Chapter 952 Past and Present
Chapter 952 Past and Present
More than two hundred years ago, the cold wind tore the earth apart, and even the Lowell Camp near the equator did not get much relief.
Two figures limped in the cold wind.
One of them wore power armor, and the other wore a full protective suit with the logo of the institute printed on it. Judging from the fog condensed on the inside of the helmet mask, they should have suffered considerable injuries.
This is indeed the case. Fierce struggles are never free.
The insulation system has been damaged.
At a low temperature of minus 30 degrees, even slime molds can’t do anything, let alone they are about to lose their last means of keeping warm.
When the water mist condenses into ice, it will be almost their death.
But even so, their situation is better than the corpse they are carrying –
the blood flowing from the wound has frozen into red ice, freezing the bullet holes, freezing the twisted face, and freezing the almost crazy desire.
The mouth sealed by blood and ice seemed to be shouting silently –
’Why don’t you listen to me. ‘
Why…
The soldier grinned and blew out the turbid air in his chest, blowing it towards the translucent mask.
That was their general.
As for why he was executed, that’s a long story.
Anyway, he didn’t want to recall those fungus-infected people who died in the laboratory, and those who were executed for opposing the noble adult… After all, his hands were also stained with blood.
Yes.
He was an accomplice.
But who isn’t?
Let the past be the past.
Their children don’t have to carry this heavy memory to move forward.
Everyone has compassion, and as an ordinary soldier, he is no exception.
They wasted a lot of resources, killed many innocent people, missed the best window for self-rescue, and ended up not saving anyone… And all this was just because of Lowell’s slogan. They wanted to save the survivors who were pouring from the center of the world to the Borneo Province. They needed a “cultivable fungus that can work at low temperatures of minus 30 degrees or even 50 degrees.”
That is the so-called red soil…
He didn’t know how to evaluate what he had done, but at least it takes courage to become a joke in the mouths of others.
The two threw the body in the cold wilderness.
They took out the engineer shovel and, as planned, used all their strength to dig the frozen soil, dug a big pit, and threw their general’s body and research materials into it.
The wasteland era will always end.
When everything is over, when their children’s children dig these things out, they may give a more objective evaluation of everything that happened here from a higher perspective, instead of simply defining Lowell as a bad guy or a good guy, and defining those who support or oppose him as righteous or evil.
Only when this entire memory becomes history, they will not have to become a joke in people’s mouths, and all this can come to a satisfactory end.
They are just a piece of duckweed in the waves, a dandelion blown to a corner of the world by the aftermath of the explosion.
That’s all.
At least that’s how the soldiers evaluate themselves.
When the pit was about to be buried, the researcher on the side raised his hand and stopped the soldier who was about to fill the frozen soil.
”This is the last sample.”
He raised his aching arm, entered the password with his trembling index finger, and pulled out a scarlet test tube from the negative pressure sample box on his waist.
The scarlet color was just like blood.
It was no different from the blood on Lowell’s body. The moment it came into contact with the outside world, the whistling cold wind condensed frost on the test tube, and finally it was completely frozen into an ice sculpture.
It was like a mockery of the crazy plan…
”Open your eyes and watch…”
Looking down at the hideous face in the pit, the researcher pulled the corners of his stiff mouth and threw the test tube down fiercely, hitting Lowell’s already stiff body.
”At minus 30 degrees, water will freeze in an instant! What kind of spores… can germinate at an ultra-low temperature of minus 30 degrees! Do you want me to use your broken laboratory to make silicon-based organisms?”
”Why don’t you invite God to the laboratory!”
This idiot…
doesn’t admit his mistake even when he is about to die.
The researcher finally had enough of cursing, and pulled up the engineer shovel that had been stuck to the ground, and rolled the turned frozen soil and dirty snow into the pit as if to vent his anger.
Digging the pit and filling it up consumed the two people’s entire day.
But for the two, this day was more meaningful than any other day in the past.
Because from now on, they were no longer enemies, they became compatriots again.
