Chapter 904: The Weilants from Afar

  Chapter 904: The Willants from Afar

  It is worth mentioning that when Chu Guang opened the “Survivor Daily” of Settlement No. 1, Alman’s team had not yet docked, but had just passed the North Island in the southern waters.

  Due to the increasingly fierce industry competition, the branch wrote the headlines of the newspaper in advance and completed the printing last night in order to seize the timeliness of the news.

  More than 5,000 immigrants from the west of the Central Continent.

  This is almost one twentieth of the current population of Settlement No. 1!

  And these people are Willants.

  Considering the strategic hostility between the Alliance and the Southern Legion at the moment, this large number of immigrants is full of topics in itself, not to mention the thousands of tons of gold. In

  a breakfast shop not far from the dock, several dock workers wearing safety helmets were surprised by the news in the newspaper.

  Several of the workers are Willants.

  Compared with other wastelanders from the eastern provinces, they are the most sensitive to gold.

  ”Thousands of tons of gold… how many dinars does that cost?!”

  ”The smallest denomination is 5 grams… thousands of tons, at least 200 million!”

  A Weilant who once served in the Eastern Legion couldn’t help but sigh.

  ”Damn… it’s still the guys in the south who have the most money.”

  In the Eastern Legion, gold is generally in the hands of those manor owners who own large tracts of land.

  These people are usually military nobles, either active captains who have been rewarded with land, or someone in their family has served as a captain.

  From this point of view, the Southern Legion does have certain advantages over the Eastern Legion in terms of system.

  Their property does not rely on land, but more on mines and factories.

  Not only that, the gold of the Southern Legion is only monopolized by the Weilants, not by the captains.

  No wonder the merchants and immigrants in Triumph City like to run to the colonies of the Southern Legion.

  While these Weilants were arguing about how many silver coins 200 million dinars could be exchanged for, Henk, who was also wearing a helmet, held his breath excitedly.

  200 million dinars!

  He was just worried that he didn’t have the start-up capital to start his own plan, so isn’t this money coming? !

  A few months ago, he had boasted to Alman that he would make back the money he lost in Settlement No. 1. Unfortunately, a few months later, he was still working at the dock, and the grand blueprint in his mind had not even started.

  There was no way.

  The risk control of the Union Bank was too strict, and it was not friendly to entrepreneurs like him who had ideas but lacked strength.

  Although he honestly found a job to repair his credit and got a temporary identity, a dock job with a monthly salary of only 2,000 silver coins was not enough for him to borrow more than one million silver coins to start his snowball.

  However, just when he was at a loss, the more than 1,000 tons of gold that was docking gave him hope!

  He hurriedly threw away the half-eaten noodles, trotted to the foreman, and got straight to the point.

  ”I want to take a leave.”

  This guy asked for leave every other day, and the foreman had long remembered this face.

  Looking at the anxious Henk, he said with a smile.

  ”Ask for leave? What’s the pain this time?”

  Faced with the foreman’s teasing, Henk’s expression was a little embarrassed, but he did not retreat. He coughed lightly and said,

  ”Ahem… did you see the headline of the Survivor Daily this morning? There are my acquaintances on that ship, and I have to entertain them.”

  He actually did not lie. The ship owner named Alman was indeed his acquaintance and his savior.

  The foreman was stunned when he heard this, and then he couldn’t help laughing out loud.

  But he didn’t say anything in the end, and still approved the leave note for this fellow named Henk.

  ”…I advise you to be a little more serious about your work. You have to work at least 40 hours a week, right? If you don’t work 168 hours this month, I will have to give your job to the Brahma.”

  Taking the leave note from the foreman’s hand, Henk said without blushing.

  ”Thank you for being so tolerant of me. I will definitely treat you to a drink when I become rich one day.”

  The foreman said with a grin, not taking his pie seriously at all.

  ”Just drinking? You’re already daydreaming. I thought you would at least let me be the general manager.”

  Henk grinned.

  ”That’s two different things. I have to be responsible to my investors first. However, if you are interested in changing careers, I will consider introducing you to my competitors.”

  The foreman was stunned for a moment, then looked at the sly guy and cursed.

  ”Go away, ungrateful bastard, don’t even think about getting another leave note from me this month!”

  Henk shook the leave note in his hand and said with a smile.

  ”I hope so! If this succeeds, I won’t have to bother you to issue a leave note again, and you can leave my exoskeleton to those Boro people.”

  Although Henk was not a big shot, he had owned two large ships of munitions.

  He never thought of working at the dock for a lifetime, and this job was just a transition for him.

