Chapter 2247: Two Methods
“Do you think there’s a strong connection between the One-Third Game and the One-Third City instance?” Xu Huo asked instead.
Zhu Xiaojin and the others exchanged glances. “Aside from both being called ‘One-Third,’ there probably isn’t any real link.”
The thing most likely to confuse players was the “unlocked area.” In Buliucheng, the original “unlocked areas” were meant for local residents. To restrict their movement, biochips were implanted in their bodies. Entering an “unlocked area” was considered a violation of the law and would be dealt with accordingly.
But for players, the “unlocked area” had no biochip support. It was triggered from the point they entered, with varying ranges. The more wanted criminals they killed, the larger their “unlocked area” became—none of this was explicitly stated in the instance description, only hinted at. So, did entering an “unlocked area” count as a crime? Who would judge such a crime? And if someone killed such a “criminal,” would that count as killing a wanted criminal? Who would make that determination?
The only thing that was clear was that killing a wanted criminal player automatically expanded their “unlocked area,” indicating that players were under strict surveillance. It wasn’t just a matter of racking up kills.
So the question became: In the One-Third City instance, it might not matter whether a player killed the wrong person or stepped into an “unlocked area.” But since “entering an unlocked area” was one way to trigger the One-Third Game, could killing the wrong person also be a trigger?
Killing the wrong person meant committing a crime. You became both the hunter and the hunted.
“So, among the people we killed before, there might be some who weren’t wanted criminals?” Tang Yu said after a moment of silence. “But since players’ actions are all under the game’s control, killing the wrong person would definitely be recorded. Players themselves might not even know if someone is a wanted criminal.”
“If this is also one of the triggers for the One-Third Game, wouldn’t that mean most players would end up in the game?”
“You have to understand the rules before playing the game,” Xu Huo said. “Assuming the One-Third Game is a supplement and an underlying rule to the One-Third City instance, avoiding this game is the safest way to clear it.”
“Buliucheng is huge. It won’t fail to gather dozens of wanted criminals just because it can’t trick new players.”
Cheng Zhongzhi scratched his head awkwardly. “That’s not what I meant…”
Xu Huo was now worried that among the wanted criminals he had killed, he might have made mistakes. His judgment was based on the assumption that the targets themselves believed they were wanted criminals, but he couldn’t rule out misidentification.
Of course, most of his targets were players, and their likelihood of committing crimes was much higher than ordinary people’s.
Whether it was the instance or the game, if it could truly monitor every move of everyone in the city, then simply throwing a bomb on the street might clear it. According to Buliucheng’s original laws, many people in the city were constantly committing crimes. Some players had probably tried this. Whether it worked or not—given that no one had rushed to clear it this way—it was likely ineffective.
Either the instance rules only applied to players, or the instance no longer recognized Buliucheng’s original legal code or had raised the requirements for “criminal behavior.”
Locals who had entered the One-Third Game still chose to keep harming outsiders. Some did it for personal gain, but the more likely reason was that such behavior didn’t trigger the game, which was why it was passed around among ordinary people.
From this perspective, although players entered the instance as hunters of wanted criminals, they were actually the real “wanted criminals.”
“It’s a pity there’s no progress bar on the clearance mission,” Shen Fu lamented. “That way, I’d know if I entered the game because I killed the wrong person.”
“Maybe, in a situation where the city government can’t monitor the city, killing is the only criminal act,” Qiao Jieping, who had been quiet, finally spoke up. “The city government probably hasn’t updated the wanted criminal list in a long time. The instance requires killing wanted criminals, so it’s natural to play around with the definition of murder.”
“Also, I think Mr. Xu’s method is actually feasible. If the public security laws we establish are widely recognized by the city government and citizens, and have real legal effect, we might be able to expand the scope of wanted criminals.”
“Killing in the instance might only target players—that’s a consensus among players. Clearance should be judged based on that.”
“Confirming wanted criminal status through official channels is another legitimate method. It’s equivalent to adding people to the wanted list. A new wanted notice should be recognized by the game.”
“Wait, haven’t you considered this?” Zhu Xiaojin suddenly said. “If killing the wrong person and becoming a criminal yourself is one way to enter the One-Third Game, then wouldn’t nine out of ten players who go in be wanted criminals?”
That made a lot of sense. It directly excluded ordinary people. Cautious players would hardly trigger the instance by “going out at night” or “entering an unlocked area.”
“On the other hand,” Xu Huo added, “is the Water Cube triggered by randomly selecting among players, or among criminals?”
Tang Yu rubbed her face vigorously. “The more we talk, the more confused I get. There might be other messy ways to trigger the game. I think gathering clues is the right move. There must be other clearers like us who aren’t always thinking about screwing people over. If we get leads, we’ll be safer.”
Cheng Zhongzhi, who had objected, had nothing to say.
So by the next day, the residents of District 5 were in an uproar over the posted regulations. They didn’t kill people, but they weren’t good people either. Surviving in a harsh environment was tough, and the city had no proper production lines. Sometimes they couldn’t even be self-sufficient. How could they stick to moral standards?
Of course, most people chose to ignore it because enforcement was too difficult.
Xu Huo knew this too, but to fulfill his obligations, he spent money to purchase a batch of aerial equipment to monitor the entire area from above. Whether these people committed crimes was up to them. He would decide when to preserve evidence and report it.
Additionally, he arranged for Zhu Xiaojin to go to nearby areas to discuss cooperation with local players. Many stranded players had already settled in the city. They had handled their daily needs themselves. Whether to connect with other areas was up to them.
Stranded players no longer had any intention of clearing the instance. As long as they stuck to the obvious triggers for the One-Third Game, they wouldn’t enter it again. So they politely declined Xu Huo’s proposal.
Moreover, Xu Huo’s regulations spreading wouldn’t benefit them. They were free now. Being monitored would only put them at risk of becoming wanted criminals.