Chapter 2489: Stealing Control
"Do you know what you're doing?" The players who had been silently attacking didn't immediately launch a second round. Instead, they pointed at the old lady and asked Xu Huo, "Do you know what she's doing?"
"Stop playing riddles," Xu Huo said. "If the old lady has done something wrong, you can go through legal channels. Since you don't dare to go through legal channels and can't give a legitimate reason, do you really think two vague sentences like that will make us lower our weapons?"
"After spending so long in the game, you shouldn't be that naive."
Of course, they weren't relying on words to "subdue" them. In that brief moment, the pink paper slips that had appeared earlier suddenly surged in from all directions!
They had run over from the bustling city center. Because of the player conflict, the enforcement robots along the way had already notified nearby residents to return home or find cover. So, in the area where they were fighting, ordinary people had already entered the buildings, closing doors and windows while triggering the protective barriers of the installations. Therefore, although the paper slips were numerous, they wouldn't affect the civilians.
Once the ordinary people were isolated, dealing with Xu Huo and the others would no longer be restrained. So when the paper slips appeared, those few players chose to retreat.
Xu Huo and the others had witnessed the power of the pink paper slips before. The Wan family member who had been stalling for time earlier had turned into a pile of paper slips halfway. Xu Huo, Bubble Bean, the old lady, and the remaining Wan family members were all encircled. The pink paper slips flew wildly around them, continuously attacking their defensive barriers.
Although the things hadn't broken through the defense yet, they had completely trapped Xu Huo and the others. Because once they lowered the barrier and went out, they couldn't predict how the paper slips would attach themselves to their bodies!
"This is bad. How do we get out of here?" Bubble Bean said with deep apprehension. "These paper slips don't seem to have the ability to break through the defensive barrier, but that doesn't mean they really can't. What if it's a trap? When we go out or use a small-range defensive barrier, they suddenly attack—then we'll die without even knowing how!"
That's right. They were currently using a large-range defensive barrier, which kept the paper slips at a distance while blocking them.
"There's another thing I can't figure out. Why do people turn into paper slips? Are they really dead?"
"They should be dead," Xu Huo said. When the two players disappeared earlier, he clearly felt them being sucked away by spatial power. It might have been a special effect from an item, but it was obvious that both of them had exploded from the inside, so the chances of survival were slim.
He observed the old lady's condition. The pursuers had deliberately avoided her when they attacked earlier, so she had only been slightly frightened. Now, with the paper slips flying everywhere and the pursuers keeping their distance, she was safe as long as the defensive barrier wasn't breached.
Xu Huo took out his communicator and tried to contact the long-haired player, but the other party didn't answer.
"Still not done?"
The long-haired player's item was clearly a type of restriction item. It probably wouldn't fail until a winner was decided, but such items couldn't escape the game either. So if the situation became critical, they could still use a ticket to flee. Now that the person hadn't returned and the pursuers hadn't been reinforced, it was clear that both sides were still fighting.
Putting down the communicator, he waved his hand into the distance and then pointed at the paper slips outside.
In one second, the paper slips flying around the two defensive barriers quickly converged, forming a single stream that charged toward where the few pursuers had taken cover!
They hadn't expected this turn of events. After the initial shock, they quickly opened their defensive barriers. However, unlike the paper slips that had no attack power before, this pink whirlwind was mixed with the Painting Woman's paper and Xu Huo's long-range attacks. Even though the few of them expertly spread out and dispersed their attack targets, two of them still had their defensive barriers breached.
One of them was a bit unlucky. Before he could activate his barrier a second time, a pink paper slip stuck to his back, and he immediately turned into a pile of paper slips.
The other was much smarter and directly dodged into the station.
The control of these deadly paper slips had been stolen. The pursuers could only retreat. As soon as they left, the paper slips all burned up, instantly turning to ash.
The crisis was temporarily resolved.
Xu Huo quickly came to the old lady's side and led her out of the city.
The long-haired player met up with them midway. Having lost four people, they could only flee outward.
"The enforcement department hasn't shown up for so long. Either they're tacitly approving the killings, or they got wind of it beforehand and don't want to get involved," the long-haired player said quickly. "If it's the former, we'll likely end up on the wanted list and be hunted down by the authorities."
"What if it's the latter?" Bubble Bean asked.
"Then we'll still be hunted, but we'll go from being in the open to being in the shadows," the long-haired player said. "But the latter gives us room to maneuver."
"The people who ambushed us today are probably a private punishment organization raised by politicians. Although this kind of organization isn't out in the open, the districts tacitly allow it. Unlike the players supported by major families, the player organizations raised by politicians get involved in politics, influencing the selection and appointment of personnel in the district governments."
"We've already been dragged into a political struggle."
He then looked at Old Lady Gui. "Old lady, so many people have already died for your matter. It's obviously impossible for you to personally hand the thing over to the contact person. According to the agreement, I can continue to help, but the Wan family will definitely hold you responsible afterward!"
The old lady's expression was wooden. "I'm all alone. Even if you kill me, what does it matter? I'm not afraid of death."
"Her grandson is dead?" Xu Huo quickly realized that the old lady might not even know the inside story of this matter. Everything she was doing was to help someone else.
"Did you investigate her grandson before you came?"
"Pretty thoroughly," the long-haired player said. "He died of a normal genetic disease, a type of genetic mutation. Nothing unusual."
"He was murdered!" the old lady shouted excitedly. "Before he died, he escaped and came back to see me. He wasn't sick, but within two days, I received news of his death! He was silenced by those people!"
The long-haired player frowned. He had already contacted the Wan family side, determined to find out the old lady's grandson's relationships.
"You pointed in the wrong direction earlier, didn't you?" Xu Huo said again. "Who are you really looking for?"
The old lady fell silent again.
"You old hag, are you going to talk or not!" Bubble Bean stepped forward and slapped her. "We don't even know if your grandson was up to anything good. I think the local government tacitly approved of those people's actions. Chances are he wasn't a good person. I don't want to lose my life for scum like you!"
Xu Huo didn't interfere. Of the six Wan family members who came, only two were left. The other one, nursing a grudge, looked the other way. The long-haired player was still calm enough to stop Bubble Bean from pulling the old lady around. He said, "Talk. If you still want to deliver that thing."