Just as the audience was deep in confusion, the livestream moderator switched the view to the white team’s camp.
Tao Rui sat cross-legged on a rock, his eyelids half-lowered. His dark brown eyes darted back and forth across the magnified map. After a moment, he gave a slight nod and said flatly, without changing his expression, “Good haul. Prepare to pull out.”
In contrast to his calm, the people around him could barely contain their excitement.
The white team had sent out a total of 1,300 members for this assault, advancing along three routes in mixed groups. So far, the death toll stood at 469.
The number of kills couldn’t be calculated precisely, but based on rough feedback from teammates, a conservative estimate put it at over 500. On the optimistic side, it might have already broken 600.
Among these, UFU alone had contributed more than 300 kills.
Being able to achieve such results deep in enemy territory had left all three white-team military universities satisfied.
Moreover, in Tao Rui’s view, as long as they could knock UFU off the MVP position, an early 1:2 casualty ratio was worth it.
The overall commander of the Mobile University clapped and laughed, saying, “Tao Rui, you’re UFU’s nemesis! With UFU at such a big disadvantage now, this round is pretty much in the bag!”
Another person chimed in, barely suppressing a grin, “I bet Xiang Yunjian is stomping around cursing. Two seasons in a row! Each one more embarrassing than the last. He could have graduated with honors, but now he’s just making you look good, Tao Rui.”
“Xiang Yunjian wouldn’t go that far – this year isn’t his turf anyway. But Cheng Feng doesn’t seem like the type to lose her temper easily either. I’d guess UFU’s current state is that kind of suppressed calm. The kind of frustration that makes you tear your hair out.”
“If she really weren’t furious, she wouldn’t have led the charge down the middle lane herself, right, Tao Rui?”
Tao Rui was listening to the scout’s battlefield report when someone called his name. He hadn’t really caught what they’d been saying and gave a perfunctory “Mm” in response.
From his command post, he couldn’t see the troop deployments of the other two military universities; he could only issue relevant orders and let each force carry them out on their own.
When forming the teams, he had planted some of his own soldiers into each unit. They could also help facilitate information exchange among the three forces.
The plan was to converge on the middle route as quickly as possible, while dispatching soldiers outside the city for reinforcements, then regroup and launch a second assault. But the commanders of the other two universities were in high spirits and in no urgent rush to reposition their individual units.
UFU had been beaten into submission; UMU and the Second Military were like scattered sand. They had driven straight into the heart of the red team’s camp – why rush when they had the heavens, the earth, and the people all on their side?
“What does ‘frontline says Cheng Feng is looting supplies’ mean?”
“No idea. Maybe she found that tactic worked well in the team competition, so she’s bringing it into the faction battle.”
“UFU’s kills are worth a lot now. They’re probably too afraid to risk the front lines. Cheng Feng is still a rookie after all – getting beaten this badly within the first two hours, she’ll likely switch to a more conservative strategy later on.”
Tao Rui said flatly, “The word ‘conservative’ has nothing to do with Cheng Feng.”
Everyone fell silent for a second. The young man cleared his throat and asked, with a feigned casualness, “By the way, you’ve competed against Cheng Feng before. From what you know of her, what do you think her next move will be?”
Tao Rui recalled that rather unpleasant exercise. His expression, already far from relaxed, darkened further. He only said vaguely, “Just keep an eye on her. She’s not simple.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he pressed his lips together, then added, “But I won’t be wrong.”
…
The UFU forces had already taken their positions on the middle route. Following the same formation as at the very start of the match, with further adjustments, they blocked off the only main road leading out of the city.
The area was nearly deserted. If you listened closely, you could hear the distant sound of gunfire from afar – the noise only made this place feel even more desolate by contrast.
Everyone held their guns, feeling like the street across from them was the real fiery battlefield, while over here, they could scrape together enough people for over a hundred mahjong tables.
