Chapter 1158: Bottom Line
"The Special Defense Department is hunting you under the charge of treason, claiming you've defected to foreign forces." Xu Huo paused. "It seems everyone attacking the safe zone tonight is connected to those foreign forces."
"So what?" The white-haired man sneered, tossing a grenade forward as a feint before signaling his companions to flee.
The three of them ran in three different directions, but to their shock, after just a few steps, the scenery before them suddenly shifted. Not only did they appear within each other's line of sight, but their positions had also been swapped—now they were all charging straight toward where Xu Huo stood!
The three white-haired players had clearly witnessed the earlier move where Xu Huo displaced the military personnel from beneath the rocks, so they fled without a second thought. Yet, staring at the man ahead, they realized escape was impossible against such an opponent!
The thrown grenade exploded at Xu Huo's feet. The person who should have been caught in the blast stood completely unmoved, while the three white-haired players were caught in the explosion instead. As they leaped to dodge, a fine thread arced through the air, effortlessly ending their lives.
Collecting their items, Xu Huo accelerated to catch up with the convoy ahead.
The escaping vehicles might have been decoys, but the people inside were genuine—at least one of them was on the list.
The military players had already taken out the attackers' vehicles. All the players inside had exited, and both sides were engaged in combat while tracking the convoy. It seemed these foreign attackers were determined to seize the people being transported.
However, as more military players joined the fray, the attackers realized they had walked into an ambush. Among them, one player was exceptionally powerful, single-handedly killing five military personnel. With incredible speed, he shook off both allies and enemies, leaping directly onto the third vehicle in the convoy!
A spinning chainsaw-like prop appeared in his hand, and he slammed it down onto the roof!
The metal panel was sliced open. Amid screams, the vehicle swayed violently, but the man on top stood as if rooted, unmoved by the car's erratic movements.
Just as the roof was about to be fully cut open, a figure appeared silently before him. With a single kick, the man was sent flying off the vehicle.
The tumbling player scrambled to his feet, looking up at the figure wrapped tightly in protective gear—even their eyes were obscured. He jumped back onto the rear of the car in two strides and said in a negotiating tone, "You're not a military player. I advise you not to interfere!"
Xu Huo used a voice changer. "Who are you trying to kill?"
"None of your business," the player replied, secretly activating a prop, only to find it useless. Shocked, he immediately retreated.
Xu Huo didn't stop him. Instead, he leaped forward onto the second vehicle.
Inside the car, an elderly man with a deeply wrinkled face sat sandwiched between two players. The roar of the speeding vehicle and the sounds of combat outside had the five occupants on edge. But compared to the tense players, the old man remained remarkably calm—until the others inside suddenly vanished, and an unfamiliar wind swept into the sealed cabin.
"Who are you? You're not with those behind us, are you?" the old man asked without turning around, staring ahead.
"No," Xu Huo replied. "I'm here for something else... Among the 367 evolvers received by the 22nd Laboratory of the Qicheng Special Defense Department, were 124 selected based on the evolution success rate list?"
"You only need to answer yes or no."
The old man didn't deny it, but he didn't follow Xu Huo's line of questioning either. He chuckled. "So you've come to seek revenge for them."
"Revenge is hardly the word." Xu Huo said flatly. "It seems you're not being wronged."
"People like you only see immediate gains and losses." The old man showed no fear, only a hint of concern. "If everyone fears death, who will the country rely on in the future?"
"To accomplish great things, you often have to sacrifice the few for the many. In the face of national survival, those dead evolvers were expendable."
"Likewise, I am also expendable."
"The Qicheng laboratory was authorized by me. I knew this day would come when I did it. I kill, and I am killed—it's only natural. You can make your move now."
Xu Huo was unmoved by the old man's martyr-like demeanor. He had no desire to argue, but he deeply disliked this attitude.
"It seems the banner of the nation is convenient—anyone can hoist it."
"Secretly selecting high-success-rate individuals and forcing them to evolve—I doubt the final success rate exceeds one-third. Even if you conducted this across multiple cities and labs simultaneously, the number of players produced is negligible compared to the entire country. Are you truly cultivating talent for the nation's future, or are you building your own power base to avoid being swept away by the wave of players?"
"X Country already has enough players. Even mediocre ones, trained by the Special Defense Department, can stand on their own. With a large enough base, elite players will naturally emerge."
"As for your so-called immediate and long-term concerns, once the first batch of players in Zone 014 is on track with a mature evolution process and training plan, those with reservations will set them aside. When the nation truly needs them, for themselves and their families, people will step forward one after another. Then, you'll have as many players as you want—not the few dozen you've secretly cultivated."
The old man was equally unmoved by Xu Huo's words. "Self-interest certainly plays a part, but the talents I've screened will ultimately merge into the national force. I don't doubt the determination and courage of this country's people in the face of crisis, but if it comes to that, what price will we have to pay?"
He finally turned to look at Xu Huo. "You're someone at the forefront of the times. Haven't you seen other zones where humanity is nearly extinct?"
Xu Huo raised an eyebrow slightly. "You've got one thing wrong. The true backbone protecting Zone 014 is organizations like the Special Defense Department and the First Association—not people like you who stir up internal chaos. Do you really think the pitiful few players you've cultivated can influence Zone 014's overall situation, let alone determine its survival? You overestimate yourself."
"No matter how grand you make your goals sound or how lofty your ideals, reality doesn't change."
The old man's face darkened. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off.
Xu Huo asked him, "Do you know how many players will die tonight?"
Before the old man could respond, he continued, "If a country can tolerate or even condone the casual trampling of human life, that is the beginning of its decline. The greatest difference between a government and an individual is that the former must uphold its bottom line under any circumstances."
At least on the surface, and for the vast majority.
"Otherwise, no one will have a bottom line."
A box was placed before the old man. Xu Huo opened it and took out a red syringe. "Guess what this is?"