Chapter 407.1: Welcome Back, Heroes!

"Bro, we hit a million hits!”

In the real world, somewhere along the riverbanks of Jiang City, in an apartment building.

Dressed in a little T-shirt, Ye Jiu had her legs propped up high, lounging on the plush living room sofa like the famous slouch.

She held the latest model of a super-long lasting tablet in her hands, her face filled with excitement. She would cry out in excitement occasionally.

Her lively demeanor showed no signs of the fact that just 14 hours earlier, she had literally died once.

About five hours ago, her older brother had edited a five-minute video clip from combat footage and uploaded it to the forum.

It wasn't just from his point of view. It also included clips provided by other players from the Bull and Horse Club.

The smoke that descended from the sky, the fiery rain dancing through the air, and the clouds across the sky all seemed ablaze. Especially from the first-person perspective facing a barrage of gunfire, thick streaks of electricity crisscrossing in the air. It was exhilarating just to watch, making one's blood surge and heart race.

Especially after the landing. The assault on the front turret bay and the close-quarters fight inside the airship got her blood boiling.

Isn't this much more intense than Boruto?

This five-minute video had essentially become a recruitment ad for the Burning Corps, with comments below the video rapidly filling with requests.

"Big bro, take me with you"

"Begging for beta access."

If it weren't for the fact her game time was too short and leveling up was painfully slow, not to mention the high entry requirements of the Burning Corps, she would have signed up in a heartbeat!

"Bro! If this was on

Bilibili

, you would be famous by now."

Ye Wei, just back with takeout, changed into his slippers in the entryway and casually responded to Ye Jiu's excited cries. "Posting it elsewhere poses a risk of censorship, so just let it be on the forum."

Sharing the joy of gaming with the silly members on the forums was a daily routine for beta testers. As for fame outside the game, Ye Wei wasn't particularly interested.

Using Gale’s words, it was better to keep a low profile. Getting too popular always came with its share of troubles.

Moreover, the video wasn't suitable for sharing. Even with filters, it was an R-rated film, and wouldn't pass the scrutiny on other platforms.

And it seems like the coverage of Wasteland Online was being controlled domestically; although discussions in the group weren't affected, it was nearly impossible to find related news on mainstream social media platforms and the official reports were hardly newsworthy.

A trace of disappointment crossed Ye Jiu's face. "Ah, that's too bad..."

"What's there to regret, does view count increase attack power?" Ye Wei laughed, placing the takeout on the table, "It's almost six, I'm logging in. I left the keys and some change in the shoe cabinet by the door. If you feel like going out, lock the door when you come back. And if you buy snacks, get some for me too."

"It's too hot, I'm not going out!" Ye Jiu grumbled.

Suddenly, Ye Jiu's eyes darted around, and climbing up from the sofa, she rested her hands on the back of the couch with a mischievous grin. "Speaking of which, big bro."

Ye Wei looked at her with a resigned expression. "What now?"

Ye Jiu blinked and said. "When you put on that helmet, do you really feel nothing that's happening outside?"

"Not necessarily, any noise loud enough to wake you from sleep can pull you out of the game, but reconnecting is quick." Ye Wei glanced at her, seeing the mischievous grin, he warned, "Just so you know, I always lock the door when I play."

"Damn! What about trust between people?!" Ye Jiu complained loudly.

"Heh!"

What a joke. They were siblings. What little schemes could she actually hide from him?

Ye Wei chuckled and naturally wouldn't mention that he had once thought about drawing a turtle on her forehead.

Turning back to his room, he closed the door, making sure the sound of the bolt was particularly loud.

Watching the tightly closed door, Ye Jiu rolled her eyes listlessly and lay back on the sofa, continuing to browse her tablet.

Time ticked by, the sky outside the window grew darker.

Seeing the number of beta testers on the forum gradually drop by half, Ye Jiu suddenly felt anxious, feeling uncomfortable no matter how she sat. Unable to bear it any longer, she reached out for her helmet and put it on, but instead of a world lush with trees, all she saw was darkness.

In the midst of that darkness, a line of pale blue text filled her eyes.

[Remaining Respawn Time: 57 hours 23 minutes 11 seconds.]

Ye Jiu clenched her fists in frustration.

Damn!

