Chapter 1990: I'll Make Up a Reason for You
Xu Huo looked at the wounds on his body that he couldn't even bother to hide, and instead smiled. "What, did you go?"
The masked teenager nonchalantly patted the bandaged spot on his leg. "Seeing is believing. You made it sound so convincing, of course I had to go check it out."
Xu Huo swept his gaze over him. "I was just talking casually. Didn't expect you to actually go. I can't tell you're such an honest person."
This sentence seemed to hit the masked teenager's sore spot. With the mask on, his face couldn't be seen, but judging from his stance and the angle of his body tilt, he was probably staring dead at Xu Huo.
However, Xu Huo had no awareness of having provoked someone and continued, "It's obvious you've now made an enemy of Zheng Yuci too. Got beaten up and feel pretty pissed off, so you're looking for a chance to get back at him, right?"
The masked teenager didn't take the initiative. He snorted coldly. "In the game, it's always you kill me, I kill you. Can you kill everyone who makes you suffer?"
Xu Huo nodded knowingly and deliberately said, "So you're not planning to take revenge."
The masked teenager choked for a moment, then pulled the topic back. "You still haven't said whether you really have a grudge against Zheng Yuci. Otherwise, why would you deliberately lure outer zone players to him? Anyone in the know about the East District situation would usually focus on Agor."
After all, player modification and "white blood" were mass-produced by Agor, more important, and easier to obtain—while people were flexible.
"Before Jade Spring City, I'd never seen him," Xu Huo told the truth this time.
The masked teenager didn't believe it. "You seem to hate him a lot."
Xu Huo looked at him again. "Why does the Old Holy Sword Society want to seize the 'white blood'?"
"What else could it be?" the masked teenager said. "Of course, to cultivate more and stronger elite players."
"Don't you think the Rebel Army wants it too?" Xu Huo asked again.
The Rebel Army, rooted in the West District and opposing the East District, could be said to be very weak. Staking the entire organization's life, future, and the final showdown with the East District, they still had to use public opinion to lure outer zone players and players from other cities into the mix. Logically, with good stuff right at their doorstep, they should want it more than anyone else.
But seeing them directly announce the existence of the chip made it seem like they intended to go down together with Agor.
It wasn't yet time to burn their bridges, yet the Rebel Army still chose to do this, indicating they weren't too keen on obtaining the "white blood."
The Rebel Army wasn't stupid. Doing this must have had their reasons.
"The Rebel Army and the outer zone players have different stances," the masked teenager said. "If it were me, I'd do the same. Since it's a good thing and I can't have it, of course I don't want my enemy to get it either. Might as well flip the table so no one gets anything good."
"If that were the case, they wouldn't have to bet everything," Xu Huo said. "They did this because someone in the organization foresaw an even worse outcome, so they had to completely cut off Agor's player modification plan."
"In other words, they're using their own lives to fight for a future for Jade Spring City and for their descendants." He smiled as he looked at the masked teenager. "The Old Holy Sword Society has put so much effort into this—isn't that what they're after?"
The masked teenager fell silent.
In the game, killing was endless, but there were still people who insisted on what they believed was right. One reason was that they had convictions, could distinguish good from evil and right from wrong, and were willing to sacrifice for their beliefs. Another was for the sake of future generations.
Fighting for future generations didn't just mean one's own bloodline. It could also mean fighting for this land, or for everyone living in the game space. Predecessors and oneself lived in dire straits, some even seeing no hope at all. So they could only place their hopes on the future. They longed for children born later to live on a peaceful and harmonious land, in a prosperous and happy world. This wasn't just a spiritual entrustment, but also compassion for their own kind.
After a moment, the masked teenager finally spoke. "Hearing our Holy Sword Society's ideals described so nobly all of a sudden makes me a bit embarrassed."
Xu Huo's gaze fell back on the Agor headquarters. "In Jade Spring City, whether it's player modification or population control, the root of it all lies with Zheng Yuci."
"Even if Agor and Jade Spring City disappear today, other tech companies and backward cities might pop up tomorrow. Only by killing Zheng Yuci can the problem be solved."
The masked teenager seemed momentarily at a loss for words. After a pause, he said, "Are your ideals also this noble?"
"No," Xu Huo said flatly. "I saw you seemed to need a legitimate reason, so I made one up for you."
The masked teenager was thoroughly choked. After a while, he looked up at the sky, as if talking to himself: "What did I do wrong? I just wanted to be a happy person. Why did I have to hear words I can't refuse?"
"Alright, let's say you're right for now. What are your chances?"
This question was directed at Xu Huo.
"I'm not sure," Xu Huo said. "He can enter the station."
"That is a bit troublesome." The masked teenager rubbed his chin. "If he's an A-level player, ordinary location items won't trap him. Unless he accidentally falls into a random instance. But if they're both trapped in a random instance, it's anyone's guess who kills who."
He snapped his fingers. "We can also take a roundabout approach. When we fight, try to remember his items and traits. Then we can issue a high bounty through the game. Someone will eventually kill him."
"Good idea." Xu Huo nodded approvingly, then tossed a communicator to the masked teenager. "I have something to take care of. Please keep an eye on things for now."
The masked teenager readily agreed.
The fighting around the Agor headquarters building was heating up, but so far, most of the participants were outer zone players and players from the same district who had sneaked in. The Rebel Army hadn't made any major moves yet.
They were probably brewing something big. Xu Huo set that aside for now and instead grabbed a city government staff member, forcing out the East District's water supply system map.
Because the drinking water usage rights in Jade Spring City were ultimately concentrated in the hands of Agor Corporation, they had set up a purification main station in the city. All major water usage in the city had to pass through this main station before being distributed elsewhere.
In fact, such unified supply wasn't efficient. On the contrary, it required corresponding high-energy equipment and higher costs. But Agor, in order to achieve absolute control, didn't care about spending money and insisted on transforming the city's drinking water system into this model. With their maintenance, the machines were naturally fine. But if something special happened, they could just remotely flip a control switch and cut off the entire city's water supply.
It was clear that the original intention was to better control the East District, but now it just happened to provide Xu Huo with a convenient opportunity.