Chapter 3153: Permission to Speak
The Capital Mansion was a brand new city, so new that almost the entire city had been built after the regional merger. The people who could live here, aside from players, were mostly player family members, along with some of the original powerful figures from Zone 009.
After the rise of players, all rules had to make way for them. But not every player was skilled in politics or economics, so they still needed politicians and businessmen to manage the regions and make money for them. Thus, the people of the Capital Mansion held privileges. They didn't have to follow the rule of not going out at night; they could go about their business and socialize normally, just like in any orderly city in any region. As a result, the city was bustling even in the middle of the night.
Now, the regional government suddenly issued an emergency notice, repeated it three times, and then completely shut down. Coupled with the fact that players had already discovered the blockade barrier enveloping the Capital Mansion, after experiencing so many player attacks, even the dullest person had learned their lesson. So, after the notice stopped, the entire city fell into an eerie silence. Even the cars on the road had their engines turned off.
The whole city was shrouded in confusion and fear. The government hall wasn't much better off. Just a moment ago, during the notice, two players had secretly tried to communicate, and Xu Huo had pulled them out and killed them. This time, everyone felt that tangible pressure, cold sweat trickling down their backs. Even the high-level players dared not act rashly.
Of course, they could also flee into the station, but things hadn't reached that critical point yet. If they ran away on an occasion like this, how could they ever establish themselves in Zone 009 again?
"Wah..." A very small whimper came from somewhere. It turned out to be a child who desperately needed to use the restroom and could barely hold it in. His parents were sweating profusely, instinctively wanting to speak, but that terrifying pressure prevented them from uttering a single word. They could only look pleadingly at Xu Huo, begging him to spare their child.
Xu Huo, however, smiled. "I'm not a madman. Why would I stop a child from going to the restroom? Anyone who wants to go can go. Just move quietly, don't leave the government building, and don't speak."
The parents weren't players. Upon hearing this, they felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They picked up their child and carefully skirted around the crowd.
Seeing that they had truly left safely, the others breathed a slight sigh of relief. *At least he's still a normal person. I was really afraid he would be completely impossible to reason with. Thank heavens!*
A wide, soft sofa was placed right under the central emblem. Xu Huo raised his hand, and a booklet fell into his grasp.
It was the newly formulated management manual. Among its contents was that very rule requiring ordinary people not to go out at night and not to spy on players. Of course, there were other rules as well. In short, when it came to making things difficult for ordinary people, no detail was too small.
"Well done," he said, nodding as if in praise. "Those beneath me should be managed this way."
Mr. Mo had barely let out the breath he'd been holding at the first half of the sentence when the second half sent it right back down his throat. *What does he mean? 'Those beneath him'? He doesn't plan on leaving?*
While Xu Huo leisurely flipped through the management manual, the players in the Capital Mansion were far from relaxed. They didn't dare to speak, so they frantically communicated through their communicators, devising several plans for a siege, as well as methods for rescue and evacuation.
Players could easily escape, but the people in the city couldn't. There wasn't enough time to find that many container items either. So, to get out, they first had to destroy the blockade barrier. Besides, they also believed this blockade item might have other effects. Destroying the item might even limit Xu Huo's abilities—after all, he might not really be able to oversee the entire city. Such a large place, with so many people, could he really kill every single person who broke the rules one by one? It was more likely he relied on items...
Unfortunately, their thoughts were good, but reality was cruel. The first group of players sent to destroy the blockade barrier was killed. They were at the four extreme ends of the city—north, south, east, and west—and were all killed cleanly within half a minute. The commotion at the blockade barrier also affected the city's interior. Some impatient, hopeful, or mentally unstable people began to lose control.
A drunkard shook off his companion who was trying to hold him back and staggered into the street. Some people, anxious to get home, secretly started their cars. Others tried to test if they really couldn't speak, deliberately misleading or attacking others to force them to speak...
Of course, there were also players. After all, text communication was extremely inconvenient. After a few attempts, they tried using silencing items to speak. In a short time, within the vast city, quite a few people were simultaneously violating Xu Huo's demands.
The players at the regional government building got wind of this. They didn't immediately send players to stop it. Instead, they watched and waited, testing Xu Huo to see if he could really control the entire city, or if he truly meant what he said.
"Slap." Xu Huo casually threw the management manual onto the ground. The next second, he vanished from the sofa. A dozen seconds later, he reappeared in the hall, this time standing directly in front of Mr. Mo, staring at him with overwhelming pressure. "It seems no one took my words to heart."
Mr. Mo had wiped his sweat countless times already, but he didn't dare to make a sound. He quickly pointed to his mouth.
"Permission to speak," Xu Huo said magnanimously.
"We relayed the notice without any omissions, but there are just too many people in the city. There are always some who won't listen. We really can't control them all..." This was truly impossible. No one could control that many living people, let alone forbid them from making a sound.
"Can't control them?" Xu Huo looked at him with a half-smile. "Is your management manual just for show?"
Mr. Mo wiped his face with his sleeve again and gave a flattering smile. "Not every rule in the management manual can be enforced..."
Xu Huo stroked his chin. "If you can't control yourselves, the players can always control you. Send your players out. Anyone who violates the rules I've set must be dealt with within half a minute. For every second of delay, I'll kill one player. If it exceeds one minute, all players within a three-kilometer radius will die."
His smile was gentle, and his tone was gentle as he asked, "Can you do it?"
The Capital Mansion was equivalent to a safe zone. Most of the people living here were player family members!
The players present were filled with rage. *He wants us to kill the parents and families of our friends and companions? Impossible!*
*What kind of psychological degenerate would come up with such a method!*
"Sir... this, this..." Mr. Mo's pupils trembled as he desperately tried to think of a reasonable argument to make him abandon this idea. But he couldn't find one. The other party didn't need any reason to do this; it might even be a whim...
A whim... A flash of inspiration struck Mr. Mo. He steadied his mind and said, "Actually, the contents of that management manual are still under discussion within the government. Most of the regulations haven't been implemented well, and we were already planning to abolish them."
"Is that so?" Xu Huo raised an eyebrow. "But I think it's fine."
He looked at the protagonist of today's celebration, his expression turning slightly dark. "Go and do it."