Chapter 483.2: Rather Than Call It An Experiment, I'd Say It's A Grand Blueprint!

Watching Mosquito pleading shamelessly, Falling Feather waved him off irritably. “Scram. It’s not happening!”

Meanwhile, Chen Yutong, finally setting foot far away from the Wandering Swamp, looked around the airport curiously and muttered softly, “So this... This is the New Alliance?”

Old White smiled. “That’s right. Looks pretty barren, huh?”

“Not at all,” Chen Yutong said earnestly, “Compared to the survivor settlements in the Wandering Swamp, this place is already quite bustling.”

She had caught a glimpse of Dawn City from the plane earlier.

Buildings of all shapes and sizes stood scattered across the wasteland, with roads and alleys sprawling outward, to the south where there the ruined high-rises of the northern suburbs of Clearspring City, to the west where there was endless farmland, and a railway line stretching north into the forests, where an old-style steam train puffed through a busy trading station.

The city was like a tender sprout breaking through rotted wood.

It was delicate, yet full of hope.

What amazed her most was learning that just a year ago, that place had been a barren wilderness, inhabited only by bloodthirsty beasts, mutants, and raiders.

“... Truly unbelievable.”

Seeing her glancing all around, Old White asked curiously, “So what was it like in the Wandering Swamp?”

“Simple. Efficient,” Chen Yutong answered promptly. “Dr. Conclusion taught us to maximize results with limited resources. Most settlements under the Scientific Committee followed strict energy-saving and frugal living guidelines. Some have large populations, but they appear cold and lifeless from the outside. The Academy itself is quite large, but sparsely populated.”

As she spoke, her gaze drifted toward an open warehouse nearby.

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Old White followed her line of sight and saw a strange-looking hunk of metal. It was Mosquito’s homemade powerless exoframe.

Ever since Old White had helped Mosquito out of it, the thing had been sitting abandoned in the airport warehouse.

It was rusting so badly that grass was growing beneath it.

What an embarrassment.

Thinking about how the administrator told him to show her the best side of the New Alliance, he cleared his throat and explained, “The administrator lets us build the New Alliance our own way. There’s no set path... So sometimes, players with a few loose screws end up doing a few... extra things.”

“I actually think that’s great,” Chen Yutong replied with a smile. “Usefulness shouldn’t be judged by instinct alone. Like you said, who knows what the future holds?”

She smiled faintly as she looked at the probably-scrapped metal contraption.

Old White thought he detected a hint of envy in her gaze, though he had no idea what there was to be envious of. “Are you hungry? I know a great spot.”

Chen Yutong’s eyes lit up with anticipation. “Is it braised pork? Hotpot? Barbecue?”

Old White laughed and gestured. “None of those. It’s ramen. A type of noodle dish...

Ah

, forget it. You’ll see soon enough.”

Chen Yutong followed beside him, full of curiosity, muttering to herself, “Ramen? What a mysterious name...”

Just the thought of finally tasting authentic New Alliance cuisine made her swallow instinctively, a flame of anticipation sparking in her heart.

Not long after they left, two androids arrived.

Standing beside the Orca transport plane, Frost craned its neck and look all around. Failing to see its target, it quickly went over to look for a worker nearby.

“Where’s the android from the Academy? Quick, bring me there.”

The workers at the airfield stared at each other in shock when they saw the maid-outfit clad android asking them questions. Fortunately, there was a smart guy who ran over to make a report to their higher-ups.

After receiving permission, he finally led the two androids to a warehouse located in a corner of the airport.

A 100-man company was stationed here, and the security was extremely tight.

Under Frost’s expectant gaze, the staff in charge opened the warehouse door.

In the middle of the warehouse stood a cubic steel frame. An android whose arms had been replaced by mantis-like blades was restrained at its center. Every joint of its body was locked firmly in place.

Glancing at those menacing mantis blades, the staff swallowed hard and said nervously, “This is what you’re looking for. It’s a dangerous android. Before we can disassemble it, we have no choice but to keep it locked up here.”

Frost hurried forward, carefully studying the android fixed to the frame. A trace of disappointment suddenly surfaced in its eyes. “Isn’t this still the original version?”

Eclipse, standing beside it, nodded. “Yeah.”

Xuan Feng said nothing. He silently stared at the figure of his fellow android wearing those strange clothes, his shoulders twitching slightly.

The frame creaked, startling both the staff and the soldiers nearby, especially the latter, who immediately flipped the safeties off their rifles.

Frost remained unfazed. It extended a finger and lightly tapped the captive’s chest, gazing at the pitiful being with pity.

“How could there exist such an ugly AI in this world? Beneath that cold shell flows nothing but soulless strings of numbers... Is what they call intelligence?”

Its words drew a reaction. Xuan Feng slowly raised his head, staring straight at the android before him. His tightly closed mouth finally moved. “... If you’ve got the guts, release me!”

