Chapter 1399: The Scales of Human Life and Human Life
Qiu Ming and Cao Qinglin exchanged a glance, and the latter said, "Your change of heart towards the people of Twin Cities has been quite significant these past few days. We won't press for the reason, but if you want to help, count us in."
"It's up to you," Xu Huo said, putting away the potions on the ground. "We'll meet at the city entrance later."
The two nodded in agreement, took the monocle, and left.
Xu Huo then looked towards the pharmaceutical factory. Over there, the players from the New District Government City hadn't made a move yet. Suddenly, the factory's main door opened. Under the cover of the defensive barrier, it was difficult to see inside from the outside, but soon a robot appeared in everyone's field of vision. It tapped a player on its wrist, and a projection screen unfolded in the air.
The images appearing on the screen stirred up the players surrounding the factory. Two elderly people were seen kneeling on the ground, begging for mercy, while standing guard beside them were two armed robots.
The Gold Emblem turned to the mayor behind him and said, "They're the family members of the elite squad."
The mayor's eyes darkened. "Weren't the families of the elite squad supposed to be evacuated first?"
Of course, they weren't being evacuated to other districts, but to cities established by other governments.
The background on the screen was no longer the New District Government City. The Gold Emblem paused for a moment and said, "They might have been intercepted."
If the evacuation vehicles were intercepted, then the hostages in their hands were definitely more than just one. The lives of ordinary government officials, laboratory researchers, factory workers, and their families could be given up, but mishandling the families of players could easily bankrupt the district government's credibility.
"Mayor..." The Gold Emblem hesitated.
The mayor raised a hand to stop him and spoke into the micro-instrument. "You can state your conditions. Please don't joke with the lives of ordinary citizens."
"Ordinary citizens?" The aircraft hovering over the factory broadcast the Gentleman Player's words. He chuckled lowly. "It seems the lives of players' families are indeed worth more than ordinary people's. It made you change your minds so quickly."
"But I'm not interested in anything in the New District Government City. I'm just very curious about how everyone would choose when human lives are placed on the same scale."
The robot on the screen lowered its raised gun and aimed the muzzle at the back of the old man's head. As the two elderly people wept bitterly, the Gentleman Player said, "It's not impossible to let them go. A life for a life."
"Use a player's life to exchange for theirs," he said. Two aircraft flew in front of two selected players, their cameras focusing on them. "Pay attention, everything happening here can be seen over there. Now, let's see if there really is someone so great, willing to sacrifice their life for their family."
The Gentleman Player didn't give anyone time to react and directly started a countdown. "You only have ten seconds. Nine, eight, seven..."
The spearhead seemed to be aimed at those two unlucky chosen players, but in reality, it was targeting all players. Because the hostages in his hands were clearly more than just one. If these two died, the next would be them!
As superiors and colleagues, the mayor and the Gold Emblem could neither make the choice for them nor put pressure on the players at this moment. Trapped in a dilemma, one ordered his subordinates to cut off communication with the outside of the city, while the other urged others to quickly find the hijacked convoy.
However, before his words were finished, two gunshots rang out from the video. The two elderly people fell to the ground.
Amidst terrified screams, two children were pushed in front of the screen. A little girl, following the Gentleman Player's instructions, shouted into the camera, "Mommy!"
"I'm going to kill him! Kill that beast! Right now!" A female player immediately tried to storm the factory, but at that moment, a rhythmic "beep, beep" sound came from the video. First a few, then a dozen, and finally a chaotic mix. No one knew exactly how many sounds were ringing.
"Pleasant to the ears, isn't it?" the Gentleman Player said cheerfully. "This is the detonation countdown for the robots. The moment any of your people dare to step into the factory, all the robots will explode, taking those vehicles with them... Boom! Up into the sky together! Hahaha!"
"What do you really want!" The female player stared at the aircraft in front of her through the blockade barrier, her eyes wide with rage. "If I die, will you really let my child go?"
"Lin Ping!" The companion beside her instinctively tried to stop her, but the woman could only see her child in her eyes now. She said in a deep voice, "Don't try to persuade me. If I fail, you don't have to hesitate anymore. He will never let anyone go. Don't hesitate. Kill him. Maybe you can still find our people before the countdown ends!"
The Gentleman Player laughed again. "My word is my bond. As long as you end your own life, I will not only let your child go but also have a robot send her back."
The female player used an item to block her companions, pulled out a pistol, and shot herself through the temple!
The moment blood splattered, the players on site fell into a silent rage after a brief pause. They stared intently at the screen. Sure enough, the countdown sound of one robot stopped, and the child was led out of the frame.
But the control of the robots was in the hands of the Gentleman Player. No one knew if he would go back on his word. Looking at the body being carried away, the mayor asked the Gold Emblem, "What's the situation with the specialist team?"
"This factory is too special. It has three layers of metal blockade walls inside. There are Super Evolvers who could sneak in without the robots noticing, but they can't break through the blockade walls. Forcing a breach would definitely alert the people inside," the Gold Emblem said quickly. "Based on the other party's behavior and words during the previous negotiations, the expert team has confirmed that the other party is a person who severely lacks empathy, enjoys tormenting the weak. Breaking the wall would definitely lead to an irreversible situation."
A trace of regret mixed with the mayor's anxious expression. If they had acted when they first discovered the factory, instead of waiting for the laboratory to evacuate, they wouldn't be in such a passive position now.
Things had come to this point; the government was caught in a dilemma.
The Gentleman Player started the countdown again. This time, it was an older man. The child in the projection was his grandson. He listened to the countdown tremblingly, and when it reached "three," he closed his eyes in pain.
"Bang!"
The robot on the screen walked away, and then two pregnant women were brought out.
"Is a grandson not as close as a daughter's bloodline?" the Gentleman Player laughed. "What about a wife carrying your bloodline?"
The two pregnant women were sobbing uncontrollably, holding their bellies. The choice between their children and their husbands left them unable to decide, and they could only cry in despair.
"Then the countdown begins now. Come on, first one..." The Gentleman Player's death-knell-like voice sounded again, but this time, before the countdown could even start, it was interrupted by a circular aircraft hovering over the factory.
This wasn't an aircraft belonging to either side of the confrontation. Both sides' movements paused for a moment.
(Chapter End)