(To modify later) The Chief Governor hasn’t appeared in public for several years; Xu Huo had also speculated if there’s a health issue—it’s unlikely he was sidelined, as the numerous player forces within the Capital City wouldn’t allow it. As long as there’s no unrest within the government, the position of Chief Governor remains secure.
The likelihood of health issues is greater.
However, if instances are involved, there’s a probability it’s related to the succession of government roles and the power transition in Yu Country.
Is the Chief Governor’s health really poor?
This isn’t a good signal.
The Girl in the painting was attracted to a roadside specialty snack shop, so they simply rested in the small shop.
A teenager sat by the back kitchen door, writing, his face looked unwell, constantly suppressing coughs despite attempts to control it.
As the shop owner brought out the dishes, he repeatedly explained to Xu Huo that the child wasn’t suffering from a contagious disease, but rather weakness by birth, and was wearing a mask to ensure it wouldn’t affect the food.
Other customers in the shop also chimed in to explain.
Xu Huo gestured for the shop owner to attend to his tasks.
The majority of ordinary people in Yu Country’s capital haven’t used Evolution Potions; they’re similar in physical condition to most ordinary people in Zone 014 nowadays. However, due to years of war, their mental and physical states have been under long-term stress, appearing unhealthy.
Someone in the shop suggested that the owner could apply for an Evolution Potion from the government, needing only some money.
The owner, upon hearing this, inquired repeatedly about the Evolution Potions, "I’ve heard the medicine has side effects, and I’ve been hesitant to decide."
"Any side effects come much later," a customer said. "It’s better than being sick every day now. If I were younger, I’d buy one too; drinking it might change my life."
The owner was clearly tempted, but after pondering for a moment, responded, "I’ll save up some more; once you start taking that medicine, you probably can’t stop."
"You should check with the regulatory bureau to be sure, don’t delay the child," the customer said before settling the bill and leaving. After a while, a new customer sat in that spot, and the owner came out again to explain the child’s cough.
"Two more portions, please," the Girl in the painting quickly finished hers and said to the owner.
"Sure thing!" The owner cheerfully headed back to the kitchen, but as he placed down the food, the Girl in the painting’s communicator rang, "Can he stop coughing?"
The owner’s smile froze a bit, and he lowered his voice, "The child doesn’t mean to..."
The teenager by the kitchen heard this and stood up, "I’ll go outside to read."
"She didn’t mean it that way," Xu Huo took over, "My sister’s thoughts are rather simple."
The Girl in the painting hadn’t paid any attention to the previous conversation between the owner and the customers; she dug out some throat lozenges and handed them to the teenager, indicating with a gesture to her throat that eating them would feel soothing.
Though she quickly returned her attention to her bowl, the owner was quite moved, and when the third portion was served, it was noticeably larger.
"Is your throat uncomfortable?" Xu Huo asked.
The Girl in the painting shook her head, replying strangely, "I have never been able to speak."
Xu Huo paused for a second, "I misunderstood."
The Girl in the painting smiled cheerfully, "But eating candy makes me happy, my mouth feels good, my throat is comfortable, and my stomach is satisfied."
*
The robot remained behind, "I’ll come back for it after handling my tasks."
Professor Shi escorted him downstairs, promising, "Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of the robot."
Upon leaving the apartment building, Xu Huo found the newspaper office based on the information in the paper, and inquired with the writer about the situation at that time. The newspaper office also had archived video recordings since several deaths had occurred in public, during speeches, so the before and after were captured, not only the people around the deceased but also the surroundings in the wide view.
If the player was responsible, it’s not surprising if the video material didn’t capture them, he was just trying his luck.
Xu Huo had examined several weird assassination incidents from the past two years, and a fatal headshot was rare; almost everyone died differently. The only confirmation was that the tools used were incredibly good, as the deceased players had self-protection, and there were Defensive Barriers in place around the venue.
The attack wasn’t physical, so it was hard to tell from the video which room the attack originated from. Among the chaos, players responsible for security mentioned terms like "defensive barrier intact" and "secure the scene", concluding that the assassin was presumed to be inside the venue.
Naturally, no one ended up being identified because players can’t be contained, though the player forces of the deceased did make significant efforts to investigate. According to a journalist, one player’s force had scrutinized everyone who was at the venue, even some government players weren’t exempted.
But ultimately, they found nothing.
The consensus was that the perpetuator wasn’t within the secured area or the assassination had a delay, indicating that the assassin wasn’t present at the scene.
If not within the barrier, they couldn’t be managed, but the possibility of delayed assassination may involve special Evolution of Characteristics, allowing delayed activation upon use. With such distinct features, verification is relatively easy, especially given the attack’s potency, most likely an advanced player. Advanced players with such capabilities in Yu Country are few and known, narrowing down final beneficiaries would save a lot of work.
The implication was suspicion fell on a player under the current Chief Governor, given the deceased’s penchant for power struggles and unscrupulous means.
About a year ago, some major player forces pressured government players into an investigation, but the Chief Governor personally intervened to quell it. Since then, those player forces have been fairly compliant, not causing much trouble.
Thus, in the end, it couldn’t be determined if the government players were the assassins.
No answers were discounted.
After gaining little from the inquiry, Xu Huo asked the journalist if there was an official known as the "God of the Night."
The journalist admitted they had never heard of such a person.
Not long after leaving the newspaper office, Xu Huo and his companion were targeted. Initially, he presumed it was the government, but their audacity to close in and rendezvous with another player suggested otherwise, identifying them as players from the Outer Zone.
With the "Illusory Spark" instance having dual camps, it’s conceivable other instances would involve the "National Treasure." His visit to Professor Shi and the newspaper office drew attention from interested parties, unsurprisingly.
To resolve this issue once and for all, he dealt with them discreetly in a secluded spot.
These two were clearly from a different instance, as their luggage compartment contained materials related to the current Chief Governor, and their terminal searches mostly concerned the Chief Governor’s prolonged absence and government medical and pharmaceutical procurement records.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter