Chapter 1164: The Unlucky Ones Are Always the Bystanders
"Use the lives of everyone on this plane to exchange for that playing card." The Magician said with a smile.
Xu Huo looked at him expressionlessly, raised his right hand, and made a "please" gesture.
The Magician laughed again. "If that doesn't work, I can give the people on this plane a choice."
"I will inform them in advance of what is about to happen to this plane, and tell them that this disaster is happening because you boarded it. If anyone can stab you, they can leave alive. If a child stabs you, their entire family can leave alive."
Xu Huo laughed after hearing this. "You think I don't care about others' gratitude, but I care very much about others' hatred."
"Not necessarily," said the Magician. "Usually, people who do good deeds without expecting repayment value the hostility of the ignorant above all else. Only the hostility of the ignorant can destroy their sense of accomplishment from saving others from disaster."
Xu Huo chuckled. "There is truly no one in this world who can give unconditionally for others without any bottom line. The kind of good person you describe might become even more cold after feeling betrayed."
"Another point: for your hypothesis to hold, there must be one prerequisite—that I won't kill people."
"This game can also be played in reverse. Whoever dares to kill you, I will save."
"How about that?"
Their eyes met, and both understood that the other was not joking. By this time, the plane had become very quiet. Since they hadn't deliberately avoided others while speaking, the conversation had already drawn the attention of everyone after their breakfast ended. When the Magician threatened Xu Huo with the lives of everyone on the plane, the pilot had already sent a distress signal to the ground, the flight attendants had returned to their seats, and the other passengers had all shut their mouths tightly, including the two children.
"So the unlucky ones are always the bystanders." A man in a pink suit sitting next to them took off his sunglasses and stared at them. "Can you consider the feelings of us bystanders?"
Xu Huo and the Magician both looked over.
The pink-suited man quickly raised his hands. "I know I'm definitely not a match for either of you, but if you want to fight, can't you choose a safe and harmless method? Like whoever kills a hundred death row inmates first, or whoever collects a hundred Cannibal Player IDs first, or failing that, go to the Special Defense Department—there are plenty of people there. Why pick on us innocent bystanders?"
The Magician was very displeased, but Xu Huo laughed. "Maybe it's really because of bad luck."
After laughing, he said to the Magician, "How about you consider changing the item for trade? I agree with what you said—equal exchange is the core of how the world operates. Since it's equal exchange, you need to offer something I want to trade for."
"Please note that next time, it's best not to threaten," he added. "Otherwise, you might lose the opportunity to trade."
By now, the two had roughly understood each other's strength. The Magician was superior to Xu Huo in various hard aspects, but superiority didn't guarantee victory. The fact that Xu Huo could still engage in a high-speed confrontation with him after using his spiritual power for several consecutive days showed Xu Huo's strength—his depth of spiritual evolution might not match the Magician's, but his proficiency and endurance in operation were astonishing. Unless Xu Huo's spiritual power was completely exhausted, it would be difficult for the Magician to gain an absolute advantage.
So they were now in a stalemate.
The reason Xu Huo could remain so calm was also because the Magician had no way to completely trap him.
The Magician himself was clearly aware of this, but he also understood that if he opened his mouth, it would become very difficult for him to obtain that playing card.
So the Magician left.
Just as he had arrived.
The plane remained quiet for a long time, with only the sound of Xu Huo turning pages. After about three minutes, the pink-suited man next to him leaned over to greet Xu Huo. "Brother, nice to meet you. My name is Song Xiaohua. Here's my business card. I'm a professional agent at Fat Cat Player Management Company."
Xu Huo glanced at the name on the card. "Neighbor's Little Greedy Cat?"
Song Xiaohua was a bit embarrassed but quickly recovered. "It's company policy. Every employee has to use their in-game nickname."
"Brother, I see you have an outstanding appearance and remain calm in a crisis. Coincidentally, our company is looking for a player star with a high-intelligence, cautious persona. Are you interested?"
"Not interested." Xu Huo flipped his business card face-down on the small table.
"Brother, don't be like that," Song Xiaohua quickly said. "Don't you even want to ask about the benefits? Our company has great perks, and we can train you to become a hero character that everyone looks up to. Once you're famous, both Player Organizations and the Special Defense Department will be vying to recruit you. Money and power will come easily, beautiful women and handsome men will be at your beck and call. When you return to Zone 014, it'll be like returning to heaven. Even if you don't want to walk, you can have people carry you in and out. You'll have face wherever you go!"
Xu Huo listened politely until he finished before speaking. "Such a dangerous business, and your company dares to do it?"
Song Xiaohua was stunned for a moment, probably never having encountered someone who, after hearing this spiel, didn't act but instead asked such a question.
But Xu Huo was serious. "I suggest you change careers. First, this job might delay you from doing instances. Work can be avoided, but instances cannot. It's best to prioritize your life. Second, your company's grand goal is to create player heroes. In the near future, the Special Defense Department will not allow such people to exist—unless a player's strength forces the Special Defense Department to compromise, and I believe such a person wouldn't be indulged in the benefits you mentioned."
Song Xiaohua thought for a moment before pressing further. "Why would the Special Defense Department target entertainment companies? Are players being targeted just for finding a job?"
"It's not about targeting players for finding jobs," Xu Huo said flatly. "It's about cleaning up those who stick their heads out. People who stick their heads out in various forms are all on the list to be suppressed. Only when the Special Defense Department's strength is enough to stabilize the situation will the freedom of civilian players be relaxed."
Song Xiaohua was a bit skeptical, but under suspicion, he whispered, "Brother, do you have some inside information?"
Xu Huo turned his phone screen toward him. "Internet influencer predictions."
Song Xiaohua laughed, then disdainfully said, "Can you believe those people's baseless rumors? If they were really that capable, they wouldn't be online talking nonsense to seek attention."
While they were chatting, the plane was about to reach its destination. Xu Huo stood up and headed for the restroom, with Song Xiaohua stubbornly following.
The restroom door closed, hiding the inside from the outside and the outside from the inside. However, Song Xiaohua still used his silver tongue to persuade, but after talking until his mouth was dry, no one responded. Finally, the player in charge of plane safety came over and put special handcuffs on him, asking him to assist with an investigation while informing him that Xu Huo had long since left the plane.
(Chapter End)