Kaidan Game Train: Abide Rule or Die!
Chapter 978: Deification

Chapter 978: Chapter 978: Deification

Bird Tower was also within the range of gravity chaos, and because it was the central location for props, the floating buildings there were the most numerous. When gravity control was lost, these buildings inevitably crashed down upon the already fragile tower!

With a series of loud bangs, clouds of dust billowed out from around Bird Tower, obscuring the already dimly lit streets. Many shadows moved in the dust, indistinguishable whether they were heading in or out. At this time, the government was more concerned with the life and death of Gao Xiaoyan and the safety of Gao Zhen’s body. As for Xu Huo and the others, they were put on the back burner.

Rescue helicopters and vehicles quickly took positions, illuminating the vicinity of Bird Tower like daylight. Players from the Law Enforcement Team were clearing the piled wreckage on the periphery while keeping in contact with Gao Xiaoyan and the Lou family.

The government first made contact with Gao Xiaoyan. She said, "We’re all fine. Start clearing from the front of Bird Tower; the mayor is here."

Working with machinery, the Law Enforcement Team cleared the debris near the main entrance of Bird Tower, and it took four players to push open the blocked door to create just a meter-wide gap. When the light shone in, the body of Gao Zhen sat serenely in front of the clock frame, holding a pocket watch to her chest, as if she were taking an oath as she had done in life...

*

Base City plunged into chaos, and places like the bar district, already unstable, were unavoidably affected. Many taverns and small stores were ravaged by violent impacts, with broken tables, chairs, bottles, and dishes scattered across the streets. However, this area was on the edge of Base City, near the quarantine zone, and after most people had rushed towards the city center, it became even more desolate, like a neglected trash can.

The owner of Star Bar was already showing symptoms of infection. Unlike the robust and powerful men who fought for survival, in her condition, even if she went to the city center, she would be squeezed out to the margins, just like the elderly and children, with no chance of getting the antitoxin.

So she stayed in her bar, locking the drawers that had been smashed open, picking up overturned tables and chairs, mechanically repeating the cleaning motions.

"Ding!" The doorbell rang, and a man and a woman walked into the shop.

"We are not open for business today." The owner gently rubbed her itchy arm through her clothing.

"I’ll have a drink." The two were clearly players; they didn’t plan on leaving, and the man even asked her to turn on the TV.

The owner had no choice. She turned on the TV and then found a half-full bottle of alcohol from the corner of the liquor cabinet to serve them.

The TV’s picture quality was poor, and it was intermittently broadcasting the situation near Bird Tower. The reporter hurried through his report, "...The mayor found a lifeline for Base W37 City before her demise... Did everyone see the projectile that was fired from Bird Tower just now? It was not toxic material from other base cities as speculated, but genuine antitoxin... Those near Bird Tower must have felt a fog-like liquid descending, that was the antitoxin!"

"The conspiracy from the other base cities has not succeeded; there is still hope for W37!"

"The government sure reacted quickly." At this moment, another person came through the door, his face bearing many wounds. He laughed at the TV news, which in turn pulled at his injury, involuntarily turning his face into a comical expression.

He plunked himself down opposite the man and woman, gesturing to the owner, "Pour me a drink as well."

"Are you all right?" The pale-faced woman asked him, "I thought I saw you bleeding from the nose just now."

"It’s nothing, just exerted myself too much," the injured man grinned, "But wasn’t my final scene spectacular? I’ve never felt so exhilarated!"

"Thanks to you," the woman said dryly.

The TV news image changed again, and the reporter’s voice became more poignant, "...A great person has fallen, her posture as if swearing an oath to time moved us to tears... The mayor sacrificed her youth, her life, and even her life for W37, like a god descending upon Bird Tower, she brought down a miracle..."

"This reporter is really full of shit," the injured man took a swig of booze before applying some medicine on his face.

"What’s full of shit!" Shangguan Xi’s booming voice entered the room before he even stepped through the door. "That pose was set by me personally. I wanted exactly that effect!"

He walked in, with Luo Changren following behind him.

"Why did you bring him along? Just let him fend for himself." Zhu Feiyun glanced over.

Shangguan Xi dumped Luo Changren on a chair and said with a grin, "I saw he couldn’t run anymore, so I had to show a little mercy and save his life."

As he spoke, he patted Luo Changren on the shoulder. "You owe me one this time."

Luo Changren remained silent.

"Why set up that pose?" Pan Qiao pointed at the repeatedly shown image of Bird Tower’s door on the TV. "I thought it was the government building trying to drum up support, glorifying Gao Zhen."

"Glorifying might be a stretch... That was Brother Xu’s doing," Shangguan Xi said. "I guess he had some kind of agreement with Gao Zhen beforehand."

"To be honest, I don’t think people like Gao Zhen are worth helping, and the same goes for Gao Xiaoyan."

"It’s not necessarily about helping," Kuang Wenjun remarked. "People have conflicting emotions towards the same thing. Once their favorability maxes out, it can only go downhill. Since there weren’t many deaths in Base City, to minimize the impact of the Bird Tower incident, the best approach was to credit the antitoxin’s success to the government building. After the antidote’s release, the residents of the base should have reached the peak of their favor for the government building."

"The seemingly omnipotent Mayor Gao, who saves all the citizens from peril and maintains his ’oath against time’ even in death, along with the government building behind her, must now seem like gods to others."

"Gods are all-powerful, but people aren’t. That’s where fantasy clashes with reality."

"The government building wanted to shake off a hassle but ended up taking on an even heavier burden."

Zhu Feiyun opened his mouth, "So that’s what it was..."

Shangguan Xi stroked his chin, "Maybe Brother Xu didn’t think that deeply... Where is he anyway? Why hasn’t he arrived?"

"Maybe he got tied up."

Before he finished, the doorbell rang again. Xu Huo, revealing himself by taking off his Invisibility Cloak, looked at the owner, "I’m here for a late-night snack. Do you have enough ingredients for all of us?"

The owner, who hadn’t been excluded from the conversation involving the inner workings of the government building, was already scared witless. Seeing Xu Huo, he realized that Xu Huo was the leader of this group and couldn’t help showing fear, stammering, "Yes, enough... I’ll get started right away!"

The bar was small, and the owner didn’t dare to flee, turning around to cook in the kitchen.

None of the people sitting in the bar cared about the owner’s reaction. Shangguan Xi enthusiastically repeated Kuang Wenjun’s words and asked Xu Huo if it was true.

"Sort of, just adding an extra layer of insurance," Xu Huo said. There was also the possibility of Gao Xiaoyan and Lou Jia turning against each other completely. But the upper echelons of the unknowing government building would definitely not miss the opportunity to make a big deal out of this. Important decisions are often pressing, and opportunities fleeting. Once someone makes the first choice, the tone of the path ahead is set. Unless all dissenting voices are eliminated, there is no choice but to grit your teeth and keep going!