# Chapter 990: Borrowing a Vehicle
"B-Big brother, don't kill me... I'll say anything..." The remaining one clearly wasn't as tough as the previous one, tears and snot flowing out together. "We just wanted to kidnap a little girl to get some drinking money, we haven't done anything heinous!"
Xu Huo paused, seeing that he genuinely didn't think what they did was a big deal.
"Where do you usually sell people?"
"Brother Rong's casino. Brother Rong's two brothers are players, he's the boss around here. Even the government can't control him. Many girls work there, just pouring drinks for guests, they can earn money too, it's not a loss at all..."
Xu Huo raised his index finger to interrupt him. "Is there a regular train heading to the capital Snow City?"
"N-No..." The other swallowed his saliva. "But the casino arranges convoys to send things to Snow City every so often. I heard it's Brother Rong paying tribute to his brothers... His convoy is the only one around here that goes to Snow City. Other vehicles can't keep up with the battery charge, and without government-stamped charging procedures, you can't charge in other cities..."
District 002 all used electrical energy, vehicles included. Controlling electricity meant controlling the entire district.
But this wasn't a big problem either—just prepare some backup batteries.
The key issue was the vehicle.
Xu Huo opened the map. District 002 also had fixed-schedule trains, but they only ran between large cities. The city he was in was relatively remote; to catch a train, he'd first have to drive to the nearest large city.
And to keep a vehicle running for long distances, the battery itself was quite large. For long hauls, he'd need an extra-large vehicle according to District 002's electric vehicle classification.
In relatively remote cities, there shouldn't be many such vehicles.
"Where else can I find an extra-large electric vehicle?"
"Government Hall. Besides Brother Rong, Government Hall has one, and it's brand new!" Kidnapper Number Two eagerly suggested. "Plus, Government Hall has backup batteries. Even if you run out of power halfway, you can connect them!"
Xu Huo nodded, then asked, "How many players are at Government Hall?"
Number Two's face showed despair. "I really don't know... But I've heard Brother Rong's underlings say that everyone at Government Hall is cowardly and doesn't dare offend Brother Rong... There probably aren't many players..."
"Is that so?" Xu Huo's voice rose slightly. "What about the casino?"
"At least twenty..." Number Two said uncertainly.
"Twenty?" Xu Huo raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe more than ten... They send people to instances every month..." Number Two timidly changed his answer.
Xu Huo didn't expect to get exact numbers from an ordinary person, but it seemed Brother Rong didn't have many players under him—at least not dangerous. On the other hand, the unassuming Government Hall deserved caution.
"You should know where Brother Rong's convoy is, right?"
Number Two trembled, stuttering, "I'm dead... I'm dead..."
Xu Huo tightened the string around his neck. "You can choose to die now instead."
"I know!" The little girl who had been eavesdropping outside the door pushed it open, speaking urgently. "I know where Brother Rong's convoy is, and I know their usual route for transporting batteries. I'll take you!"
Xu Huo gestured for her not to rush, then looked at Kidnapper Number Two. "Ready to talk now?"
Number Two quickly nodded. After being released, he immediately gave the address and even the route, afraid Xu Huo might think he wasn't being honest enough.
Seeing the little girl nod, Xu Huo had her bring paper and a pen to draw a simple map. After having Number Two confirm it, he disposed of him.
Putting away the two bodies, he was about to leave when the little girl followed him. "Are you going to steal Brother Rong's vehicle?"
"You hate him?" Xu Huo turned back.
The little girl nodded. "My sister was taken by him. He raped her and then gave her to a player in a big city. Last year, my sister sent me her last message and then disappeared. Her name is Liao Lian, in Xiaoyang City. Are you going to Xiaoyang City? If you meet her, could you pass on a message for me? Tell her I'm waiting at home for her. Whether she's missing limbs or has had her organs cut out, I can still take care of her."
The little girl's eyes were calm, as if she were talking about something unrelated to herself. Her accustomed and resigned demeanor made the air itself fall silent.
She then skillfully began unbuttoning her clothes. "I'm young, my body is healthy, I've never given birth, no scars on my body, no body odor, I took a shower half an hour ago..."
Xu Huo stopped her. "If even a phone can't reach her, how can a message work?"
The little girl's eyes showed disappointment, but his next words reignited her hope. "I still have things to do. I'm only passing through Xiaoyang City. If you want to find her, you'll have to go yourself. Follow me."
Xu Huo turned and walked away. The little girl hurriedly grabbed her backpack from the cabinet, quickly took a black raincoat, and followed closely behind him.
Using a prop to teleport directly near the casino, they happened to catch the convoy loading goods. Besides some boxed gifts, there were several large cages covered with black cloth.
"There are people inside..." the little girl whispered.
Xu Huo nodded slightly, signaling her to stay put. He then crossed through space to approach the convoy. Just as he was about to enter the casino, he unexpectedly discovered another player also trying to enter.
The other player noticed him too, raised their chin at him from a distance, then drew a red sword and charged straight out. In one move, they killed the two players guarding the goods, waved a hand to clear away the transport workers, and without looking back, rushed into the casino!
The next second, screams drowned out the original noise. People inside were scrambling to escape. Xu Huo didn't rush in either, standing at the entrance waiting. Moments later, he saw several players escorting a middle-aged man running out. As he ran, the middle-aged man was directing others to capture the female player with the red sword: "Don't kill her, just break her hands and feet. I'm going to sell her to Snow City..."
Before he could finish, he suddenly bumped into the player in front of him. Rubbing his face, he cursed, "What the hell, did your feet fall off? Why aren't you moving..."
When he poked his head out, he met Xu Huo's gaze—inevitably, because the people running out of the casino inexplicably parted around him. From behind them all the way to where he stood, it was like a radiating fan shape. People on both sides, even if they lost their shoes, no one took a single step toward the middle, as if they couldn't see the empty space or that it was passable... Amidst the running crowd, Xu Huo's area was like a separate space. That's how Brother Rong spotted him immediately.
"Are you Brother Rong?" Xu Huo asked with a smile.
Brother Rong's face twitched. He shoved the player beside him forward. "Kill him now!"
(Chapter End)