Chapter 255: If He Dares to Stay, How Could He Not Have a Backup Plan
"On July 20th of the same summer before you were admitted to the hospital, there was a city-wide power outage. Actually, it wasn't just a blackout—several surrounding provinces all experienced precision instruments shutting down, which also caused a few major accidents. However, the scope was too large, and with the technological level at the time, no conclusion could be reached, so the matter was sealed."
"Ten years ago, when you were seventeen, the same thing happened again, but the scope was much smaller. At the time, researchers believed that cosmic matter fluctuations affected the instruments, and some detection devices did capture abnormal energy waves."
Team Leader Wu paused. "Neither of these incidents could be explained before, but from today's perspective..."
"There's another civilization... or rather, players who invaded Zone 014." Xu Huo picked up his thread, quickly scanning through the materials. "Zone 014 is located at the E27 wormhole point. There should be other wormhole points ahead. If there are civilizations that created games and players who entered games long ago, then it's not entirely impossible for someone to cross the vast universe and descend upon one or two lower-level civilizations."
After listening to Yang Chao's words yesterday, he already had a guess, and this material further confirmed his thoughts.
Moreover, the second sealed report occurred before the disappearance or death of the other four children. He was certain that back then, someone at the Seventeenth Hospital was deliberately cultivating him and the other four children. Their purpose was unknown, but as the only one who hadn't been "disappeared" or "killed," the price he paid was Xu Zhi's death!
The bottle shattered with a crisp sound. Xu Huo shook his hand, calmly pulled the glass shards embedded in his palm, and tossed them into the trash can.
"I also looked into the patient list of the Seventeenth Hospital," Team Leader Wu said. "The four children admitted around the same time as you... were also very strange."
To win Xu Huo over, Team Leader Wu had done some digging into his past. He couldn't have missed the major upheavals involving those children treated alongside him. In the police's sealed files, the case where an entire family, including relatives, was nearly wiped out—investigators had already suspected the child who had once been hospitalized. But they were stuck without evidence. Even a police officer who later died in an accident mentioned that the child had personally confessed.
A boy under eighteen, committing such horrifying atrocities without a single flaw and then daring to taunt the investigators—this could no longer be measured by ordinary crime standards.
The situations of the other two children were similar.
Thus, Team Leader Wu found Xu Huo even more commendable. Among the children who had entered that bizarre Seventeenth Hospital, Xu Huo's performance over the past decade, though not as outstanding as the others', was more genuine. His actions might be extreme and rule-breaking, but his stance was good.
"A hospital appeared out of nowhere twenty years ago, admitting five children one after another. Ten years ago, aside from you, those five children all disappeared or died one by one," Jiang Qiao said. "To me, it looks more like an experiment—laying the groundwork twenty years ago and checking the results ten years later."
"Since the Seventeenth Hospital went to such great lengths, it's not hard to guess whether the other four are truly dead or faked their deaths. As an experimental subject, Mr. Xu, you're the only one left. Perhaps, in the eyes of the Seventeenth Hospital, you are a failure."
"A failure..." Xu Huo savored the word, then suddenly laughed, his tone ambiguous. "A failure... good..."
Team Leader Wu discreetly nudged Jiang Qiao, signaling her not to provoke him.
But Jiang Qiao continued, "As far as I know, your brother Xu Zhi had a very high IQ. Have you ever considered that his death might also be faked? Don't you want to find him?"
"Xu Zhi is dead." Xu Huo's expression turned stern, his eyes filled with gloom. "I did a DNA test before his cremation. Unless someone prepared a clone in advance."
But that was almost impossible, because he was the one chosen to be cultivated. If the doctor who appeared in his dreams had returned, he would come for him.
His memory was flawed. As Jiang Qiao said, he might be a failure. But since he had survived, why did Xu Zhi have to die?
"You should cooperate with us," Jiang Qiao said. "Xu Zhi's death isn't that simple. The Seventeenth Hospital might come from a game, or at least be connected to it. If you want to know the truth and avenge Xu Zhi, you should work with the Special Defense Department."
"How many game worlds can you explore alone? If you join the Special Defense Department, I can promise on its behalf that any clues related to the Seventeenth Hospital found in games will be provided to you free of charge."
Xu Huo wasn't swayed. This time, he stated clearly, "I won't join the Special Defense Department."
Human nature was the least trustworthy thing, and besides, this was something he had to handle himself.
"I'll be staying in Ting City from now on. Unless something special comes up, I won't come to Jing City," he said. "As for last night's incident, the Special Defense Department should reflect on itself. You treat Evolvers as wild beasts that must be collared, but when those beasts break free, the first ones they bite are the people holding the leash."
"You can't say that." Team Leader Wu was quite irritated by his stubbornness, especially since they had cooperated before. "If we don't impose control, some people will definitely cause trouble..."
Xu Huo looked at him coldly. "Control Evolvers? What ability do you have to control Evolvers?"
Team Leader Wu choked, his face flushing red. But Xu Huo showed no mercy to the Special Defense Department. "It's only a matter of time before you're replaced by players. Unless you can kill all Evolvers, which you can neither accomplish nor dare to do."
"A small number of players means this game zone lacks vitality. A game zone without vitality will eventually be controlled by forces from other districts. Becoming a breeding ground is just one possible outcome. Do you think a civilization capable of crossing space to develop game zones would treat the tens of billions of ordinary people here as honored guests for friendly exchanges?"
Team Leader Wu and Jiang Qiao both looked grim. After a moment, Jiang Qiao said, "The Special Defense Department and players aren't in opposition. We all want Zone 014 to survive in the game. You don't have to hold such deep hostility toward us."
"I have no hostility toward you," Xu Huo said. "If you interpret my refusal to join the Special Defense Department as hostility, then consider my words unsaid."
"Of course not!" Team Leader Wu couldn't understand his change in attitude but maintained his firm stance. "We just hope that next time you do something, you'll inform the Special Defense Department first. Even if I'm on your side about last night, can other Special Defense Department members be on your side? Don't forget, the Special Defense Department is also cultivating players. As you said, at certain times, we can't stop players."
"I understand." Xu Huo glanced out the window. Besides the armed personnel who had been stationed outside the hotel since last night, two more groups had arrived during their conversation.
"I deeply apologize for the trouble I've caused the Special Defense Department. My stance remains unchanged. There's no need for the Special Defense Department to waste manpower and resources monitoring me." He raised his hand, tossing out the Fifty-Fifty Vent Window, and turned back before stepping inside. "Please relay my meaning."
With that, he and the item vanished into thin air.
Team Leader Wu and Jiang Qiao exchanged surprised glances. The latter said, "He didn't enter an instance, did he?"
"Clearly, it's an item." Team Leader Wu gritted his teeth in frustration.
Just then, Jiang Qiao's phone rang. As soon as she answered, Team Leader Song's loud voice came through. "Where is he? How did he disappear?"
"Xu Huo has a space teleportation item. You didn't expect that, did you?" Jiang Qiao snorted. "If he dared to stay here, how could he not have a backup plan?"