Chapter 969: Watered-Down Truth
After multiple rounds of assault, Luo Changren's psychological defenses seemed to have loosened considerably. After a brief pause, he described Dr. Zhang's physical features.
"He is a very refined gentleman, very persuasive and talented. He has an impressive appearance that attracts admiration. Though his speech doesn't quite reach the level of quoting classics, it's very convincing."
"He's passionate about charity, sponsors orphans, adopts stray animals... but he doesn't handle alcohol well, and he likes fiddling with women's favorite jewelry."
In Xu Huo's view, compared to the earlier points, these last two were practically harmless. Especially the fondness for jewelry—men would instinctively lower their guard against him, while women would find him more approachable.
A perfect, flawless person only inspires fear, but someone nearly perfect can greatly increase goodwill, as if an unattainable figure suddenly shares ordinary people's flaws.
"You originally switched careers to become a pharmacist because you admired Dr. Wu," he said.
"You don't think he's Dr. Wu, do you?" Luo Changren shook his head. "If Dr. Wu were still alive, he'd probably be over a hundred years old."
"Appearances can change," Xu Huo said. Whether "Dr. Wu" was a person or a code name, at least in the game world, disguise wasn't difficult.
Luo Changren looked at him with bloodshot eyes. "So you're looking for Dr. Wu."
Xu Huo nodded. "But after hearing your description, I think this Dr. Zhang is far inferior to Dr. Wu. At least given Dr. Wu's legendary status, he probably wouldn't give you an evolution agent with such huge hidden dangers."
Luo Changren's eyes widened slightly, but he quickly deflated. "You're right."
"Write me a specific address." Xu Huo deliberately gave him paper and pen.
Luo Changren took it and quickly wrote down a street name. "Number 19 on this street."
Xu Huo took it, glanced at it, and casually stored it in his luggage compartment, preparing to leave.
"Wait!" Luo Changren called out to him. "The vaccine is buried two meters under the center floor tile on the first floor. I want to see it—to see if Dr. Zhang really deceived me!"
Xu Huo had already stood up. He looked down at him from beside the bed, sighed after three seconds, and agreed to take him along.
Luo Changren was overwhelmed with gratitude. "Thank you... really, thank you..."
Xu Huo wanted to thank him too. Although probably half of his words were watered down, they still gave him some clues.
Handing over the invisibility cloak, he asked, "Xiong Qing has already been taken into custody. Can you get there on your own?"
"Yes!" Luo Changren quickly replied, then added, "But I'm afraid I can't evade the Enforcement Team's pursuit."
"I'll draw the Enforcement Team's attention and have Shangguan Xi come to pick you up." Xu Huo glanced at him. "Whether you make it smoothly depends on your luck."
Luo Changren nodded repeatedly.
Just then, the time Xu Huo had agreed upon with Shangguan Xi and the others was almost up. He forcefully broke through the blockade line, used "Destination Arrival" to put distance between himself and the tree canopy pillar, then set the man down and sent his location to Shangguan Xi.
Leaving Luo Changren alone, Xu Huo left. Before hanging up the communicator, he specifically instructed Shangguan Xi to keep an eye on the man and not let him touch anything in the Bird Tower.
The base city was now in chaos. Shangguan Xi could easily slip away, but he was injured and urged Xu Huo to speed up. "I'm getting annoyed to death by that Zhao Jie!"
"Hang on a little longer." Xu Huo took out Gao Zhen's corpse, slung it over his shoulder, and leaped up from the ground cover into midair.
Almost the moment he exposed himself, players' gazes turned toward him. The Lou family, closest by, and three B-level players quickly converged on his position!
"Don't damage the mayor's body!" Lou Jia warned the others.
"Jump Rope Competition!" The farthest player first threw out a handle. As the handle flew out, the other two—one restricted the high altitude, the other shot a short blade!
Under the three-way pincer attack, Xu Huo used an air barrier to block the jump rope handle but didn't stop the short blade at his back. Instead, he turned around and placed Gao Zhen's corpse in front of him.
Seeing the short blade about to pierce the corpse, the player who threw it flicked his hand, sending the blade flying to the side. At the same time, he shouted at Xu Huo, "Can't carry on shoulders, can't lift with hands!"
Xu Huo felt the strength in his right arm being drained, but Gao Zhen's corpse, though sliding, didn't fall—because her coat was stuck to Xu Huo's prop coat.
"Despicable!" Several players were furious, but they couldn't disregard the mayor's remains.
Gao Xiaoyan caught up at that moment, ordering her subordinates to surround Xu Huo while loudly saying, "Name your terms! Don't harm the mayor's remains!"
By now, besides Gao Xiaoyan and the Lou family who had been tracking him, nearby Enforcement Team players and the peaked-cap player Zhao Jie, who had been harassing Shangguan Xi, had all arrived with their people.
Seeing that he had attracted enough attention, Xu Huo pressed "Three Seconds of Life" against his palm. As the space-sealing prop failed, he broke through the encirclement, used "Destination Arrival" twice in a row, and charged straight into the Bird Tower.
Kuang Wenjun and Zhu Feiyun had already arrived nearby. Zhu Feiyun had even set up a gravity chaos space in advance. When Kuang Wenjun moved the buildings at the edge of the base city near the Bird Tower, the previously damaged structures could be put to good use under Zhu Feiyun's prop.
Looking at the inverted space, which was noticeably smaller than what he had seen in W19, Xu Huo asked the two, "Won't your props conflict?"
Kuang Wenjun's face was pale. "We can barely use them together, but neither Zhu Feiyun nor I can hold out long."
Xu Huo nodded, handed the previously collected xenomorph corpse to Pan Qiao, and said, "Go to the fifth floor. When I signal, throw the corpse down."
Pan Qiao glanced at the old lady lying flat on the ground, looked at him with a hesitant expression, then left.
Shangguan Xi, who had just arrived, was less tactful. "Brother, killing is one thing, but you don't have to desecrate the corpse like this."
Luo Changren remarked, "This is Gao Zhen, the mayor of W37 base city."
Shangguan Xi hissed. "No wonder the Enforcement Team is biting at us like mad dogs."
"Did you kill her?" Zhu Feiyun looked at Xu Huo as if he had no brain.
"She basically died of illness," Xu Huo said. Given Gao Zhen's condition, she could have expired at any moment. She held on just long enough for the scapegoat to arrive, then died cleanly.
Kuang Wenjun had already moved several groups of people away. Sweating profusely, she said, "Xu Gou, I can't hold on anymore!"
Xu Huo signaled Luo Changren, who was about to dig up the floor tiles, not to panic, then dialed Gao Xiaoyan's communicator.
Gao Xiaoyan and the Lou family had already surrounded the Bird Tower with their people. The Enforcement Team and government higher-ups were arguing over whether to storm the place:
"The mayor's remains are in their hands. We can't act rashly. We must negotiate terms. As long as they return the mayor intact, we can make concessions!"
(Chapter End)