Chapter 1501: Another Version
After a noticeable pause, Shaka smiled but didn't pick up that topic. Instead, he said, "Do you believe in the theory of cause and effect?"
Xu Huo made a "please" gesture, signaling him to continue.
"Plant a cause, reap a result. The things we see at every moment could be either causes or results. Results can be bitter, but those who taste bitter fruits aren't necessarily pitiable—they might have sown evil causes themselves." Shaka sat across from him, speaking calmly. "The environment in Zone 026 has always been this harsh, and it didn't change after evolution began. The man-eating mutant plants that thrive in outer zones can't even sprout here. But while sharing hardship is easy, sharing wealth is difficult."
"In Settlement 01, people once helped each other, using containers to collect acid rain just to survive. That's why, even in that environment, new cities were established. But the more people there are, the fewer resources become, and inevitably, some must be sacrificed."
"So someone proposed cutting off resources to the fringe cities, letting those sparsely populated places fend for themselves."
"Most cities passed that proposal because resources were shared across all cities. The larger ones supported the smaller ones, the haves supported the have-nots—everyone bore a heavy burden."
"But there were also those who disagreed. If you abandon the weakest today, who will you abandon tomorrow? This is just plugging one's ears while stealing a bell. The real issue is solving the resource problem, not reducing the number of people using resources."
"At that time, Central City was nowhere near its current scale—it was just a medium-sized city. Because it strongly opposed the abandonment proposal, it was ostracized by other cities, cut off from resource exchanges. Then, during a rare rainless season, it became a cake to be carved up by the other cities."
"The ordinary people who died in that siege accounted for a full third of the total population. If the mayor hadn't turned the tide, Central City would have vanished from the map long ago."
"Later, with the purchase of water collection equipment, Central City's situation slowly improved, and it gradually rose to prominence in Settlement 01."
"But that's when the people who had besieged Central City showed up again. They demanded an equal share of the water. When refused, they launched no fewer than a hundred assassination attempts, including twenty-three instances of poisoning the water collection equipment..."
"Evil causes lead to evil results," Shaka said. "The people of Settlement 01 are simply reaping what they sowed."
Shaka understood that someone like Xu Huo couldn't possibly have any designs on Zone 026. The only reason he would make this trip was that other cities had convinced him to act on their behalf.
"Mr. Xu, you're a good person, but don't let yourself be used."
"Pitiable people aren't necessarily truly pitiable."
At this, Xu Huo tilted his head slightly, his gaze passing through the building's walls to look at the clean, orderly streets outside. He suddenly asked, "When was Central City attacked?"
"Twenty years ago," Shaka replied. "Twenty years—not even a single generation has passed."
"Did all the cities participate in the siege?" Xu Huo asked again.
"No, but the cities that didn't participate were given preferential treatment," Shaka said with certainty.
"What about the slums?" Xu Huo paused. "I heard people are sent there every few years."
At this, Shaka couldn't help but let out a mocking laugh. "Some people, in a fit of desperation, tried to dump their surplus population into Central City. At first, we accepted some, but we didn't expect players to be mixed in among them. Later, when they ran out of options, they had to give up."
Xu Huo nodded. "As you say, they certainly deserved it."
Shaka's expression visibly relaxed. "I really didn't think we'd meet again. Why not stay in Central City for a few days? It may not compare to the outside, but it's not as dangerous as the outer zones either."
"Also, the people in the slums are indeed pitiable, but just sending them water treats the symptoms, not the root cause. How about this—later, Central City will call together the cooperating cities for a meeting. If anyone is willing to take in those people, Central City can waive their water fees and offer the city a discount."
This was essentially doing Xu Huo a favor, so he wouldn't have made the trip for nothing.
By this point in the conversation, both sides were fairly satisfied. The earlier tense atmosphere had completely dissipated. Shaka stepped forward and shook Xu Huo's hand amicably. "You're exactly the same as when you were in Sea World—completely unchanged. I felt back then that you were a man of principle, and I really wanted to be friends with you, but I never learned your name."
"Xu Zhi," Xu Huo said, shaking his hand.
With the matter settled, they prepared to leave. Shaka asked Ji Minzhang to prepare a car—he wanted to introduce his friend to the mayor.
As a Super Evolver in Central City, Shaka held a lofty status. Ji Minzhang had his reservations but still did as he was told. However, as he passed by Dajiang and Kang Miao, he said, "Too bad the reinforcements you found are now friends of Central City."
The two, already unsettled, completely changed expressions when they saw Xu Huo walking out while chatting and laughing with Shaka. For a moment, they didn't even dare to approach.
"These two... which city are they from?" Shaka glanced at them.
Dajiang and Kang Miao didn't dare to speak. Xu Huo said, "Players from the slums. They came with me."
Shaka saw through it but didn't call them out. He had someone take them to eat and said, "The slum issue has been resolved."
Seeing the two standing still, Xu Huo gave a slight nod. "Go ahead. There's no problem."
Dajiang wanted to ask something but was held back by Kang Miao. Shaka paid them no mind and urged Xu Huo into the car.
On the way, they talked about Super Evolution. Shaka was very curious about how Xu Huo had progressed so rapidly, especially achieving dual Super Evolution.
"How about a sparring match?" Xu Huo suggested.
Shaka was tempted, but Ji Minzhang, who was in the same car, cleared his throat. "We're almost there."
"We'll talk about that later," Shaka said, turning back. "The mayor is old and a bit eccentric. Please bear with him."
Earlier, Shaka had mentioned that the mayor had turned the tide and saved Central City from destruction. Xu Huo had assumed he was the B-rank player others had mentioned, but instead, he found an elderly man sitting in a wheelchair, his face extremely aged.
"Mayor, I've brought a friend to meet you," Shaka said, walking over and crouching down to speak to him at eye level. "This is the Mental Super Evolver I told you about, the one I met in the instance. But he's more talented than I am."
The old man showed no reaction. Xu Huo watched his chest rise and fall slowly, and his own breathing slowed in response.
Following the old man's gaze to the floor-to-ceiling window, he saw the wind picking up outside, blowing blackish raindrops onto the clean glass, streaking them into long lines.
The black rain lines on the glass multiplied one by one. Xu Huo watched, somewhat lost in thought. Gradually, even Shaka's voice became fragmented and intermittent. After a moment, he sat down on the nearby sofa, maintaining the same outward-gazing posture as the old man.
No one knew how long passed before Shaka finally stood up. He glanced at the lost-in-thought Xu Huo and gave a slight nod to Ji Minzhang, who was waiting outside the door.
(Chapter End)