Although there were not many days left in the future…
Looking at the little energy left, the soldier pulled the researcher who was about to return to the camp and shook his head at the latter.
The latter was slightly stunned, and soon understood what he meant, then nodded with a wry smile.
Indeed.
They no longer had to go back.
If the buffer door of the institute was opened and closed less once, maybe the people staying inside could live two more days.
Just leave the energy and nutrition to the remaining people…
Besides, when the nutrition and energy are exhausted, it is really unknown what kind of hell it will become.
Death?
They have long looked down on it.
Since they will leave sooner or later, it is better to leave early.
Moreover, this history should not only leave Lowell’s body.
They are the last brick of the tombstone.
Someone had to go down with him.
Only in this way, people who come here in the future will know what happened here…
After everything was over, the two did not return, but continued to move forward in the cold wilderness, and finally found a “frozen tree” that looked solid.
The two looked at each other and understood each other.
This is it…
They walked forward tacitly, shoveled the snow on the ground to make it smoother, then sat on it and leaned against the frozen tree.
The whistling cold wind seemed to be blocked by the frozen tree trunk, but maybe their senses were weakened.
The researcher threw the engineer shovel in his hand away fiercely, because they no longer needed it.
The soldier took out the cigarette box that he was reluctant to smoke on weekdays, and wanted to have one last cigarette, but found that he was separated from the helmet of the power armor, and finally gave up with a bitter smile.
He imitated the researcher and threw away the cigarette box with only a few cigarettes left in his hand.
Just think of it as quitting.
From now on, his name will be “Quit Smoking”.
The fog condensed on the helmet has frozen, and the alarm light that was still jumping has stopped jumping.
The soldier closed his eyes and was stunned for a while, and suddenly spoke.
”Before he died, Lowell sent a message to the War Construction Committee… Damn, I don’t know how he slandered us in the email. Do you think he will push the idea of ’Red Soil’ to us?”
”Whatever, they’d better send a troop to take a look.” The researcher curled his lips. Are you
still concerned about this when you are about to die?
”I think it’s bad…”
The soldier shook his head, and suddenly remembered something, and called the researcher who was about to fall asleep.
”Hey.”
”…What’s wrong?”
”You’re a scientist… Tell me the truth, will this planet get better?”
The researcher who was almost asleep shook his head.
”I don’t know, no one knows, but we have done everything we can… As long as one person can survive to the end, we will win this war.”
Some people also went to Luoxia Province, the granary of the Prosperous Era.
If the survivors there can keep the “river embankment” running, maybe they can save part of the oasis.
Besides, it’s not far from the Great Rift Valley, and the people of the War Construction Committee should be able to help them.
The soldier was silent for a moment and sighed.
”I really regret it…”
”…What’s wrong with you?”
”I’m so stupid, why did I believe it… Damn, if I hadn’t listened to his nonsense at the beginning, it would be fine. It’s also your fault. Why don’t you tell the truth…”
”Haha… No one said that.”
Listening to the slightly self-deprecating answer, the soldier was silent, and sighed after a moment.
”That’s right…”
People can’t defeat nature.
They can only defeat themselves.
It was not until the last moment of his life that he realized that their greatest enemy was not Gaia, nor was it the cold winter, nor was it even Lowell and his accomplices who remained stubborn until the end…
but themselves.
And it had always been.
The dead became fuel for the living, submerged in the dust of history.
The era of the Human Alliance ended.
If the Lowell Camp was compared to a local battle, they both won and lost…
because everything was over.
”You say… how will people in the future evaluate us.”
No answer.
The soldier turned his head and glanced at his friend sitting next to him, only to see that he had merged with the ice sculpture behind him, just like General Lowell who was buried by them.
The low temperature of minus thirty degrees Celsius could not even survive in red soil, let alone people…
However, the soldier had no fear of the impending death.
Just think of it as paying off a debt…
I hope they will not become dinosaurs in the Cretaceous period, then this memory can only be burned as fossil fuel.
He sighed in his heart and looked up at the gray sky that was not even a ray of light.
