Chapter 652 The Traitor in the North (1/2)

After all, we are old friends, so we can’t give less than outsiders, right?

Chu Guang originally thought so, but when he saw the acquisition proposal of 1 billion Cr, he was still stunned.

It's okay to buy it with money...

Are you the kind of person who can be bribed with money? !

In the conference room of the Alliance Building, Chu Guang and Yi Chuan were sitting in front of the round conference table.

Thinking that the manager thought the money was too little, Yi Chuan coughed dryly and continued in a lowered voice.

"The price can be negotiated... In addition, in addition to the amount on the table, we can also deposit a sum of money into your personal account privately."

This kind of situation is not uncommon in Yunjian Province. Many big shots in the settlements have bought mansions in Ideal City overlooking the sea of ​​clouds. Even outside the Yunjian Province, Boulder City, which is far away in Qingquan City in the River Valley Province and is not a partner at all, many big shots have sent their families there before.

It's just that because the two sides are too far apart, the so-called nobles in the settlements usually can't afford much Cr, and at most they can live a life similar to that of ordinary people in Ideal City.

The alliance is an important strategic partner of the enterprise, which is naturally not comparable to that of Boulder City.

The two parties signed a currency swap agreement a long time ago, and its strategic significance naturally exceeds that of the company's general partners in Yunjian Province.

At least in Yi Chuan's view, this was not a taboo that could not be discussed, but after hearing his hint, Chu Guang's expression became serious.

"Mr. Yi, how long have we known each other?"

Yi Chuan was stunned for a moment.

"It's been more than half a year...what happened?"

Chu Guang said sadly.

"Do you think I'm that kind of person?"

Seeing his expression, Yi Chuan was immediately dumbfounded.

Before this guy could speak, Chu Guang continued.

"Our alliance is indeed still lagging behind and cannot keep up with your prosperity, but I am willing to stay with my companions."

"Stop saying things like this that hinder unity in the future!"

Yi Chuan nodded dumbfounded.

"Sorry...I was presumptuous, but this is just a plan we provided, no offense intended."

Chu Guang sighed and continued.

"I understand that spending money is the easiest way to solve it. Problems that can be solved with gold coins are not problems, but what we are discussing now is a new thing that may determine the future of the planet under our feet... Let me ask another question Fa, will you sell immature products to customers?”

Yi Chuan shook his head subconsciously.

"Of course not."

Chu Guang looked at him and said sincerely.

"The same goes for us."

"We have opened up a new line in the research branch of mutant slime mold, and we have high hopes for it. We hope that it can end the wasteland, and hope that it will bring us a better and more harmonious future... In our imagination In this new world, mutant slime mold will no longer be used as a weapon, but as a medium that can help us understand ourselves and the universe.”

"Just because we have so much expectation placed on it, we don't want to burn ourselves prematurely while it's not perfect yet."

Yi Chuan nodded to express his understanding but couldn't help but ask.

"But... wouldn't it be more helpful to realize your dreams if more scholars and experts are involved?"

Guessing that he would say this, Chu Guang sighed and said.

"Yes, but we know very well that human nature is unreliable, and we must be wary of it being used for other purposes. Whether this is done with good intentions or malicious intentions, there may be unpredictable consequences... You should have seen it, Jin What has become of Sichuan province now?”

Yi Chuan looked at Chu Guang dumbly.

"Then...what form do you want the cooperation to take?"

"At least not in this way of buyout," Chu Guang gently pushed back the agreement on the table and continued, "I can tell you the bottom line here."

Yi Chuan nodded seriously.

"You say."

Chu Guang raised three fingers.

"First, the mother nest will not be transferred. 'Xiaoyu' must stay in the alliance and must be in our refuge. Only in this way can the mother nest be absolutely controllable."

"Secondly, in order to prevent new mutations from occurring, we will not breed new mothers with independent consciousness, thereby preventing the mother from losing control."

"Third, we will extend a helping hand to areas that need to clear out brood nests, but the assistance plan needs to be based on the opinions of our researchers, and our people must lead the entire implementation process."

"Except for these three items that cannot be compromised, everything else is negotiable."

Simply put, Xiaoyu is like the "giant panda" of the league.

