As the "Albatross" passenger ship docked at the pier of Mantou Harbor, the 3,000 survivors drifting at sea for over half a month finally arrived at their new homeland.
After welcoming this batch of new immigrants, the population of Mantou Harbor officially broke the 30,000 mark.
This is just the beginning.
In the long time to come, passenger ships departing from Whirlpool Sea will continuously pass through this strait, bringing survivors from Bartoya Province and the northeast Baiyue Strait to Haiya Province, bringing millions of immigrants.
Among them are not only the old, weak, and women but also skilled engineers, scientists, and artists.
If the New Continent is the preferred refuge for the Weilante people, then the rising Alliance is their next option after New Continent.
Although there are no privileges as the dominant ethnic group there, having suffered extreme hardship, they somewhat appreciate the benefits of equality.
Thus, as the isolation zone of Weilante Province reaches its peak capacity in housing, it began to discharge to other areas on the Wasteland with assistance from the former army forces and members of the Sticky Community.
No matter how many refugees rush to the south of Weilante Province, even if it doubles, Triumph City can easily cope, and even actively help Teil in transporting the population.
Calculating everything, Teil obviously missed this point, and this loophole caused by cunning became the beginning of his complete end.
He wanted to use Marshal Julius's funeral to leverage Triumph City as the fulcrum of the world to let all Weilante people charge with him but forgot that his enemies aren't just Triumph City he planned to lift but the world he intended to pry.
No one is a fool, standing there waiting for him to handle one by one.
Thus, after "sending the first batch of immigrants to Mantou Harbor," Teil's "clever strategy" also sent the families of these prisoners to the Alliance.
Embracing parents was not only Parry but many surprised people.
The square in front of the port was filled with cries of joy and shock, even crying, as people hugged each other and shared stories of happenings during this time.
The lively sound attracted many nearby residents, including islanders from the South Sea Union, survivors from Haiya Province, and those from Poluo Province.
Seeing such a touching scene, almost everyone's faces couldn't help but reveal a knowing smile.
Even the Poluo people, who hate the Weilante people, couldn't help but slightly change their prejudice against them.
They are humans too.
The evil ghost turning humans into beasts is the true enemy of all suffering survivors!
Ding Ning clearly didn't expect the surprise he brought to Parry would be so big.
He merely thought there might be fellow townsmen on the ship who could give Parry some updates on Yavente City's situation, so he persuaded him over.
However, to his surprise, the young man's parents were on board.
This is like a miracle!
But in fact, this is not entirely coincidental, there's also intentional components within.
More accurately, it's due to the human compassion passed down from the Residents of Shelter No. 404.
Far away in City of Dawn, Crow suddenly thought perhaps some of the residents might happen to have relatives among the soldiers who previously landed at Mantou Harbor, thus mentioned it on the forum.
Then, far on Weilante Province's frontline, Night Ten found himself idle, so he went to the archival library of the isolation zone and discovered that quite a number of registered refugees were indeed relatives of the Southern Legion's 100th Ten Thousand Troops.
The archives of soldiers were shared when the Ten Thousand Troops was established before the army disbanded.
After understanding the situation, the respected Leader Mr. Pangolin waved his hand, sought the opinions of those immigrants, and prioritized them on ships heading towards Baiyue Strait.
It was due to this little episode that countless families were able to reunite in a foreign land.
On the edge of the square, Old White standing with arms crossed looked at Fang Chang standing aside and teased.
"At this rate, we might be able to mobilize several more divisions of our Weilante Expeditionary Army."
The deployment area of the Burning Corps has moved from Poluo Province War Zone to the Evernight Harbor front, but there's still a few days until assembly, so the two of them sent some heads at the frontline, took a detour to Potato Harbor, and arrived here.
Looking at those prisoners on the square, Fang Chang lightly smiled and said.
"Our troops are enough, no need for further mobilization, moreover, instead of filling lines on battlefields, there are places more suited for them to showcase their talents."
The war will soon be over.
The destroyed places need rebuilding, and the displaced survivors need new homes.
A single Mantou Harbor is far from enough.
Haiya Province has ten settlements, Baiyue Strait can at least have twenty!
Remember he painted a tremendously large pie for the shareholders of Baiyue Corporation long ago—the recipe that makes people salivate by merely seeing it on the map of the Alliance.
For now, the possibilities of making this pie a reality are not small!
At least compared to the pie drawn by the Dog plan, his pie is considerably conservative!
...
