Chapter 995: Space Channel
Xu Huo stopped walking and handed her five hundred white notes. "Could you help me buy a pack of cigarettes?"
"Water medicine?" The woman had dealt with outer zone players before and confirmed that the "cigarettes" he mentioned were items similar to stimulant agents from other districts. Zone 002 had no tobacco cultivation; people usually smoked synthetic agents.
Watching the woman head toward a nearby shop, Xu Huo boarded the next bus to the city center.
Twenty minutes later, he stood in the largest and busiest central square of Xiaoyang City. As soon as he got off, many locals came to promote local specialty projects or native products, their enthusiasm as if they had suddenly stepped into a sales building during an economic downturn, each person eagerly touting the benefits of their own goods.
Avoiding the crowd in the square, he entered the commercial building in the city center.
The first thing he saw at the entrance was a large live broadcast screen, which in real time recorded the voting situation in the capital Snow City, along with scenes of spontaneous celebrations and parades by citizens within Snow City.
"Sir, would you like to experience the sun?" A staff member, seeing Xu Huo holding a flyer for the Sun Pavilion, smiled and approached. "We have experience packages tailored specifically for outer zone players: thirty seconds, three minutes, and eight minutes. If you plan to stay long-term in Zone 002, you can register for the Sun Tax, which is valid throughout the zone. This way, you can enjoy the same service in any large city, basking in the sun at a fixed time each day, to avoid any discomfort from prolonged darkness."
"Is it a real sun?" Xu Huo asked.
"Of course it's a real sun," the staff member replied, her smile unchanged. "This is a special service of Zone 002. Our instruments connect to other districts, using advanced technology to project sunlight to a fixed location. Don't you think seeing sunlight in an eternal night environment is a unique experience?"
Xu Huo looked at the package prices. Compared to the fixed monthly fees paid by locals, the packages were exorbitantly expensive.
The staff member explained, "Each activation of the instrument costs a significant amount, so the single-person experience packages are slightly more expensive."
Xu Huo spent fifty thousand white notes to buy a thirty-second package.
The staff member led him into a pure white room. Inside, there was only a chair that could recline halfway. After he lay down, the circular instrument directly above the chair began to rotate.
"The Sun Channel is about to open. Please protect your eyes. The countdown will now begin."
"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!"
As the countdown ended, the metal plate in the center of the instrument opened like flower petals, and golden sunlight poured down instantly. It resembled a well opening to the sky, perfectly showing the sun hanging high above.
It was indeed a genuine sun.
When the machine activated, Xu Huo felt a strong spatial fluctuation. This wasn't a mineral or other object emitting energy similar to sunlight, but rather a channel directly opened from Zone 002 to another district. Through this space channel, direct sunlight was achieved.
This gave him an indescribable sense of absurdity. Xiaoyang City could use cutting-edge technological instruments to create a space channel, yet Zone 002, in the same district, was so backward that even electronic products couldn't be used freely.
As soon as the thirty seconds were up, the instrument shut down precisely. The staff member opened the door and invited Xu Huo out.
"Can a person pass through?" Xu Huo asked.
The staff member laughed. "Half a year ago, an outer zone player probably wanted to know the same thing. But instead of asking, he directly jumped in. When we went in, only a small amount of blood was splattered on the chair, and that player didn't even leave a fingernail behind."
"After all, it's just a space channel for sunbathing. There's no need for it to be capable of allowing objects to pass through."
"Welcome back anytime."
After leaving, Xu Huo bought a communicator, connected to Zone 002's public platform, and looked into the Sun Tax.
The Sun Tax had been levied for thirty years, meaning Zone 002's connection channel to other spaces had existed for at least three decades. It was impossible for there to have been no technological improvements in that time, so this "Sun Tax" might be an add-on to other projects. At the very least, the original purpose of opening the space channel couldn't have been for sunbathing.
The districts he had experienced, including the more developed Zone 011, didn't have mature space channel technology. Zone 011's company had to send ships out to receive smuggled weapons, and the Eerie Sound Knights couldn't directly deliver weapons to Zone 011, let alone conveniently ship large-scale arms.
Zone 011 had a Game Government Base, so it wasn't simply a matter of insufficient technology. Rather, the game system restricted free movement between districts.
A return ticket allowed a player to travel directly from one district back to their place of origin. This was essentially a traversal through a space channel. Zone 002's sunbathing specialty project meant either the game government had granted it permission, or Zone 002 was different from other districts, being a region closely connected to the game government.
"...Brother Xuan, when are you planning to go back to Snow City?" Several young people walking out of the mall were talking. Among them, a girl with her hair tied in many small braids asked the boy beside her. "Xiaoyang City isn't fun at all. It definitely can't compare to Snow City. I really want to visit Snow City too."
"What's there to see? It's the same all year round. It's not as fun as a small place," the boy called Brother Xuan replied, unconsciously showing a hint of pride. "I heard the trading market in Xiaoyang City has some fresh stuff. Take me to check it out."
The braided girl exchanged glances with her companions. The three of them chattered in unison to dissuade him. "Those places are dirty. My parents never let me go."
"If you want something fresh, Snow City is better. Even if you want to buy a servant, the quality isn't good there."
"My mom says the people trading there have infectious diseases. People like us, who've never been sick since childhood, are the easiest to catch them."
Brother Xuan suddenly stopped and looked at them. "You're not scared, are you?"
The buzz-cut young man who had said the quality wasn't good immediately replied, "What's there to be scared of? If Brother Xuan wants to go, I'll gladly accompany you!"
The braided girl also said, "What's there to fear about infectious diseases? We'll wear protective suits and bring antidotes."
The remaining one, wearing glasses, had to go along with the majority. "We should still tell our parents."
As he spoke, he took out his communicator, but the buzz-cut young man and the braided girl each grabbed one of his arms to stop him. "What fun is there if we tell them? Brother Xuan came here on vacation to find some excitement. If we're stuck at home, we might as well be in Snow City. Isn't that right, Brother Xuan?"
Brother Xuan nodded and lowered his voice slightly. "I brought some items with me. There won't be any problems."
Seeing his confident demeanor, the other three became both tempted and excited. They pulled and dragged each other forward, but unexpectedly bumped into a woman carrying a child. After apologizing, they got their car and left.
(Chapter End)