Chapter 513.1: The Risk

Early November.

Winter had arrived on the East Coast. Although it hadn’t snowed like the year before, the overcast sky was weighed down with thick clouds.

For the residents of Ideal City, it was without question a day of sorrow.

Their heroes had ultimately not returned home.

After such a long, drawn-out wait, the final outcome was one that many simply couldn’t accept.

At the press conference venue, the spacious hall was packed wall to wall with people. Journalists from every major outlet had gathered.

Although Wu Changnian, deputy head of the Enterprise Management Group, had just gotten off a plane, rumors had already swept through the city two days earlier. By the time he was still dozing mid-flight, people on the ground had already scheduled his entire itinerary after landing.

With some time left before the conference began, the crowd murmured in low, hushed voices.

"We spent billions, fought a war out there... and this is what we got?"

"We have no idea what the Highest Council is thinking."

"What could they think? By the time our people arrived, they had already been gone for months."

"Sigh."

"What’s got me more concerned is the Enlightenment Society."

"Yeah, that memory replacement thing... It gives me the creeps."

"Are they really affiliated with the blue coats?"

"Let’s hope the shelters in Cloud Province haven’t been infiltrated by them."

"We shouldn’t pin our hopes on hope itself. The Highest Council needs to ensure these people aren’t anywhere near us!"

The whispers grew louder.

People weren’t just upset about Pioneer returning empty-handed, billions in investment wasted, and tens of billions more in sunk costs.

What really haunted most people was the chilling thought of the Enlightenment Society.

If everything one worked for could one day be stolen, then what was the point of creating anything?

No one could accept coming home after work only to be greeted by a pair of unfamiliar eyes, or being quietly replaced by someone lurking in the shadows.

5,000 kilometers wasn’t all that far, and there were always ways to make their way over.

Meanwhile, in the room beside the hall, Wu Changnian who had just landed and had been whisked away to the venue, hadn’t even drank a sip of water before heading to the stage.

His secretary jogged after him, trying to dissuade him.

"At least take a seat and rest for a minute!"

"No need. I’ve rested long enough on the plane. From the Great Desert, to the Lion Kingdom, to Dawn City, and now here... There’s still a Highest Council meeting this afternoon. I have to finish the press conference first... This is the task the Highest Council entrusted to me."

Wu flipped open his holographic notepad and glanced at his schedule for the day as his scalp tingled.

He was just a deputy head, and the amount of work truly exceeded his expectations. But the sudden pile of work might not be a bad thing.

It could be a sign. Perhaps, before long, he would climb even higher in his career!

With that thought, his tired expression brightened with renewed vigor. He may have just ‘gone for a tour’, but technically, he had been to the front lines. He was a battlefield-hardened man.

"The reporters out there look pretty aggressive. They won’t let you off easy," the secretary added with a bitter smile.

"Then let them come at me!" he replied, pushing open the door.

Lights flashed instantly.

Wu Changnian had barely stepped onto the stage before a swarm of camera drones zipped over, forming a neat arc around him. Then came the barrage of questions.

"Mr. Wu, how would you evaluate the rescue mission?"

"Deputy Head Wu, the Pioneer Project cost countless resources and sent our best people into the wild, only to return empty-handed. Do you consider this a waste of resources?"

"Has the Highest Council released a statement regarding this?"

"Will Silver Wing Corporate Group’s stock hit affect its seat in the Highest Council?"

"We heard only one person was rescued, and it just so happens he’s the son of Silver Wing Corporate Group’s CEO and a member of the Highest Council. Was there favoritism when it came to the rescue mission?"

"Should we ramp up intervention into shelter factions...?"

"Enough! Quiet!"

Wu Changnian’s powerful shout thundered through the room, silencing the chaos in an instant.

Taking a deep breath, he continued, voice slower and calmer. "All of you are asking more questions than the bullets I dodged. I understand you have concerns. Captain Lu Yang’s video will answer some of them. We’ll upload the full footage to Endpoint Cloud and preserve it in the museum for public access. But before that, listen to what I have to say."

He paused, his tone turning somber.

"Today... I want to tell a sad story."

"A group of brave young men set out with dreams. They crossed plains, forests, mountains, and deserts, not in search of wealth, land, or conquest, but chasing a legend passed among us. An ideal retold for a century but never verified."

"Our civilization had stagnated. We feared the wasteland while dreaming of an all-powerful savior lying dormant in Shelter 0, hoping to find paradise. But if no one dared go and look, we would never let go of that childish dream."

"What he did was incredible. Even if he suspected the outcome would be far from perfect, he still did what he believed he had to do. If he felt no regret till the very end, then if you ask me if I regret, if I feel remorse, my answer is no."

"I will never regret letting him do what he did!"

His voice rang firm, his gaze sharp.