When the captives of the 1,000,000th troop reunited with their families, far away in the northwest of Poluo Province, the bombardment continued, with explosions and gunfire echoing incessantly.
Facing the Poluo people charging round after round in the jungle with automatic rifles, even the elite of the Sweeping Group could not help but show fear and were defeated by the relentless onslaught.
The cannon fodder of the Southern Legion needed to be produced through cloning chambers, yet the soldiers of Poluo Province seemed to grow from the ground; one wave after another was killed, but they were never-ending.
And the more troublesome part was yet to come—
These guys were getting younger and stronger as they fought!
With the fall of Evernight Harbor, the supply lines for the Southern Legion's Poluo Province War Zone had been completely cut off, while Poluo Country and Mammoth Nation, with the help of an alliance, had completed a comprehensive rearmament and formally blew the horn of counterattack once they regained their strength.
This prolonged battle had entirely entered its third phase—from strategic stalemate back to the offensive and defensive struggle for strategic points.
However, this time, the ones holding on stubbornly were no longer the Mammoth Nation and Poluo Country but the already exhausted Southern Legion.
It should be mentioned that even the most cunning Shaluk was no longer holding back, and General Groove, who had been both praised and criticized recently, was back in favor with Gopal's reinstatement and the support of the Family Meeting.
An army of fifty thousand robust troops launched a ferocious attack on the weakest point of the Southern Legion's defenses, routing Gibson's troops, which numbered fewer than ten thousand and were mostly servant troops, taking control of half of Wolf State!
This time General Groove finally had his moment of triumph, winning a prosperous battle.
Neither Zayed nor Gopal restricted him anymore, allowing him to employ his military talents freely.
The only request was one—
Not to touch West Sail Port for the time being.
According to intelligence gathered by their overseas spies, the Eastern Empire was preparing to take over the legacy of West Sail Port.
It was the essence accumulated by the Triumph City Official Group and the Southern Legion.
The upper echelons of the Family Meeting knew very well what could be touched and what could not, or rather what they could not yet touch with their current strength.
However, this matter could be negotiated.
For instance, the Eastern Empire eats the meat, and they follow with a sip of soup. After all, they can't let Absek and Laxi benefit easily.
Although the factions within Poluo Country each had their own hidden agendas, the general trend of a full-scale counterattack had indeed formed.
The most difficult groundwork had been laid, and even parts above the foundation were built; now it was just short of topping off the whole building.
Don't say leading the Poluo people to counterattack is a wolf and a moon; even if Witch Todd were invited back from the dead, they couldn't lose.
At least at this moment, Poluo Province was truly brimming with valiant generals and strong soldiers like rain.
And most crucially, they forged their backbone in the flames!
Northern Three States, Central Sheep State, at the forefront of the Poluo Country Northern Field Army's control area.
Standing in the trench, Edge Shoveling held a telescope and gazed westward, his vision sweeping north along the rising peaks and the continuous green pines.
If one overlooks the anti-aircraft machine guns hidden in the sea of trees, the hollowed-out bunkers, and tunnels, this place could truly be called a gem of clear waters and lush mountains.
Mountains, water, and endless plains, and without the intrusion of variants... Does it really need red soil?
Edge Shoveling couldn't help but feel such confusion in his heart.
However, he had never experienced the terrifying winter of a century and a half ago and could not judge the merits of General Lowell's actions on behalf of the local survivors.
As for what Poluo Province would be like without General Lowell, that was even more a figment of imagination.
Just objectively assessing from a third-party standpoint, he did not agree with the complaints of some Poluo people—that the United Human abandoned them, abandoned the over one billion survivors fleeing from the old world's center to this place.
At least in his view, having been to many places, compared to River Valley Province and other regions, Poluo Province was nothing short of a remaining paradise on earth, itself a 4 million square kilometer refuge!
As a pre-war ecological refuge, here boasted abundant species, even mammoths from the Ice Age, and still haven't been hunted to extinction.
Falling Leaves Province had 5 oases left, whereas Poluo's oases spanned a whopping 4 million square kilometers.
If they were considered abandoned survivors, then what about other survivors living outside the shelters at the same time?
Perhaps because he was about to leave, Edge Shoveling dazed for a bit too long, only snapping back to reality when he heard a gentle cough from behind.
"...The Weilante people have connected the mountains ahead with bunkers and tunnels; if forcibly attacked, there could be countless casualties."
While speaking, Edge Shoveling put down the telescope and handed it to Yishel behind him, pausing before continuing.
"They have prepared for at least half a year over there; I suggest you take it steady."
Yishel replied seriously.
