Chapter 617 The Price of Becoming Stronger (1/2)

The coldest month of January has passed, and the sunshine in February has brought a touch of warmth. It is no longer as cold as when winter first entered, like immersing people in cold water.

Jinhe City hasn't had a few flakes of snow all winter, and I guess there won't be any backlash when the snow melts, but I still feel a little uneasy, after all, I won't have the blessing of receiving fruit in the future.

If it hurts anywhere, no church will care about them.

Fortunately, the gray-green fog finally cleared away, and the steel monster floating in the sky also disappeared.

Hammer couldn't help but wonder, could that musty-smelling fog be brought by that guy?

Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain why the fog came as soon as the guy came.

And as soon as that guy left, the fog also left...

At this time, the bell outside the window rang on time, followed by a long crowing like a rooster.

"gather--!"

That was the shout of the team leader.

A tall and thick-set man came out with gongs and drums, beating them and shouting at the top of his lungs.

Not only men were shouting, but also women, old people, and a half-year-old child were shouting.

Although the contents of the shouts were different, the tone was the same urgent.

Hearing the bells and shouting outside, Hammer ignored his wife and children, quickly got dressed and hurried out the door. Under the urging and scolding of the team leader, he hurriedly stood in line to assemble.

Since the arrival of the new city lord, he has brought new rules to this settlement.

It turns Singularity City into "squares". Ten people are in groups, ten groups are in one team, and ten teams are in one district. Men, women, children and the elderly all have their own organizations, and their jobs include farming, construction, Resource gathering, crafting, learning and more.

In short, each district has its own production tasks, and the tasks will be delegated level by level, with each level being more specific. From a general building zoning, to a specific window or door of a building, from a piece of farmland, to a specific area of ​​what to grow on a certain acre of land.

The performance appraisal is the same. The city leader inspects the results of the district chief, the district chief inspects the team leader, the team leader checks the team leader, and the team leader supervises the other nine people in the team.

If the production tasks in a certain district do not meet the standards, the material rationing in the district will be reduced to one level, and the living standards of everyone in the district will drop overall. The district chief will then review the responsibilities of each team in the district and assign responsibilities and penalties one level at a time. decentralization, determine which team the problem lies with, and then lower the living standards of this team by one level.

And so on.

Therefore, although the living standards set by the city lord only have three levels, the differences are actually divided into 3*3*3 levels.

In a sense, this is also a system of sitting together.

If one person is lazy, ten people will be punished together, so nine people will hate the lazy guy, and no one wants to be the unlucky one who is hated.

However, although there are surprisingly many rules and regulations in Singularity City, the selection of managers is ridiculously random.

I still remember that when it was time for personnel numbering, everyone was still wondering what the new rules meant. The new city owner suddenly said that he wanted to be a manager and stepped out. Then Hammer saw the original supervisors on the farm immediately stood up. come out.

The first person to stand up became the team leader.

Finally, these people elected the captain and district chief through methods unknown to Hammer.

When he thought about that time, he couldn't help but regret why he didn't dare to take the initiative to stand in line. When he saw the supervisors stretching out their legs, he retracted his originally stretched out legs.

If he stretched his legs faster, maybe he would become a team leader?

Then it's time for him to tell others to get up.

…

As soon as the six o'clock bell rang, all the houses in Singularity City were empty.

The families immediately broke into pieces and formed teams amidst the shouts. Under the leadership of the team leader, they rushed to the team to assemble.

In addition to the 8 hours of sleep, the rest of the day, whether working or resting, will be carried out in the organization.

Although this management model breaks up the family members, because they all have unified routines and schedules, management does not seem chaotic.

You don’t have to worry about someone not cooperating.

The rationing of materials is not distributed on a family basis, but is entirely allocated uniformly by the organization. It is impossible to take the rations home to support the family.

It's okay to bring the clothes you give out to your family, but they can only be worn at home.

After all, once you leave the house, you must be in the group. If you are seen and reported by other people in the group, both the giver and the recipient will be punished.

Whistleblowers will receive additional rewards.

It is not difficult to report violations. You can report directly to the patrol drone without going through the team leader.

At 6:20, the staff of each group gathered together and began jogging in circles to warm up. After the exercise, it was time for dinner.

Breakfast is usually a bowl of hot porridge. After eating, work officially starts at seven o'clock.

