Chapter 601: Player Xu Huo Sends His Greetings
"President, let's go." A player from the First Association came over to Tan Yang, who was standing outside the restaurant, and said, "Once the Special Defense Department gets involved, there's no room for us to speak."
"We can't leave!" Tan Yang said in a deep voice. "If we leave now, this matter will never be resolved!"
It was obvious to anyone with eyes that the Twin Serpents had backing. If the Special Defense Department intended to support Young Master Qiu, the First Association walking away now would surely be purged afterward. With so many players dead, the most important thing now was to seize the initiative.
"We found a few videos." Huang Junjie walked over and said, "Enough to prove the Twin Serpents is a cannibal player organization."
"This is our bargaining chip." Pu Kang had also recovered by now. "Let our people negotiate with the Special Defense Department."
"Wait a little longer." Tan Yang looked at Xu Huo.
Pu Kang followed his gaze. "Who is that? I haven't heard of any player organization having someone this strong."
"You know him." Huang Junjie glanced at him. "A few days ago, you wanted to deal with him."
"He's...!" Pu Kang's face was full of shock, then he turned his head to look at the man who still had his sword pressed against Young Master Qiu's neck, his expression slowly darkening.
By this time, Team Leader Song had arrived with his men. He didn't recognize Xu Huo with his changed face, and immediately raised his hand to have his subordinates aim their guns at the players inside and outside the club.
The First Association, plus Brother Liang's people, totaled nearly fifty players. After the fighting, deaths, and departures, about a third were gone, leaving over thirty. Additionally, Young Master Qiu's people weren't all dead yet. The few stubborn resisters, seeing the Special Defense Department arrive, hurriedly swam toward the lake shore, shouting "We're on the same side!"
"Openly armed conflict! You people have no regard for the Special Defense Department!" Team Leader Song was furious the moment he arrived.
It wasn't that he had a bad temper—he hadn't had a moment's rest all night. First, Team Leader Wu bypassed him to send players to deal with a cult gathering. Then someone reported a player killing incident at a hotel, with screams lasting several minutes. By the time he rushed over with his men, there was nothing left but a pile of nearly burnt corpses. He got nothing.
After returning empty-handed and just lying down, he got another call about trouble at the Taole Club. His main area of responsibility included Yang City, so of course he knew the Taole Club was a special place. He immediately mobilized a large number of personnel. Before he could set out, he received news that someone had deployed an armed helicopter. Not to mention the several phone calls he kept getting along the way.
He thought he'd make it in time, but when he arrived, it was almost over. So many corpses lying on the ground and floating in the lake made his eyes hurt. The report he'd have to write for this would be a mountain!
"Tan Yang, Huang Junjie, look what you've done!" Team Leader Song started cursing from across the lake, but no one on this side responded. Instead, Young Master Qiu took the initiative to shout, "Save me! My surname is Qiu!"
Team Leader Song gave him a cold glance before looking at Xu Huo, who was stepping on him, mistaking him for a player from the First Association. "Everyone, put away your items and come back with me for investigation!"
Several players on Brother Liang's side were injured. They harbored deep hatred for the Twin Serpents, and immediately someone held up their phone and stepped forward. "What investigation? Are you trying to cover up for the Twin Serpents, this cannibal player organization? The country is truly finished! A cannibal organization openly screens and allies with cannibal players, wantonly slaughtering ordinary players, and the Special Defense Department, which claims to be the nation's front line, not only does nothing but wants to cover it up..."
The impassioned words couldn't finish, interrupted by a sudden gunshot. The player screamed, clutching his right hand, which had been shot through along with his phone!
"What are you trying to do, silence us?!" Guan Zuhong shouted. "We've already sent videos online! Just wait for the judgment of the people!"
Team Leader Song's face darkened. He waved back the shooter and stepped forward. "Whether these dead people are cannibal players remains to be investigated. Even if the times are special now, no one can place themselves above the law and kill whenever they want!"
"You say they're cannibal players, so they're cannibal players? Does that mean if one day you decide someone is a bad person you don't like, you can kill them too?"
"The country and the Special Defense Department naturally have laws and regulations for dealing with cannibal players. As long as you are still citizens of this country, still standing on this land, you must obey!"
He then looked at Xu Huo. "Think carefully. Can you bear the consequences of killing someone in front of the Special Defense Department!"
Xu Huo slowly released his foot. Young Master Qiu, now able to move, wore a smug expression. But before he could stand up, a palm-wide, semi-transparent light blade passed through the back of his neck. His head hit the ground with a thud, and a large amount of blood splattered out. This man, who seconds ago had arrogantly believed he would escape, ended his life in a crawling position.
"Clang, clang, clang!" Xu Huo swung his sword to block the incoming bullets while simultaneously throwing out "Plant's Lament."
Most of the people on both sides of the lake covered their ears, unable to withstand the sonic attack. Xu Huo placed the "Door of Severed Ties" in front of him, took a bottle of fluffy fungi from his luggage compartment, opened the lid, and let it drift with the wind toward the lake shore.
The dandelion-like floating objects quickly caught the attention of Team Leader Song and his men. Someone probably accidentally inhaled a bit and immediately started coughing.
"His lips are changing color! It's poisonous! Don't breathe it in!"
Only half of the people Team Leader Song brought were equipped with gas masks. He quickly ordered those without to retreat. However, a few seconds later, they discovered that this stuff wasn't just poisonous when inhaled—even skin contact caused poisoning!
Some players brought out items that could create wind, but the light, fluffy fungi only spun with the gentle breeze, far from enough to blow them away completely.
The lakeside club also fell into chaos, as the deaths of those gray-robed men were obvious to all.
"You're not really going to burn bridges with the Special Defense Department, are you?" Huang Junjie asked uncertainly, then added, "That stuff is drifting over to our side!"
"This poison isn't hard to cure. Just need an antidote." Xu Huo said calmly.
The players behind him quickly took out antidotes. The Special Defense Department players on the opposite shore did the same. But even with the antidote, the symptoms wouldn't disappear immediately. Fearing the unknown and worried that his men might die, Team Leader Song roared, "Are you declaring war on the Special Defense Department?!"
"Declaring war is a bit much. I just want everyone to calm down." Xu Huo picked up Young Master Qiu's phone from the ground and said, "I hope you all on the opposite side will stop aiming your guns at me."
Team Leader Song couldn't back down. He said firmly, "This matter cannot end peacefully. You're a player from the First Association. The monk may run away, but the temple can't!"
Xu Huo placed the phone on the table. Sure enough, the video call hadn't been disconnected, though no one was in the frame. He took out a lighter and lit a cigarette. "The First Association is the First Association. I am me."
Facing the screen, and also facing Team Leader Song and the other Special Defense Department members, he blew out a stream of smoke and grinned. "Player Xu Huo sends his greetings to you all."