Chapter 2008: Aftermath
Jiang Chengfeng grinned. "Hunting down East District players."
As expected, Xu Huo didn't say much. Jiang Chengfeng was very outgoing, and as he rummaged through Agor's underground facilities, he added, "You're interested in this stuff too?"
It wasn't that he looked down on Agor's economic strength—many of the instruments here were extremely advanced and could sell for a lot of money. But honestly, if another player were doing this, Jiang Chengfeng wouldn't be surprised at all. Xu Huo just didn't seem like someone who needed the cash.
"Every little bit counts, and this is more than just scraps—it's a whole chicken leg." Xu Huo picked up a manual next to a large instrument. To maintain absolute control over their technology, Agor had built self-destruct programs into many of their devices. If ownership changed but the verification information wasn't updated in time, the new holder would trigger the self-destruct the first time they used the instrument.
Cracking the identity authentication would take time, making it not worth the effort. Selling them directly wouldn't fetch a high price either. However, in the headquarters' underground lab, there were quite a few instruments that hadn't been registered with identity authentication yet. Xu Huo was after these new machines. He contacted the Special Defense Department, asking them to find a spacious location to receive the instruments, with the price to be negotiated later.
Machines with identity authentication might carry certain risks, so he didn't choose those—he only took the new ones.
Jiang Chengfeng talked a good game, but he didn't hesitate either. Besides the instruments, he also scooped up a fair amount of potions, generously and generously sharing some with Xu Huo.
Xu Huo stored the potions—items that didn't take up much space—into his own luggage compartment. This brief "harvest time" quickly passed. The armed robots, which had been hindered by instrument interference and mutated plants, gradually regained their mobility. Replacing the East District players who had withdrawn from Jade Spring City, they began eliminating any factors that could threaten the city.
Since the toxic gas in the air affected the East District players the most, under the forceful orders of Teacher Zhao and others, most of the high-level players who had undergone surgery withdrew from Jade Spring City. Those who remained couldn't spare any attention for the outer zone and same-zone players reveling in the city. They had to focus on calming and rescuing ordinary people, finding enough antidotes, and checking the water storage center. As a result, the most active entities in the city now were armed robots and armed aircraft.
There was no need to clash head-on with the armed robots at this point. Xu Huo and Jiang Chengfeng withdrew from Agor headquarters.
Along the way, they could see East District players who had died from poisoning, as well as ordinary people forced to flee to nearby shops and shopping malls because their homes had been destroyed. Most of these people wore gas masks, showing no signs of poisoning for the time being.
"Almost all the East District people are equipped with protective masks and suits. The West District is the one that got the worst of it." Jiang Chengfeng clicked his tongue.
Xu Huo didn't know exactly how Teacher Zhao had arranged things, but as they passed the water storage center, the Rebel Army was already attempting to seize the water gates.
"The East District naturally prioritizes saving its own people. If the antidote runs short, they might just abandon the West District entirely." Jiang Chengfeng glanced at the massive wall between the East and West Districts. "No one's tearing down the wall yet."
Xu Huo remained silent. The Rebel Army wasn't stupid—they wouldn't directly destroy the wall between the districts. That would only worsen the situation in the East District without any benefits. The West District people might be disadvantaged, but being disadvantaged didn't mean they were harmless. Besides, most of the East District's high-level players had now withdrawn outside the city. Even if they prepared protective gear and returned, it would take time. With such a large population in the West District, who would keep them in check without proper oversight?
The East District, with ample preparations, the help of armed robots, and abundant living resources, had a "rescue manual" for everyone, so the East District residents remained relatively stable.
But the West District was a different story.
When the black mist erupted, those nearby quickly showed signs of poisoning. The "West District Cleanup Plan," a dark cloud hanging over the heads of West District residents, seemed to have finally become reality. People panicked and ran, seeking help from inspectors, armed robots, and the Rebel Army... Of course, panic was accompanied by violence. Under despair, people would do anything. In an instant, the West District was filled with screams, wails, and slaughter.
The Rebel Army, upon receiving orders, immediately moved to maintain order nearby, widely announcing that the black mist was not a lethal poison. Their leader, Pigeon, was in the East District trying to secure the antidote.
Even the inspectors, who had previously seemed inhumane to the West District residents, deployed armed robots and aircraft to control those inciting chaos and taking the opportunity to kill and rob. The criminal forces that had infiltrated every corner of the West District also did their utmost to stabilize their own territories. Fortunately, the vast majority of the West District were ordinary people, and any players present were of low levels. No large-scale casualties occurred.
But this was only temporary.
High-level players from the East District began to gradually return. The earlier battle between Xu Huo and Zheng Yuci had made them realize that the poisoning was likely irreversible. Moreover, Agor and the city government's top brass had never shown up and showed no intention of taking responsibility for the incident. Thus, with Teacher Zhao and others as representatives, the East District players temporarily ceased hostilities and entered negotiations with the Rebel Army.
Until the chips and toxins in the East District players' brains were completely removed, they were not safe. The fact that "White Blood" could easily kill them was now an open secret. From now on and for a long time to come, they would be more vulnerable than ordinary players. The negotiations aimed to unite the players within Jade Spring City and guard against external enemies.
Only the Rebel Army truly understood what "White Blood" was. As long as both sides shook hands and made peace, players from the same district would have no opportunity to exploit the situation. Otherwise, the East District players might be forced to leave Jade Spring City.
The details of the negotiations were unknown to outsiders, but within less than half an hour, the conflict between the East District players and the Rebel Army completely ceased. Both sides cooperated to begin eliminating outer zone players who were rampaging and killing within the city. The water mixed with antidotes was also distributed. The East District opened one pipeline, with the East District players responsible for their side and the Rebel Army for the West District. Both sides supervised each other, prioritizing water distribution to players and the more severely poisoned young adults and children.
The scene appeared somewhat chaotic, and some rules were hastily formulated without proper refinement. But overall, things were moving in a positive direction. Restoring normal order was only a matter of time.
"I have to go." Jiang Chengfeng received a message and said regretfully to Xu Huo, "We've been through life and death together. Let's catch up again sometime."
Xu Huo waved at him and turned toward the water storage center.
Teacher Zhao and Pigeon were looking for him.
The high-grade antidotes stockpiled in Jade Spring City could also treat the poison of "White Blood," but the reserves were limited and the cost was high. After dilution, they were far less effective than the water in the storage tanks. So they planned to shamelessly ask Xu Huo for more antidote.
Of course, they weren't asking for free—they offered very generous terms.
(Chapter End)