Chapter 2797: Book Worm

The two of them chatted as they walked, and Bo Chunfeng spoke about the plants in the forest as if he were reciting a cherished catalog. For every flower Xu Huo showed interest in, he could identify its family, its evolutionary origin, and the new characteristics it had acquired post-evolution... In the meantime, he also mentioned that he owned a few gardens, which had been gifted to him by Believers for free. He used them to grow flowers and herbs, selling them to cover the expenses of the church, or sometimes to help Believers in need.

Although they didn’t fully agree with each other’s philosophies, they maintained respect, so the conversation was quite congenial. By dinner, Bo Chunfeng smoothly joined the group of two families.

He was tolerant of children but rather strict with adults. If he felt an adult was teaching something wrong during dinner, he would point it out directly.

The parents of both families felt a bit embarrassed, but they also found sense in what he said, so they couldn’t help but agree.

Suffice it to say, he didn’t get beaten up thanks to Zone 022 being rather developed, with surveillance cameras everywhere.

After dinner, the group decided to stay the night there. They were still at the outskirts of the Forest Park, where staying close allowed for some evening strolls, though deeper areas were off-limits.

While the two families and Bo Chunfeng rested early, Xu Huo took advantage of the night to venture into the depths of the forest. The nighttime forest was vastly different from the daytime, especially with the abundance of glowing plants, turning the forest into a fairy tale secret realm, breathtakingly beautiful.

"Thud!" A little monkey threw a fruit at him. Xu Huo sidestepped, and the fruit missed him. He looked down, picked up the fruit, and flung it back at the canopy.

"Plop!" The little monkey fell flat on its back, squealing loudly, and then scampered off deeper into the forest.

Xu Huo took a photo of the monkey’s red bottom and uploaded it to his travel blog.

Of course, now his travel blog wasn’t as overlooked as before. Ever since he posted a photo with Miss Ruo and others, the comments skyrocketed.

The state of Miss Ruo and the Law Enforcement Team Players wasn’t good, appearing in a surrounding posture in the group photo. Even a casual observer could guess the circumstances under which it was taken, raising doubts among some locals about the capability of Zone 022’s government.

Being beaten by an Outer Zone Player was one thing, but allowing him to leave such a disgraceful picture was another. Wasn’t the District Government doing anything? Why haven’t they caught him and sentenced him according to the law?

Such sentiments were quite vocal, given that Xu Huo was an Outer Zone Player. Only a small group held an optimistic view, admiring strength. Since no major casualty events were announced officially, it was just a group photo, after all. His ability to easily escape after ambushing the Law Enforcement Team showcased his great skills, making him an object of envy and admiration for many.

Players coming from the Outer Zone tended to fan the flames, criticizing Zone 022 Players for being inept while openly inviting Xu Huo to join certain actions to trouble Zone 022, with many wanting to collaborate with Xu Huo to clear instances.

There wasn’t much important information, just a lot of idle boasting.

As soon as the monkey butt photo was posted, people following closely began to reply and analyze. They speculated about Xu Huo’s location from the objects and lighting in the photo, with some even threatening him to wait.

After browsing briefly, Xu Huo left Forest Park and went to the biotech company Chai Sheng mentioned.

Involved in biological research and potion-making, this company chose a remote place, on the edge of a small town, and the town was pretty much built because of the company, with some daily shops and entertainment venues, but it wasn’t large.

Such companies have high security levels. Xu Huo observed from outside for a while, then approached a company employee who was off-duty and learned from them about the list of personnel with higher clearance within the company. He visited them one by one overnight, since there are always those who value their lives above all else, so he didn’t have to exert much effort to obtain some internal documents.

Xu Huo wasn’t interested in what this company was researching; he was more keen on finding out who was trading the Wise Variant.

Unexpectedly, the trading partner wasn’t a company or influential power, but a simple codename, "Book Worm," with no transport route even.

This codename, however, was quite famous; a search Beneath the Dimension would bring up lots of information.

Simply put, this person was similar to the Guile Sound Knights in nature, getting rich through plundering in the game, only he was a lone wolf. Many regions have tales of his trades involving large instruments, rare experimental specimens, Wise Variants, and even acquiring Game Government’s research data.

His highlight was the leak of the Game Government’s internal personnel data five years ago.

The Game Government, although held by some major powers, doesn’t reveal its core members openly. The Stellar Group’s chairman’s portrait might be plastered across White Notes, but no one knows his real appearance, where he lives, or if he’s even alive. There are many such people in the game, especially those involved in game operation secrets. Even if selected from different districts, they too disappear within some Rank-A Wormhole Point, never to be heard from again, their whereabouts unknown.

It’s difficult to investigate the disappearance pattern of a single missing person in the game, but when many disappear, some clever individuals can catch glimpses of the truth from the clues. Thus, these secret identities inevitably reveal traces of the No Ticket Rank-A Wormhole Points.

Outsiders, or most people within the Game Government, including those working for it, find it hard to grasp the real information about these people. Yet, "Book Worm" managed to acquire a list, posting it for auction Beneath the Dimension. Who bought the list remains unknown, but "Book Worm" saw his wanted level rise afterward.

Though not reaching an all-game wanted status, he had his Beneath the Dimension account restricted and was listed as an expulsion target at over ten Rank-A Wormhole Points. This means that while other wanted criminals might slip into a district unnoticed, as soon as this person shows up, he immediately becomes a target for attack, and the District Government would spare no expense to kill or drive him off.

Judging from all indications, "Book Worm" should have a special talent in information data; otherwise, he wouldn’t instill such fear in Rank-A Wormhole Points, as information leaks often cause repercussions far greater than an Advanced Player wreaking havoc somewhere.

This person hasn’t caused any major stir in recent years, but he has been doing business with Zone 022, clearly living quite comfortably.

Xu Huo used his alt account to send a message to him. He wasn’t searching for the Wise Variant Breeding Base but rather the location of the Stellar Medical Group’s laboratory.

The core of Stellar Medical Group would definitely be in the No Ticket Zone, but the secret laboratories should be spread all over, whether hidden in Advanced district zones or within high-risk dungeon venues. In essence, these secret labs serve as links to the core of the game.