Chapter 3092: Nothing Comes That Cheap
Ding Xiang instinctively looked at Yi Lan, who shook her head slightly. "To obtain the data within the terminal without alerting the terminal's defense program at all is impossible. Moreover, given the situation on Challenge Island, the company should have implanted an intelligent entity. That entity can completely replace manual monitoring of everything on the island. If it detects an intrusion, it will immediately react according to preset protocols. Intercepting this process is extremely difficult, even with sufficient equipment preparation."
Let alone under these current conditions.
"Even if you successfully obtain the data, you won't be able to escape the intelligent entity. How do you plan to leave the island?" Xu Huo asked again.
The two said nothing. They had already mentally prepared themselves before setting foot on the island. Even if they couldn't get out alive, those who came after would take up the relay and carry the obtained data out.
"Has anyone before you succeeded?" Xu Huo asked.
Ding Xiang hesitated before shaking her head.
If someone had succeeded, they would have found some hidden data in suitable places, but there was absolutely nothing. This meant that most of the people sent by the Inspection Department had died in areas outside the central zone.
This wasn't surprising. If Ding Xiang hadn't been traveling with Xu Huo, she wouldn't have been able to enter the central zone alive either.
"This shows that you don't know the proper handling methods after data theft," Xu Huo said. "Hyperdimensional instruments are deployed both inside and outside the island, and the island is isolated from the outside world, so there's no need to worry about collateral damage elsewhere. Assuming important data is stolen, the company would likely do more than just kill people."
"You mean they would destroy the island?" Bai Po frowned. "If that's the case, we can't take advantage of the gap when the company sends people in to escape."
Whether it was to investigate the inside story or to avenge friends, they couldn't have boarded the island without considering an escape route.
"There are multiple layers of blockade barriers to leave the island. Besides, we're within Challenge Island's control range. The company can activate the kill program at any time. How do you plan to evacuate?" Xu Huo asked. If they had a more mature plan, he could adjust his own strategy. The most important thing was to prevent the island from activating the hyperdimensional instruments.
Both sides fell silent again. This was their final trump card—how could they easily reveal it?
"It would be easy for you to kill us," Yi Lan spoke up at this point, asking Xu Huo, "Do you have a way to leave the island?"
"I discovered an underground passage leading into the sea," Xu Huo did not hide it. With the instruments they currently had, crossing the entire island through the sea was simply impossible. Only he could take that path.
The mere disappearance of a few players wouldn't be enough to trigger the island's defense level. If they went out through the underground, with a bit of luck, they might directly exit the blockade range. If not, they could seize the opportunity when the company's ship arrived to slip away. As long as the hyperdimensional instruments weren't activated, other blockade measures were no problem for Xu Huo.
Ding Xiang and the other two were surprised that there was an underground passage leading directly out of the island, but they immediately connected it to Xu Huo's spatial evolution. If he could withstand a spatial tsunami, traveling through the deep sea was naturally no issue. For other players, without props or instruments, they couldn't withstand the water pressure, and even if they could, they couldn't hold their breath for long. Without teleportation instruments, they couldn't move quickly either.
Challenge Island was private property, and most of the resources in its zone were also sold off. It was a place that required an investigation order to investigate openly. Therefore, even if the Inspection Department knew Challenge Island's location, they couldn't arrange for people to support the members who landed on the island—unless Ding Xiang and the others had solid evidence and could escape before the island's defense program activated.
This was even worse than their conservative plan.
But as Xu Huo said, obtaining the data was itself extremely difficult. Unless the company confirmed they were dead on the island, they wouldn't easily let it go and allow Challenge Island to continue operating.
After much hesitation, Bai Po stated his plan. He knew before coming that there were company people on the island, so his idea was to hijack a player, use their authority to come and go, or board a departing ship. He had already chosen the target before arriving.
Hijacking an insider was also a method, but it required some finesse in execution. Of course, this wasn't difficult for Xu Huo to achieve either.
He turned his gaze to Ding Xiang and the other. "Does the Inspection Department really not provide you with any help at all?"
"Don't make things difficult for us," Ding Xiang said. "There are some things we can't say."
Xu Huo paused, then asked another question. "Then let me ask this: if you leave the island, do you have people to rendezvous with?"
"We have cross-space instruments," Yi Lan said cautiously. "As long as we can get out of the blockade range and the instruments are unsealed, we can escape this zone."
Challenge Island had a special blockade inside. Props and instruments couldn't be used. Although some instruments could be used in the central zone, many were still restricted, clearly preventing players from leaving the island. So if they activated a cross-space instrument inside the island, there were only two possibilities: either the activation was restricted and the teleportation wouldn't succeed, or the hyperdimensional instrument blockade would be triggered, and the cross-space instrument's passage might not actually lead to another space—it could actively run into a dead end.
Ding Xiang and the other's goal was to obtain the data, and ideally, through the spire's arena matches, learn some of Challenge Island's client identities. Bai Po's goal was revenge—publicly destroying the spire, or even destroying Challenge Island's terminal, was the best and most practical form of retaliation for him.
The two groups had the same ultimate goal and could adjust their targets based on the spire's situation. At the very least, they could win the arena matches to gain the support of the audience. If any clients were willing to sign contracts with them—Bai Po aside—Ding Xiang and the other had special identities, and the Inspection Department would have a legitimate reason to investigate. The prerequisite was that they had to have the opportunity to expose their positioning or other information.
But in the game, making someone disappear was far too simple. If they left the island like they boarded, they wouldn't even leave a trace.
"As you said, leaving the island shouldn't be difficult for you. Besides, your mental evolution is a hundred times stronger than mine. Controlling a few people is simple." Yi Lan looked at Xu Huo, a trace of a smile appearing on her otherwise expressionless face. "Don't tell me you want to borrow our cross-space instrument."
She didn't believe he didn't have one.
"Maybe that's exactly what I'm missing," Xu Huo said with a smile.
The three didn't believe it. Perhaps for most players, cross-space instruments were a luxury, but given Xu Huo's strength—even if he had been penniless when he first became a player—by now, plenty of people would be willing to help him. How could he lack instruments? Especially since he came specifically for Dr. Wu.
"Coming in quietly doesn't mean I have to leave quietly either," Xu Huo said. "I found a legitimate job, but they wouldn't let me do it properly. And Alton Corporation committed contract fraud. How can I just let it slide?"
"Nothing in this world comes that cheap."