Top Warzone Analyst Chapter 11

Yan Shen remained on high alert, waiting for so long that his muscles began to stiffen, yet he still hadn’t received any good news from Cheng Feng.

He called out a few times on the public channel, but there was still no response from the other side.

Even Jiang Linxia sensed something was off and took a moment to ask, “What’s going on? You’ve lost contact with Cheng Feng? Weren’t you watching him?”

Yan Shen said, “He went undercover on the other side. The terrain here isn’t great, so I didn’t dare get too close.”

“Then he probably can’t find a chance to talk to you, and besides, that kid’s never been one to speak much anyway.” Jiang Linxia, full of mischief, encouraged, “Try cursing him out and see if he reacts.”

Yan Shen clicked his tongue and said, “Why don’t you give it a try yourself?”

“Do you think I’m afraid of him?” Jiang Linxia chuckled a couple of times, though his voice trailed off, and with little real aggression, he tried to provoke, “Old robot, have you malfunctioned?”

Xiang Yunjian stood by like an outsider, watching the drama unfold. “Be careful, or you might end up getting pecked by a goose.”

Jiang Linxia dismissed it with a shrug. “You mean Cheng Feng, the shorty? Even if he jumped, he couldn’t peck my eyes out. Besides, he’s obviously a rabbit, which is why he blended so seamlessly into the rabbit den on the other side.”

The group exchanged a few laughs, and the background noise on Xiang Yunjian’s end gradually quieted down, presumably during a brief rest.

It was at this moment that Cheng Feng suddenly popped up, asking somewhat unhappily, “Why were you talking behind my back?”

“Oh, look who’s back from the missing persons’ list,” Jiang Linxia chuckled. “We were saying how cute you are.”

Cheng Feng replied, “You’re lying.”

Yan Shen asked, “Cheng Feng, what were you doing? Why didn’t you answer?”

Cheng Feng was always quite forgiving towards those on the verge of death, so she answered truthfully, “We were discussing how to kill you.”

Yan Shen inquired, “And did you come to a conclusion?”

“Mm-hmm,” Cheng Feng said. “From all directions.”

Yan Shen felt like he’d just heard a joke and was about to whistle to match the mood when suddenly a sharp gunshot rang out in the distance.

Xiang Yunjian and his team weren’t nearby, and the opposing students shouldn’t have had any hostile targets. The gunshot seemed to come out of nowhere.

But Yan Shen quickly understood why, because these reckless examinees not only actively revealed their positions with gunfire, but were also shamelessly shouting at the top of their lungs.

“Sniper, I already know where you are! Get the hell out here!”

“UFU sniper! What kind of hero hides in the shadows? At best you’re just a mushroom!”

“Are you moldy or what? Get out here now!”

“Hey sniper, you coward! If you’ve got the guts, come out and face me in a firefight!”

Yan Shen: “…?”

After all, they might run into each other again in the future, so the examinees didn’t dare go too far with their insults, but their arrogant attitude had already been conveyed quite effectively.

They’re insane, Yan Shen thought. These people must have weeds growing in their brains instead of gray matter.

He propped himself up on his elbows, raising his upper body slightly as he peered into the distance to see what was happening.

Before he could spot any figures, similar shouts erupted from behind him.

The voices of the two groups merged together – one high, one low, trading off like a call and response. As they drew closer, the sounds grew increasingly clear, surrounding him in a 360-degree stereo loop playing on repeat around his ears. It actually had a bit of rhythm to it.

When they really went for it, several boys’ voices turned shrill and raspy, like some kind of chaotic caterwauling.

Yan Shen grew cautious. He retreated several steps, rifle in hand, and pressed his back against a tree trunk.

“What’s going on over there?” Yan Shen’s head was full of question marks. “Have they changed their tactics?”

Jiang Linxia said, “What tactics? You mean the ‘driven crazy by your killing spree’ style?”

Yan Shen sought out his partner again. “Cheng Feng? Cheng Feng, are you there!”

Cheng Feng was still missing in action.

Yan Shen gave up on relying on her and instead held his breath, concentrating intently on listening.

Three squads, six of them killed by him – there should still be over a dozen people left.

When more than ten enemies appeared before him with such fanfare, he found himself momentarily unsure how to read the situation.

The noise in the distance was too chaotic for him to accurately gauge the number of examinees or their distance. But judging by their bold, ostentatious display, the examinees’ morale seemed to have recovered.

It could be a reckless, honorless farce born of desperation, but he couldn’t rule out the possibility that they had gathered new allies.

A question flashed through Yan Shen’s mind.

How did they know where he was?

But he didn’t have time to dwell on it; experience led him directly to a conclusion – he needed to retreat.

