LWGP - Chapter 30
Chapter 30: He's Here
Sanming Food Factory.
It was a desolate, dilapidated place, littered with unsorted waste. The scene was one of utter bleakness.
This place was an hour's drive from the city. Although the government had land-use plans, the project hadn't been approved and the funds hadn't been allocated, so nothing could be done. But considering the current speed of real estate expansion in the capital, once the eighteenth ring road was established, this area would quickly transform into one of the city's tall, pristine showcases.
It just might not last that long.
Wang Jiu had just parked her car. She glanced at the location of the listening device inside, then got out and walked a short distance away before answering Zhang Dongcheng's call. His voice was agitated. "Ah Jiu, Ah Jiu, where are you? Why aren't you here yet? I've already arrived at the funeral! You won't believe who I saw here!"
"Hm?"
"Lots of high-ranking government officials, and people from the military! I've figured it out! We have the video, right? I didn't know before, but after you mentioned it, I realized we could sell the video through a transaction. I was going to export it again and take it to them. I figure the Yang family isn't a top-tier family, their reach isn't that long. Someone will definitely take this case! Then we'll have evidence. But the system told me I'm only level one and can only export the video once. So now only you have a copy... Hurry up and get here!"
Wang Jiu raised an eyebrow. "And then?"
Zhang Dongcheng was taken aback. "What do you mean, 'and then'? Of course, the government will step in and impose sanctions... Wait! You mean..."
Wang Jiu said, "Have you forgotten what you yourself said yesterday? Is there any law that stipulates criminal penalties for crimes committed inside a dungeon? From a legal standpoint, there's no way to convict Yang Yu. He couldn't be sentenced, no lawyer needed. At most, they could detain him for forty-eight hours for investigation. But before those forty-eight hours are up, you, your wife, and your child will be picking out your tombstones."
Zhang Dongcheng drew a sharp breath. "Is there really no way?" he murmured. "Can no one touch them? Is this video useless?"
"It's useful. From a private standpoint, exposing this video would ruin the Yang family's reputation. They could forget about having a respectable name in the future. What other player wouldn't be wary of Yang Yu's ruthlessness? Who would dare team up with him to clear dungeons in these early stages? The government will also put them on a blacklist. Later, when a new order is established and the government enacts new laws, Yang Yu will be the first one they deal with. After all, to the government, people like him are definitely dangerous elements. But for now, it's impossible. You have to understand, this is a critical phase where the government hopes to use old laws and moral standards to restrain and integrate all registered players. It can't be the first to violate past laws to carry out what amounts to a private execution. Doing so would create a sense of unease among other players—implying the government could execute them at any time. The government's main objective right now is pacification, not suppression by force, because that would affect the layout and stability of the entire nation's player power structure."
She could already predict the government's decision. From a national perspective, public pacification combined with private maneuvering was the best approach. At a stage where technology and firearms were on the verge of collapse, violent suppression and deterrence might seem shockingly effective at first glance, but in reality, they would only divide society and the government.
Why the rush to hold a meeting? It was to set the tone while these players' mindsets and moral frameworks still adhered to old-world standards, and while every one of them had the constraints and concerns of friends and family.
Once the apocalypse truly arrived, families would suffer heavy casualties, people would be divided, and everyone would have their own selfish motives. It would be truly difficult to stabilize the situation then.
Zhang Dongcheng had an epiphany. He understood, and he also saw the hope that the government could control the situation.
That's right. Compared to the entire country, what was a single Yang family!
What they needed now was time!
He relaxed. "Well, you still have to come. We need to secretly deliver this video first, so the government can deal with the Yang family when the time is right."
He was actually quite smart. He knew that if he kept his mouth shut now, the Yang family would surely arrange a tombstone for his entire family once this sensitive, high-profile period cooled down. He could just look at similar characters in TV dramas—every single one of them was cannon fodder silenced after the fact.
Whether for personal reasons or for his family's future safety, he wanted the Yang family to drop dead!
But he knew he didn't have the ability to plan something so big. In terms of strength and courage, Wang Jiu was the reliable thigh he could cling to right now.
He even thought that since Wang Jiu understood the government's strategy so well, she might have already latched onto the government's powerful thigh, which meant he was indirectly doing the same!
"Yes, I'm on my way now. You know, I'm in a sensitive position too. The Yang family is probably targeting me, so I have to be careful to avoid being murdered by Yang Yu. They're too strong, and we're too weak. We should lay low if we can. Staying alive is what matters. As long as there's life, there's hope."
Wang Jiu served him a big bowl of motivational soup, and Zhang Dongcheng drank it all down. He followed her instructions, sticking close to the government and military personnel, because Wang Jiu had reminded him that members of the Yang family would also be present.
"Senior Brother, I know you feel guilty, but don't go sacrificing yourself at the old lady's funeral. She wouldn't want that. Her aesthetic standards have always been very high."
Wang Jiu's advice was exceptionally sincere.
Zhang Dongcheng: "..."
Just shut up!