  …

  Just as Henk hurried to the passenger terminal, the twelve passenger ships full of immigrants finally entered the port of Settlement No. 1.

  On the deck of the “Nest of Salvation”, Alman looked at the nearby dock, with a faint yearning in his bright smile.

  Thanks to the good weather along the way, his fleet’s average speed was basically over 30 knots when crossing the Borneo Sea, and it was not until the Baiyue Strait that the speed of the ship was slowed down.

  Since there were more than 5,000 people on board, and most of them were Weylant people, in order to avoid accidents, he did not stop at the ports along the coast of Borneo Province.

  It was precisely because of this that they were able to arrive at the Death Coast before the first weekend of September.

  To be honest, the changes here are indeed not small.

  Just talking about this port, the original passenger terminal and freight terminal were crowded together, and with the increase in cargo throughput and passenger flow, the port’s terminals have been divided into different areas according to their uses.

  Not only that, the onshore infrastructure connected to the terminal has also been built one after another.

  For example, the freight rails connected to the port reservoir area, such as the shipping building and minibus station connected to the passenger terminal, etc.

  Alman still remembers that the area used to be rows of container houses, but now a road with a green belt has been built there, and it is dotted with wooden country villas with sea views.

  Although he often comes here, and the intervals between visits are not long, every time he stops here, he always feels that it has been a long time since he arrived.

  While Alman was looking at the shore, Kuran, who was standing beside him, was also carefully observing the situation on the shore.

  Unlike Alman, this was his first time here and he had never seen the place before, so he was not too surprised.

  Compared with the Evernight Port, which has a population of hundreds of thousands, the No. 1 Settlement, which has a population of just over 100,000, is more like an urban-rural junction between the countryside and the city, and the port, which is still under construction, is more like a busy construction site. The

  living conditions here are definitely not as good as those in the Evernight Port, especially for those who have left their homes.

  But he didn’t care about these things.

  And as a new beginning, this place is already very good.

  ”Why is this place called the Coast of Death?”

  Hearing Kuran’s curious question, Alman answered in a chatty tone.

  ”Because… this place was not a good place before. Even when the Iron Tower Organization was still here, the locals were reluctant to approach here easily. I heard that before the Alliance came here, there were large and small mutant tribes scattered along the entire coastline, and they were the kind of mutants with gills and fins.”

  Kuran’s face was surprised.

  ”There are also mutants with gills and fins?”

  Alman said with a smile.

  ”Of course there are, but they can’t stay under the sea forever, and the nests distributed along the coastline have basically been destroyed by the Alliance patrols… I heard from the Alliance that some aquatic mutants retreated to the sewers of the pre-war era, but the entrances to those places are generally far away from the settlements, so there is no threat to the people living here.”

  Kuran nodded to show his understanding and cast his eyes on the beach not far away.

  In addition to the rugged reefs, he could only see folding lounge chairs and a few folded parasols, as well as sparse figures in twos and threes.

  It was morning now, and there were not many people spending time on the beach, but he could still feel the tranquility and serenity from the slowing time.

  It was unbelievable that it was once the nest of mutants and the battlefield where the Alliance landing troops fought…

  Kuran couldn’t help but have a little envy in his eyes, but he couldn’t tell what exactly he envied.

  ”…It seems that the Alliance’s managers didn’t lie to them, and their battle is indeed over.”

  Alman’s wife Margaret was holding little Ruby’s hand tightly, and the latter was so excited that she almost hung on the railing of the deck. Her

  bright eyes were full of curiosity. She was chattering and asking questions all the way, and now her eyes were staring straight at the gantry crane in the distance.

  This thing is not uncommon in the Alliance, but it made little Ruby drop her jaw.

  She had never seen such an interesting thing before. The towering door was actually equipped with wheels. Not only could it change its width freely, but it could also move flexibly in ports and docks. The

  big red iron clamp hanging on the door frame was also unusually flexible.

  It just stretched and retracted lightly, and then it lifted the large box that was more than ten meters wide from the deck to the shore.

  ”What a big door!”

  Seeing her daughter shouting with excitement, Margaret couldn’t help but smile.

  ”That’s a gantry crane.”

  ”Gantry crane?” Ruby turned back to look at her mother, her big eyes blinking curiously.

  Looking at this curious little guy, Margaret smiled and said.

  ”It’s used to load and unload containers.”

  She had seen this thing before, but it was the first time she saw it in real life.

  Container transportation is not popular in the Legion’s territory. Even the port of Triumph City is mainly based on bulk cargo transportation. At most, conveyor belts are installed between the main storage area and the dock of the port.