His sharp mantis blades tilted slightly, their mirror-like surfaces reflecting a chilling gleam of murderous intent.

Sensing that silent rage and defiance, Frost paid him no heed and turned to Eclipse. “Let’s go, Eclipse. Looks like the so-called legendary Academy isn’t anything special.”

Eclipse nodded. “Alright.”

“...”

Watching both androids from the Enterprise turn and walk toward the exit, Xuan Feng’s body trembled violently. Unfortunately, the solid metal frame didn’t loosen in the slightest despite his struggle.

It was the first time ever his AI core had felt such overwhelming anger...

...

In the Linghu Wetlands Park...

At North Gate Market.

Behind his counter, Zhang Hai was tossing noodles into a boiling pot. Through the rising white steam, he suddenly caught sight of a familiar face.

“Well, well, look who it is...” He hadn’t even finished the sentence before his eyes landed on the woman next to Old White, and his smile turned playfully sly.

Before he could say anything else, Old White coughed loudly. “Two bowls of beef noodles.”

“Heh, got it.” Zhang Hai grabbed a large chunk of dough, slapped it flat on the counter, and then, like a magic trick, stretched it into thin, flying strands of noodle with a few quick, practiced pulls.

Standing at the stall, Chen Yutong stared at him with wide eyes.

What is this?

Magic?!

“So how’s the situation at the frontlines?” Zhang Hai asked casually, dropping the noodles into the pot. Despite his youthful look, he spoke like an old-timer.

Old White replied causally, “Not bad. I heard the Skeleton Corps and Storm Corps are almost at the Army’s main base in Sunset Province. We probably won’t be needed much longer.”

Ordinary players didn’t usually ask questions like that, but someone who used their real name as their in-game ID was clearly no ordinary player.

With constant updates and waves of new players joining, the ramen stall owner, who never posted on the forums, had in some ways become an urban legend of Wasteland Online.

Some even said he was an NPC planted by the devs, but Old White knew better.

That guy was just like them. He had been there since the newbie phase, had his fair share of screwups, and eventually decided that shooting stuff wasn’t for him. In the end, he became a Lifestyle Profession player.

“Those guys are impressive...” Zhang Hai said with genuine admiration. “In just one year, they’ve gotten to the point where they can command operations involving thousands of troops.”

Old White smiled. “You’re not tempted to try it for yourself?”

Zhang Hai sighed, “I’ll pass. I’m too old for that now.”

“What’s there to be scared of? It’s just a game... Come on, how old are you in real life anyway?”

“Not telling you.”

“Oh come on! Are you shy?”

“Doesn’t matter. Let the young ones take over, it’s good for them! Haha!”

Neither knew each other in real life. However, Old White had a hunch that guy had been in the military, or at least something similar. The calm, the discipline, the way he moved spoke volumes of his experience. And unlike Old White, that guy had probably left the service long ago. He seemed well-adjusted to a quiet life.

Before long, the two bowls of beef noodles were placed on the table.

Chen Yutong eagerly picked up the chopsticks, but then paused. She stared around in confusion. “How do I use these?”

“I’ll show you.” Old White demonstrated patiently.

True to her Academy background, Chen Yutong only needed to watch once before quickly mastering the chopsticks.

“Incredible... So this is how you eat?”

Watching her take her first bite, Old White smiled. “Is it good?”

“

Mm

! Super... delicious!” Chen Yutong nodded in excitement.

She couldn’t find the right adverb to describe her heartfelt joy, so she just puffed her cheeks and carefully slurped up more noodles, blowing on them before slurping more up.

Seeing her eagerness, wanting to eat fast but afraid of burning herself, Old White couldn’t help but smile.

Behind the stall, Zhang Hai grinned and waggled his eyebrows.

“So... How’d you two meet, huh? Come on, tell me.”

“How about I tell your sister?” Old White rolled his eyes and slapped a bill down on the table.

“Check, please.”

“Dude, seriously? Still using paper money in this day and age? Can’t you just transfer it?”

“I like having small change. It’s useful.”

Zhang Hai was about to ask, but he glanced at Chen Yutong and seemed to get it. He nodded in understanding and went to the drawer to get change.

The New Alliance only issued paper bills in denominations of 100s. Everything else was in coins. For players used to digital payments, finding small change could be a hassle.

Still, Zhang Hai managed to count out the exact amount in silver coins and laid them on the counter.

Curious, Chen Yutong asked, “What’s this?”

Old White smiled and explained, “Money. It’s our currency. You use it to exchange for goods. Like this bowl of noodles. It’s only 4 silver coins... You guys have GP, right?”

Chen Yutong hesitated, then shook her head. “GPs aren't tradable. They can only be used on the Academy’s official digital platforms... How do you use this?”

She didn’t fully understand the difference between trading and using, but Old White didn’t dwell on it.

His top priority was helping her adapt to her new life. Looking at Chen Yutong’s puzzled face, Old White said with a smile, “It’s simple. I’ll teach you in a bit.”