Chapter 517.2: We're Home

Pushing into the inner city would likely meet strong resistance. Doing it in the outer city might earn him a spanking from his father, but if it was outside the Great Wall, then there would be no problem.

A digital currency based on credit... Those bumpkins who had never seen the world would surely be blown away by his genius idea!

However, what vexed him was that these rich kids from Ideal City had no interest in what he said, and those businessmen dozing off with neural link devices had no intention of humoring him either.

His eyes searched the lounge for a while before finally landing on four guys playing cards in a corner. His eyes lit up, and he walked toward them.

At that moment, Night Ten had just drawn a good hand and was trying hard to manage his expression. Just then, a stranger's voice suddenly piped up from beside them. "Hello, nice to be on the same flight with you all. My name is Kishur, second son of the president of Boulder Town Bank." Trying not to sound too abrupt, he glanced at the cards on the table and curiously asked, "What are you playing? Mind if I join?"

"Poker... You can wait for the next round." Night Ten had no intention of dealing with the random NPC out of nowhere. He kept his eyes locked on Ample Time, who was about to look at his cards, hoping to read some kind of tell and then use his good hand to make a comeback.

To his disappointment, Ample Time didn’t look at his cards but instead turned his gaze to the man who had just spoken.

Second son of Boulder Town Bank’s president? That would make him... Elisa’s brother?

Ample Time looked slightly surprised.

What a coincidence...

Though come to think of it, he hadn’t been to Boulder Town in so long he had nearly forgotten about that NPC who had once asked him to look for a lost cat.

"My name is Ample Time... These are my friends." Out of politeness, Ample Time introduced himself, then went on to name each of his companions, including Night Ten.

Kishur stared at Ample Time for a moment, turning the name over in his mind. He felt like he’d heard it somewhere, but couldn’t place it.

But that didn’t matter!

Anyone who could get on this flight must be someone of note. Maybe he’d seen him in an ad or something.

With a radiant smile, Kishur stared at the young man in front of him. "I could tell the moment I saw you, you’re not ordinary!"

Ample Time replied with a smile. "So you're planning to repeat to me what you were telling those other people just now?"

Night Ten’s card skills were so bad he could still pay attention to the conversation while playing. He hadn’t expected the conman who had sneaked onto the flight to target him, nor had he expected him to be the son of Boulder Town Bank’s president.

If he wasn’t lying, that identity was no small matter.

"Since you already heard it, then I won’t repeat it," Kishur said in a hushed, excited voice. "So? Interested in joining me to revitalize Boulder Town? That market isn’t just made up of 500,000 people, it could influence the south of the River Valley Province, maybe even half of the Brocade River Province!"

Hearing that, a smile crept onto Ample Time’s lips.

Just as he was about to tease the guy for his bold assumptions, a thought suddenly struck him. He quickly composed a look of interest on his face. "Is that so... then tell me, how do you plan to revitalize Boulder Town?"

Seeing Ample Time look interested, Kishur couldn’t hide his excitement. "It’s simple! No, actually, not so simple, it’s just that no one has realized it yet, "

"

Shh

." Ample Time made a silencing gesture and interrupted him, pulling out a business card and handing it over.

"Something this important shouldn’t be discussed on a plane... Find me at this address after we land."

Kish was stunned for a second as he took the card. Without even looking at the address, he stared blankly at Ample Time. "You’ve... You’ve been to Clearspring City?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I’ve been there. It’s practically my second home," Ample Time said with a smile, looking at the dazed young man. "Heard of the Amplemoon Group? No? Then what about WFC?"

"That’s your companies?!" Kishur was stunned, but quickly recovered. "Wait, I heard they’re a subsidiary of the Moonlike Group!"

Of course he knew the company! He had even mentioned it in his last letter to his father!

Ample Time cleared his throat. "You’ve got a big misunderstanding of how equity works... but putting that aside, aren’t you curious where the 'Moon' in the Amplemoon Group comes from?"

The Amplemoon Group was a joint venture between their Bull and Horse Club and the Moonlike Group, though due to regulatory issues it was officially listed under the Moonlike Group.

As for why part of his name made up the name of the Amplemoon Group... Even Ample Time found it odd, but since the brothers didn’t mind, he just rolled with it.

After all, the Bull and Horse Club didn’t exactly sound appealing.

𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Kishur stared at him in disbelief.

"Don’t tell me..."

Seeing Kishur had clearly gotten the wrong idea, Ample Time gave a mysterious smile without explaining. He merely pointed at the business card in his hand. "Some things aren’t convenient to talk about in public... We’ll talk after we land."

Kish quickly shut up and nodded excitedly. "Right! Makes sense!"

Completely forgetting the game, Ample Time soon got caught up in a deep conversation with the NPC. The more they chatted, the more engrossed they became.

When Kishur found out that Ample Time had also studied at Cloudtop University like himself, he got so emotional he grabbed Ample Time’s hands, looking as if they were long-lost brothers.