Some people carried axes and saws to cut down the Camu forest outside the wall where Nago was planted, and used flame weeders to clear the land in preparation for the upcoming spring plowing.

Others are busy working on construction sites, building public facilities and new dormitories.

No one is lazy.

On the one hand, he wanted to perform well in front of his new owner, but on the other hand, no one wanted to live on two croissant potatoes and a length of egg white paste as long as his middle finger.

Although the standard of living in the middle range is also very monotonous, the potato chips will be replaced by potatoes or rice, the menu will also add a boiled vegetable, and a piece of protein paste as long as the middle finger will be replaced by 100 to 300 grams. Meat.

Yes.

There is meat!

Not to mention the residents of Hope Town, who had a good life in the past, the liberated serfs all worked hard.

Kong Lingkai, on the other hand, had a frown on his face and kept complaining at the construction site.

How could he have done such physical work after spending his whole life in fine clothes?

He had begun to regret coming here with the residents of Hope Town, and he kept cursing Ma Hechang in his heart for deceiving him to come here.

It's a pity that I can't leave anymore.

In order to gain the alliance's protection and new power, he took the initiative to hand over his servants and property to the new city lord, but he didn't expect that all he got in exchange was a shabby house and a serial number.

Not even a silver coin.

Later, he learned dumbfoundedly from the guards on duty that this was just Singularity City, not the Alliance at all, and naturally they would not compensate him according to the laws of the Alliance.

The guard told him that he could leave at any time, but there was no way he could leave.

It’s a wasteland outside!

He can't even do any important work. If he goes to the wasteland, he won't even be able to leave any bones and dregs!

Ma Hechang, who also came from Hope Town, had the same gloomy face. He was out of breath from holding the bricks, and his shoulders and arms hurt as if they had been picked.

He thought that the sincere example he had set was enough to gain the trust of the alliance, but he didn't expect that they didn't care at all, not to mention giving him any privileges and care, not even a slightly better treatment.

Not only that, those guys didn't even look down on his ability to manage people. They would rather use those who were quick than pay attention to him, the mayor who once managed a town with a thousand households!

It's really a hot face against a cold butt!

Ma Hechang cursed resentfully in his heart, but there was nothing he could do.

After all, the barrel of the gun is in the hands of the person. Now that he is here, he can only suffer...

Looking at the bustling settlement in front of her, Yinyin stood at the door of the manor with surprise written all over her face.

She has lived on the farm for so long and has never seen everyone so enthusiastic about working.

"Did we come to the wrong place..." She murmured quietly.

Sun Eclipse, who was standing aside and holding her little hand, had the same surprise on his face.

But the reason for surprise is completely different.

It's more like a prison than a settlement.

It now seems to know what Mr. Kang Le is worried about...

This guy has indeed been observing various settlements in the alliance, and has also been conducting serious sociological research to find a management model suitable for wastelanders.

But it was probably observing the Alliance prisoner-of-war camp as some kind of special gathering place...

"Ah, Eclipse, you're finally back!" Noticing the killer whale transport plane parked in front of the settlement's gate, Hanshuang, wearing a maid outfit, stepped forward with a smile.

Its smile shone with satisfaction, especially when its eyes fell on Yin Yin beside Sun Eclipse.

"How's it going? Are you satisfied with your new body?"

Yinyin nodded and whispered politely.

"Thanks."

Some time ago, she followed Eclipse to Ideal City, and underwent a transplant at a hospital affiliated to the Kangmao Group. The bionic wafers that stored her consciousness were transplanted into a new body tailor-made for her.

Although he changed from a human to a bionic person, it seems that there is no difference from before.

On the contrary, it is more convenient.

After a few days of adapting, she not only slowly discovered that she had mastered this new body, but also gradually discovered her new abilities -

She can sense the existence of other crystals and the thoughts of those who have bionic crystals implanted like her, and use their thoughts to form a wider space through resonance.

That space was wider than the pure white room she had stayed in before.

That seems to be where Luo Gan stayed before.

Although I don't know why he did this, he seemed to give it all to her.

Yinyin has already told Chen Yutong about this matter. Although she doesn't know what the use of this ability is yet, it may come in handy in the future.

