Digging a Pit

Chapter 38: Digging a Trap

"If you cooperate in the capture, you can choose one item from her props, or you can just provide information and I'll give you a bottle of P0 evolution agent." Nie Xuan said immediately.

"The agent, but I want a P1 Evolution Potion." Xu Huo said.

Nie Xuan's expression showed some disappointment.

Xu Huo smiled and said, "This isn't a loss for you at all. If you catch that Cannibal Player, you'll not only gain another experimental subject but also learn information about other players and the instance."

Nie Xuan raised an eyebrow, knowing he wouldn't get any instance details from this man. Though disappointed, he could still accept it.

The situation was unstable now, and most players were wary of the outside world. Someone like Xu Huo, who appeared voluntarily and could calmly negotiate terms, was already considered relatively good.

Previously, he had contacted several players. Some were mentally disturbed by the stimulation, attacking others indiscriminately over a few wrong words. Others were so self-inflated they thought they could go head-to-head with the state apparatus. Still others tried every means to escape, refusing to cooperate even when caught.

In truth, they underestimated a nation's capacity and its courage in the face of disaster. The government wouldn't strip them of their abilities and resources; on the contrary, it would vigorously cultivate them. After all, players were a minority, and the entire country needed them.

"The Special Affairs Bureau has just been established, and the government is recruiting. The benefits are quite good across the board. If you're interested, feel free to contact me anytime."

"I'll think about it." Xu Huo found paper and a pen, writing down Liu Yuanyuan's physical features, accent, and some small details.

Seeing that he was also sketching a simple portrait beside it, Nie Xuan felt he might still be worth winning over. "This is a good start. I hope we can cooperate more in the future. I can also fight for the best benefits for you."

Xu Huo pushed the paper over and raised his wine bottle. "Cheers to cooperation."

"How much do you know about the game instance?"

Nie Xuan picked up his water glass and took a sip. "We have quite a bit of information. You can trust us."

"Do you know the evolution principle of evolvers?" Xu Huo set down the wine bottle.

"Of course. The expert team is already conducting experiments on this. They'll soon be able to suppress evolvers' eating urges." Nie Xuan answered without thinking.

"If evolution agents aren't taken for a long time, are there any side effects?"

"None. Evolution agents perfectly resolve all kinds of defects that appear in evolvers..." Before he finished speaking, Nie Xuan frowned. He clamped his mouth shut, first glancing at Xu Huo, then his gaze fell on the glass of water.

"I didn't expect you to notice so quickly." Xu Huo smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I just wanted to test the agent's effects, and you happened to deliver yourself."

Nie Xuan let out a cold laugh, turned, and left without another word.

After going downstairs, he got into a van parked on the street.

"Did the talk go well?" asked the secretary who had interrogated Xu Huo with him last time.

Nie Xuan opened his mouth, then closed it again. When he raised his hand, there was a Hello Kitty hand puppet on it. The cat's mouth opened and closed, letting out an electronic child's voice:

"He tricked me. I can't talk right now."

The childish voice and the warm, fuzzy toy were the complete opposite of Nie Xuan's image. The secretary wanted to laugh but didn't dare. "Should we arrest him?"

"No." The hand puppet continued. "He's not a Cannibal Player. This man is very smart—a player with potential. The country needs people like him right now."

"Give this to the tech team. Have them find this person. She's a Cannibal Player, very dangerous. Tell everyone to be careful when arresting her."

The secretary took the note and tucked it into a notebook. "Should we continue surveillance?"

Nie Xuan thought for a moment. "Pull back the snipers and Special Affairs personnel. Set up a surveillance post near his rented apartment. No need for round-the-clock close monitoring—just confirm he's in Ting City."

"Recently, there have been mass disappearances and mass dismemberment cases across the country. The missing and killed include the elderly, women, and children. Most don't show evolver characteristics. We've had two cases in Ting City too. I suspect they're related to the instance. We need to concentrate as many people as possible on finding the instance."

"I understand." The secretary nodded.

"Send this agent and his documents to him. Find a way to get a sample of the water from his table." Nie Xuan picked up the aluminum case at his feet and took out a tube of blue liquid.

The secretary followed orders and left, but returned a few minutes later with an awkward expression. "When I got there, the cup was already washed. He also said he was moving to a new place and would treat you to a housewarming meal once he found one."

Nie Xuan's eyelid twitched, but he suppressed his anger in a second. "Forget it. Draw my blood."

Back in the hotel room, having sent off Nie Xuan and his people, Xu Huo swirled the tube of evolution agent. The item was genuine—a P1 Evolution Potion—but he didn't plan to take it now.

Players' dependence on evolution agents and their side effects were too severe. He didn't want to drink something like a ticking time bomb unless absolutely necessary.

Putting the agent away, he picked up his phone. It had been vibrating nonstop since he came out of the game.

Aside from dozens of friend requests—most contributed by Yuan Yao—there were also some text messages and missed call reminders.

Most could be ignored, but one number belonged to Liu Jia.

From the Preliminary Train to the end of Xu Huo's first instance, only three short days had passed, yet Liu Jia had sent nearly fifty messages.

Some of them proposed meeting him in person to thank him. Then came news that Professor Han's symptoms had worsened after getting off the train—green pustules appeared on his body. After being admitted to the hospital, he was taken away by certain professionals, and she herself had joined a local government agency.

She had more or less explained the situation on the Preliminary Train, but she and Professor Han had concealed the identities of the other players in their carriage and hadn't been troubled for it.

"If something comes up with Professor Han, you can contact me." He replied with a brief message.

"Mr. Xu, you're back? Professor Han said you must have gone into an instance. I knew you'd come back safely!" Liu Jia replied instantly, then sent a flurry of messages.

She and Professor Han were from a neighboring city. Xu Huo didn't agree to meet her but instead asked about Professor Han's specific symptoms.

In fact, Professor Han's condition had improved when he got off the train, but the later symptoms were similar to that stranded player—pustules on the body, physical weakness, and signs of muscle atrophy.

"Toxin or pathogen?"

Did this mean that all evolvers carried some unknown toxin or pathogen inside them? While it made them stronger, it also planted a huge hidden danger for their evolution. Evolution agents had a suppressive effect, so if an evolver went too long without one, the toxin or pathogen would accumulate to a certain point and begin to erode the body.

Would a Normal Player who went too long without an evolution agent eventually turn into one of those monsters on the train?

Unfortunately, the authorities didn't have a good solution yet either... Xu Huo's brow furrowed deeper. Suddenly, his phone rang. He looked at the name on the screen, rubbed his temples, and answered:

"Xu Huo! You've got five minutes. If you don't show up in five minutes, you'll never see your beautiful and adorable cousin again!"