Players, Please Board the Train

Dai Wenqian smiled, turning on his phone flashlight to illuminate the ground. ”I considered it before, but decided against it.”

”We’re all players from Zone 014—why should we fight each other and let outsiders benefit?”

”Besides, truly intelligent people are rare. Most are fools like Liu Tie who only have a bit of petty cleverness. Perhaps someday in the future, we players will reach another level altogether.”

”If that day really comes and we don’t even have worthy opponents, wouldn’t that be a pity?”

Xu Huo couldn’t help but laugh at this. ”You do realize Zone 014 is just a tiny corner of the game world, right?”

”Of course I know that,” Dai Wenqian said. ”But Zone 014 hasn’t fully integrated into the game world yet, has it? In other words, our zone is still in the newbie protection phase—we just had bad luck almost getting wiped out by a Super Item.”

”Fortunately, the government reacted quickly enough. With fresh blood being injected, the situation is bound to change significantly.”

”You seem quite optimistic about official players,” Xu Huo remarked.

”Without anyone having become a high-level player yet, joining the national team is the wisest choice,” Dai Wenqian said with considerable enthusiasm. ”Only when you’re strong enough can you negotiate terms, but currently no single player or player organization has reached that level.”

”The government is recruiting players right now—this is the perfect time to join, and the conditions are quite good.” Xu Huo paused. ”So why are you hanging around with Zheng Liang and his group?”Dai Wenqian chuckled. ”You and Zheng Liang have quite the history. He grits his teeth every time he mentions you.”

”Just some friction from our youth,” Xu Huo said calmly. ”It’s not a life-or-death matter. His biggest wish is probably just to beat me up badly.”

”How pitiful—he might not even fulfill that wish before you die.” Dai Wenqian dropped that topic and returned to the original one. ”From what I know, your family members are under government protection. You’re not planning to join the official player organization, are you?”

”Trying to negotiate terms?”

Xu Huo’s gaze fixed on his face, holding for two seconds before saying, ”Possibly.”

A subtle mockery appeared in Dai Wenqian’s expression. ”Every man for himself and the devil takes the hindmost—you don’t even dare say that out loud?”

”And here I thought you were an educated man,” Xu Huo said lightly. ”Some things become meaningless when stated too bluntly.”

”A single word, a single matter—what matters isn’t the thing itself, but whether it benefits me. If calling a deer a horse benefits me, then treating deer as horses is fine too.” Dai Wenqian said this as if it were perfectly natural.

Xu Huo nodded understandingly, patting his shoulder as he walked past him. ”Don’t worry, I won’t say anything inappropriate in front of government personnel. You can feel free to negotiate terms with them boldly.”

He left after saying this, while Dai Wenqian turned around, half his face immersed in darkness as he faced Xu Huo’s retreating back.

Xu Huo didn’t look back. Dai Wenqian did want to kill him—his reason for not acting wasn’t as noble as he claimed, but rather that he wasn’t confident he could succeed.

He was probably trying hard to secure favorable conditions before joining the official player organization, using Gu Yu and the others as stepping stones, and maybe even planning to take a few players with him. Rashly fighting Xu Huo clearly didn’t serve his interests.

”You’re back.” Gu Yu had been waiting for them and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw them return safely one after the other. After Xu Huo left, Dai Wenqian had followed him, and she’d worried they might start fighting.

Xu Huo scanned the area and suddenly said, ”We’re missing ten people.”

”Zhang Biao and the others took seven or eight people with them,” Gu Yu said. ”They went voluntarily.”

Xu Huo frowned slightly but didn’t comment further.

Night passed quickly, and dawn arrived.

This was the final day in the game. Though exhausted, everyone’s spirits were relatively high.

After returning to the thirteenth floor, Xu Huo had Kang Hong connect the main electrical switch to supply power to the fifteenth floor as well. Then they went to various floors to find containers for water, carrying them to both the thirteenth and fifteenth floors.

”Why are we doing all this?” Even Kang Hong didn’t understand this time.

”Just in case,” Xu Huo said. ”There are still quite a few Mutated Animals in the greenhouse area behind us. I’m worried the Man-eating Flowers might create passages for them when they emerge.”

”That’s something we should prepare for,” Kang Hong immediately agreed. ”We should also call back those people outside. What if they rummage around carelessly and attract the Mutated Animals over?”

”What are you talking about?” Zhang Biao and the Bald Player returned with the others, carrying some old bags. Zhang Biao’s face darkened. ”We’re not idiots. Why would we go near the greenhouse area knowing there are Mutated Animals back there?”

”Then what were you doing out there?” Jiang Yihua demanded. ”You haven’t stopped moving since last night until now!”

”Looking for good stuff, of course.” Zhang Biao opened his bag and turned it over, dumping out the contents—which turned out to be snacks like biscuits.

He swept a triumphant glance over Gu Yu and the others. ”We found these outside the building. Apparently, the Man-eating Flowers vomit these things to a specific spot. Besides other people’s backpacks, there was an automatic vending machine too. Some of the food and drinks haven’t expired yet, so I brought them all back. Weren’t you all hungry?”

Hearing about food, the other non-players gathered around. Someone picked up an item to examine it. ”It really hasn’t expired! This drink has a ten-year shelf life!”

”Ten years? Can you still drink something after that long?”

”Maybe the animals in the game world are different from ours.” The person holding the drink couldn’t resist unscrewing the cap and taking a sip, then said delightedly, ”It tastes really good!”

A few more people took food items. When opened, rich food aromas wafted out—completely unspoiled.

”If we could take this technology out, imagine how much money we could make!”

”Still thinking about making money? Just eat quickly—there isn’t much anyway.”

The remaining people swarmed forward, dividing up all the food and drinks.

Zhang Biao and his group had clearly eaten their fill before returning. He used a packaging edge to pick his teeth, smiling as he looked at Dai Wenqian and Xu Huo. ”You’re all skilled players—you probably don’t need to eat.”

”Pass,” Xu Huo said with a smile that carried tolerance for those soon to die.

Dai Wenqian showed no reaction, but his mood had clearly soured, his eyes gloomy.

Zhang Biao felt awkward under their gazes, muttering ”psychos” before turning away.

Gu Yu came over with food and water, looking troubled. ”You should still eat something. We have one more day—it’s good to replenish your strength.”

Xu Huo politely declined her offer, instead taking one of the Energy Capsules Jiang Yihua had given him—the effect was quite good.

Seeing this, Gu Yu stopped persuading him. She set some food down for Dai Wenqian before opening a snack bag for herself.

Nearby, Jiang Yihua watched Xu Huo not eating and, though swallowing hard, refused to eat as well. Seeing her eyes practically turning green with hunger, Xu Huo said, ”Eat if you want to. The food is fine.”

Jiang Yihua reluctantly turned her face away. ”Do I look like I’m worried about poison? I’m standing firm on my principles!”

Xu Huo pointed at the tall but extremely weak Da Zhi. ”He needs to eat, doesn’t he?”

After using several cards, he had remained in a weakened state—probably due to some defect in his characteristics.