# Chapter 125: The Center of the Vortex
The old man in military uniform clenched his fist. "It seems they're certain the super item is in the hands of the vanguard team."
"But in truth, we don't know the whereabouts of the super item either." The white-haired old man turned to the computer. "Still unable to communicate with them?"
"I've sent dialogue invitations through every channel, but no one has contacted us yet," said the Director of the Special Affairs Bureau. "However, we've discovered something else. The players being killed are following the previously compiled personnel list."
"Wasn't that list already destroyed?" The white-haired old man's gaze sharpened instantly.
"It was indeed destroyed, even the backup list. But the game's technological level far exceeds our current achievements. Perhaps they obtained the list through other means." The Director of the Special Affairs Bureau wouldn't suspect his own people. That bizarre method of killing no longer required an inside source to obtain the list.
"Two more have just been sacrificed." The Director paused. "If this continues, the potential players we've secured will be nearly gone. Even if we survive this crisis, no players will want to join the Special Affairs Bureau in the future."
"The only remaining method is to create a super item and select a suitable person to divert the attention of the foreign players."
"But this mission carries extremely high risk. We don't have any B-grade or above items in our possession. It will be difficult to convince other players."
In truth, the best approach was to admit that Zone 014 possessed a super item, but ensure the holder of that super item was not a Zone 014 player.
In other words, divert the trouble elsewhere. As long as they couldn't produce a super item, the foreign players wouldn't let the matter rest. This was still the initial stage; more players would come to compete later. But if someone stepped forward with a super item and entered the game, the foreign players' attention would shift, allowing Zone 014 to withdraw from the storm's center.
The only question was: how to deceive the players?
"Has there been any news from the player who obtained the super item?" The elder seated at the head of the table spoke with authority.
Everyone at the table turned their gaze toward him. The old man in military uniform said, "The vanguard forum announced protective measures for him. No players have contacted our people. We've checked everyone who viewed the post—the timing doesn't match."
"Players cannot trust the nation—that is our failure." The elder spoke sternly. "What happened in the past hour proves our failure. Even if he is one of our country's people, we lack the ability to protect him."
"A player who can obtain a super item within a month is someone the entire world should protect. I approve the contingency plan. No matter the cost, we must give this player room to breathe!"
Everyone in the meeting room stiffened. The Director of the Special Affairs Bureau was about to accept the order when his expression suddenly changed dramatically. At the same time, a call came into the meeting room. After the elder answered, he gestured for someone to turn on the television, then said, "Approved for national broadcast."
The news on the TV screen immediately switched to a black screen. Before the blinking cursor, lines of text rapidly appeared:
"Hello, friends of Zone 014."
"We're delighted to greet you this way. We are the peace-loving Eerie Sound Knights. I am Li Li, one of the members."
"Our purpose in coming to Zone 014 is only one: to obtain the super item."
"Zone 014 has billions of people, so we hope all our new friends can help us search."
"Over the next three days, I will randomly and unpredictably detonate the sources of thermal weapons within Zone 014, followed by oil and gas storage areas and chemical bases."
"Therefore, within three days, we hope the super item or its holder will appear within the Hai City area."
"To earn the trust of Zone 014's friends, here is the fireworks display."
Then, a countdown and several blinking white dots appeared on the screen. When the numbers reached zero, the white dots exploded into mushroom cloud shapes!
Everyone in the meeting room shot to their feet, their faces ashen as they stared at the screen. But by then, the screen had already switched back to the original picture.
Within two minutes, the first piece of information reached the meeting room.
Two secret bases far from populated areas had exploded—the entire bases and the researchers who hadn't evacuated were all swallowed up!
"Bam!" The dignified elder slammed his fist on the table, roaring, "Find them!"
The same scene was playing out in other countries around the world. The global populace, still reeling from the chaos and crime, was immediately plunged into a new wave of immense panic!
This was naturally aimed at ordinary people. For experienced players, especially those from other zones, it was merely a passing remark.
In a high-end hotel in Jing City, three tall middle-aged men stood before floor-to-ceiling windows, savoring wine. One of them said, "The Eerie Sound Knights truly live up to their reputation as madmen. Wherever they go, everything turns to ruin. Isn't a peaceful ordinary world good? Isn't sipping wine and drinking tea happiness?"
"They're thugs by nature, hawking dangerous goods across zones. They're used to this routine." Another laughed.
"And this will force out the super item? Ridiculous." The first man spoke again.
"From my two days of understanding this country, they have a strong complex of sacrificing the individual for the greater good. If that golden egg is from this country, he might really jump out on his own."
"We need to speed up." The third man returned indoors, picked up a pen, and crossed out a name from the list on the table. The name, along with the fifty-plus names above it, was blurred into a mass of ink.
Meanwhile, near a reservoir somewhere in Country Y, a child who looked only eleven or twelve years old hopped around, pouring several differently colored potions into the water. Huffing angrily, he said, "The knights went to Country X, so the super item must be there. Jin Feixue is so sneaky. I'm going to Hai City too and pluck out his golden fur!"
A few meters behind him, a man with a gentlemanly demeanor closed his book and looked up, a hint of a smile on his melancholic face. "You can't beat him."
"Mr. Lawrence will definitely catch him." The boy turned back.
The man called Mr. Lawrence touched his own leg. "I'm just a cripple with disabled legs."
The boy packed up his bottles and jars, immediately ran back to him, and leaned on the wheelchair armrest. "I'll definitely heal your legs someday!"
Then he went behind to push the wheelchair, laughing and muttering to himself, "I really want to become an S-grade player as strong as Mr. Lawrence as soon as possible."
The two then vanished from the spot.
Similarly, high-level players scattered across the world, spurred by the Eerie Sound Knights' actions, rushed to Country X at the first opportunity.
Some believed they had the ability to compete and didn't want the Eerie Sound Knights to claim the super item. Others came to seize an opportunity and grab a share, or simply to watch the excitement. Regardless of their reasons, three days was enough time for them to act.
Hai City.
Earlier, when the square screen suddenly switched to text, Xu Huo's concentration instantly sharpened. When he saw the Eerie Sound Knights set the location at Hai City, he felt a sense of inevitability.
Jing City was too special a place. Even if he wanted to hide, he wouldn't go there. For foreign players, aside from using special methods to find him, the best approach was to take hostages and negotiate with the government, forcing the nation to screen all players. In today's world, where the state held absolute power, this was feasible.
With this move, even if a country wanted to protect the super item holder, it would have to bear enormous risk.
He was about to leave when he suddenly heard someone in the square shout, "Hey? Why is the ground turning black?"