Chapter 516 Do I still have to pay for the repair of the water pipe?

  The celebration lasted until the second half of the night.

   On the last night of the Great Desert, if Chu Guang hadn’t planned a time-limited unboxing event on the official website, those noisy little players would have liked to be in the game until dawn.

   These guys can't wait to live in the "game world"...

  The next day, Chu Guang woke up early.

  Yawning and opening the curtain, he just stepped out of the tent before seeing Rama standing at the door wearing the ten-style "Oath" exoskeleton.

   This set of exoskeletons was captured from the Enlightenment Society. The model belongs to the standard equipment of the People's Federation Army. Compared with the five-style "light cavalry" used by the police, it emphasizes the defense against rifle bullets and explosive fragments.

  After the alliance repaired it, it was repainted with a layer of cement gray paint and affixed with the identification friend or foe mark, so it can be regarded as the equipment of the alliance.

  In order to get familiar with the use of the exoskeleton as soon as possible, since she received this set of equipment, she almost wears it even when she sleeps.

  Seeing Chu Guang walking out of the tent, Lu Bei, who was guarding the door, immediately stepped forward to salute him, and reported.

   "My lord, she has been standing here since dawn."

  Chu Guang nodded, looked at Rama standing at the door, and said in a gentle tone.

"Is there a problem?"

   Following Lu Bei's example and sticking his right fist to his chest, Lama lowered his head and said respectfully.

   "You told me last night that I will arrange my future work this morning."

   It seems that there is such a thing.

  Chu Guang originally planned to ask Captain Adria what he was looking for last night, but he thought that the big nose had probably not gotten up yet, so he looked at Lama and said.

   "Since you have put on this suit of armor, you must have made up your mind, so I won't talk nonsense."

   After a pause, Chu Guang continued.

   "Come with me, I will introduce someone to you."

"who?"

   "Your future partner."

  Partner?

  Lama was stunned for a moment, but saw that Chu Guang had passed by her and was walking towards the other side of the camp, so he followed closely.

   A group of people came to a camp.

  At this moment, the curtain of the tent opened, and a fair and beautiful face came into Rama's eyes.

  It was a well-groomed woman with long pale golden hair tied into a high ponytail with a plain headband.

  In the first reaction when seeing her, Lama had a thought in his heart, that person was not from the same world as himself.

  Even if she only wears a very ordinary coat and dirt-resistant denim trousers, it is difficult to completely conceal the elegance of her gestures.

  A distant concept appeared in Rama's mind, that person was like the ladies of those big landowners, but not so similar.

   "Dear Manager...good morning." Seeing the Manager, Teresa said with a surprised expression on her face and bowed slightly.

   "It's the same for you, good morning."

   Greeted briefly, Chu Guang looked at Lama aside, and introduced, "This is the girl I mentioned to you on the phone."

  Hearing these words, Teresa's eyes lit up, and she looked at the lady wearing the exoskeleton.

   "Are you Ms. Rama?"

  Lama responded with an embarrassed expression.

   "Yes, it's me... May I ask who you are?"

  Teresa bent her lips and said happily.

   "My name is Teresa, a resident from the Alliance... But it may be a bit strange to say that, from now on this is also one of the recovery areas of the Alliance."

   "She used to be one of the princesses of the Falcon Kingdom, but now she has given up this identity and is now a resident of the Alliance."

  Looking at the bewildered Rama, Chu Guang briefly introduced Teresa's past, and then continued.

"At first, she worked as a miscellaneous and bookkeeping job in the refugee's home. After the establishment of Fallen Leaf City, she followed the expeditionary force through the Lion Kingdom and arrived in the Honey Badger Kingdom. She was responsible for coordinating and managing relief supplies, part of the post-war reconstruction work, and helping local survivors. "

"According to her former boss, Ma Ban, the lord of Fallen Leaf City, and her former partner, Yard Honeybadger, she has performed outstandingly at work, so I intend to appoint her as the lord of the pioneering city to handle this Administrative and management affairs of settlements."

  Like several other survivor settlements, the first city lord of Pioneer City is still appointed by the alliance.

  Chu Guang needs a candidate who has sufficient management experience and practical experience, has done specific survivor rescue work, and can understand the alliance creed.

   As for identity.

   This has never been a problem in the league.

  His chief of staff was originally a Weilante officer who surrendered. The lord of Dawn City was once a serf, and the lord of Dawn City was a refugee who deserted the army before.

  As for Rama, he has no management experience, and he himself prefers to be a soldier instead of sitting in an office and processing documents.

   Holding Rama's hands, Teresa stared intently at the girl's simple eyes, and said in a serious tone.

"I have heard your stories, and I am deeply moved by your determination to stay for those who have not been saved. I also want to do something for you through my own efforts... I hope you can borrow your strength from now on. Give me!"

