Chapter 2651: The Network of Relationships
Skipping over the records already spoke volumes. Even if the Dou family's information wasn't entirely accurate, it at least proved they had conducted investigations before compiling the genealogy—and fairly thorough ones at that. If their only goal was to fabricate connections, they wouldn't have deliberately omitted Wan Ping's once-somewhat-famous second brother.
However, the Wan family had lived in Moonhorn Duchy for an extremely long time, even settling there before the duchy was fully established. They outwardly identified themselves as citizens of Moonhorn Duchy. The surname "Wang" they had adopted belonged to an ancient family in the duchy, and the reason the Wan family could occupy land in the border town was precisely because of their strong connections.
Xu Huo followed the sightseeing young people as they walked along the outer perimeter of the castle. He couldn't infiltrate the castle—first, because the defenses were tight, and second, because there were quite a few players inside. Any conflict wouldn't be easily resolved.
The Dou family's genealogy had some authenticity. Some members of the Wan family were indeed connected to the Gao family. Whether that connection came from blood inheritance or not—even if the Dou family's investigation was mistaken and they wrongly believed the Wan family had ties to the Gao family—there had to be some origin that created this situation.
The "National Heirloom Treasure" might be a token used to contact a certain organization, and that organization likely involved the descendants of Peng Guan. Perhaps even the descendants of the Gao family were among them. Even if the proportion of Peng Guan's and Gao's descendants in this organization wasn't high, they should still be the source—currently, nothing in Isle Country came closer to the concepts of "national treasure" and "legitimacy."
Isle Country had fallen into such disrepair in recent years without anyone stepping forward. Even if the descendants of the Gao and Peng families had continued and developed over these centuries, it would be difficult to guarantee their beliefs had been inherited, let alone that many might no longer live in Isle Country... Under such circumstances, even if this organization existed, the success rate of using a token to mobilize them wouldn't be high.
However, if this organization was truly established by the descendants of the Gao and Peng families, they would indeed be more reasonable to deal with than ordinary player organizations.
The fear was that after so long, they might no longer recognize the so-called "token."
Or they might recognize it too much—only the "token" could mobilize them.
The inheritance of the "token" was also a problem. If this organization truly existed, with members scattered, there would certainly be more than one identity token. Xu Huo wondered if the Isle Country government had noticed anything.
"Could you move aside?" A young girl next to him pushed Xu Huo. "You're not even taking pictures, and you're blocking the whole front!"
Xu Huo tactfully stepped aside. Seeing that her communicator screen was completely white, he asked, "The instruments are already jammed. What can you capture?"
"You don't understand. Taking pictures depends on luck," the young girl said. "Sometimes Wang Yao turns off the jamming device to greet us. If we're even more enthusiastic, he'll come out and talk to us."
Xu Huo noticed a rolled-up magazine tucked into her waistband. "Could I borrow that to look at?"
The young girl sized him up. "You look kind enough. I'll lend it to you for a bit, but don't damage it. There are a lot of my personal treasures inside!"
Xu Huo pointed to a seat outside the crowd. "I'll read over there. You can come get it later."
The young girl nodded and went back to taking pictures.
The so-called "personal treasures" were mostly photos of Wan Ping's youngest son, Wan Yao—both professional shots and candid ones. Folded in the middle was a large, detailed relationship chart, covering everyone he interacted with at work and his family members.
Almost all the Wan family members living in the castle had their names listed, with some having photos, identity information, and life experiences. However, Wan Ping's brothers only had vague former names. Some people who had visited the castle and were confirmed to be Wan family relatives but had never been exposed on the message collection terminal also had no specific names—only markings beside them.
Xu Huo noticed that among Wan Yao's colleagues was a former female star surnamed Xiang. This surname had also appeared in the Dou family's genealogy, as a minor detail. Gong Shu only vaguely remembered there was someone with that surname but couldn't recall the name.
Stars had high exposure. Even with poor information flow, their details were easy to find. The female star surnamed Xiang was an orphan who changed her surname to Bei after being adopted and was a close friend of Wan Yao.
Both of their public profiles stated they were players, but at a low level. They had retired from the game after gaining fame.
Wan Yao's fans tracked him relentlessly, leaving almost no gaps in his schedule. As for Bei Bao, fans on the message collection terminal mentioned that she would take a few days off every so often, leading some to suspect she hadn't actually left the game.
For stars living comfortably in District 039, being a player was just icing on the cake. Their wealthy backgrounds and fan adoration allowed them to live luxuriously without needing to risk the game. But such people were, after all, a minority.
"You're not done yet?" The young girl struggled out of the crowd. After several rounds of shouting, her voice was a bit hoarse, and she came out to drink some water.
"This female star—is she very close to Wang Yao?" Xu Huo pointed to Bei Bao's photo.
The young girl looked a bit dejected. "They're very close. Several times people have seen them eating together. I think there might be something between them, but they haven't announced it, so I can't just say anything... A handsome man and a beautiful woman being together isn't surprising. I'm a very open-minded fan. I definitely won't quit just because he's in a relationship. But if he messes around, I'll be the first to unfollow."
Xu Huo smiled. "Do you know her well?"
"She's very beautiful and gentle," the young girl said awkwardly. "They're a good match."
"Do you have any friends who follow her?" Xu Huo asked. "I heard she sings very well."
The young girl nodded and flipped through her communicator. "She's having a concert in the capital these days. If you spend a bit of money to get a backstage pass, you can definitely hear her."
"You're probably a player, right? Don't use your abilities to bully girls just because you have some power. There are plenty of players in Moonhorn Duchy, and every star has player bodyguards!"
Xu Huo nodded, thanked her, and returned the magazine.
The instrument teleported him directly outside the concert venue. Lively, rhythmic music seeped out from the hall. The woman's voice was clear, cheerful, and playful—uplifting to hear from the first note. The venue entrance was packed with people who hadn't managed to buy tickets.
Xu Huo pushed open the door of a small snack shop nearby and stepped into the venue in one stride.
His appearance didn't attract much attention. Only a few players mixed in the crowd glanced his way before looking away.
The aisles were full of people. Xu Huo didn't move forward but leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, resting until the concert ended at two in the morning.
After changing her makeup, Bei Bao, under the "protection" of two players, got into a car waiting at the back door of the venue. Ten minutes later, she got out at a hotel in a bustling area and followed the staff to the sky restaurant on the thirtieth floor.