Chapter 1181: Preparations Complete
This was an unexpected yet unsurprising conclusion.
There had always been people doing this kind of dirty business, but no one expected someone to set their sights on players.
Song Xiaohua, as if he had discovered a way to divert attention, didn't even pause for breath as he said, "After players evolve, their organs have a higher compatibility rate, and player organs are also better than ordinary people's organs. They can even bring patients a better quality of life. This business has existed since evolution began. Haven't you raided some underground markets before?"
"Most of those locked-up evolvers end up the same way."
"Players are valuable whether dead or alive. I'm really just responsible for luring people here... the rest is handled by others... Some of them are outside, some are inside the instances. They use the instances to kill people. As soon as someone dies, they immediately take the organs. It's even better if there's a severely injured player."
Xu Huo released the man. "What about someone wanting to buy my brain?"
"Every business has custom orders." Song Xiaohua said, "Some people think specially evolved players might have special effects. Some are for physical fitness, some for hearing and sight, and some for the brain... They believe using these people's organs is better than using ordinary players' organs..."
"Can someone perform a brain transplant now?" Xu Huo didn't believe it. If such surgery were possible, why go to all this trouble to buy organs?
"I don't know about that. I only heard it was a big deal. Someone offered a very high price. The other party didn't say exactly what it was for." Song Xiaohua covered his throat and tentatively stepped back, but as he retreated, he touched paper and pen.
"Write a list." Xu Huo looked down at him. "And write down the transaction channels while you're at it."
After speaking, he tapped his earpiece again. "Did you hear that? This should fall under your Special Defense Department's jurisdiction."
The person he was in constant contact with was Nie Xuan. Xu Huo had never left the hotel where Song Xiaohua was staying from the very beginning.
"Someone will come to take over soon." Nie Xuan said calmly. "But don't get your hopes up too high. This kind of thing can never be completely banned. This profit chain doesn't just have buyers, but also sellers."
The sellers had now upgraded to players.
"No," Xu Huo said with a good attitude, "I just want to know who wants to buy my brain. It's not the Special Defense Department's secret research center, is it?"
"Probably not." Nie Xuan thought for a moment before saying, "There's no such institution within the Special Defense Department. We only have a Super Evolution Research Lab, and I've been there myself. Apart from that, there shouldn't be anything openly or secretly... The technology in Zone 014 doesn't allow it."
"Technology blockades aren't just between countries. It's the same with game zones. Each zone is committed to protecting its own technology. It's not something a few players can buy or steal just by going there."
"Even what the Special Defense Department has now was obtained with great effort. We haven't even learned to walk steadily yet; it's too early to think about flying."
"It's probably some cult organization. Not worth mentioning."
Xu Huo didn't really care whether it was someone within the Special Defense Department causing trouble or some cult or player organization. Such people couldn't accomplish anything.
Song Xiaohua was temporarily left in the hotel. Xu Huo hung up and returned to the safe zone. After greeting his family, he went to the Special Defense Department headquarters.
The treatment location was a newly built laboratory. From the walls to the floor, it used metal materials obtained from the game, all of which were thickened. Even a single door was more than twice as thick as a bank vault door. In addition, time-space prop restriction instruments were arranged in all directions, monitoring every corner of the laboratory without blind spots.
Xu Huo even saw some finished mental interference instruments inside, scientific achievements specifically designed to restrain Mental Super Evolvers—he had seen these things in the hands of players more than once.
"Don't misunderstand. This isn't aimed at you." Team Leader Lu took the initiative to explain.
Xu Huo smiled but said nothing.
Nie Xuan, who was with him, began to explain the Special Defense Department's treatment arrangements.
"I've already communicated with Professor Tang. The estimated time is at least one hour. Whether to extend or end early will be decided based on the treatment process. Any decision to extend or end will be voted on by eight psychology professors and Professor Tang together, ensuring the fairness of the vote. You can add to this."
"Change it to a single-vote decision," Xu Huo said. "As long as one person votes against, the treatment time cannot be extended. If it's to end early, only one person's agreement is needed."
"No problem." Nie Xuan nodded, raised his hand to signal the assistant behind him to modify this item, then continued, "The fifty participating players have a detailed list. You can freely add or remove anyone on this list. People indirectly related to the previous forced evolution incident will not appear on this list. Moreover, only fifteen of them are directly under the Special Defense Department."
"In other words, the rest are special personnel directly controlled by the government." Xu Huo paused.
"Correct." Nie Xuan reminded him again, "You can also freely add or remove these people."
"Reduce it by two-fifths. Fifteen each from the Special Defense Department and the government players." Xu Huo said directly.
Nie Xuan had no objection to this. He acted as a ruthless questioning machine while simultaneously conveying the finalized content to the secretary team behind him.
The secretary team naturally had no objections either. Their main job was to relay information. The ones who were truly agitated were the members participating in this treatment, whether they were working behind the scenes or about to intervene in the treatment. Many were arguing over these temporarily changed conditions, especially regarding the number of players.
Previously, the Special Defense Department had specifically asked Xu Huo if they could appropriately increase the number of observers. Only after obtaining his consent did they submit the numbers. The government side had carefully selected their candidates and even wanted to reduce the Special Defense Department's numbers. But now, twenty people were cut in one go. Hadn't the past three days of intense debate been for nothing?
Minister Fan didn't care about that. Anyway, the Special Defense Department wasn't at a loss. He spread his hands and told them to negotiate with Xu Huo.
If Xu Huo could be negotiated with, why would they still be arguing with the Special Defense Department? But seeing that the matter was settled and there was no hope for the numbers, they turned their attack on Nie Xuan. "Can your Special Defense Department people say a little less?"
"Sorry about that." Minister Fan said sarcastically. Who asked Nie Xuan to be such a thorn in the side?
Regarding all arrangements for the treatment, including under what circumstances the formal treatment procedure would trigger a vote, emergency measures for unexpected situations, and how the treatment process would be recorded, Nie Xuan conveyed every detail to Xu Huo. Some were points he reminded Xu Huo of, and some were changes proposed by Xu Huo himself.
The two walked all the way from the main entrance to the treatment room. Then Xu Huo changed his clothes and shoes, put on the relevant detection instruments, and completed the debugging of various instruments. It took a total of half an hour. Both sides' preparations were now complete.
(Chapter End)