Chapter 417.3: Granddaddy Said I'll Pick, I Didn't Say I'll Pick At Random

Battlefield Cheerleader had thought about checking it out, but Cowley, the dead weight, insisted on returning to report to the Army.

While the new map's allure was significant, clearly, the unique hidden mission was more important.

Currently, he was working at a mine near the town to save up for travel expenses. Although his account was not short on silver coins, they couldn't be used there.

Besides, the locals didn’t recognize them.

The common currency here was the local Golden Lizard Coin, bearing the image of a golden lizard, followed by the currency of the Great Rift Valley, and then the Dinars of the Army.

After sharing his painful experiences, everyone sympathized, but they couldn't help but admire his endurance.

Walking in the desert for nearly half a month...

His resilience was impressive!

Spring Water Commander: Impressive! You’ve set a record for exploring the map!

Construction Boy: Indeed... Seems like no one has ever traveled that far, right?

Escaping Mole: Non-existent. Wait a couple of days, and I'll fly to the Among Cloud Province. I'll break the 3,000 kilometer record in a day! (˵ ¬ᴗ¬˵)

Spring Water Commander: What!? Did you actually win the lottery?

Sideline Slacking: Did you actually get one of the tickets?!

Escaping Mole: I'll scout the road for you guys first, see what Ideal City really looks like, don’t worry, I'll bring back photos. (˵ ¬ᴗ¬˵)

Looking at what Escaping Mole said, Battlefield Cheerleader nearly spit out his recently swallowed

Coke

.

3,000 kilometers in a day?!

Son of a bitch!

He wasn’t going to complain, but mentioning it just infuriated him.

Eye Owe Money: Wait, weren’t there two tickets? Who got the other one?

Night Ten: Who else but Light’s number one bootlicker? (˵ ¬ᴗ¬˵)

The news exploded.

Irena: Damn! Why wasn't my deep-fried mantis shrimp selected?! Am I not worthy?

Elf Wang: I'll make it up to you (funny)

Teng Teng: BOOHOO... Wasn’t the version answer supposed to be maid outfits? QAQ

Tail: Huh? Can't Sisi wearing black stockings work too? ∑(°Д°ノ)ノ”

Sisi: ...?

Spring Water Commander: I swear, this is definitely rigged!

Darkest: Oh you little shit... You have some nerve to talk about rigging?!

Spring Water Commander: ... ( ˶°ㅁ°)

Battlefield Cheerleader: FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!

They were on the same forum, drinking the same

Coke

on Earth, but... They were in two different worlds!

Sitting at the computer, Chu Guang happily watched the players curse on the forum, chuckling to himself.

He had to admit, he chose who went to Ideal City.

However, if they call it rigging... He would have to politely disagree.

"Granddaddy here said I would draw your name. I didn’t say I would draw your name at random.”

Diplomacy was no small matter. Randomly drawing equipment was fine. Winning a piece or two wouldn’t change the course of the battlefield.

But sending someone on a mission to the ‘Fallen Empire’... A matter of such importance could never be handed over to random players.

What surprised Chu Guang, though, was that he thought Ample Time would rest for a while, maybe spend a honeymoon with his girlfriend. He didn’t expect the crazy bastard to resolutely pack his bags and set out for the future of the New Alliance.

Chu Guang shook his head lightly, tore open a lollipop wrapper, popped it into his mouth, and muttered vaguely. "Men...

Tsk

, so heartless."

In the Wasteland, everything had a price.

Choosing to narrate a cruel story in a fairy-tale style means accepting the naivety and immaturity behind the heroism.

To be able to revive three days later meant that they could never truly ‘live’ like a proper wastelander.

An unconventional fact is that only cloud players, based on bits and pieces of forum posts, would think of the place as a real world.

Players who actually got the Beta test qualifications, or rather those who really set foot in this world, would only see it as a virtual reality that was

almost

100% realistic.

Unprovable speculation, no matter how close to the truth, can only ever be speculation.

And the complexity of human nature also lay in the fact that people would doubt again and again. They would doubt the world while doubting themselves, wandering through a labyrinth of possibilities.

𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

He didn’t need to clarify anything, nor would he deal with those rumors.

Great undertakings were achieved through open strategies. There was no need for clandestine schemes to cover them.

He wouldn’t just deny it. He would outright joke with the players under the guise of a planner. The Wasteland was a real world, and he was the deity who created this world.

After all, no one would believe it anyway.

Those who knew nothing of the truth might speculate with conspiracy theories that it was a secret experiment by a major company from some nation, perhaps testing some undisclosed technology, or maybe something unspeakable like a Human Complementation Project.

Those who knew a little truth would stand a bit higher, seeing the Wasteland as a higher civilization using a cultural form understandable to humans to enlighten Earth. Moreover, they didn’t seem malicious.

And to see the full scope of the plan, unless one had a god-like perspective, or at least in his position, they wouldn’t know anything!

Therefore... His dear friends would probably never realize that it wasn’t just a game at all. Who He fell in love with isn’t just some code existing on a server, but a living person.