”… Sorry, kids, we took a detour.”
No matter what, winter will eventually pass…
With such a firm belief, the soldier took his last breath and completely merged with the ice and snow.
Time flies, like a fleeting moment.
The howling cold wind has been biting for half a century, but it can’t stop the scorching sun.
The cold winter is finally over.
Green leaves of grass have emerged from the soil, and all things that have been curled up in the caves and struggling to survive have curiously poked their heads out, as if they have not seen the blue sky for a long time.
This is the equator.
Recovery starts here.
The survivors walked out of the caves and the dilapidated shelters, built large and small settlements on the banks of the Yongliu River, hunted wild animals, erected totem poles for victory again and again, and slowly recovered the fragments of the prosperous era…
The barbarity and bloodiness here are not inferior to any corner of the wasteland, but far less cruel than the latter.
At least there are no sandstorms and giant beasts in the Great Desert, nor are there the death claws of the River Valley Province and the poisonous insects of the Sunset Province.
This place is like a natural refuge.
Civilization is gradually recovering.
Until now, Red Soil has not officially appeared on the stage of the Borneo Province, and the history of the Lowell Camp seems to have been completely forgotten.
But it doesn’t matter.
This natural refuge has everything. The animals left by the Prosperous Era are enough for the locals to eat all kinds of delicacies from the mountains and the sea. After that, they can plant a field and figure out cooking skills.
This is a period of pain and happiness, and the buds of civilization are slowly moving forward in this process.
Time continues to move forward.
The survivors of the Boulder City raised their chips high in the conference hall and sent away the last old man who had seen the Prosperous Era. The tribal melee in the Borneo Province also quickly evolved into a kingdom war as the population expanded.
The Human Union Language is the greatest legacy left by the Prosperous Era to the Wasteland Era.
The local survivors don’t need to waste too much time on trial and error.
Even if they can no longer remember the lessons of history, they can still recall some fragments from distant memories, so as to quickly match a lifestyle that suits their productivity.
After the chief, it must be the king.
The province of four million square kilometers soon gave birth to thirteen kings, corresponding to thirteen protected areas, or thirteen “states”.
It was at this time that the ambitious “Moon King” summoned a wealthy farmer.
The latter relied on a not-so-large plantation to feed hundreds of thousands of slaves!
At this moment, the farmer was holding a handful of scarlet soil in his hand…
The cycle of reincarnation has come full circle at this moment.
There is no Moon State in the thirteen states of the current Borneo Province, but it actually existed a long time ago.
It was just that after the moon rose in the sky and then set, Yuezhou was changed to Lowell State by the Xilan Empire, which came later.
And that was another glorious period…
…
Time returned to the present.
No one knows what happened in the past 200 years. Even the Alliance, which built an expedition station at the site of the Lowell Camp in Jingalon Port, can only recover limited historical materials from the ruins.
Among the many topics of the Alliance Social Science Research Institute, the research on the Borneo Province is only a relatively rough main line. As an “unnumbered shelter”, it is parallel to the numbered shelters such as 70, 79, 100, 101, 117, 401, etc.
The chief of the Great Rift Valley naturally could not know that history.
Due to the clutter signals flowing between the radioactive dust and orbital garbage, the last message sent by Lowell could not even be sent to the headquarters of the War Construction Committee…
The obstacles of “long-distance radio communication” in the wasteland still exist today, and the Alliance also relies on wired cables to achieve instant communication of signals within and outside the country.
Abusek left the Great Rift Valley Chief with a look of loss on his face, as if he understood, but also as if he didn’t understand.
Looking at the Internal Affairs Committee member Wadia who was following him with a worried look on his face, he suddenly laughed out loud and touched his chin.
”That old man wanted to save my life…”
Wadia was stunned for a moment, not understanding what his boss was saying, but he remembered that this was someone else’s territory, and hurriedly reminded him with a wry smile.
