Chapter 1943: If You Want to Live, You Have to Fight
The player who said these words was speaking in the public square of the game. Some who knew a bit about Jade Spring City's past thought he had a point, especially regarding the city's rise. Back then, before Jade Spring City hired Agor Corporation, they were dirt poor. After Agor Corporation came and did the work, they couldn't just burn the bridge after crossing it. Why would anyone agree to help if they only wanted to reap the benefits without giving anything in return?
This speech, standing on the side of the East District, was highly inflammatory. Some players who had originally sympathized with the West District people also fell silent, because what the man said was indeed correct.
"You're full of shit!" A female player pushed through the crowd and walked to the center of the square, pointing at the speaker. "How much money did Agor Corporation give you to twist the truth here? You say the West District people rioted and killed a hundred thousand people? Who gave you that number? Agor Corporation? Agor Corporation is a tech company. Armed robots, armed aircraft, and all kinds of portable weapons and instruments have long been widespread. After they partnered with the Jade Spring City government, they also supplied the city government with enough weaponry. What could ordinary civilians use to fight them?"
"Slaughter a hundred thousand people? If the bottom-level people couldn't even afford food but could still rise up and successfully kill a hundred thousand people, then Agor Corporation allowed it!"
These words got everyone's minds turning again. Yeah, Agor Corporation was a tech company. It wasn't like they didn't have high-lethality weapons, plus they had armed robots and players. Dealing with people who couldn't even afford a meal should have been easy, right?
The first speaker sneered at this. "Aren't there players among ordinary civilians?"
The female player retorted sarcastically, "If they've become players, you can still lump them into ordinary civilians. I wonder what your limited knowledge defines as an ordinary civilian! And speaking of players, are there still players in the West District now? Aren't all the players working for the East District people?"
She didn't want to argue with the man anymore. Instead, she turned to face the others in the square. "Let me tell you the truth."
"The so-called West District people and East District people were originally all Jade Spring City residents. Some have lived here for generations, others moved here later. Never mind who came first or last—if they settled down and made a home in Jade Spring City, it's correct to call them Jade Spring City people, isn't it?"
"Since they're all Jade Spring City people, how did the East District and West District get divided? Those with power, influence, money, connections, or specialized skills who could make outstanding contributions stayed in the East District and became East District people. Meanwhile, those at the bottom of society, who made a living through manual labor and could be replaced or abandoned at any time, were driven to the West District and became West District people."
"Some people think Jade Spring City's prosperity today is all thanks to Agor Corporation. I won't deny that Agor Corporation made important contributions, but that was also in exchange for one-third of the city's administrative rights. Jade Spring City belongs to all Jade Spring City people. To get Agor Corporation's help, we agreed to give them one-third of the city, and they agreed too. Isn't that mutual benefit?"
"But Agor Corporation was too greedy. They got one-third of the city and wanted it all. They wanted to charge us for the land we live on and farm, the water we consume daily, and even the air we breathe. After they seized control of the city's economic lifeline, they repeatedly forced the Jade Spring City government to back down, even ignoring various government decrees!"
"The people living here lost their land. Even the houses they built themselves became assets 'encroaching on Agor Corporation's property.' Drinking a sip of water, taking a breath of air—they had to pay taxes to Agor Corporation. On what grounds?!"
"But Agor Corporation didn't care. Their goal was to drive away the bottom-level civilians. Whether they died or were forced elsewhere, they wanted to monopolize Jade Spring City!"
"They stole the homes of Jade Spring City people and cut off their means of survival. Anyone would fight them to the death. As for the hundred thousand people you mentioned, doesn't Agor Corporation know exactly who most of them were?"
"They were civilians they massacred!"
"The so-called riot was actually a joint resistance by the Jade Spring City government and the Jade Spring City people. They just wanted to drive Agor Corporation away. But Agor Corporation used human lives as leverage, forcing the government to sign multiple contracts ceding city land and more. Nearly a hundred thousand people were killed. The government had no choice but to compromise. In the end, even the government personnel were forced to leave Jade Spring City. Now, the East District government has nothing to do with us Jade Spring City people—it's all Agor Corporation's people!"
"We wanted to coexist peacefully with Agor Corporation, but Agor Corporation wanted us dead. Who really doesn't deserve to live?!"
Revealing the formation process of the East and West Districts from another perspective was even more shocking and ignited the anger of everyone present. Especially the long-oppressed West District people, who shouted the words "Take back our homeland" and gradually surrounded those players who spoke for the East District.
This was in the game, so no one would die, and players could block pain, but the pressure of public anger was real. Because this hatred was etched into the bone, something no words or actions could erase. Only death could bring a temporary end.
"Can you blame the East District people?" someone said in panic. "Isn't it because the West District people were too useless that they got eliminated by the game world?"
"You've been brainwashed until your head is empty!" Another person swung a fist and knocked him down. "By your logic, only the strong won't be eliminated, only the strong deserve to live. Then if I kill you, why would you seek revenge? I'm stronger than you. Isn't it only right that I beat and kill you?"
Unfortunately, this remark was quickly drowned out. With someone taking the lead, others who had been suppressing their anger couldn't help but start fighting.
The game square descended into chaos, with players being ejected every second.
Xu Huo, standing at the edge of the square, was also forcibly disconnected when a knife suddenly stabbed him from behind.
Judging from the situation in the game, it was quite surprising that so many people in the East District were speaking up for the West District. Even if Agor Corporation had managed the East District into a peaceful, high-welfare livable city, controlling the media, they shouldn't have let so much information about the West District leak out. The West District and East District weren't evenly matched. Most people had no interaction at all, so there was no need to pay attention... This was somewhat abnormal.
When Xu Huo left the game hall, he noticed that the resistance member who had been secretly escorting the mute girl was nearby again.
Late at night, the boy from downstairs limped back. With a face full of bruises, he knocked on Xu Huo's door. "Can you give me something to eat?"
"Is your father still alive?" Xu Huo asked.
"He's dead." The boy grinned. "He wanted to sell me. I stabbed him to death when I escaped. He deserved to die long ago. He thought I didn't know he killed my mom. I've known for a long time. My mom couldn't bear to abandon me and run away, so I stabbed her with a knife. I thought that way she could escape being bullied by men. But she secretly came back to see me, and that man found out. He sold her to a bathhouse. A few days later, I saw her corpse. Her whole body was covered in wounds, and her belly was hollowed out. I couldn't fight off that vagrant, so in the end, I only picked up her bones..."
The mute girl hugged him sympathetically, only to touch a handful of blood and realize he had injuries on his back.
The boy couldn't hold on anymore. Leaning in the mute girl's arms, his expression grew dazed. "I wanted to grow up first, then slowly torture him... But I won't grow up anymore... Thank you... The meat was really delicious..."
His last words were directed at Xu Huo. Xu Huo walked up to him and asked, "Do you want to leave here?"
"No..." the boy answered instinctively. "Kill them all..."
Xu Huo injected three doses of self-healing agent near his wounds.