Chapter 1967: They All Sound Pretty Convincing
Eastern District players might develop mental illnesses after evolving to a certain level. It was said that this was because some parts of their brains had mutated after collective evolution. They might not realize it themselves, but mutant plants could be affected, so carrying one around made it easier to control the condition.
This explanation could actually be made to hold water, since evolution paths were bizarre and varied. Someone else might have believed it, but this was related to Dr. Zhang, and the Eastern District players happened to have mental issues, making it hard for Xu Huo to accept that this was simply a genetic mutation in Jade Spring City.
When he asked about the frequency of player illness and other characteristics, the man revealed some information not found on the Message Collection Terminal. Based on the most basic time and quantity data, player symptoms began appearing around six or seven years ago, which was also the peak period for player onset. The incidence rate gradually decreased afterward, reportedly due to the intervention of psychotherapy, as overall data showed that mentally healthier people had lower incidence rates.
"Which Agor psychotherapists appeared around six or seven years ago and frequently participated in player psychological treatment?" Xu Huo asked again.
"Zheng Yuci," the Eastern District player answered somewhat woodenly.
"Zheng Yuci? Only him?" Xu Huo raised an eyebrow.
"All the players I've known and interacted with have been in contact with Zheng Yuci. Some received face-to-face treatment, others through communicators. Our examination reports had his signature," the man replied.
The name Zheng Yuci had appeared multiple times. Xu Huo first saw it in some academic papers on psychological research found on the Message Collection Terminal, the second time on a bounty list in that virtual game cave, the third time from Qiao Qiao's mention of assassination-type missions, and now this time.
There was no photo of Zheng Yuci on the bounty list, so he asked about his physical characteristics.
"Long hair, black pupils... wears glasses... about one meter eighty tall... under forty... speaks very gently..."
So the person he had seen at the hospital being escorted away by players was indeed Zheng Yuci.
Having asked this much, Xu Huo put the player back into the picture frame and then went to the hospital he had attacked earlier.
The damaged areas of the hospital had been sealed off, including the operating room. The body of the psychotherapist who had died in the operating room had also been recovered by the government, its exact whereabouts unknown.
Without lingering at this hospital, Xu Huo went to the hospital the middle-aged woman had mentioned, bringing out the dean and several doctors she had named, and left behind the large characters "Will Never Fade."
After finishing this, he used his trait's positioning ability to find the location of the Inspector training base. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary company building, completely controlled by a trading company, with security levels not even considered high.
The Rebel Army members who had replaced him and Lin Guang had both entered this place and hadn't moved for two or three days, indicating this should be the final destination. If the Rebel Army hadn't found the wrong place, this might be an experimental base.
Of course, it couldn't be ruled out that the Rebel Army had been set up by the Eastern District people.
But it was still worth exploring.
After scouting the terrain around the area, Xu Huo reconnected with Qiao Qiao and Old Zhou. They had already contacted over a dozen players, all of whom had been stranded for quite some time. Clearing instances was one thing, but they were also curious about the situation of the Eastern District players. Even if it wasn't something as good as the Perfect Potion, it was at least profitable. Taking it to other districts might fetch a high price, and plenty of people were willing to kill the goose that laid the golden egg.
Since the players each had their own clues, they had different opinions on where to attack. Each stated what they believed to be secret key locations, with the highest demand naturally being the Agor Corporation headquarters.
Discussion was one thing, but it didn't mean anyone could convince anyone else. Some players who shared the same intentions ended up splitting off into their own groups midway.
Xu Huo suggested setting the action time for the evening, leaving the rest for others to decide. They would notify him after coming up with a rough plan, but for now, the Agor headquarters should be excluded.
"That makes sense. The Agor headquarters stands there like a target, so its security level is definitely the highest." Old Zhou and the other had no objections. People who didn't know their limits weren't suitable as partners.
Xu Huo spent some more time outside the trading company and discovered several hidden surveillance points nearby, likely belonging to the Rebel Army. But strangely, there weren't many Eastern District players around the trading company's perimeter, and even armed robots and aircraft were scarce.
This was actually abnormal. If the Rebel Army had identified the trading company as an important location and taken action, the Eastern District should have responded somehow. At the very least, with tensions escalating between the two sides, they should have increased their manpower.
At this point, he finally received contact from the Rebel Army.
Previously, he had used "the weakness of Eastern District players" as a condition to exchange information with the Rebel Army under the Dimension. He had deliberately avoided mentioning "pigeons" and "white blood," only wanting to understand the Eastern District players' modification plan and the situation of the Agor Company's psychotherapists.
Now the Rebel Army had given their reply.
Regarding the psychotherapists, they provided a list of personnel hired by Agor at high salaries, some with photos attached.
As for Xu Huo's fabricated "Eastern District Player Modification Plan," the Rebel Army directly laid their cards on the table, saying their investigation revealed that Eastern District players were so strong because they used a special evolution agent. This agent was called "White Blood," with the original fluid stored at the Agor Corporation headquarters. The Rebel Army had recently made arrangements to seize the "White Blood." If he was willing, the two sides could cooperate.
To gain his trust, the Rebel Army even sent data from some unknown laboratory, clearly recording the physical changes of some Eastern District players after taking the evolution agent.
"They all sound pretty convincing." Xu Huo smiled dismissively and looked over the psychotherapist list again.
Among them was Zheng Yuci.
Aside from a simple identity introduction and photo, there was no explanation of when he started working at Agor or his usual work hours. The only thing that could be known was that his workplace was at the Agor headquarters.
Later, he sent a reply to the Rebel Army, stating that cooperation was possible, but if the Rebel Army obtained the "White Blood" with his assistance, they had to reasonably give him a share. Additionally, he wanted detailed information on Zheng Yuci, preferably his schedule.
Of course, he didn't forget to mention the "weakness" of the Eastern District players—that after taking the special evolution agent, their mental state seemed to become unstable. The higher the evolution rate, the harder it was to self-control. He had already confirmed this from the Eastern District players. Mental stimulation could affect them to a certain extent, which was very advantageous in actual combat.
(Chapter End)