Chapter 2770

(To be modified later) Many people came to see the sculpture exhibition. It’s said to be a major event for the Chief Governor’s birthday, gathering works from many master sculptors within the district. Although it had been going on for some time and was nearing its end, there were still quite a few people. Since many tickets were sold, each group didn’t have much time to view the exhibit, rushing in and out.

Inside the exhibition hall were sculptures made from various materials, with a mutated whale carved out of a giant gemstone hanging at the center, as the most eye-catching piece. Under the lights, nearly the entire exhibition hall was enveloped in this flowing color.

It was so dazzlingly brilliant that it immediately drew most people’s attention, while fewer lingered in front of the other exhibits, and the flow of people was relatively strong.

Xu Huo walked all the way to the Gu Hui Peak themed corridor, where the woman with sores on her face stood, staring intently at a photo in the middle of the exhibits, which was a photo of the already sold sculpture "Bone Remains".

*

Of course, the players who died in Punishment City were barely mentioned, even though the district government was angry about the matter, they had to suppress the anger. If the public knew the Players from the Enforcement Department were so vulnerable, it might cause panic.

Of course, the Enforcement Department was also tracking down those players who escaped from Punishment City, but they hadn’t found much at the moment. Occasionally, they found some clues, but they turned out to be smoke bombs released by Outer Zone players. Some took advantage of this incident to stir up trouble, but it didn’t cause anything major.

The situation completely calmed down.

While the local government was busy tracking Xu Huo’s whereabouts, he had already reached the largest transportation hub on the map. Unlike other cities known for their scenery or culture, this city’s main attraction was the extensive and interconnected transportation tracks, earning it the nickname "city roller coaster".

This transportation hub city restricted aircraft, so the rail system shared a considerable part of the transportation pressure.

The intercity train that Xu Huo took almost looped through all the underground and above-ground transportation paths. It was a sightseeing route with many fellow travelers, most of whom were there for the underground holographic show.

To increase revenue, the government utilized the latest holographic projectors to create a massive Tech Cave underground, with each route segment having a different theme.

As the train entered underground, Xu Huo saw futuristic cities, interstellar travel, wormhole traversal, and time travel one after another.

Interstellar travel and wormhole traversal mostly recorded cosmic scenes, the futuristic city depicted future scenarios based on more advanced Wormhole Points, only the real place names were blurredly modified. Time travel recreated the city’s appearance at different times based on historical records.

After seeing so many unrealistic things, nostalgia was quite appealing. Xu Huo also saw the figures of two generations of Chief Governors. Though they came from different families and had no blood relation, they looked quite similar—like father and son.

Out of curiosity, he investigated some related materials and found that both Chief Governors were involved in a gene editing crime. They weren’t supporters, but their names appeared in "victim" data leaked by participants in gene editing.

This case was many years old, and the two Chief Governors were just a few years apart. Their parents involved them in gene editing experiments knowingly or unknowingly. The incident was exposed because the doctor conducting the experiment selfishly made some modifications based on personal preference, resulting in the grown children looking alike—though these children were indeed genetic inheritors of their parents. The remarkable coincidence was concluded by experts to be because the doctor screened participants for the experiment, which was termed "mass production" at the time.

Both Chief Governors were results of this "mass production". Unlike other victims who underwent cosmetic surgery to conceal the past, they didn’t mind exposing their victim status and even took advantage of it at appropriate times to gain benefits.

Both Chief Governors were somewhat old, and the genetic editing crime was at least decades ago. During this time, Zone 022 gradually perfected relevant laws, and gene editing was absolutely banned in this district.

However, the success of these two individuals inevitably made some people see advantages, so there were always calls for the legalization of gene editing.

Of course, the negative consequences of gene editing had long been publicized. Both Chief Governors announced that they suffered from a new genetic disease, which wasn’t inherited from their parents but was passed down to their offspring.

"Gene editing legalization" was merely a marginal voice.

Coming out of underground, the train moved in the air, providing an aerial view of the entire city.

Fireworks were in the distance, with a large projection of "Happy Birthday" floating in the air, visible from any angle in the city.

"Isn’t the Chief Governor’s youngest daughter’s birthday over yet?" someone discussed on the train.

"Rich people prepare for birthdays for a long time. Just preparing the guest list for the banquet takes them a while," someone else said, enviously adding, "Being the Chief Governor’s daughter is so nice. She can casually take a doll out, and it becomes worth a fortune. Even if there is a genetic disease, I’d take it."

Someone nearby laughed at his wishful thinking, while another said, "I noticed the Chief Governor celebrates the youngest daughter’s birthday annually, but I have never seen her. I wonder what genetic disease she has to remain unseen."

"Most likely, the illness is quite severe; that’s why they make such a big deal of the birthday," another mentioned.

This was not the kind of topic suitable for deep discussion in public, so the chit-chatters quickly changed the subject, remarking that the sculpture exhibition would start later. They could first queue up to buy meerkat dolls.

Xu Huo checked the time on the Collection of Information Terminal and booked a ticket to the sculpture exhibition.

While disembarking, a woman stumbled ahead of him. He reached out to steady her, only to find her face full of sore-like growths when she turned back.

Noticing his gaze, the woman immediately pulled her scarf up, softly thanking him before hurrying away.

With Zone 022’s welfare, it was rare to see someone with a severe skin condition on the street. Even without extra money for long-term treatment, the government would find a way to provide care, not to mention that the Evolution Potion widely used by ordinary people was quite effective. Severe skin conditions were uncommon now, so seeing such a person was unusual.

Sure enough, not long after, the woman was stopped by the Law Enforcement Team, but after checking her documents, they let her go, advising her not to wander around public places and go home quickly.

She was also going to see the sculpture exhibition, and by the time Xu Huo arrived, she was already in the middle of the line.