Chapter 767.1: ()

Time passed day by day. In the blink of an eye, mid-August gave way to early September, and a faint autumn chill had quietly settled over the streets of Dawn City.

As the weather grew colder, many fashion-conscious residents had already traded their breezy short-sleeved shirts for cotton sweatshirts or leather jackets, partly because they were practical and partly because they were inexpensive.

Cotton and leather were probably the commodities that had fallen most sharply in price during this period.

Baiyue Province’s abundance of natural resources was almost unimaginable, while Port Gallon’s vast labor force processed them into affordable, high-quality finished goods.

Take belts, for instance. The cheapest genuine-leather belt cost only 100 Gallons. At most, the particular species of mutant creature that supplied the hide might be somewhat unusual. After tariffs, logistics, and other costs were taken into account, that amounted to only 11 or even 13 Silver. A middle-class resident of Dawn City could earn enough to buy one after working for just an hour.

Of course, Port Gallon’s residents were not losing out either. Many of them had previously lacked even proper clothing, while bicycles now sped through the streets as swiftly as the wind.

For Dawn City’s more affluent residents, clothing choices had become increasingly diverse. At some point, the display windows of Teng Teng's Hut had become a benchmark for the fashion industry. Its influence had even spread to Ideal City and the families of Wislander soldiers.

Perhaps it was the unconscious imitation of shelter residents’ aesthetic preferences by wastelanders, or perhaps it arose from humanity’s natural pursuit of mystery. Whatever the reason, increasing numbers of black stockings appeared on the streets, along with outfits that clearly did not belong to the era.

Some combinations were striking and impressive, while many others were so outrageous that they were practically painful to look at. Yet in a certain sense, this heretical spectacle felt unexpectedly appropriate. After all, the wasteland’s cultural philosophy inherently possessed the characteristic of cutting and splicing from different cultures.

That was, combining several entirely different, even sharply contrasting, elements, then using primitive social behavior to deconstruct postmodern technological products.

Examples included pipe rifles made from futuristic high-tech plumbing gear, crossbows built from the remains of rifles, and stockings meant for one’s legs being pulled over one’s head...

Of course, the last example was uncommon, and those who did it were usually players unwilling to show their faces.

The countless varieties of clothing formed a beautiful spectacle along the bustling streets.

Only two years earlier, the same people had been forced to stuff worthless banknotes from the old era into burlap sacks and wrap them around their bodies to stay warm. In two short years, Dawn City’s survivors had filled their wardrobes with new clothes. They had even become wealthy enough to spare time wondering which outfit and shoes they should wear when going outside.

When chips had ruled the land, such prosperity benefiting the majority had been almost unimaginable.

“... I’m always wondering where the problem with chips lay. Logically speaking, chips and Silver shouldn’t be any different, yet our lives now are something we could never have imagined before.”

Inside a cottage beside Linghu Lake in Dawn City, Dori rested her chin in both hands as she gazed at the tranquil garden outside the window and the succulents lining the windowsill. Memories of the past suddenly came to mind, filling her with countless thoughts.

She still remembered the humble and insignificant wish she had once held in the darkness. Back then, she wanted to grow a succulent because she had heard that it could absorb radiation.

Later, a certain big villain had told her that this was merely a trick used to deceive children. Radiation was not something that could be sucked away. It was simply the phenomenon of energy spreading outward in the form of electromagnetic waves or particles.

If photosynthesis was described as absorbing radiation, then theoretically every plant could be said to possess the ability to absorb radiation. For that reason, the claim could only be considered a trick used to deceive children, rather than an outright lie.

The most sophisticated deceptions did not require lies.

Sitting opposite her with a newspaper in his hands, Ample Time smiled gently. The affection in his eyes resembled the way Dori gazed at the tender green shoots on the windowsill. “... The moment you begin searching for right and wrong within a tool, you’ve already entered a dead end.”

He had returned three days earlier, primarily to deal with matters related to the Baiyue Strait Development Company’s public listing, including explaining the purposes of certain expenditures.

In particular, during the Baiyue Strait Development Company’s expansion into Port Gallon, every expense had to be clearly accounted for, whether it had been paid by the company or by the port authorities.

Ample Time understood the rigor of the regulatory system. Overseas operations were the most difficult area to supervise. Without strict oversight, shareholders’ interests could not be protected at all.