However, in the face of the future of civilization, individual happiness was utterly insignificant. For two centuries, too many have sacrificed everything for it.

Chu Guang would wish the couple could keep going, but he couldn't let the set plans bear undue risks for two individuals.

Maybe knowing less wasn’t such a bad thing.

In reality, so many couples knew every mole on each other's bodies but might not necessarily grow old together.

He can always be the hero who rescued her from the darkness in her eyes, and he can always see her as his wife with ‘data’ uploaded in the cloud.

He was not the first player to develop feelings beyond friendship for an NPC, and he wouldn’t be the last.

And the contemplation of whether virtual life counted as actual life would accompany this game forever.

If the Wasteland was understood as a higher civilization enlightening Earth, thus provoking thought among the entire player base and even society at large, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing. After all, sooner or later, the technologies that would appear in the Wasteland would appear on Earth. Governance by politics, selective retention and provision of truth... Everything was a part of politics.

He alone would bear the burden of the dark secret.

"Hehe... Huhuhu..." Chu Guang laughed to himself.

Watching Chu Guang immersed in his world, Little Seven tilted its head slightly while sitting on the desk.

Though it didn’t know what happened, it seemed like its master had won again.

...

At the airport, an Orca transport plane sat steadily on the tarmac.

Airport staff were busy loading box after box into the cargo hold.

Stepping into the morning sunlight, Ample Time, with his backpack, met his companion for the trip.

He was none other than Escaping Mole, the commander of the Skeleton Corps.

And Shu Yu, who had once served as the head of office for Shelter 404 in Boulder Town, was sent as the New Alliance’s ambassador.

Ample Time remembered the first time this young man went to Boulder Town. He and Old White served as escorts.

Back then, there was no New Alliance, nor was there a Dawn City.

Their group had encountered marauders en route, and although no one was injured, it certainly scared the young man quite a bit. He was tense the entire way.

It was hard to believe that in less than a year, he had grown into a mature diplomat, calm enough to undertake a mission to Ideal City, even chatting and laughing with the pilot.

Ample Time felt a wave of emotions.

Indeed, troubled times produce heroes.

He remembered their administrator was also inexperienced in various businesses initially, often cheated by merchants.

Now... Which merchant within 100 miles would dare to cheat him? They would thank their lucky stars if they ended up not losing their pants when dealing with him.

But... Wasn’t a year too quick?

Was it really to enhance the players’ experience, so they accelerated the growth of the New Alliance NPCs?

Ample Time couldn’t help but think to himself.

At that moment, Shu Yu finished his chat with the pilot and walked over. "The boxes being loaded into the cargo hold contain the gifts we’re sending to Ideal City."

"What's inside?" Ample Time asked curiously.

"There are products from the New Alliance's industrial zone and some items prepared by the residents of the shelter."

Shu Yu courteously handed Ample Time a tablet, smiling as he continued. "I'll handle promoting the former, and I’ll leave the latter to you."

Ample Time nodded, accepting it gracefully.

Promoting the culture and products of the New Alliance was part of the mission and had been updated in his mission log.

The plane ticket wasn’t free.

In exchange, he needed to use his eloquence and ability to think on his feet to make the New Alliance's products popular in Ideal City.

After all, the market on the East was countless times better than the current state of the New Alliance!

However, Escaping Mole suddenly turned to him in anger after hearing what Shu Yu said. “Wait! What about me?!”

Why don’t I have a mission to promote our products?

Looking at the commander of the Skeleton Corps, Shu Yu hesitated for a moment before chucking in amusement, “Oh... Your main job is to keep us safe. Of course, when we arrive in Ideal City, you can help to promote our products too!”

Escaping Mole glanced at his VM, but he didn’t see a mission notification.

Shit! I didn’t trigger the mission alone!

Seeing Escaping Mole glare at him, Ample Time knew that the little shit was most likely envious of his luck. He waved the tablet in his hand and sneered haughtily, “Sorry my brother. Looks like the administrator trusts me a little more to do this.”

“Tsk. Isn’t it just because you look like a sneaky merchant?” Escaping Mole grumbled.

“Hehe, feel free to call me handsome if it makes you feel better.” Ample Time smiled indifferently, his finger lightly swiping across the tablet.

Pale blue text appeared and his gaze had just fallen on the first line of the gift list when his expression instantly stiffened.

Qipaos... Maid outfits... Garter belts... Nightdresses... Black stockings, white stockings...

WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!

Of course, the list contained more than just clothes, but the first line was overwhelming enough.

This... It’s all women’s clothing, right?

How the hell am I supposed to promote this?

Did they assign me the wrong mission?!

Noticing the change in Ample Time's expression, Old Mole seemed to guess something and leaned over for a look.

When he saw the first line of the product list, a mischievously grin spread across his face. He slapped Ample Time’s shoulder hard. "No worries, brother. I heard that in the distant 16th century, only the most noble gentlemen were privileged enough to wear white stockings..."

"Get lost!"