Chapter 324: The Situation
The matter of establishing a player organization was decided amidst their lively chatter.
"From now on, we'll be called the Sunflower Squad. To the founding of the Sunflower Squad, cheers!" In the private room of the restaurant, Yuan Yao raised his glass.
"Cheers!" Everyone followed suit, their joyful smiles needless to describe.
Xu Huo drank a couple of glasses with Yuan Yao and Hu Wenhu, after which the two of them started competing with each other.
"I didn't expect that after evolution, it's hard to get drunk." He was smoking by the window when Zhou Ning came over with two bottles of wine and casually handed him one.
Xu Huo took it and asked offhandedly, "How many more instances do you need to rank up to D-level?"
"Quite a few," Zhou Ning said. "The instances I did before had too low a rating. The lower the rating, the more instances you need. You must have reached D-level by now, right? Are you planning to stay permanently in the instance worlds in the future?"
"I heard that after reaching D-level, you can enter instance worlds early, as long as you participate in the instance before its final deadline."
Xu Huo took a sip of wine. "The best way to understand the game world is to delve deep into it. Staying outside only gives you limited knowledge."
Zhou Ning paused for a moment before nodding. "That's true. For E-level players and the current District 014, they don't even have the qualifications to set foot in other instance worlds. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been beaten so badly by players from other districts."
"Although the outcome of this matter has both good and bad sides, sometimes I can't help but think, wouldn't it be better if we hadn't evolved? The peaceful and monotonous life we used to have is now a luxury."
"Maybe one day in the future, District 014 will return to what it was before," Xu Huo said. "When high-level players and super players emerge, and the game's district divisions gradually become more complete, this world will slowly move toward the light, just like several revolutions in history."
"Thinking that way, doesn't it feel more hopeful?" He turned his head and smiled at her.
Zhou Ning chuckled. "I haven't thought that far ahead... but what you said makes sense."
The others nearby overheard their conversation. Shen Xin said, "Our generation might not make it, but the next generation or the one after that will definitely succeed!"
"You're stretching it too far! I don't even have a next generation yet!" Yuan Yao stood on his chair, brimming with boldness. "We'll do it ourselves! We'll make all the other districts submit!"
The others laughed. Hu Wenhu pulled at him. "Can you even do it?"
"Whether I can or not, I'm doing it!" Yuan Yao stomped one foot onto the table. "Once I become a high-level player, I'll catch all those players from other districts and whip them one by one until they surrender!"
His words made the expressions of everyone present grow complicated. Their player levels were too low, and they didn't even know if they could survive long enough to reach D-level, so they dared not dream of the future or speak the word "revenge" aloud. But hearing Yuan Yao say it like that, it didn't seem so difficult anymore.
"That's right!" Yan Jiayu slammed the table and raised her glass high. "Not only will we beat down the players from other districts, but I also want to overturn the game itself and make them taste the bitterness of shooting themselves in the foot!"
"Yeah!"
"Exactly!"
"Well said, Sister Jiayu!"
Several of them chimed in, some climbing onto tables, others onto chairs. The commotion alarmed the waitstaff outside, who brought the manager over. Seeing them with wine bottles in hand, red-faced and shouting, they thought a drunken brawl was about to break out and quickly called for help. Even guests from the neighboring private rooms came over to watch the excitement.
They weren't actually drunk, so after being stared at, they sheepishly got down and settled the bill.
As the group was about to leave, the door opposite opened, and the first person out sneered, "I was wondering who was making all that racket. Turns out it's you, Xu Huo."
Xu Huo glanced at the other person. "You're not old yet, but your ears are already failing you. Your future looks bleak."
Zheng Liang reflexively wanted to jump up in anger but held himself back, snorting, "Sister Gu Yu was worried you'd be devoured alive, but it looks like you're having a pretty good time."
"Zheng Liang." Gu Yu walked out from behind and greeted them with a smile.
Shen Xin was closer to Gu Yu, so he asked, "Sister Gu Yu, what brings you to Ting City?"
"Some personal matters. What a coincidence to run into you all. If you have time, how about a drink?" Gu Yu looked at Xu Huo.
"Some other time," Xu Huo said. "I have things to do and need to leave first."
Gu Yu didn't look disappointed. "Alright, we'll talk another time."
The two sides said their goodbyes. After leaving the restaurant, Shen Xin said quietly, "Sister Gu Yu came with Zheng Liang, so it can't be anything trivial. I wonder what they're here for."
"They're not here for Brother Xu, are they?" Yuan Yao said. "They know Brother Xu. Could they be looking for trouble over the evolution matter?"
"Some people have no bottom line when there's profit involved," Zhou Ning said solemnly. "I'll follow them and see what they're up to."
Xu Huo stopped her. "No need. They might not be targeting me. Even if they are, we can deal with it when they come knocking."
Gu Yu and Zheng Liang weren't actually there for Xu Huo. They were there for the matter of the Player Association signing a contract with the Special Defense Department.
The Player Association wasn't a player organization recognized by the players themselves; they had simply come up with the name on their own. But they had numbers, reportedly close to a hundred members.
To have rallied nearly a hundred players in such a short time and sought cooperation with the authorities—if they became a player organization recognized by the Special Defense Department, they would not only attract more players but also deal a blow to the survival environment of other player organizations. After all, an official stamp would earn them recognition from the general public, while other player organizations might be labeled as "illegal."
They had established their player organization so that players could operate in the open. If the Player Association and the Special Defense Department succeeded, they would be put in a very passive position.
So, besides Gu Yu and her group, representatives from many other player organizations had also come to Ting City, both openly and covertly.
Of course, they weren't there to cause trouble. Given their strength, they'd have to think twice about whether they could avoid capture by the Special Defense Department. So they came first to observe and second to seek an opportunity to get the official stamp.
Previously, the Special Defense Department's attitude toward players was either you join or you're only under supervision. Unless there was a special relationship, ordinary player organizations wouldn't receive support from the Special Defense Department. This time, with the Player Association signing a contract, they would likely receive national support in the future.
Not to mention props and tickets, the most tempting thing—the Evolution Agent—was already being researched by the state, and the Special Defense Department's stockpile was certainly larger than any player organization's. If they followed the Player Association's example, they might be able to get some emergency help when needed.
At the First Research Institute, Nie Xuan handed a roster to Team Leader Wu. "These are the player information and organization names registered from phone calls. Most of them want to sign contracts with the Special Defense Department, just like the Player Association."
"Are these people idiots? The Player Association has so many players—the monk may run away, but the temple can't. With those small groups of three or five, if they take the benefits and run, where are we supposed to find them? And they're likely to get wiped out in instances, so the Special Defense Department won't even recover its costs." A middle-aged man with a slicked-back hairstyle beside him said angrily.