Free Web NovelChapter 2486: Chapter 2486: We’re Negotiating
The call with the Wan Family was brief. No time was wasted on explaining the situation, just the address was given, and the Wan Family was asked to send more people and props as needed.
However, at this point, the two did not reveal any information related to the Old Lady.
As they said, they were only following the family’s arrangements and did not know the details of how the Old Lady and the head of the family negotiated.
After confirming the Wan Family’s attitude, Xu Huo went to find the Old Lady, hoping to hear some truth.
The Old Lady looked at him blankly for two seconds, then said, "Are you saying the boss’s child has been kidnapped?"
"Then we must report to the Law Enforcement Team immediately!"
Xu Huo watched her become busy and only spoke after a moment, "Do you think the missing boss is alive or dead?"
The Old Lady’s hand on the communicator stopped, and her face gradually turned pale.
"Not afraid to tell you, we are already under surveillance. Someone has manipulated the city’s monitoring, from entering the boss’s residence to the current hotel, they have never left," Xu Huo said solemnly. "I’m not asking you what event you’ve gotten involved in, but at least give me some preparation."
The Old Lady turned back to look at him, suddenly shouting the names of the two Wan Family members, and when they came over, she pointed at Xu Huo, "He is in cahoots with the kidnappers! Drive him out!"
The two Wan Family members’ faces changed drastically, and they immediately protected the Old Lady while erecting a barrier to isolate Xu Huo.
Xu Huo sat in place without moving, looking at the Old Lady, saying, "I need to clear customs, I definitely have to accompany you to the end on this journey. I know you get off at every station to disguise your search for the boss. Now the boss is clearly missing, and we are all under surveillance, how are you going to send out the Cat Whisker Fruit?"
"Are there no other target figures?"
"Seems there are... If you can’t find anyone, do you already have a final decision?"
"Seems not... So, is the Cat Whisker Fruit the token of your journey? Are there other items to hand over to the bookstore owner?"
"The real purpose is to send the Cat Whisker Fruit, which must have had special significance in itself—what is the significance? Recorded information? Or hidden within some items?"
"So many Cat Whisker Fruits, it can’t be that all are useful, how many have use?"
"Three? Two? One?"
"One... Information recorded on the carving within the seed of the fruit?"
At this point, some basic information has already become clear.
The Old Lady, though trying hard to control it, found it difficult to conceal her reactions under emotional swings, so she changed with Xu Huo’s questioning.
"You didn’t carry any Cat Whisker Fruit on you, that would be too obvious. It seems hidden inside the basket," Xu Huo pulled the basket over, "When I purposely scooped inside while delivering the Cat Whisker Fruit to the robot earlier, I noticed you were very nervous, so it’s hidden in here."
Seeing this, the Old Lady could no longer hold back and wanted to rush over to retrieve her things, but was stopped by the two Wan Family members. They instead wanted to act on her behalf, but they were repelled by the defensive barrier Xu Huo released. Then, the Girl in the painting stepped in, and the paper notebook prepared for guests instantly scattered, hundreds of sheets fluttered around the room, enclosing them in a corner.
"Calm down," Xu Huo said. "We are on the same team."
Psychic Power Materialization began to flow from under his feet, separating into fine threads, raising each Cat Whisker Fruit. The machine-carved ones were eliminated first, leaving only about twenty hand-carved seed carvings.
Staring at the Old Lady, Xu Huo continued, "Although your craftsmanship is exquisite, each carving is perfect, that one unique carving is inconspicuous in their midst, but since it wasn’t made by you, it bears slight distinction."
The Old Lady involuntarily grew tense, confirming that Xu Huo had guessed correctly.
Although Xu Huo had observed these Cat Whisker Fruits along the way, unfortunately, neither the content of the carvings, the technique, nor the appearance of the Cat Whisker Fruit could show any obvious distinction.
"I don’t want to waste time guessing," he said, rising to the defensive barrier’s edge, warning the two Wan Family members, "Don’t act. If you act, I can’t promise these Cat Whisker Fruits will remain intact."
"No!" The Old Lady’s voice was faster by a step than the two Wan Family members, she approached the defensive barrier, striving to maintain composure, "Give me back the Cat Whisker Fruit!"
Xu Huo sighed, "I’m not unreasonable. Just tell me which Cat Whisker Fruit is useful."
Tears filled the Old Lady’s eyes, yet she refused to confess.
For a quick resolution, Xu Huo had no choice but to crush two of them.
Watching the Cat Whisker Fruit burst apart, the Old Lady screamed, her expression becoming fierce, "I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! You pigs and dogs from the Outer Zone!"
Xu Huo’s expression remained unmoved as he held up three Cat Whisker Fruits in front of her, "Carefully identify them, three, two, one... good."
With a few pops, these three Cat Whisker Fruits were also crushed.
Then several more Cat Whisker Fruits were raised.
The Old Lady did not even have time to curse him, her gaze swiftly searched among the Cat Whisker Fruits, and once again, they all shattered. When it reached the third batch, the Wan Family members who arrived interrupted the process.
A long-haired male Player stood behind the Old Lady, scrutinizing Xu Huo, "This is quite unkind to an elderly woman."
As he spoke, another five Players appeared in different positions throughout the room.
The Old Lady Gui and the two members of the Wan Family from earlier regained their senses, only to find they were still in the positions they assumed upon entering the room, their expressions changed drastically.
Looking at the twenty-some Cat Whisker Fruits placed intact on the coffee table, the Old Lady suddenly lunged forward, gathering all the Cat Whisker Fruits into her embrace, then glared at Xu Huo hatefully.
"I can easily discern what you’re protecting. With a little more time, everything stored in your mind can be extracted," Xu Huo said calmly. "These are still relatively mild means."
"You’ve already made an appearance at the bookstore owner’s house, soon someone will know this trip was initiated by you. If it were the kidnappers, do you think you can keep your secrets?"
"You don’t trust me, but can you trust the Wan Family people?"
Ignoring the gazes of several Wan Family members, he proceeded, "I’m not saying the Wan Family people have been bribed, just that of these people who came, are they all really Wan Family members?"
"Friend, to sow discord face-to-face, it’s very impolite!" The long-haired Player’s face turned cold.
Xu Huo tapped the "Time Ring" on his finger, "We’re negotiating right now, speaking rather than fighting."
The long-haired Player’s gaze lingered on the ring for a moment, then said, "You’ve changed your outfit three times along the way, you could be impersonated, or perhaps from the start, you’ve never been a genuine Player clearing customs."
