Top Warzone Analyst Chapter 155

Outside the arena, there was actually another group of people who wanted to cry even more than Xiang Yunjian and the others.

They were the cannon-fodder contestants who had only just logged into the exam. Before they’d even glimpsed the vast battlefield – let alone Cheng Feng herself – they had been blown right out of the system in utter confusion.

Now these fine young men, averaging six-foot-three with at least four-pack abs apiece, could only stare speechlessly at the livestream.

At night, they hugged their pillows and repeatedly punched their beds in frustration.

Whose enormous stash of supplies was that?
Theirs!

Who was it that raised Cheng Feng into the monster she’d become?
Them!

Who gave her the confidence to leave even Xiang Yunjian’s four-man squad speechless?
Also them!

Cheng Feng stole their kills, inherited all their loot, then turned around and used it to slaughter their teammates.

It was cruelty of the highest order.

Never before had any year’s examinee been fattened up this ridiculously. If someone had to take the blame, it was unquestionably them.

By now, every contestant who entered the arena later had asked them the same question countless times:

“Are you sure you weren’t Cheng Feng’s inside men?”

Watching Xiang Yunjian’s group fall into stunned silence offered them the tiniest bit of consolation.

But the moment they remembered that those four were about to gain access to Cheng Feng’s entire arsenal, fear once again gripped their hearts.

Five chaos incarnate gathered in one place wasn’t a team – it was a full-blown dance of demons.

At this point, every surviving contestant inside the exam could collectively be addressed by a single title:

Victim.

As the original source of this disaster, they could already picture what the rest of their lives would be like.

It would be an endless humiliation.

It was simply too tragic.

They were only twenty years old, and yet it felt as though their youth had already come to an end.

At that very moment, dormitories with lights still on across countless campuses erupted into peals of laughter. Students from different military universities, for one glorious instant, experienced the exact same joy.

Even those who had already gone to bed were dragged out by their roommates, who pounded on their doors in the middle of the night, insisting they witness this precious, once-in-a-lifetime moment together.

The San Yao Forum looked like it was celebrating the Lunar New Year. The front page was flooded with endless threads that contained nothing but incoherent laughter. The moderators deleted them automatically, only for fresh ones to spring up moments later.

The video section was even worse. Within five short minutes, thousands of new uploads appeared, every single one featuring close-up shots of Jiang Linxia and the others.

“The squad seems to have reunited… but somehow also completely fallen apart.”

“HAHAHAHA this plastic friendship isn’t surviving this one.”

“Xiang Yunjian already had the air of a mature man, but overnight he seems to have aged another twenty years. I can’t stop the tears from streaming down my face.”

“I’m laughing so hard my downstairs neighbor came upstairs to bang on my door!”

“Calm down, everyone. Show a little restraint. Repost it six or seven times at most. Leave the MVP squad a shred of dignity!”

“Jiang Linxia’s expressions are comedy gold. If these reaction memes don’t go viral, I’ll lose all faith in the internet!”

“The way Xin Kuang is sitting on that rooftop, lost in thought… he’s giving off ‘an old fisherman in a straw raincoat, alone in his lonely boat’ vibes.”

“What do I do? Every single frame is too good to let go. My Moments feed has been completely taken over by them. Just how many people are still pulling an all-nighter to watch this?”

…

An hour after the incident, the thoroughly traumatized group finally seemed to have recovered.

Once they’d calmed down, they started learning to embrace reality.

Cheng Feng, however, felt they might have become even more deranged.

Take Xin Kuang, for example. He’d cut off communications, claiming he was going to “absorb the essence of heaven and earth” from up on the rooftop.

Then there was Jiang Linxia.

He’d wiped the barrel of his rifle with his sleeve eight times over. He kept loading and unloading the magazine, over and over, and every now and then a deeply unsettling smile would creep onto his face, punctuated by the occasional eerie chuckle.

Listening to him sent chills down Cheng Feng’s spine. There was no way she could pretend nothing was wrong.

She propped herself up on one elbow, shuffled a little closer to him, and whispered, “You’re not going to sleep?”

Without even looking up, Jiang Linxia stared blankly into space and replied, “I am.”

“Aren’t you worried about your fatigue meter?”

“I am.”

Cheng Feng paused before asking in an even quieter voice, as quickly as possible, “Are you an idiot?”

Remarkably, Jiang Linxia’s brain was still capable of making the turn. “You are.”

Defeated, Cheng Feng flopped back down.

Jiang Linxia glanced at her before turning his eyes to the pile of supply packs beside him. His greed had already begun to swell.

He had so much…

…and yet it only made him feel profoundly unsatisfied.

With heartfelt longing, he sighed.

“My favorite weapon is still the Dongfeng. Ever since it went on the market, it’s never had a single bad review. And the after-sales support is guaranteed.”

Cheng Feng thought, Well, that’s a pointless thing to say. I love money too. Doesn’t mean anyone’s going to make me the richest person in the Alliance. Who doesn’t enjoy dreaming?

