"I have nothing to say to you. If you need something, find someone else." Gu Yu was about to hang up, but Dai Wenqian spoke first: "Don't you need potions? I can sell them to you at a low price through special channels."

Poverty humbled pride. Gu Yu couldn't hang up the phone. She took a deep breath and asked, "What's the deal?"

"Help me deal with someone."

"Did I hear that right, Dai Wenqian? Can you count how many players are left in the Spring Rain Association after you've poached them? You want me to kill someone you can't kill yourself?"

Gu Yu was full of resentment and helplessness. After Dai Wenqian joined the Special Defense Department, she and the few remaining players like Zheng Liang had managed to set up a small operation, forming a new Spring Rain Association. After receiving the Special Defense Department's stamp of approval, their membership had gradually grown.

But who would have thought Dai Wenqian would act so shamelessly? Every so often, he'd secretly poach members from the Spring Rain Association. With players leaving and others dying in dungeons, the Spring Rain Association barely had any players left. Dai Wenqian was a different man now, and a few ordinary players couldn't compete with him. She could only vent through words.

"Just an ordinary person. It's inconvenient for me to act personally," Dai Wenqian said. "If you don't think this condition is good enough, I can add another. Once the Special Defense Department develops a new Mutant toxin antidote, you'll definitely be able to buy it."

That was a tempting condition. Gu Yu asked for details and, upon learning it was about an advisory professor at the Special Defense Department, couldn't help saying, "Are you sure you don't want people to think something's wrong with your head?"

Dai Wenqian's eyes turned cold. He gripped his phone without speaking.

When Tang Guangbo first arrived at the Special Defense Department, Dai Wenqian had gone to him twice for psychological assessments out of curiosity. Later, other matters delayed further visits. But when he returned, he noticed that several players around him had undergone subtle changes in their behavior and habits, contradicting their original personalities.

After that, he paid special attention to Tang Guangbo. He contacted a few players who had undergone psychological assessments and managed to pry out some of the evaluation content. Only then did he realize that during this process, Tang Guangbo was brainwashing the players.

He didn't know Tang Guangbo's purpose, but Dai Wenqian never underwent any more psychological assessments or therapy. He didn't even attend the Special Defense Department's specially arranged emotional relief sessions after dungeons.

Tang Guangbo was clearly no simple figure. Dai Wenqian felt he was being targeted and had to eliminate this man!

"Fine, send me the details. I'll think about it and get back to you." Gu Yu didn't commit herself. She motioned for Zheng Liang, who was training, to stop.

After hanging up, she quickly received information about Tang Guangbo. Zheng Liang walked over, drenched in sweat. "Tang Guangbo? That professor on the Pioneer Forum?"

Gu Yu nodded. "You know him?"

"He's Xu Huo's stepfather." Zheng Liang wiped his face. "The foreign national Ms. Fang brought back from overseas. Right now, Xu Huo's whole family is probably locked up, yet he's still walking around freely. Pretty capable guy."

Gu Yu was confused. "Why does Dai Wenqian want to kill him? And why won't he do it himself?"

Zheng Liang snorted. "Isn't he always scheming in the shadows? What's so strange about him targeting Xu Huo?"

Gu Yu hesitated briefly before saying, "Looks like this deal can't be made."

Zheng Liang shrugged. "I don't think Xu Huo likes his stepfather that much either. Maybe killing Tang Guangbo would make him happy."

Gu Yu shot him a look. "I should ask Xu Huo first."

By this time, Xu Huo had already landed. After leaving the airport, he found a secluded spot to change his face, then took the Painting Woman, whose appearance had been altered, into the subway station.

When he received Gu Yu's text, he directly called her.

Gu Yu was pleasantly surprised. She answered quickly and said, "Don't worry, I won't do anything. Should I report Dai Wenqian to the Special Defense Department?"

"No need," Xu Huo said. "If he's asking for death, that's his problem."

Gu Yu sensed something else in his tone and couldn't help asking, "Does Tang Guangbo have some special identity?"

Based on Xu Huo's assessment of Tang Guangbo, this person was likely a player too. However, since he had no dungeon time each calendar month, he might be a grey player.

Being able to settle in a new district before it was integrated into the game was definitely not something an ordinary player could do. No matter how many E-grade or D-grade players went, they'd just be throwing their lives away.

"He's a formidable character." Xu Huo added, "You haven't done any psychological assessments, have you?"

"The Special Defense Department's players can't even get an appointment. It'll never be our turn from these small associations." Gu Yu laughed. "But I guess that's a good thing now."

"There's something I'd like your help with." Xu Huo changed the subject. "Can we meet somewhere?"

Gu Yu readily agreed on a location. "I'll head over and wait for you."

After hanging up, Xu Huo glanced at the two people sitting diagonally across from him. They were staring at him. "Friend, you're a player too, right? Heading to the Special Defense Department headquarters?"

Xu Huo had used the Sound-Muffling Figurine during his call. He put away the item. "I just got back from a dungeon. Is the Special Defense Department headquarters that lively?"

"Lively," one of them said. "This place hasn't been this lively since the Harbor City incident. A lot of Player-Eaters have gathered here."

"The Special Defense Department shouldn't just ignore Player-Eaters, right?" Xu Huo said. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"Who knows." The other sighed. "Seeing is believing. We came this time to see what the Special Defense Department does. Xu Huo might be arrogant, but the people he kills are all Player-Eaters. That benefits everyone. Haven't you heard that Double Snake is gathering people to trick ordinary players into killing him? What's there to regret about that?"

"If you ask me, the Special Defense Department is useless. They don't even know there are Player-Eaters inside!"

"You can't say that." Xu Huo said. "The Special Defense Department has so many things to manage, and the situation at the border is just starting to improve. Zone 014 hasn't been evolved for long either. For the Special Defense Department to maintain national stability shows they have some capability. At least most ordinary people can still live their lives."

"That's true." The two agreed. They gave him a channel name. "This is a civilian player's drone footage perspective. You should follow it too. Us ordinary players need to stick together!"

The Painting Woman beside him took it and put it in her pocket.

When the subway arrived, Xu Huo got off and went to the unmanned bookstore where he'd agreed to meet Gu Yu. Zheng Liang was there too, along with another baby-faced female player. Gu Yu introduced her. "Her name is Wen Xuelin, a new player in the Spring Rain Association. She's a makeup artist by profession. She can completely change a person's appearance in a very short time. I thought you might need that kind of characteristic."

"Hello!" Wen Xuelin excitedly shook Xu Huo's hand. "Mr. Xu, I'm your fan. I've been following you since you shut down that place imprisoning evolved people. I'm so happy to meet you!"

"She only joined the Spring Rain Association because she heard I knew you." Gu Yu said. "She's also about to level up to D-grade."

Xu Huo greeted the young woman warmly and asked her to demonstrate her characteristic on the Painting Woman.

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