Earlier that day. It was a coincidence that just as Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou left the hotel, the remaining team members returned to their rooms and as a result, Shao Qingge actually met Li Mo in the elevator.
Previously in the underground gambling game in the City of the Moon, Shao Qingge and Li Mo had played Texas Hold’em for several hours. It had happened in the main city so Li Mo also recognized Shao Qingge.
Shao Qingge took the initiative to greet this person. “Chief Li.”
Li Mo nodded. “Mr Shao, what a coincidence.”
Shao Qingge smiled and wondered, “Chief Li, did you also come to the City of the Sun and stay in this hotel?”
Li Mo quietly replied, “Yes, I came here for a meeting.”
The two men exchanged a few polite words while Ye Qi had the courage to secretly place a bug on the sole of Li Mo’s shoes.
The concert was about to begin. Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou found that six seats in the VIP section were empty and asked Tang Ci to check them. As a result, they found that these vacant seats belonged to Shu Xiaomeng and her friends.
The team members sensed that something was wrong. Then Ye Qi heard a conversation between Li Mo and Shu Xiaomeng through the bug.
Shu Xiaomeng seemed very angry and her voice was trembling. “Why didn’t you let us go to the concert? I couldn’t watch the concert 10 years ago. This time, in order to achieve our dream, Xiao Yan and Xiao Yu specifically asked for leave from work to make this special trip. It is bad enough that you wouldn’t let us go but isn’t it too much to keep everyone locked up in the hotel?”
Li Mo answered indifferently, “It is for your own good not to go. Luo Yan isn’t as simple as you think.”
Shu Xiaomeng jumped to her feet. “What do you mean? I have liked Luo Yan’s songs for 20 years. You don’t know…”
Li Mo interrupted her. “The scene of the concert isn’t safe. You will understand soon. Xiaomeng, have I ever done anything to hurt you since we met?” Shu Xiaomeng was stunned by this question. Li Mo sighed and told her softly, “Trust me. Stay in the hotel and have a good rest. The one you admire isn’t as gentle and kind as you think.”
Ye Qi heard this and hurriedly told Tang Ci the information. This also confirmed Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou’s previous speculation that an accident was likely to happen at the concert.
Tang Ci informed Lu Jiuchuan of the news. Lu Jiuchuan had already arrived at the concert. He was pretending to be a security guard and was maintaining order at the scene so he had the opportunity to enter the backstage area.
At 9:30 p.m., when Luo Yan first stepped down to change her clothes, Lu Jiuchuan hid in her dressing room. He saw a black totem tattoo on Luo Yan’s back right shoulder. She was a hunter!
Lu Jiuchuan didn’t know what they were going to do. According to the clues obtained so far, especially the seat distribution map that Tang Ci got after hacking the official website, there would be a large number of challengers gathered in Area C and D. If something happened then it would probably be a mass incident.
The use of firearms was prohibited in the main cities. It was impossible for hunters to take submachine guns to Area C and D to shoot a large number of people, nor could they bury explosives. Lu Jiuchuan had been in the Hunters League for more than half a year. He knew these people were unscrupulous in achieving their goals and were very good at manipulating people’s hearts. Therefore, they might use the crowd to kill the challengers.
Tang Ci checked everyone’s cards and found that Ye Qi’s piano music box had the largest range of crowd control so he urgently brought Ye Qi to the scene. Lu Jiuchuan responded and let Ye Qi enter the stadium from the back door. Tang Ci entered the lighting section to control the spotlight and Ye Qi suddenly appeared on the big stage.
Yu Hanjiang heard the complete process and couldn’t help clenching his fists. “Where is Luo Yan?”
Lu Jiuchuan answered coldly, “She ran away after the incident. As for the idol singers she called, they each ran away faster than the other.”
Yu Hanjiang’s fists clenched tightly. He really wanted to catch this woman and let her try what it felt like to be trampled to death! In order to kill the foreigners, she actually created a mass stampede in a stadium of 100,000 people. She was crazy!
