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Mu Mu looked at Ding Shi. She wanted the SUV too, on the grounds that they needed to take shortcuts and might have to race the War Police during the mission. An A-class compact sedan was inherently outmatched against a 2.5T SUV.

Ding Shi ignored Mu Mu because he knew the SUV had fake plates.

Normal license plates had all kinds of anti-counterfeiting marks, their complexity rivaling the banknotes issued by ancient money houses. Ding Shi had gone undercover starting from an auto repair shop, and he had noticed that the SUV's plates lacked any anti-counterfeiting markings. The red sedan and the Fishy Team's vehicle both had different anti-counterfeiting marks.

Ding Shi was conflicted. He was considering whether to reveal this. Yingying's parents were collecting Yingying's body. They would be driving away in the red sedan, and the keys were on them. Unless they killed them, they could not take the red sedan.

If Ding Shi revealed the SUV's secret, it would be difficult for the group to split up. Brother Kai would effectively be forced to ride with those who had accepted the mission.

But if he said nothing, Ding Shi could not live with it. The moment Brother Kai reached a signal zone, he would be caught by surveillance cameras and soon intercepted by the War Police. Given the seriousness of using fake plates, Brother Kai could not possibly complete the main quest. He could only go to the North District of Four Symbols City.

So annoying. He really should have been a lone wolf.

Sun Heaven probably had the best relationship with Brother Kai. After thinking it over, he asked, "Brother Kai, are you sure you can be assigned to the same city as your sister-in-law?"

Brother Kai froze. Whether passively or voluntarily, after the two casual instances ended, more than eight million players would definitely leave the instance zone and head for Four Symbols City.

Sun Heaven said, "Why not try for a Golden Teleport Ticket? I think none of the East Districts in all the Four Symbols Cities will be full. Then you can choose the Four Symbols City where your sister-in-law is, bring her to the East Villa District, and let her enjoy a good life. Wouldn't that be better?"

Brother Kai hesitated and asked, "Can a Golden Teleport Ticket designate a Four Symbols City?"

Sun Heaven answered, "Little Candy said that when you use a Golden Teleport Ticket, city options will appear, unless all four districts—east, south, west, and north—are full. The options will include people legally related to you. Basically, parents, spouse, and children."

Ding Shi was puzzled. "Little Candy would reveal information like that?" It affected game balance somewhat. Other people had Little Angels; his side had a little piece of dog shit.

Sun Heaven replied, "I asked her whether there were many Golden Teleport Tickets. She said that if I wanted more detailed information about them, I could trade her the Three of Hearts. I didn't know what the Three of Hearts was for anyway, so I gave it to her."

Sun Heaven looked at Chu Yu. "Captain, I never wanted to join another instance. I would have been content just getting a house in the Southwest District. If Brother Kai insists on leaving, I'll go with him."

Brother Kai thought for a long time before finally saying, "I'll accept the mission." He wanted to seize control of his own fate.

Mu Mu said, "If all five of us accept the mission, we won't be able to sell the wanted criminal."

Chu Yu said, "Then forget it. Brother Kai, Sun Heaven, go drive the SUV. We'll switch cars."

Ding Shi said, "Let Mu Mu drive it. She's the only one who hasn't been to the farmstead. Maybe she can find some treasure inside."

The suggestion was a little forced. Mu Mu looked at Ding Shi for a second. Her instincts told her Ding Shi had an ulterior motive, so she stood and said, "Brother Kai, take me for a look around."

Ding Shi looked toward the red sedan and casually asked, "Do Yingying's parents' car run on diesel?"

Sun Heaven denied it. "Definitely not. You can tell at a glance that it uses gasoline."

Ding Shi said nothing more. Brother Kai and Chu Yu both understood what he meant. Siphon fuel?

Chu Yu said, "We're taking the SUV. Gasoline is useless to us."

Ding Shi suddenly understood. He stopped talking, took a stick, and drew circles in front of the campfire.

More than ten minutes later, Mu Mu and Brother Kai walked back.

Chu Yu was puzzled that they had not driven the SUV over. Mu Mu explained, "The plates are fake—fake beyond fake. The moment it gets on the road, it'll be flagged. Also, Yingying's father killed the male dwarf, and Yingying's mother is still holding Yingying's body and crying. They may need a while before they come down."

