Chapter 1270: Night
“Is that so?” The dean’s squinting eyes widened, as if sharing in the joy, and he said, “Little Crane has a promising future. Don’t forget to give back to the institute when the time comes.”
Little Crane gave a reserved smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll come back to visit often.”
The dean signed for them and watched them leave with a cheerful chuckle. Only after a moment did he say meaningfully, “Once you’re out there, you’ll know. Outside is nowhere near as good as being in the institute.”
“These children have to leave the institute when they reach a certain age? Adopted?” Xu Huo asked.
“Not exactly,” the dean turned back, maintaining that smiling expression. “They’re all children with high genetic test scores. Such children are suited for evolution, and nine times out of ten they’ll become players in the future. Especially that child named Little Crane—his genetic test results are the best among his peers.”
“Children as outstanding as this will gradually be absorbed by others. Once they turn sixteen and graduate from the institute, they can go ahead to the families that accept them, learn player knowledge, and soar to great heights once they become players.”
Xu Huo smiled at this.
The dean smiled too.
Leaving aside whether they would even become players, even if they did, it had nothing to do with soaring to great heights. Entering the game was only the beginning, and the hardships of survival didn’t come solely from the game.
From what Xu Huo had learned so far, orphans in Fresh Flower City generally had three kinds of endings. The first was like those children just now—through genetic testing, they were raised as reserve players and gradually carved up by different factions in Fresh Flower City as they grew up.
The second kind, as Chen Chou had said, were raised as slaves or pets. These were mostly the pretty or cute ones.
After filtering out the first two, what remained was the third kind. They would leave the welfare institute to become the most ordinary members of Fresh Flower City. Some might find work, but more likely, many would have to rely on welfare to get by, then contribute to the city’s population.
None of these three endings could be called good, because Fresh Flower City itself was a twisted city. Its seemingly clean and flawless surface was merely the result of extreme suppression of ordinary people’s desires and humanity. Problems were bound to arise sooner or later—perhaps they already had, just not publicly acknowledged under the government’s strong control.
As the dean had said, Fresh Flower City was hardly better than the seemingly unfree institute.
In the game world, everything was similar everywhere.
“Sir, are you the gentleman who came to donate earlier?” A girl caught up to him, panting. Her vibrant face carried a bright smile as she handed him a bouquet of flowers. “Thank you for your concern. We don’t have anything else to thank you with, so the dean specially asked me to give you these flowers grown by the children in our institute.”
“Thank you.” Xu Huo took them.
The girl didn’t rush off. She hesitated for a moment before asking, “Are you an outer zone player? Could I ask you a few questions?”
Xu Huo gestured for her to go ahead.
“Our teachers often say that many children in the outer zones die in the chaos, and even those who survive can’t get enough to eat. Is that true?”
“Listening to others is not as good as seeing for yourself,” Xu Huo said.
“I don’t have the talent to become a player.” The girl looked a little disappointed, but quickly smiled again. “But the dean has already agreed to let me stay at the institute and become a teacher in the future.”
“You must be a very powerful player to be able to come to Fresh Flower City. What level does a player need to reach to move freely between different districts like you?”
“That’s a good question,” Xu Huo thought for a moment before saying, “If you’re careful and cautious enough, maybe a C-grade player can do it.”
The girl was stunned for a moment. “You’re different from what others say. My teachers, and the guests who’ve come before, all say that only A-grade players and super players can.”
Xu Huo chuckled. “But you don’t believe that either, do you? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have asked again.”
The girl nodded seriously. “I’ll remember what you said, and I’ll tell my students all of this in the future.”
“Do you have any wishes you want to entrust to them?” Xu Huo asked.
The girl hesitated before answering, “You might laugh at me for saying this, but I want to tell my students that when they can move freely in the game, they must rescue as many children as they can and bring them to Fresh Flower City, where they can grow up without worries.”
Xu Huo nodded solemnly. “That’s a very great wish.”
The girl couldn’t help but smile. She waved at him. “Then I’ll head back now. Goodbye, sir.”
As he walked out of the welfare institute, Xu Huo felt a bit lighter. Back at the hotel, he asked the staff for a vase and arranged the bouquet he had brought back.
These were all harmless cultivated variants—rich in color, beautiful in form, and small enough to be perfect for vase display.
Xu Huo placed the vase by the window and lay down nearby to rest.
Time quickly passed into evening. In the city center, colored beams of light lit up, illuminating the entire city while possessing a unique beauty—like a giant flower blooming above the city.
He didn’t know whose hobby this had originally been, but it was rare to see it carried out so thoroughly.
The city center was much livelier at night. Outsiders like Xu Huo, who had come specifically to join the fun, made up the majority. The people of Fresh Flower City mostly stayed in their virtual rooms, not interacting with outsiders.
“Don’t you think these virtual rooms are like birdcages?” A player who had clashed with a local loudly mocked the light-and-shadow barriers created by the simple partition instruments.
This remark stirred up public anger. The Fresh Flower City residents who could afford to go out at night had some money or background, and most were accompanied by players. No sooner had the words been spoken than someone made a move. But just as the outer zone player and his companions were about to use their items, several medium-sized aircraft surrounded them, weapons drawn, warning them not to resort to violence or they would be forcibly expelled.
The Fresh Flower City residents who had also acted were protected by the aircraft.
If they made a move now, they would definitely suffer. Under the gaze of the Fresh Flower City crowd, who looked at them as if they were monkeys in a zoo, those few players left in anger.
“Don’t let a few uncultured people ruin our fun. Carol is coming tonight too. I wonder if he’ll go up to the top floor. Just let me see him, just one look!” A Fresh Flower City woman cupped her face, gazing longingly toward the club. “I’ll definitely have a wonderful dream when I go back!”
Many women shared the same thought, and quite a few men were also there for Carol Field.
The streets grew lively, everyone immersed in entertainment. Before long, a few men and women appeared on the top floor of the club, leaning over the railing to look down.
Someone in the crowd screamed. Those people were all well-known figures in Fresh Flower City, all from the younger generation and highly sought after. One long-haired youth blew a kiss down below, then turned back and said, “Carol, aren’t you coming over to take a look?”
(Chapter End)