Chapter 1655: Moving House
Although what they did was underhanded, they sure knew how to bend over backward. Soon enough, a newly appointed team leader called to apologize, making it clear they had absolutely no intention of antagonizing Xu Huo. They only wanted to make amends for their previous actions within their power, especially since the Painting Woman didn’t ask for much.
Perhaps worried that saying only that might offend Xu Huo, they cautiously added that while they did want to build a good friendship with the Painting Woman, they would never suggest severing her ties with Xu Huo.
The Special Defense Department had become much more sensible now.
“The Special Defense Department’s attitude toward players—first arrogant, then deferential—aren’t you afraid it’ll backfire?”
There was a brief silence on the other end before the voice replied, “Players like Mr. Xu are, after all, very rare.”
After a pause, the speaker continued, “The Special Defense Department has arranged a suitable residence. When would Mr. Xu be available to move?”
Most of the household items were already packed. Xu Huo didn’t have much to bring. After discussing it with his father, they decided to move that very day.
Meng Cun certainly couldn’t move with them, so Xu Huo gave him a ticket and told him to go to District 011 first, with the Painting Woman accompanying him.
Meng Cun was nearing the final deadline for his monthly instance, and Xu Huo still needed to stay in District 014 for a few more days, so he let him leave first.
“When you get to District 011, someone will help you suspend your player status.”
“Do you have a terminal device?” Meng Cun asked.
“No rush. Heal your body first,” Xu Huo said. “There’s plenty of work.”
Meng Cun hesitated, then asked, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll just run off on my own?”
“Fair point.” Xu Huo turned to the Painting Woman. “If he doesn’t go to the castle, don’t bother with him. Just go back on your own.”
But the Painting Woman said very seriously that she would definitely deliver Meng Cun safely to Mr. Dong, whether he wanted to cooperate or not.
“Do what you can. Your safety is more important than his,” Xu Huo said.
The Painting Woman’s eyes instantly welled up with tears, and she moved to throw herself at him emotionally.
Xu Huo didn’t even need to use his hands; he blocked her with a spatial barrier from a distance. “Speak properly. Don’t relapse into your old habits.”
The Painting Woman pitifully wiped the corner of her eye, then turned back to stare expressionlessly at Meng Cun.
Just then, Xu Huo’s father and Ms. Yu returned from grocery shopping. Xu Huo went out to help. As soon as the door closed, the Painting Woman raised her phone to show Meng Cun the text she had already typed:
“Do you want to walk there, or do you want to be carried there in a wheelchair with your arms and legs broken?”
Meng Cun glanced at her. “Does Mr. Xu know you’re this vicious?”
The Painting Woman instinctively looked toward the door, then glared at him fiercely. “If you tell him, he’ll break your legs too!”
Meng Cun apparently didn’t want to argue with her on this point. Calmly, he said, “Fine. I’ll walk.”
Satisfied, the Painting Woman went out to help pick vegetables.
After lunch, they began moving.
Most of the things in the house were provided by the Special Defense Department, so they only needed to take personal belongings and the items Ms. Yu had added later. It wasn’t much—a single car could carry it all.
Their new residence was a villa complex equipped with spatial jamming devices. This complex was part of a large safe zone that had been planned and built six months ago. Besides important national personnel and their families, some key players also lived here—mostly Special Defense Department players. Xu Huo was the only one without an organization or affiliation.
The metal defensive walls around the safe zone weren’t fully built yet, but the safe zone itself was quite large, seemingly aiming to match other technologically advanced districts. The interior was spacious, not crammed with dense, sun-blocking residential blocks to accommodate more people. The complex Xu Huo moved into was one of three, scattered across different parts of the safe zone. National personnel and players lived separately to avoid catastrophic, irreversible situations that could wipe everyone out at once.
Important government agencies, core laboratories, and weapons research institutes had also moved in. Most people working there had the right to bring their immediate families, but they were concentrated in the family dormitory buildings in the city center.
According to the Special Defense Department personnel, residency in the safe zone could also be applied for, but the conditions were strict. Apart from those who had made significant contributions to the nation, only high-IQ talents could pass.
“This safe zone is different from the temporary ones set up before,” said the player Xiao Zhao, who had driven them over, excitedly. “This one has real defensive capabilities and fortifications. It’s very safe to live here.”
“Do you live here too?” Xu Huo’s father struck up a conversation.
Xiao Zhao waved his hand. “We live outside. No matter how big this place is, it can’t fit all the Special Defense Department players. There are other smaller safe zones under construction. The nation won’t shortchange us.”
The Danxue Garden residential area had two types of housing: townhouses and stacked villas for several families to live together, and standalone villas for single households. The former was mostly for players to protect national leaders living nearby, while the latter served more of a sentry duty. Of course, Xu Huo was just moving in with his family; he had no such additional responsibilities. His place was on the right side of the complex—a standalone villa, separated from the neighbors by some distance. There weren’t too many trees in between, so the view was clear.
When they arrived, any players at home nearby were watching. Xu Huo nodded at them from a distance as a greeting.
“Do the super evolvers trained by the military live here?” he asked Xiao Zhao.
This wasn’t classified information, so Xiao Zhao answered readily, “They usually stay in the lab.”
Super evolvers were the most important of the key players. The nation’s first priority was to protect their safety, so they couldn’t be placed in areas with many people.
Xu Huo nodded. After the items were moved in, he politely saw Xiao Zhao and the others out.
“This is so much more spacious,” Ms. Yu said, having looked around upstairs and downstairs. “Besides the bedrooms and two studies, there are extra rooms.”
“I want a game room!” Tongtong raised his hand eagerly.
Ms. Yu pretended not to hear and said to Xu Huo, “The second floor is yours—study, bedroom, and a few guest rooms. If friends come over later, they’ll have a place to stay.”
Living inside the safe zone, old relatives and friends couldn’t visit often, let alone stay overnight. So the only people who could come here were Xu Huo’s friends, like the Painting Woman.
Xu Huo nodded. “If there’s anything missing, contact the Special Defense Department to have it delivered. Once we’re settled, we’ll visit the neighbors.”
With that, he went upstairs to the second floor. The study had a computer, and logging in with the safe zone’s special password allowed access to some internal Special Defense Department messages—such as where problems had arisen in the country requiring nearby player support, where new random instances had appeared, or sudden player violence incidents.
One message caught his eye:
“Frequent disappearances in Nanshi City, highly likely related to cannibal players. The Nanshi Special Defense Branch has investigated multiple times without results, suspecting these individuals have formed an organization. Additional personnel needed from nearby branches or headquarters.”
The worst thing in the world to drink is colon-cleansing medicine. Seriously, by the end, you’re just utterly hopeless, life turns gray—drinking and vomiting at the same time… Why does such awful medicine exist? Shouldn’t it just disappear from the universe?
(Chapter End) Source:/txt/35960/32463444