Chapter 1973: The New Therapist
"Sister Yan once had ten children," the man said. "Only two were actually born, and both died in the hospital. People living in this area know her situation. She didn't have to die, but she wanted her death to have meaning."
Unless the Rebel Army had enough container items to distribute to their own people, Sister Yan, an ordinary person, simply couldn't keep up with the players. If the man tried to save her, he might expose himself or other companions, and the final result could be everyone dying together.
"The feeling of being powerless when a companion dies before your eyes—I understand it better than you do," the man said, tears in his eyes. "If their deaths ultimately fail to bring success, I too will face death calmly!"
After saying this, the man turned and walked away. Xu Huo stood there for a moment before heading in another direction.
He kept his distance from the man, tracking his whereabouts while also eliminating two people who were following him.
The man indeed went to another stronghold, but the person he met was still an ordinary person, still using games to pass messages. After coming out, he immediately hurried toward the northeast of the East District.
Xu Huo quickly followed.
According to the city government's publicly available map, the northeast of the East District had many public medical laboratories where many potions were developed. Old Zhou had also discovered that this area actually had some undisclosed laboratories and bases, all disguised externally. Truth and falsehood were mixed together, making them hard to distinguish.
The East District was using "White Blood" as bait, so they would inevitably prepare several fronts resembling trading companies. The Rebel Army's current objective was unclear, but to buy time or use this as cover for something, they would definitely take the bait.
The trading company was bait, and the Agor Headquarters was also bait. Xu Huo wondered if the Rebel Army member he was following was going after bait.
Just as Xu Huo was considering whether to make an early trip to the Agor Headquarters, the Rebel Army contacted him again. This time, they gave him Zheng Yuci's resume and schedule.
A current schedule was certainly unobtainable, so the Rebel Army gave him one from last year, along with an explanation that some places on the schedule were fixed locations Zheng Yuci regularly visited.
Xu Huo looked at the place marked on the schedule: Jixin Medical Base.
The Message Collection Terminal described this place as a medical experimental base. Many new drugs, once produced, would ultimately enter here for final testing before being sold to the public.
Xu Huo changed course and headed to the medical base.
The medical base was much larger than the trading company, and its underground facilities were heavily reinforced. Forget about sensing through Space Rays—with those thick metal plates, even the Spiritual Realm Gate might not be able to enter.
Just as he was circling the area, Old Zhou and Lin Cao suddenly appeared not far away. The three met face to face, and Old Zhou immediately told him that the Triangle Wind Chime had indicated Qiao Qiao's location was here. However, the item's effect lasted only a short time. This situation meant either Qiao Qiao was dead, or the item's effect on her had been removed. Of course, it was also possible she had been moved again, but since she hadn't died before, there was no reason to swap items midway.
"Why are you here too?" Lin Cao asked.
"I followed a psychotherapist here," Xu Huo said, glancing at Old Zhou. "The same psychotherapist Qiao Qiao was supposed to kill."
"Zheng Yuci?" Old Zhou was somewhat surprised. "You think he's problematic?"
"Since his colleagues are jealous enough to hire a killer for him, it shows he holds considerable weight at Agor Corporation. Since most players have psychological issues, he should know some things," Xu Huo said.
The truly important figures who ran Agor had never appeared publicly. No one even knew who they were, let alone tracked their whereabouts. In contrast, the psychotherapist was out in the open and was exactly the type of person who would easily learn secrets.
This could indeed serve as a breakthrough.
"Any results?" Lin Cao asked again.
"Not yet. The security level here is much higher than the trading company's. It's not easy to get in," Xu Huo said. "A direct forceful approach like before won't work. I'll have to find a way to sneak in."
"That's easy," Old Zhou said. "Internal conflicts in Jade Spring City are intensifying. If we tamper with the nearby control terminals and cause them to crash, bypassing the alarm system won't be a problem."
As for what to do once inside—with so many people in the base, a simple disguise would suffice.
Coincidentally, before they could act, the medical base, along with several nearby streets, suffered a power outage due to a sudden explosion a few kilometers away. All facilities shut down. The players stationed nearby were clearly not just the three of them. Several groups suddenly emerged from different parts of the base, attacking various locations simultaneously. During the skirmish, a barrier formed by items was briefly destroyed. In that brief moment, Xu Huo and the other two entered the underground base.
In fact, more than just the three of them got in. The underground building was naturally filled with players and various access controls. According to the floor plan, this underground facility was no smaller than the surface medical base. It was divided into over a dozen zones, each presumably managed by a designated player.
As the alarm sounded, a blue light swept from the other end of the corridor. This was likely an item effect. Sensing that East District players were nearby, the three immediately scattered in different directions.
The blue light was moving along the corridor and would eventually catch up. Xu Huo took out the identity card he had prepared from the game, disguised himself as an ordinary person, grabbed a coat from a nearby break room, and used the pass Bai Kou had given him to open a private laboratory.
The door lock didn't trigger an alarm. As he stepped into the room, the blue light passed right behind him but didn't search the room—it simply skipped over it.
There were people in the laboratory. Three men wearing blindfolds and observing a test subject simultaneously turned their heads. "Who are you? Outsiders aren't allowed in here. Get out!"
Xu Huo glanced at the test subject locked in a transparent room and said apologetically, "I'm a newly hired psychotherapist for the company. I came with Teacher Zheng. I was looking for the restroom but got lost..."
"Teacher Zheng should be in Zone E7 doing treatment. Go out, turn right, and follow the signs," one of them said while coming over to "see him out."
Xu Huo was pushed out. Just then, two players approached from the opposite direction. Seeing an unfamiliar face, they immediately became alert. Fortunately, the doctor standing at the door spoke up first to interrupt them. "This is the new therapist. Don't overreact. If you break something, it'll be hard to explain."
"New therapist?" The players asked Xu Huo to show his credentials.
Xu Huo produced a fake ID he had obtained just half a day earlier. The players couldn't verify a psychotherapist's credentials, so they simply looked at it and then asked him to use his pass again.
(End of Chapter)