Chapter 690.2: The Incoming Storm |
Yet no matter how many times he looked at them, he could not suppress his admiration and astonishment.
What kind of harsh, brutal living environment could possibly give birth to an engineering exoskeleton so concise and efficient, one that somehow combined bulkiness with agility?
After hearing his question, Ample Time gave a light cough. “No, this was designed by the residents of Shelter 100.”
The creativity of Shelter 404’s residents was mostly focused on wild ideas.
Engineering equipment that had already crossed into the realm of science fiction was still a bit too far ahead for players whose upper limit of knowledge remained grounded in reality.
After hearing Ample Time’s explanation, the expression on Zhou Zhehui’s expression grew even more astonished.
“They joined you as well? Shelter 100?”
“More or less… you know them?”
Zhou Zhehui shook his head and said awkwardly,
After a pause, he asked curiously, “What kind of people are they? Are they like the residents of Shelter 70?”
Ample Time’s expression turned somewhat strange. “There’s quite a big difference… a lot happened to them, and in the end, the people who survived turned themselves into androids.”
Zhou Zhehui froze for a moment, then after a long while offered a vague assessment. “That… that’s truly unfortunate.”
Ample Time shrugged. “Every family has its own unspeakable hardships.”
Although most NPCs in Wasteland Online held reservations about whether AI could be equated with humans, most players actually took a more open stance. He was no exception, if anything, his view was even more open than most.
After all, it was a game. Whether an NPC was defined as AI or defined as a real human, weren’t they all AI to people in the real world?
What’s more, the AI technology in the game had advanced to the point of being indistinguishable from reality.
Unless one deliberately dwelled on deep philosophical questions, he had long grown accustomed to treating those NPCs, each with only a single life, as real people.
Zhou Zhehui let out a soft sigh. “If I ever get the chance, I would really like to talk with them, whether about academics or about ourselves… though I don’t know how much of their human qualities they retained after becoming androids. Discussing humanity’s future with AI always feels a bit strange.”
“I feel they’re actually not that different from humans. You might get along quite well,” Ample Time said, then paused and gave a light cough in reminder. “So… about the modification.”
Only then did Zhou Zhehui snap back to the topic. He smiled apologetically and quickly steered the conversation back to technical matters.
“I’ve taken a look. There’s no major issue. Their sealing design is already excellent, we just need to redesign the gas exchange system… Give me a week, maybe even just three days. I’ll get you an improved proposal as soon as possible.”
Hearing that it could be done so quickly, Ample Time’s face immediately lit up with delight, and he said with a smile, “Then I’ll be counting on you! By the way, what do you think we should call this improved model? I’ll need a name when I put together the budget.”
Clearly, the NPC wasn’t very good at naming things. He scratched the back of his head and thought for quite a while. Just then, his gaze happened to fall on the nearby beach, where he saw several players straining to drag ashore a mutated sea crab nearly two meters tall.
Inspiration burst forth instantly, not only for the name of the equipment, but also for many more design details. His eyes shone as he looked at Ample Time. “Since it’s an amphibious engineering unit, let’s call it the Crab-class exoskeleton!”
…
Ever since the players of French Fry Harbor reached an agreement with the Federation patrols, the two sides had enjoyed several days of peaceful coexistence.
Although nothing particularly dramatic had happened during this time, the changes at French Fry Harbor were anything but small. With the addition of Coral City’s engineers, the settlement was transforming at a visibly rapid pace.
Under the leadership of an engineer named Li Shihao, the construction teams responsible for the port quickly threw themselves into the harbor works.
At the same time, with the assistance of the Electric Ray drones, the underwater freshwater pipeline from French Fry Harbor to Ring Island had already advanced 10 nautical miles.
As everything happened, the Bull and Horse Group’s airship made another trip to Dawn City.
It brought not only 50 newly completed Electric Ray drones, but also a batch of port-specific equipment subcontracted from factories in Boulder Town.
No matter how little confidence Ring Island’s governor, Channing , had in the small fishing village on the northern shore of the Baiyue Strait, he had to admit that the water pipeline really could serve as an alternative to desalination plants, resolving the island’s urgent domestic and industrial water shortages.
What made it impossible for him to refuse, in particular, was the price offered by the Baiyue Strait Development Company.
Each cubic meter of tap water cost only 0.8 silver and 1,000 cubic meters cost 800 silver, with construction and maintenance of the pipeline entirely borne by Baiyue Strait Development Company.
800 silver was only the price of four LD-47 rifles. The average Ring Island resident used only about 400 cubic meters of water per year, less than the cost of two assault rifles when converted. The expense was even lower than before the power station was destroyed!
