Chapter 795: Xu Huo's Arrangements
Though he said he was borrowing, Xu Huo wouldn't actually be so unscrupulous; he still left a fairly generous sum of money for the boss.
The boss took the money and said, "Your legs aren't convenient, want me to drive for you?"
"No need." Xu Huo stood up directly, moved his hands and feet, and lifted the wheelchair into the old van.
"Is there anything you want to take?" he asked Xiao Yuan. "I'll go back with you to get it."
"Nothing," Xiao Yuan pulled out a small glass bottle from around her neck. "I have this, that's enough!"
Inside was a tooth.
Xu Huo could see she truly had no attachments, gestured for her to sit in the passenger seat, then started the car and drove toward the outskirts of town.
This kind of small town didn't restrict entry or exit, but many ordinary people still kept an eye on the street activity. Xu Huo was leaving—of course, this small town couldn't hold him, he would leave sooner or later—but he was taking Xiao Yuan with him.
The adults hiding in their houses watching showed expressions of envy and regret. A few little street children ran wildly behind the car, and after a while, when they couldn't run anymore, some stood there foolishly, while others fell to their knees and wept loudly. One child cried out as tears streamed down his face, "Xiao Yuan! Can I go with you!"
Xiao Yuan was crying too. She didn't dare make further requests of Xu Huo, just wiped her tears and looked at him hopefully.
"Want to take them along?" Xu Huo asked.
"Can I?" Xiao Yuan was stunned, but then grew anxious. She could vaguely sense that Xu Huo taking her away wasn't simply about putting her in another safe place, but if she brought too many people, he might change his mind.
"If you have something to say, say it," Xu Huo said. "You're a child, you don't need to overthink things."
"If I bring them along, does that mean I can't call you teacher anymore?" Xiao Yuan asked immediately.
"You shouldn't have been calling me teacher in the first place." Xu Huo stopped the car. "But bringing a few kids isn't a big deal. Changing cities is better than staying here. You're coming with me."
Xiao Yuan let out a cautious cheer, then leaned half her body out the window and quickly waved at the street children in the distance. "Come quick!"
Those children pulled each other along and ran toward the car again. During this time, two more kids who had been watching from the roadside also joined the group.
Seven children in total, scrambling to climb into the back seats.
The car door closed again, and the vehicle slowly drove out of the small town.
There wasn't enough food in the car for so many children, so on the way, Xu Huo took them for a meal and bought some snacks to keep in the vehicle.
Whether it was moldy food or leftovers from others, these children had almost never eaten snacks with intact packaging and fresh expiration dates. Even after a full meal, their eyes still gleamed green at those bags.
"Can't eat anymore," Xiao Yuan said to them. "If you eat too much, your stomachs will burst!"
The children were good at reading people's expressions. Since Xu Huo didn't say anything, they didn't dare snatch. But after their initial excitement, some began to worry about their situation.
There had been cases before where children were tricked away, only to disappear or die.
"Xiao Yuan, where are we going?" the boy who had chased the car and called out asked quietly.
"To a big city," Xiao Yuan said happily. "We won't have to go hungry or get beaten anymore!"
The children were still uneasy because her words sounded just like the adults who had deceived them before.
During a rest stop on the road, Xu Huo had Xiao Yuan go to the back to be with the kids, while he searched for nearby city orphanages.
Safe zones were out of the question.
First, they might not even get in. Second, resource competition in safe zones was bound to be more intense, and in special times, they might abandon the old, weak, and young.
A relatively prosperous ordinary city would be enough.
It didn't take much effort to settle on a location, and Xu Huo set off again.
There was a checkpoint on the main road into the city. Xu Huo bringing so many children alone would definitely attract attention, and some players came over to investigate.
The stricter the inspection, the better Xu Huo's attitude. He made it clear he was taking these children to an orphanage. Given the special circumstances, even though the players were concerned about the children's situation, they couldn't spare the time. Only one elderly player, who was too old to be of much use, went with him to the orphanage.
As soon as the old man got in the car, he saw the fresh bloodstains on the wheelchair and couldn't help but tense up.
"Don't worry, I'm someone who respects the elderly and loves the young," Xu Huo reassured him.
The old man's expression grew even worse.
Fortunately, they arrived at the orphanage without incident.
Xu Huo really did take the children inside, but he didn't rush to handle the paperwork. Instead, he first went to see the dean and the teachers there.
The dean was fine. Xu Huo donated a generous sum of charity money, with the condition that they take good care of the children—not just food and clothing, but if conditions allowed, send them to school.
"That goes without saying," the dean said with a kind smile. "Children should go to school anyway."
"I'll go register the children."
Xu Huo nodded. "I've met all four teachers here. One of them has a problem. When I leave, I'll take him with me, so you don't need to look for him later."
The dean opened her mouth, her expression shifting between disbelief and anger. In the end, she said nothing but walked angrily to the small auditorium. When she ran into the four teachers, she stared at them for a long time before giving up.
"Just as you say," she said to Xu Huo.
"Eight children in total," the elderly player who had come in the same car said to the dean.
"Seven." Xu Huo beckoned, and Xiao Yuan immediately ran to his side. "I'm going with Teacher!"
"Going?" The old man didn't catch on. "To another orphanage?"
"To District 011," Xu Huo glanced at him.
The old man was surprised, then said with a hint of envy, "District 011 is a good place—advanced technology, stable public order, and no random instances."
"Children can't go through instances. You need to buy a non-player ticket. I'll give you a website."
After Xiao Yuan said goodbye to the other children, Xu Huo pointed to one of the teachers and asked him to see them off.
The teacher found it a bit strange, but seeing the dean nod, he followed Xu Huo out of the orphanage with a smile.
As soon as they stepped outside, Xu Huo knocked him out and threw him into the car.
"What are you doing!" The old player had just finished writing down the website.
Xu Huo found the teacher's phone, flipped through the encrypted files, opened one, and tossed it to the old man, then drove off directly.
He found a random spot to deal with the teacher, first switched cars, then took Xiao Yuan to a hotel. After logging onto the website, he purchased a non-player ticket.
In larger game districts, non-player tickets could be obtained through the district government or game bases. But in a place like District 009, which had only recently fully integrated into the game, the game bases certainly wouldn't care about it, and the district government had no binding authority. If player organizations weren't recognized, there might not be a more official body for unified management, but plenty of people were doing this kind of business anyway.
"You'll take the train yourself," Xu Huo instructed Xiao Yuan. "Non-player trains are relatively safe. Once on board, give the money to the conductor, and they'll take care of you. When you get to the station, find a patrol car and ask them to take you to Rose Castle. The butler, Mr. Dong, uses ventriloquism. Listen to his arrangements when you get there."