Chapter 2168: Cleanup
The Dou Shengnan incident seemed to have ended like that. Of the three main parties involved at the center of the vortex, one was randomly sent away through a spatial passage, one was forced to use a ticket to leave Zone 008, and the third saw the situation turning unfavorable and fled early—all three appeared to have escaped unscathed. Only the Double-Bright Bird Administrative District had nearly half a city collapse, losing dozens of players, not to mention the ordinary citizens injured and filling up the hospitals. If not for the first layer of the simulated Non-Game Area's Blockade Barrier buying more than ten minutes of time, the losses of the Double-Bright Bird would have been far greater.
This was precisely what made attacks from Outer Zone Players so infuriating and suffocating. No matter how much trouble they caused, they could simply pat their hands and leave, leaving the mess for the locals to clean up.
Naturally, this matter wasn't truly over. Its impact on Zone 008 was gradually expanding.
The players of Zone 008 weren't fools. How could they fail to see that Dou Shengnan's lingering was meant to stall for time? Thus, another person who had appeared with her and wasn't a local player came under intense investigation.
The result of the investigation inevitably fell on the Tian Clan. The Double-Bright Bird Administrative District had suffered significant losses, and it was because of the Tian Clan that these troubles had been invited. Under pressure from multiple sides, the Lichuan City Government had no choice but to announce a public investigation into the Tian Clan. In addition to the previously sealed-off Tian Clan properties and the restriction on relevant personnel moving freely, all Tian Clan members now had to cooperate with the investigation. During this period, they could not leave Zone 008 at will, and all external business dealings had to be completely suspended until the investigation concluded.
The investigation was still ongoing. As for the results, what could be made public naturally would be; what couldn't be would ultimately be sealed and classified.
Nevertheless, this somewhat quelled the anger of the local populace.
Since the last incident at the Special Defense Department, although Nie Xuan nominally still held an important position there, he had actually entered the core power structure of the nation. And because of his style of conduct, he was highly respected by players within the system. Even those who held different stances from him admired his character.
"You haven't been back for a while," Gong Zhong said, hesitating as if he wanted to say more.
Sitting in a restaurant near the Double-Bright Bird Pharmaceutical Company, Nie Xuan ate while holding a meeting with the Special Defense Department through a temporary text conference on the Under Dimension.
Gong Zhong couldn't help but chuckle. "A few more like that, and will the higher-ups be able to sleep at night?"
"Given the current state of our hometown, the more talent, the better. One or two people can't shoulder the main burden," Nie Xuan said dismissively, instead adding, "Having a few more people like Old Xu would be even better."
Nie Xuan had been lurking near the Double-Bright Bird Pharmaceutical Company for three days.
Everything seemed to have returned to calm.
"Whether they can sleep or not, who cares? As long as others can sleep, that's fine." Nie Xuan gave a couple more instructions before telling him to get back to work. "Don't send any more people over to investigate. After all, the person isn't dead. Getting targeted would be bad."
"Aren't you planning to go back yet?" Supervisor Gong Zhong was slightly surprised. From his observations over the past two days, Nie Xuan didn't seem to have made an evolutionary breakthrough.
"Opportunities like this are rare. Trying a few more times won't hurt." Nie Xuan stuffed a piece of meat into his mouth and glanced at him. "You can stay and try too."
Nie Xuan looked at the person sitting across from him. Since someone had come, he knew it was only a matter of time before the Special Defense Department learned about the battle situation at the Double-Bright Bird. He told half the truth and hid the other half, stating that Xu Huo had been severely injured and his whereabouts were unknown, while he himself, due to his fight with Dou Shengnan and possibly affected by her prop, seemed to be showing signs of evolution again, so he would temporarily remain in Zone 008.
As for other details, he would only elaborate when he returned.
After the incident, the Special Defense Department had repeatedly urged him to return and report, but he had ignored them. It wasn't until today that a player serving as a supervisor from the Special Defense Department found him. Having delayed for so long, he had no choice but to give the department an explanation.
On the Under Dimension, the Special Defense Department couldn't directly inquire about the situation regarding Dou Shengnan; they only asked about him and Xu Huo.
He had considered taking the "Time Tower," but his luggage compartment wasn't large enough, and without being able to contact Xu Huo, he couldn't take the prop at all, so he could only stay put.
After his legs had developed problems, he had used some forceful methods to seize power in order to help the Special Defense Department clean up the mess and deal with the Cannibal Player organizations that had emerged in the country. Later, he became involved in the struggle for the replacement of high-level personnel in the Special Defense Department, which had somewhat displeased some people. Therefore, the Special Defense Department couldn't completely let him off the leash. This was the reason for Gong Zhong's concern. In reality, the Special Defense Department and the military had been cultivating talent and manpower, but previously, there hadn't been anyone particularly outstanding.
The memory of Dou Shengnan making citizens of Hai City line up to jump off buildings in Zone 014 was still fresh. Being able to severely wound her was certainly good news, a form of revenge for the dead. Moreover, Nie Xuan and Xu Huo, as B-level players, had taken on a long-standing A-level powerhouse. This wasn't just a victory in battle; it was a powerful shot in the arm for Zone 014 as a latecomer to the game—talent was the foundation of Zone 014. With players like Nie Xuan and Xu Huo, what future did Zone 014 have to worry about?
The Special Defense Department was also very concerned about Xu Huo's whereabouts. Over the past three days, they had tried to contact him but received no response. Nevertheless, they had proactively sent a batch of supplies, including potions, Return Tickets, White Notes, and some defensive Space Items.
Gong Zhong shook his head. "Don't you know my situation? I've tried many times without success, let alone here."
Even dedicated temporal-spatial evolution sites hadn't worked; this was just an A-level battlefield.
Nie Xuan didn't say anything more. He closed his Personal Panel and said to the person in front of him, "Take the information you've gathered over the past two days back to the higher-ups first. I'll write a detailed report when I return."
"Not sure if it's because of his special experiences, but he's different from the information we saw before. This person is too ruthless. He doesn't play by the rules and stops at nothing." Gong Zhong hesitated before adding, "I think the higher-ups intend to give him important responsibilities. He's being promoted very quickly... Could it be they want him to compete with you?"
"Say what you have to say," Nie Xuan said.
Not many people actively linked this incident to the Stellar Corporation. There were too many players present at the time. The temporal-spatial prop suspected of affecting the entire Double-Bright Bird Administrative District, whether A-level or Super, could have belonged to Dou Shengnan or to the two players she was fighting. In any case, after the incident, the temporal-spatial prop and instruments in the Double-Bright Bird Administrative District had returned to normal, leaving no room for further investigation.
"Do you remember that newcomer who came last time? The one who was given an important position right away?" Since they were outside, it wasn't convenient, so they tried to omit specific names and places as much as possible during their conversation.
Nie Xuan paused. "What about him?"
Gong Zhong nodded seriously, indicating he would be cautious. He then wished Nie Xuan success in his evolution and left the restaurant.
Nie Xuan had finished his meal. He didn't pay attention to the Double-Bright Bird Pharmaceutical Company. Instead, he downed the healing potion he had prepared in advance.
Three days had passed, and his injuries had yet to recover. He wondered how Xu Huo was doing.