Once the price of freshwater dropped, it wouldn’t just mean that Ring Island’s residents no longer had to endure the frugal life of bathing once a week. It would also revive a whole range of industries that had shut down due to rising water costs, and turn food production, previously dependent on subsidies, back into a profitable enterprise.
Having easily calculated the figures, Channing signed the contract with Baiyue Strait Development Company. almost without hesitation, and signed for ten years in one go.
As for the side of the Baiyue Strait Development Company, although the deal looked thin on profit at first glance, it was unquestionably a good long-term investment.
After all, the Baiyue Province’s freshwater resources were virtually limitless, transporting water to the islands required no particularly advanced technology, and pipeline maintenance costs were negligible.
In other words, once the pipeline was built, they could practically lie back and rake in money. More than that, with the faucet firmly in their grasp, French Fry Harbor would be tightly bound to the South Archipelago Federation!
They would make local survivors believe that they had come to solve problems, not to bring destruction and disaster to their land.
In addition to the economic-focused construction projects, the New Alliance’s military base and logistics warehouses on the northwestern high ground of French Fry Harbor were also completed one after another.
At present, the site served as a garrison for the Burning Corps and the Jungle Corps, and in the future might host other units dispatched to the area.
Beyond that, players also deployed simple watchtowers and beachhead positions equipped with machine guns and grenade launchers along the higher ground on both sides of the southern coast of French Fry Harbor, guarding against potential threats along the shoreline.
The investigation into the ruins of the power station had served as a wake-up call for the players.
The Torch Church might already have cultivated aquatic aberrations controlled by neural interference devices, creatures capable of moving beneath the sea. The danger they faced came not only from the rainforest ahead, but also from the beach behind them.
French Fry Harbor resembled a massive, busy construction site. From beneath the sea to the shoreline, and all the way to the nearby rainforest, the clanging and banging of work echoed almost nonstop from morning till night.
As for the Dolphin anchored near the port and the Coral City residents on shore, the Federation sailors honored their agreement by turning a blind eye and deliberately pretending not to see them.
As compensation for this willful blindness, Baiyue Strait Development Company paid them an extra bonus every month.
Muda’s initial reaction to the money, money that looked suspiciously like a bribe, had been firm refusal. He had agreed to help the Dolphin’s crew evade pursuit not for money, but purely out of conscience and a sense of justice.
In the end, however, Ample Time managed to persuade him to accept the payment, money that reassured both sides, and placed it into the hands of the upright patrol captain.
“… Just consider it compensation for helping us patrol,” Ample Time said. “We’re busy with construction and don’t have time to keep an eye on the surroundings. If it’s not too much trouble, you could expand your patrol range another 100 nautical miles westward? If pirates or marauders get close, give us a heads-up.”
After a pause, Ample Time continued, “And even if you don’t want the money, you should think about your men. They’re taking risks by following you in this.”
Staring at the stack of bills in his hand, Muda remained silent for a long time before letting out a bitter smile. “Does this mean I’m getting paid twice?”
Ample Time smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “Think of it as a side job. Doesn’t that make it feel a little better?”
Muda gave the man, who was drawing him ever deeper into this, one long look, said nothing more, and stuffed the money into his coat.
Just as he was about to head back to the speedboat, he suddenly remembered something and spoke up. “Oh, right, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Ample Time asked, “What is it?”
As if hesitating over whether to say it, Muda paused briefly, then finally spoke. “There’s a naval patrol exercise the day after tomorrow, near the waters off North Island. Patrol units from all the islands will be participating.”
Ample Time raised an eyebrow with interest. “And?”
Muda said with a complicated expression, “There’s something very unusual. The Federation’s Ministry of Finance hasn’t made any arrangements for duty assignments in the patrol zones that day, nor have they mentioned whether the Federation Navy will temporarily take over patrol duties…”
Ample Time laughed. “So we won’t be caught smuggling that day?”
Muda shot him a look. “Don’t push it.”
“Just joking. We’re all law-abiding good people who only do legitimate business,” Ample Time said, putting away his smile and looking at him seriously. “Thanks. This intel is very important to us.”
Someone was planning to draw the Federation patrols away from these waters!
It seemed something was going to happen that day, something not meant for others to see.
Especially not for the Southern Archipelago Federation.
Pulling his gaze away from Ample Time, Muda looked out at the turbulent sea in the distance, his expression heavy. “I was just thinking, it might be that the Federation Navy is planning a surprise inspection of a patrol zone. But doing it this way feels a bit too deliberate. Whether we’re under suspicion or not, you’d better move that submarine farther away over the next couple of days.”
Ample Time nodded solemnly. “Understood. I’ll arrange it right away.”