Deng Xuan stared at the young man in the tracksuit until he turned around to go back the way he came, then reached out to touch his shoulder, "Friend, are you looking for someone?"
The young man looked at him in confusion, and Deng Xuan loosened his grip, "Sorry, I mistook you for someone else."
The young man nodded and walked out, and behind his back, Deng Xuan spoke into the communicator, "Brother Jing, I’m heading back first."
After Deng Xuan left the shop, he blended into the crowd, and his two companions also dispersed in different directions.
Xu Huo sipped his juice and chose a different direction to walk. Deng Xuan and his two companions only monitored him for less than half a minute, losing interest once he left the beverage shop, but two other people, spaced further apart, watched him until he left the shopping area, one of them following him to the comprehensive transit station.
Acting as though he was unaware of being followed, he entered the train station but didn’t board a train. Instead, he sneakily headed to the parcel storage area, picked a wealthy-looking passerby, lifted his electronic card to open a mobile storage locker, rummaged around inside and then closed it again. As he was leaving, he accidentally knocked over a half-finished cup of juice.
He left the spilled juice on the ground and hurriedly left, then boarded a hovering train.
The person who followed him did not get on the train, but turned around back to the parcel storage, and as he averted his gaze, the ’good friend’ meter began to drop; Xu Huo knew he was checking the storage locker.
After taking the train to the next station, Xu Huo entered the restroom, changed into a clown suit, and took out "The Elusive Screaming Chicken," feeding it a bit of juice.
Feeding the Screaming Chicken allows it to track a target, but the condition is that the target must also come into contact with the same substance, such as a grain of rice stuck to a shoe sole or chewing gum, or juice pulp with added special materials.
When the station’s cleaning robots detect a stain, they will arrive within one minute to clean up. The person following him had checked the storage locker, and if luck was on his side, the Screaming Chicken would be able to lock onto the target.
"Goo!" The rubber chicken cocked its head to the side, its red eyes bulged, kicked his hand away and dropped to the ground, flapped its fake wings, pecked symbolically at the ground, and then walked out.
Xu Huo took out a sticker flyer he had prepared in advance and followed it out of the station.
In Zone 011, there are quite a few businesses that use props to attract customers, so it’s common to see various entertainment props on the streets, and therefore, a rubber chicken walking in front of a flyer-distributing clown doesn’t draw attention.
Thirty minutes later, Xu Huo spotted the middle-aged man who had been tailing him; he followed the man through the bustling city and arrived at a live-action simulation game building.
This avant-garde entertainment venue had holographic simulation games, extensively financed by companies that purchased copy rights to certain adventures and designed them for those seeking thrills without the risk of actually entering the games.
Xu Huo hung the Screaming Chicken on his belt and began to circle the building until most of the flyers in his hand were distributed and the head of the Screaming Chicken finally stopped pointing towards the game building.
The middle-aged man did not linger on the street but took a carriage to a residential area, exiting outside one of the buildings.
The slightly more upscale residences in Zone 011 tout the name "natural oxygen bar," with independent gardens both outside and inside the buildings. While the buildings are standalone, each is surrounded by an anti-riot electronic wall, and without an access card, one can only walk along the outside pathways.
Seeing that the man seemed not to plan on leaving, Xu Huo went to a nearby independent reading room and looked up information on the internet about the game building and the residential area, finding out that both belonged to Rongxin Group.
Rongxin Group was well-known in Zone 011, involved in multiple industries including real estate, home furnishings, film, and games. Their advertisements were everywhere on the streets, with strong capital and an ambiguous relationship with the government. Ran Ying, a captain at the Enforcement Department, had even endorsed their holographic games.
Xu Huo’s stay in Zone 011 was brief, and he had only made contact with a few parties: Enforcement Department’s Ran Ying, gaming base’s Shi Youzhi, and black market trader Deng Xuan.
He had arranged a deal with Deng Xuan, who came forcefully, indisputably because of the player he had caught.
He definitely would not release the person; initially, he had planned to return to Zone 014 first, but now this matter became interesting, and the matter with the prop could wait.
After following the middle-aged man for three days, Xu Huo finally saw him meet with another person shadowing him. The two greeted each other from a distance on the street and then entered the game building one after the other.
"Would you like a mask, sir?" asked a young and pretty girl approaching him, "Today, Rong Xin has launched a new animal-themed Court Night Tour game. For just 9999, you can experience it, with a new customer discount. It might not be the same tomorrow! Plus, you get a simulated mask for free!"
The so-called simulated mask was simply an arc screen the size of a human face, using animal images to mimic human expressions, not high-tech for Zone 011.
"Sounds interesting," Xu Huo said.
The young girl pulled him into the building. Upon entry was a circular hall with a sales counter in the center, spaced a few meters apart were elevator doors, with customers coming and going intermittently.
Under the girl’s guidance, Xu Huo chose a pink-faced sheep cartoon mask, and with a smile said, "I heard girls like cute things."
The young girl covered her mouth to suppress a smile, "You’re quite humorous, sir. You’re so handsome, you don’t need to play cute to have girls like you."
A square beam of light shone from above the sales counter, and the mask descended evenly from above. The girl caught it and helped Xu Huo put it on, then led him to the elevator, reaching the thirtieth floor in just a few seconds.
"Here we have both solo and multiplayer modes. Solo mode allows you to enjoy a private control cabin, while multiplayer usually involves three to five guests sharing one room. You can move freely in both modes, and special prop rooms ensure you won’t bump into walls or fall. Everything you do in the room will be vividly reflected in the game. Additionally, since this is Court Night Tour, the game provides a set of game costumes for free; sir, you can choose as you wish."
Xu Huo, following her introduction, toured the rooms along the corridor, and spotted the man who had met with the middle-aged person entering one of the multiplayer rooms; he chose that room as well.
"There happens to be one spot left. This is a five-person room."
Five fully enclosed, cocoon-shaped control cabins were centrally arranged in a circular formation. When the girl opened the door, one of the control cabins had just closed.
"I will open the control cabin for you," said the girl as she pressed the invisible button on the outside of the cabin, opening the door. "Once you confirm entry into the game, the control cabin cannot be opened from the outside. You will be very safe inside. If you wish to interrupt the game, you can do so yourself. Enjoy your game."
Xu Huo stepped in, putting on a pair of in-ear headphones according to the user guide, and instantly the snow-white control cabin switched to a luxury room with touches of Baroque architectural style.