”Mr. Grand Commander… We are now in the Great Rift Valley, and you call their head like this-”
”I know, it doesn’t matter, that old man… He doesn’t care,” Abusek waved his hand, interrupting Wadia who was about to say something, “Don’t worry about me first, I want to think about it quietly by myself, and I will inform you if there is any arrangement.”
He originally planned to visit Chu Guang, but it seemed unnecessary to think about it.
What would happen if he met him?
The problem of the Brahma people had to be solved by himself, and he really couldn’t go around looking for his father.
Besides, with such a large population, no one can help them, and those who can help them have already helped.
Technology, funds, machines, production methods, ideological enlightenment, local talents, and even some “social data that originally belonged to them but was lost by themselves”…
He really couldn’t think of anything else he could ask for on behalf of the survivors of the Borneo Province. If it
’s not enough, he can only ask the administrator to come. Besides,
the administrator of the alliance should also have his own arrangements during the period before the meeting.
For example, regarding the discussion of post-war issues, the three former legion commanders and the governor of Triumph City should meet, right?
Tyr probably didn’t have the courage to come, and it seemed that there was no point in coming. As the commander-in-chief of Borneo, he could see that the Southern Legion was about to lose.
For example, regarding the discussion of ending the Wasteland Era, the chief technology officer of the academy and the director of Ideal City should meet, right?
The schedule is almost full, so it’s better not to trouble that gentleman.
Let’s meet again when the meeting is over…
…
In the spacious and bright room, Zhou Xianlin, with a bruised face, was applying medicine to his wounds under the help of the old housekeeper.
As the leader of the Dam Alliance, he had never been treated so badly, being grabbed by the collar and beaten until his lips were broken.
The soldier in the power armor shouldn’t have pulled him
away. He almost bit off the guy’s ear!
It’s a pity that until the end he couldn’t let the people of the valley see the bravery of the Leaping Horsemen
. Zhou Xianlin became more and more angry as he thought about it. He looked at the old housekeeper next to him with a murderous look
on his face and said in a vicious voice. “Where is the Red River Alliance? Find them on the map for me! Damn it, these damn things dare to confront me, I will chop them into pieces and feed them to the dogs!”
The old housekeeper shuddered, and the iodine in his hand almost spilled, and said with sweat on his forehead.
”Master… the Red River Alliance… they may have really fought with the looters, and the ones they locked up in the mines may be real looters.”
Zhou Xianlin was slightly stunned, and suddenly stared at the old housekeeper with a dark face.
”… What do you mean? We haven’t fought with the looters?”
”We have fought, we have fought,” the old housekeeper nodded quickly, looking like he was about to cry, “I just want to say… the Bone Chewing Tribe is quite special, different from other looters. Also, the Red River Alliance has its own garrison, although I heard there are only one or two hundred people, but it’s better not to provoke them.”
In fact, the more difficult thing is how to send people over.
You can’t take the alliance’s train to fight people, right?
Fortunately, this time, his young master finally understood what he said and swallowed his anger.
Zhou Xianlin sneered.
”Who did I think it was… just a dog on a chain! Forget it, you have to look at the owner before you beat the dog, so I’ll leave this dog on a chain to my eldest brother to deal with!” The
old housekeeper: “…”
…
On the other side, in the conference room carved out of granite, the guards of Triumph City and the guards of the Alliance checked the room, then left the outside of the conference room and closed the door.
Only the Archon of Triumph City and the manager of the Alliance were left in the entire conference room.
Finally, there was no third person. The battlefield guy sitting in the golden can had an expression of “I’m so tired” and leaned back on the chair, but he didn’t expect that the backrest was pressed down and cut in half with a “click”, and he almost fell backwards to the ground.
Facing Chu Guang’s expression of holding back laughter, he touched the back of his head awkwardly.
”Sorry… I made fun of you.”
Chu Guang smiled faintly.
”It’s okay, I’ve seen a lot, and when I first put on the power armor, I also broke a lot of chairs.”
There are always players who treat him as an NPC, saying dirty words and performing performance art in front of him.