Chu Yu said, "Get in. Let's go."

Everyone headed toward the Fishy Team's vehicle. Mu Mu glanced at Ding Shi, her eyes transmitting a string of messages: You knew all along that the SUV had fake plates? You planned to have Brother Kai drive it after we split up?

Ding Shi pretended not to see.

Everyone accepted the mission and received an X Pathogen each, storing them away. Chu Yu reminded them, "If we truly can't get away, throw away the X Pathogen. Hopefully, that'll help us escape disaster."

Ding Shi did not answer. He did not think there would be such a bug. Once they accepted the Rapid Delivery mission, they were destined to differ from other players and take another path.

Ding Shi turned on the interior light and studied the map. "After leaving Nameless Road, we'll take National Highway 211. After thirty kilometers, we'll turn onto a country road. We didn't see any War Police or police cars in South-South Village, so the country road should be relatively safe. We'll travel eighteen kilometers on it, then rejoin National Highway 211 and go eighty kilometers to the outskirts of Southward City. We'll bypass the city, continue another 120 kilometers on National Highway 211, and enter Blackwater Gully Road. Once we finish Blackwater Gully Road, we'll have completed one quarter of the journey."

Blackwater Gully Road and Nameless Road had cut six hundred kilometers from their route. Blackwater Gully Road was the more impressive of the two. What had originally been a six-hundred-kilometer journey was reduced directly to one hundred and seventy kilometers by taking Blackwater Gully Road, and most of those one hundred and seventy kilometers were on Blackwater Gully Road.

Ding Shi did not continue reading. He believed there was no such thing as a free lunch. On Nameless Road, they had encountered the dwarf assassin siblings in exchange for cutting one hundred and eighty kilometers. What dangers would Blackwater Gully Road, which cut four hundred and thirty kilometers, hold? Ding Shi did not know, but he knew it would definitely be extremely dangerous.

The moment the X Pathogens appeared in the signal zone, the AI received feedback. It immediately used surveillance cameras to locate the X Pathogens. The only thing Ding Shi's group relied on when daring to take the highway was that the AI could only locate a pathogen within a one-hundred-meter radius.

The AI used surveillance cameras to search the area and found twenty-one suspicious vehicles. It immediately dispatched a mission to its agents: "Attention. Suspect vehicles are located on the section of National Highway 211 near Nameless Road. License plate numbers are: SB711, NB711, 2B711... VIP711. In addition, files have been sent to the authorities. The police will assist agents with the investigation."

A vehicle with the plate number 2B711 was intercepted by a War Police vehicle. The driver handed over his license. Due to AI rule restrictions, the War Police could not detain the vehicle or its occupants as long as 2B711 had not violated traffic laws. They could only inspect the driver's license and photograph the people inside to gather information for the agents.

At the same time, several gray sedans drove out from various cities. They were AI agents, called the AI's hounds by the Resistance. Their work was essentially to protect the AI's safety, and they had the authority to search any individual, movable property, or real estate.

They were not robots, but players who had died in the Peach Haven Village instance for various reasons. They were equipped with a handgun and basic police gear. If they seized an X Pathogen and arrested or killed its holder, they would gain a choice: a one-way teleport ticket to Four Symbols City, or the qualification to continue challenging instances.

Mission prompt: Resistance Commander Old Ghost has issued a warning. The AI has deployed agents, and they have the authority to detain and search any vehicle or person.

At present, all Resistance members were hiding within the signal zones, waiting for a suitable opportunity to rise up again. The X Pathogen was the opportunity they sought. Once an X Pathogen vaccine was produced, they would no longer fear the AI's X Virus.

Old Ghost would continuously gather intelligence and send it to mission players carrying X Pathogens.

In the intelligence report, Old Ghost explained the agents: Agents were special department personnel independent of the judiciary, tasked with protecting the AI. They...

Ding Shi translated: the agents had the authority to arrest him, and he could run.

If surveillance cameras or the War Police witnessed him attacking an agent, he would become wanted.

AI War Police could not detain legal vehicles, search people without criminal records, or attack people without criminal records.

Agents could enter areas without signal coverage.

But Old Ghost had not provided the most important piece of intelligence: the agents were players. Of course, it was not that he refused to provide it, but that he could not. In his eyes, everyone was human.