In the morning, a bustling crowd gathered in front of the bank.
Merchants, mercenaries, hunters, even scavengers – everyone surrounded the bank. People’s emotions were heightened with excitement evident on their faces. Under the ushering of the security forces in first division uniforms, people formed a long line as they waited for the Sixth Street bank to open at eight.
The reason why people were so excited was because of an inspiring speech yesterday.
“… Everyone, in the past 21 years, we used our hands to prove our prosperity.” Zhao Chenwu stood at the podium in front of the council building as he used a passionate voice to speak to the crowd gathered.
“From being abandoned by the PAC to facing the mutant waves alone, to the bacteria that swept across the city, to the despairing betrayal…” He gradually lowered his tone.
“But we won against all odds!” He tightly clenched his fists and raised his voice again as he used a compelling voice, “We used the new order we established to give the middle finger to the old authorities. We used our high walls and cannons to fend off zombies and mutants. We used our tanks to eradicate the bacteria source that affected our entire city. And we used the laws of the council to punish the traitors!”
“And we welcomed radiance.” He slowed down again as he looked at the crowd with a stern but proud gaze.
The listeners all held their breaths.
“But just as we were about to celebrate our prosperity, an unfortunate and remorseful event occurred.”
“As most of you already heard, our friends in Jia city, the warriors who fought against the mutant humans’ invasion, have fallen.”
“And right now, the barbarians in the west are swinging their clubs and challenging us: ‘look, we caught your little neighbor and cut off his di*k. Are you afraid? Haha, we’ll be doing the same thing to you soon!’ Right now, tell me, could you all accept this kind of humiliation! Could you?”
There was no response below the podium, but Zhao Chenwu discerned from the faces of the crowd that they couldn’t.
He took a deep breath as he spoke again.
“It’s small compared to the size of the entire wasteland; it couldn’t even be considered a grain. But we must protect its growth and care for it so it can radiate its brightness to places even farther. That’s right, it is the radiance we see, a radiance known as order! And the first step to reach this great cause is to lubricate the road of our tank with the organs of those bastards! Then, we will free our friends!” His voice changed from deep and somber to high and enthusiastic, completely igniting passion in all the bystanders.
“Long live the Sixth Street!” people shouted and roared.
“Long live the NAC!”
“Kill those di*kless bastards!”
“…”
He raised his hand to signal the crowd to settle down as he flipped his script to the next page.ing
“Right now, I’m announcing the decision on the council’s behalf. The Sixth Street will declare war on the mutated humans in the Seventh Area.
While he said that he looked at Chu Nan by the side. As the governor, Chu Nan represented the military government.
According to the constitution of the Sixth Street, the military government had a veto right for motions passed by the council. Of course, it was just ceremonial since the impassioned speech was arranged by the military government.
Chu Nan stood up and looked solemnly at the crowd below the podium.
“Granted.”
Thunderous applause erupted.
With unified public opinion, Zhao Chenwu took the opportunity to announce the war bond and recruitment motions.
This show went far more smoothly than he imagined.
…
The crowd outside the window formed a long line from the bank to the council building.
The bank was located beside the building.
Chu Nan and Zhao Chenwu sat at the table. There were color printed newspapers on the table and on the cover page was the impassioned speech.
The newspaper only became popular recently. People loved to gossip, and in an era without the internet, the newspaper could meet the needs of the people. Other than occasional announcements of Sixth Street council decisions, the newspaper published stories of survivors, experiences of hunting mutants, job postings or advertisements.
“Five minutes before the bank opens.” Zhao Chenwu narrowed his eyes to look at the clock on the wall before he glanced out the window again.
He didn’t need to line up with ordinary people. As a big capitalist on Sixth Street, before bonds were publicly sold, he already purchased the portion that belonged to him.
“Looks like people are passionate about the war that will happen four months from now.” Chu Nan smiled.
It was eight o’clock. The employees of the council building brought a plate of steamy buns and two cups of freshly made soy milk.
“No one is interested in the war, but people will never say no to shining crystals. Mmm, delicious breakfast.” Zhao Chenwu grabbed a bun and took a hard bite.
He spent 20 years living there already; he knew exactly why people cheered yesterday. It wasn’t to free their friends but they cheered for the mercenary contracts, military contracts, and employment opportunities brought by the upcoming war…
“That’s right.” Chu Nan nodded as he reached for the plate as well.
Breakfast at the council building was provided by the military government for free. The food there was always the best in all of Sixth Street. The fresh meat buns and hot soy milk were delicacies of the wasteland.
“How did you think to use the steel of the mutated humans to create war bonds?” Zhao Chenwu swallowed the food in his mouth. He looked at the crowd flooding into the bank and asked curiously.
“I got inspired by the crusade dividend model then made some small changes in the process. For example, using the steel that the Sixth Street’s currently lacking as collateral.” Chu Nan slowly chewed on the food as he casually responded.
The crystals from the last crusade ignited the boiler for production, now this crusade would bring the raw resources needed for production.
“How much steel do the mutant humans have?”
“Based on the information provided by the intelligence team, they have an estimated reserve of more than two hundred thousand tons of C-type steel.”
“What the fu*k, are they living on top of a mine?” Zhao Chenwu couldn’t help but curse.
It was completed C-type steel, not iron ore that still needed to be produced.
“Not a mine; based on reliable information, it’s an underground resources warehouse. PAC’s strategic storage somehow landed in the hands of the monsters. But whatever, by fall of this year, the steel will belong to us.”
Outside the window, the line was slowly moving. The bank opened its doors. People, with their personal identity cards, all charged at the bank employees.
He looked at Chu Nan again.
“Why’s he not making the crystals himself? Don’t tell me he’s lacking money right now.”
Zhao Chenwu referred to Jiang Chen.
The food trade brought in over a million crystals of profit per month. As the biggest shareholder of the food business, Zhao Chenwu would rather think that the bank would go bankrupt than Jiang Chen lacked crystals.
“He’s not really lacking money, but council member Zhao must know the saying that in order to collect the grain, the grain must be planted first? ” Chu Nan laughed.
Zhao Chenwu took a moment to process that before he started laughing too.
“A general with this foresight, it’s my honor to be in your presence.”
“My honor too.” Chu Nan held up the soy milk cup in a toast.