It had been so long since she died, yet there were still 57 hours to go!

Why did time pass so slowly?!

Is this what Yaya meant by withdrawal symptoms?

Stupid game!

Such a long respawn time is just ridiculous!

Restless, Ye Jiu felt gloomy, her eyes fixed on the black void.

Suddenly, a strange thought crossed her mind.

What if death was like that too? Sitting in a dark little room, waiting for a respawn countdown...

Taking off her helmet and feeling the cool air from the air conditioner, she stared at the helmet in her hands and pondered for a long time before finally shaking her head in resignation.

That question was too profound.

And perhaps a bit too premature for her, a recent graduate.

...

Back in the wasteland.

The sunrise from where the sea meets the sky heralded the first light of dawn on this barren land, illuminating the East Coast's Ideal City.

At the same time, a video eerily similar to the one that had gone viral on the Wasteland Online forum also appeared on the streets and alleys of Ideal City.

In a cyberpunk-styled coffee shop, several men in sharp business attire sat before a holographic projection device, watching the scenes projected within the pale blue cube, occasionally letting out a gasp of amazement.

"Shh..."

"... Nearly 3,000 people died in that battle, that's just too tragic."

"Are those in black robes members of the Army?"

"Are they even human? They're like beasts..."

"Heart of Steel, wasn't that supposed to be a converted escort ship from the Federation Era?"

"That's right, and it was a shoddy conversion..."

"The Heart of Steel appearing east of the Great Desert... What exactly are the big-noses on the West Coast planning?"

"Even more incredible is that those wastelanders actually managed to bring that thing down!"

Compared to the video produced by Ye Wei, the version edited by Little Seven focused more on the overall battlefield, threading through the entire battle from start to finish.

As a documentary rather than a game promotional CG, it highlighted the bravery of the various corps in battle but also emphasized the savagery of the Army and the casualties among the New Alliance.

Of course, it also showed the hard-won victory!

It was a battlefield with tens of thousands of soldiers.

With over a thousand body cameras and Hummingbird drones on standby throughout, the material available for editing was overwhelming.

Considering the wastelanders' high tolerance for gory images, the video only had a simple filter and was not censored.

As a result, the shock and the raw violence experienced by the residents of Ideal City were not only more intense than what the cloud gamers on the forum felt but even surpassed that of many who had participated in the battle themselves...

As the most technologically advanced settlement in the wasteland, close to the pre-war era, the residents of Ideal City utilized a variety of smart wearables like clothes, glasses, and wristbands, and even bionic chips implanted in the cerebral cortex, all serving as mediums to receive information, connecting to a local network called the Endpoint Cloud.

It was a mini local area network, mainly serving the residents of Ideal City.

On the interconnected Endpoint Cloud, any news with viral elements could quickly spread throughout the city with the help of algorithms.

In just one morning rush hour, the battle between the alliance and the corps in Lucky Valley Municipality became the hottest topic in Ideal City.

The video was provided by a partner of Enterprise, reportedly uploaded privately.

However, there were also other rumors circulating, suggesting that a high-level executive from the Enterprise had released it intentionally, to pave the way for the Enterprise to intervene.

Whichever rumor it was, it no longer mattered. Now, the Endpoint Cloud was ablaze with public outrage.

Although the residents of Ideal City despised war, none were opposed to spending a bit of money to teach those greedy wolves a lesson.

In a corporate environment, whether employees supported it or not hardly affected the major shareholders' decisions, but propaganda and mobilization were still necessary.

If an individual could be likened to a gear in a massive machine, then propaganda and mobilization were its lubricant. Even without it, the machine could still operate, but wear and tear and energy consumption would greatly increase the operating costs.

People needed to know where the bullets they produced were sent, and whose bodies would wear the clothes and bandages they made. In a just war, even the workers on the assembly lines would screw the bolts a bit faster.

In the Health Luxury Corporate Group's office, styled in minimalist luxury, Kang Le was sitting at his desk, toying with a wine glass he had acquired from an old friend, Luo Yong, while listening to his secretary's report.

"... Endpoint Group will vote in favor of our Proposal 771, but in exchange, they've requested we take on more responsibilities in the aid."

"At least 30%."

Hearing his secretary's reply, Kang Le smiled faintly. "Heh, they sure are greedy."