Chapter 1778: An Apology Is Necessary
Hearing the words "junior," Zheng Shijiu's eyelids twitched, and the other players also realized that Xu Huo had called for reinforcements!
Before Zheng Shijiu could speak again, the trench coat man turned his head and beckoned, pulling Xu Huo closer, then patted him on the back. "Using even a Super Item, how shameless."
As he spoke, he made a gesture of pulling something out from behind Xu Huo, and the invisible chain took shape in his hand. The other end of the chain was still connected to a certain place in the District Government, but with a sharp tug, the chain rapidly contracted, simultaneously dragging the controlling player over from a distance.
Then the trench coat man bypassed Zheng Shijiu's group, walked a full circle in the air, dropped a corpse, and retrieved the chain. He seemed to have killed with his bare hands, as both his fingers and one end of the chain were stained with blood. Amidst the restrained and shocked gazes of Zheng Shijiu and the others, he said, "A perfectly good Super Item used to kill a C-level player. Since you don't know how to use it, I'll take this item."
Right in front of them, he pocketed the Super Item.
A player wanted to speak but was stopped by Zheng Shijiu before he could open his mouth. Zheng Shijiu's gaze shifted from the trench coat man to Xu Huo. "This matter was not well considered on my part. I said you could leave after finishing the Ember Maiden matter, but failing to keep that promise was a breach of trust on my end. The government players bullying the weak is a loss of righteousness. The current situation is the responsibility of the District Government. Zone 019 will do its best to compensate you for all your losses."
Offering compensation while admitting to breach of trust and loss of righteousness—though not explicitly stating the District Government's fault—it was essentially an admission that everything Xu Huo had said before was true. Whether out of sincerity or fear of the trench coat man, Zheng Shijiu had taken this step back on behalf of the District Government.
"Zheng Shijiu! You don't have the right to do this!" Another group of players arrived, along with government personnel led by Fang Jing. One of them was the one who spoke.
But as soon as he finished speaking, Zheng Shijiu shot him a sharp look and instructed the players beside him, "Send Mr. Cai back."
Poor Mr. Cai, a government official brought by the players, hadn't even steadied himself before being forcibly escorted away.
Fang Jing came to Zheng Shijiu's side. Seeing him nod at her, she spoke to the trench coat man, "Everything that just happened was a dereliction of duty on our government's part. Sir, you have come from afar. Why not come down and sit for a while? We will surely give you a satisfactory explanation."
The trench coat man said nothing. The players he was holding were already dissatisfied with Zheng Shijiu's approach. Hearing Fang Jing take such a low posture with an outsider, one of them couldn't help but say, "You people are throwing the District Government's face on the ground for others to trample! There's no need to compromise with these Outer Zone players. What does our internal affairs in Zone 019 have to do with them..."
His tone was tough, but the next second, he was shocked by his own hand, which uncontrollably rose to stab at his own eyes. Unfortunately, he was completely restrained and couldn't move, so he could only watch helplessly as his hand got closer and closer!
"Show mercy!" Zheng Shijiu immediately called out to stop him, but he didn't use any items, even ordering his men not to interfere.
Perhaps other players thought it was worth paying a price to repel an external enemy to uphold the District Government's dignity, but if it were an ordinary A-level player, Zheng Shijiu wouldn't have thought twice about offering compensation.
Zone 019 had no Super Players, and facing someone suspected of being a Super Player, let alone driving them out of Zone 019, even making a move would cost them dearly. Earlier, to deal with potential district unrest, the government had summoned over a hundred A-level players. Most of them were elites, and many were Super Evolvers, but they were still no match for a Super Player. Zone 019 wasn't without the resources to fight, but there was simply no need to sacrifice more for this matter.
Before the losses escalated further, a mutual settlement was the best option for Zone 019. At this moment, Zheng Shijiu was probably glad he had firmly rejected others' proposals to silence Xu Huo. If Xu Huo had died in Zone 019, there would never be peace in Zone 019 from then on!
With a soft "噗嗤" sound, the dissatisfied player gouged out his own eyes with his fingers. His expression was twisted in pain, his mouth wide open but unable to make a sound, while his fingers kept pushing deeper into the sockets, as if determined to shove them all the way in!
Zheng Shijiu's eyes darkened, and he stepped forward, but before he could get close, he was repelled by an invisible barrier. Then the trench coat man appeared in front of the now-still player, pressing down on his shoulder and saying, "Find someone who can make a decision to talk."
The man, hailed as a "hero" by Zone 019, looked up at the person before him and said again, "The young man is inexperienced. If he offended you, I apologize on his behalf. But the matter hasn't reached an irredeemable point. Zone 019 sincerely wishes to compensate you and your junior. Please be merciful and spare him."
"I can now fully represent Zone 019."
The trench coat man tossed the injured player to Zheng Shijiu and returned to Xu Huo's side. "This is your business. You decide."
Xu Huo nodded slightly, then turned to Zheng Shijiu. "Players from your zone took one of my A-level items and three B-level items, and destroyed three of my A-level items and seven B-level items."
"The lost items can be returned to you, and the destroyed items will be compensated by Zone 019 at the same level, along with the three Armed Robots you lost," Zheng Shijiu said. "As for the injuries you sustained, you can name your terms, and I will see to it."
Xu Huo had no objections, but he didn't need additional compensation. "When I first arrived in Zone 019, I thought it was a pretty good place. Even people without the ability to work can live well here. I greatly admire people like Master Solan, though the government personnel in Zone 019 are somewhat disappointing."
"If you hadn't stirred up trouble for no reason, I should be eating lunch on the train by now."
Zheng Shijiu couldn't help but show a hint of surprise. Even though he had promised to ensure Xu Huo's safety, he had doubts about his motives. A high-rating clearance was something every player wanted, but it didn't conflict with additional gains. Whether Xu Huo was willing to cooperate with the District Government or not, he could have demanded ample supplies. So when he stood up earlier, aside from the players brought by Solan's son, no one thought he was actually leaving.
After a brief silence, Zheng Shijiu asked, "Do you have any other requests?"
"The players you captured—I promised to take them through the clearance. Please bring them here," Xu Huo said.
Another unexpected request, leaving everyone present puzzled. Seriously, was there really such a good person in the game?
(Chapter End)