Cheng Feng made a round of the room and discovered Yan Shen sitting against the wall, his expression utterly hollow.

His lips moved incessantly. Ever since a while ago, he’d been muttering to himself under his breath, though no one could make out what he was saying.

Curious, Cheng Feng quietly crept over to listen.

In a whisper so faint it was almost just moving air, she heard him mumbling, “I was wrong… I never should have…”

Now there’s a man who knows how to reflect on his mistakes, Cheng Feng thought with satisfaction.

She was so pleased that she deliberately picked out a box of submachine-gun ammunition and presented it to him as an extra reward.

Yan Shen accepted it.

But he still couldn’t bring himself to be happy.

Thinking about everything he’d suffered over the past two days, then looking at his teammate – who had disappeared for those same two days only to return and instantly lift the entire squad into sudden prosperity – Yan Shen could already imagine what the internet would be saying:

“In just three sentences, I made four grown men cry all night.”

The thought terrified him.

He was afraid this was all just a dream – and that if he woke up, he wouldn’t even dare move.

…

The group idled in their base until nine in the morning, finally eliminating the negative effects caused by their characters’ fatigue levels.

The equipment vault would not officially open until 4 p.m. game time.

Under normal circumstances, they definitely would have used this free period to go out and farm some points, secure advantageous terrain, and grab some supplies along the way.

But after experiencing the overwhelming shock of becoming rich overnight, their mindset had changed.

They no longer cared about petty gains. If they were going to make a move, they might as well make it a big one.

So the group spent ages gathered around the map, discussing their options, yet still hadn’t decided which direction they should attack from today.

Cheng Feng had spent all of yesterday stuck inside the room. She didn’t want a repeat of that today. After listening to them debate for too long, she was just about to interrupt when Xiang Yunjian walked over, lightly tapped her shoulder, and gestured for her to move somewhere else to talk.

The two of them went to the second-floor balcony and crouched down.

Xiang Yunjian was fully equipped, making his expression impossible to see. Lowering his voice, just as Cheng Feng thought he was about to ask some extremely important question, he said, “How many supplies do you still have up on the mountain?”

Cheng Feng let out a surprised, “Huh?”

Last night, when they hadn’t responded to her, she’d assumed they weren’t interested. “Probably a few thousand rounds of ammunition. Guns aren’t very practical on the mountain, so my backpack was basically filled with bullets.” Cheng Feng said. “I’d guess there are still two or three thousand left. Do you want to go collect them?”

Xiang Yunjian’s answer came with some difficulty.

If several hundred million dollars were dropped right in front of you, would you pick it up or not?

That was truly an incredibly difficult choice.

Xiang Yunjian looked at her with a complicated expression. After staring at her for a long while, he sincerely asked, “You’re not telling me you hacked into San Yao and emptied out the supply points ahead of time, are you?”

Cheng Feng said, “How could that be? Don’t make jokes like Jiang Linxia does.”

Originally, Xiang Yunjian had planned not to ask this question until after the competition was over. So when he finally said it, he found himself unconsciously lowering his breathing. “Just how many people did you kill?”

Cheng Feng waved her hand, pretending to be completely casual. “Only a few dozen. Nothing much.”

Xiang Yunjian closed his eyes. After several seconds of silence, he said, “If they don’t ask about this themselves, don’t tell them.”

Cheng Feng replied, “Oh.”

The two of them walked down the stairs with completely different thoughts weighing on their minds.

Jiang Linxia, who had been passionately arguing moments before, stopped mid-speech and looked between the two of them. “What were you two whispering about right after waking up?”

Xiang Yunjian didn’t answer.

Cheng Feng shook her head and gave a simple reply, “Nothing.”

After that, the two separated, walking toward opposite ends of the room.

“What the hell?” Jiang Linxia’s eyes shifted around. Then, completely unconcerned, he added, “It’s fine. Luckily, I have the replay.”

The viewers had already started tearing into them.

“??”

“This is the ‘private conversation’ between a man and a woman?”

“As a VIP user, this is not what I came here to hear.”

“If I hadn’t watched the whole thing from the sidelines, I would’ve seriously thought you two went off to do something.”

“You two can just be more open about it! There’s literally nothing between you that’s worth misunderstanding!”

Xiang Yunjian shouldered his backpack and spoke through the team channel, “Let’s get moving. We’ll go up the mountain and collect some supplies first.”

On the first day of the exam, around 400 contestants had been eliminated. On the second day, the heavy rain caused nearly another 300 students to be knocked out. At this point, the number of contestants remaining inside the exam grounds had fallen to just over 300.

Most contestants were desperately short on supplies. They had rushed toward the area near the equipment vault early on, searching for ambush spots and waiting for the right opportunity to seize resources.

As a result, the mountain was almost completely deserted.