"You don't have to be polite, I should say thank you," Hanshuang squatted in front of Yinyin, held her right hand, and said with a smile, "Believe me, this is just the beginning, the singularity of the future. The city will be better!”

Yinyin blushed and nodded.

She didn't understand those difficult things, and her eyes were always fixed on the dress Han Shuang was wearing.

Finally unable to hold back her curiosity, she asked in a low voice.

"What kind of skirt is this?"

"Ah, tell me this," Hanshuang let go of her hand and stood up, turning around in a circle, smiling and lifting up the ankle-length skirt, "This is a work of art designed by Tengteng House. It is in Dawn City. But it’s very popular! Isn’t it awesome?”

Of course, this one is not the only one that is popular, there are many varieties and styles.

But according to her meticulous observation, when she wears this dress, the rate of turning heads is the highest.

Looking at the beautiful ruffles, Yin Yin nodded with envy.

"Amazing……"

Hanshuang raised the corners of her lips proudly.

"Human creativity is endless, and letting them engage in repetitive tasks is simply a waste of their creativity. One day I will free them from heavy obligations to engage in more meaningful things."

Yinyin looked vaguely understanding, but the love and envy in her eyes were genuine.

It is human nature to appreciate beautiful things. If possible, she would also like to try it on.

I just don’t know if there is a size that suits me.

"...Can I try too?"

Hanshuang smiled and nodded.

"Of course, it's a pity that I only have this one. But it doesn't matter. The difficulty is temporary. Sooner or later, we can make everyone here wear it!"

Everyone wears it?

Yinyin was stunned for a moment. She always felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't put it in words, so she tilted her head unconsciously.

Sun Eclipse pinched her chin thoughtfully and suddenly spoke.

"So...what exactly is creativity you keep saying?"

Hanshuang smiled and answered immediately.

"Of course it is people's pursuit of beautiful things! Because the subject is human, this is an ability that bionic people do not have, and it is also an ability that only humans can have."

The expression on Eclipse's face became even more confused.

"But I have seen the work schedule you set. You have arranged all the time for them. Do they still have time left to pursue that kind of thing?"

There was a confident and charming smile on Hanshuang's face.

"These are all small problems! The 'pursuit of beautiful things' is also part of the plan. I will urge them to pursue it when the time is right!"

Eclipse looked at it blankly.

This time, Yin Yin was not the only one who tilted her head, even she couldn't help but do the same.

It suddenly felt that it was not only humans who were difficult to understand, but also its own kind...

…

"Survivor Daily·Page 7"

[...After a period of adaptation, the survivors of Singularity City finally led an orderly life under the management of androids. The influence of nago, plague and religious forces are slowly being eliminated from this land.

The acting city owner of Singularity City welcomed all caravans to trade in Singularity City. There is an unlimited supply of high-quality rubber and cotton, and there is an urgent need for chemical fertilizers, high-yielding seeds, farming-related machines, and various industrial consumer goods.

Regarding the follow-up situation of Singularity City, this newspaper will continue to follow up and report for you.

——Writer Dolly]

Boulder City, Pirate Bay Tavern, although it is 8 o'clock in the morning, the place is already bustling with people.

The bearded man flipped through the newspaper in his hand, grinning and smacking his tongue.

"It's great. They get everything without having to do anything. Food, shelter, clothing, androids to take care of their daily life, and even a railway."

Hearing his strange tone with a hint of complaint, the drunkard sitting at the next table drinking said with a smile.

"How can you say that? Everything in this world has a price, and they have obviously paid the most expensive price."

The bearded man curled his lips.

"The price? I didn't see it."

The drunkard let out a long belch and pointed to the beer glass on the table.

"The price - it's this, the right to drink at eight o'clock in the morning, the right to go to bed whenever you want."

The people around him were stunned at first, and then burst into laughter.

Especially the man with the beard smiled the most exaggeratedly, and the beer foam even got on his beard.

"We should send this bastard in! He'll be able to kick his drinking habit!"

After hearing the joke, the drunkard grabbed the wine glass on the table and shouted.

"Dream on, you can kill me, but don't let me give it up!"

The crowd burst into laughter again.

"I testify! This guy definitely does what he says!"

"After all, that's how his wife was scared away by him!"

"Hahaha!"

Here are all workers who have finished the night shift.

Business in the industrial area has been booming recently, with orders from factories increasing day by day, and the business of pubs and beer sales also getting better and better.