Night Ten glanced at Old White sitting nearby. "So... I finally get what Ample Time meant by that saying."

Old White blinked. "What saying?"

"That one where I wear my cards on my face." Night Ten glanced at the two facedown cards on the table and sighed as he gathered them up. "These sneaky bastards are too much. I’m done. Let’s just play Landlord."

Gale nodded solemnly. "Agreed."

The flight from the East Coast to Dawn City was still in the air. The Heart of Steel, returning from the Great Desert, had already brought the glory of victory and its banners back to the New Alliance capital.

Chu Guang had rested on the airship overnight and descended with his little players in a pod at dawn.

Three days later, Dawn City would hold a grand celebration to welcome the expedition force’s return.

Though the official festivities had not yet begun, the streets were already brimming with a festive atmosphere.

To avoid disrupting daily life and to not dilute the joy of the celebration ahead of time, Chu Guang kept his return low-key. He even told Luca and the others not to come pick him up.

The Heart of Steel, flying the New Alliance’s flag, quietly docked at the edge of Elmwood District, without approaching the residential zones.

"Hahaha! I’m finally home!" Mosquito let out a triumphant howl, planting his feet firmly on the ground and striding excitedly toward the industrial zone.

The war was over! The age of the true Goblin Technology had finally arrived!

Compared to those efficient, user-friendly gadgets, he still preferred crafting interesting inventions.

A few newbies stood at the edge of a wheat field, gazing at the prosperous settlement in the distance with amazement on their faces.

"So this is Dawn City..."

"Incredible!"

"This is insane..."

House after house lined the land in neat disorder, with no trace of the wasteland aesthetic. White-painted red brick walls stood proud, and construction sites dotted the city outskirts, filled with the sound of hammering and clanging.

The closest structure to them was Dawn City’s train station.

The plaza in front had become a logistics hub. Merchants bustled to and fro, their shouting audible from afar. Huge wooden crates were stacked across the freight platform, and train cars awaiting dispatch formed a long queue...

None of that was especially surprising.

After all, any city in reality would be more developed than this.

What truly stunned them was that just a year ago, all of it had been overgrown wilderness. There were no buildings, no endless fields.

Every brick, every blade of grass here had been built by players who joined since version 0.1, together with the NPCs.

The impact of seeing it in person was far greater than anything a photo could convey.

Glancing at the clueless expressions around him, Darkest chuckled, "You guys look like you just arrived."

Lawless Madman scratched his head. "Uh, well, I did just get here... I respawned at Shelter 79 and got sent straight to the front lines."

He remembered clearly how, just after arriving, veteran players had conned him into becoming cannon fodder for an assault on the Army.

It was only later he found out from the forums that the ‘Pangolin’ they were hunting was actually one of theirs.

Beside him, Wakey Sleepy nodded in agreement. "Same here... It’s my first time back home."

Darkest’s eyes lit up as he slung an arm around both of their shoulders, grinning wildly. "Version 0.4 players, eh? Haha! Come on, I’ll show you the ropes."

Lawless Madman immediately grew wary. "What are you trying to do... I’m not doing anything illegal!"

Wakey Sleepy also looked suspicious. "Yeah! I’ve been queuing since before the New Alliance even formed! Don’t get me into trouble!"

Darkest rolled his eyes. "

Tsk

. Like I didn’t queue too... Relax. I’m just treating you to a bowl of ramen. What were you thinking? It’s morning!"

Oh. Just noodles.

Both of them immediately looked disappointed. What a letdown.

Watching the rowdy, laughing players arm in arm, Chu Guang’s face softened into a fatherly smile.

Many of the players who entered in Beta 0.4 had fought for the New Alliance, dying who knows how many times, but they still didn’t really know what the New Alliance was. They just thought it was part of the game’s setting.

But now, they would likely gain a deeper understanding, it was a home built by a group of people, and they fought not just for money or experience.

Still, even if his little players were beginning to understand the meaning of the New Alliance, Chu Guang preferred that they continued to enjoy the game with a light heart, without the burden of reviving civilization or uniting survivors.

That was his job.

Besides being the New Alliance’s administrator, he was also the lead designer of Wasteland Online.

Above all else, he hoped players could approach this game with joy. Because, like he had always said, it was meant to be a fun, casual game.

Shifting his gaze away from the players, Chu Guang smiled. "Let’s go. It’s time we headed off too."

Sitting on Chu Guang’s shoulder, Little Seven had been watching his face the whole time, chin resting on its hands.

Noticing a trace of melancholy, it assumed Chu Guang was feeling down because no one came to greet him. With renewed spirit, Little Seven encouraged him cheerfully. "It’s okay, Master! Little Seven will always be with you!"

Chu Guang froze for a second, then burst into laughter and tapped its little forehead with a finger.

"Yeah. I’m lucky to have you."

"Hehe." Little Seven beamed with satisfaction, swinging its legs happily.

Just as Chu Guang was wondering whether to grab breakfast at North Gate Market or go straight to the shelter for a check-up, a familiar figure approached from the distance...