Chapter 798: Capital Safe Zone
If they really wanted to follow him, Xu Huo couldn't exactly drive them away. There was only one road.
However, Chi Nan and her group were true people of action. Even after he made it clear he wouldn't team up with them, they still parked nearby, taking turns keeping watch at night, and occasionally walking past his car to show their presence.
Xu Huo ignored them. The next day, after washing up and eating breakfast, he set off again.
As his car merged onto the main road, he glanced at the vehicle following him and placed the Awakening Doll in the back seat.
A moment later, Little Pink Hat climbed into the front seat, clutching the doll's head and asking, "You're not asking me for help again, are you?"
Xu Huo handed her a bag of candy he'd bought in Zone 009 and said casually, "I came into some money recently."
Little Pink Hat tossed a candy into her mouth, crunching loudly, and stared at him, waiting for him to continue.
"I originally promised to buy you two D-level dresses, but I got busy and only managed to get one. The other one was also ordered as D-level, but since I've got a bit more cash now, D-level doesn't quite cut it anymore."
Little Pink Hat swallowed the candy and said sweetly, "You have that much money? Then buy me C-level ones instead! That way I won't hold a grudge against you for taking so long to keep your promise!"
Xu Huo turned to her with a smile. "Do you think I'm that kind of kind-hearted adult?"
Little Pink Hat immediately pouted, bouncing in her seat in frustration. "You adults always bully kids!"
Xu Huo handed her the dress. "I didn't lie to you."
Receiving the gift, Little Pink Hat was still happy. She temporarily forgave him, instantly changed into the dress with one click, and gleefully tugged at the hem. "I haven't had a new dress in so long!"
"You hold an instance. You can't be that poor," Xu Huo said.
"It's not that I'm poor—it's that the players entering my instance are too poor!" Pink Hat reattached the doll's head. "And they're stingy too. Some people won't even buy a single lollipop!"
Compared to a new dress, she definitely wanted candy more.
"Our deal went pretty well, didn't it?" Xu Huo said. "Most importantly, I have money."
Little Pink Hat's eyes lit up. "I heard Zone 003 released a limited edition candy..."
"No problem." Xu Huo agreed readily. "But you'll have to do me another favor."
Little Pink Hat wore an "I knew it" expression. "Dirty adults."
"Just a small favor—pull someone into your instance for me." Xu Huo said. "Zone 009 allows random instances. Just get her in there; I don't need you to do anything else."
Little Pink Hat swung her feet. "Is she a really strong player? Really strong players might dismantle the instance or kill the instance holder."
"She probably isn't that strong," Xu Huo said. "Besides, once someone follows her in, even if she could, she wouldn't dare."
"Maybe she's even holding a Gray Player identity."
Little Pink Hat wagged her finger. "This isn't lollipop pricing anymore."
"Swap the other dress for a C-level item, and I'll also get you a full set of twelve limited-edition lollipops, one new candy every month. How about that?" Xu Huo named his price.
"Deal!" Pink Hat slapped his arm, grinning. "A lot of players have come to Zone 009. There's bound to be some rich adults."
The matter was settled. Xu Huo put away the Awakening Doll, stopped the car, opened the door, and looked ahead.
There was another traffic jam up front.
Chi Nan walked up behind him. "Looks like someone's set up a tollbooth up ahead. With the current situation, the major player organizations outside the Capital Safe Zone have set up checkpoints charging fees. You have to pay five or six head taxes along the way. That's why I said Zone 009 is doomed."
It wasn't hard to understand. Player organizations weren't originally formed for the benefit of the entire nation. The more player organizations there were, the better the living environment for players, while ordinary people would gradually get worse, eventually polarizing into two extremes.
Zone 009 was already showing signs of this.
"Whether ordinary people can live well depends entirely on the conscience of the player organizations." Old Zhou seemed quite emotional, watching the people ahead who were either complaining or cursing. "I wonder what Zone 009 will eventually become."
"What do you think, brother?" Chi Nan asked Xu Huo.
Xu Huo glanced at her. "You probably drew bad luck when you went out yesterday, didn't you?"
"Gilding the lily is harmless, but a boat in a desperate crossing—no matter how small—is a lifeline."
"You've been sticking with me. Have you considered that this bad luck might strike halfway?"
The last sentence was a clear warning. Chi Nan's expression shifted, and she said, "Sorry to bother you," before retreating to her car.
The line started moving again. Xu Huo paid a toll of six thousand before finally entering the Capital Safe Zone.
The outer perimeter of the Capital Safe Zone was lined with steel platforms, on which were placed temporal-spatial item suppression devices imported from other zones. Though not as advanced as Zone 011's, they were still imposing enough just sitting there.
Xu Huo secretly tested "Compressed Air" and found it was clearly being interfered with inside the safe zone.
The safe zone was overcrowded. Near the edges, people had set up tents on the ground, but as the number of tents grew, patrolling players would drive them away, ensuring they stayed in the outer city.
Still, many residents were optimistic about the current situation, believing that players from other zones would leave eventually, that Zone 009 players would regain control, and that they could return to their hometowns.
A one-month time limit—this game rule was something ordinary people could be grateful for.
All hotels and inns in the city were full. Even resting in a car required paying a hefty parking fee.
Xu Huo abandoned his car and headed toward the exhibition hall.
Wearing his Invisibility Cloak, he entered the office building across from the exhibition hall's tower. Order within the capital was less disrupted, and there were still office workers putting in overtime, occasionally sighing, "Even if tomorrow is the end of the world, corporate slaves still have to work."
Besides them, there were several players disguised as ordinary people, also monitoring the exhibition hall.
Xu Huo waited by the stairwell until afternoon, when Jiang Jiang's car appeared in front of the building.
As she got out, the players inside the building started talking, exchanging information to confirm there were no suspicious individuals nearby.
But when Jiang Jiang stepped out of the car, she turned and looked back at the building across the street.
"What's she looking at?" one player asked.
"Maybe she's checking if there are bodyguards over here," another player said. "She's not a player. How could she possibly detect us? Want to say hello?"
"We're only responsible for perimeter security. Don't you know how high the mortality rate is among the players around her? Don't ask for trouble, or we'll mess up."
With a few words, the monitoring players fell silent again.
Xu Huo went downstairs, put away his items in a busy restroom, walked straight out of the building, and entered the exhibition hall disguised as a visitor.