After ending the call, Wang Jiu—who had just been spinning a tale about "lying low to survive while driving to the funeral"—put her phone in her pocket. She began moving things one by one into the dilapidated factory building. Even with her high Strength, the sheer number of items required her to make two or three trips.
Once everything was in place, she glanced at the red positioning dot on her phone screen and raised an eyebrow.
"He really called Chen Hu and Lin Guang. Those two idiots are going to be Yang Yu's portable packed lunches. It seems that Chen Jun isn't all that loyal to Yang Yu either—just blindly obedient while leaving himself an out. Otherwise, he would have strongly advised Yang Yu to bring two people with high attributes, or he would have come along himself."
Since ancient times, a true loyalist's advice has always been hard to swallow. Someone who just goes along with everything can't be considered truly loyal. But Chen Jun was just a salaried employee who knew Yang Yu's true nature; he probably couldn't bring himself to spill his guts for him.
This was good for her.
Wang Jiu calculated the time it would take for Chen Hu and the others to arrive. She went to the second floor, found a good vantage point, and ran a few tests. Finally, she went back down and sat on a freezer chest placed in an open square on the first floor, then took out the Mystic Realm Fragment.
She initiated the activation process—not to actually use it yet, of course, since Yang Yu's group of three was still about half an hour away.
As expected, the System popped up a confirmation message, but it also included additional information detailing the precautions for summoning a boss with a Mystic Realm Fragment.
Heh, there are certainly benefits to the game not being fully loaded yet. Nanny-like conveniences everywhere. For instance, it now reminded her: "Alert to ID 564344744, you are currently a low-level Registered Player. If you wish to use a single Mystic Realm Fragment to summon a Mystic Realm BOSS, please remember 4 key points."
"1. Even the weakest Mystic Realm BOSS is at least level 5, which is 3 levels higher than you. It will have a certain level-suppression effect and is highly dangerous."
"2. Activation cost for this Mystic Realm method: 1 HP."
"3. As the game has not yet fully loaded, and given that this is still the pioneer period for the world's living beings, players have a protective bonus. You have a one-time right to recall the BOSS summoned by the Mystic Realm Fragment. That is, if you use it once and find you are outmatched, you can directly recall the BOSS. However, subsequent uses will still deduct 1 HP. If you still cannot kill it, the activation will be considered a failure. All deducted HP will not be returned, and the Mystic Realm Fragment will be destroyed."
"4. If you successfully eliminate the Mystic Realm BOSS after activation, the challenge will be considered a success, and you will receive additional rewards from the Mystic Realm challenge system."
"Alert complete. We wish the player a successful challenge. We ask again, do you wish to activate this single Mystic Realm Fragment now?"
Wang Jiu didn't confirm yet, leaving the confirmation page open. She opened the freezer chest and poured a potion inside. She didn't care whether the seafood inside died or not. She was betting that the summoned Mystic Realm BOSS would have the same indiscriminate desire to devour the flesh of real-world creatures as the Goblins did.
It didn't matter if they were dead or alive, judging by the Goblins' behavior on the plane.
From a toxicological standpoint, since the Goblins' blood contained toxins that the current world couldn't detect or counteract, then conversely, the toxins of her world would also be an unknown quantity to these monsters. They wouldn't be able to detect it beforehand.
This was in line with the game's balance system.
After finishing her preparations, Wang Jiu tossed the Mystic Realm Fragment into a pile of withered grass in front of the freezer chest. Then she returned to the second floor and sat on another freezer chest.
This area was on the shaded side of the building, even dimmer than downstairs. It was impossible to see her inside.
She was waiting.
Waiting for her prey to walk into the trap.
Twenty minutes later, Wang Jiu heard the sound of car engines. In the darkness, she raised her eyes. Before clicking "confirm" in the game, she opened her phone and activated an audio file she had downloaded from the internet earlier.
A sound began to play.
Then, she picked up a nearby brick and threw it against a wall.
Thump, thump!
A real commotion started inside the factory.
Two cars arrived outside the factory. Yang Yu and Chen Hu were in their respective vehicles, initially observing the situation. They didn't hear any monster roars, but they did hear the clanging sounds of a fight coming from inside.
"That's the sound of people fighting. The two of them are going at it!"
Yang Yu's attributes were higher than theirs, and his hearing was better. He could also smell the fishy scent of seafood from inside. He immediately concluded that Wang Jiu and the other person had already made their move. The monster was probably already dead, and the two of them had turned on each other over the loot.
He himself was a two-faced person, so his mind naturally jumped to that conclusion. Still, he was cautious. He checked that the tracker on Wang Jiu's car was still in its original position, undiscovered and undisturbed. Only then did he relax, convinced it wasn't a trap.
Chen Hu and the other man were much the same.
The three of them immediately rushed toward the factory, afraid their targets would grab the treasure and leave.
As they neared the perimeter, Yang Yu heard the distinct sound of a wall being damaged. He was certain now!
He gestured to Chen Hu and the other man, and the three of them crept stealthily into the factory.
But as soon as they entered...
Where was everyone? There was only a chest of poisoned seafood on the floor.
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