After Central University was completely wiped out leaving the instructors in utter shock, somewhere deeper in the forest, another firefight had already broken out.
The students of B University never would’ve dreamed that one day they would be the ones being chased and attacked by Ming University.
They had been moving along just fine when, out of nowhere, a group burst out from the nearby bushes and opened fire without a word.
The ambush caught them off guard, but they were, after all, students from B University: well-trained and quick to react. Within moments, they returned fire.
Cheng Lian and Li Chen exchanged a look then decisively joined the battle.
As casualties on both sides rose, the fight began to tilt toward a “mutual destruction” outcome.
Li Chen gritted his teeth. “D*mn it! If we end up losing, what was the point of cutting through the shortcut to ambush them early?”
Cheng Lian’s face was grim too. B University not only had numbers, they could fight. If this went on, Ming University might be the ones getting wiped out instead.
A failed sneak attack turning into a self-dug grave.
Li Chen cursed, “Should we pull out?”
Cheng Lian shot him a look. “Did you forget what Jiang Fuyue told us?”
They couldn’t retreat. They had to push through.
If they couldn’t take down B University, the next phase of the plan couldn’t proceed.
Li Chen snapped back, “Look around you! If we don’t retreat now, do you want B University to annihilate all of us before you’re satisfied?”
“But once we retreat, catching up later will be difficult.”
Not to mention the jungle terrain, it’d be impossible to chase effectively.
And morale-wise, retreating would be disastrous.
As the saying goes: Strike while the iron’s hot; the second effort wanes; the third exhausts.
After this battle, B University would definitely stay on high alert. When that happened, pulling any more “tricks” would be nearly impossible.
Cheng Lian clenched his jaw. “Hold the line! We absolutely can’t retreat—”
Li Chen let out a growl, “Then screw it, charge!”
B University’s squad leader and class representative were standing some distance from the battle, under the shade of a tree, chatting leisurely while they observed.
Squad Leader: “Hah, overestimating themselves.”
Class Rep: “Still, you have to admit, when that ‘chicken university’ gets serious, they almost look like the real deal.”
The squad leader gave a mocking laugh and called out, “Everyone pick up the pace! Don’t get bogged down by small fry, don’t waste time!”
“Yes, sir! We’ll wrap this up in no time!”
B University’s morale surged.
Meanwhile, Ming University who had struck first was now being forced back step by step.
Li Chen clenched his teeth, muttering a curse.
Cheng Lian’s counterattacks grew more ferocious.
And then—
A group of people suddenly burst from the nearby woods, rushing in with a fierce wind at their heels.
Li Chen’s eyes lit up. “It’s Gu Huaiyu and the others!”
Cheng Lian finally exhaled in relief. Standing atop a low bush, he shouted, “Don’t give up, everyone, our reinforcements are here!”
He bit down hard on the word reinforcements.
With the arrival of another Ming University team, the tide turned completely in just a few minutes.
B University students froze.
“What the h*ll?!”
“Wh-where did all these people come from?!”
“No way, Ming University set up an ambush? That’s so dirty!”
Before long, B University was entirely captured.
Their squad leader and class rep included, their former ease and arrogance wiped away. The two tried to slip away, but Li Chen spotted them and yanked them back by the collars.
“The whole army’s right here. You two think you can just sneak off? Not happening.”
Squad Leader fumed, “You tricked us!”
Class Rep spat, “We were about to win—”
Li Chen sneered. “Ever heard of the saying ‘All’s fair in war’? And what do you mean ‘about to’? On the battlefield, things change in a second, no one dares call victory before the end.”
Cheng Lian strolled over. “You two looked pretty comfy under that tree just now, huh? Fine, keep watching then.”
Bang! Bang!
Two color bullets exploded on their chests, bursting into bright paint.
The others followed suit, swiftly finishing off the remaining B University students.
In an instant, “captives” turned to “corpses.”
B University wiped out.
Thanks to their earlier experience annihilating Central University, the Ming U students handled the aftermath smoothly this time—
Some counted points, others collected weapons, everything done with ease and efficiency.
Wherever they went, it was like a sweeping storm.
The B University squad leader was dumbfounded. He asked the same question the Central University leader had: “Where, where did you guys even come from?”
Gu Huaiyu shrugged. “Isn’t it obvious?”
The man had just seen them rush out of the woods, yet still had to ask.
“Did you… set up the ambush in advance? No, that can’t be right, if it were a planned ambush, you’d have attacked earlier, not waited until now! And Ming University entered the forest after us, it’s impossible for you to get ahead and ambush us!”
Gu Huaiyu nodded. “True. We just arrived.”
“J-just arrived?”
Liang Jingzhou chuckled. “We came straight here after wiping out Central U.”
The squad leader’s pupils shrank in disbelief. “W-wiped out Central U?! Are you kidding me?!”
Liang Jingzhou spread his hands. “Believe it or don’t. Makes no difference to me.”