Consider the simplest and crudest method of exploitation. They could use shareholders’ money to construct a subway and operate it at a loss, then establish a private company to collect the fares and harvest enormous profits.

After such a series of operations, Dawn City’s residents would be thoroughly fleeced, while their anger could even be redirected toward Port Gallon’s residents.

They would probably say things like, “Those stinking rats who can earn money but won’t live long enough to spend it have started stealing from the pockets of their Dawn City grandfathers? Pah! Ungrateful vermin! Let’s beat the shit out of them!”

The administrator clearly would never allow such a situation to occur.

Ample Time had anticipated the administrator anticipating him and had established clear plans for the finances of Baiyue Strait Development Company and the Bull and Horse Group long ago. Even Port Gallon’s government accounts recorded every expenditure in perfect detail, including where each sum had been spent and which accounts it had passed through.

What surprised him was another minor matter. The person coordinating with him was Xiaoyu!

The girl remained much as she had been before, constantly quoting Chu Guang and carrying out every task with meticulous care.

The halo surrounding the bluecoats had no effect on her whatsoever. From beginning to end, her heart contained only one person. Even if she felt grateful toward others, she would show them no mercy when it came to the development of the New Alliance.

Her eyes examined the accounts like a microscope, while her aggressive questions caused cold sweat to pour down Ample Time’s back.

In particular, when she asked why Baiyue Strait Development Company’s investment in the Moon Clan resistance lacked any specific implementation standards, such as how much money should be granted upon achieving particular milestones, he could not help wiping away his sweat and admitting that it had indeed been an oversight.

Part of the blame lay with the people on the forum constantly egging him on. Furthermore, they had obtained a large amount of loot at the time, and he had admittedly become somewhat careless, or perhaps overly confident when spending the money.

He had believed that providing money and equipment would inevitably produce results, and had even arranged for people to contact those guerrillas.

Who could have known that those idiots would all express different opinions the moment equality was mentioned, yet discard their weapons and armor as soon as battle began, allowing NPCs to farm them like wild monsters?

Speaking honestly and according to his conscience, Ample Time had harbored no malicious intentions when spending that money. He had merely hoped to accelerate the changes occurring in the Poro Province by using the method he believed was appropriate.

“Brother Chu does not oppose your investing in things you believe deserve investment, but you must provide investors with an explanation. What objective are you trying to accomplish? How much will it cost? What risks exist, and what returns can be expected?”

“To achieve that, you need to formulate a detailed plan. It does not have to specify who will carry out every individual step, but it must function like the mission system, providing support to the implementers in stages and including a planned method of cutting losses.”

“Until I see that plan, I suggest you refrain from leaving Dawn City.”

After delivering those three pieces of “advice,” the sharp-eyed girl concluded the hearing.

Ample Time remained seated for a long while, filled with emotion, before finally rising and returning home.

How wonderful it would be if every NPC in the game could be as innocent and full of justice as his adorable Dori.

There was nothing wrong with a simple sense of justice. Being too clever only made someone less adorable...

At that moment, Dori had no idea that her beloved was praising her in his mind. She remained preoccupied with the question of chips and the report she was writing. Had she known, she might well have bitten him once she came back to her senses.

Her fluffy, emerald-green hair swayed gently as Dori looked at Ample Time in confusion and unconsciously tilted her head. “Are you saying there was nothing wrong with chips?”

Ample Time thought for a moment before replying, “If I use something you’re familiar with as an example, your subjective impressions will interfere. Let’s use CR instead. Do you think CR is good or bad?”

Dori’s delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. After thinking for a long time, she replied, “I think... it’s actually rather good?”

Ideal City’s prosperity was obvious throughout the entire wasteland. Claiming CR was bad would be like lying with one’s eyes open. However, she had the feeling that this villain would not kindly give her such a simple question. Therefore, she hesitated somewhat as she followed his reasoning.

Ample Time smiled faintly without offering an evaluation and continued in the casual tone of ordinary conversation. “CR is essentially a decentralized currency issued with the total credit of society as its anchor. It can liberate every natural person in society from the debt relationships of the old era. Smart contracts programmed through quantum algorithms guarantee absolute fairness in transactions. There is no need for a central bank to adjust interest rates, and everyone participating in social activity benefits equally from the prosperity of society as a whole... Doesn’t that sound wonderful?”

“It does. So there’s nothing wrong with saying CR is good, right? Right?” Dori nodded honestly and gazed curiously at him, waiting for him to continue.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.