Standing there, he no longer looked like a middle-aged man in his 40s or 50s. Even the lines on his face seemed rejuvenated with youth.

"Even if only one person returned... Even if no one did, this mission was never meaningless to us!"

"What is more precious than gold is trust. We kept our promise. We will never abandon a single citizen stranded outside. To those who doubted us, we’ve shown our resolve. Along the journey, we forged valuable friendships..."

"Most importantly, we showed our courage!"

Gazing past the camera drones, Wu Changnian saw the faces behind them, and beyond that, the towering skyline of Ideal City through the tall windows.

"We have not shamed our ancestors. The people of Shelter 6 and the crew of the colony would be proud of our choice."

"We are worthy heirs of heroes!"

Applause erupted.

First a light drizzle, then it became a thunderstorm.

Even reporters who had prepared tough questions felt their hearts stirring and couldn’t help but join in.

For once, the applause wasn’t for anyone on stage, it was for themselves.

In the nearby lounge, Night Ten clapped and muttered under his breath, not hiding a hint of cynicism. "Man, he really knows how to talk."

He clearly remembered how many of those people had been ready to give up. From his point of view, if it hadn’t been for the administrator holding firm and promising to end the war within the year, their press conference might’ve been an announcement about the Pioneer’s disappearance.

Incidentally, he had hitched a ride to Ideal City on Wu Changnian’s plane.

He wasn’t the only one. Old White, Gale, Escaping Mole, and others too.

Standing beside him, Ample Time chuckled and patted Night Ten’s shoulder.

"Stop being an annoying little rat. That guy’s a representative of the Highest Council. If he doesn’t say those things, what else is he supposed to say?"

Night Ten thought for a moment, trying to find more fault with Wu Changnian. "He could’ve at least highlighted our contribution a bit more."

"Our contributions don’t need words to validate them. People will remember us for what we did. The things you have to repeat aren’t the ones that matter." Ample Time smiled, then turned to Old White and Gale. "Come with me, I’ll show you what I’ve been working on these past few months."

Soon, the group took the elevator to the lookout point on the top-floor.

Night Ten glanced around and saw nothing. He quickly joked, "Don’t tell me this rooftop is your big project that you have been working on for the entire month..."

Ample Time said nothing, checked his watch, then looked toward the Council Building in the center of Ideal City.

"There."

Just as he spoke, vibrant lights formed a bucket of fried chicken and a large cup of dark soda on the side of the building.

To people in the real world, where cultural exchange was common, it was nothing novel. But to Ideal City’s citizens, it was a spectacle.

Lines of slogans flickered across the display.

[WFC’s first store is now open! Exotic flavors await you!]

[Store Location: ...]

At first, Night Ten didn’t understand. After turning on his VM for translation, he nearly burst out laughing.

"

Pfft

! WFC? That’s such an ancient meme."

"Yeah, it’s an old one..." Gale couldn’t help but comment.

"Hah, guess I’m not young anymore either." Ample Time laughed.

Old White quipped with a smile, "Good grief, you're bringing real-world stuff into the wasteland?"

"It’s just something that works well together," Ample Time grinned, tapping the bridge of his nose. "Fried chicken and cola are just the first test. Then comes steamed buns, scallion pancakes, dumplings, and ready made meals. The proposal includes brands like Mr. Millet... We’re planning to establish a culturally enriched food matrix from the New Alliance here in Ideal City."

"Our job is to handle standards and quality control. Local stores will operate via franchising with local food companies, producing and selling on site. So far, this model suits us best."

After all, the New Alliance couldn’t send too many workers there. It would be hard for them to integrate and might even threaten local jobs.

So Ample Time’s plan was always to only export ideas and branding. Once fried chicken carried the label of the New Alliance, the citizens of Ideal City would associate that savory crunch with a New Alliance-run store.

If business went well, Moonlike Group could open up a billion-credit market for their Bull and Horse Club in Ideal City.

And once the market opened and residents embraced Dawn City culture, even player-run shops could start popping up.

Everyone would benefit.

It was a clear win-win.

Listening to Ample Time’s business pitch, Night Ten was completely lost. After scratching his head for a while, he gave up.

Of all the people he knew, Ample Time was one of the few who could play the game that way.

Night Ten knew it wasn’t his thing and he happily let it go, leaving it all to his good brothers.

After explaining their commercial plans, Ample Time turned his attention to Night Ten, smiling with interest. "By the way, I heard from Old White, you’ve been getting close to an Academy’s Researcher lately? What’s going on with that?"

He’d always been intrigued by that swamp-dwelling Academy. Rumor had it they had even more advanced technology than the Enterprise, but very little ever leaked into the Wasteland.

According to official lore, if anyone wanted top-tier gear, they would have to pry open the Academy’s doors.

Maybe Night Ten was the key.