Players, Please Board the Train

Regarding his suggestion, Zhuo Wangsun hesitated, then looked towards the other two.

The female player shrugged to indicate she was fine with either option, while Si Ming seemed a bit hesitant, but seeing everyone else agree, he also nodded.

”Since that’s the case, then we are all companions going through life and death together!” The man shook hands with each of them, ”My name is Yi Mao, I am the captain of this team.”

None of the people on Xu Huo’s side were the type who liked to take the lead, so they had no objection to him declaring himself captain.

Yi Mao then introduced the members of the team to them. Among them were two players, both local players from Clown City, one E-grade and one D-grade, clearly here to protect Yi Mao.

The remaining people each had their own specialties: sniper, close-quarters combat, wilderness tracking, terrain reconnaissance. There was even a doctor with extensive knowledge of flora and fauna, and a professional talent skilled in communication methods.

”These people are all very capable, but facing emergencies, ordinary people definitely can’t compare to players. With your addition, our mission this time will surely go more smoothly,” Yi Mao said.

”What exactly is your mission?” the female player couldn’t help but ask, ”It should be different from the players’ tasks, right?”

Yi Mao pointed at the large screen directly in front that had just lit up, ”The warriors’ mission is very simple, only two things: first, kill as many Mutants as possible; second, collect valuable resources from the wilderness for the government to recover and study.”

”This isn’t that different from playing a game, is it?” Xu Huo scratched his head and said, ”Why doesn’t Clown City just send planes to bomb the Mutants?””There are reasons for not bombing, of course,” the doctor standing behind Yi Mao said coldly, ”If we could just bomb them directly, would we still need to sacrifice warriors?”

”He’s just asking because he doesn’t understand the situation, is it necessary for you to have that attitude?” the female player said displeased.

The doctor wanted to say something more but was stopped by Yi Mao, who explained, ”The reason we don’t bomb directly is because besides two dangerous, explosive-prone factories in the areas occupied by Mutants, there is also a special substance underground. If it were detonated, it might endanger the entire city.”

This could be considered a reason for now, and Xu Huo didn’t press further.

After waiting a while, the people in the center of the venue suddenly began moving towards the sides. Then, the central elevator platform opened, slowly pushing out a huge cage.

”Owwwooo...” Accompanied by a cry that sounded both human and not, a Mutant appeared in everyone’s field of vision.

On the glasses’ screens, the Mutant in the cage was not presented in its normal appearance, but rather as a thermal imaging 3D pattern. As it moved, the red-and-blue intersecting pattern also moved agitatedly along the cage, occasionally making sounds of crashing against the iron bars.

A man wearing glasses appeared on the large screen, waving to the people in the venue, ”Salute to all the warriors who have dedicated their passion and courage to Clown City!”

”It is precisely because of you that Clown City can maintain its peace today. Thank you for the sacrifices you make for the future of Clown City, for our lovely families!”

”I know that after tomorrow, many warriors here will not return, but please rest assured, your families will receive the best treatment in Clown City, and there is also one exemption quota!”

”If you can return alive, you will be heroes of the entire city. We have prepared generous rewards for our heroes!”

”Hunt one Mutant and receive a reward of five thousand White Bills. Kill more than five, each one beyond that will earn you ten thousand White Bills. More than ten, the bounty for each will reach twenty thousand!”

”Furthermore, anyone who can bring back resources, regardless of quantity, once adopted, can receive bonuses ranging from ten thousand to two hundred thousand.”

”Of course, this is only the reward for the cleanup mission results. For every hero who returns alive, the government will give an additional reward of one hundred thousand and a house. In case of injury or disability, the government promises lifelong free treatment and will bear support responsibilities.”

This speech had already stirred up the people present, as those rewards looked too tempting. Even if they couldn’t complete the mission, just returning alive wouldn’t be a loss.

”Finally! We of course also have the ultimate grand prize, which is capturing a Mutant alive—whoever captures a Mutant alive, it can be injured or disabled, as long as the Mutant is alive, can directly take away one million White Bills!”

The venue erupted. Compared to the previous benefits, this grand prize was even more thrilling. One million White Bills, even for players, was a staggering fortune that could drive people crazy!

”Has anyone really gotten the one million before?” the female player asked, swallowing hard.

”Of course,” Yi Mao said, ”It was a player from Clown City. He brought out a Mutant, and the government fulfilled the promise on the spot.”

The people around them were moved and excited upon hearing this.

”After talking about the rewards, I have a responsibility to remind everyone: outside the Protective Wall are high-intelligence Mutants. They can imitate normal human postures, disguise themselves as normal humans to approach you, and can even use firearms and weapons. According to statistics from previous years, at least one-third of warriors died because of this.”

”This data is heartbreaking, and it should also serve as a warning to those who come after.”

”We absolutely must not let our guard down just because they were once human. Once they cross that wall, the ones who will suffer will only be our families!”

”Therefore, when facing Mutants, you absolutely must not show mercy! Kill all the Mutants, take back our homeland!”

The person on the large screen raised his hand and shouted, and the people in the venue also shouted loudly, ”Kill all the Mutants, take back our homeland!”

”Kill all the Mutants, take back our homeland!”

The roaring shouts like crashing waves and howling winds continued for several minutes. The person on the screen pointed at the cage in the center, ”Next is the main event before your expedition! Begin!”

As soon as his words fell, someone in the frontmost crowd fired a shot, directly piercing the Mutant’s thigh!

”Bang!”

...

Continuous gunshots rang out. Batch after batch of people stepped forward to shoot at the Mutant in the cage. Blood flowed all over the ground, the smell of blood filled the venue, and that Mutant gradually went from howling at the beginning to being unable to make a sound, lying weakly at the edge of the cage, then a warrior took a knife and cut off its head!

When the dripping head was held high, the venue erupted with unprecedented cheers!

”These people, are they crazy?” the female player took half a step back and whispered in amazement.

”The oath-taking rally is like this,” Yi Mao said, ”Besides the government’s rewards, hatred for Mutants is also one of the warriors’ spiritual pillars. Only this way can the survival rate be increased.”

The female player felt slightly awkward.

”Why don’t the holographic glasses restore the Mutant’s appearance?” Xu Huo asked at this moment, ”If Mutants know how to disguise themselves, they might also pretend to be animals to confuse us. Wouldn’t that cause unnecessary trouble?”

”That’s because some Mutants are too horrifying,” the doctor said, ”People with poor psychological resilience might not even be able to hold their guns steady the first time they see them. Also, it avoids the psychological barrier of not daring to shoot at living creatures.”