Chapter 1155: Internal Vote
Regardless of how large an area Xu Huo could control, the fact that props couldn't get close to him left the Special Defense Department with no solution. Conventional firearms had very limited effectiveness against current players, let alone players like Xu Huo. Since he dared to make threats to the Special Defense Department, he at least had foolproof methods to deal with a siege of thermal weapons.
"Unless we can trap him in a relatively enclosed space," a newly appointed team leader adjusted his glasses, "then concentrate thermal weapons. That way, we can minimize our losses."
"That's right. If that premise holds, our losses would indeed be minimal." Another person said sarcastically, "But that's Xu Huo. Three months ago, everyone here knows what he was like. After three months away, it's hard to say he's any worse than the top-tier players we've trained."
Locking someone like that in an enclosed space? The guy wasn't stupid!
"I'm concerned about another issue," Team Leader Lu said. "Was he serious about threatening to blow up the safe zone?"
"Such props do exist in the game," Minister Fan said. In fact, the Special Defense Department had already purchased a batch of high-lethality props. But the key issue was that Xu Huo dared to use props to blow them up, while they couldn't do the same.
"There's actually another way," Team Leader Chang spoke up at this point. "But it would be beneath our dignity."
The people sitting around the conference table turned to look at him, and most of them could guess what he meant.
"Using Xu Huo's family is absolutely out of the question." Minister Fan rejected it outright.
It was a well-known fact that players were not easy to kill, especially a genius player like Xu Huo. If he escaped into the game, who knew what would happen when he came back? Other districts like District 014 couldn't control that.
"Then just do what he says." A man in a jacket sitting in the second row said lazily, "It's not a bad thing anyway. Some people do need to be cleaned up. Ordinary people being more twisted than players—where's the justice in that?"
"Tang Shao." Minister Fan issued a warning.
Tang Shao shrugged and made a zipping motion over his mouth.
"With our current highest combat capability team, what are the odds of a single team defeating him?" Minister Fan asked Team Leader Lu again.
Team Leader Lu shook his head. "Conservative estimate, less than half."
"Can't even achieve a fifty-fifty split..." Minister Fan paused. "What about adding another team?"
"Minister, we don't have any B-rank players yet." Team Leader Lu reminded him.
Currently, the elite players selected by the Special Defense Department were usually assigned to three types of arrangements: first, as pioneers entering instances to obtain strategies; second, entering with existing strategies, mainly to raise the instance rating and obtain high ratings for faster clearance while also providing more complete strategies for later players; third, those who used strategies thoroughly researched by clearance players and expert teams to quickly raise their player levels.
Among these three arrangements, the first two were the most difficult and had high mortality rates. But those who survived were the elite among elites.
However, these two groups were relatively small because the Special Defense Department simply couldn't afford the cost of obtaining strategies.
Those selected were all highly intelligent individuals, the most likely to clear instances efficiently in a short time. But the initial trial runs left the Special Defense Department deeply disappointed. It was only then that everyone realized a sharp mind was just one requirement for clearance. Aptitude, thinking tendencies, and psychological resilience all affected clearance quality, especially since many instances didn't last very long.
Perhaps for some elite players, low-rank clearance wasn't too difficult. But how long would it take to raise their rank through low-rank clearances? Most of their current C-rank players had only leveled up by accumulating instance counts.
Xu Huo was clearly not that kind of person.
Without absolute power to suppress him, trying to increase the number of C-rank players to improve their odds of victory?
By then, it might really come true—he'd mow them down like a field of leeks, one batch after another.
"Comparing the two options, dealing with the internal parasites is actually easier," Jiang Qiao said. "At least we won't lose as many people."
Losing a single C-rank player now would make the Special Defense Department ache for days.
"Are we really going to bow our heads to a single player?" A gray-haired team leader sitting at the end of the conference table said displeasedly. "Won't people laugh their teeth out?"
This was exactly the dilemma. The Special Defense Department stood behind the nation. If they bowed their heads, wouldn't that mean the nation had bowed its head? Setting aside the issue of face, how could they set such a precedent?
"I don't think it's that serious," another person said. "He's still in the safe zone anyway. As long as we don't let him leave, what can he do? One person's strength is limited after all. We just need to restrict his freedom."
"He's a player," Team Leader Chang said. "He didn't come back for three months. Do you think he doesn't have a second return ticket? If we dare to blockade the safe zone, he'll immediately enter the game. And when he comes out again, he might not be so easy to talk to."
"This won't work, that won't work either. I say we just do what Tang Shao suggested and clean house within the Special Defense Department." A man with a square face said in a rough voice, "Those people should have been dealt with long ago. The nation is struggling, and they're still trying every means to undermine it. I say get rid of them early to cut our losses."
"While it's true that 'water too clear has no fish,' the situation is different now. Before District 014 is fully integrated into the game, national power will be in a constant state of weakening. Think about it—if the Special Defense Department is infiltrated and those people gain power, whether they try to overthrow the department or we try to deal with them, it might cost us dearly."
"To put it bluntly, would we even be sitting here by then?"
Of the more than forty people sitting here today, besides the original dozen or so team leaders, one-third of the newly appointed team leaders were players, and half of the reserve team leaders were players. This essentially represented ordinary people compromising with players, even if the highest authority was still held by ordinary people for now.
But what about then? If no players emerged from their families, they might not even have a place to stand!
Whether ordinary people or players, good people had to rise to power for those below to have a good life.
Therefore, there were three voices within the Special Defense Department now: one targeting Xu Huo, advocating for restrictions on him; one focusing on handling internal affairs within the department; and one advocating a two-pronged approach—both restraining Xu Huo and cleaning up their own ranks.
As the saying went, one person's influence was limited. The Special Defense Department could comply with Xu Huo's demands for self-inspection, but how deep the investigation went and what kind of explanation they gave to the public could be negotiated. Xu Huo had only heard rumors from some players with half-baked knowledge. In such a short time, how much could he really know about the inside story?
"Open vote," Minister Fan finally said. "Team leaders in favor of self-inspection, please raise your hands. Reserve team leaders are included."
(Chapter End)