Chapter 3043: Coercion and Choice
“Oh?” Seeing Xu Huo suddenly appear in the underground office, the woman who was checking the accounts turned off her device and said with a smile, “You’re back?”
There were several other players in the room. The moment Xu Huo entered, they activated a blockade barrier, separating him from the woman.
Xu Huo didn’t mind. He looked at the woman and said, “You tampered with my identity information, didn’t you?”
“Even if I lived and worked normally in Yangtao City, I would eventually end up deep in debt for various reasons. If not debt, I’d be framed for a crime. That murder video was so fake—I don’t believe the Enforcement Department lacks the technology to verify it. Doing this is just a way to force me into becoming a wanted criminal.”
“This is your method for dealing with outer zone players, isn’t it?”
It wasn’t a question, but a statement.
The woman laughed out loud. “I heard you went to the Player Home twice. With your evolution rate so low, are you starting to degenerate this early?”
Xu Huo removed the device that concealed his physical condition and said flatly, “I am an A-Class player.”
The woman laughed even louder. “As long as you’re not a Super Player, once you’re in Zone 025, you follow our rules.”
“But having a high player level has its benefits. You can find plenty of work here with me, enough to earn some retirement money and at least secure your own potion supply.”
“As for the rules, you should understand. I’m giving you a way to earn money and helping you clear your wanted status. The condition is that you obey us unconditionally.”
Xu Huo’s expression turned cold. “Do you take me for a fool?”
The woman shrugged. “If you don’t want to cooperate, you can go back to the third-level zone. But if you want to retire in Zone 025, you have to listen. Otherwise, you can try another district.”
Xu Huo hesitated for a moment before asking, “How do you plan to control the players?”
The woman smiled again. “Everything is about mutual consent. Since you’re an A-Class player, I won’t beat around the bush. Once you try our potion, you’ll probably beg to stay.”
She then signaled one of her men to lead the way.
A player gestured for Xu Huo to follow. They passed through the noisy front hall of the club, pushed open a hidden door inside a room, and behind it was a wide passage leading underground.
“You people in Zone 025 sure like digging holes underground,” Xu Huo remarked.
The player walking ahead didn’t turn around but said coldly, “That’s because people like you only deserve to walk underground.”
After saying this, he walked a few more meters, then stopped. As he reached out to open the door at the end of the passage, he added in a low voice, “Game maggot.”
Xu Huo narrowed his eyes slightly, but was immediately pushed into the room by a force.
The moment he stepped through the door, his items were sealed. It was normal for Zone 025 to have Non-Game Area Simulators, but having one set up in the basement of an entertainment club was somewhat unexpected.
A floating device flew forward, emitting blue light to scan his entire body. His physical data was instantly uploaded to the projection screen in front of a man sitting by the sofa. The man didn’t activate any shielding, so from Xu Huo’s angle, he could also see his own information.
“Four A-Class items, two single-use items, two special items, three A-Class devices… You’ve got some assets. Selling a few of them could keep you in potions for a few years. Are you really degenerating?”
Xu Huo glanced at the completely black walls and floor. They were likely made of some special material—not too thick, but enough to limit a player’s senses to a certain extent.
“Do you only accept degenerating players?” he asked instead.
The man stroked the beard on his chin. “We welcome any player with no way out.”
He flipped through the screen, which displayed Xu Huo’s bracelet identity, account status, and the freshly issued wanted notice.
“You’re on the wanted list,” he said with feigned regret. “That’s a tough spot. Those Enforcement Department folks don’t care whether you really killed someone or not. Once they catch you, they won’t let you off easily.”
“But don’t worry. Our company offers this service. We can handle these issues for you in advance.”
“More debt?” Xu Huo raised an eyebrow, showing a hint of impatience, and said with a sharp tone, “Why don’t I just pawn all my items to you?”
The man laughed heartily. “Friend, don’t rush. First, take a look at our packages. There’s bound to be one you’ll like.”
He waved his hand, and a portion of the projection screen detached and landed in front of Xu Huo.
“For your situation, we have three packages. First, you pay us, and we’ll take care of the wanted notice and restore your legal identity. But you probably already know this one—it’s installment payments, with interest compounding on interest.”
“Second, you become an employee of our company. We’ll assign you suitable tasks. After each completion, we deduct a portion of the commission and your debt, then give you your share. The money you earn might be a bit less, but the company will provide potions at member prices. If you can work until retirement, the company can even apply to the government for lifelong care.”
Hearing this, Xu Huo instinctively said, “Won’t it be like the hospital, where they hold tasks over your head? Retirement? Can players really retire on time? Isn’t it an endless wait?”
The man said meaningfully, “You’ve already mastered this path.”
Xu Huo twitched the corner of his mouth.
Then the man selected the third package. “This one involves participating in the Challenge Island project. If you can come out of the island alive, not only will your debt and wanted notice be wiped clean, but the company will also pay you a retirement sum and guarantee lifelong retirement benefits, so you won’t have to stay in the Player Home.”
“With such good conditions, this Challenge Island must be extremely dangerous,” Xu Huo said.
“Naturally. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.” The man’s smile was gentle, carrying a hint of temptation and persuasion. “Whatever your reason for wanting to retire in Zone 025, don’t you want to make one last big score? I won’t claim Zone 025 is better than other A-Class wormhole point districts, but the benefits we offer here are absolutely unmatched by any other wormhole point.”
“If you truly understand degeneration, you’d know it might just cost you some money at first. But as it worsens, when you lose function and mental clarity, you’ll need special surgeries and extremely expensive potion treatments. Even Super Players are no exception.”
“Not only do ordinary districts not provide this level of retirement benefits, but even if they did, the surgery packages and potion packages they offer might be watered down.”
“But Zone 025 is different. As long as you create enough value for the district, we dare to guarantee you the highest standard of care!”
Even a child wouldn’t believe such words. At that point, the government institutions would have the final say over the life and death of degenerating players. Every death would be a cost-saving measure, let alone the possibility of “recycling waste.”
Xu Huo fixed his gaze on the first and second packages.
Seeing this, the man’s smile cooled slightly, but he still said, “Our company respects players. You can choose whichever package you like.”