Capítulo 1660: Chapter 1660: Nothing to Fear
Finding out who is connected with Manager Liu isn’t difficult; these people have a strict hierarchical communication channel. Each person is only responsible for two people directly above and below them, and they only complete the tasks they are assigned, such as those who collect the “goods,” only handle the goods; those who transport, only manage transport; and those who receive, only manage reception, like an assembly line.
However, their secrecy isn’t very rigorous. At Manager Liu’s step, Xu Huo already knew they had close ties with the Little Sea Star Food Processing Factory.
The Little Sea Star Food Processing Factory is precisely the factory Yu Qingqing mentioned that operates under the South Pearl Enterprise.
Besides Manager Liu’s end, there are several slaughterhouses in Nan City that send raw materials to this processing factory. This group has been rooted in Nan City for a long time and has already replaced the slaughterhouse owners with their own people.
Xu Huo also learned from the processing plant that the South Pearl Head Company would soon hold a meeting, with the main participants being key representatives from various companies and factories under South Pearl. The Little Sea Star Processing Factory is responsible for preparing food for the meeting, hence the simultaneous shipments from several slaughterhouses.
South Pearl is considered a significant enterprise in Nan City, but it doesn’t stand out much in a big city. Even if they are holding a meeting, they wouldn’t need such a large amount of meat, so one can only imagine who the attendees might be.
Xu Huo found the list of attendees in advance at the South Pearl Head Company. To be honest, the number exceeded his expectations. Manager Liu and others were among them. Since this was a “party” for Cannibal Players, ordinary people should be very few, but if most of these people were Cannibal Players, the number was unusually large.
He took a moment to look up information on South Pearl’s owner. The background seemed unproblematic, a dual-national from both countries, grew up in Country X, went to regular schools, and led an ordinary life. Started taking over the family business in college, smoothly expanded it, and became one of the top figures in Nan City.
However, before he could dig deeper, Yu Qingqing sent him some information.
“My teammate found this out. Initially, I thought this guy was untrustworthy because he’s not one of us, but I was wrong. Turns out he’s a fanatic of our culture. He secretly formed a sect, specifically recruiting Cannibal Players, providing them food, and even a certain level of convenience to clear stages. He bought strategies which are shared for free among everyone in the sect, so their upgrade progress is faster than the Nan City Special Defense Department.”
Xu Huo briefly reviewed the data. It’s not surprising that Cannibal Players band together to survive, as the whole society targets them. The South Pearl owner evolving into a Cannibal Player and forming a sect to recruit similar individuals to maintain secrecy and gain more power was somewhat expected. The only thing beyond his imagination was that they had already progressed to “sacrifices.”
Country X lacks the soil for cults to thrive. Even if some bizarre sects arise, they mostly focus on money and carnal pleasure scams, rarely advancing to the level of “sacrifices” or “offerings” involving living people. This is because, even though most people aren’t particularly bright or are easily influenced, they instinctively fear bloodshed and slaughter.
And “brainwashing” is not as simple as it sounds. Some simple suggestions and influences might be easily implanted, but getting so many people to kill with some sense of “righteousness” or “belief” isn’t easy, especially with Cannibal Players.
Regardless of whether they’ve completely abandoned humanity, having them engage in “sacrifices” properly isn’t easy—unless some among them are proficient in psychological control.
“Are there any lists of those who participated in every sacrifice?” Xu Huo asked.
“Of course there are.” Yu Qingqing sent him another document. “I suspect the South Pearl owner’s occupational characteristics are quite special. So many Cannibal Players obediently follow his commands, which is very unusual. Cannibal Players are the least obedient, especially when hungry—they might even devour their teammates.”
“Do you have Cannibal Players among your teammates?” Xu Huo interrupted her.
“Used to have, no longer,” Yu Qingqing quickly responded. “Those who lack humanity surely can’t listen to reason; there’s no basis for cooperation.”
“I heard you offended some people from the Player Organization. Be careful in the future,” Xu Huo reminded.
“The people in the Player Organization aren’t necessarily good,” Yu Qingqing understood what he was referring to. “Those few idiots bullied women right in front of me. If they like to torment others so much, surely they enjoy being treated that way themselves.”
Xu Huo didn’t dwell on the matter. Since Yu Qingqing is still alive and well, either the Player Organization resolved the issue, or they found her unattainable. As long as her life isn’t in danger, it’s a minor issue.
“Cousin, are you planning to meet the South Pearl’s owner? Do you need our help?” Yu Qingqing probed. “Some of my teammates are quite skilled.”
“Wait for my news,” Xu Huo didn’t directly refuse. Of course, he didn’t actually need Yu Qingqing and her team’s help. To him, they were similar to the Nan City Special Defense Department.
A group of Cannibal Players, even if they counted ten Rank-C Players, wouldn’t be of much concern. The only thing to pay attention to was whether there really was a spiritual leader within the cult organization.
To verify this hypothesis, he spent half a day investigating, even visiting the Special Defense Department unilaterally, and only arrived at the South Pearl Head Company when night was falling.
Nan City hasn’t been peaceful lately, so the office area has emptied out early. Most places are lit but actually have no one working, and no sounds can be heard.
The South Pearl Head Company occupies an entire building by itself. Cars started to arrive steadily before it got dark. The drivers parked silently and orderly, merely nodding at each other without talking. Each carried an unusual solemnity.
The top floor contains a large conference room all set up. The smell of food wafts even before approaching.
“Gulp!” Someone swallowed saliva, instantly dispelling the solemn atmosphere. Hunger glinted in everyone’s eyes.
Once enough people gathered, a masked middle-aged man, accompanied by a secretary, entered. He greeted the crowd warmly, encouraging them not to stand on ceremony but to eat and drink as they pleased.
“Chairman, let’s get down to business first,” a slightly chubby man suggested, “The Special Defense Department has been strict lately. So many of us gathering here for too long might cause problems.”
“Yes, do let us know your instructions,” another concurred.
The leader of South Pearl, Hua Baoren, cast a glance over the crowd and solemnly said, “I know everyone is under a lot of pressure lately, but rest assured, we are here to address this very issue today.”