Chapter 1364: A Sincere Suggestion
"If it were only targeting the Ya clan, this method wouldn't be something a smart person could come up with," Xu Huo said.
"If the Ya clan were removed from the instance, the Twin Cities genetic disease incident would be complete, with no missing link. The difficulty would just shift to the outer zone players triggering the instance from the secondary city."
"The normal process should be starting from the primary city, taking the outer main road to the secondary city, clashing with the other half of the instance players along the way, then either clearing or failing. After the Ya clan got involved, escorting Dr. Duo Er had to go through the Stairway to Heaven. The hardest part naturally became the xenomorphs along the way and the pursuing Ya clan members. Meanwhile, the outer zone players, who should have shouldered the other half of the role, only needed to wait at the secondary city like sitting ducks, since they feared the Stairway to Heaven and had the Ya clan's help."
"The presence of those outer zone players departing from the secondary city was weakened, turning the main body of this game into the Twin Cities primary city players, outer zone players, and the Ya clan. The Twin Cities players and the Ya clan, who originally didn't need to be involved, ended up as the two sides suffering the most losses."
"Overall, this isn't an instance that requires much brainpower. It's mainly about the thrilling battles along the way."
"As for the Ya clan's side, it's unclear for now, but the faces of the people from the Winter Wind Laboratory weren't looking so good. From start to finish, they never really understood why they were being targeted. The only reason they could think of was the long-standing hatred between the two sides. Although that hatred couldn't be resolved, suddenly learning that someone's framing had delayed the development of the genetic agent for so long—there's no way they wouldn't be furious."
"But the grudge was already set now. There was no way it could just be dropped."
Xu Huo wasn't interested in what they planned to do next, but he still sincerely offered a suggestion. "If a third party is deliberately making you fight each other, the best method is to do the opposite. No matter whether your enemy is far or near, figuring out who it is matters most."
After saying that, he released Dr. Duo Er.
Dr. Duo Er had heard a bit inside the painting frame. After coming out, he said to Number 3, "I came to the secondary city alone and didn't bring anything else. If you want, you can also go into the warehouse. Just put on a protective suit so you don't contaminate the experimental samples inside... The young people and children of Twin Cities have nothing to do with the old grudges. They are innocent."
Number 3 forced a cold laugh from his throat.
Dr. Duo Er felt he couldn't continue, so he signaled the female player and the others to open the warehouse.
The female player didn't dare and refused. "There is absolutely no possibility of resolving our feud with the Ya clan. Even if someone is pulling the strings behind this, doesn't the suffering of the two cities go against the Ya clan's wishes?"
"If the experimental samples get contaminated, who knows how much more time and how many detours we'll have to take. Twin Cities can't afford to waste any more money!"
On the Winter Wind Laboratory's side, neither the staff nor the players agreed to open the warehouse to the Ya clan. Some even suggested that Dr. Duo Er enter the warehouse alone while the others stalled outside, holding out as long as they could.
Such a helpless and absurd proposal left Dr. Duo Er unable to persuade them further. He looked at Xu Huo. "Mr. Xu..."
Clearly, the only way now was to force both sides to "calm down."
Xu Huo had already retrieved the "Goalkeeper" item and removed the external space barrier and mental interference, letting the other Ya clan members and Twin Cities players in.
"Handle your own matters," he said, glancing briefly at his personal panel before preparing to leave.
"Wait! Wait!" Dr. Duo Er quickly called out to him. "I know you're a good person. I won't ask you to do anything else—just bear witness. Make sure the Ya clan doesn't contaminate the experimental samples when they enter the warehouse..."
Xu Huo raised his hand to cut him off. His gaze swept over the Twin Cities people and the Ya clan members who had arrived but were stopped by Number 3. He gave a faint smile. "If the future of your families and people can't make you patient enough, then I think extinction is only a matter of time. It won't be just this once."
With that, he vanished from the spot.
After leaving the laboratory, the number above his head also disappeared. He waited a few seconds outside, confirmed that no fighting had broken out inside the lab, and then returned to the place where he had negotiated with the scar-handed player.
By then, a few unfamiliar players had already arrived in the building. The scar-handed player, Number 1, was talking to them. When he saw Xu Huo, he excitedly waved him over. "These are my new friends I just recruited—Numbers 5 through 8."
Number 7 was the big man who had scared Dr. Duo Er to death on the street earlier.
"The instance isn't over yet. Are you leaving?" Xu Huo asked.
"We're not missing out on either side. It's not like we're setting off anytime soon," said the middle-aged man with a refined and upright appearance who was with the big man. He was Number 8. He nodded at Xu Huo. "Have you cleared the instance, friend?"
"Just arrived. I've only gotten a handle on the situation," Xu Huo said. "I came late. I heard a lot of people died over at the Stairway to Heaven. I doubt anyone can clear it within the time limit."
"Exactly," the upright man sighed slightly. "I thought it was a very simple instance, but it turns out there are too many monks and too little gruel. I can't even get a grain of rice. It's a waste of a ticket to come all the way for nothing."
"There are plenty of people who came for nothing," the scar-handed player said with a grin. "That's perfect. We can go somewhere else to scrape up some profit."
The four players who came later had similar thoughts, all carrying a hint of ambitious excitement.
"I called a few more people. They should be coming too," the scar-handed player exaggeratedly looked behind Xu Huo. "What about the people you found?"
"They'll probably come later," Xu Huo said, sitting down nearby. "I'm new here. I need locals to get things done."
The scar-handed player thought he had a point and started considering finding a couple of players from Zone 023.
"Why don't you try your luck outside the city? You might be able to persuade the Ya clan," the upright man said. "Ya clan players are more resilient and sharper than Twin Cities players."
"Makes sense." The scar-handed player gave a thumbs-up and turned to head out of the city, just as he ran into Numbers 2 and 3 returning.
They brought back new news. Things had quieted down at the Stairway to Heaven. No new players were bringing Dr. Duo Er over. The Ya clan members who had been active on the fringes had also slipped into the deep forest. Meanwhile, the fighting at the laboratory had stopped. The barrier covering the outside had been repaired and was intact, so they couldn't peek inside for now.
"Are the Ya clan planning to retreat?" the scar-handed player asked. "Could it be they can't handle the few people in the lab?"
"Not necessarily. Maybe the Ya clan succeeded," the upright man said leisurely. "If they were going after the lab, they were either killing people or grabbing things. It should be over by now."
"But that means clearing the instance is out of the question." He shook his head theatrically. "The primary city probably won't send anyone else out. I wonder if there are still people on the road."
(End of Chapter)
Hai Yan Shan