Chapter 353.2: The One Who Owes Money Is The Boss

"Do we not have to put down collateral?"

"What do we need collateral for? We're right here; we're not going anywhere."

"What about interest?"

"At most 2%. I'm not willing to negotiate if it’s more than that."

Hearing the number, Old Charlie involuntarily furrowed his brows. If a moment ago he merely thought Chu Guang was crazy, then at this moment, he was beginning to entertain the notion that perhaps it was Boulder Town that had gone mad. "... How will they agree to such terms?"

Chu Guang replied casually, “They will certainly agree because lending money to us is much safer than lending to those traveling merchants who may not come back and factories that could go bankrupt at any time. It is also much more reliable than the residents who are certainly not able to repay their loans.”

“Borrowing 200 million only right now is because, at this stage, it’s all we need. Trust me, in a few months, as long as we ask, they’ll be eager to send even more money our way.”

Could sovereign debt and personal debt be treated the same way?

Could the New Alliance’s repayment capability be compared to that of the average survivor?

It wouldn’t take long for the City Hall and the Boulder Town Bank to realize what a good decision it was to lend money to the New Alliance!

The stimulative effect of easing monetary policy on the economy could be likened to that of morphine. It was not only fast-acting and potent, but a single injection could yield immediate results. The only drawback was its potential for addiction and the development of tolerance when used excessively.

It sounded a lot like opium. And, in reality, it was.

But the oversuppliance pertained to chips and not silver coins. Would that matter to the New Alliance?

The exchange rate would undoubtedly be affected, but by then, the purchasing power of the currency would have changed as well. He could easily adjust the exchange rate. When the value of chips depreciated, the debt he owed would also shrink. In the future, the purchasing power of the 200 million chips might only be equivalent to 20 million.

Although it seemed like a win-win solution, Chu Guang had never discussed with the people of Boulder Town about who would benefit from this arrangement the most.

Chu Guang hadn’t informed them either that besides the inherent risk in the debt itself, this seemingly win-win solution actually harbored a massive danger for them.

However, he had no obligation to proactively highlight the risks.

Who the hell would mention the disadvantages when promoting their own products?

Moreover, it wasn’t something that would definitely put Boulder Town at a disadvantage.

"... How do you plan to use this money?" Old Charlie asked after a moment of silence.

Chu Guang succinctly replied, "Very simply, I'll use those chips to mobilize the factories in Boulder Town to help us build our cities."

The first step was to get the medium and small-sized factories in Boulder Town, which had been struggling to roll up their sleeves, and the up-and-coming business elites with money but no status. They would bring their technology, equipment, and skilled workers to set up factories in Dawn City.

The first step had already been completed.

Industrial products produced by New Alliance were not only exported back to Boulder Town but had also exacerbated their economic woes.

The second step would come next.

He would relinquish a portion of the seemingly enticing cake while using debt, employment, and a rapidly growing market to firmly tie Boulder Town’s banks, City Hall, and factories to the New Alliance’s chariot.

The most ideal scenario would be when the people of Boulder Town finally realized that as they were climbing out of one small pit into another vast, bottomless pit, the cost of their ascend had become burdensome that majority of them would find it unbearable

Of course, accomplishing this task would not be easy; it had to be done subtly and carefully.

But if successful, it would be something that even firearms could not achieve...

...

On the streets of Boulder Town, protests continued until evening.

Ample Time, blending into the crowd, followed the protesters around the outer city.

After the crowd finally dispersed, he set his sights on the leaders who had the loudest voices and held the signs the highest, trailing them as they entered a dark alleyway.

2 burly men stood on either side, while in the middle stood a man who was dressed neatly and appeared to have some status.

The reason Ample Time could tell he had some status was that the leaders who had been making the most trouble before had completely changed their expressions in front of him.

Those individuals now wore ingratiating smiles on their faces, profusely thanking the man as they received fist-sized bags from his hands.

In the bulging bags were clearly chips.

"... This is your reward. When needed, I will naturally call on you." Alec, who had just finished distributing the money, casually said as he smoothly lit a cigarette.

"Thank you, sir!" Bowing and expressing his gratitude, McCann couldn't wait to open the bag after receiving it.

However, after counting the chips in the bag, his expression immediately turned somewhat unnatural. "Why are there only 20 chips..."

They had agreed on 50 chips before.

How could they change the deal?!

"Just by walking around the streets, you can earn a week's worth of wages. What else do you want?" Alec didn't even bother to look at him and impatiently gestured for him to leave, "Hurry up and get lost."

Do you think you’re the only one who needs money?

And I have to work for free?

Thinking about the charming dancers in the Queen of the Night, Alec couldn't help but feel excited.

Since he had just made a small fortune, maybe he could head there for a drink later to relax.

McCann wore a disgruntled expression, but looking at the 2 burly men beside the man, he ultimately swallowed his pride. The man before him was a trusted confidant of the owner of Vega Trading Company, overseeing a dozen or so enforcers. McCann, on the other hand, was just a worker in a canning factory. There was no way he could contend with such a big shot...

Ample Time, who had been hiding in the shadows, wore an expression of keen interest and secretly captured this scene.