Tang Ci added, “I just checked the lights in the stadium and the lines were destroyed in advance. This is why the lights on the ceiling fell one by one at the end of the concert, injuring the crowd and causing panic. There were many hunters in Area C and D. They took advantage of the chaos to deliberately push foreigners to the ground, guiding those behind to step on the bodies.”
He closed his eyes. “The official data hasn’t come out yet but my preliminary estimate is that the mass stampede has caused more than 100 deaths and 1,000 injuries. A few days later, it will be the mandatory World Weekly. It is questionable how many of the injured can survive the unknown World Weekly secret room.”
Xiao Lou, “……”
If it wasn’t for Brother Jiu having Ye Qi get on the big stage in time, the accident would be even more serious. After all, there were only a handful of cards in the hands of other challengers that could be used in the main city and have a wide range of field control capabilities.
Xiao Lou lightly shook his fist. “The hunters want to kill us and won’t let go of even the original inhabitants of the world. Many people in Area A where Group Leader Yu and I were sitting were also trampled and injured. They are too much! Is it just to receive the bounty?”
The driving Lu Jiuchuan suddenly answered, “It isn’t just the bounty.”
Everyone turned their heads to stare at him.
Lu Jiuchuan might be wearing a mask but the man’s eyes were as sharp as an eagle. “I have been lurking in the Hunters League for more than half a year. Some time ago, I finally came into contact with some high level people. This includes some local wealthy people. Although the bounty isn’t that interesting for them, it’s different for the normal members. The league’s daily expenditure is enough to buy a building in the city center. If it wasn’t for a deep hatred with foreigners, why would they spend so much manpower and financial resources so set up a league that specializes in fighting foreigners?”
It was true that even the money of the rich didn’t fall from the sky. If they had enough money it was understandable to kill a few enemies. However, what about the large-scale rewards offered for killing foreigners? As long as a foreigner was killed, there would be bonuses…
Wasn’t this too extreme? For example, Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang had tried their best to observe the bottom line of a human being since entering this world. They never massacred any original, innocent inhabitants of this world. They only killed murderers or in self-defense. They had no grievances with the Hunters League so why were they targeted?
Lu Jiuchuan said, “I’m still investigating the hatred that the Hunters League has toward us. I have a bold speculation that in this organization, there are actually many of our own kind.”
Xiao Lou had long thought about this. It was because the hunters were well aware of the setting of ‘foreigners have mysterious powers’. The hunters knew that foreigners had cards on their body and some hunters even took the cards after killing foreigners to enhance their strength.
If it wasn’t for a challenger joining this organization, how could they understand the challengers’ situation like this? They even knew when the World Weekly tasks were and used them to send hunters there to kill foreigners.
As early as 3 of Spades, there were hunters who received news in advance and harmed people. If it wasn’t for the betrayal of a challenger, how could the natives know so much?
The more Xiao Lou thought about it, the colder he became. He couldn’t help making a guess. “I remember Old Mo said that many challengers are willing to stay and continue living in this world. Could it be that the people who want to leave like us are on the opposite side of them and will affect their survival here?”
Lu Jiuchuan nodded with interest. “Tell me about your analysis.”
Xiao Lou continued, “For example, if you want to stay then you must kill other challengers to get the right to reside in the Card world? In this way, it makes sense for them to join the Hunters League. According to the strange personalities of the four keepers, they might really give out this type of task.”
They had previously experienced the Spades secret rooms and there was the setting of ‘killing each other’. Perhaps the ultimate boss of the Hunters League was also a challenger? He brainwashed the natives and offered bounties, causing a large number of natives to join the organization to target challengers…
Ye Qi felt numb as he said, “According to Professor Xiao, it might be possible to assume that the task they received is to kill a challenger to obtain the right to reside here. For example, killing one challenger will give them the right to reside here for one year? If there is really such a terrible setting then won’t they hunt challengers on a large scale to survive in this world? If they kill a lot then perhaps they can live forever?!”
Everyone, “……”
Ye Qi’s words made the atmosphere freeze in an instant and it felt like a horror game.
