Chapter 1864: The Initiative
"You and I both know that number is related to the Xenomorphs, and after the environment of Zone 010 degraded into a desert, the number of Xenomorphs also sharply decreased. Dr. Joyce once worked at Stellar Pharmaceuticals; he wouldn't be unaware of the origins of those Xenomorphs. He knew the situation in Zone 010 better than anyone, so how could he suddenly leave clues pointing toward those Xenomorphs?"
"Moreover, it's hard to say whether those Xenomorphs even still exist in Zone 010. He was just an ordinary person, without a Player's protection, he wouldn't dare leave the Safe Zone. Even if he had a need, how did he manage to find that kind of Xenomorph?"
Chang Shoujie's mind was clear. "You deliberately mixed that number into the items found in the laboratory, hoping I would take you to find the Xenomorph corresponding to that number."
"No problem. Any clues you want to know, as long as I know them, I can tell you. Even things I don't know, I can mobilize all the Players in Zone 010 to help you find... but you have to tell me the truth: have you found Melissa?"
"Where exactly does Dr. Joyce's locator point to?"
His words drew the surrounding Players over. After all, they had come to find Melissa. If Melissa had actually been in Xu Huo's hands all along, what were they still doing here?
"You haven't told the truth." Xu Huo stared at him, completely unconcerned about his accusation, nor did he care whether these words would turn his teammates against him. Instead, he sighed and said, "Why don't you tell the truth? What good does wasting my time do for you?"
Chang Shoujie narrowed his eyes. Realizing he had never seized the initiative, he proposed a trade condition. "The Xenomorph corresponding to the number you showed me—I know where there are still living samples."
Xu Huo walked up to him. At close range, he lowered his gaze. "I said before that, on a personal level, I quite admire you. Since you understand I haven't told the truth, you should also understand that if I don't get the answer I want, you won't get the answer you want either."
"The sooner I finish my business, the sooner I can go clear the Melissa Instance. That benefits both of us."
"Haven't you figured it out yet? Unless a CK12 Player really did take away a child named Melissa, the initiative is not in Zone 010's hands."
Xu Huo suddenly smiled at this point. "I don't know under what circumstances CK12 abandoned Dr. Joyce, but you missed a very good opportunity. If Dr. Joyce were still alive, perhaps Zone 010's Black Thorn Disease would have already found a treatment plan."
He took out the box that had contained the potion from the luggage compartment and opened it to reveal the already-used potion inside. "This potion was given to that Doctor by Dr. Joyce several years ago. A few days before coming to Zone 010, I met a young man who was dying of the disease and gave him this injection."
Chang Shoujie's breathing became visibly rapid, but Xu Huo remained unhurried. "The potion couldn't save his life, but it gave him half a day of comfort before he died. This potion is effective against the Black Thorn Disease."
"Dr. Joyce was the only person in Zone 010 who tirelessly worked for you for a decade after the drastic changes. He was also a Doctor of Pharmacy from the Stellar Pharmaceuticals Group, essentially representing the highest level of pharmaceutical science in the Dimension Crack Game. Presumably, the Players who left Zone 010 sought help everywhere, spending money to find people to develop genetic potions. The fact that they haven't succeeded to this day shows that either the disease itself is extremely difficult, or there's no profit to be made. No other pharmaceutical expert with talent in this field was willing to spend time and effort developing a genetic potion. Dr. Joyce was your hope."
"You are quite remarkable, but unfortunately, the others in Zone 010 gave up on their own."
"Neither of us knows exactly how Dr. Joyce died," Chang Shoujie said. "Zone 010 also paid a huge price to treat the Black Thorn Disease. Why would they give up?"
"Who knows? Maybe there was a difference of opinion." Xu Huo said indifferently. "Haven't you heard from the other Instance Players? Melissa has severe genetic defects that could lead to the extinction of Zone 010's people."
Chang Shoujie was silent for two seconds. "Without seeing Melissa, everything is just speculation."
"Since you know that, you should help me first." Xu Huo pointed to the Pink Hair behind him. "Not everyone pities the plight of Zone 010's people. You don't think his attempt to kill Melissa was merely because he had a grudge against a Zone 010 Player, do you?"
Pink Hair was a normal person, not a madman like the Box Carrier. His revenge for his girlfriend was justified, but expanding that hatred to the entire district was abnormal. There had to be a reason. Combined with his massacre of ordinary people in the Polar Safe Zone, he seemed to harbor even greater anger toward the ordinary people of Zone 010.
"One person willing to give everything to save Zone 010," Xu Huo said, standing between the two, first looking at Chang Shoujie, then at Pink Hair. "And one person willing to give everything to destroy Zone 010."
He didn't say anything more. Chang Shoujie should also understand that, given Zone 010's situation, the emotional bias of Outer Zone Players could influence many things. For example, Pink Hair had been forcibly taken away by Juan Er and the others.
"Everyone in Zone 010 deserves to die," Pink Hair said, crossing his arms and egging Xu Huo on. "He's dangling a carrot in front of you, clearly playing you for a fool. Why waste your breath?"
"Clearing the Instance doesn't matter to me. If you promise to hand Melissa over to me after it's done, I'll help you clear the Instance unconditionally."
"Do you want to stay here forever?" Deng Xiahei couldn't help but ask.
But Pink Hair just smiled. "I never planned to leave alive the day I arrived. Half a year, one year, three years, ten years—I can stay in Zone 010 forever, until I've killed every last person in Zone 010."
His eyes were cold, like merciless blades, frantically tearing at Chang Shoujie. "Anyway, as long as the people of Zone 010 can't reproduce, they'll eventually be wiped out."
This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment remark. His expression showed it was well-prepared and extremely resolute. Not just Chang Shoujie, but even Deng Xiahei and the others couldn't help but feel a chill down their spines.
A B-grade Player, determined to spend the rest of his life slaughtering the remaining people of a district. If Zone 010 never produced an A-grade Player, and the Black Thorn Disease remained unsolved, his plan could actually be achieved. This complete lack of a fallback plan was a form of mutual destruction.
The conflict had been successfully diverted, but Chang Shoujie still forced himself to look at Xu Huo. "If you don't clear the Instance, others still need to."
"Save the sowing of discord," Xiao Hui said. "I don't have much goodwill toward Zone 010 either. How different are those ordinary people from the Cannibal Players? We can finish Old Xu's business first and then clear the Instance. We're already here."
"Besides, I believe everyone is curious. What exactly is this Xenomorph you're looking for?"