But its significance is not only for viewing, but also for unlocking those "blind boxes" in the wasteland that have been sealed by mutant slime molds for more than two hundred years.

The ruins unlocked in the center of Qingquan City are enough to usher in a technological explosion for the Alliance, and there are still many ruins in the wasteland that are not inferior to those in Qingquan City.

Not even just Middle-earth, not even just on land.

The Alliance can share the research results for the benefit of all mankind, but for the benefit of the Alliance, Chu Guang must keep Xiao Yu in Vault 404.

Through human radio, mind interference and quantum computer technology, Xiaoyu can get rid of a series of natural constraints such as "self-limitation" and "insufficient computing power", and open "sub-bases" throughout the planet.

And as long as Xiaoyu's body remains in the shelter, these sub-bases all over the world will be safe and controllable.

After hearing Chu Guang's conditions, Yi Chuan opened his mouth, but he didn't expect such in-depth things. After all, the company's understanding of Xiao Yu only stopped at a series of smoke bombs released by "Qingquan City Daily".

After hesitating for a moment, he couldn't help but ask.

"What about the data exchange agreement we signed before... on the research on mutant slime mold?"

Seeing the concern in Yi Chuan's eyes, Chu Guang said with a smile.

"Of course it is effective. We just hope that before this technology matures, we will lead how this new technology route continues to develop."

After a pause and looking at Yi Chuan who breathed a sigh of relief, Chu Guang continued.

"We don't necessarily mean the final future, but currently this is the most promising route we have explored to solve the current problem. I believe in our scholars and technicians, and I will support them to get to the end without any interference."

Looking at the shorthand content on the holographic screen, Yi Chuan stretched out his index finger to pinch his eyebrows, and sighed after a while.

"I will report your request to the council... but honestly, I can't think of a better alternative than 1 billion Cr. Maybe you can give me a hint or suggestion."

The biggest difference between the two major forces, the Enterprise, the Legion, and the Academy, on issues related to the Brood is that they do not have a large territory, only a prosperous ideal city.

There are mother nests in Yunjian Province, but after all, those mother nests are not on the company's own territory.

Moreover, according to the self-limiting expansion of the mutant slime mold they discovered, the small population and wild alien species in the wasteland are not enough to support their crazy reproduction like two centuries ago.

In other words, companies are very interested in the mutant slime mold in Qingquan City. After all, it can unlock large unexplored areas for them. However, they actually have no urgent need to solve the problem of the mother nest in Yunjian Province.

This is why the council prefers to negotiate a suitable price with the league.

In contrast, the Legion, which has conquered a vast territory but is helpless about the problems on its own territory, is more eager to obtain the technology to control slime mold.

There are many more nests entrenched in the territory of the Willant people than the Wandering Swamp, Cloud Province, and River Valley Province combined...

Now colleges and companies are coming to visit one after another. As the news spreads, representatives of the legion will probably come to Dawn City in the near future.

It's hard to get much concessions by negotiating with those lunatics alone, unless companies and colleges are brought together...

Chu Guang thought for a moment, then his heart suddenly moved, and he blurted out.

"We can establish a multilateral, cross-regional cooperation committee to solve problems related to mutant slime mold."

Yi Chuan hesitated and asked.

"Similar to the Post-War Reconstruction Commission?"

Chu Guang shook his head.

"No, this committee does not have any administrative binding force, nor does it involve other fields. It only focuses on issues related to mutant slime mold. All parties can put forward their demands at the meeting, discuss them openly with other members, and seek common ground while reserving differences."

If consensus can be reached on the agenda related to mutant slime mold, cooperation in other areas can also be launched on this basis.

At least gain a basis of trust.

Yi Chuan thought for a moment and seemed to realize the benefits of establishing this committee. His eyes became brighter and he spoke.

"This idea sounds good! Including the demands you made before, I will give feedback to the council!"

A smile appeared on Chu Guang's face, and he stood up together with Yi Chuan, who stood up from the conference table, and extended his right hand to him who was walking towards him.

"I hope we can cooperate happily!"

…

While Chu Guang was discussing the details of the "Symbiotic Slime Mold Research Committee" on behalf of representatives from the alliance and enterprises, Hindison, who was locked up in a small dark room, was being interrogated by the Guards.