Boulder City currently implements the laws of the alliance, and the city owner is also the president of the workers' association. The eight-hour work system is strictly enforced. The bosses of the factories have to hire more workers in order to keep the assembly lines running 24 hours a day.

Originally, one adult and one child could keep an assembly line running 24 hours a day, but now those bosses have to pay three adults.

This rule frightened those guys at first, so much so that they didn’t even want to leave the factory. But at last they smelled the scent of silver coins again, and they all ran back dejectedly.

It turns out that missing two bottles of red wine won't really kill the bosses, and now residents of the entire Boulder City can afford to drink the wheaty beer.

Looking at the laughing old men, a polite-looking citizen looked at the newspaper and shook his head, sighing.

"...You all have no sense of crisis. Think carefully about what month it is now."

A drunken worker looked at him and smiled.

"February! I didn't drink much, so what's wrong?"

"Tide! You have all forgotten Tide!" the citizen muttered and complained, "I really hope Lovett can remember that we still have this big trouble, and don't just think about the railway order worth hundreds of millions of silver coins."

The Workers' Association had indeed done some good things recently, but he was always worried that those guys were a little too radical.

He is not opposed to moving closer to the alliance, which is good for the economy of Boulder City, but are these people too concerned about the interests of others?

At least now is a special period, and he thinks it would be better to be conservative.

The bearded man actually thought the same as him, but he disagreed with his timidity.

"Tide? What's there to worry about? Waves come every year, and we live like this every year."

The polite-looking citizen glanced at him.

"This year is different from previous years. We tore down the inner city and had to do everything on our own."

The bearded man laughed.

"Friend, you really know how to joke. When have we not relied on ourselves? Except when those cowards have worn patina on the power armor in the warehouse, have they ever rushed in front of us?"

Another cannery worker shouted in response.

"Yes, and we are united. The survivors in the entire southern part of the River Valley Province are united. No matter what happens, fewer people will die this year than last year!"

Looking at it this way, there are still benefits to moving closer to the alliance.

The wasteland is full of dangers, and the dangers are the same everywhere. Whether they are the residents of Boulder City or the residents of Singularity City, they are all survivors who have suffered in this wasteland. The more people unite, the safer they are. Looking down on each other will only make things worse. The wolves who were watching eagerly were proud.

Looking at the newspaper in his hand, the bearded man suddenly felt relieved again.

Being more active in southern affairs is actually not a bad thing.

Looking at these guys who had no sense of crisis, the gentle citizens sighed.

"But this year is different from previous years! This year is a warm winter! Don't you feel it at all? Look at the weather outside the window. The snow in Boulder City has never stopped so early."

This is indeed to the point.

They are indeed more united than before, but the difficulties they face this year are also different from before.

Everyone in the tavern looked at each other, not knowing what to say for a moment, and the atmosphere was slightly silent.

At this time, a word floated from the direction of the bar, breaking the silent atmosphere.

"The Heart of Steel has returned from the south. I don't think you need to worry about this."

Seeing that the atmosphere in the pub had cooled down slightly, the bartender who stood behind the bar and kept wiping his glass without speaking continued in a joking tone.

"I heard that the respected manager killed a ten-meter-tall giant with just a hammer. Have you ever seen a mutant taller than this?"

There are actually ten-meter-high slime mold fruiting bodies, and there are quite a few of them, but none of you here have ever been to the city center, so naturally you can't see them.

Everyone gasped.

"A ten-meter-tall giant?!"

"real or fake……"

"Isn't that...even more powerful than Bol!"

"Wait a minute, I seem to have heard about it... The Survivor Daily seems to have published that issue! That guy still has wings. I heard he is a mutant modified by the Torch, and he flew on the Heart of Steel with more than 10,000 descendants. , but the manager glared at me, and he knelt on the deck on the spot.”

"hiss……"

"Are you bragging?! How can there be such a mutant!"

"I'll go back and ask Sperger if he's met the manager!"

Looking at the noisy drunkards, Bai Shark's mouth curled up into a cheerful smile.

It's one of the fun things in life to watch stupid people spread rumors.

What's more, he also works part-time as an information dealer and an informant for the Guards Corps.

Only when the news spreads, will business come to your door.

