Chapter 352.2: Why Don't You Loan Us Some Chips?

The group arrived at the edge of the district and upon arriving, they found a large crowd gathered at the entrance, with several security guards maintaining order at the front.

From the chaos, it looked like everything just happened.

Having received news of the delegation's arrival, Shu Yu, in charge of the office's operation, had already come out from the door to greet them. "You finally arrived safely. I was worried that something might have happened to you on the way." Shu Yu wore a relieved smile, albeit a tired one.

Obviously, he had been quite overwhelmed by what had been happening outside the office in the past few days.

Seeing the rubbish, stones, and broken glass on the ground, Luca frowned and, along with the others, walked through the crowd to stand beside Shu Yu.

"What exactly is the situation here?" Luca asked, gesturing toward the scattered glass shards on the ground.

Following his gaze, Shu Yu spotted the glass fragments and couldn't help but show a trace of helplessness.

"Most factories in the industrial district gave their workers time off, and the residents who lost their income took to the streets... The City Hall sent security guards, but as you can see, with so many people, it’s not something a few guards can handle."

"You're not hurt, are you?" Luca asked, concerned.

"No." Shu Yu shook his head. "There are quite a few 'players' living here, and the City Hall sent security guards to maintain order. Safety isn't a big issue... But at this critical time, it's better not to go out alone."

He was afraid that some people might take advantage of the chaos and do something stupid such as firing a gun in the crowd.

With the prevalence of weapons in the wasteland, such things were not unusual.

The so-called order was only relative safety; absolute safety didn’t exist, even in Ideal City, let alone here.

Pausing for a moment, Shu Yu glanced at the nearby security guards before he continued, "The situation here can't be explained in a few words. Anyway, let's talk inside."

...

After the NPCs were taken to their destination, the players dispersed and got busy with their tasks.

Old White took his friends and headed to the slums outside the giant wall.

Meanwhile, Ample Time changed into casual attire and mingled into the crowd of demonstrators.

He wanted to investigate some matters of interest.

In his words, "Participating in these special events might trigger hidden missions."

As for Luca, after consoling the office staff on behalf of the administrator, he followed Shu Yu to the lounge on the third floor.

A young maid approached and poured them each a cup of hot tea.

Sipping his tea slowly, Shu Yu was about to start a light-hearted conversation when he noticed Luca sitting there unperturbed, prompting him to smile wryly and put down his teacup.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

After a pause, he spoke up. "Last night, a fire broke out in the warehouse in the industrial district."

"A fire?" Luca frowned.

Looking at the surprised Luca, Shu Yu nodded. "Mhm, 1000 tons of Ditway nutrient cream stored there were burned... That stuff can't withstand high temperatures; basically, it's all gone."

1000 tons of nutrient cream, calculated at wholesale cost, would be worth close to 100,000 to 200,000 chips.

If they calculated it by the retail price, they would need to add an extra digit.

Luca’s heart tightened slightly. "Is it serious?"

"The warehouse is insured, so there'll be some compensation, but how much exactly is still unclear." Pausing again, Shu Yu continued with a serious tone. "You probably noticed on your way into the city; protests against us are intensifying. These conflicts didn't accumulate overnight, but they've all erupted in the past few days."

"I'm worried that recent events might affect our signing of a friendly cooperation agreement with the City Hall."

"To prevent trouble down the line, I suggest we sign the agreement as soon as possible."

Hearing Shu Yu's suggestion, Luca pondered for a moment. "The administrator said that the agreement is just a piece of paper. If it doesn't fundamentally solve the problem, even if we bring back a beautiful agreement, they could tear it up anytime."

Feeling a headache coming on, Shu Yu massaged his forehead. "The problem you mentioned is fundamentally unsolvable... Do you know what those people are clamoring for? They keep demanding the city hall impose a 100% special tax on us, using the collected tax to aid the jobless and poor."

"Moreover, they also demand that we deposit all chips into their bank, using a book-entry style exchange settlement method where the exchange rate is determined by the market. And all chips must be used according to their specified methods."

In essence, they not only wanted New Alliance goods to be unprofitable in Boulder Town but also dictate how New Alliance's profits earned here should be utilized.

If they agreed to this, New Alliance would become their dumping ground for industrial goods, or even undergo deindustrialization, becoming a large-scale farm and mine.

Residents of Dawn City also needed jobs.

It was impossible for them to sign an agreement like that.

Those protesters and the factory owners behind them obviously had no intention of solving the problem. Instead, they hoped to present some impossible demands to flip the table.

If they couldn't compete with them, they simply decided not to compete.

"Of course, there's a way to solve this," Luca said seriously. "I came precisely for this purpose."

Shu Yu looked slightly puzzled at his statement, wondering what method he could come up with.

Just as he was about to ask in curiosity, a knock sounded at the door. The maid who had brewed their tea earlier walked back in.

"Sir, the Head of the City Hall is downstairs right now. Would you like him to come up?"

Shu Yu was taken aback; he didn't recall any such arrangement for today. "Did... Did he make an appointment?"

The maid shook her head. "No, he claimed to come by for a short visit while inspecting the fire scene at the warehouse."

