Chapter 2319: Respecting Me Is Respecting Yourselves
Xu Huo had always cooperated with the Special Defense Department, and since Ting City had already been assigned to him and the Painting Woman, a little help was only natural.
"Then it's settled!" Team Leader Wu said with a smile. "I'll send out the list right away."
"Does Ting City really have that many unofficial players?" Xu Huo paused.
"A lot." Team Leader Wu's smile deepened. "After you showed up yesterday, people have been contacting me nonstop all night. If I had to meet with every single one of them, even the square wouldn't be big enough to hold them all, let alone gather them for a meal. That's why we need to screen them first."
"As for that post by X, doesn't your Special Defense Department plan to do something about it?" Xu Huo asked. "With so many players being drawn here, problems are bound to arise sooner or later."
Team Leader Wu looked at him in surprise. "Don't you know? The hype behind that X is being orchestrated by your cousin, Yu Qingqing."
Since it was Yu Qingqing's doing and she was family, the Special Defense Department hadn't interfered. Besides, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing—at least this spiritual leader was a positive influence.
Xu Huo was momentarily speechless. "Has she been causing trouble again lately?"
"Kids will be kids—mischief is understandable." With the constant stream of bizarre stunts from those "rising stars," Yu Qingqing's antics were minor issues.
It was clear that both Team Leader Wu and the Special Defense Department had grown more tolerant.
The Painting Woman was too engrossed in shopping to waste time on a meal, so Xu Huo had to attend the lunch alone.
When he and Team Leader Wu arrived at the venue, it was nearly full. Those without seats crowded along both sides of the hall, and looking out, it was like a sea of dark eyes.
Among these people, only a few were acquainted with Xu Huo, such as Tan Yang and Huang Junjie. Most had come for the reputation of "X." Some were filled with admiration, but more were driven by curiosity.
Walking to the table at the front of the hall, Xu Huo first nodded in greeting to Tan Yang and the others, then swept his gaze across the entire venue and said slowly, "The posts on the forum are mostly exaggerated. I'm just an ordinary player. I'm afraid you've all made a wasted trip."
"Mr. Xu, why be so modest? Your strength is obvious to all," Tan Yang immediately chimed in. "We've all heard about how you dealt with those outer zone players yesterday. Those few were B-rank players, skilled in combat. Even the Special Defense Department's elite team suffered considerable losses and couldn't take them all down, which is how they slipped into Ting City. If you hadn't returned just in time, there would have been many more casualties!"
Tan Yang was one of the earliest player organizations to contact Xu Huo, and they had interacted before. After learning that Ting City had been assigned to Xu Huo, he moved his entire player organization to the city.
His words drew some agreement, and those who had come specifically for Xu Huo even suggested he form a player organization to unite more players, so that everyone wouldn't shift blame when trouble arose.
That was the problem with small player organizations—without an absolutely dominant strong player, no one would submit to anyone else. When something happened, everyone looked at each other, unwilling to take losses, yet also aware that this state of affairs was bad for everyone. That's why they needed a player who could command the respect of the majority to step forward.
"I'm used to going it alone. I have no intention of forming a player organization," Xu Huo interrupted them. "Besides, everyone has to enter instances. There's no need to waste energy on this."
"That's a bit hypocritical, isn't it?" A middle-aged man's voice rose above the others. He stepped forward, facing Xu Huo directly. "If you really had no such intention, how did your deeds spread everywhere? Everyone here admires you to some extent—whether it's you stepping up to resolve the Black Rain incident or striking at the enemy's lair..."
"People with strength gain fame, and we all acknowledge that. If you wanted to do something, a single call would likely rally many. Right now, player organizations are consuming each other. We all want someone capable to take charge—not just for the present, but to do their utmost and minimize losses when the eventual integration with the game happens."
"Are you only after the fame, unwilling to bear the responsibility?"
"So you want this fame and this responsibility, but I happen to be in your way—is that it?" Xu Huo saw through his intentions.
As he had said, there were too many player organizations. Some always wanted to consolidate smaller ones, both to increase strength and gain more say. This was also a necessary countermeasure for the government side to continue growing. They didn't want to be as thoroughly suppressed by instruments as those technologically advanced districts. A certain degree of freedom was their due.
The middle-aged man's face darkened. "Like everyone here, I'm not narrow-minded. Admiring you is one thing, but solving the problem is another. If you truly don't want to take on this responsibility, you can leave it to us!"
"At least fifty representatives of player organizations and groups are here today. A minority are in Ting City, but most are in nearby cities. Among them, there are no shortage of capable people. We can form a player alliance, incorporating this entire area into it. From now on, if anything happens, our alliance will naturally step in to resolve it!"
Hearing this, Xu Huo couldn't help but glance at Team Leader Wu. Player organizations discussing autonomy right in front of the Special Defense Department—could they really tolerate that?
What else could they do?
Team Leader Wu wiped the sweat from his forehead. This was exactly where the Special Defense Department had to compromise. Player organizations were also a line of defense for the city. Even if they banded together to challenge the Special Defense Department, their increased autonomy meant they wouldn't need the department's direction to spontaneously address urban security issues—like random instances that popped up at any time, or the flood of outer zone players that would come in the future.
In other words, guarding their own turf could greatly relieve the pressure on the Special Defense Department.
Currently, the Special Defense Department's main focus was on seizing resources. The government had the advantage in information, and those resources that ordinary players couldn't access were the key to future development.
The middle-aged man's words reflected the thoughts of many. They had come here for this very reason. If Xu Huo was willing to step up, they naturally had nothing to say—whoever had the bigger fist called the shots. But if Xu Huo wasn't willing, they might use his name to form this player alliance and then elect a few people who could speak for them.
"What player alliance? You're just a few large player organizations trying to dominate," someone opposed. "If you really join forces, small organizations like ours would have no choice but to obey. Listening to Mr. Xu is one thing, but listening to you—who do you think you are?"
Most of those who came today were small groups. With fewer members and in a weaker position, they didn't want to become blood bags or cannon fodder for larger organizations. So they pinned their hopes on Xu Huo stepping up to say something fair.
Seeing the tension escalating, Team Leader Wu reminded them, "We can't let them start a fight here."
Xu Huo's eyes darkened slightly, and his spiritual power swept across the entire venue. Meeting the gazes of those watching him, he repeated, "I have no intention of forming any player organization or alliance."
"You're welcome to settle in Ting City, but I hope you'll abide by one bottom line: don't cause trouble. I don't like coming out of instances to find everything in a mess."
"Ting City will be my long-term residence, and it now belongs to me. Respecting me is also respecting yourselves."
With that, he pulled out a nearby chair and sat down. "Guests from afar are welcome. Those who wish to stay for a simple meal, please take your seats. Those who don't, feel free to do as you please."