"I will consider it carefully."
Edge Shoveling nodded approvingly, knowing the man listened.
Today's Yishel was already the commander-in-chief of the Northern Field Army, commanding not just the 3rd and 11th ten thousand troops, but as many as ten field infantry artillery divisions!
The so-called enemy's curse is the best medal, as evidenced by the nickname "Jungle Rat" given to him by the Southern Legion, indicating how much trouble he caused the former.
Honestly, Edge Shoveling feels like he has nothing left to teach him, and might even have to ask for his advice on some matters.
After all, the command mindset between the players' army and the NPC troops is different, and regarding the latter, NPC officers actually have more say than these players with pockets full of Resurrection Coins.
Thinking of this, Edge Shoveling couldn't help but chuckle and tease.
"You'd better be cautious; I heard your bounty has gone up from 1 million Dinar to 20 million."
"Tsk, I've never seen so much money in my life," Yishel grinned and scratched the back of his head, replying in a joking tone, "How about I negotiate with those big noses to sell myself?"
Edge Shoveling laughed and scolded.
"Hahaha, you don't have any kids. Do you plan to save the money to spend down below?"
Yishel chuckled.
"You might be right; I almost forgot about that. I've decided! After this war, I'm going to get myself a wife."
Edge Shoveling joked.
"Then you'd better keep your eyes wide open. You're not the same as before, just a poor soul nobody wants even for free. With 20 million on your head from the Weilanteans, I bet the price from Tiandu folks would only be higher."
Yishel laughed and said.
"There's such a good deal? Then I should find someone educated so my sons and daughters aren't as unpromising as I am."
"Come on, if you count as unpromising, who would be considered promising?" Edge Shoveling laughed and scolded, pausing before continuing, "Culture isn't that noble; anyone willing to learn can learn it. You can learn too after the war. Finding a partner must focus on character; that's what lasts a lifetime. Don't get so captivated by female students that you can't move your legs."
These Poluo folks are weird, interested in female students one after another.
Are they uniform enthusiasts?
But come to think of it, maybe they are.
In the whole Poluo Country, aside from the army, it seems only schools have uniforms.
Another strange prejudice added...
After the jokes, Edge Shoveling ceased his laughter, replacing it with a serious tone.
"We're leaving tomorrow; from here on, you have to walk your path... Take care."
Even though he knew about the Alliance's arrangement beforehand, a bitter smile appeared on Yishel's face.
"Even you are relocating."
Previously, the Skeleton Corps had been transferred to Evernight Harbor, along with the Goblin Corps and Burning Corps stationed in Tiandu.
Once the Death Legion is transferred, the Poluo Province War Zone will be completely handed over to the Poluo people themselves.
Although he foresaw this day long ago, his heart was still filled with reluctance.
"Yeah, we can't stay here forever; there's 2.7 million square kilometers of colonized land northwest of Evernight Harbor waiting for us to liberate... Including the 910,000 square kilometers of Bartoya Province, where there are also suffering survivors."
Seeing Yishel's face full of reluctance, Edge Shoveling suddenly smiled to lighten the mood, patting his shoulder.
"Don't make it seem like we're parting forever. We're just heading to the next victory. You've done very well; even without us, you can still do well. There's no need to be so attached to us."
"Hard to say," Yishel shook his head, "The United Federation has never truly united, with banners standing from east to west and north to south. They can unite today against the Southern Legion and break heads tomorrow over the northern three states' ownership."
Absek, in the telegram he sent, had already started laying the groundwork, advising him to watch the Laxi troops' movements, avoid unwarranted transfer of positions, and keep the acquired equipment and personnel if possible; otherwise, send them south.
Even with just his toes, he could guess what Absek was thinking, yet he couldn't say the Supreme Leader's foresight was wrong.
After all, Absek wasn't the only one preparing for civil war; Laxi himself was doing the same thing.
After determining the Southern Legion's days were numbered, the few divisions of the Mammoth Nation stationed at the front started acting strange, and their intelligence exchange with them wasn't as unreserved as before.
That comprises three states' territory, plus Lion State, seriously developed by the Southern Legion.
If Laxi isn't interested, that would indeed be a wonder!
Edge Shoveling could understand the concerns in his eyes but didn't have a better solution.
He's just a corps leader.
Moreover, he thought even if it were the Manager himself standing here, it might still be challenging to interfere with others' domestic affairs.
Unless they, like the Southern Legion, turned this into their colony, covering old hatreds with new grievances.
But if that happens, they would no longer be the Alliance.