Recently, there have been wastelanders from the north collecting information about the Manager, especially information about the Manager’s activities in the south.

The Bugla Free State appears to be increasingly interested in the Union as a neighbor.

Some are reporters there, and some are spies from the Firestone Group.

He usually collects money from both ends.

With the acquiescence of the Guards Corps, he used his network to provide some "watered-down" inside information to those guys who were snooping around, and at the same time, he provided clues about the activities of those guys who were snooping around to the Guards Corps.

The entire bar became lively again, but the topic changed from the South and the Wave to managers and mutants.

Most people here worship power more than clever and useful minds.

Ever since, at a time and place Chu Guang didn’t know, his popularity had risen again...

The man sitting in front of the bar remained silent and turned a deaf ear to the lively atmosphere around him. He looked at his watch from time to time.

His clothes are undoubtedly much flashier than those of the surrounding guests. His watch is imported from the Camelback Kingdom, the dial is inlaid with blood diamonds, and his leather shoes are made of Deathclaw leather.

Apparently he was a businessman and had considerable financial means.

Looking away from the lively tavern, Bai Shark, who was standing behind the bar, glanced at him and said softly.

"Don't worry, your daughter is fine...I already know it through my channels."

There are few tasks that Vault 404 personnel cannot complete.

They value tasks even more than their own lives, especially tasks that they value.

Like, saving an innocent girl from an evil lord.

Other mercenaries may consider selling the employer and the employer's family after weighing the difficulty and benefits of the task, but most of the blue coats will not do this.

"Thanks."

Yang Shu took a deep breath, drank a sip of ice-cold lemonade, was silent for a while and said, "I might... just don't know how to face her."

"That's your own flesh and blood, what's not to face?" White Shark said softly.

Yang Shu smiled bitterly.

It was precisely because they were his own flesh and blood that he felt guilty. He had made her bear too many things that she shouldn't have to bear, just for his own prosperity.

He actually knew very well in his heart that he gave birth to her just to make Zhao Tianqian feel at ease. He even made plans to "break up his family and destroy his family" before she was born.

But the moment she was born, the moment he truly became a father, the ice cubes originally flowing in his blood melted involuntarily...

She eventually became his weakness, and that was what hurt him the most.

100,000 silver coins was the bet he placed on the gambling table, and he was mentally prepared whether he won or lost.

Now he won the bet and the lamb was still alive.

But there was no excitement or joy in his heart, only deep guilt and fear.

At this time, wind chimes came from the door.

He subconsciously turned around and saw the person standing at the door, with a hint of excitement in his pupils.

Xiaoyang looked at his father, but hid behind Luo Yu as if he was afraid of strangers.

Luo Yu patted her hand gently, looked at the employer sitting in front of the bar, and smiled pretending to be relaxed.

"I brought your daughter back, but a lot of things happened in the meantime, which exhausted me to death."

"Thanks……"

Yang Shu looked at Luo Yu, who was the only one left, and his Adam's apple moved.

Originally he had a lot to say, so he made a special appointment to meet this benefactor, but after meeting him, he was speechless.

Looking at Yang Shu who was hesitant to speak, Luo Yu didn't know that he was feeling sorry for Xiao Yu's fruiting bodies. If he knew, he would definitely comfort him. Those things are like mushrooms and will grow out in a few days.

Feeling the gratitude, Luo Yu laughed heartily.

"You're welcome. I took the job as a mercenary, so I should be paid to do things. Besides, your daughter actually helped us a bit."

I heard that the Alliance's Biological Research Institute has developed a drug that can inhibit the growth of that hyphae through the antibodies in her blood.

This will help the survivors in Jinhe City get rid of the influence of Naguo faster.

Luo Yu was also very pleased with this result.

Hanshuang originally planned to retain a Naguo plantation to help the locals slowly withdraw from the disease and avoid collective illness, but now that there are alternative suppressive drugs, there is no need to retain the plantation.

Yang Shu looked at Bai Shark with some embarrassment, and the latter nodded with a smile.

"The moment this mercenary gentleman came in, the balance was already paid to him, or do you want to buy him a drink?"

Yang Shu looked at Luo Yu and said sincerely.

"Can I buy you a drink?"

Hearing this, Luo Yu quickly waved his hands and said with a smile.

