Chapter 741.1: Day In The Life Of The Coalition's Mascot

“F-Five million?! Silver?!”

At the Scientific Expedition Team's Prosperity Era Artifact Recovery Registration Office.

A sudden cry of shock drifted out from the tightly shut reception room, startling everyone waiting in line with numbered tickets.

People immediately stretched their necks toward the reception room, their faces displaying a mixture of envy and even greed.

There was no need to ask what had happened inside. After all, they were professionals in their trade.

Long ago, the New Alliance's Scientific Expedition Team had established a paid recovery program for Prosperity Era relics. By then, archaeology had developed into a mature industry within the New Alliance.

Some people handled registration, some handled authentication, some handled appraisal and acquisition, while others specialized in bargaining and spotting undervalued finds.

For scavengers lucky enough to discover treasure, choosing the Scientific Expedition Team's recovery channel was simple. They only needed to bring the item in, fill out a form, and wait patiently for up to seven working days for the appraisal results. After that, all they had to do was decide whether to nod or shake their head.

The Research Team would never force a sale on anyone who wished to keep their item. Customers were free to take their belongings back. However, because the researchers consistently offered generous prices, most people signed the paperwork without hesitation.

Many scavengers even traveled all the way from the eastern provinces, or even from territory controlled by the Scientific Council to conduct business in the New Alliance.

After all, the New Alliance's reputation was recognized by wastelanders everywhere.

With enough luck, a well-preserved Prosperity Era relic could fetch a sky-high price of over 100,000 silvers, enough to retire comfortably for the rest of one's life.

Even if the Scientific Expedition Team wasn't interested, museums or people from Camp 101 might buy it instead.

Some of the bluecoats from Shelter 404 might also make an offer.

For example, the big boss running Goblin Technology was notorious for spending absurd amounts of money on things that looked useless and usually were useless, just so he could tinker with them.

Quite a few scavengers made their entire living that way.

Many of the mercenary companies from Boulder Town had also switched their profession after the collapse of the inner city. Occasionally, they even cooperated with the bluecoats from Shelter 404 to explore distant ruins and undeveloped sites.

However, a seven-figure recovery price... Even among the veteran junk-pickers, it had been quite some time since anyone had heard of such a thing.

The crowd immediately began whispering among themselves, speculating about what kind of treasure the lucky bastard had found.

"Could it be a spaceship or something?"

"They might have found a Titan!"

"Not likely. If something like that existed, the Academy would've picked it clean generations ago."

"I bet it's something from some godforsaken corner of the wasteland."

"That's probably true. Anywhere else, if there'd ever been anything valuable, the Post-War Reconstruction Committee would've hauled it away long ago."

In theory, the Post-War Reconstruction Committee possessed the most complete records. The people who best understood where valuable things could be found in the wasteland had all belonged to that organization.

Later, during the era of the Three Giants, the Academy inherited the Committee's archaeological leads and swept through all the places the Committee had failed to thoroughly search over half a century.

Moreover, they kept sweeping for another century and a half. One could easily imagine how few truly valuable treasures remained in the wasteland.

While the crowd continued to speculate, inside the sealed reception room, a darkly sunburned man stared with wide eyes of disbelief.

That was 5,000,000 silver!

When he heard the number, Ma Jinwei genuinely thought his hearing had failed him. The researcher across from him, however, wasn't joking.

He simply handed over a stamped document. "Of course it's silver. If you prefer another currency, I can submit a request to my superiors."

"N-No need! silver is fine!" Ma Jinwei grinned. He had never seen so much money in his entire life and had no idea what facial expression he was supposed to make.

Just over half a month ago, he had still been farming in Horseman Town.

Who could have imagined that the hunk of metal sitting in the old warehouse would make him so rich?

He only remembered that his grandfather had dragged it back from an urban district over 100 kilometers away.

The original plan had been to repair it and use it as a tractor. Unfortunately, after tinkering with it for ages without figuring out how to start the thing, they eventually abandoned it in a warehouse where it gathered dust.

Only recently, after the New Alliance declared war on Torch and he received a letter from the town mayor, did he remember that he might be able to exchange the thing for money.

After much hesitation, he finally rented a railway freight car and transported it to Dawn City to try his luck.

He vaguely remembered the strange looks the Dawn City workers gave him when they used a loading crane at Horseman Town Station to place the thing onto the train. They had looked at him as though he were some kind of monster.

After verifying the amount credited to his account, Ma Jinwei immediately pressed his fingerprint onto the paperwork. He even attempted to share some of the money with the two researchers who had handled his case, which startled them so badly that they hurriedly waved him off with awkward smiles.

The Scientific Expedition Team enjoyed some of the highest funding and benefits in the entire New Alliance. Their salaries might not have been seven-figure sums, but they lived comfortably enough that food and clothing were never a concern.

There was simply no reason to risk attracting the attention of the Guard Corps over a relatively small amount of money that wouldn't meaningfully improve their lives.

Besides, most of them hadn't joined the Scientific Expedition Team for money in the first place. They had joined because they believed in the ideal the administrator had painted for them, the dream of ending the Wasteland Era.

Among those who possessed Prosperity Era knowledge or skills, almost everyone harbored at least some longing for that great age.

"... My friend, please don't use this sort of thing to test us. Besides, we're only on registration duty. Authentication and appraisal are handled by entirely different departments. Even if you tried bribing us, it wouldn't help."

Ma Jinwei didn't fully understand the researcher's amused explanation. Horseman Town didn't have all these complicated procedures or strange business practices. However, seeing that they absolutely refused to accept any gift, he could only scratch the back of his head and laugh awkwardly. "I-I see... Haha, you've worked hard then."

The researcher smiled. "Not really. We have our own performance evaluations. In another couple of months we'll be transferred to research positions in other departments. If you find anything else in the future, just bring it back to this office."

"Will do! If I find anything else, I'll definitely come back! Thanks! Well then, I'll be off!" With a grin plastered across his face and his hands awkwardly searching for somewhere to rest, Ma Jinwei nodded repeatedly as he walked toward the door.

Once he returned to town, perhaps he could use the money to open an inn, though there was probably no need to open one in Horseman Town.

The place called Gwent Town was obviously much livelier. Recently, many of the travelers getting off at Horseman Town had actually been headed there. He had also heard that the New Alliance planned to build a city there called Guardian Manor City, much like Falling Leaf City to the northwest.

Perhaps he could take his fortune there and try his luck. After all, getting rich through farming alone was simply too difficult.

Of course, before any of that, he needed to find some entertainment with his buddies back in town. He had promised them that if he ever actually got money for the thing, he would treat them to drinks.

"Take care on your way out. Oh, right... You should probably leave through this side." Seeing him about to walk out the front door, the researcher suddenly remembered something and guided him toward a rear exit connected to a secure corridor.

The man had shouted loudly enough earlier that everyone outside probably knew he was carrying a buttload of money.

Inside New Alliance territory, that wasn't much of a concern. Out in the wasteland, however, it would be a different story.

Ma Jinwei paused, then immediately understood. With a grateful smile, he thanked the researcher repeatedly before disappearing through the back door, looking over his shoulder every few steps.

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