Kaidan Game Train: Abide Rule or Die!
Chapter 1165: It’s Easy to Talk to Someone You Know

Chapter 1165: Chapter 1165: It’s Easy to Talk to Someone You Know

The district where the Xu Family resides is heavily guarded by Players. After returning to Jing City, Xu Huo called Father Xu, and upon learning of the situation, he didn’t go home straight away but instead met with Gu Yu’s group to settle previous accounts.

Due to some unexpected issues during the trip, there were no props to distribute this time around, but the price he offered was generous. Gu Yu and the others hadn’t taken much risk, so, overall, the cooperation could still be considered amicable.

He returned to the safe zone only afterward.

Bian Ling’s family had already moved out, and Father Xu, along with a few others, appeared to have been interrogated by the Special Defense Department. Their nerves were visibly taut.

"It’s nothing major," Xu Huo reassured. "The Special Defense Department is just having internal problems and looking to vent their frustrations everywhere."

Father Xu was sharp, "The Special Defense Department guys kept asking about the government officials who were killed. This has nothing to do with you, right?"

"That was their botched operation. Besides, with so many dead, it might be some Player Organization acting behind the scenes," Xu Huo said dispassionately. "Maybe they’ve done so many shady things themselves that now they can’t even figure out who’s offing them."

Father Xu clutched his chest, looking visibly unwell. "I knew it."

Xu Huo patted his back thoughtfully. "You’re not young anymore. Spend more time playing with Tongtong. Don’t worry about things that aren’t worth worrying about. It’s not like you could fix them anyway."

Ms. Yu nodded repeatedly, listening from the side.

At this moment, Tongtong came over with a treasure he brought from the bathtub—a fish. "Look at this dumb fish! Its belly is already stuffed, and yet it still goes for the bait!"

"Greed destroys people," Xu Huo remarked casually, answering an incoming call from the Special Defense Department Headquarters. He responded with mild amusement, "Minister Fan, still haven’t gone on leave?"

Everything had already been set in motion, so Minister Fan seemed unusually calm. "You’re quite capable—and ruthless—kid. An eye for an eye, huh? You scared the government crew out of their wits. If they were assassinated, you might have even earned a commendation. But if they became Cannibal Players, their family’s decades-long foundation, spanning generations, would come crumbling down, leaving behind an eternal stain on their legacy."

"You people make too big a deal of it," Xu Huo countered. "Becoming Cannibal Players wasn’t their choice. It shouldn’t drag their families into it."

Minister Fan let out a cold laugh. "That argument would sound more convincing coming from the victims’ families... Still, I don’t quite understand—how did you pull it off?"

"All the security in the safe zones and safe houses is impeccably tight, and some of them were even constructed fairly recently. Where did you get the addresses?"

"Minister Fan, surely you aren’t planning to take someone down with you just because you’re stepping down, right?" Xu Huo shot back.

Minister Fan sighed. "I just want to know where the gaps in the Special Defense Department’s work lie."

Xu Huo chuckled. "I wouldn’t know whether there are gaps in the Special Defense Department’s work. Real conversations are fine, but I’m not here to play scapegoat."

"...I know it’s hard to get you to divulge anything," Minister Fan said, with a mix of advice and warning. "But you ought to think about the future. The Special Defense Department will soon have Players closing in from every direction. You’re young—make sure you give yourself an exit plan."

Xu Huo didn’t budge. Truthfully, many of those who were killed weren’t even on the Special Defense Department’s evacuation lists. Minister Fan’s casual mention of departmental oversight was merely him narrowing the search range. No matter whether Xu Huo affirmed or denied anything, the government and Special Defense Department could cut down on a significant amount of legwork and more easily pinpoint who leaked the information this time.

Minister Fan probed in circles yet eventually gave up with a pointed remark, "The next person stepping in as Minister might not be as lenient as me."

"That’s fine," Xu Huo replied. "The game world’s so vast—what does it matter which zone you live in?" He turned and waved toward the neighboring building’s surveillance spot.

Such threats were futile. When survival costs exceeded people’s sentimental attachment to their homeland, many would choose to leave their roots behind.

So, regardless of who’s in charge, the outcome remains the same. Persisting with oppressive policies will only cause more Players to abandon Zone 014. Those who can leave will do so. And when the zones eventually merge with the game world, who will stand against the Players invading from other zones then?

Minister Fan stood on the neighboring building, disappointed, as he hung up the call and spoke to the person beside him, "Find a couple of acquaintances to talk to him."

The first acquaintance to visit was Chief Wu.

As a Ting City native, Chief Wu had always been somewhat protective of Xu Huo since he first met him. Most of Xu Huo’s dealings with the Special Defense Department were facilitated through Chief Wu, and their relationship had been fairly cordial overall.

With circumstances as they were, the Special Defense Department wanted to shrink the investigative range in the most efficient way possible, so they could only send someone to sway him emotionally.

Chief Wu didn’t want to come. His forced smile looked more like a grimace as he entered.

Xu Huo, on his part, could understand. After all, Chief Wu was dragged into this mess when he was miles away, forced to handle this tedious and thankless task. Xu Huo treated him to lunch in return and promptly sent him off.

Nie Xuan came in the evening.

Nie Xuan had always been part of the hardliner faction within the Special Defense Department. His involvement signaled a shift in the department’s stance.

"You and Chief Wu sure are unlucky. No share of good fortune, but one scapegoat role after another," Xu Huo teased.

"Can’t be helped," Nie Xuan replied, sitting down. "The Special Defense Department’s position is clear—if I can take you down, all the better. If not, then it’s considered my personal actions. There’s still some room to maneuver given my history of disobeying orders. Taking action against someone ’refusing to cooperate with Special Defense Department operations’ isn’t exactly inconceivable."

He sat facing away from the window.

Xu Huo took the seat opposite him. "But this time, I’m afraid I can’t help you. It wasn’t me who killed those people. How could I possibly know anything?"

Nie Xuan took a sip of the tea Ms. Yu prepared. He added, "It would help a lot if we could trace your movements over the past few days. The timing aligns too conveniently, not to mention that major incidents occurred in the same city where you last appeared."

"That’s my private matter and has nothing to do with the Special Defense Department..." Xu Huo paused as though suddenly recalling something. "If you’ve got the time, you could help me investigate someone."

"His name is Song Xiaohua. Here’s his business card."

"This guy was on the same plane as you. He’s just been arrested but is about to be released by the Special Defense Department," Nie Xuan noted as he took the card.

"Don’t release him so soon. He might turn out to be a big catch," Xu Huo remarked casually.

Nie Xuan didn’t comment but looked unconvinced based on his expression. After two seconds, he asked, "When are you leaving?"

"Still need a few days’ rest," Xu Huo replied. "I came back this time to recover from injuries."

Nie Xuan scoffed. "In a few days, I’ll head into another instance. There’s something I want to entrust to you."

Xu Huo gestured for him to go ahead.

"A small island near the coastline suddenly disappeared from satellite images. However, instruments retrieved from outside zones detected a relatively chaotic space around the island," Nie Xuan said, his sharp gaze pinpointing Xu Huo. "You know what this implies."