  The reason is also very simple. It is mainly because the labor of alien laborers is too cheap. In the period of expansion stagnation of the Legion, the cargo throughput of the dock itself will not fluctuate greatly.

  As a supporting facility for container transportation, this large loading and unloading equipment is naturally not popular.

  Even if there is similar lifting technology in the Legion’s factory, it is just that these technologies have not spread to other fields.

  ”Then… why doesn’t it exist in Evernight Port?” Ruby continued to ask.

  Margaret gently stroked her hair that was messed up by the sea breeze and held her in her arms.

  ”This is a good question, but Mom hopes you can think for yourself instead of waiting for others to give you the answer.”

  Ruby tilted her head and thought seriously, but it was obviously too early for her to answer such a profound question.

  The ship slowly approached the dock and dropped the anchor chain amid the shouts of the sailors.

  Alman lifted his sleeves and looked at the time on his watch, then returned to his wife and daughter.

  ”We are almost getting off the ship. I have to go to the port authority to register first… More than 5,000 immigrants, I have never stuffed so many people here at once. Dear, take Ruby back to the room to pack your luggage.”

  Margaret: “Have you contacted a place to stay?”

  Alman nodded.

  ”It’s just a hotel I’ve stayed in a few times, but the environment and facilities are not bad. It’s better than the ship… We’ll rest there for a few days and then find a house.”

  He was not worried about where he would live. After all, he had been here several times and was quite familiar with the local situation.

  In contrast, he was more worried about the more than 5,000 compatriots on his ship.

  Unlike him who was used to wandering, most of these people came to such a far place for the first time.

  Their food and accommodation were a problem.

  However, Alman believed that the local authorities of Settlement No. 1 must have a bigger headache than himself.

  And what he had to do next was to talk to the authorities about how to solve the problem.

  ”… I’ll follow your arrangements.”

  Margaret kissed her husband on the cheek, and then took little Ruby back to the cabin.

  Looking at the backs of the mother and daughter, Alman thought of his new life in the future, and he couldn’t help but smile happily.

  At this moment, a familiar voice suddenly came from the dock not far away.

  ”Haha, Mr. Alman! We meet again!”

  Looking in the direction where the voice came from, Alman soon saw Henk standing on the dock and waving.

  He was wearing a neat suit, his leather shoes were polished, and his oiled hair was shining in the morning light.

  This Willant from the New World seemed to have completely adapted to the local life, and even used the money he saved to buy himself a set of clothes.

  Yarman looked at him in surprise, and waved at him with a smile.

  ”Henk? Long time no see, did you come here specially to wait for me?”

  ”Of course! I had an appointment to discuss business, but when I heard you were here, I immediately turned down the business!”

  Henk rolled up his sleeves to check the time, but remembered that he had pawned the watch, so he touched the back of his hand awkwardly and put his hand back.

  Yarman did not notice his embarrassment, but noticed the other person standing next to him.

  The man looked very similar to his partner Zhang Ze, and should also be a survivor of the eastern provinces.

  After getting off the deck, he hugged Henk and then politely cast his eyes on the stranger.

  ”Who is this?”

  ”I was just about to introduce you!” Henk had a bright smile on his face, and then looked at the person next to him and said, “This is Gu Ning, the local representative of Settlement No. 1.”

  ”Hello, Mr. Yarman, I have heard of your name.”

  At the same time, the man named Gu Ning smiled friendly and extended his right hand.

  Yarman shook hands with him and said with a surprised expression on his face.

  ”Nice to meet you…Mr. Gu.”

  Yarman was more confused about why Henk brought him here than being surprised by the identity of this person.

  But before he could ask, the director of the Port Authority hurried over from the direction of the Port Office, forcing him to put his affairs here aside for the time being.

  ”Sorry, I have something to do here.”

  Looking at Yarman with a slightly apologetic look, the representative named Gu Ning smiled modestly and said.

  ”I understand, you deal with the business first, and we will talk about the rest later.”

  Henk, who was beaming with joy, also continued.

  ”Business is important, we are not in a hurry.”

  Yarman nodded, and then went to meet the director of the Port Authority.

  Before docking at the port, he had contacted the port authorities through the radio and obtained permission to dock.

  It was Director Sun Youcheng of the Port Authority who approved this matter.

  However, the expression on the director’s face told him that things might not be as simple as he thought.

  And the development of things was indeed as he expected.

  When he walked up to Director Sun and was about to say hello, the other party spoke first.

  ”You are in trouble.”

  Seeing the look on Director Sun’s face, Alman was stunned for a moment.

  ”Trouble? Didn’t I tell you before I came here?”

