Xu Huo and the Girl in the painting went to the house arranged for them by the Special Defense Department, a specially designated isolated residential area in the city center. Only one house remained inside, surrounded by landscaped vegetation, with no visibility inside or out, and the area was quite large.

Previously, when arrangements were made by the Special Defense Department, Xu Huo had no specific requirements for where to live, but given the presence of the Girl in the painting, he preferred places with fewer people.

However, considering the layout impact in Ting City, the Special Defense Department specially vacated a villa area for them, and also arranged for personnel to guard the entrance and exit.

Inside the house, there was the latest terminal sent by the Special Defense Department. Xu Huo checked it and logged onto the network after connecting an encryptor purchased from another zone.

First, he checked the situation in Zone 014 on the Pioneer Player forum.

As the number of Advanced Players increased and understanding of the game deepened, countries were now preparing to deal with the complete integration into the game—generally, this wouldn’t happen so quickly, but given Zone 014’s good development, they had to consider the possibility of this day arriving sooner.

Additionally, as evolution deepened, unusual phenomena appeared worldwide, such as suddenly changing mineral veins and newly discovered elemental resources, not to mention various mutant flora and fauna—which, after players gained control, frequently attacked humans. In many populous areas, suspicious plants were preemptively removed because of this.

Of course, this also led to players from Outer Zones coming in sporadically, as veteran players in the game found it easy to grab some resources in a new zone.

For instance, during the recent attack incident, a Player Organization on the Pioneer Player forum provided first-hand information and speculated that the Special Defense Department might have been hit by a diversion, while several Outer Zone players disappeared without a trace, leaving only a few wounded to draw fire.

The Special Defense Department hasn’t responded much yet, only reporting the capture of two living individuals.

It’s impossible for just a few players to control a zone, so their ultimate goal might be some newly born special resources. Regarding their destination, Zone 014 is too large, so each country must investigate it themselves. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

This is the overall situation; abroad, there are more small-scale wars breaking out, especially in small countries where rare resources have emerged, which have become battlefields for major nations.

As game integration looms near, these resource wars have not yet spread worldwide.

Domestically, the situation is much more stable, thanks to the government’s stability, and conflicts between official and unofficial Player Organizations trend towards reconciliation. Primarily, many tasks require people, such as the formation of random instance entrances, sudden mutations in local objects, and considering whether these places will become fixed instances in the future, necessitating emergency measures.

Another point worth noting is that unofficial Player Organizations and player groups are now more harmonious than before. They can negotiate and operate without needing the Special Defense Department’s mediation, seemingly having abandoned past grievances for the sake of progress.

It’s difficult to unite a divided group, so some notable members from Player Organizations have become lubricants, these people enjoy great prestige and can temporarily maintain peace among the Player Organizations.

Xu Huo did not expect that he played a significant role in this as well. Someone assigned him the code name "X," sculpting him as a spiritual leader among unofficial players. In the previous Super Evolver incident, his selfless assistance to the Special Defense Department and Player Organizations garnered him massive goodwill. It was probably the first time since evolution that they encountered such a "selfless" person, and for a time, many took him as a model, which reduced hostility.

Ignoring the voices on the forum calling for him to establish a regulatory Player Organization, Xu Huo also focused on recent developments in the Special Defense Department.

Nowadays, players have various ways to obtain information, so often the news within the Special Defense Department can’t be kept secret for long, leaks always occur.

Recently, what roused much interest was that the Special Defense Department acquired a sizeable batch of advanced instruments, achieving a breakthrough in research and use. Not only have safety zones utilized large-scale instruments, but some critical military defense positions have also employed them, capable of offense and defense, no longer as constrained as previously by relying on props and players.

Next is the new legislation. The rise of players is bound to bring reforms within the government. The overwhelming strength of players can easily push ordinary people out, so it’s necessary to clearly define roles within, and both sides need constraints.

Though legislation is not yet completed, some proposals have been leaked, such as requiring a certain ratio of ordinary people and players in agency positions, prohibiting players’ family members from working in government agencies. Any measures regarding players by permanent staff must undergo three or more special court approvals and permits, and players are restricted from using force or other means to coerce or entice ordinary staff in government agencies, or they’ll face severe punishment...

These are the leaks, and regarding these regulations, the government might also want to observe the Player Organization’s attitude.

Next was a rumor about internal competition within the Special Defense Department.

It involved Nie Xuan and "Ubiquitous Xiaoming."

Nie Xuan is an elite in the Special Defense Department; he has strong appeal, and many internal players respect him, but his approach has some issues. He is not without a team spirit, but in special situations, he adheres only to his own views. His handling of some Player Organizations and the previous high-level government transition demonstrated his ability to quickly act without hesitation, not to mention that he follows through with what he says.

Being too capable can be a problem, so the Special Defense Department cannot have only one voice.

"Ubiquitous Xiaoming" is the person pushed forward by the military.

Xu Huo looked into several incidents handled by this "Captain Ming" since his appearance. It can be seen that compared to Nie Xuan, he is a "more rational" person.

The counterpart would anticipate sacrifices when handling matters. In other words, only the optimal plan is chosen, with no safety net, somewhat reminiscent of Nie Xuan’s style when he thought he was going to die.

The difference is that while Nie Xuan acted under pressure, this person made rational choices based on data and calculations.

In the past, many players in the Special Defense Department sacrificed themselves in order to protect ordinary citizens, but Captain Ming placed greater emphasis on player safety. Therefore, he quickly gained the support of some and, with Nie Xuan seeming to avoid the spotlight after the last high-level change, the two appear to be on an equal footing.

However, Nie Xuan is a Spatial Evolver, whereas Captain Ming is known for his intelligence and strategy and seldom reveals his strength, but at the very least, he too is a Rank-B player and a talent specially groomed by the military.

Apart from these, there is the rapid inflation in the social status of players.