Although he had already experienced the realism of Wasteland Online, he didn't expect that even such details would be replicated.

It seemed his speculation was correct.

Behind the protests against the New Alliance, an invisible hand was indeed at work.

Almost at the same time the photo was saved, a light blue pop-up window appeared on the screen of the VM.

[Mission (Side Quest):

Investigate the mastermind behind the warehouse arson case,

]

“... Warehouse arson case?”

What's that?

Ample Time's eyes showed a hint of confusion, followed by excitement.

He never expected that his curiosity would trigger a hidden mission.

It was truly an unexpected joy!

The leaders causing trouble discreetly left the alley, clutching their pockets.

The three who had distributed the money stayed in place for a while, chatting and laughing animatedly as if discussing something.

In about the time it took to smoke a cigarette, they finally reached a consensus and left towards another direction. Ample Time casually followed them, trailing behind until they reached the bustling streets close to the inner city.

As they entered this street, the entire city's style underwent a change. Neon lights shimmered on both sides of the street, and the pedestrians were mostly elegantly dressed ladies, mercenaries with expensive bioenhanced prosthetics, well-dressed merchants, and even nobles from the inner city. Their demeanor and appearance were significantly different from ordinary people. In contrast to the outside world, this place seemed less like a wasteland and more like a downsized version of a cyberpunk street.

Especially after the recent cultural export from New Alliance to Boulder Town, the once rustic clothing styles had become a little more fashionable.

Ample Time was not entirely unfamiliar with this place. As a professional gamer, he was an expert in exploring maps.

However, what surprised him was that the 3 men did not lead him to the lair of the mastermind behind the scenes but instead stopped at the entrance of the Queen of the Night.

A somewhat strange expression emerged on Ample Time’s face, but he still followed them inside.

Loud music filled the air. Passing through the swaying lights and crowded bar, he quickly approached the booth near the bar and found the three men.

Drinks had already been placed on the table in the center of the sofa. The man who had distributed money to the troublemakers was now holding a giggling dancer in his arms.

The 2 men sitting on the adjacent sofa both had expressions of obvious envy. However, envy was all they could have.

Ample Time calmly sat down at the nearby bar counter, ordered the cheapest drink, pretending to be a customer here to watch the performance. However, his gaze involuntarily moved towards the booth.

The noise here was deafening. He couldn't understand what those people were talking about, but he could record it and listen to it repeatedly when he got back.

However, just as he was deeply engrossed in listening, an unfamiliar voice suddenly came from beside him.

“Are you here for drinks?”

“Or did you come looking for someone?”

...

In the slums outside of Boulder Town.

In disguise, Old White, accompanied by Peepo and Doggo, finally found Blake’s home after some inquiries in the slums outside Boulder Town.

Unlike the surrounding shacks, the entire house was constructed with bricks and cement. It seemed that even in the slums, there were distinctions between the poor and the wealthier.

"... You must be careful; this is the Dagger Gang's territory. They don't like other people causing trouble on their turf." In consideration of the 2 chips, the hunched old man couldn't help but offer some cautious advice in a hushed voice.

"Gangs have rules too?" Peepo, looking at the translation on the VM, raised his eyebrows in surprise.

The gangs in the slums seemed not much different from marauders; they often crossed paths, and it wasn't exactly news.

Doggo grinned and said, "Isn't there a saying? If you exile a group of criminals to a desolate island, they'll probably form a new country."

Ignoring the two goofing off, Old White nodded at the old man and said, "Thanks for the warning. It's getting late; you should head home."

The old man nodded shakily and walked away with a hunched back.

Old White knocked on the door of the house, expecting it to be empty. To his surprise, footsteps approached from behind the door.

The one who opened the door was a mature and attractive woman. Her hair was light-colored, and her attire and makeup didn't resemble that of a slum dweller. Her expression had a hint of contented laziness.

However, upon seeing the figures at the door, her fairly pretty face immediately became alert.

These people clearly weren't local, and they didn't seem like Boulder Town residents either.

Her immediate reaction was that these people were here for revenge. “... Who are you?”

Old White politely said, “We would like to inquire about someone.”

The woman nervously replied, “Are you here for Blake? He’s not here.”

Old White didn’t answer her question but continued to ask, “Who are you to him?”

After hesitating for a moment, the woman cautiously said, “A friend... We met just last week.”

Peepo and Doggo, standing next to Old White, exchanged glances and murmured to each other, “Do you believe her?”

“Nah!”

Unable to understand what they were discussing, anxiety and fear gradually filled the woman’s eyes. “... Who are you people? Why are you looking for him?”

“That’s not important. Just answer my questions truthfully, and we won’t cause you any trouble.” Saying this, Old White pulled out a chip with a 100 domination from his pocket and waved it in front of her eyes. “We might even reward you,” He added.

Seeing the chip, a subtle greed flickered in the woman’s eyes, replacing the previous panic and fear.

Old White couldn’t help but ponder in his mind; perhaps she wasn’t lying, and they really did just meet last week.

Glancing around to make sure no one was paying attention to them, the woman stepped aside and softened her tone, “... We can talk inside.”