  Sun Youcheng’s expression was a little embarrassed, and his eyes drifted to the side.

  ”That’s right… but now the situation has changed.”

  Change?

  He was most afraid of hearing this word. Alman’s expression could not help but move slightly, and he said seriously.

  ”I hope you can explain it clearly… We only docked at the port after getting your permission.”

  ”That’s right… but this settlement is not decided by me alone.”

  Perhaps because he was in the wrong first, Sun Youcheng didn’t have much confidence when he said this. After

  hesitating for a long time, he sighed and said.

  ”Okay, I’ll tell you the truth. Some Moon Clan members held signs to protest at the door of the city hall, and you should know what they are protesting about… your compatriots did those things.” The blame

  should be on the damn “Survivor Daily”. I don’t know who leaked the news.

  Sun Youcheng cursed and complained in his heart, but he could do nothing about it.

  He could manage the port, but not the newspaper.

  In fact, he had a premonition last night that these Willant immigrants might encounter trouble.

  After all, there were 5,000 people coming this time, not 500, not to mention that they came from the territory of the Southern Legion.

  In order to prevent possible accidents, he held a meeting in the bureau and repeatedly told those who knew about this matter not to disclose the news to the media. Unexpectedly, the ship was on the headlines of the “Survivor Daily” before it even docked, and even the specific number of people was exposed.

  Now that the city hall was surrounded by people, the pressure naturally fell on him.

  After listening to Director Sun’s words, Alman couldn’t help but argue.

  ”But there are civilians on my ship. What does this have to do with them? Not to mention that they are also victims of persecution by the Legion, and that’s why they came here.”

  Sun Youcheng looked at him sympathetically, but in the end he could only sigh helplessly.

  ”It’s no use for you to explain to me. The Port Authority also listens to the City Hall. You should go and explain to those protesters… But I have to tell you that they are different from you. Especially those Moon Clan people, many of them joined the Alliance a long time ago, and they have citizenship and political power.”

  Yarman was speechless for a moment.

  Just when he didn’t know what to do, the voice of Representative Gu Ning suddenly came from behind him.

  ”The identity of an Alliance citizen is not a talisman that allows you to do whatever you want, nor is it a sword that is superior to others. Providing shelter to survivors who are committed to ending the Wasteland Era, uniting all suffering survivors… These words are written in the Constitution of the Alliance. Do you want to indulge our citizens to shake our foundation? Mr. Sun Youcheng.”

  ”Ordinary people can be naive and willful, but this kind of thing shouldn’t happen to you.”

  Sun Youcheng’s attention was on Yarman before, and he didn’t notice that the local representative was here.

  Seeing Gu Ning’s face, his expression suddenly twisted into a bitter gourd.

  Although the citizens of the Alliance are not easy to offend, he doesn’t want to face the accountability of the Representative Council.

  The pressure is much greater than shouting through the window.

  If the matter is really investigated, he will be fired in a minute.

  ”That’s not what I meant… But what about those who are protesting? Just leave them alone?”

  He originally wanted to ask a rhetorical question, but he didn’t expect Gu Ning to put on a “just do it” look.

  ”They protest as they please, that’s their right, you do your job according to the rules, and leave the rest to me.”

  Sun Youcheng was speechless for a moment and could only nod helplessly.

  ”Okay… But I don’t care what happens after that.”

  Anyway, the representative will ask him to let them go.

  Even if the mayor asks about it later, he will have something to report.

  ”That’s not your business in the first place.”

  As he spoke, Gu Ning looked at Alman, who was completely stunned, and smiled as he extended his right hand, “Welcome to the Alliance. I hope that some of the misunderstandings between us have not made you feel wronged.”

  ”How could that be…” Alman, who had come to his senses, immediately shook Gu Ning’s hand and said with gratitude, “Thank you… those Boro people, I will go and explain to them.”

  Gu Ning, who had released his hand, smiled and waved his hand gently.

  ”You’re welcome. As for mediation and clarification, that’s our job.”

  After a pause, he continued.

  ”I think you don’t have a place to live yet, right?”

  Alman swallowed his saliva and answered truthfully.

  ”… Indeed, although my housing has been solved, most of the people on the ship have not.”

  ”I understand the basic situation.”

  Gu Ning nodded seriously and continued.

  ”The Alliance is not a wishing machine. We really can’t immediately create a community that can accommodate 5,000 people… But I believe we can find a solution. Can we go to the ship to talk?”

  Unexpectedly, the other party cared so much about the fate of the people on these ships. Alman was flattered and made a gesture of invitation.

  ”Of course it’s convenient, please follow me!”

  (End of this chapter)