What surprised the interrogator in charge was that before they started the interrogation, Hindison, who had just been asked to sit on the chair, explained everything in one go.

It's not just Cindyson.

The same goes for the other six suspects.

They are all traders in the raw materials of nutritious pastes and fertilizers. They planned to take advantage of the peak of the wave this year to take in a batch of fruiting body remains and sell them to the Free State. However, the Alliance authorities suddenly issued a document stating that the fruiting body remains would no longer be sold.

And not only will it not be sold this time, it will also not be sold in the future.

Seeing that the cooked duck they had obtained was about to fly away, these merchants were immediately furious. They even found a buyer, but the alliance told them that they would not sell it.

Ever since, Cindyson came up with a plan and planned the "Qingquan City Daily" case, hoping to incite public opinion in Dawn City and put pressure on the alliance authorities.

However, he obviously underestimated the cohesion within the alliance society. This method may be slightly useful for the former Stone City, but for the survivors of Dawn City, doing so will only cause them to shoot themselves in the foot. .

Looking at the three-page transcript, the two people sitting at the interrogation table exchanged glances. One of them looked at Hindison and couldn't help but ask.

"...Is this all you want to do?"

Sindison nodded tremblingly and tried to explain.

"This... is not a trivial matter. This is a billion-dollar deal."

The conversion of more than one billion cloth dollars into dinars is only about 10 million, and the conversion into alliance silver coins is only a few million.

The two interrogators didn't know what to say for a moment, so they exchanged glances and communicated with their eyes.

'Is it possible he's lying? ’

‘The confessions of several suspects are similar, and no other physical evidence was found in the room... This possibility is very small. ’

‘Damn… I thought it was a big case just because of this little thing. ’

‘%￥#x-on:! ’

Seeing the interrogator whose face was getting darker and darker, Cindyson felt even more frightened. Finally, he couldn't help but asked cautiously.

"Two eldest brothers...I, I am really not a spy."

The interrogator sitting on the right said with a dark face.

"The existing evidence does not prove that you are a spy, but your behavior still caused extremely bad effects and indirectly caused serious damage to the property of Alliance citizens."

Another interrogator continued.

"Just last night, protesters burned down the warehouse of Tujia Printing Factory. Today newspapers in the city are out of stock. The estimated loss is probably millions of silver coins. Even if you are not a spy, you cannot escape the crime of inciting destruction. of."

When he heard that the protesters actually ordered the printing house to be destroyed, Hindison broke out in a cold sweat. This was completely different from the script he originally thought.

He simply couldn't imagine what would happen if he fell into the hands of those people. What made him even more panicked was that now he was afraid that everyone would know that he was taken away from the Highway Town Hotel.

In other words, they already know who he is...

"I admit the compensation! I pay the money!" Clenching her handcuffed fists, Hindison said pleadingly, "I am willing to pay double the compensation, as long as you are willing to let me leave here... I promise not to do it again in the future. He knows how to do this kind of thing!"

The interrogator chuckled and cast a contemptuous look at him.

"You regret it now? What did you do earlier?"

Another interrogator said in a teasing tone.

"The crime of incitement to sabotage is a public prosecution. There is no reconciliation. Financial compensation can exempt you from hard labor, but you cannot escape a sentence of more than ten years. If you ask me, that's all if you are really a spy. Maybe you can get leniency. Deal with it. You did this stupid thing just for millions. We just want to find opportunities to help you, but there is no place to find it. "

Bai worked all night and caught a little mouse. Both of them were speechless and vented their anger on this guy.

Seeing that his plea was useless, Cindyson completely tore off the mask of compromise and yelled at the two people at the interrogation table with a sullen expression.

"I am a businessman from the Bugla Free State. I am not your citizen. You have no right to arrest me! I, I want to see your administrator!"

Seeing his ugly appearance, the two interrogators laughed.

"You're the only one who still wants to see the manager?"

"We don't care where you are from. Even if you are a relative of the legion marshal and you break the law on our territory, you will still be punished by the law."

Cindyson's eyes were filled with fear, but he couldn't help but speak in a threatening tone.

"Aren't you... afraid of causing diplomatic disputes?"

Looking at this incompetent guy, both interrogators laughed.

"Diplomacy? What do we have to talk to you about?"

"If you are not convinced, let your army try it."