  Being watched by those fiery eyes, Rama's expression became more and more embarrassed, and his voice hesitated a little unconsciously.

   "I, I actually just made up my mind to become a soldier. I may not be very proficient in shooting a gun, and it may not be as reliable as you imagined..."

   "Where is it?"

   Curving the corners of her mouth, Teresa said softly.

  "No one will ever attend the meeting. Courage and determination are more important than the result. In my opinion, you are the most reliable candidate."

"Before I joined the alliance, I was just a vase placed in the palace. It was not until I met many people that I gradually realized that the meaning of life can have many more worthwhile things besides the designed part. What you are after...Compared to me, who is belatedly aware, you who dare to take the initiative to stand up and face the barbarism in the wasteland are already very strong."

  Lama's overly tense expression couldn't help but loosen a bit, and his sunken eye sockets turned slightly red unconsciously.

  Chu Guang glanced at Teresa in surprise.

   Haven't seen each other for a while, this guy has really grown a lot.

  He has already seen some shadows of a politician in her, but some places are not yet mature.

  Opening up the city will be a challenge for her.

   There are not many survivors in this settlement, but in the future it will accept many survivors from the great desert. Among them are wastelanders, blue coats, and even old popsicles from two hundred years ago.

  How to deal with the relationship between different groups, use limited resources to solve the needs of each group, let people unite instead of internal friction in conflicts... The problems that need her to solve will be as high as a hill.

   But Chu Guang still has confidence in this guy.

   Leaving aside the resume, if she can pass the "dungeon" of Honey Badger City with the bloodline debuff, she can basically graduate from herself.

   But every time he thought of this, Chu Guang couldn't help but wonder.

   Lu Bei, a foolish man, has been with him for so long and is so close. Logically speaking, he should have gained some knowledge, but he still looks the same in the end.

   Apart from admiring himself more than before, this young man has not changed at all.

  Chu Guang doesn’t dislike this loyal young man. Loyalty is a valuable quality. It’s just a pity that he still has a long way to go to become a pillar of his own.

   Originally Chu Guang wanted to release him to be the commander of the Third Army Corps of the Alliance, but now it seems that the Guards Corps is more suitable for him.

   Taking his gaze away from Teresa, Chu Guang looked at Rama.

   "I said, I will explain the specific work to you today."

   "The alliance intends to establish a new corps. This corps is mainly engaged in search and reconnaissance missions. It is positioned as a special operation. It will be stationed in the desert area for a long time and will use the pioneering city as a base to carry out activities."

"You will be the commander of this corps. Your task is not only to search for survivors in the ruins and destroy the mutant tribes, but also to recruit reliable partners from the rescued survivors and teach them how to use weapons. Encourage them to join your cause."

   After a pause, Chu Guang continued.

"As Teresa said, being unskilled has never been a problem here, and people never show up... I hope that by this time next year, I can see an excellent regiment commander and a group of experienced Warriors."

  Punching his right fist on his chest, Rama said solemnly.

   "I will live up to your expectations!"

  Chu Guang smiled, looked at this brave girl and nodded, then turned his gaze to the tents of the survivors in the distance.

   "Those who chose to stay with you."

   "Just don't disappoint their expectations."

  …

   Regarding the name of this newly established corps, Chu Guang originally planned to seek Rama's own opinion, but he himself was at a loss and could not make up his mind.

  Finally, the troublesome job of naming was thrown back into Chu Guang's hands.

   Really didn't have any good ideas, and didn't want to waste time on trivial issues, so he simply opened a voting post on the forum to solicit players' opinions.

  To Chu Guang's surprise, the players were enthusiastic about the things he found troublesome, and they started to give him advice one after another.

   It's just that the name is varied.

  What the Eleventh Star Wars Troopers, the Sisters of Battle Order have popped up... What do these guys think of the Alliance?

  In the end, Chu Guang chose a slightly more reliable and easy-to-remember name, and simplified it compared with the names of other corps in the alliance.

   "...How about the Thorn Corps?"

   Thorn Corps...

   Repeating the name in his mouth, Rama suddenly seemed to have received some kind of inexplicable revelation, or inspiration.

   She pressed her right fist to her chest and said in a solemn voice.

   "Thank you, Mr. Manager, for giving me the name."

   From the looks of it, she seemed very happy with the name.

   Chu Guang nodded and said happily.

   "Then it's decided."

   In this way, the Thorn Corps was formally established.

  From the wilderness, they will choose like-minded partners from among the rescued survivors.

  Of course, the Thorn Corps, like other NPC Corps, also welcomes players who are interested in the Great Desert to join.