There were also people who thought he was a quiet man and told him all kinds of nonsense because he was quiet and tight-lipped. There were also people who asked him how to have a baby with an NPC.
As early as the alpha version, he had already mastered the skill of “holding tight”. He
sat down on a different chair. This time, the battlefield guy did not lean back, but put his arms on the table like Chu Guang.
As expected of a professional iron can, this sitting posture was much more stable.
The battlefield guy sighed, wanted to say something but could not find an opening line, so he could only say something repetitive.
”To be honest, I’m not a good person. The Willant people in Triumph City may have misunderstood something. Although thanks to the forum… uh, I mean thanks to my staff, I’m doing a decent job as a consul, but I haven’t thought about my future at all. To be honest, I’ve wanted to resign more than once, or you can show me a way out.”
Seeing that the Battlefield Atmosphere Group was really worried and not treating everything as a game, Chu Guang smiled and said it in a casual tone.
”There are no absolutely good people in this world, only bad people and people who begin to examine their own hearts.”
The Battlefield Atmosphere Group was stunned for a moment.
”…What do you mean?”
Chu Guang did not answer, but looked him in the eyes and asked back.
”Are you a bad person?”
The Battlefield Atmosphere Group looked confused for a while, and wanted to say no but couldn’t make up his mind.
After all, he did lie about his identity, and he still hasn’t figured out how to face Lei Ze’s test and confess to the Willant people in Triumph City.
He shook his head and said frankly.
”I don’t know.”
Chu Guang’s eyes showed a light of approval, and he stretched forward his right hand.
”When you tell me you don’t know, at least you are no longer a bad person, or a ‘bad archon’… You should be able to realize that you have begun to examine your own heart.” The
face of the battlefield atmosphere group showed a look of surprise, frowned and thought for a while, as if it was really the case.
Just in the short half a minute just now, he reviewed his life… at least his life in the game world.
When the truth is false, the false is true… Regardless of whether the original intention is good or not, this pangolin is always worthy of his conscience, and he is seriously thinking about what conscience is.
He is not the savior of the Weilant people, nor has he thought of being their savior. He just did what he thought was right and what he should do.
For such a person, a mixed evaluation should be worthy of it, even if he took off his vest in front of all the Weilant people.
Looking at the battlefield atmosphere group with a glimmer of enlightenment in his eyes, Chu Guang continued in a gentle voice.
”You will soon find your own flaws, make up for them, and then climb out of the dry well that trapped you… This is also the only way to grow up.”
”You want to tell me that you are not suitable to be a consul, but I think you have done very well. Most people spend their entire lives to find the well that belongs to them, and there are even fewer people who try to climb out, but you are at least on the way to climb.”
He rarely said such chicken soup-like words, but the little player in front of him was like his child, and he really watched this guy grow up little by little.
Although the old confused guy said a lot of nonsense, one sentence really touched his heart.
He really felt the feeling of being a father, and he felt it a long time ago.
However, compared with the old man who recited “Good is the opposite of evil, and blessing is the basis of misfortune” and handed his children to the wasteland for training, Chu Guang still prefers to be a strict and open-minded father.
The old man may be “accurate”, and it is natural for him to see the law of the cycle after living through countless cycles.
But the children of the alliance cannot go to the future with such nihilistic ideas.
They should stand in the position of “changers” to see the unchanging mountains, rivers, sun, moon and stars, and create a new future that no one in the old era has ever seen with a braver and more vital attitude!
This is also Chu Guang’s expectation for the descendants of the alliance.
In this way, they will not let them down…
”Maybe, I’m afraid of failing their trust.” The battlefield atmosphere group raised their heads and stared at the ceiling.
Chu Guang was very experienced in his troubles and said with a smile.
”Do you know why you are afraid of failing their trust?”
The battlefield atmosphere group asked subconsciously.
”Why?”
Chu Guang said bluntly.
”Because… you became the governor because of their trust. This matter itself has nothing to do with any conspiracy, and their trust is earned by you with sincerity, not cheated or picked up for nothing.”
