Chapter 556: Unraveling the Threads
The elevator slowly rose, gradually leaving the Cleanup Zone and arriving at the Protective Wall's gateway. As the door opened, four or five strikingly beautiful women surged out, cheerfully congratulating them on completing their mission. They crowded around, each taking one of Xu Huo's and 179's arms, attempting to pull them apart.
179 was the warrior who had used his gun to cover Xin Hui's escape and stand out. No matter how Xu Huo questioned him, he refused to utter a single word. Xu Huo could only search through his belongings, finally obtaining a number.
This man was the key to triggering his additional mission, so he certainly couldn't die. Xu Huo decided to bring him into Clown City first.
Xu Huo grabbed 179's shoulder. The woman beside him said, "This gentleman is injured. Let us take him for treatment."
"A real man bleeds without crying. What's there to treat for such a minor injury?" Xu Huo didn't let go, but the man he was holding groaned in pain, half-gritting his teeth and saying, "I can go back to heal on my own. Just convert the medical expenses into cash."
Faced with the women's charming faces, Xu Huo's attitude was cold and rigid, making the atmosphere somewhat tense. However, a portly middle-aged man soon walked over, smiling warmly. "Congratulations, congratulations! You're the third warrior to cross the Cleanup Zone this year. May I ask how this gentleman should be addressed?"
"Old Five."
"Mr. Five is truly outstanding. At such a young age, you possess this kind of boldness and insight. Your future is certainly limitless. Come, come, let's talk as we walk."
At the middle-aged man's signal, several women half-pushed, half-pulled Xu Huo and the other man out of the Protective Wall and into a private car, heading up toward the higher levels of Clown City.
The scenery outside the window wasn't much different from Sunset Clown City. Once the car reached the seventh level, the projection screens in public areas were blatantly playing battle footage from the Cleanup Zone. Many people were stopping to watch, occasionally tapping on their watches, sometimes cheering or cursing.
The middle-aged man kept observing Xu Huo's expression. Seeing no disgust or aversion, he smiled and said, "Mr. Five must have some understanding of Clown City. Have you ever considered settling here?"
Xu Huo turned to look at him. "Clown City has simple folk. Living here isn't impossible, but I have no interest in the lower three levels."
"Mr. Five is joking. With your qualifications, even living on the seventh level would be more than enough," the middle-aged man said. "If you're willing to settle in Clown City, we can provide you with free housing, a monthly living allowance of twenty thousand White Notes, and a 10% discount on all props and potions obtained by the government. Additionally, if you wish to date or make friends, Clown City can help you find suitable partners."
"After all, players spend half their time in instances... Mr. Five came to Clown City this time to clear an instance, right?"
Xu Huo nodded. From the Cleanup Zone to Clown City, the path was unobstructed, proving that Sunset Clown City was also within the game, falling under the scope of "designated locations."
"Already cleared," he said with a slight smile. "But Clown City's game is truly unexpected. Not many districts have the audacity to use an entire city as a game venue."
The middle-aged man's eyes showed admiration, and he laughed heartily. "That's one of Clown City's unique features, and also a source of welfare for the entire city's residents."
He was completely unashamed about using real people as game characters, even saying, "No gain without pain. Mr. Five is a player; you should understand this principle."
Compared to ordinary people, players were more likely to accept such things. After all, in instances, players would show no mercy to men, women, the elderly, or the weak in order to survive.
Xu Huo didn't respond much. Later, the middle-aged man mentioned a celebration banquet tomorrow where he could meet Clown City's higher-ups, possibly even the Grand Archon. He advised Xu Huo to rest early and left the women who had escorted them behind, not even mentioning the injured 179.
As soon as they entered the room, the women unhesitatingly took off their tops. One of them stroked Xu Huo's shoulder and asked, "Mr. Five, do you prefer two people or a group?"
Xu Huo's gaze swept across her chest, then he brushed her hand away as if flicking off dust. "All of you, go take a shower."
The women covered their mouths with delicate laughs and swayed gracefully into the bathroom.
The moment they left, Xu Huo followed right behind them.
179 had collapsed into a chair as soon as he entered. Seeing Xu Huo's actions, he let out a cold, unsurprised laugh. He reached into his chest pocket and was about to move when the person standing at the bathroom door suddenly turned around and stared at him.
179's expression remained unchanged as he pulled out an energy candy from his pocket and tore it open. But just as he was about to put it in his mouth, his head uncontrollably lifted to look forward. Xu Huo, holding a pen, was already standing in front of him, directly taking the energy candy away.
The bathroom door behind him had been blocked by a cabinet, and the faint voices of the women inside could still be heard. 179's mental focus was razor-sharp, his eyes following Xu Huo's hand as it moved.
The energy candy looked exactly like the rations Clown City issued to its warriors. But when Xu Huo pinched it between two fingers, the candy cracked open, revealing a hollow center. Inside was a white, cocoon-like object—no need to guess, it was wrapped in fungal threads.
"Spores?" Xu Huo instantly understood what 179 intended to do. "You want to turn yourself into a contamination source, letting the fungus grow and pollute the entire Clown City?"
179's pupils trembled uncontrollably, but long-term military training had conditioned him to instinctively hide his emotions. He lowered his head in silence, refusing to engage.
Xu Huo let out a light laugh. "With just this tiny thing, you probably can't even contaminate this building."
"Clown City suffered a major loss from the fungus. The subsequent government higher-ups would have certainly prepared protective measures. If they detect that you're infected with the fungus, you might not even make it out of this building before being caught. At most, they'd just seal off a small area—Clown City's layered architecture was designed with this in mind, wasn't it?"
179 was stunned, then his face darkened. "Since you've figured it all out, why are you still asking me!"
Xu Huo used a test tube to store the energy candy and put it into his luggage compartment. He dragged a chair over and sat across from 179, continuing, "You and Xin Hui must have been carrying energy candies like this, right? But judging by the survival rate in the Cleanup Zone, your manpower is probably extremely limited. And a few people alone can't contaminate the entire Clown City."
"There's a celebration banquet tomorrow. Your target is the government higher-ups and the Grand Archon?"
As he spoke, Xu Huo observed 179's breathing and heartbeat. "No wonder you made sure Xin Hui was the first to return to Clown City."
If the two of them were cooperating, they must have studied the rankings of past real-person games long ago, knowing exactly how many people they needed to kill to secure first place. They were even willing to sacrifice themselves, showing a desperate, all-or-nothing attitude.
"Infecting the government higher-ups—are you trying to cause chaos or expose the real-person games?"
(End of Chapter)