Chapter 2024: Just Survive
District 011 was no different from usual. Xu Huo took a car for a spin around the city before returning to Rose Castle. When the vehicle arrived, he noticed some changes in the castle’s decor and asked Mr. Dong, “Guests?”
Mr. Dong nodded slightly. “The number of visitors has increased recently. I’ll organize the list and leave it on your desk later.”
“Is there anything major happening in District 011?” Xu Huo paused, then added, “Any special news from Lady Lily?”
The last time he left, he had accidentally stumbled into what seemed to be a training ground for a Super Player from District 011, advancing another step in Temporal Evolution. Although he hadn’t attracted anyone’s attention at the time, several noble scions from District 011 were also trapped inside. Whether they lived or died, after so long, District 011 must have found out. That was a special temporal site, and it was uncertain whether it had the ability to record past events. Even with a changed appearance, there was no guarantee of complete safety. After he got out, he hadn’t returned to Rose Castle but had gone straight to Platinum Eye, precisely for this reason.
Ignoring the Painting Woman peeking from the second floor, Xu Huo continued asking about the visitors.
“You’ve gained quite a reputation among the nobles recently. Many have come seeking you out.” Mr. Dong’s words were somewhat vague. In truth, Xu Huo had been playing the role of a money-dispenser. Spending money for fame was something nobles often looked down on, but if the amount spent reached a level that even ordinary nobles found painful, that disdain would bottom out and rebound. Coupled with Xu Huo’s frequent absences from District 011, his rare attendance at banquets, and his wallet never running dry, his reputation gradually shifted.
Xu Huo nodded and seriously inquired about the Super Player in District 011.
Mr. Dong had some information channels, but as the master of the castle, he was also constrained, so he knew little about the Super Player’s whereabouts. He only offered another piece of news, “Many core members of the noble families have recently come out to act. It’s unclear if it’s related to the Super Player.”
Some unimportant noble activities were typically attended by representatives who upheld the family’s image. These people weren’t usually the most critical members, but their status or bloodline could represent the family. Those with real power, like family heads or strong players, generally didn’t frequently attend insignificant events. Serious matters were discussed in appropriate settings. If core members were out and about, it indicated a relatively important upward need—one that family honorary members couldn’t handle with sufficient gravity, yet couldn’t be brought up in formal negotiations.
“Maybe the Super Player has already returned.” Recalling the fortune-telling female player’s earlier words, Xu Huo didn’t pursue the matter further. Instead, he told Mr. Dong he needed to rest and asked him to keep the Painting Woman from disturbing him.
The Painting Woman, pretending to be angry, was hiding on the stairs. Hearing this, she quickly ran out. “You said last time you’d take me out to play!”
“I left too hastily last time. I’ll definitely bring you along this time.” Xu Huo gave a reassuring smile and rubbed his temples. “I have a bit of a headache.”
Though still somewhat displeased and unable to comprehend illness, the Painting Woman had learned not to disturb the sick. So she yielded the stairs and said, “If you want medicine, be sure to call me. I have lots of medicine.”
“Thanks.” Xu Huo returned to his room. Before closing the door, he instructed, “Play in the castle. Don’t wander off.”
After the door shut, the Painting Woman crouched outside for a while, suppressing the urge to turn into paper and sneak in. She turned around to find Mr. Dong.
Mr. Dong had already gone to the kitchen to prepare a meal for Xu Huo.
“Why is his food different from mine?” The Painting Woman felt that what she usually ate was carefully selected and must be the best.
“Mr. Xu is a Super Evolver. He needs food that nourishes the brain,” Mr. Dong explained.
The Painting Woman had no concept of this. “Does the brain get used up over time? Can eating this replenish it?”
“Theoretically, no.” Mr. Dong cut off her eagerness to try. “This is just to give patients and those who care about them some psychological comfort.”
The Painting Woman suddenly had a wild thought. “Are you calling him stupid!”
“Absolutely not.” Mr. Dong handed the ingredients to the chef, flashed a fake yet perfect smile, and ushered the Painting Woman out of the kitchen.
The Painting Woman went to find Dr. Deng.
Dr. Deng had just come out of the lab fully armed and was about to rest. Seeing her, he turned back without a word. The Painting Woman blocked his way, typed on her communicator, “Xu Huo is sick. Make him medicine.”
Dr. Deng snorted. “Does he lack medicine?”
The Painting Woman reached out, pressed his shoulder, leaned close to his protective face shield, stared into his eyes, and held up the communicator, earnestly expressing, “He’s sick. He’s in pain. Only when he gets better can I go out with him. Make him medicine. If you don’t, I’ll stuff you into the blender and turn you into paste.”
Having dealt with her for so long, Dr. Deng roughly knew what the Painting Woman was like. His face twitched. “Got it. I’ll go right away.”
Satisfied, the Painting Woman released her grip, set a time to pick up the medicine, and then skipped off to the garden to pick flowers.
Seeing his carefully cultivated flowers being plucked and discarded, Dr. Deng turned a blind eye and returned to the lab, mixing a few bottles of potions.
So by evening, after resting for five hours, Xu Huo came downstairs to find a table full of fresh flowers and Dr. Deng sitting beside it, holding potions with a grim face.
“Do you have nothing better to do?” Xu Huo asked first.
Dr. Deng gave a stiff smile. “You people really know how to make things difficult. If you started a company, you might become number one in the game.”
The Painting Woman had already run over to explain the situation and added, “You have to get better soon. Take me out to play.”
Xu Huo glanced at the potion in front of Dr. Deng. “It’s not poisoned, is it?”
Dr. Deng still had some professional ethics. “You’re the boss. I haven’t gone that crazy yet.”
Xu Huo set the potion aside and brought up his experience on the train, asking if such powerful evolved species really existed.
Dr. Deng immediately understood his intent and said, “There are plenty of things players don’t know in the game world. There’s no need to dig into everything. Besides, this kind of thing doesn’t happen often. If you encounter it and survive, that’s good luck.”
Xu Huo waited for more.
Seeing that he wouldn’t be able to leave without giving a proper answer, Dr. Deng continued, “I’ve heard of such experiments. Sometimes on the tracks, sometimes in the districts. To fully capture experimental data, they might even target specific players. It could appear in instances too… There’s no certainty. It’s an exception. The chance of encountering the same situation twice is zero. Understanding it completely doesn’t matter.”