Looking at the sky outside, Xu Huo slightly frowned. He didn't linger any longer and turned back towards the lounge. However, when he reached the door, he found two completely unfamiliar players standing guard. Lang Lang's assistant was arguing with them. "How can scary-looking guys like you follow Sister Lang Lang? Can't you send two good-looking ones? Even if green leaves are meant to set off the flower, the leaves can't be all withered and wrinkled. It would damage our Sister Lang Lang's image if you went out like that. If you don't leave, do you want the General Administration Chief to get involved?"

One of the players said, "The General Administration Chief specifically sent us to protect Miss Lang Lang."

The assistant was furious. Seeing Xu Huo, she waved him over, but the two players didn't yield, instead saying, "Unauthorized personnel cannot approach Miss Lang Lang."

"I am a staff member here," Xu Huo said. "The front desk sent me to ask when Miss Lang Lang can come out. There are some details that need to be verified with her."

Lang Lang, who was sitting inside, stood up and smiled at the two players. "Thank you for your hard work, both of you. The Celebration Banquet is the face of Clown City. Besides, today there are also distinguished guests of the General Administration Chief. I cannot cause trouble for everyone because of my own oversight."

The two players didn't forcefully detain her in the lounge, but said, "The General Administration Chief said someone has been following Miss Lang Lang recently. He ordered us to protect you."

"I understand. It's fine. I won't leave the banquet hall," Lang Lang said amiably. "When will the General Administration Chief arrive?"

The two players indicated they didn't know.

Lang Lang didn't say anything more and followed Xu Huo to the main hall at the front.

After reaching the hall, Xu Huo was about to leave, but two additional checkpoints had been set up at the main entrance, allowing entry only, not exit. He glanced back at Lang Lang. This woman, who always maintained a smile, showed not a flicker of emotion in her eyes as she communicated with the staff as usual.

The sky grew darker and darker. Before the rain even fell, it had turned completely black. Lights came on, and cars arrived one after another at the Aerial Building. High-ranking government officials from Clown City entered the building with their families.

The entire building was like a reservoir. As more and more people arrived, the banquet hall gradually became noisy.

Ten minutes later, the General Administration Office's car arrived. An elderly man with frost-white hair got out of the car, protected by bodyguards, and waved to the people around him.

This was the General Administration Chief of Clown City, the highest leader overseeing both Clown Cities.

Following him out of the car was a man wearing a white mask with black stripes. The two chatted and laughed as they walked into the banquet hall. The General Administration Chief called Lang Lang over. "Let me introduce you. This is the distinguished guest I invited, Mr. Yuan Cun. He is a player from District 001."

"The most gorgeous rose of Clown City, truly living up to the reputation," Yuan Cun glanced at Lang Lang, his gaze not lingering on her excessively like others did.

At the General Administration Chief's prompting, Lang Lang took a glass of wine and offered it to Yuan Cun. Yuan Cun didn't accept it. Lang Lang wasn't embarrassed and instead handed the wine to the General Administration Chief.

The General Administration Chief raised his glass. "To Clown City!"

"To Clown City!" The crowd followed suit, raising their glasses. The Celebration Banquet officially began.

People from various factions began taking turns going over to greet the General Administration Chief. The scene became lively. Not long after, the General Administration Chief inquired about the champion of this game. Xin Hui, wearing Formal Attire, walked over gracefully. When she was only two meters away from the General Administration Chief, she suddenly erupted, charging straight at him!

At the same time, people in different parts of the venue also made their move, firing guns and taking high-ranking officials hostage.

However, Xin Hui's side didn't go smoothly. She didn't even touch the General Administration Chief before being blocked by an invisible barrier. With the first strike unsuccessful, players acting as bodyguards had already positioned themselves in front of the General Administration Chief.

179 fired his gun to draw attention, while Xin Hui took the opportunity to grab Lang Lang beside her, pinching her neck and threatening the General Administration Chief. "Tell your people to back off, or I'll kill her!"

The banquet hall descended into chaos. Many people covered their heads and ran outside, but the building's main doors were already locked. Two people who tried to break the doors were directly shot dead by players who subsequently appeared.

The crowd screamed, then, after several more gunshots, they all covered their heads and crouched down.

"Shut your mouths!" players wearing General Administration Office uniforms shouted at the crowd. Only after everyone quieted down did they turn to look at the few people holding hostages. "Surround them!"

Xin Hui's side made a big show, but in reality, there were only about seven or eight people. They didn't even have time to gather around her before being separated and surrounded. Judging by the way the General Administration Office players shot and killed people, they didn't seem to care much about their lives.

"You can state your demands. Please don't harm Lang Lang. She is the only daughter of my closest friend. If anything happens to her, I cannot answer to my deceased friend," the General Administration Chief said to Xin Hui.

Xin Hui pulled Lang Lang back. "Have all the players withdraw! Then open the main doors and clear the building!"

The General Administration Chief didn't say anything. Several high-ranking officials from the General Administration Office standing beside him shouted, "Wishful thinking! Look clearly at the current situation! If you don't hand over the hostage, don't think you'll walk out of this building alive!"

"I am a player. There's nowhere I can't walk out of," Xin Hui sneered, tightening her grip on Lang Lang's throat. "If you want her to live, General Administration Chief, I'll trouble you to come with me personally!"

The General Administration Chief looked at her and said, "Who exactly are you people? Why are you doing this? Aren't Clown City's welfare policies for players and Warriors good enough?"

"Bullshit!" Xin Hui raged. "You fill your own pockets with human lives! How many innocent people have died tragically, and you still have the face to talk about some damn welfare policy!"

"Do you think I don't know the truth? The Mutants that appeared in the cleanup area twenty years ago have long been wiped out. The later Mutants were all bought by you from other Game Partitions!"

"What 'taking back our homeland'? It's all lies! How many young people who gave their sincere loyalty to Clown City died in the cleanup area, died at the hands of their own compatriots? You scum, you degenerates, can you sleep at night?!"

"This was also a matter of no choice," the General Administration Chief sighed. "It was all because of the previous General Administration Chief's misjudgment twenty years ago that led to the division of Clown City. So many people... we all have to survive."

"Shut your mouth!" Xin Hui exploded in fury. "A backstabber like you has the face to mention the previous General Administration Chief! He turned the tide and established the blockade zone, but you took advantage of the chaos to betray him! His entire family was kidnapped by rioters and thrown into the blockade zone! The whole family died, wiped out clean! Even the two-year-old child was shot dead! How you got into this position, you know perfectly well in your heart!"

Only then did the General Administration Chief narrow his eyes and scrutinize her carefully. Then he said, "You are seeking justice for the former General Administration Chief, but the person you are holding hostage is his only daughter."

Xin Hui's face darkened. "Tell your people to withdraw!" she demanded sharply.

However, the General Administration Chief abandoned his previous humble posture and said with a smile, "Anyone with half a brain wouldn't come with just these few people. Kidnapping me is just a pretense. The real goal is to let these people out, isn't it?"

He casually pointed at the crouching, head-covered government officials and their families in the banquet hall.