Those survivors supporting them against the Legion might no longer support them as they previously did.
"We hope you can peacefully resolve your conflicts, at least not spark a bigger crisis."
At this moment, a thought suddenly sprouted in his heart, and he extended an olive branch to the comrade in front of him.
"Have you considered joining the Alliance?"
This guy is a talent.
He genuinely admired him, which is why he said such words.
Facing the olive branch extended by Edge Shoveling, Yishel remained silent for a while, sighed, and said.
"It would be a lie to say I'm not interested, but it would also be a lie to say I want to go... I don't dare to call myself a hero, but at least I'm quite a catch. The female students in Tiandu would probably line up at the city gate waiting for me. Would I still be a man if I don't go back? At the very least, there are a few decades of good days waiting for me."
Pausing for a moment, he joked again.
"Moreover, it might not be that chaotic. What if I, this jungle rat, manage to tame the scene? Whether or not I can is one thing, but if I run away without doing anything, those female students of Tiandu would line up to curse me."
His tone seemed like a joke, but there was a hint of seriousness.
Edge Shoveling wasn't sure whether to laugh at his vulgarity or admire his bravery.
But Yishel himself was quite open about it.
He had figured out this issue long ago; he was destined not to become "Awakener Bol."
The Poluo people have never experienced an era where they were exploited to the extreme by money and power. How could they wake from a nightmare they never had to begin with?
Their history misses a page, and he is that missing page.
He will be the beginning of Giant Stone City, raising the torch to disperse the darkness as a forerunner.
And his children, or his children's children, will become the antagonist in "Awakener Bol"—Mr. Stephen.
Perhaps he should accept the olive branch thrown by this Resident of the refuge in front of him. "Depart casually and hide one's achievements and fame" is indeed the choice of a truly smart person.
However, everyone has their limitations, including himself.
It is the belief in becoming Bol that has driven him to overcome numerous obstacles to reach this point. How could he simply give up like this?
Maybe things will be different?
After all, in the interview with Spielberg in the "Survivor's Daily," he mentioned that the epic of Giant Stone City is a miracle of its people, and other gathering places will have their own miracles too, miracles that cannot be simply replicated.
He will try to learn from Giant Stone City's lessons, adding a couple more to his family's creed.
Perhaps under his influence, his children will take a completely different path.
For example, becoming "the gravedigger of the Inner City," Alyssa.
An idealist full of ambition, breaking one's own pot is equally indispensable to a glorious revolution. If such a great person were born out of the West Sail Port tragedy, it certainly wouldn't be ordinary folk like Anush and Absek coming out as the overlord.
Of course, these are just Yishel's personal opinions; different people have different interpretations of the transformation of Giant Stone City.
However, he believes that he has the ability to change the future of his fellow people.
Seeing Yishel's determination, Edge Shoveling no longer mentioned the matter, merely patting him on the shoulder.
"The Southern Legion's defeat is certain, but you should not underestimate your enemy. Lion State has factories, railways, and an endless supply of labor. Although they can't produce precision-guided missiles, processing firearms and ammunition is no problem. Their reliance on technology isn't naturally strong. Moreover, those who remain are mentally unstable; confronting them head-on is the worst strategy. Only a psychological approach is superior."
Yishel nodded seriously.
"I remember... you all take care too."
Edge Shoveling nodded, withdrawing his hand from his shoulder and clasping his hands in front of his chest.
"Till we meet again!"
Yishel copied his gesture, smiling broadly as he said.
"Till we meet again! When you come to Tiandu next time, I'll treat you to a drink!"
Edge Shoveling laughed as he responded.
"I'll remember that!"
He left his gear and the words of caution in the trench, gathered the last remaining players of the Death Legion, and headed toward the direction of the tarmac.
The "Viper" transport plane waiting for them was there.
They would board the vertical take-off and landing Viper and head for Tiandu, then transfer to the "Overlord" transport plane to the south of the Great Desert—the Old Southern Industrial Zone of the Human Alliance Era.
The Southern Legion had a colonial area of 2.7 million square kilometers there. They would join with brothers from other corps at the frontline of Evernight Harbor, then go all the way north, directly hitting the Yellow Dragon, and crossing the ruins of the Old Western Industrial Zone, straight into the southern part of Batoya Province—the homeland of the Southern Legion!
Edge Shoveling felt his blood boiling, just like burning gasoline.
Listening to the roar of plasma plumes outside the cabin, he excitedly clenched his fists, making a creaking sound.
"... Finally, a chance to make a big move!"