Chapter 602: Visit the Special Defense Department Headquarters Within Ten Days
"Xu Huo!" Team Leader Song was both shocked and furious when he heard that name. "You're Xu Huo?! What do you think you're doing! Challenging the Special Defense Department time and time again—do you think no one can put you down?!"
He had only been back a few days and had already caused such a big incident. Team Leader Song suspected he was targeting him personally.
"I have no grudge against the Special Defense Department, so how is this challenging you? You're the one who came looking for me today." Xu Huo glanced at the already disconnected video call, put his phone in his pocket, and added, "You should be thanking me for this."
"I went through great trouble to obtain detoxifying fungi from another district, originally meant to save our fellow citizens poisoned by xenomorph toxins. But before the antidote could even be developed, this Young Master Qiu could just give one away as a gift." He smiled faintly. "There were only five detoxifying fungi in total... I didn't expect the Special Defense Department to be so generous, but once something like that is given away, it's gone. I helped you eliminate the source—don't you feel much more at ease now?"
Team Leader Song's face shifted through several shades of anger. His murderous gaze swept over the black-robed figures climbing out of the lake, then moved to the players behind Xu Huo who were filming with their phones.
"Don't change the subject!" he cut in decisively. "Xu Huo, you openly killed people and created panic. The Special Defense Department has the authority to arrest you!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Special Defense Department players, now free from the terror of poisoning, began advancing toward the lakeside clubhouse.
Xu Huo knew this old fox would never openly address that topic in public, but that didn't matter. He had simply brought the classified information into the open to gain leverage.
Revealing the matter of the King Fungus was a major achievement, but achievements only mattered to the living. Facing the Special Defense Department, it was best to seize the initiative. If Team Leader Song didn't want to bankrupt the credibility of the nation and the Special Defense Department because of him, he wouldn't dare do anything rash.
He turned back to the player who had been filming him the whole time. "Did you get all that?"
That player was startled for a moment, then said, "Got it all, and it's already been uploaded online!"
Unconcerned about the players approaching the lakeside clubhouse, Xu Huo looked directly into the camera and said, "Welcome, all Twin Serpents members, to come and take revenge on me. Over the next ten days, I will visit the Special Defense Department headquarters."
Huang Junjie and the others nearby felt their eyelids twitch. They knew he was arrogant, but they never expected him to go this big. Did he mean to hitch a free ride to the Special Defense Department headquarters?
A minute ago, when Xu Huo had revealed his identity and provoked the Special Defense Department, they were still enjoying the spectacle. Now, they had no thoughts left. As long as the Special Defense Department didn't turn its sights on the First Association, what did Xu Huo's actions have to do with them?
Tan Yang subtly gestured to the players beside him: they were pulling out.
But just then, a loud crash came from the direction of the clubhouse gate. With the roar of engines, three military vehicles sped to the lakeside and screeched to a halt in front of Team Leader Song!
Nie Xuan, dressed in camouflage, was the first to step out of the passenger seat. Sweeping his gaze over the scene, his eyes first locked onto the black-robed figures. Coldly, he said, "Kidnapping, murder, promoting a cult—execute on the spot."
The ten Special Defense Department players who followed him, armed to the teeth, raised their guns in unison. After a volley of gunfire, the bodies of the several men toppled into the lake, crimson slowly spreading through the water.
Then, Nie Xuan picked up a loudspeaker and addressed Team Leader Song's people: "Xu Huo and the First Association players are all from Ting City. I'll be taking over from here!"
Team Leader Song's people froze, all turning their gazes to him.
The two sides faced off, and Team Leader Song's aura was clearly weaker. Moreover, Nie Xuan was travel-worn, with the smell of blood still on him—clearly just back from some battlefield. His stern, cold demeanor contrasted sharply with Team Leader Song's fury.
Team Leader Song's expression was far from pleasant. "Nie Xuan, are you trying to shield Xu Huo?"
"Ting City players being handled by Ting City is perfectly fine," Nie Xuan said. "This rule was established when the Special Defense Department was founded. If Team Leader Song hasn't read Player Law 203, go back and check it."
"Furthermore, the full story of today's events has already been reported to me by the undercover player Sima Xiao'er. Twin Serpents is not only involved in cult propaganda but also organized a large number of cannibal players for an abnormal gathering. This has spread to several cities, involved high-ranking officials' children, and even mobilized armed helicopters without proper authorization."
"Team Leader Song, if I were you, I'd start thinking about how to write that report to avoid being stripped of your rank entirely."
What Nie Xuan said was the real issue, and it was also why Team Leader Song was so desperate to catch Xu Huo. Xu Huo wasn't causing trouble for the first time. Two uncontrollable player organizations fighting each other was still better than a cannibal player organization being exposed by a few players.
Unfortunately, he couldn't take the man away now.
Just then, Nie Xuan's phone rang. He answered it, listened for a moment, then handed it over.
Team Leader Song took the call, his expression darkening. After a moment, he returned the phone, grinding his teeth as he said, "He's yours!"
"I'll take the living; you handle the dead." Nie Xuan turned to the players on both sides of the lake and said, "First Association players, please report to the Ting City branch within three days for investigation."
With that, he waved his hand, signaling that the First Association players could leave.
"That's it?" The players couldn't believe it, but Team Leader Song's people had already withdrawn, and Nie Xuan's players weren't making any moves. They could leave the clubhouse whenever they wanted.
The players on both sides gradually dispersed. Tan Yang was helped over to Xu Huo. "Thanks for today."
"Let's keep in touch," Huang Junjie also said.
Xu Huo glanced at them but said nothing.
The two didn't feel it was appropriate to chat further, so they left first.
Pu Kang, however, gave Xu Huo a few more looks, but when he spotted the black fungus on the ground, he carefully circled around it and left.
Guan Zuhong and Xiao Zhang and the others weren't ready to leave yet. They planned to ask Nie Xuan about other Twin Serpents strongholds. But soon, Xiao Zhang received a text from Brother Liang. It turned out he had followed a corpse truck to one of Twin Serpents' bases and had turned off his phone to avoid exposure. Now that things were resolved smoothly, he was already on his way back to Yang City.
Brother Liang had lost a few people, but given the situation tonight, it was still a decent outcome.
"Brother Xu, thanks to you, we were able to dig out this cancer of Twin Serpents," Xiao Zhang came over to express his gratitude. "If it were just us, even finding this place wouldn't have been enough. If we had tipped them off and they moved, it would've been much harder to root them out later. Who knows how many more players would have died at their hands!"
"Everyone contributed," Xu Huo said with a smile. "Maybe the Special Defense Department will even hand out rewards later."
This group had a generally poor impression of the Special Defense Department. Even Nie Xuan's arrival to salvage the situation couldn't restore its image. Seeing Nie Xuan heading toward the clubhouse, they said their goodbyes to Xu Huo and left.
The players who had been treated as "live food" had already slipped away in the crowd. Now, only Xu Huo and a few Twin Serpents members, whose fates were unknown, remained in the restaurant.
"Captain Nie!" Outside, Sima Xiao'er excitedly ran toward Nie Xuan.
(End of Chapter)