The eyes of the battlefield atmosphere group lit up, but then coughed again.
”I actually wanted to ask you for specific advice…”
”I’m sorry, I can only give you encouragement,” Chu Guang paused and said with a smile, “Why don’t you seek advice from other Willant people? Think about why you get support, and then think about why they support you instead of others.”
”After thinking about these, you can set up a podium where everyone can speak a few words in the place where you gave a speech, and put more mailboxes in the place where people support you, and stipulate that future governors must also speak out their dreams and fulfill their promises as openly as you do, and what will happen if they fail to fulfill them… These things need to be thought about by yourself.” The
battlefield atmosphere group suddenly understood and sat up straight in a serious manner.
”I understand.”
Chu Guang nodded.
”I understand, let’s talk about business.”
The battlefield atmosphere group was stunned for a moment.
”Business…business?”
Wasn’t it business just now?
Chu Guang nodded as a matter of course and continued.
”Of course, you are the governor of Triumph City, and I am the manager of the alliance. You represent as many people as I do… You don’t think that a few words of warm-up chat are serious business, do you?”
”… That’s not the case.” Facing Chu Guang’s half-smile, the Battlefield Atmosphere Group said insincerely.
Isn’t it?
And if there is really something important, can’t you just send a task directly from the task bar?
But speaking of it, it seems that since I replied “read” last time, there has been no new message for a long time.
Chu Guang was not joking with him. After clearing his throat, he said,
”In order to reduce the gap, I suggest that a long-term and effective dialogue mechanism should be established between Triumph City and Dawn City. I plan to lay a cable to Triumph City… The money can be borne by us. This is not only for now, but also for the future.”
The Battlefield Atmosphere Group nodded.
”No problem.”
This is indeed a good thing.
He can’t always be the governor. The next governor will not have such a thing as a “task bar”.
Chu Guang continued.
”In addition, as the exchanges between the east and west coasts of the Central Continent become increasingly close, we plan to build a railway directly to Triumph City while opening up new sea routes. This railway will start from the town of Bist in Luoxia Province, cross the Great Desert, and pass through the vast grasslands of the Eastern Empire. Perhaps it can spread the fire of civilization to the places it passes through… For this reason, we are willing to bear 60% of the investment, and you only need to bear 40%. Of course, considering that your economy is not abundant, the money can be lent to you by the bank of the alliance first.”
”No problem.” The battlefield atmosphere group found that they could not get a word in, and could only nod.
Chu Guang stared at him seriously.
”Do you have anything to add?”
The battlefield atmosphere group was about to say no, but when they met that sharp look, they finally held back the words on their lips.
”There are a large number of refugees in the Weylandt Province, and the Battoa Province needs to be rebuilt… You also know that we don’t have money. Since we have already invested in the railway, why not invest in something else? The highway in Triumph City is also going to be renovated. How about you use some money to set up a development bank? This way, you will not lose money, and neither will we… How does that phrase go, win-win?”
Chu Guang smiled and nodded.
”This is a good idea. I think not only we are interested, but also the enterprises will be happy to help you.”
”Done.”
The Battlefield Atmosphere Group spread their hands and wanted to lean back on the chair, but fortunately they stopped in time.
”Ahem… Let’s finish talking about the things to be discussed at the meeting now. What will we talk about when the human meeting starts?”
To be honest, the proposal he brought was really just “asking for money”. Including Benoit, the ministers of the Civil Service Group had been whispering in his ear before he set off, asking him to find a way to get some money back from the Alliance.
As for the proposal of the manager, he also understood it, and it was nothing more than “communication” in summary.
Eliminate differences in communication, eliminate barriers in communication, resolve hatred in communication… and this is what the Weilant people must do to integrate into the world.
He really had no reason to shake his head.
Looking at the confused Archon, Chu Guang laughed.
”That’s easy, just speak freely.”
”It’s rare for the Great Rift Valley to be so lively. With so many people here, of course we can talk about whatever we want.”
(End of this chapter)