  …

  Not long after Chu Guang handed over the specific work of the Thorn Corps to Rama, Captain Adria finally woke up from his deep sleep.

   Shaking his head with a splitting headache, Adria grabbed his bodyguard and said with saliva.

   "...Where's Chu Guang? The manager of the alliance...you go and call him, just say that I have something important to discuss with him!"

  Looking at the officer who was still drunk, the guard said dumbfoundedly.

   "My lord, the alliance's airship is ready to anchor, and I saw their manager next to the gondola... If you sleep a little longer, you probably won't be able to see him."

  Hearing this, Adria was shocked, and the wine instantly sobered up.

   "Closing anchor?"

  The guard nodded.

   "Hmm... I heard that they plan to return to the River Valley Province."

   "Take me there!"

  Looking at Adria who turned over and got off the bed, the guard froze for two seconds, and quickly responded.

"yes!"

  Forget about washing up, Adria put on his coat and went out, trotting all the way, and finally found Chu Guang before the Heart of Steel put down the anchor chain.

   This guy drank a lot yesterday, and there was a strong smell of alcohol all over his body, which made Chu Guang frowned and took a step back.

   By the way, this guy is quite nervous. He dared to get drunk in the enemy camp within half a month after the ceasefire agreement was signed.

  Just now he was busy explaining the work of the new settlement and the corps, he almost forgot about this guy.

"Hi—thank you for your hospitality." Adria rubbed his swollen eyes, managed to pull himself together, and then cleared his throat vigorously in order to make himself look less sloppy. "Next time I have a chance, I'll treat you to a drink." Two cups."

   Seeing this guy's drunk appearance, Chu Guang made a joke.

   "You're welcome, as long as you don't feel embarrassed, you can stay here tonight."

   Still feeling embarrassed, Adria coughed dryly with a blushing old face, and continued, "I have a proposal."

  Chu Guang: "Speak."

   Adria said quickly.

   "Your camp is so big, and now a group of people have left, so many barracks are empty, how about borrowing some from us?"

The soldiers of the alliance have been expanding the camp before, and many of the barracks were left there after they were built. Not to mention how complete the living facilities are, but at least there is water and electricity. It must be much more comfortable to live in than the broken tents they carried on the airship up.

  It is now November, and the northern hemisphere has already entered winter. Even though this year is a warm winter as usual, it will snow in December at the latest.

  Especially considering the specific heat capacity of the sand, the nighttime temperature in the desert can be as low as minus ten degrees, living in that kind of linen tent might freeze to death...

  Looking at the embarrassed Captain Adria, Chu Guang didn't make things difficult for him, and asked casually.

"How much do you want?"

   "One hundred rooms..."

  Seeing that Chu Guang's eyes gradually turned weird, Adria quickly explained, "Of course, I don't want to borrow your house for nothing... I will pay for it! How about paying in dinars?"

  Looking at Adria who hurriedly explained, Chu Guang couldn't help being a little funny.

  If it was an ordinary wastelander, or a smaller settlement of survivors, these big-nosed people might have already grabbed it, and there would be no negotiation to pay.

   This bargaining look is really not like those military officers with a nose bridge.

   "Pay? I want dinars for what."

  Looking at Captain Adria who still wanted to fight for him, Chu Guang suddenly felt moved, and said, "Let your governor talk to me, I can't tell you."

   Seeing that things had turned around, Adria, whose mood had just fallen to the bottom, was overjoyed and said immediately.

   "Okay! Just wait for me!"

   "You'd better hurry up," Chu Guang glanced at the time on the VM, and said briefly, "We plan to leave at noon."

  …

Without staying in the alliance's camp, Captain Adria immediately returned to the camp next to the Judgment airship, contacted Governor Cohen, who was waking up from a 100-square-meter luxurious bedroom, through the ship's communicator, and reported to him and The difficulties of the officers.

  In a simple sentence, the failure of the Arbiter is not small, and it will take a lot of time to completely repair it. If there were no accidents, these more than a thousand people would have to spend the winter in the great desert.

  Although food and drink can be shipped from the Falcon Kingdom, safety is always an unsolved problem.

  Especially the Enlightenment Society is watching from the shadows, and no one can guarantee whether the rats in the gutter will come back.

After listening to Captain Adria's grievances, Cohen had no choice but to bite the bullet and send a communication request to Chu Guang, expressing his hope to rent some of the barracks in the camp and provide them to Weilan who was stranded in the desert. special people.

  However, after hearing Chu Guang's offer, Cohen couldn't hold back his rant.

   "100 silver coins a day for a room?! Are you crazy?"

  Looking at Cohen in the holographic image, Chu Guang said without blushing.

   "The entire Dawn City is at this price. Of course, if you pay monthly rent, I can also give you a 10% discount."

