn City, next to the trading post, stood a roadside hotel.

Even though the sky outside hadn't completely darkened, the first-floor lobby of the hotel was filled with tables and chairs, the aroma of beers filled the air. Lively cheers could be heard as well.

The news of victory had swiftly returned from the front lines to Dawn City, which was far away in the northern suburbs of Clearspring City. Thanks to the broadcast in the square and the small screen behind the bar, the patrons were not the last to learn about this news.

Whether they were traveling merchants, travelers, caravan guards, or mercenaries, when they heard that the New Alliance's army had defeated the Bonechewer Clan on the front lines, everyone couldn't help but cheer silently for the administrator.

For a long time, the Bonechewer Clan had been a name that struck fear into the hearts of countless wastelanders. Spreading from the northern regions to the south, they were like a plague on the move, leaving scorched earth in their wake. Dozens of surviving outposts had been wiped off the map by them, and no one could stop their advance.

But now, they had finally kicked a hornet's nest and had their teeth knocked out by the New Alliance's iron fist.

"Annihilating 27 tanks in just one single battle! By the Great Stag God, how many soldiers did they mobilize?!"

"I don't quite understand, what's a tank...

Hic

... is it really powerful?" The tipsy mercenary leaned on the bar, hiccoughed, and asked.

"Powerful? Haha, are you joking? That thing is an absolute monster, a fortress that walks on land! It's not something ordinary people can deal with! I'd rather face a Deathclaw; at least my gun would give me some sense of security."

The mercenary sitting next to him began to boast about his experiences in the north when fighting for the people of the Great Rift Valley, attracting the attention of many.

Among them was Sun Shiqi, sitting at the bar.

3 days ago, he had transported 6 tons of copper ingots, 2 tons of chromium, 1 ton of cobalt and nickel, along with a large quantity of sulfur and phosphorus from Red River Town.

However, what surprised Sun Shiqi was that the copper mine and sulfur he had been most optimistic about almost made him lose the money he had earned from other goods.

It seemed like the New Alliance had really found copper mines overnight, turning into an export hub from the second-largest copper mine importer in the southern part of River Valley Province. Although they hadn't started exporting minerals yet, they had clearly paused their bulk imports of copper ingots.

Combined with the rapid drop in the price of platinum, which served as an industrial catalyst, it seemed to indicate that the war was entering its final stages.

Sun Shiqi's intuition told him that the market in Dawn City might undergo a significant change.

According to tradition, after the war ended, the New Alliance would quickly convert some of its military production lines for civilian use. The production lines that had been making explosives would switch to producing fertilizer and soap. The most prominent sign of this transition was the cessation of expansion in the production capacity of basic industrial raw materials such as nitric acid and sulfuric acid.

With no rush to make the next deal, Sun Shiqi spent his evenings at the first floor of the Highway Town Hotel, ordering a plate of fries and a glass of beer. Even though he already owned a property in Dawn City.

"The victory over the Bonechewer Clan on the front lines... It seems like there's nothing stopping the rise of the New Alliance now." Sitting across from Sun Shiqi, Zhou Nan, who was staring at the small screen on the bar, said with a look of contemplation.

Upon hearing what he said, Sun Shiqi chuckled, "Isn't that inevitable?"

Inevitable?

Zhou Nan shot a sidelong glance at this guy.

Stop boasting, seriously!

2 months ago, when the New Alliance had just announced their northern expedition, you didn't say it was inevitable!

But actually, it was understandable.

Back then, no one believed that the New Alliance could win, except for those blue coats who believed in themselves and the residents who saw the administrator as a deity.

On one side were 30,000 marauders, inheriting the Army's expeditionary force's equipment and even its command structure, while on the other side was just a newly established organisation with a population of barely 5,000.

No one could have imagined that the New Alliance would actually win.

And they won so decisively.

Those marauders had an armored company consisting of 27 tanks and a large number of anti-aircraft guns. Moreover, they were under the command of Dillon, an experienced commander.

With those teeny dive-bombers, how could they possibly win?