"No, no, no, what's the point of drinking so early in the morning? I have a mission later. Besides, I won't get involved as an outsider when your father and daughter are reunited. The air here isn't very good, so you'd better take her outside for a walk. "

Yang Shu nodded gratefully.

"Thanks……"

Luo Yu scratched the back of his head with a helpless expression.

"I already said you're welcome."

However, he still felt a sense of accomplishment when he thought that his efforts could reunite the family.

As for the rest...

That's their own business.

…

Official website forum.

A message was updated on the home page.

["Operation Fire Fighting" has come to a successful conclusion, event rewards have been distributed to each player account, please pay attention to check. 】

[New threats are emerging, the wave of Qingquan City has begun to take shape, the aftermath of the three-year war has never ended, this will be a continuation of two centuries ago——]

[The new event will officially start in the spring. For more details, please pay attention to the official website announcement, so stay tuned! 】

The best performers in the entire event were undoubtedly the tough men of the Jungle Corps, followed by the Chimera armored vehicles of the Skeleton Corps.

The war machine with extremely violent aesthetics just hits the aesthetics of many players and cloud players.

Everyone is beginning to look forward to the new spring event, the annual wave.

In the entire Qingquan City, perhaps only the young players in Shelter 404 are so optimistic.

Not only are they not afraid of the waves coming after the warm winter, they even hope they will come more violently.

The mother body that is about to leave the nest does not know that it has made countless wastelanders fearful, and in the eyes of some blue coats, it has become a nian beast that can make gold coins.

There was a cheerful and lively atmosphere on the forum.

In addition to showing off the rewards from the previous event and predicting the content of the next event, the focus of Lezi people's attention is undoubtedly the Yeshi brothers.

Ye Shi discovered sadly that no matter what he said on the forum, it would go wrong.

Makabazi: "Hahahaha, isn't this Ye Shi? Brother, where is your brother?"

Taiyi: "Is it because I'm embarrassed? I think you should give a hint. (///ω///)"

Irena: "It's so terrifying. I didn't expect Miss Fujito to have such power. (Funny)"

Teng Teng: "?"

Big-eyed debtor: "You all wronged Brother Ye Shi, could it be that we simply didn't find him? (Funny)"

Ye Shi: "Get out! MMP! I'll reopen it now! (｀Δ´)!"

Drum hair washing machine: "No, brother, your equipment is so awesome, it would be a shame to reopen it. (Funny)"

This is indeed to the point.

Restarting is really not difficult, especially for veteran players who often restart.

The key is that it is difficult to let go.

Although there is one missing crime tool, the discharge ability is simply too strong!

It is no exaggeration to say that it is stronger than Brother Quan Shui's shield-equipped Water Arrow Turtle suit.

His hands are not only capable of electrocuting people, but they can also shoot out any conductor they pick up as an electromagnetic gun.

Yes.

Even silver coins are fine.

Take out all the silver coins in the vm, and he can even kill people with money.

Moreover, the arc released directly through the energy-concentrating capacitor can theoretically even break through the defense of the deflector shield!

The most outrageous thing is that even though most of the parts of his body have been replaced, his perception has not been weakened and his experience gain has not been affected much.

Fang Chang's speculation about this is that the perception attribute and the agility attribute are different and will not strengthen the optic nerve and olfactory nerve. In fact, it strengthens the brain's ability to process signals.

In other words, the perception system is similar to the intelligence system. As long as the brain is not modified, or only limited modifications are made, it will not have much impact on the experience gains.

Because the intensity was so outrageous, Feng Feng even wanted to switch heads with him.

Without hesitating for a second, Ye Shi refused without thinking.

Mole on the run in the canyon: "Based on the nature of general RPG games, hidden functions require favorability to unlock. How about you try to increase the favorability of the rich woman? Maybe she will install it for you on her own initiative? (Funny)"

Ye Shi: "Damn it, is it real or fake?!"

Mole on the run in the canyon: "How the hell do I know? You'll know if you try it yourself. (Funny)"

In fact, you can buy a wider variety of bionic parts with more fancy functions in Ideal City.

The only uncertainty is whether it is compatible with the prosthesis made by the academy.

But he thinks these are small things.

In "Wasteland OL", you only get one life every three days, so I'm worried that this might be too small.

I really need to use it urgently.

Not to mention installing one, installing several more is not a problem.