   This is certainly not the price of Dawn City.

  Take the road town hotel in Dawn City as an example, the cheapest room even costs less than 10 silver coins a day.

  However, this did not prevent him from slapping these Willant people with a false price.

  Chu Guang knew very well that even if he doubled his quotation, it would definitely be more cost-effective than building a camp in the desert.

  Not to mention anything else, but the problem of fresh water supply is almost unsolvable given the current situation of the Willant people.

   If you want to drill a well in the desert to get water, you must drill a well at least 100 meters deep. With the current industrial capacity of the Falcon Kingdom, unless they transport the drilling equipment from the west of the desert, there is no way.

   Squeezing the sore brows, Cohen said with a headache.

   "...Where the **** am I going to get your broken coins... Can the silver mine work?"

   "That's not necessary," Chu Guang waved his hand, "Although we use silver coins, they are not based on the silver standard. Can you understand?"

  Korn stared at Chu Guang fiercely, and said every word.

   "What the **** do you want? At worst we—"

  Chu Guang coughed lightly, interrupting his words.

"Bicester Town needs fresh water. I plan to rent a water supply section from the embankment nearest to No. 2 Oasis, and then build a water pipeline leading to Bicester Town to solve the domestic and industrial water problems of local residents. ...The time limit is ten years, how about one million silver coins?"

   Paused, he added a sentence later.

"Of course, we can actually transfer water from No. 3 oasis, but compared to No. 2 oasis right next door, the cost of 170 kilometers of pipelines is too expensive. After ten years, we will pay you according to the water consumption. How do you feel about money?"

   This is his design with reference to the Petra Fortress.

  According to the descriptions of several players of the White Bear Knights, the fresh water resources there are purchased from the nearest embankment and paid according to the water consumption.

  However, Cohen didn’t understand the market when he first arrived, so he didn’t necessarily know the production capacity of a water supply section, so Chu Guang didn’t talk to him about the water consumption, and rented directly by time.

  In fact, the "maximum" production capacity of a water supply section can supply one million cubic meters of fresh water a year, which is equivalent to half the water volume of Poyang Lake.

  Ten years is enough for him to create an underground lake out of thin air in the desert.

   As for the remaining energy of the embankment?

  That kind of thing who knows.

  The fresh water produced by the embankment is like the oil buried under the feet of a few big dogs in reality. It is pumped every day and there is no shortage. Anyway, when it can be used, it is over.

   In any case, it is also a seawater desalination device powered by nuclear fusion. After all, it can't be used up in just ten years.

  As Chu Guang expected, the focus of Cohen's attention was not at all on how much fresh water a water supply section could produce.

   After staring at Chu Guang for a long time, a most insignificant question suddenly popped out of his mouth.

   "Should I still have to pay for the repair of the water pipe?"

   Chu Guang coughed.

   "That's not necessary."

  It’s fine to use the faucet in someone else’s house, and let them fix the water pipe for him. He can’t do that kind of immoral thing.

   Cohen didn't speak for a long time, but he was thinking about it in his heart.

   Ten years...

  As soon as the agreement was signed, the fresh water supply of Bicester Town was in his hands. If the alliance wanted to attack him one day, he only needed to turn the tap, and the alliance would have to give in.

   As for renting a water supply section for one million silver coins, he doesn't really care whether the price is expensive or cheap.

  A river embankment has at least eight water supply sections, even if one is rented to the alliance, it will not be a problem, not to mention that it is an asset of the vassal state.

  With a reluctant expression on his face, Cohen nodded.

   "Deal! But I have to declare first that the price of renting the camp and other expenses must also be written in this contract!"

  There is currently no stable trade relationship between the two parties. He doesn't want the alliance to increase the rent of the camp to zero as soon as he agrees.

   Let alone a million silver coins, even 10 million or even 100 million can't stand it.

  Chu Guang smiled and nodded.

   "No problem, but... Before signing the contract, I also have to remind you."

   Cohen narrowed his eyes at him.

   "What kind of wake-up call?"

  "Wilanters are in our camp and must abide by our laws and regulations, including robbing, stealing, and..."

Seeing the ugly face of the big nose, Chu Guang saved him a little bit of face, and said in a very soft voice, "As well as all behaviors that are not allowed in a civilized society, they are considered crimes on the land of the alliance. If it happens Unpleasant things happened, we will not forgive you because of your nose, we will punish the perpetrators according to the laws of the alliance."

   "So if you don't want to have diplomatic disputes, or even more serious consequences, you'd better put some effort into restraining your subordinates."

  Cohen stared at Chu Guang with a dark face.

   "You don't need to say it, I will do it naturally!"

   Chu Guang nodded and said with a smile.

   "That would be the best."

  (end of this chapter)