However... Their doubts were in the past.

In appreciation of this meal, Zhou Nan refrained from mocking this guy and just silently took a sip of the fragrant beer.

As for Sun Shiqi, he continued to daydream about the future.

"... The future of River Valley Province will be divided into three parts. Boulder Town in the south, Great Rift Valley in the north, and the New Alliance will fill the void in the central region."

"This place is practically a goldmine! No, it's worth more than gold!"

Unlike most survivor settlements, the New Alliance had a peculiar obsession with land. Despite the total population of Dawn City adding up to only 5,000 to 6,000, they had already expanded their borders to West Continent City.

Yes, the war wasn't over yet, but these blue coats had already incorporated Hope Town in West Continent City into their territory and even provided food aid to the residents there.

To Sun Shiqi, their actions were truly bizarre.

But, it was good news for him.

If the New Alliance was willing to develop the uncharted areas to the north and shelter the refugees and nomads who had lost their homes, he would be more than willing to provide them with shovels or other tools.

Just then, Sun Shiqi suddenly remembered something and looked at his drinking buddy across the table.

"I remember you mentioned before that you're from Hope Town, right?"

Zhou Nan was momentarily stunned, then chuckled. "My friend, these days, there are more survivor settlements called Hope Town than people who name themselves after seasons, geographical features, or rivers. I am indeed from Hope Town... but it's Hope Town in the Brocade River Province. We don't have any Bonechewer Clan there. The only headaches we have are mutant humans and countless mutant insects."

Apart from that, there were also cultists from Death Coast in the south and pirates who had infiltrated the inland from the coastal provinces in the south.

Well... Those weren’t really big problems though.

After all, they had been living like this year after year, and the locals had already found a balance between chaos and survival.

Thinking about it, Zhou Nan couldn't help but feel emotional. "... Anyway, thanks to the New Alliance blocking them, we won’t to break our heads dealing with the Bonechewer Clan’s southward advance if they pass Boulder Town.”

"Indeed, thanks to them," Sun Shiqi sighed with mixed emotions as he looked at the bubbles in his glass. "Otherwise, I might still be a small merchant..."

He wasn't the only person who needed to thank the New Alliance for their victory.

All the traveling merchants, mine owners, and merchants associations in the Red River Town owed a big thank you to that administrator.

The reason why the Snake Clan couldn't use their full force to deal with Red River Town was largely due to the New Alliance's diversion.

Now that the New Alliance had taken over West Continent City, even if the Snake Clan didn't want to rescue their own people, they had to end the siege of Red River Town.

The war was finally coming to an end.

They clinked their glasses and offered heartfelt blessings.

"To the great Alliance!"

"To the wise and valiant administrator!"

"May he have a long life!"

Outside the Highway Town hotel.

In a corner of the neighboring street market, an old man wearing a scarf and a robe sat at the street corner, running a stall. Smoke curled from his faded and old pipe, adding a touch of mystery to his wrinkled face.

He had spread a camel leather carpet in front of him, with some strange wooden pieces on top.

A mutant camel was lying on the ground sleeping nearby, its facial features squished together in an odd and intimidating manner.

But in the wasteland, such mutant appearances were rather commonplace.

"... For just 2 silver coins, write his name on the wooden board, and the Spirit of the Sand Sea will bless his safe return."

Raising a drooping eyelid, the old man glanced at the worried girl in front of his stall, thinking to himself that his dinner was settled.

"... But there's no sand here, will it still work?" The girl asked in a low voice.

The old man solemnly declared, "Of course, it's not a problem. A long, long time ago, the vast and boundless Sand Sea covered the entire central region, including the plains you call home and the nearby mountains and lakes. There was no Great Stag God back then; only the endless yellow sand roamed this land."

Watching the eccentric old man, Frost Snow hesitated for a moment while standing in front of the stall. Thinking that it was just 2 silver coins after all, she reached for her wallet.

Unlike other residents celebrating the victory, she was more concerned about the safety of the administrator.