Shu Yu glanced at Luca, who nodded, then turned back to the maid. "Please lead the head to the reception room on the second floor."

He couldn't leave that person waiting downstairs.

"Alright, sir." The maid nodded slightly and then exited the lounge.

"... What do you plan to do? He definitely didn't come by randomly; most likely, he was driven out by those citizens surrounding the city hall... I bet he didn't come here seeking peace." Shu Yu lowered his voice, saying worriedly.

However, at that moment, he suddenly noticed that there wasn't a trace of nervousness on Luca's face.

With a sudden realization in his eyes, Shu Yu quickly caught on. "... The administrator has already instructed you on what to do, hasn't he?"

Luca didn't reply but just gave him a reassuring smile before standing up. "Let's go, we'll meet the Head of the City Hall."

...

Inside the reception room, Dulong's face was filled with the anxiety and irritability caused by sleep deprivation.

He couldn't understand.

He had clearly returned with a great agreement, not only making the New Alliance give up its demands on Clearspring City's airspace but also opening the market in the northern suburbs without any cost.

He had expected everyone to cheer on his brilliance.

However, apart from the Mayor and the Boulder Town Arms Industry, almost everyone from the outer city residents to other factory owners had cursed him vehemently.

Dulong was completely perplexed.

The factories in Boulder Town had the technology and the workforce; there were no restrictive rules like 12-hour workdays or minimum wage standards. Why would they fear small workshops set up by scavengers?

If the other party dumped industrial goods at low prices; why couldn’t they do the same?

Neither this nor that! What more does these insatiable vampires want!

Dulong couldn't help but grumble to himself.

If only the City Hall has our own troops...

We don’t need it to be as strong as the Mayor’s! We only need to be slightly stronger than those mercenaries... With that, I don’t have to spend so much time negotiating!

These people neither wanted to give the rights’ due nor wanted to pay. What exactly did they expect him to do?

At that moment, footsteps were heard outside the reception room. After 3 knocks, the door opened.

Seeing the acquaintance he had previously seen in the holographic image, out of courtesy, Dulong stood up from his seat and cleared his throat before speaking. "Hello... Mr. Mayor."

While speaking, his expression was somewhat unnatural.

After all, in Boulder Town, he only used that title for the ruler.

"Hello, Mr. Dulong, there's no need to be so formal, please, sit down..." Luca, with a smile that eased the atmosphere, sat opposite Dulong. "We can use our names when addressing each other as well."

"These are trivial matters." Dulong, who had reseated himself, waved his hand dismissively, dropping the politeness from earlier. "Let me be blunt. I know this might sound abrupt, but we need to renegotiate our agreement..."

Luca wasn't surprised by Dulong's proposal, but he still furrowed his brow. "This isn't what we agreed upon."

"Because the situation now is different from back then," Dulong stared at him, continuing, "You've seen what's happening outside. If I can't bring back an agreement that satisfies those people, they'll tear me and the agreement apart. I won't be the one sitting here negotiating with you by then."

"So, everything we discussed before is invalid now?" Luca asked calmly.

"Only the part about trade; the issues of the airspace and borders are non-negotiable... That's our mayor’s demand." Though Dulong's tone was polite, his stance remained firm.

Luca nodded. "We understand your predicament."

Seeing an unexpected compromise from the other side, Dulong, amidst his surprise, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Finally, a hint of a smile appeared on his face. "That's great... Rest assured, I'm not an unreasonable person. As a concession to your compromises, we'll take extra care of your security issues. After all, we are friends now. This includes renting airplanes and even more powerful weapons... I'll do my best within my authority to secure some benefits for you."

Shu Yu shot Luca an incredulous look.

He remembered clearly that he had just mentioned the demands raised by those people.

Wearing a triumphant expression, Dulong received a list from his assistant and placed it on the table in front of Luca. "We've listed some of the residents' demands. I believe many of them are reasonable. We need to discuss the specifics, but I hope the negotiations will follow this framework."

In his opinion, since the other party had softened, the situation was basically stable now.

However, the situation did not develop as smoothly as he had imagined.

Luca only glanced at the list on the table before turning his gaze to Dulong. "We can sense your desire to resolve the issue, but this is obviously not a method to solve the problem."

Dulong looked puzzled as he gazed at Luca. A frown slowly formed on his face. "... What do you mean?"

"Imposing heavy taxes on our goods, demanding that we deposit our earnings into your pockets and spend them according to your wishes, no one in their right mind would agree to such a deal." Seeing Dulong's bewildered expression, Luca shook his head and continued, "Whether we sign this agreement or not makes no difference. If I sign it, there will be no more trade between the New Alliance and Boulder Town. If it does happen, it will only be in the form of a black market."

"... Then do you have a better solution?" Dulong furrowed his brow.

Luca nodded confidently. "Of course, compared to that, our respected administrator has a better proposal."

Though Dulong's intuition told him that these cunning blue coats probably wanted to play some tricks again, he decided to hear what they had to say first. "... What proposal?"

Seeing that the fish was almost on the hook, Luca's calm face broke into a smile. "Regarding your factories and residents' grievances, ultimately, it was because the former needs a market to make profits, and the latter needs jobs to support their families. Since that's the case... Why don't you lend us some chips?"