Chapter 2516: Stealing a District
Xu Huo smiled slightly. "Mr. Warren, are you actually offering me a legacy transaction, or do you want my help?"
Mr. Warren's side had enough people and enough strength, but clearly this matter wasn't something that could be solved simply by having more people. Using this kind of ambiguous rhetoric, he was essentially trying to obtain time power at a lower cost. After all, few people could resist the temptation of a super player's legacy, even those who knew they weren't strong enough would still want to give it a try—what if?
"I have self-awareness. Without sufficiently favorable conditions, it's not worth the risk for me."
"Is a super player's legacy not enough to move you?" Mr. Warren stared at him, his years of immersion in officialdom allowing him to remain calm. "After the gentleman passed away, no one has been able to retrieve his super item."
Xu Huo remained equally composed. "Not being able to clear the instance means I can't leave District 001."
Forget about whether he could obtain it—even if he did, what then? Would he stay in this district or leave the game?
The two sides faced off. Mr. Warren's expression darkened slightly. Though he hid it well, his breathing rhythm still revealed his agitation.
In truth, both sides had their advantages and disadvantages. It all came down to how he chose.
Xu Huo's advantage was that District 001 needed his help. His disadvantage was that his strength wasn't great enough, and District 001 wouldn't find it difficult to trap him.
As for Mr. Warren, though he had the advantage of power, his concern was that he couldn't completely offend Xu Huo, since he still needed his help. If he forcibly dragged him over, District 001 would definitely be the one to suffer first.
After pondering for a long time, Mr. Warren finally relented. Weighing his words, he said, "A group of our players are trapped in the legacy area."
Xu Huo waited for him to continue.
"They've been inside too long. Their status is unknown—alive or dead. We need someone to go in and bring them out."
"According to detection results, the legacy area involves time power, but the people and machines sent in afterward all lost contact."
"Originally, the legacy area shouldn't have been this dangerous. Some outer zone players tampered with the entrance."
"Is this why you've been suppressing outer zone players?" Bubble Bean asked in confusion. "Throwing everyone under the bus—isn't that a bit of an overreaction? Couldn't you negotiate terms?"
Those who tampered with things were ultimately trying to gain some benefit from this matter. Otherwise, why would they go through all this trouble? Since they wanted to rescue people, the district government could have simply offered higher conditions.
"From the very beginning of their tampering, they never intended to resolve this peacefully," Mr. Warren said. "We've already made multiple concessions."
"Then make a few more," Bubble Bean said. "It's just a struggle for power and influence. Let outer zone forces replace locals in some important positions. But District 001 always has the numerical advantage. Give ground now, and take it back later—it's not hard."
"If only things were that simple." Mr. Warren didn't dismiss his naivety. "This is a battlefield without gunpowder smoke. Once we cross the bottom line, we'll inevitably pay an incalculable price."
Power struggles were inherently brutal. The group of players who entered the legacy area were likely the elite of the elite. The district government couldn't afford to bear the consequences of losing them. Meanwhile, the outer zone forces surrounding the entrance had already taken hostages. Their goal was certainly not merely to replace some government officials. That was why Mr. Warren and the local forces he represented had orchestrated the Wan family kidnapping case as a drastic measure to cut off the roots, hoping to halt the rapid expansion of outer zone forces.
The situation had become so severe that even if they and those outer zone forces perished together, it wouldn't solve the problem. That was why they were willing to brand the hearts of everyone in District 001, permanently severing any possibility of outer zone forces rising again.
Xu Huo frowned. "Besides those trapped in the legacy area, are there other hostages?"
Mr. Warren was surprised by his sharpness. After a moment, he said, "There are also some family members of officials."
Some?
It probably wasn't as simple as he made it sound.
Taking elite players hostage and controlling the families of high-ranking officials—this basically held the lifeline of the district government's upper echelons. With such organizational power and strength, how had the people of District 001 failed to react in time?
Xu Huo paused, then suddenly said, "Is another major district trying to replace District 001?"
District annihilation wars weren't always conducted openly. This kind of smokeless conflict was more in line with the interests of plunderers. A completely destroyed district was useless, but directly taking over a mature, developed district could bring endless benefits.
Mr. Warren lowered his head slightly, even his spine bending as if he could no longer bear the pressure.
Stealing a district, and choosing this bloodless method—no wonder by the time the locals of District 001 realized what was happening, it was already too late to turn things around. It was easy to imagine that once the outer zone forces succeeded, Mr. Warren and his people would have only death awaiting them. With the upper echelons completely replaced, District 001 would become a puppet of the outer zone. Such a "gentle" transition might even cause some District 001 residents with no direct connection to the matter to lose their will to resist.
Outsiders could never clearly see the power struggles of those in authority. That was why Mr. Warren and his people had to use outsiders to spread seeds of hatred and hostility throughout District 001. Even if the outer zone forces replaced them, it would be another bloody incident following the Wan family case, driving a wedge between locals and outsiders.
If the district were successfully stolen, the people of District 001 wouldn't be completely dominated by other districts in ignorance.
"Most people can only see and hear what's right in front of them. Things they can't see or hear, they might doubt, but they won't easily believe. Foolish yet wise." Mr. Warren's voice was low. "They may not believe what we say, but what has happened is fact."
"The Wan family incident is already starting to ferment," he continued. "I will reappear before the public as a victim."
"Once the Wan family's bodies are discovered, another colleague competing with me will be attacked by the masses as an outsider. Then the district government will compromise with public opinion, consider letting me re-enter the election, and strip that outer zone colleague of his voting rights."
"On the eve of the election results, I will be found hanging in my bedroom doorway, staged to look like suicide, making that outer zone colleague the prime suspect."
"Then news of outer zone forces secretly suppressing and squeezing out locals will flood every message collection terminal."
"If both my colleague and I die, the rest will have to be left to those children."
Mr. Warren calmly narrated the fate he had arranged for himself in advance. Even when speaking of suicide, his expression remained normal. The two players in the room were as still as statues, showing no emotional fluctuation, clearly already aware of this.
Such resolve, such sacrifice—anyone who witnessed it would fall silent.
"How did it come to this..." Bubble Bean couldn't help saying. "District 001 has so many players. You could still fight."
Xu Huo said nothing. Warren had already made it very clear. Once the chain reaction triggered by the Wan family incident spread throughout District 001, the next step would be a counterattack at any cost. The hostages, the super player's legacy, even themselves—all would be sacrifices!
The elite players trapped in the legacy area were not only District 001's top combat strength but also its seeds of hope.