Chapter 611: Dark Undercurrents Approaching
"I have nothing to say to you. Find someone else if you need something." Gu Yu was about to hang up, but Dai Wenqian spoke first: "Aren't you short on potions? I can sell them to you at a low price through a special channel."
Poverty humbles a person. Gu Yu couldn't hang up the phone. She took a deep breath before asking, "What's the deal?"
"Help me deal with someone."
"Did I hear that right, Dai Wenqian? Do me a favor and count how many players the Spring Rain Association has left after you've been poaching from us. You can't kill someone yourself, so you want me to do it?"
Gu Yu was full of resentment and helplessness. After Dai Wenqian joined the Special Defense Department, she and Zheng Liang, along with a few others who stayed, had managed to set up a small operation, forming a new Spring Rain Association. After getting the Special Defense Department's stamp of approval, their membership had gradually increased.
But who would have thought Dai Wenqian would be so unscrupulous? Every so often, he would privately poach members from the Spring Rain Association. With players leaving, plus those who died in instances, the Spring Rain Association now barely had any players left. Dai Wenqian was a different person now; a few ordinary players couldn't contend with him. She could only vent her anger verbally.
"Just an ordinary person. It's inconvenient for me to act." Dai Wenqian said. "If you think this condition isn't good enough, I can add another one. Once the Special Defense Department develops a new antidote for xenomorph poison, you'll definitely be able to buy it."
That was indeed a tempting condition. Gu Yu asked for the detailed information. Upon learning it was a consultant professor at the Special Defense Department, she couldn't help but say, "You're not letting people see that you have psychological problems, are you?"
Dai Wenqian's eyes turned cold. He gripped his phone and said nothing.
When Tang Guangbo first arrived at the Special Defense Department, Dai Wenqian had also gone to him for two psychological evaluations out of curiosity. Later, he got delayed by other matters, but when he returned, he noticed that several players around him had undergone some subtle changes in their behavior, acting contrary to their original personalities and habits.
After that, he paid special attention to Tang Guangbo. He contacted a few players who had undergone psychological evaluations and managed to extract some assessment content before realizing that Tang Guangbo had been brainwashing the players during the process.
He didn't know Tang Guangbo's purpose, but Dai Wenqian never underwent any more psychological evaluations or treatments. He didn't even attend the emotional relief classes that the Special Defense Department specially arranged after leaving instances.
Tang Guangbo was clearly no simple character. Dai Wenqian felt he had been targeted and had to eliminate this person!
"Alright, send me the specific information. I'll think it over and get back to you." Gu Yu didn't commit herself. She turned to signal Zheng Liang, who was training, to stop.
After hanging up, she quickly received the information about Tang Guangbo. Zheng Liang walked over, drenched in sweat. "Tang Guangbo? Is that the professor from the Vanguard Forum?"
Gu Yu nodded. "You know him?"
"He's Xu Huo's stepfather." Zheng Liang wiped his face. "The foreign national that Xu Huo's mother, Ms. Fang, brought back from abroad. Right now, Xu Huo's whole family is probably locked up, but he can still move around freely. He's quite a capable person."
Gu Yu was confused. "Why does Dai Wenqian want to kill him? And why doesn't he dare to do it himself?"
Zheng Liang snorted. "Isn't he always hiding in the shadows, scheming against people? What's so strange about him targeting Xu Huo?"
Gu Yu hesitated briefly before saying, "It looks like this deal can't be made."
Zheng Liang shrugged. "I don't think Xu Huo is particularly fond of this stepfather either. Maybe killing Tang Guangbo would make him happy."
Gu Yu rolled her eyes at him. "I'd better ask Xu Huo."
Xu Huo had already landed by then. After leaving the airport, he found a secluded spot to change his face, then entered the subway station with the Painting Woman, whose appearance had also been altered.
When he received Gu Yu's text message, he directly called her.
Gu Yu was pleasantly surprised. She answered quickly and said, "Don't worry, I won't make a move. Should I report Dai Wenqian to the Special Defense Department?"
"No need," Xu Huo said. "If he's looking for death, that's his business."
Gu Yu sensed something more in his words and couldn't help asking, "Does Tang Guangbo have some special identity?"
Based on Xu Huo's assessment of Tang Guangbo, this person was probably also a player. However, he had no instance time each natural month, which meant he might be a Gray Player.
Being able to settle in a new district before it was fully integrated into the game was definitely not something an ordinary player could do. E-level and D-level players would just be throwing their lives away going there.
"He's a formidable character." Xu Huo added a bit more. "You haven't done any psychological evaluations, have you?"
"Players at the Special Defense Department can't even get an appointment. It's not our turn in these small associations." Gu Yu chuckled. "But looking at it now, that's probably a good thing."
"I have something I'd like you to help me with." Xu Huo changed the subject. "Want to meet up somewhere?"
Gu Yu readily agreed on a location. "I'll go ahead and wait for you."
After hanging up, Xu Huo glanced at the two people sitting diagonally across from him. They were staring at him. "Friend, you're a player too, right? Are you heading to the Special Defense Department headquarters?"
Xu Huo had used a Silencing Figure during his call. He put away the item. "I just came back from an instance. Is the Special Defense Department headquarters that lively?"
"Lively." One of them said. "Ever since the Hai City incident last time, District 014 hasn't been this lively. A lot of Cannibal Players have gathered here."
"The Special Defense Department shouldn't just ignore Cannibal Players, should they?" Xu Huo said.
"Hard to say." The other person sighed. "Seeing is believing. We came this time to see what the Special Defense Department will do. Xu Huo might be a bit arrogant, but the ones he kills are all Cannibal Players. That benefits everyone. Haven't you seen that Twin Serpents group gathering people to secretly trick ordinary players into killing them? What's there to regret about killing them?"
"If you ask me, the Special Defense Department is useless. They can't even tell when there's a Cannibal Player inside!"
"You can't say that." Xu Huo said. "The Special Defense Department has so many things to manage, and the border situation has only just started improving. District 014 hasn't been evolving for long either. The fact that the Special Defense Department can maintain national stability shows they have some capability. At least most ordinary people can still survive."
"That's true." The two found it reasonable and gave him a channel name. "This is a drone feed from civilian players. You should follow it too. Us ordinary players need to stick together!"
The Painting Woman beside him took it and put it in her pocket.
When the subway stopped, Xu Huo got off and went to the unmanned bookstore he had arranged to meet Gu Yu at. Zheng Liang was also there, along with another female player with a baby face. Gu Yu introduced her. "Her name is Wen Xuelin. She's a new player who joined the Spring Rain Association. Her profession is a makeup artist. She can completely transform a person's appearance in a very short time. I thought you might need that kind of trait."
"Hello!" Wen Xuelin excitedly shook hands with Xu Huo. "Mr. Xu, I'm your fan. I've been a fan ever since you cracked down on that place imprisoning evolved humans last time. I'm so happy to meet you!"
"She only joined the Spring Rain Association after hearing that I know you." Gu Yu said. "She's also about to advance to D-level."
Xu Huo greeted the young woman warmly and asked her to demonstrate her trait on the Painting Woman.
(Chapter End)