Kaidan Game Train: Abide Rule or Die!
Chapter 1260 - 1261: Poverty Makes People Hesitate

Chapter 1260: Chapter 1261: Poverty Makes People Hesitate

Jiang Zifeng seemed to be speaking casually, not taking it seriously, and offhandedly asked, "We’re leaving Card City tomorrow, such a shame... When are you leaving?"

"I’m leaving tomorrow too." Xu Huo replied.

"It’s rare to find such a like-minded friend, but unfortunately our time together is too short. However, since we are so destined to meet, we might see each other again someday." Jiang Zifeng said to himself, and with great enthusiasm, patted Xu Huo’s shoulder, "Why don’t we stay up tonight?"

Of course, it’s impossible not to rest. One of Xu Huo’s reasons for staying in Card City was to rest; in the instance, he often couldn’t sleep well for days, and the first thing he did after exiting was to recharge.

Ye Bingxin had other matters to attend to, so she left the airship mid-way. Xu Huo and Jiang Zifeng returned to Eternal Star Hotel, where the latter was picked up by the hotel staff—rushing off to the next arrangement, while Xu Huo went back to his room alone.

On his way up, the elevator bumped slightly, and faint sounds of fighting could be heard through the cracks. At the same time, the elevator’s intelligence prompted that someone would be boarding on the next floor.

The sounds of fighting indeed came from upstairs. Since Eternal Star Hotel’s floors utilized special metals, the spatial sensing range wasn’t broad and not very clear. Xu Huo only knew two groups were fighting upstairs, approximately seven or eight people, but couldn’t accurately discern their subtle movements.

However, the elevator’s functioning wasn’t normal after ascending; as soon as it reached the floor, the elevator door suddenly opened, and with two figures swiftly stepping inside, it closed again with a "bang"—to make an elevator of super-silent grade metal clatter like this, it must definitely have been a prop.

Once the elevator door closed, a few people lagging behind failed to catch up.

"They don’t dare damage the elevator," said a woman with a high ponytail, her hair flowing down to her waist, as she inhaled and spoke to her companion, "This elevator can’t be taken down without millions of White Notes."

Damaging things in Eternal Star Hotel means compensation, and they won’t reason with you—they’ll first deduct money if you have it, and record a debt if you don’t. Eternal Star Hotel has a collaboration with the game, any subsequent income will first repay Eternal Star Hotel—there’s no situation of debt refusal—this efficient and straightforward measure can effectively curb an intensifying fight, thanks to White Notes.

The woman with a high ponytail had skin wounds on her arm, which were negligible. However, her companion was more seriously injured, with a puncture wound in the right abdomen; a miniature medical machine was maneuvering at his wound, stitching it.

"Each strike is more vicious than the last!" the woman with a high ponytail worried for her companion while expressing disdain for their pursuers, "Their heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys must be black, no wonder they could do such things!"

Her companion signaled with his eyes towards Xu Huo, who was standing silently beside them.

The woman with the high ponytail turned back, offering him a smile, "Sorry to disturb you, lad. We’ll just find a random floor to get off."

Xu Huo politely asked which floor they wished to go to.

"Let’s go five floors up." the woman with a high ponytail replied.

Xu Huo chose the thirteenth floor, but then canceled on the twelfth. Under the couple’s tense and confused gaze, he said, "Someone’s blocking you outside. If you want to leave the hotel, it’s best to take another route."

The elevator couldn’t be exited, and poverty made them hesitant; neither dared to directly destroy the elevator, leaving them in a dilemma.

"Why not go directly to the top floor?" Xu Huo suggested, "Non-residents can’t access the top floor; it should be safe."

"Are you a resident on the top floor?" The woman with the high ponytail was a little surprised, her eyes reflexively scanning Xu Huo’s unremarkable attire and appearance, realizing her gaze might be impolite, she cautiously said, "Wouldn’t it bother you? If they come up, it may cause you unnecessary trouble."

Ordinary passengers couldn’t directly reach the top floor by elevator, but that didn’t mean players couldn’t use other methods to enter. However, this was District 001; amidst peace and prosperity, the Eternal Star Hotel security would be more conscientious, at least preventing arbitrary entry and exit from the exterior walls.

Even if those people insisted on entering the top floor, it would be fine. The top floor had many quality items, smashing any would suffice for their debts for one or two years.

Invited by Xu Huo, the woman with the high ponytail exchanged a glance with her companion, considering it a viable solution, followed him to the top floor.

Without requiring Xu Huo’s question, upon entering the room, the woman with the high ponytail briefly explained their situation.

They, too, were guests at Eternal Star Hotel. Initially, they angered someone and hid here, not expecting their opponent to pursue relentlessly, even finding Eternal Star Hotel—they couldn’t leave without rushing into a trap, forced to leverage Eternal Star Hotel to limit their pursuers.

"Why not simply leave?" Xu Huo asked, "Sticking around despite difficulties, is there a special reason?"

The two looked at each other, then the woman with the high ponytail said, "Actually, what we’re doing isn’t something unspeakable. We stole an encrypted file from those people, containing data from their live human experimentation and a list of clients they traded with. But this file has a time-control mechanism; exceeding a certain period or leaving this district automatically destroys it, we want to disclose the contents to the public, which is why we’re stuck here."

"We thought about handing it to the District Government, but upon seizing the file, we found these people connected with certain personnel in the District Government, so we dare not directly hand it over."

"Are you only two?" Xu Huo sensed inconsistencies in their words, "Who decrypts the file?"

"I can." the injured man spoke, "I used to work in information encryption; given enough time, decrypting the file isn’t an issue."

"Initially this was a spontaneous decision, we didn’t think much, but being pursued this badly, not making a scene feels like a missed opportunity." The woman with a high ponytail attempted to arouse sympathy from Xu Huo, "In District 001 countless people vanish without reason, including locals and outsiders. Each time, the District Government attributes it to incidents involving attacks by foreign players, but at least a third of the disappeared population is tied to this black industry. Adults, children, even pregnant women aren’t spared. When we stole the file, we also uncovered a group of ordinary people injected with special control potions, unfortunately we ran out of time and couldn’t release them..."

Xu Huo listened calmly, not expressing his stance, waiting until she finished before saying, "Then you must hurry, if their operations reach the District Government, they’ll employ other methods to capture you, ultimately leaving you no place to escape."

The woman with a high ponytail slightly parted her lips as if to say something, when her communicator vibrated—she apologized and said, "Let me take a call."

She turned away to take the call, using a muffler artefact.

Only her body language indicated she was explaining something to the caller, but the conversation seemed unpleasant; during this, the man busy decrypting the file glanced at her.