The leader’s expression flickered between doubt and shock.
“You, you really wiped out Central U?”
Liang Jingzhou smirked. “Not just them. We wiped out you guys too.”
“…” D*mn it!
Li Chen called out, “Everything’s cleared up, let’s move.”
The team marched off in high spirits, leaving behind hundreds of “fallen” students staring at one another, utterly dazed.
“Squad leader, what do we do now?”
Before he could answer, an observer dropped down from a tree to escort them out of the woods.
Outside, a group of instructors were still reeling from the earlier news of Central U’s defeat.
“They, they got wiped out? An entire school, over two hundred people?”
“I saw those Central U kids, heads hanging like wilted flowers. Completely deflated.”
“If I recall, Central U placed third last year, right? How could this year…”
“Got taken out by Ming University? Honestly, I still can’t wrap my head around it.”
“Same here. When I heard the news, I thought I was hearing things!”
“I mean come on! Hasn’t Ming University always been dead last? Everyone’s used to it! What happened this year, did they suddenly sprout wings?”
“Hey, Old Hao, you’re in charge of Ming University. Did you notice anything strange?”
Hao Dazhi kept a calm face. “Strange? What kind of strange?”
“You know, any odd behavior, or anything unusual?”
“Like what?”
“Uh… I don’t even know how to describe it. It just doesn’t make sense that a school known for slacking off and coasting suddenly turns into a fighting machine overnight.”
Unless they’d all taken stimulants?
One person maybe, but hundreds? Too absurd.
Hao Dazhi sighed. “No idea.”
But deep down, he had a hunch, this definitely had something to do with Jiang Fuyue.
That girl, who was bold enough to challenge the National Defense cadets from Ocean University, would she ever let her team surrender without a fight?
“Eh? Wait, someone else is coming out?” an instructor suddenly exclaimed.
“And that many?!”
In the distance, a long line of students trudged out of the forest, faces smeared with dirt, sighing and dejected.
“What the—?”
The instructors were stunned all over again.
“Don’t tell me, wiped out again?”
“Stop joking! The exercise hasn’t even been an hour! How could two schools already be done for?”
And yet—
Reality had once again outpaced imagination.
“Who did it this time?”
“Ming University…”
The instructors gaped. “Ming University again?!”
The squad leader complained bitterly, “You have no idea, those people from Ming University are too cunning! They split into two teams: one lay in ambush at the entrance, waiting to ambush Central University the moment they came in; the other, taking advantage of their smaller numbers and faster pace, got ahead of us, hid in the forest, and then jumped out for a surprise attack.”
“Originally, we had the advantage in numbers, but as soon as the first group finished off Central University, they rushed over to reinforce, and we… cough… couldn’t hold out anymore…”
After hearing the full account, the instructors fell silent.
Hao Dazhi waved his hand. “Go get some rest first.”
The students departed, their slumped shoulders and heavy steps full of dejection.
“…Did Ming University just turn on cheat mode?” one instructor finally muttered.
“Feels like there’s going to be a major upset this year.”
“Looks like the rankings this time won’t be as predictable as usual… well, that’s good! A little surprise keeps things interesting.”
Now that B University, the only one capable of challenging “Lucky Q University,” the perennial champion was out early, and Ming University had just taken down two schools in a row, their momentum was unstoppable. It was really hard to say who would come out on top in the end!
Hao Dazhi couldn’t help but laugh. “Interesting, very interesting! This year wasn’t a waste after all.”
…
After the two squads joined up, Li Chen, Gu Huaiyu, Cheng Lian, and Liang Jingzhou led their team leisurely through the dense forest.
Compared to the previous frantic marching and nerve-wracking ambushes, this slow pace was finally in line with the “lazy salted fish” attitude everyone had been dreaming of.
Except… something felt off.
“Young Master Chen, aren’t we going after the schools ahead of us?” someone couldn’t help but ask.
Li Chen shook his head. “No.”
“W-why not?”
“Central University, who entered last, and B University, who entered just before us, have both been eliminated. The next one ahead is Trade University, they started ten minutes earlier than we did, and after the time we spent taking down those two groups, they’re long gone. You really think we can catch up?”
“Uh… yeah, I guess not…”
Li Chen gave a smug little chuckle, as if everything was unfolding according to his master plan.
Gu Huaiyu rolled his eyes so hard it hurt. The guy acted like it was all his own idea, when in truth, it was Jiang Fuyue who had planned everything in advance, telling them exactly what to do and when.
“Hmph! Acting like he’s some Zhuge Liang genius strategist…”
Li Chen cleared his throat and shot him a look: Bro, what’s your problem? Can’t you just not expose me for once?
Gu Huaiyu: I just can’t stand you taking Sister Yue’s credit for yourself.
Another classmate asked, “Then what are we supposed to do now?”
“Wander around.”
“Huh?”
“Or go climb a tree and raid some bird nests. Or find a cool spot and take a nap. Too bad we can’t bring phones, or we could form a team and play some games.”
