Chapter 1153: Straightening the Back of the Special Defense Department
After speaking, the man glared resentfully at Xu Huo, as if his words had struck the very core of the Special Defense Department and the players who clung to it—and that core was an ironclad, filthy truth!
"I see now." Xu Huo rested his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands together beneath his chin. "You don't just *look* not very smart—you're actually not very smart at all."
"Sacrificing hundreds or even thousands of lives just to dig out a single high-quality player?"
"If District 014 developed for another ten years, what you're describing might be possible. But right now, absolutely not."
Even the Special Defense Department was scrambling to adapt. Even if some people with ulterior motives wanted to pull something off, they couldn't build momentum in such a short time.
"One or two videos, a few ambiguous testimonies, and that's enough for you to spin this out of control?"
"Are all these pieces of evidence fake?" the man roared furiously. "You've taken bribes from the Special Defense Department, so of course you're speaking for them!"
"If you want to reason, reason properly. Don't resort to personal attacks." Xu Huo cut him off calmly. "The video your sister took in her moment of despair is real. But based on her description, she was confused after her evolution began and wasn't fully aware of her surroundings. Let alone stealing a phone from researchers without being caught—even if she did, the information she obtained might not be true."
"In this age of advanced networks, don't you understand the power of manipulation?"
"Tell you what," he paused, "if you can produce solid evidence, I'll let you off this once."
"Ridiculous!" the other man shot back. "If we were afraid of death, we wouldn't be here!"
"If you're only after a moment of satisfaction, and you don't really want to expose the truth, then go ahead and die." Xu Huo stood up, signaling the end of the conversation.
"Wait!" the man beside him struggled to speak. "If you don't believe us, find the Special Defense Department players living here and confront them face to face! A lot of the people living here come from influential families! They're the most likely to know the truth!"
"Do you have any specific names?" Xu Huo asked.
The nine people lying on the ground seemed to rack their brains, but couldn't come up with a single concrete name. Just then, two figures came down from upstairs—Bian Ling and a male player wearing a black mask.
"Mr. Xu, don't listen to their nonsense." Bian Ling stepped forward. "Two minutes ago, headquarters sent word. These people are backed by a recently emerged cult. Headquarters has already dispatched a team to wipe them out."
"I knew the Special Defense Department would slap a label on us. A cult? Just a way to eliminate dissidents!" the masked player who had spoken earlier sneered with hatred. "I'm not afraid to die. I just can't stand seeing Country X controlled by people like you..."
Before he could finish, the black-masked player used a prop to choke him. Seeing the veins bulge on his face and his eyes roll back as he was about to die, the black-masked player standing nearby was suddenly blasted away by a force!
"As expected of the Special Defense Department's elite—very quick reflexes." Xu Huo turned his head, glancing at the black-masked player, who had used the wall to rebound and return to Bian Ling's side, and said flatly.
"Mr. Xu, what do you mean by this?" Bian Ling's expression didn't change.
"I'd like to ask the same thing." Xu Huo gestured with his chin toward the people on the ground. "Killing someone in front of an outsider—does the Special Defense Department really think it's above the law?"
As if provoked, the black-masked player moved to step forward, but Bian Ling stopped him with a hand. She smiled and said, "Joining a cult, stirring up trouble, infiltrating a safe zone, kidnapping and killing ordinary people—these crimes are enough to warrant the death penalty."
"Mr. Xu, think about it. If we hadn't stopped them today, how many people in this neighborhood would have died?"
"Our players risk their lives in the game to ensure the safety of the entire Country X. Should we let these internal troublemakers butcher their families?"
"*That* would truly break the players' hearts!"
She paused, softening her tone. "Besides, Mr. Xu, you have a close relationship with the Special Defense Department. You're not an outsider."
"Surely you're not going to believe these desperadoes?"
From Bian Ling's attitude, it was clear that the Special Defense Department was no longer what it used to be. The birth of a large number of players and the leveling up of elite players had given them strength and confidence. The current Special Defense Department was far beyond what one or two players could challenge.
Xu Huo ignored Bian Ling's pressure-laden words and asked a different question. "Is it true that someone inside the Special Defense Department deliberately leaked resource transport routes to civilian players?"
Bian Ling didn't answer.
But Xu Huo already knew the answer.
"And what about the player screening and forced evolution of ordinary people that these people mentioned? Is that true?"
"Is this an open secret within the Special Defense Department? Or is it the result of factional infighting? Or is someone using this method privately to select players?"
He asked several questions in a row, never waiting for Bian Ling to answer, as if he were just talking to himself. But his eyes never left her face. This focused, pressure-free attention sent a chill down Bian Ling's spine, and she couldn't help but interrupt him. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
"I've already gotten the answers I wanted." Xu Huo pulled out his phone and dialed Minister Fan's number.
Seeing his move, Bian Ling tried to step forward to stop him, but she couldn't get two steps before an invisible wall blocked her.
"Space prop!" the black-masked player warned. Both of them immediately used props to attack, but they couldn't break through the barrier.
Realizing the prop's level was likely very high, Bian Ling's face darkened. She immediately signaled the black-masked player to retreat.
But when they turned around, the same wall was behind them. Not just front and back—left, right, up, and down were all sealed off. They had no way out!
Only then did Bian Ling look at the man outside with fear.
Xu Huo didn't spare them a glance. In front of all these people, he waited for Minister Fan to answer the call.
"Sorry to bother you in the middle of your busy schedule," he said politely. "I caught a few players in the neighborhood. I have an audio clip I'd like you to hear."
After replaying the earlier video, he asked, "I've already confirmed from the Special Defense Department member here that this situation really exists, and the Special Defense Department headquarters should also be aware of it. I'm calling specifically to ask—how do you plan to handle these people?"
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night for the Special Defense Department. First, someone made a report, and they had to go make an arrest. Then, a key safe zone was attacked and needed reinforcements, along with the destruction of two cult hideouts... Those two things alone were enough to keep them busy. But then Xu Huo dropped another bombshell.
After a long silence, Minister Fan said wearily, "So what do you think should be done?"
This wasn't a genuine request for advice; it was a warning for Xu Huo not to push his luck.
Xu Huo didn't think the change in the Special Defense Department's attitude was unreasonable. After all, strength was everything.
"Remember what happened in the Y Country safe zone last time?"
(Chapter End)