When the situation between friend and foe was unclear, his choice was always inclined toward caution. Besides, he had no confidence whatsoever in taking on ten enemies single-handedly when they were fully prepared.

Then a second question immediately followed.

Should he retreat toward Xiang Yunjian’s direction, or toward the edge of the map?

In the two seconds it took for his thoughts to race, Yan Shen considered that if this sudden shift in style was a deliberate decision made after careful consideration by the other side, then what they most wanted to prevent was certainly his successful rendezvous with his teammates.

Yan Shen immediately swung his rifle behind him and dashed toward the north, where the sounds were relatively sparse.

…

Hidden in the dry ditch, the buzz-cut guy felt his muscles tense up involuntarily. He stared fixedly at the barren woods ahead, not even daring to blink too hard. In less than ten minutes, his gloves were already soaked with sweat.

The woods were calm and still, while the channel was filled with the steady sound of counting.

The constantly repeated numbers weighed heavier on his sense of urgency, and he couldn’t help asking again, “Why aren’t we guarding the center of the map?”

Cheng Feng said flatly, “Because we don’t have enough people.”

The buzz-cut guy asked again, “Why is he definitely coming this way? A bit further and he’ll be out of the map bounds; he’d have to take a huge risk making a detour to get out of danger. I don’t think he’ll take this route…”

Cheng Feng said, “Because he’s lost himself in one victory after another. Subconsciously, he looks down on you, believing you don’t have any sophisticated tactics.”

The buzz-cut guy rambled on, “Students from UFU wouldn’t be that careless about underestimating the enemy, right? And are you sure we should hide here? If my hand shakes and I miss when the time comes, can you help with a follow-up shot?”

Cheng Feng said, “You, shut up.”

The buzz-cut guy said, “Oh.”

Before long, a nimble figure came sprinting over, draped in the midday sunlight.

The sunlight filtering through the trees was gentle, and at the boundary between light and shadow, the rays shimmered with a golden hue. From a distance, Yan Shen’s short hair and silhouette were both softened by that golden glow.

The buzz-cut guy’s hair stood on end, and he immediately curled his index finger around the trigger.

Whether it was because he had crouched for too long, causing the muscles in his limbs to stiffen and become difficult to control freely, or because his inner unease was severely affecting his judgment, making him aim repeatedly without daring to fire – he wasn’t sure.

He watched as Yan Shen ran faster and faster, dashing across his field of vision, closing the distance from three hundred meters to two hundred, and then from two hundred to mere meters away… Having missed the prime opportunity, he still hadn’t fired.

…Then the man leaped forward and jumped into the ditch, curling up his body about ten meters away from him.

This situation was extremely awkward.

In the same trench, but not brothers in the same camp.

Yan Shen seemed to sense something and turned his gaze in his direction.

As their eyes met, an indescribably complex emotion spread through the air.

Yan Shen reflexively reached for the pistol at his waist, but unfortunately, before he could even raise it, he was hit by a bullet from behind.

The gunshot echoed through the air for a long time. Yan Shen turned his head, saw Cheng Feng, and his expression was one of sheer astonishment.

“What were you just doing?” Cheng Feng was also shocked, asking the buzz-cut guy, “You two gazing at each other all tenderly – are you sick or something?”

“I…” The buzz-cut guy opened his mouth, his entire being still in a daze. “I don’t know. Things happened so suddenly, I hadn’t processed it yet.”

“What about now?” Cheng Feng asked. “What are you still standing there for?”

The buzz-cut guy muttered an acknowledgment, stood up hugging his rifle, stumbled, and nearly fell flat on his face.

“My muscle cramped up.” The buzz-cut guy scrambled onto the grass, using both hands and feet, explaining with a red face, “This ditch is too narrow, I didn’t get into a good position.”

Cheng Feng thought to herself that this man was really unreliable. Frowning, she announced in the team channel, “Target eliminated. Now reporting casualties.”

A burst of extremely excited voices came through the team channel:

“Really? It’s over just like that? I didn’t even see that sniper?”

“No casualties!”

“All of my team is still here!”

“Nice job, tech support!”

“My throat’s hoarse, don’t you dare be messing with me.”

Cheng Feng climbed out from the other side of the ditch, jogged past Yan Shen, and calmly summarized the battle situation. “No casualties. Everyone performed well, which also proves the other side isn’t that scary. As long as we create the right opportunity, we can totally counter them.”

The buzz-cut guy snapped out of his daze, scrambled after her, and called out eagerly, “Boss! You’re my boss from now on! Give me another chance, I’ll definitely get it right this time!”

Watching Cheng Feng walk away without looking back, so cold she wouldn’t even spare him a glance, Yan Shen, standing frozen in place, suddenly understood.

Robots don’t have hearts.