The classmate looked utterly baffled. “We, we’re not going to keep moving forward and take out the other schools?”
“I told you, we can’t catch up.”
“So we’re just… giving up?” That didn’t fit the fierce, unstoppable momentum they’d had at all! Everyone was still fired up, eager to crush the rest of the competition. Why were they suddenly acting like lazy slackers?
Li Chen sighed, patted the student’s shoulder, and repeated the same words Jiang Fuyue had told them in their earlier private meeting:
“Young people shouldn’t be too impulsive. Charging too fast is dangerous. Knowing when to hold back is also a strategy, got it?”
“…No.” The student gave the same response the others had when they first heard it.
“You’ll understand when the time comes.” Again, quoting Jiang Fuyue word for word.
“Oh.” The student wandered off, still dazed and confused.
Liang Jingzhou couldn’t take it anymore. “Li Chen, can you say anything that doesn’t come from Jiang Fuyue’s mouth?”
Li Chen shot him a sidelong glance. “You’re just jealous you didn’t think of it first.”
“…” D*mn it! This guy’s so annoying, why is he always right?!
Li Chen adjusted his rifle to a lazier position, grinning like a rascal. “And hey, stop calling her ‘Jiang Fuyue.’ Call her Sister Yue! Oh wait, since you’re basically her junior, maybe ‘Grandma Yue’ would be more accurate?”
Liang Jingzhou: “Li Chen! I swear I’ll strangle you!”
Li Chen: “Even if you do, you’re still her junior, can’t change that, bro.”
“…!”
Half an hour later.
The group arrived at a deeper part of the forest. Whether it was due to the terrain or something else, the ventilation here was surprisingly good.
Cheng Lian said, “This should do. Let’s settle here.”
Gu Huaiyu looked around and nodded. “Yeah, this works.”
Liang Jingzhou plopped down on a low tree stump with a sigh of pure contentment. “I’m not walking another step. The trees are thick, it’s cool, perfect for hiding, absolute prime location! No way I’m moving.”
“Alright then, we’ll stay here.”
Fifteen minutes later.
Everyone had found a spot to sit or lie down.
“Uh… so we’re just gonna rest like this?”
“Young Master Chen said if we get bored, we can go climb trees for bird eggs.”
“Cough, yeah, maybe not.”
One student lay sprawled on a pile of hay, hands behind his head, a blade of grass in his mouth, one leg crossed over the other, pure bliss.
“Quit worrying already. What’s wrong with a little break?”
“But… we’re still in the middle of the exercise! Ming University finally has some momentum going, why are we suddenly acting like lazy fish again?”
“This isn’t being lazy, it’s called strategy.”
“What kind of strategy?”
“You idiot. We’ve already taken out Central and B University, over six hundred people. That’s six hundred points! As long as we lie low and don’t get eliminated by the remaining schools, there’s no way we’ll come in last.”
“With Central and B at the bottom, yeah, but don’t we want first place?”
“Easy! We take a nap, the exercise ends, and boom, we’re number one.”
“W-why are you so sure? Just because we’ve got six hundred points doesn’t mean the others won’t catch up!”
Meanwhile, outside the forest, the instructors were just as puzzled.
“They, they stopped to rest?”
“Yeah,” the scout confirmed. “They found that ventilated training grove we usually use and set up camp there.”
“Tsk… they sure know how to pick a spot.”
“But what the heck are those Ming University kids thinking? Do they really think taking out two schools means they can just sit back and relax?”
“Overconfident after a little success, I’d say. Instead of pressing the advantage, they just stop to rest? Useless brats, you praise them once, and they start slacking!”
“Old Hao, what do you think?”
Hao Dazhi was unusually quiet today especially whenever Ming University was mentioned.
“Probably just want to take a short break,” he said mildly.
But in his heart, he was muttering, What trick is Jiang Fuyue pulling this time? Making the whole squad rest? Leave it to her to come up with something like that.
Yes, Hao Dazhi had no doubt that Jiang Fuyue alone was behind the entire Ming University operation.
…
Back in the forest, Ming University’s team lounged around, cooled by the gentle forest breeze and nestled in dry grass, some sitting on low logs, some lying down. To an outsider, it would look more like a spring picnic than a military exercise.
“Hey, why so quiet? I said you’re too confident, aren’t you going to argue?”
“Nothing to argue about. I am too confident.” He flicked the blade of grass between his teeth.
“C’mon, be serious. Explain.”
He paused, then pulled the grass from his mouth, sat up, and said, “You really want to know?”
“Yeah!”
“We’ve been walking all this way, and you haven’t noticed something important?”
“What?”
“We’re missing two people.”
“Huh? Who?”
“Think about it.” Talking to slow people was exhausting.
The classmate scratched his head, puzzled. Missing two?
Then it hit him—
Right! Where are Sister Yue and Liu Sisi?!
