Chapter 1149: Working Players
He only said a single word before the person on the other end hung up directly.
Xu Huo didn't mind. He opened the social communication software the tattoo-faced man frequently used, deciphered two addresses from some of the encrypted conversations that hadn't been deleted, and casually filed a tip-off report to the Special Defense Department.
As for whether these people would run off early, or whether the Special Defense Department could catch them in time, that was no longer within his consideration.
Tossing the phone into the luggage compartment, he returned to the place where he had just been eating.
Seeing him back so soon, Zheng Liang and Wen Xuelin were both somewhat surprised. Xu Huo explained, "The Special Defense Department has already gone to handle it."
Wen Xuelin breathed a sigh of relief. "That's great."
Xu Huo glanced at Gu Yu, who was already slumped over the table, drunk. "Has she been under that much pressure lately?"
"Being a celebrity isn't as easy as it used to be," Zheng Liang said meaningfully. "Especially for women—it's even harder than before."
It was easy to imagine. Just going out to eat could land you in a situation with someone like the tattoo-faced man. People who looked glamorous on TV naturally attracted more attention. In the past, many could only fantasize, but now they could actually act on it, even if Gu Yu was also a player.
"We've tried to persuade Sister Gu Yu to just retire from the industry, but she genuinely loves this job, and it pays well," Wen Xuelin said. "More than half of our association's operating expenses come from Gu Yu, and she also takes care of the families of quite a few members."
Players like those in the Special Defense Department, who never had to worry about money or resources, were a minority. Without the backing of a nation, they had to cover their own expenses for buying items, potions, and costs incurred on trains or in instance locations. Most players were lucky just to break even. Even if they sold items obtained from clearing instances, they saved up to exchange for better ones, constantly pouring money in. After all, evolution rate improvement wasn't unlimited—the further you went, the weaker the potion effects became, and the slower the evolution rate increased. So items were the best way to boost strength.
Players weren't wealthy—that was the normal state. That's why situations arose where players would fight to the death over one or two decent items.
"How about this," Xu Huo said. "I have a job on hand that needs people. I'm wondering if the players from your Spring Rain Association are interested in earning some extra cash."
"Earn! Of course we earn!" Gu Yu suddenly propped up her head, her face flushed red as she slapped the table. "What kind of job?"
"It's not too difficult, but there might be some risk." Xu Huo reached out to steady her. "If it's convenient, we can start today."
"No problem!" Gu Yu quickly said.
"Can you handle it in this state?" Xu Huo teased.
Wen Xuelin hurried over to take care of her, while Zheng Liang covered his eyes and said, "Don't embarrass yourself."
Gu Yu wasn't completely unconscious. She pushed Wen Xuelin away, grabbed a bottle of sobering potion, and downed it with heroic flair, wiping her mouth. "Mention work, and I'm sober!"
Xu Huo smiled and hired eight players from the Spring Rain Association at a rate of thirty thousand White Notes per person per day. Their task was simple: they were responsible for round-the-clock surveillance of several locations he had marked outside the Confidential Safe Zone. Two of those locations even had specific target individuals.
They didn't need to take action—just accurately track the movements of the targets and any personnel changes at those spots.
"This task looks simple, but you need to record everything that happens throughout the day in detail," Xu Huo said. "Send me all the information every fifteen minutes. Don't skip relaying something just because you think it's useless."
"That doesn't sound too hard," Wen Xuelin said cheerfully. "Brother Xu, are you deliberately looking out for us?"
"Not exactly, because I really do need the manpower," Xu Huo said. "I'll notify you when it ends. If there are any extra gains, you might get some items or a bonus."
Although they weren't sure what exactly would happen, hearing there were items to be had perked everyone up. Since Zheng Liang was injured and wouldn't participate, Gu Yu and the other three would join, along with four more players from the association who had relevant experience or were particularly meticulous.
With work to do, the group finished their meal quickly and left the private kitchen restaurant.
Anyone appearing near the safe zone would be under surveillance, but generally, as long as they didn't try to enter the safe zone, the Special Defense Department players wouldn't interfere with their actions.
Wen Xuelin applied makeup to everyone and marked them with moles on their faces for identification, in case of accidents where their own people didn't recognize each other, or someone impersonated them.
"The breakfast shop across from Jiajiale Supermarket, and the lottery station next to Kaixin Phone Repair Shop—the people inside need to be watched."
"Also, the small park to the left of the residential area, and the opposite bank of the artificial lake—keep an eye on those too."
The people weren't hard to track—since they were alive, any abnormality would be noticeable. But the small park and the artificial lake were large, with wide boundaries, making comprehensive coverage difficult. Especially since players could now use items to conceal their forms, making them hard to spot without professional equipment.
"The Special Defense Department should be holding the last line, right?" Gu Yu hesitated for a moment. "This residential area is already sealed off from the inside. I doubt ordinary people can get in."
"You don't need to worry about the Special Defense Department personnel," Xu Huo said. "That's information I need."
"Alright then." Gu Yu didn't overthink it. "We'll send the messages to you from our four communication devices."
By now, many players had obtained relatively advanced communication devices from the game. Although the energy issue hadn't been resolved, communication worked fine for short periods, and they could effectively bypass the signal jamming in Zone 014.
Xu Huo also took one. After confirming the contact channel, he said, "Sorry for the trouble, everyone. Happy New Year's Eve."
When he returned home, he found that besides Ms. Fang and Tang Guangbo, there were other guests.
"Oh, Xu Huo's back! Auntie was just talking about you," said Auntie Zhao, whom he had met the day before, standing up warmly. Beside her stood a long-haired woman with light makeup and a gentle demeanor.
"This is Auntie Zhao's daughter," Ms. Yu quickly introduced them. "Her name is Lingling. She works in the Special Defense Department and is also a player."
Ms. Yu didn't want to seem overly familiar in this setting, so she simply gave their names and told them to sit and eat some fruit.
"Hello, I'm Bian Ling," the long-haired woman greeted Xu Huo proactively. "I'd heard of your reputation even before I became a player. I never thought we'd end up living in the same neighborhood, and you're much younger than I imagined."
Xu Huo looked at this young woman, who had a delicate appearance and outstanding temperament. He couldn't quite match her with the privileged children from Ting City—those two attackers who had boasted about their deep backgrounds and specialized in poaching from the Special Defense Department.
"What a coincidence. Before I came back, I'd heard of you too."
(Chapter End)