Lu Jiuchuan’s expression became gloomy when he heard this speculation and he spoke softly, “In any case, we have to go back to the normal human world. This world is crazy. For them, lives have become data and bonuses. I have just come into contact with a few key figures in the Hunters League. I will pay close attention to investigating them in the next few days. It will be beneficial for us to obtain more clues.”
Yu Hanjiang heard this and couldn’t help worrying. “Brother, Saturday is the World Weekly. Don’t you have to go with us?”
Lu Jiuchuan nodded. “Yes, I will try to finish the investigation before Saturday. Time is tight so I will first sign the contract book today. Once you enter the World Weekly, you can directly pull me in.”
The car soon arrived at the underground garage of the hotel. Tang Ci gave a message to his teammates in advance so Old Gui and Chu Huaying were waiting for them in the garage.
Lu Jiuchuan took out the contract book and destroyed it on the spot. At one time, there had been a dozen names in this book. It was the first team formed by Lu Jiuchuan. It was a pity that almost all of them were wiped out in the J of Clubs secret room. Only four people survived. The other names had long since disappeared from the contract book but Lu Jiuchuan remembered them in his heart.
Lu Jiuchuan looked at the contract book as it burned to ashes in his hand and smiled bitterly. “My teammates are gone but I will go back with their wishes.”
Yu Hanjiang walked over and gently held his brother’s shoulder. “Now you have us.”
Xiao Lou took out his contract book.
Lu Jiuchuan simply said, “Sign it. I hope that changing contract books will bring us good luck.”
He took the lead in signing ‘Lu Jiuchuan’ on the next page.
Tang Ci followed suit and signed it. Gui Yuanshan and Chu Huaying also quickly signed. The four new names had soft light effects in the contract book, representing the official formation of the contract.
In order to prevent too many people from gathering in the underground garage and attracting the attention of hunters, Xiao Lou didn’t tell his other teammates to go downstairs. The contract signing was carried out in secret in the car.
Lu Jiuchuan handed the contract book back to Xiao Lou. “I have something to do. I will meet with the other team members and will talk about it in the World Weekly.”
Chu Huaying calmly looked at him. “Are you going to take risks again?”
Lu Jiuchuan told her, “This is a rare opportunity. The day after tomorrow, there will be a meal where the high level members of the Hunters League are attending. I have to go.”
Chu Huaying nodded. “Don’t come back with another injury and make us treat you.”
Lu Jiuchuan smiled. “I know. I’ll be careful.”
Old Gui looked at Tang Ci. “I will be with Huaying. I have to go back and arrange the people in the guild. I’ll leave it up to you to cooperate with them and prepare for the World Weekly.”
Tang Ci answered, “Senior, don’t worry. I’ll pull you into the secret room on Saturday night.”
Gui Yuanshan was the leader of the biggest challengers association, the Distant Association. Meanwhile, Chu Huaying was the leader of the Luoying Pavilion. They really had many things to manage. Today, they just followed Brother Jiu to dissolve the contract book and sign a new contract so as to join the World Weekly together.
Everyone said goodbye in the underground garage and Xiao Lou, Yu Hanjiang, Ye Qi and Tang Ci took the elevator back to the hotel room.
Xiao Lou leaned against the wall wearily and closed his eyes. The tragic scene of the concert once again appeared in his mind. Those who fell in the aisle, waving their bloody hands, struggling wildly, calling for help, screaming… the pain they experienced before they died was beyond imagination. They were all lives! All of them!
Xiao Lou really couldn’t understand the brutality of the hunters. No matter the reason, could they still be called ‘human’ if they ignored the lives of others and killed innocent people indiscriminately? No, they were just a group of cold killing weapons.
The contract book in his hand seemed unusually heavy. He was the owner of this contract book. In the beginning, he just wanted to form a team with Yu Hanjiang. Now 12 names had been signed on the contract book.
Hunters were cruel, cold-blooded and would do whatever it took to kill as many challengers as possible. Could they really pass through the S-grade secret rooms this time?
Proofreader: Paranoid Kitten & Fictional Reality
