This Game Is Too Realistic-Chapter 478.1: Hehehe Youre Dispicable

If it had been a post from Professor Yang, probably no one would’ve believed it. But those top-ranked players were a different story.

Seeing Quit Smoking veer off-topic, Night Ten quickly clarified.

Night Ten: Ahem, it’s not that bad... I mean, we did catch a few E-grade personnel, but we haven’t run into anyone trying to intercept us so far.

Ample Time: Looks like they don’t want to blow this up either.

Spring Water Commander: They probably both don’t want to admit to shooting down an Enterprise plane.

Quit Smoking: Wait, that reminds me, what happened to the plane? Did you fix it?

Night Ten: I was just getting to that! Only one engine’s busted, the other is still working. I figured it’d be a waste to just leave it there, so why not bring it back?

Ample Time: Bring it back? That’s an Orca! How are you planning to move it?

Night Ten: Well that’s why I was hoping you could come up with something ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Peepo: C’mon, we worked hard blowing up those old-timers for their coins, help us out!

Kidney Fighter: Damn, so Enterprise is the old-timer?

Peepo: Haha, not important. You think I’m Doraemon or something?

Reading the thread on his screen, Ample Time couldn’t help but smile wryly. Night Ten nudged again.

Night Ten: Hurry up already. You’ve got nothing but time lately ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Ample Time rolled his eyes and typed back instantly.

Ample Time: Get lost. I’m actually busy.

During his recent stay in Ideal City, he hadn’t been idling. He enrolled in an adult education course at Cloud University, studying the Enterprise’s governance and refining the Moonlike Group’s commercial strategy.

That was the first business collaboration between the New Alliance and Enterprise, and it could shape their entire future trade relationship.

To prepare, he had thoroughly studied the Enterprise’s policies and business models, making sure to avoid obvious traps, just like what Li Shuyue had done during her time in the New Alliance.

Honestly, despite being a veteran player, it was the first time he’d become so emotionally invested in a game. What shocked him even more was the team behind Wasteland Online.

They had built such a rich ecosystem around a single survivor settlement he had spent an entire month exploring and still felt like he had only scratched the surface.

He had long suspected that the developers behind Wasteland Online weren’t from Earth. Otherwise, how could you explain their AI, VR tech, and global logistics?

Also... Was Light the same Light he used to know?

“Forget it, not the time to dwell on that. I need to figure out how to haul that plane back.” He rubbed his temples and moved the mouse to drag the map in the game’s data archive to the crash site. The Burning Corps hadn’t marked an exact coordinate. All they gave him was a general location.

Still, locating the plane wouldn’t be a problem. Something that big didn’t even need a drone or scope. Night Ten had planted a VM there to ping him.

If they were in the Among Cloud Province, he could’ve just spent some CR to hire a private firm or a salvaging crew. But in the wasteland thousands of kilometers away... Well, maybe not entirely wasteland, but it was pretty much barren.

Ample Time’s gaze landed on the Great Rift Valley and his eyes lit up with excitement.

Ample Time: Doesn’t the Great Rift Valley have Origin City and the City of the End? You can probably find mercs there who’ll do the job for cash. They might even haul the parts directly to West Continent Municipality. Hasn’t Sideline Slacking been there? Ask him!

Sideline Slacking: Uh... What are you planning to ask me? (ᵕ • ᴗ •)

Busted. He’d been lurking the whole time.

Seeing his reaction, Ample Time had a bad feeling.

Ample Time: Wait, you didn’t just go there for a single quest, did you?

Sideline Slacking: Uh... What else was I supposed to do? Did I miss a side story? (ᵕ • ᴗ •)

Even without the emoji, Ample Time could feel the secondhand embarrassment through the screen. He facepalmed.

Ample Time: Bro, isn’t exploring a new map basic practice? Who finishes a quest and just leaves?!

As he ranted, his gaze drifted to the western border of Sunset Province and the Great Rift Valley. If he remembered right, someone, maybe Eye Owe Money, had posted about a 100 kilometer stretch of nuclear craters and an ancient battlefield there.

