Chapter 362.1: Friends From Afar

"Do you have a bottomless stomach?!" Staring at the mess on the table, Dori widened her eyes in astonishment.

A skewer of lizard meat, about the length of a forearm and as thick as two fingers, covered in charred red tail meat, was priced at 3 chips.

Dori was already full after eating one skewer, but the guy in front of her consumed a total of 4!

Unable to resist, Dori's gaze moved downward.

She wanted to figure out where all the food this guy had eaten was stored?!

"I've warned you, haven't I?" Ample Time calmly wiped his mouth with a napkin, enjoying the expression on her face for a moment.

After a moment of pause, he continued with his critique. "The taste is really mediocre, far inferior to what we have back in our place."

The lizard meat seemed to be imported from the south, where there were farms that bred edible lizards.

There was also crocodile meat, which tasted similar to chicken. But speaking of which, the cost of living here was really not cheap. A simple dinner like what they had eaten had already cost 20 chips.

Ample Time couldn't help wondering that maybe opening a street barbecue restaurant in Boulder Town would be a lucrative investment.

Although the majority of residents here lacked the purchasing power, mercenaries could still afford to spend that money.

Looking at the pile of wooden skewers on the plate, Dori's mouth twitched, and she reluctantly reached into her pocket.

However, Ample Time had already thrown a green chip with a face value of 25 onto the tray held by the waiter.

"... Bring me two more bottles of beer and another skewer of lizard meat, and keep the change."

"... Certainly, sir." The waiter, looking at the green chip on the tray, rolled his eyes silently.

Keep the change my foot!

It's not like there'll be any change left!

Watching Ample Time, who had paid the bill, Dori was stunned for a while.

When the beer and the skewer arrived, she muttered in a low voice. "It was supposed to be me who is treating... Why did you pay for it?"

"Wait until you get your first paycheck, then you can treat me. You can keep those chips in your pocket for rent and repayments."

After sipping the mild beer that tasted like water, Ample Time looked at the pouting Dori and playfully remarked, "Besides, it's the same if you use the chips I gave you to treat me."

"How, how can it be the same?!" Dori blushed and defended herself, "I earned those chips."

Watching her amusing reaction, Ample Time couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, yes, yes."

He never thought that one day he would become friends with a set of data.

But setting that aside, the experience was quite interesting...

...

Northern outskirts of Clearspring City.

At the entrance and exit of the provincial highway, a dense group of figures was slowly approaching from a distance.

Rather than calling it a trade caravan, it was more like a military force.

The man at the front was wearing a light gray exoframe. Heavy steel and composite materials covered him from toe to teeth.

The Gauss rifle held in his hand was like a large sword resting across his chest.

Following behind him were more than 100 people, aside from the 20 exoframes, the rest were all equipped with Vanguard exoskeletons, wielding Black Swan assault rifles.

Unlike the crew on the Pioneer, they were the land forces of the Enterprise and were real soldiers.

From the bullet marks and scratches on their vehicles and armor, it was evident that their journey had not been smooth, and there had been intense battles along the way.

They didn’t just fight a battle or two!

At this moment, the man at the front raised his right hand, and the group behind him slowly came to a halt.

Not far in front of him, a blue exoframe stood in their way.

The man stared at the exoframe for a while.

If he remembered correctly, the model of this exoframe should be called the Overseer, a law enforcement armor from the Federation Era.

In front of that exoframe, dozens of soldiers wearing Type 5 exoskeletons followed. These were also law enforcement armors from the Federation Era.

Such things were usually only seen in shelters.

Just when the man was about to say something, the exoframe in front of him voluntarily lifted the visor, speaking with a loud voice, "Welcome, friends from the East Coast. I am the administrator of Shelter 404 and also the administrator of the New Alliance. You can call me by my name, Chu Guang, or my codename, Dawn."

Seeing the other party remove the visor, the man at the front of the group also lifted his visor, expressing his sincerity.

Just as Chu Guang had expected, beneath the helmet revealed a face with a strong and determined look.

"Yun Song, Commander of the 26th Assault Team of the Enterprise Land Forces."

"We departed from Ideal City and are heading to the desert to the west to reinforce the Pioneer. We have already informed you of our intentions through the communication channel."

"We need supplies, so we'll stay here for a few days and then continue on our way."

Yun Song, the group leader, spoke very directly, without any tact, displaying a military style quite different from the engineers Chu Guang had dealt with before.

