Players, Please Board the Train

”We’d like to know the nature of your relationship with this person.” He Hui placed a photograph on the table, showing the pursuer player who had previously fought Xu Huo and his companion.

”Didn’t your people explain things clearly enough?” Xu Huo raised an eyebrow.

They had pressed for the identity of the pursuing player, and the Holy Sword Society handbook had been given to them by that very person.

”It’s not that we don’t trust you two, but aside from his companions, you were the only ones he came into contact with along the way.” He Hui kept his smile. ”You two didn’t follow him just for the items, did you? It seems you’ve crossed paths before?”

Xu Huo couldn’t help but show a hint of amusement. ”You didn’t get that murder weapon, or rather, the thing you actually wanted.”

”Those people went to the Government Building to grab things, but both the government and player organizations were prepared in advance. The things they managed to snatch might not be what you have, and what you’re after is most likely still in their possession.”

”Quite a few casualties, but no prize?”

Whether it was items, potions, or anything else of value, the fact that government players had traced things back to them suggested whatever they were after was extremely important. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have pursued it this far.

Anything a player could carry wouldn’t be too large, and transferring it wouldn’t be difficult. If they’d come looking for them, it meant these people had exhausted every other possibility and still found nothing. The plan had already failed.

”Telling you the full story isn’t out of the question.” Xu Huo paused before continuing. ”Some of our companions died in a way similar to those killed by that piece of paper.””I see.” He Hui nodded slightly, then pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. After placing it on the table, the conversation they’d just had automatically appeared on its surface. He then set down a pen. ”Would you two mind signing this document? That way I’ll have something to show when I report back.”

Xu Huo’s expression turned cold.

”I know this comes across as somewhat presumptuous, but it guarantees the authenticity of our conversation, and everyone can walk away unscathed.” He Hui spoke with an apologetic tone. ”You’ve both seen the situation in Zone 009. If we give trust too easily, we’d be taking on enormous risk.”

”Why should we, completely uninvolved people, make concessions just because you’re taking risks?” Yan Jiayu countered, glancing at the document. ”Everyone knows you don’t casually pick up things in the game, and you don’t casually sign your name. Don’t we take on risk by giving trust easily?”

”Or are you just relying on your numbers?”

He Hui chuckled. ”You flatter me. Outside of dungeons, without certainty of a one-hit kill, who can actually detain a player?”

”Verifying details is part of my job... In that case, I won’t disturb you two any further.”

With that, he gathered his things and stood to leave. After opening the door, he placed the thank-you gifts sent by other players by the doorway.

A few minutes later, the players lurking near the hotel departed.

Yan Jiayu glanced out the window. ”I get the feeling that even without our signatures, they already got what they wanted.”

”There are all kinds of lie-detection items out there; this isn’t surprising.” Xu Huo said. ”And what I said was the truth.”

”Let’s see what they sent.” Yan Jiayu walked to the door, pulled out a small plush doll, and scanned the box with it before opening it. Inside were quite a few potions, along with some specialties from Zone 009.

They’d clearly done their research on Xu Huo and Yan Jiayu, as most of the potions were the sweet-and-sour flavors Yan Jiayu favored.

In Zone 009, with its comprehensive surveillance, this was hardly difficult to find out.

The two split the potions evenly.

For the rest of the day, they stayed in and didn’t go out. The large-scale deployment of player organization members had taken effect—at least near the core areas of the Capital Safe Zone, things were less chaotic than the day before.

Early the next morning, Xu Huo went to the exhibition hall to retrieve the Awakening Doll.

The exhibition hall was now unattended. As he entered, the first thing he saw was Old Zhou standing guard beside the doll.

The old man looked startled and uncertain when he saw him, and seemed puzzled when Xu Huo walked toward the doll.

However, Xu Huo didn’t touch the doll. Instead, he picked up a stone and tossed it at the doll.

Before long, several people emerged from the doll—it was Chi Nan and her companions, all of whom had accidentally stumbled into a random dungeon during the chaos three days ago.

Chi Nan spotted Old Zhou first and quickly asked, ”Where are Xiao Peng and the others?”

Old Zhou’s expression was filled with grief. He shook his head.

Chi Nan clenched her fists hard. ”Those people all deserve to die!”

They had gotten out, but it seemed other players were still trapped in the dungeon. Xu Huo tried using an item to take the doll away but failed.

After a moment’s hesitation, he retracted the piano wire.

”You’re here too!” Chi Nan looked surprised to see him, then added, ”Thank you so much this time.”

If he hadn’t brought the random dungeon to them, they would all likely have died.

”He saved my life too,” Old Zhou added.

Chi Nan clearly misunderstood something, her eyes lighting up as she stepped forward to strike up a conversation. But at that moment, Yan Jiayu walked in from outside. ”Someone’s following us.”

The representatives from the government and player organizations who had negotiated with them were gone, but the internal factions in Zone 009 were complicated. Just because some people didn’t make a move didn’t mean no one would. Some certainly harbored doubts, and it was hardly surprising that someone might want to quietly take out two D-level players.

No need to waste time tangling with them. Xu Huo prepared to leave.

But before he reached the door, the Awakening Doll spat out two more people, then actively leaped over the rubble toward him.

Xu Huo grabbed his doll with one hand and stowed it in his item slot, and he and Yan Jiayu activated their train tickets in succession.

The two appeared at the station. The first thing that hit them was the thick stench of blood. The spacious station floor was flooded with blood, and several emaciated players crouched off to one side, devouring food frantically.

Hearing the sound, the group turned around simultaneously, staring at them with fixed, hollow gazes.

”Killed people but didn’t get their train tickets?” Xu Huo asked.

The group’s eyes gleamed with hunger, completely indifferent to what he said. Though they still retained human form, the sight of fellow humans made drool drip from the corners of their mouths.

Beyond saving.

”They’re not normal people anymore.” Yan Jiayu raised her Demon-Subduing Pestle. ”Let’s send them off.”

Before the train arrived, the two worked together to deal with these players who had lost their sanity. The process was rather brutal—two of them were beaten completely out of shape by Yan Jiayu—but afterward, she arranged the bodies neatly and covered them with a white cloth.

After handling that, neither of them felt much like talking. They boarded the train in silence.

There were quite a few people on the train, and the atmosphere was lively. Some were chatting and laughing in the aisle, but when they saw Xu Huo and Yan Jiayu, whose clothes and shoes were covered in blood, the carriage briefly fell quiet.

Yan Jiayu spoke first. ”I’m going to the restroom.”

Xu Huo found a seat and sat down.

Before long, the carriage warmed up again. A few young players gathered together to play cards, a female player in the row behind was knitting wool, and behind her sat a white-haired elderly man leaning on a cane.