Chapter 2567: The Tradition of Assassination
District 001 had excellent public security, so going out at night wasn't a safety concern. However, most residents were very health-conscious, so once it got dark, the number of people on the streets dwindled. Those still lingering on the streets or in shops were mostly tourists from other places. Since fewer shops operated at night, the crowds were concentrated in a few of the city's more bustling areas.
By the time Xu Huo and his companion reached the Yongxing Hotel, the noise was already far behind them. The streets were eerily quiet, without even a single troublemaker in sight.
After checking in, Xu Huo and the Painting Woman headed to the suite upstairs. There weren't many people outside, but the hotel itself was filled with players, as if some gathering was taking place. Quite a few players were sitting in the lounge next to the hotel lobby.
As they went upstairs, two people also came out of the lounge, discussing a visit to the Clock Master as they walked.
From the sound of it, they seemed to want to buy an item from that Clock Master. However, because his reception slots were very limited, and there was a long-term resident at the Yongxing Hotel who had connections, they were waiting for that person here. But the agreed-upon time had already passed by two hours, and many players were losing patience.
That Clock Master was a very famous Artificer.
This made Xu Huo think of the origin of "Three Seconds of Life." The pocket watch, crafted by the skilled Master Nise, had, after undergoing some kind of change, naturally formed into an item—and a Super Item at that.
Naturally occurring items could be obtained in newly opened Instance Dungeons. However, the more players entered an Instance, the lower the chance of finding items. After a bit more time, there would be no ready-made items left in the Instance at all.
The natural formation of items also seemed to rely on a bit of luck.
However, many items that evolved naturally were also related to craftsmen, often being works of passion. It was unclear if this counted as some strange change triggered by the pinnacle of human achievement, but this Clock Master in District 001 sounded like he should be a top-tier craftsman as well, otherwise so many players wouldn't be seeking connections just to meet him.
Entering the room, the Painting Woman first ran to the balcony, took a photo of the sky, and called Xu Huo over to look at the stars.
The starry sky in District 001 was slightly different from District 014. The stars weren't scattered randomly across the night sky but were concentrated in one area. There was no moon here, but there was a planet similar to the moon, appearing larger and brighter. Surrounding it was a cluster of glowing stars arranged from large to small, spontaneously forming several rings that were particularly eye-catching.
In other parts of the night sky, there were a few similar clusters of stars. The rest of the sky was a deep blue, stretching endlessly.
The Painting Woman pointed at the nearest and largest planet. "There are people up there."
Developing uninhabited planets wasn't difficult for many districts in the current game, but it was mostly used for resource extraction. After all, actually moving there was costly. If a district truly became overcrowded, it was much more convenient to seize another ready-made small district.
"Go to bed early," Xu Huo said to her, then went into his own room to wash up. After washing, he first sent the set of bookmarks to Xiao Yuan and Tan Qi through the Under Dimension, then read some books on clockmaking for a while before lying down to rest.
The nights in District 001 were relatively long, and he slept very comfortably. He woke up naturally before dawn, feeling refreshed. After getting up energetically, he looked out at the empty streets while washing up.
At this hour, most of the local residents hadn't started their activities yet, only a few early workers were going from street to street. The bathroom's floor-to-ceiling window faced a commercial area. At exactly seven in the morning, a person wearing clothes printed with the words "Quick Delivery" stepped onto a low-altitude aircraft and landed across the street. He stopped in front of a beauty shop, rang the doorbell, exchanged a few words with someone inside, and then the shop's automatic door opened.
"Quick Delivery" picked up a bag and walked inside. Moments later, after two dull thuds of bodies hitting the floor were heard, "Quick Delivery" came back out through the automatic door. He looked up and happened to meet Xu Huo's gaze.
The Yongxing Hotel wasn't on a low floor, but unfortunately, players had excellent eyesight. Xu Huo took the toothbrush out of his mouth. "Quick Delivery" pulled his mask up a little, waved, and greeted him.
This district, or at least this city, had no poor people. Coupled with the residents' self-discipline in closing their shops early, in such an environment, few people used their shops as homes. So, before opening time, there was hardly anyone inside the shops in the commercial street. The murdered man and woman were the exception.
After the sky was fully bright, the shop's robot called the police. Both the Enforcement Team and the hospital sent people. A single glance was enough to determine the cause of death for the two: instant death by throat slitting.
As for the motive, the killer had left a clue: a photo of the "adulterous couple" in bed.
Nearby shopkeepers came to gawk for a while. Upon seeing the photo of the "adulterous couple," they all showed expressions of "I knew it."
It seemed everyone nearby knew the situation of the two deceased. Instead of panicking, they felt this day was inevitable.
When Xu Huo took the Painting Woman out for a special local breakfast, he also heard players from other districts discussing the incident.
"Hiring a hitman is an old tradition in District 001," a knowledgeable player said, pointing to some projection ads that occasionally appeared in corners outside. "Those shops are run by players. You pay to have someone killed. You want someone dead, you contact a killing company in advance, submit the information, and if the company thinks it's feasible, they'll take the order."
"For example, this morning's murder case. It's obvious the man's wife hired a hitman. But there's no evidence. Legally, his wife won't have any problems and can even inherit all the property smoothly."
"As for the man, he's morally indefensible. The law can't punish him, but vigilante justice can."
"Doesn't that mean you can kill anyone you want?" someone asked after hearing this. "Wouldn't District 001 be in chaos?"
"You don't know District 001's history," the previous player said. "It's said the ancestors made their fortune by chivalry, robbing the rich to help the poor. Most countries in this entire district have assassination organizations. They'd kill each other back and forth all the time. It's a good thing everyone back then wasn't a player, or who knows how many people would have died!"
This remark made everyone laugh. The Painting Woman had already turned around, eagerly holding up her communicator and asking, "Do assassination organizations still exist now?"
"Of course they do. Aren't those companies the same?" the man said. "On the surface, they run small businesses, have business licenses, pay taxes legally, and are protected by the government. Behind the scenes, well, you all understand."
"Doesn't the government care?" someone asked the question that was on everyone's mind.