Observing his subordinates behind him, Chu Guang found that there were armed soldiers numbered around 130.

The remaining 30 to 50 individuals were likely logistics personnel, with only a few carrying defensive weapons such as pistols.

In addition, there were around 10 vehicles with half wheels and half tracks, likely carrying supplies.

As for the 20 to 30 two-headed ox and mutated donkeys carrying goods... They didn't seem to have come from Ideal City; perhaps they were picked up along the way.

Without revealing a change in his emotions, Chu Guang wore a smile as if bathed in the spring breeze. "Welcome, the New Alliance's doors are always open to its friends."

"This isn't the place for discussions. We've prepared a welcome banquet for you."

"Please follow me."

When constructing the Longevity Town for Shelter 404, the Pioneer had 1 exchange condition, which was to provide a resting place for the Enterprise's staff and troops when the Enterprise's reinforcement passed through the northern suburbs of Clearspring City.

Seeing the administrator fulfilling the agreement, Yun Song's brows slightly relaxed, and the tension on his face eased into a smile. "Thank you."

“You're welcome.” With his usual smile, Chu Guang calmly said, "We are friends, and it's only natural to lend a helping hand to friends in need."

Dawn City didn't prohibit wasteland travelers entering the city from carrying weapons, but there were requirements regarding the size of armed groups and the types of weapons.

For instance, typical mercenary groups and caravan escorts could enter freely, but armed forces exceeding 5 individuals had to register and report their purpose before entering.

Additional ammunition and explosives had to be left at the trade post near North Street and were not allowed to be brought into Dawn City; however, they could retrieve them when leaving.

Weapons they carried wouldn't have their bullet chambers checked, but the safety had to be on at all times. Especially on the streets, the gun muzzle should always be pointed to the ground.

There were drones patrolling the skies over Dawn City.

If any violations were detected, the guards would respond within a minute and issue arrest tasks to nearby players based on the threat level.

For these soldiers who had come from afar, whether in terms of numbers, equipment, or nature, they clearly exceeded the usual scope. Therefore, the entry process couldn't be treated like that of a typical mercenary group.

However, as partners of the New Alliance, Chu Guang generously granted them military passage rights.

As for their base, it was chosen near the airport in a military camp.

Due to the 2nd Corps being stationed in the West Continent City, there were many available barracks.

Arriving at the camp's entrance, many soldiers displayed relieved expressions.

It was evident that they had endured a lot of hardships along the way.

Yun Song, the group leader, repeatedly glanced at the images captured by the Pioneer on his handheld tablet, his expression shifting to astonishment. The photographs revealed a desolate landscape featuring a concrete wall and makeshift foam-material barracks. However, the reality before him was completely different.

Amidst the open expanse, orderly rows of barracks stretched out, accompanied by a straight airplane runway bordered by sturdy wooden hangars. Positioned nearby, an array of 100mm artillery pieces stood at the ready, while in the distance, a tall communication tower crafted from reinforced steel loomed.

Looking towards the southwest, one could see the lights shining brightly under the night sky. Although the full appearance of the survivors' settlement was not clear from this distance, just from the flickering outline, it gave a sense of a prosperous community, likely with a population of no less than 10,000.

The stark contrast made Yun Song stand still in fright, unable to help looking at Chu Guang beside him and asking. "Is this... Is this really Longevity Town?"

He suspected that he might have come to the wrong place.

Seeing that his guest was surprised, Chu Guang smiled. "That's already a historical name. Now it's called Dawn City."

"As for the original town, it's just a corner in the northwest of Dawn City. We've reclaimed the wasteland on the north shore of the lake into farmland. If you had come here half a year earlier, you'd have still been able to see the Pioneer's tracks in the soil. But now, it's been covered by an endless amount of rice paddies and cornfields."

Yun Song didn't say anything, but his astonishment was clearly written on his face.

If this had happened around Ideal City, he wouldn't find it strange.

Due to the business dealings with the Enterprise, many survivor settlements in Among Clouds Province had developed quite well.

Especially the settlements around Above Clouds Municipality and Descending Clouds Municipality. Enriched by well-connected trade routes and the legacy of pre-war civilization, these areas were prosperous and thriving.

However, such a miracle actually occurred deep in the mainland wilderness!

It was simply unbelievable!

However, it was not the time to discuss these matters.