A lot of scavengers operated in that area, forming camps wherever junk was found. Some of those groups had upgraded using money they received from collecting junk, not just with trucks and forklifts, but even cranes, DIY exoskeletons, and even exoframes.

And the most important part? Those scavengers accepted silver coins. Even the Death Corps had bought supplies there before.

Ample Time had an idea and immediately started typing again.

Ample Time: You guys can split off a few people, head to the Great Rift Valley, and look for scavenger camps. Use silver coins to hire them. They can break down the plane and haul it back to the River Valley Province. Give them a bit more and they might even deliver it straight to your doorstep.

Sideline Slacking: Dude, is that even possible?

Ample Time: With enough money? Of course. And these folks are pros, let professionals do professional work. No issues there.

Quit Smoking: Brilliant.

Night Ten: 666.

Eye Owe Money: Damn, this map was our discovery.

Construction Boy: @Sideline Slacking

Drumhead Washing Machine: Damn, where’s our corps leader? He was just here.

Escaping Mole: LMAO

...

Meanwhile, lurking silently on the forum, Chu Guang stared at the screen in awe.

God damn.

That must’ve been his fifth time today being stunned.

After a long pause, he let out a heartfelt sigh, “These guys... They really are damn brilliant.”

That was his true feelings.

Objectively speaking, eyeing the gold coins in your buddy’s wallet was kind of a low blow. But... He had to admit, it was clever. Too clever.

It didn’t even fit his NPC persona anymore. But since the players had already figured it out, there would be no need to micromanage. Issuing a mission would be overkill.

“Master, your expression’s kinda weird,” Little Seven buzzed from the edge of his pen holder, resting its chin in its hands and staring curiously at his face.

“You’re seeing things.” Chu Guang cleared his throat and quickly put on a serious expression. “Have Jiu Li of Daybreak City make the preparations. Once those parts cross the Heavenly Water, we’ll ‘buy’ them back from the players. Make it look like a surprise.”

Little Seven eagerly nodded. “Got it, Master! But... How do you buy something as a surprise?”

Chu Guang patiently explained, “It means you act surprised when paying. Like a typical NPC from a heroic RPG. The point is to let players feel like they’ve done something important. And as long as they contribute to the New Alliance, we’ll make sure they’re rewarded. It’s about encouraging players to explore outside the scripted quests. They can find more easter eggs that way!”

After all, with server numbers past 10,000 since unlocking level B6, the mission system alone wasn’t enough anymore. The smart players had to learn to self-manage, just like what they were doing.

Chu Guang had once tried to import a long-range aircraft from Enterprise. But they were cautious, nothing like their earlier generosity with Seagull drones and Model 60 Railguns.

He understood why they were acting that way. After all, the capability of moving around the wasteland was more sensitive than any weapon.

Dangerous mutants could be wiped out with tools of civilization. But what protected civilization... Was distance.

In their age, the infested wastelands and low-Earth orbit debris had become the perfect moat.

He asked Yi Chuan once if he could import an Orca with a 3,000 kilometer range. When they declined, he let it go.

Now... The very thing he couldn’t get through diplomacy had been snatched by his players in the most unexpected way.

It was a true stroke of fortune.

Once the New Alliance researchers digested the plasma propulsion technology, he would select some mildly advanced technology to share on the forums, stuff useful for real-world aerospace.

The principle remained. No side monopolizes the game board. That was a real win–win. Smart folks would naturally understand.

Chu Guang’s lips curved into a fatherly smile. “Damn, I really did design something amazing.”

Just then, from beside the pen holder, Little Seven chirped, “Master...”

In high spirits, Chu Guang replied somewhat smugly, "What is it?"

"Nothing, I just think you look really handsome when you smile." The little figure stroked its chin in wild exaggeration, its eyes sparkling as it gave a firm thumbs-up.

Chu Guang laughed heartily. "Of course I do."

Still, he couldn't help but wonder...

Had this little thing been showering him with more flattery than usual lately? When did that even start?

...