Upon hearing these words, Hindison suddenly slumped down on the chair like a deflated rubber ball, with a dark look of despair in his eyes.

Of course, the army of the Free State would not go out for such a small character like him. Even if his confidants outside could help him hire mercenaries who were paid to do things, those stragglers would definitely not be a match for the Alliance Army.

I heard that a long time ago, the legion's informant in the Free State bribed the mercenaries there and tried to attack the northern part of the alliance, but was beaten to a pulp.

It is said that what those guys bumped into were not regular troops of the alliance.

The two sides are not opponents of the same dimension at all.

It seems that he is settled in this prison...

…

On the other side, the Great Rift Valley, Origin City.

The man sitting in the reception room was quietly looking down at the settlement outside the floor-to-ceiling window, with a vague sarcasm on his lips.

Stale, depressed, depressing, lifeless, like a sleepy sunset... All the negative descriptions he could think of could be accurately applied to this settlement.

This settlement, known as Origin City, was once the earliest settlement in the wasteland, even older than the Ideal City on the east coast.

However, with the dissolution of the post-war reconstruction committee, today's settlement has lost sight of its former glory, leaving only a thin afterglow lingering on the barren yellow land.

This settlement resembles an old man with one foot half in the coffin, exuding a frowning corpse odor.

However, when he saw the chief secretary in a white robe walking out of the room, the man still showed a respectful and humble expression on his face and nodded slightly.

The chief secretary stared at him expressionlessly, like a priest, and spoke in a solemn and emotionless voice.

"Please come with me."

The man nodded slightly again, without communicating with him verbally, and followed his footsteps through the open door and walked into the conference room with the long obsidian table.

An old man with white hair and beard was sitting at the head of the conference table.

That old man is the master of the Great Rift Valley.

The man bowed slightly and said politely.

"Dear Sir, may I ask for your instructions."

The old man called Chief did not speak immediately, but said in a kind tone.

"Please take a seat."

The man nodded, pulled out a chair at the end of the conference table and sat down.

His name is Odo, and he is the mayor of the Free State. This position is equivalent to the city lord of the general survivor settlement.

The previous mayor was impeached and resigned because Bugla secretly supported the Legion's atrocities in the Sunset Province. The new mayor is an out-and-out pro-enterprise faction - that is, he supports the Free State Parliament to move closer to the enterprise management system. reform.

Although there are constant accusations that he has collected dirty money from Sigma, the owner of Firestone Group, he is still an approachable leader in the eyes of many Free State citizens.

And the same goes for the chief sitting at the conference table.

He admires this young man with a humble attitude more than the previous unruly mayor who hooked up with the Legion's eastward expansionists behind his back.

He is young, capable, and courageous, and his pupils are as clear as a burning torch.

The old man didn't like the companies that had betrayed the War Construction Committee, and he didn't agree with the choices of those rebels, but he admitted that those people had something to learn from.

Looking at Otto, who was sitting at the conference table as if he was asking for advice humbly, the old man spoke slowly.

"I heard that the mother nest in Qingquan City has been eradicated by the alliance. It seems to be a young force that was just established. Their leader is the manager of Vault 404."

Otto nodded respectfully.

"I heard about this too."

A satisfied smile appeared on the old man's face, and he slowly continued.

"It seems that you have not forgotten your mission. I am very pleased. Mutant slime mold is one of the most important threats in this wasteland. We have made many attempts in the past years. However, it is a pity that it was not until the post-war reconstruction committee Disbanded, we have not been able to really solve it..."

Otto listened respectfully to the old man's recounting of the past, with a hint of disapproval and disdain in his heart.

In his opinion, the war two hundred years ago was stupid enough in itself. A group of people destroyed two worlds into ruins for their inexplicable beliefs, and everyone had to live a hard life together.

Now that it has become like this, it is even more hopelessly stupid.

A group of old people who are already lying in their graves do not want to take their failure and shame into their graves to reflect on, but they still want to talk endlessly and point fingers at young people like them.

To put it bluntly, he didn't care about the mutant slime mold at all, and he had no interest in worrying about the wastelanders outside, let alone why he should care about their life and death.

Wouldn't it be better to just let them die?

Once they are all dead, there will be no wasteland.

