Chapter 1922: Hornless Lamb Station
After this train arrived at the station, Xu Huo directly used the Hornless Lamb ticket. After another two days of travel, he successfully arrived at Hornless Lamb Station.
Unlike previous departures, this time he was randomly dropped into a narrow, dark alley. The stench of decay hit him head-on. Trash bins and discarded items haphazardly piled on both sides of the boxes almost completely blocked the view, with only colorful light filtering through from above. It was probably a bit far away, so it wasn't enough to illuminate the alley.
From a great distance came the sound of advertisements mixed with music, while closer by were noisy shouts and curses, occasionally mixed with cries of pursuit and escape.
Suddenly, a personal panel popped open in front of him:
[Detected that player Passerby A has successfully arrived at Hornless Lamb Station, defaulting to participation in B-rank Instance "Justice."]
[Background Introduction: Once upon a time, Jade Spring City was an extremely impoverished city near Hornless Lamb Station. The sluggish economy and uncontrolled reproduction once turned this city into the largest source of human trafficking. After the efforts of three mayors, the city government exchanged one-third of its administrative power for the entry of the wealthy Agor Technology Company.]
[In just twenty years, Jade Spring City experienced three technological shocks, leaping from a poor city to an economic new district of Hornless Lamb Station, attracting a large surrounding population. The contradiction between limited urban land and the growing population gradually intensified. After several joint urban expansions, the city government and Agor Technology Company still failed to solve the fundamental problem. The protest teams spontaneously formed by civilians gradually escalated their methods. After the "Will of Fire" incident, the Agor Company, having suffered heavy losses, divided Jade Spring City into two areas and expelled all "non-contributing" civilians to the West District, which only accounted for one-sixth of the city's total area.]
[The division of areas intensified the contradictions between the new immigrants in the East District and the original residents and old immigrants. A force opposing the city government and the Agor Company gradually formed in the West District, known as the "Rebel Army." To manage the West District and control the "Rebel Army," the East District established the Divine Fire Supervision Department, where players and recruited West District personnel jointly supervised the West District.]
[To provide a better Instance experience, the following three identities are available for the player to choose:]
[1. A newly recruited West District Supervisor who has just joined the Divine Fire Supervision Department and is full of a sense of justice.]
[2. An East District Supervisor who has successfully infiltrated the Rebel Army and holds a legitimate identity.]
[3. A down-and-out writer with "freedom of speech."]
Xu Huo quickly scanned the three identities and then chose "1."
[Player Passerby A confirms the choice of "a newly recruited West District Supervisor who has just joined the Divine Fire Supervision Department and is full of a sense of justice." Completing any one of the following clearance tasks will clear the Instance:]
[1. Solve a murder case in the West District.]
[2. Capture the Rebel Army leader "Pigeon."]
[3. Seize the "White Blood."]
[Instance Time Limit: None.]
Just after reading the Instance-related information, a wallet appeared in Xu Huo's hand. He was about to open it when he was suddenly tackled from behind. A gun pressed against the back of his head, and a rough voice shouted, "Head down! Limbs on the ground! Or you'll be considered armed resistance!"
Following this voice came two drone-style aircraft. They hovered above the alley, their gun barrels hanging under the black fuselages aimed at Xu Huo. The electronic eyes on their fronts flashed red, and the scanning light they released crisscrossed over him, making his skin feel slightly warm.
This should be some kind of long-range weapon. Xu Huo lay still on the ground, waiting for the two people at the alley entrance to come over.
The two who arrived wore the same black uniforms as the person holding him down. They didn't rush over to check the situation but first inspected the deeper part of the alley. Only after confirming no one was hiding did they come out. One of them, a bald man, picked up the wallet that had fallen to the side, skillfully stuffed a few bills into his own pocket, and then dumped all the cards and photos inside onto the ground. He crouched in front of Xu Huo and used a thin black tube gun to flip out the work ID mixed in among them.
"One of us? Fake, right?" The bald man paused, then handed the ID to his tall companion beside him. The tall man scanned the ID with his watch terminal, let out a "Hey," and said, "It really is a new colleague. Just happens to be reporting to our branch."
"A new colleague?" The person pressing on Xu Huo's back didn't get up. "Is it a real ID?"
"Of course it's real. The system doesn't make mistakes." The tall man pushed the big guy aside and pulled Xu Huo up, patting the dust off his clothes with a smile. "I didn't expect we'd meet like this before you even reported to the Supervision Department. Don't take it personally. Attacks on supervisors have skyrocketed recently, so we have to be cautious. By the way, how come you're alone in this alley? Aren't there notices posted everywhere saying supervisors must travel in groups of at least three? Even if you haven't reported in yet, you've had pre-service training. Don't you know the dangers of going solo?"
"I saw someone getting robbed and chased them here." Xu Huo stretched his body and looked back at the big guy behind him. "I didn't expect to get pinned down as soon as I arrived."
The big guy had already examined the ID several times. Only when he couldn't find any signs of forgery did he slap it back onto Xu Huo's chest. "Kid, don't feel hard done by. Do you know how many supervisors have been stabbed to death in alleys this month? If we weren't short on manpower, how could a rookie with no experience like you become a supervisor?"
"I passed the formal assessment to get in. I know everything I need to know." Xu Huo's face showed a hint of anger, as if he was dissatisfied with the big guy calling him a rookie.
The big guy snorted, waved his hand, and was about to leave. The tall man patted him and said with a smile, "How can you dampen a new colleague's confidence?"
Then he looked at Xu Huo. "We still have to patrol the streets. How about you go report in yourself? It's just two streets away. Walk to the end of this street, take two turns, and you'll see the Supervision Branch."
"Why bother with him so much?" The bald man urged them to leave. "We haven't had any luck tonight. Don't waste any more time!"
"Wait." Xu Huo called him back, picked up his wallet and the scattered items, and held out his hand. "My money."
The bald man's face immediately darkened. It was the tall man who stopped him, took out the money, and handed it back, apologizing, "We're all on the same side. Just a little misunderstanding. No need to make a fuss."
Then, laughing and joking, he pulled the bald man away.
Xu Huo followed the three men two meters behind. When he reached the alley entrance and saw the bald man staring at him and spitting on the ground, he straightened his back and walked in the direction the tall man had indicated.
The street outside wasn't actually much better than that alley. It was barely wider, and the buildings on both sides were quite old, small structures standing one after another, with alleys and passageways interspersed everywhere. People occasionally entered and exited the pitch-black corners. When a car light passed by, it would reveal the hidden figures staring out with prying eyes.