Chapter 1938: Skill and Courage
Xu Huo was forcibly dragged into working nonstop for a day and a night, and was only released when dawn broke again.
The investigation into the frozen processing plant was essentially over by this point. During this time, in addition to the necessary inspections of the factory, the Supervision Department had also screened everyone who had come into contact with Manager Dian. Because of the involvement of East District players, both the nightclub owner and Knife Boss were subjects of the investigation, and both were forcibly taken away. In the end, only Knife Boss returned.
Manager Dian died in the explosion. The player accompanying him wasn't a high-level player either, otherwise he wouldn't have been guarding the factory. So he ran fast, and with no one to look after him, Manager Dian went straight to the Western Paradise. The nightclub owner seemed to have been buried with him, but it was a pity about the weapon trade lead. With the nightclub owner dead, the black forces in the West District would probably lie low for a while, and no one would try to buy weapons again.
Of course, after Knife Boss came back, he kept his mouth shut and completely refused to mention what happened after he was taken away. But not long after, the residence of the middleman who had connected Manager Dian and the nightclub owner was raided. The middleman and his apprentices were almost all arrested. The only one who escaped did so because the nearby Rebel Army provided him with a place to hide.
From these two arrest operations, Xu Huo finally got a glimpse of the East District players' law enforcement methods. They weren't much different from what he had expected. Using spatial instruments to restrict player movement was the most basic tactic. Probably because the targets were mostly ordinary people, the instruments they brought weren't very high-grade. Besides that, almost every player wore a metal ball. When activated, this metal ball would spin at high speed and emit a high-frequency piercing sound. This shockwave could knock someone unconscious in a second or two, but the East District players were completely unaffected.
In fact, this sound attack was exceptionally effective. It affected not only the players near the arrest site but even Xu Huo, who was far away, to a certain extent. However, he couldn't be sure if it had a mental interference effect—if it did, then the East District might have already completed a unique evolution in weapons and instruments.
In a city like Platinum Eye, which lived off the weapon trade, various thermal weapons and new energy weapons were the focus. Spatial instruments weren't necessarily bad, but they could also be restricted by other time-space items or instruments, making people hesitant to bet everything on them. During the East District players' operations, there was even a sense of blurring the players' own strength; they preferred using convenient and fast instruments rather than doing things themselves.
The follow-up matters had little to do with the Supervision Department. After being forced to work for two days, the Supervision Department had no energy left to cause any more trouble, so they simply gave everyone time off and told them to go home and rest.
But in this situation, how many people dared to go home? Weren't they afraid of having their heads chopped off while they slept soundly?
Xu Huo prepared to leave.
"You really have skill and courage, huh," Han Cong said, his words carrying a double meaning, especially since Wang Kai had just died.
Xu Huo was also a bit troubled, so he had to reveal that he had taken in a pitiful person. "I'm worried she'll be in danger alone at home."
"It's a woman, right?" Lin Guang said with a knowing expression. "Who dares to just pick up a man off the street these days? But I advise you to be careful. Don't take it too seriously, or you might end up getting yourself into trouble."
Xu Huo hesitated for a moment before saying, "She's really pitiful."
"Who in the West District isn't pitiful? Pitiful people are hateful!" Brother Tong, who had been beating up West District civilians, suddenly chimed in, speaking almost through gritted teeth.
He was an old inspector and held a certain status in the Supervision Department, so Lin Guang quickly forced a smile and said he would definitely talk some sense into Xu Huo.
Brother Tong didn't care about their attitude or whether they misunderstood him. He just said, "Good people don't live long. Let's see how long you last."
Not to mention Xu Huo himself, even the two bystanders' expressions darkened.
"We're all colleagues, no need to make the atmosphere so tense," Lin Guang said, dragging Xu Huo away and seeing him out.
Han Cong left with them. He had a brother who couldn't walk well, so he had to go back and take care of him.
"I wonder what grudge he has against West District people, not even willing to give a colleague face," Han Cong complained.
Xu Huo had taken the opportunity during work to ask other inspectors about this matter. It turned out to be a story of inviting a wolf into the house, but the price paid was heavy. His entire family had been killed, even a child a few years old hadn't escaped, and the culprit was a teenager he had treated and taken care of.
This kind of example wasn't uncommon in the West District. Not everyone was born lacking compassion. There were actually some inspectors who came from the West District and wanted to change the environment there and do something for the people. But people with warm hearts were more easily hurt by the world and human nature, and the cost of betrayal wasn't something everyone could bear.
Xu Huo stood at the door holding food. Before he could take out his keys, the mute girl opened the door first, a somewhat nervous smile spreading across her face.
Xu Huo handed her the things he was carrying. As he passed the kitchen, he glanced at the cold stove and empty pots. "You didn't cook for yourself?"
When he was called away for the overnight shift, he had given the mute girl some money and told her to cook for herself.
The mute girl pointed to her stomach, indicating she wasn't hungry.
Guessing she probably didn't dare to use the stove, he said, "I bought a pound of fresh meat. Do you know how to cook it?"
The mute girl nodded repeatedly, turned around, and went into the kitchen to get busy.
Xu Huo hadn't been sitting for a few minutes when the man downstairs started hitting his child again. The little boy was shouting at first, but soon there were only low sobs.
Checking his gun, Xu Huo got up and walked downstairs. He went straight to the man's door, kicked open the half-closed door, and strode inside.
"Who are you... who are you... let me go!" The man was grabbed by the back of the neck and dragged into the hallway. Xu Huo slammed him hard onto the ground. Not giving him a chance to get up, he directly started hitting him in the stomach.
The man was kicked until he howled in pain, unable even to utter threats, and finally could only beg for mercy.
Seeing that he didn't have much strength left to struggle, Xu Huo walked over to him, crouched down, and stared at him. "If you're so capable, why do you have to pick on a child?"
The man was still stubborn. "I'm hitting my own son, what business is it of yours... That kid is born rebellious, he has to be beaten! At three years old, he dared to stab his mother with a knife. If it weren't for him, my wife wouldn't have run away!"
The "born rebellious" son came out, holding a chipped knife. He looked to be at most seven or eight years old, his eyes glazed over, ignoring everyone else, and he lunged straight at his father!
Xu Huo blocked him. The little boy was restrained in his grip, but he didn't drop the knife. Struggling, he let out a heart-wrenching roar at the man, his face filled with such overwhelming hatred that the man flinched. Then, as if finding evidence, he said to Xu Huo, "See, see? If you don't beat something that would kill its own parents, can you? You're helping him—aren't you afraid he'll stab you in the back?"