Chapter 594: The Dirty Business Behind the Scenes
All the bodies had been cleaned and encoffined, then loaded into a refrigerated truck and locked.
Only then did a gray-robed person approach to ask if there were any anomalies. The black-robed person who responded did mention the short circuit in the electric light, but the gray-robed person didn't take it to heart. "After today, this place will be useless. Have you finished counting the number of people?"
"Twenty in total," the black-robed person replied. "They'll be transported in three vehicles."
The gray-robed person nodded. "The Special Defense Department has been keeping a close watch lately. Be careful when you go out."
Some of the black-robed individuals removed their outer robes and masks, disguising themselves as ordinary transport workers to drive the vehicles out of the warehouse.
After the vehicles left, the remaining people also departed. Zhou Ning, who had been hiding in a pile of miscellaneous items (zawu), came to the door. Only after hearing no movement outside did she return to the depths and use a prop (daoju) to open a door in the wall.
But before she could step out, she felt a shadow loom over her. She instantly retreated, her hair turning into black snakes and lashing forward!
Xu Huo grabbed the snake-like hair, twisted them together with a backhand, and stepped into the warehouse.
The moment she saw him clearly, Zhou Ning relaxed and quickly said, "Li Chun has been taken away!"
"She'll be fine." Xu Huo took the Painting Woman's phone from her hand and opened the video she had recorded.
"These people seem to be sending the bodies to different places," Zhou Ning said. "This group is the former Number Four players. More than half of the twenty-plus are from Twin Serpents. How's your situation?"
"Similar. Some people have also gone missing." Xu Huo finished watching the video and looked up. "A wily rabbit has three burrows. Twin Serpents has so many players, they won't have just one stronghold. Do you remember which vehicle Li Chun got on?"
Zhou Ning immediately understood. "I placed a mark on one of the vehicles. I should be able to track it."
"I can't leave for now. If it's convenient for you, follow the vehicle first and find out where it's going. Don't take any risks. If the situation is dangerous and I can't get in touch, find a way to contact the Special Defense Department." Xu Huo said. "The local Special Defense Department in Water City might have been infiltrated by Twin Serpents. They can't be trusted. Stay safe."
He gave her Team Leader Wu's number. "This number will definitely get through. Send him the video. You won't need to say much; the Special Defense Department will take it seriously."
Zhou Ning nodded solemnly and then asked, "What's your plan?"
"Besides the dead, Twin Serpents is also planning to take away a group of living players," Xu Huo said. "Sima Xiao'er and Huang Junjie are among them."
Zhou Ning knew Huang Junjie; they had met before. "The First Association is also involved."
"That's why this matter is suspicious." Xu Huo put away Li Chun's phone. "I'm going over there now."
Zhou Ning nodded. "I'll leave after the Twin Serpents people are gone."
"Be careful. There might be entrances to random instances nearby."
Xu Huo added one more warning before leaving the warehouse and returning to the small building where he was resting. As his hand touched the door handle, he turned to look to his right. Someone was standing there.
"Can you get out?" The bead player's accent was still strange. "You look familiar. Have we met before?"
"People can look alike. You might be mistaken." Xu Huo opened the door and went back to his room, but the other man took two quick steps after him. "What do you think Twin Serpents is really up to? They say the future turning point has nothing to do with the Special Defense Department, but they don't even know Sima Xiao'er is from the Special Defense Department. Can you contact them? We need to be prepared for both possibilities."
Xu Huo looked at him with a half-smile. "Why don't you contact the Special Defense Department?"
The bead player paused, then said helplessly, "Who says I'm a foreigner? Different nationality. In times like these, I'm not trusted. I really want to join the Special Defense Department, but they won't have me. Do you have any connections?"
Xu Huo was now certain that Abel had recognized him. What a coincidence that several people who had experienced the Headchopper instance together had ended up in the same place again.
The bead player, Abel, wasn't discouraged by Xu Huo's lack of response. Instead, he said, "If you need any help, just say the word."
"Alright." Xu Huo closed the door briskly.
He rested in the room until dawn, when a black-robed person came to summon them, saying they needed to participate in an initiation ceremony to officially become Twin Serpents members before they could be taken on the journey. Otherwise, they wouldn't be brought along.
Before resting, the few players had more or less decided to join Twin Serpents. Now that they heard there was a ceremony, they didn't say much and obediently followed.
Including Sima Xiao'er, the gray-robed person required them all to soak together in a large pool for a purification ceremony. The ceremony itself wasn't special; it was mainly psychological, meant to wash away their distracting thoughts, so that from now on they would contribute to the future of District 014 and become pure good people and heroes.
The pool was also tested in front of them to confirm it was safe.
Of course, by now, they had no choice but to get in.
The ten people entered the pool one after another. A gray-robed person recited the initiation oath beside them. By the time the oath was finished, the ten people in the pool were already drowsy. Then the gray-robed person took out a toy bed and placed it in the water. The standing people immediately fell backward.
Black-robed individuals waiting nearby caught them, dragged them out, and carried them one by one to place them in glass cabinets. The gray-robed person said, "Divide them into two groups. Send these five to the Huimei Health Center in Yang City, and the other five to the Taole Club."
Both places were in Yang City. Lying in the glass cabinet, Xu Huo felt the vehicle leave the small town, then change vehicles twice along the way. When they were nearing Yang City, the vehicle rendezvoused with people sent from other places.
"...That Tan guy really doesn't know when he's well off. Not only did he refuse to join Twin Serpents, but he also injured a few of our people!"
"...So what? Now he's fallen into the Gray Envoy's hands. Once he's sent to the club, life or death is up to the President... I wonder what those two taste like..."
The conversation stopped there. After two ambiguous low laughs, the vehicle started up again.
Xu Huo sat up from the glass cabinet and woke up the few people beside him.
By now, his phone could connect to the signal. He looked up the two places the gray-robed person had mentioned. The health center and the club were both high-end establishments in Yang City, membership-only. Only people with a bit of money could become members. During this special period, many leisure and entertainment venues had closed, but these two places were still operating normally, holding regular member gatherings.
Switching pages, he also sent a message to Zhou Ning. Zhou Ning replied quickly. The vehicle she was following had gone to a suburban hotel in Water City. Many players were staying at the hotel, as if some event was being held.
"Are there any cannibal players?" he asked.
"Yes," Zhou Ning replied succinctly.
By now, Xu Huo basically understood what dirty business the Twin Serpents organization was up to behind the scenes. He kicked open the rear door, flipped onto the roof of the vehicle, took a few steps to the front, and shot the player in the passenger seat with one bullet. He pulled the body out, then jumped into the vehicle. First, he used a wooden puppet to control the driver, who was trying to free a hand to deal with him, then twisted his neck with both hands, breaking it.
(End of chapter)