However, seeing the old man's approval, Odo still agreed against his will for the sake of his supporters.

"...This is indeed an amazing miracle, and they have a lot to learn from."

The old man nodded slowly and stared at the young child in front of him with cloudy pupils.

"I'm very happy that you think so... To make a long story short, I'm worried that I was in a daze for a long time without paying attention. My time is not worth your precious youth to wait."

After a pause, he continued in a gentle tone.

"I want you to do something."

Odo sighed in his heart, and he did it again, but he still maintained his respectful expression and humble attitude and continued.

"Please give me your orders."

The old man spoke slowly and continued.

"You and they are both survivors of the River Valley Province, but I noticed that you are not very close. This is unwise. I hope that you can get along more harmoniously and develop more on issues faced by all mankind. Cooperation...for example, now is a good opportunity.”

Odo was stunned for a moment and said with a wry smile.

"We... are not opposed to cooperation, but it's hard to say whether they are willing."

Still the same as before, this old man never considers the current situation when he comes up with ideas.

The Bugla Free State and the Union are competitors in regional affairs, and the diplomatic relations between the two parties have not been harmonious from the beginning, and there has even been friction.

Not to mention whether they can establish friendly diplomatic relations with the Alliance, the key point is that in their diplomatic strategic map, the Alliance is not a partner worthy of friendship at all.

Even its existence was a mistake from the beginning.

The Bone Chewing Rebellion was supposed to destroy everything from the central to the southern part of the River Valley Province, paving the way for southward expansion for the Free State that was "inconvenient to do it by yourself" like a prairie fire.

The previous mayor had even planned to join forces with the legion's eastward expansion faction in Qingquan City.

As a result, this alliance came out of nowhere, took in the fleeing refugees, and continuously defeated the eastward expansion faction of the Bone-Chewing Tribe and Legion, so that their plan completely came to nothing, and hundreds of millions of dollars were invested in the project. Flooded.

Although Odo is not a pro-Legion faction, or even a pro-corporate faction that completely contradicts the former mayor's political views, they have one thing in common, and that is the desire to gain true freedom.

The survivors of Bugla do not want to be puppets in a grave.

However, whether looking for help to the west or east, the alliance entrenched in the southern part of the River Valley Province is the biggest obstacle.

Odo wished that the alliance would explode into a ball of fireworks tomorrow. How could he possibly establish cooperation with those wastelanders on an issue that they didn't care about at all.

They are even more willing to contact the Torch Church in the south!

But these cannot be said, and there is no point in saying them.

That old guy is too old, he can't listen to other people's opinions, and he doesn't care about what other people care about. Those cloudy pupils contained only dying fantasies and unrealistic longing for the past.

His greatest sin was living too long.

People shouldn't live that long.

"You have to try, right?"

Not knowing that the child in front of him was cursing in his heart, the old man smiled lightly and continued in a gentle tone.

"Go and give it a try, just think that this is the task I assigned you. If you pass the test, I will increase the amount of energy provided to you by 15% in the next five years. Of course, if you can't complete it, I can only regret it. Appropriately increase energy prices in the next three years... I hope you understand that I am persuading you in this way. This is a necessary urging. "

Although the Bugla Free State also has its own solar, wind, and geothermal power generation facilities, these renewable energy sources alone cannot support the consumption of the entire settlement.

The Great Rift Valley supplies more than 70% of the Free State's energy consumption, and this is one of the reasons why this city that never sleeps can rise from the wasteland.

After more than ten generations, he didn't know what the young men thought now, nor how to communicate with them, but it was always a good idea to use energy as a bargaining chip to convince them to obey.

A century and a half ago, those poor people needed energy to make fires to keep out the cold. Today, a century and a half later, their children need energy to support their luxurious lives.

No matter how they used that energy, it all looked the same to him. Moderate rewards and punishments can motivate children.

He has tried this method time and time again.

These inheritances belong to them after all, and he is just guiding them appropriately.

Just as the old man expected, the young man slowly lowered his head and said respectfully.

"Remember your teachings, we will try it."

A relieved smile appeared on the old man's face.

However, his cloudy pupils did not pay attention. When Odo lowered his head and said these words, he could not help but clenched the fist hidden under the table...

This humiliation.

Sooner or later, he will repay you twice as much!