The five of them made their way up without encountering any obstacles. They headed straight for their destination and dug up the ammunition Cheng Feng had hidden earlier, along with some grenades stored in different locations.

Jiang Linxia had already done a great deal of mental preparation on the way there. By now, he was able to remain completely expressionless.

The group divided up the supplies and stuffed them into their own backpacks.

When their bags couldn’t fit any more, they took things apart and crammed the pieces into every available pocket.

Non-essential equipment – things like daggers and ropes – had already been thrown away. Most of their water and food had also been left back at the base.

Even so, their packs were still heavy enough to make carrying them a burden.

Jiang Linxia said sincerely, “You’ve worked hard, Cheng Feng.”

Such small shoulders…

…carrying such enormous wealth.

The game time had reached 12:19 p.m.

The group crouched in the grass, preparing to make their way toward the equipment vault.

Jiang Linxia took out the route they had discussed that morning. Using his finger, he traced a curved line across the map, leading straight toward the front entrance of the equipment vault.

If there were still 300 people left on the field, at least 250 of them were probably gathered near the equipment vault.

Located right in the center of the map, the equipment vault was just a small building. By now, it should have been surrounded layer upon layer, completely sealed off by players waiting outside.

Their arrival was actually a little late. Entering at this point meant they were highly likely to run into an ambush.

Cheng Feng asked, “How do you plan to get in?”

Jiang Linxia replied, “Blow our way in, of course!”

The most advanced tactics often required nothing more than the simplest approach.

A thousand strategies could be condensed into one sentence:

I have money.

In some ways, Jiang Linxia’s strategy suited Cheng Feng’s tastes far more than Zhong Yijie’s and the others’. He was much more generous with his resources.

Cheng Feng finally found her chance and shot back. “Spendthrift!”

In the past, Jiang Linxia would already have fired back with a sarcastic remark.

But now, he only stared at her.

After all, you lost the right to criticize when you were benefiting from someone else’s generosity.

Besides, whether it was the things he could see or the things he couldn’t – every single item he had, inside and out, belonged to Cheng Feng.

Chengfeng lifted her chin. “Ask me.”

Jiang Linxia took a deep breath, restraining himself as he spoke with exaggerated politeness and flattery, “May I ask if the wise, generous, beautiful, and powerful Comrade Cheng Feng has any better ideas?”

Xiang Yunjian led the applause. “Please give us Comrade Cheng Feng’s speech.”

Cheng Feng raised a hand, signaling everyone to be quiet. Then she pushed aside some grass blocking their view and said, “First, pull up the map.”

Everyone enlarged the map display.

Cheng Feng cleared her throat, adopting the imposing presence of Mr. Kong, and began teaching the four of them a lesson.

“First of all, to reach the equipment vault, we have to pass through an urban area. To avoid ambushes from snipers, we should try to avoid buildings that are too tall or have wide-open lines of sight along our route. So the optimal route is to circle around from the south. It may take a little longer, but it’s safer.”

Jiang Linxia suddenly understood. “So that’s how it is! Brilliant explanation.”

Cheng Feng extended one finger and tapped several locations on the map. “Suppose we take this route. These positions would all have blind spots in their field of vision, meaning we could potentially be ambushed by enemies. What should we do then?”

Jiang Linxia enthusiastically chimed in, “Blow them up!”

Cheng Feng turned her finger toward him, then retracted her index finger and raised her thumb instead, showing her approval. “Those aren’t necessarily the best places to use grenades. We can also split up from the intersection ahead and take a detour. Our teammates can clear out the blind spots at these locations, and then we regroup afterward.”

Xiang Yunjian’s applause grew even louder.

Xin Kuang and Yan Shen straightened up, forcing themselves to pay attention and follow along.

Cheng Feng said, “Once we reach the target location, the four of you will each defend one direction. I’ll throw smoke grenades and rush in as quickly as possible.”

Jiang Linxia raised his right hand high.

Cheng Feng said, “Please speak.”

Jiang Linxia asked, “If we fight our way in, won’t we make too much noise? Should we keep a lower profile and try to avoid using high-damage weapons as much as possible?”

Cheng Feng replied, “There’s no need. They definitely won’t expect us to be this rich. If they hear us using heavy weapons constantly, they’ll only assume we’re desperate and making a last stand. Since we don’t have many bullets, they’ll probably just keep their distance until the equipment vault officially opens.”

Jiang Linxia let out a long, “Ohhh…”

Though his acting skills were not exactly convincing.

Cheng Feng gave her final summary. “I hope everyone can prioritize their own safety. If any teammate unfortunately gets eliminated, our primary objective is…”

Jiang Linxia immediately cut in, “Take back our supplies. Absolutely do not let them fall into the hands of outsiders!”

Cheng Feng said, “Exactly!”

Yan Shen turned into a full-time applause machine.

That round of applause was mainly dedicated to someone with level-eight skills in playing the perfect straight man.

Everyone was just trying to survive…