Chen Huayue finally had a moment to rest. He staggered to his feet, saying he needed to log off briefly to take care of biological needs. Ignoring Jiang Linxia’s teasing about him being “scared pissless,” he exited the arena and immediately downed an entire bottle of water.
Shen Dan leaned back and flopped onto the ground.
The sky inside the arena was a hazy white – like clouds but not quite. It wasn’t harsh on the eyes, nor was it overly bright.
Shen Dan tilted her head and nudged Cheng Feng with her foot, lounging with her arms behind her head. “Dear roommate, can I ask – what exactly are we reaping? My brain is so tired, it doesn’t want to think, but I really want to know.”
This was the question on every UFU student’s mind.
They followed orders without question, but they were genuinely bewildered.
Cheng Feng nodded and spoke at an even pace, “We need to face the fact that UFU is at a disadvantage right now. Running around in circles chasing the enemy, or fighting our own allies for kills – neither is realistic. It wastes time, energy, and supplies. Especially since UFU’s points already have a gap that can’t be ignored compared to the other five academies. If we just chase after everyone else, that gap will never be closed – it’ll only grow wider. Taking the conventional route means we’re just patiently waiting to lose.”
Shen Dan lifted her head. “So what are we doing now?”
“Waiting for the rabbit to come to the tree,” Cheng Feng said with certainty. “If Tao Rui is competent, he’ll gather his main force and strike the middle route. This time, without those troublemakers from the other two sides, this is our chance for a comeback.”
Tao Rui was the type of person who knew when to cut his losses and take his gains. He wouldn’t expend nearly half of his total combat power in a chaotic fight like this right from the start.
Now that all three universities had mobilized together and his own forces had been forced to split apart, his advantageous situation had come to an end. This was the perfect time to retreat and lock in their profits.
The white team still had nearly a thousand members scattered across various parts of the city. If they wanted to withdraw their main force safely, speed was essential.
The upper and lower routes weren’t proper roads – getting in or out required climbing over mountains and taking detours, which slowed down the march, and heavy mechs couldn’t pass through either. When UFU and the Second Military were willing to cooperate, they could stretch the battlefield and send in small batches at a slow pace. But now that the two major factions were locked in conflict, the white team’s retreat had only one option left: the main road.
Cheng Feng paused, remembering something important, and asked seriously over the channel: “When the two sides clash, do you all know what our primary objective is?”
Xin Kuang, fired up while piloting his mech, was highly engaged in Cheng Feng’s Q&A session and called out loudly: “Deterrence!”
Cheng Feng wasn’t expecting his input at all. “That’s you. Aside from you.”
Jiang Linxia let out a roar, “Kill!”
Those two words tore through the silence.
A bunch of hot-blooded young people started going crazy like a pack of Huskies.
“Revenge!”
“One against two!”
“Resource suppression!”
“Pfft! It’s safety!” Cheng Feng shouted them down. “The white team’s primary goal is definitely to break through the city gates and regroup with their main force. Don’t go overboard – they won’t get tangled up with you. So everyone stay in your positions and do not pursue. Our plan is low loss, high return. If they want to leave, let them leave. Our force is large and our firepower is strong – we’re bound to reclaim a portion of the kills. As long as we snatch a hundred or two hundred kill points, that counts as cutting our losses.”
Shen Dan asked, “What about the rest?”
“We’ll make up the rest slowly.”
Cheng Feng considered herself ambitious, but she was also a down-to-earth person. The combat power that five universities had joined forces to wear down – how could they possibly win it all back in one go?
Cheng Feng mused, “If Tao Rui is truly competent, he should first rally his troops and then charge in all at once. They might even outnumber us. When you see them coming, don’t be intimidated by their momentum.”
Jiang Linxia let out a contemptuous laugh. “How is that possible? We’ve got about six hundred people here too. Who are you looking down on?”
Yan Shen had been lying prone so long his back was starting to ache. He hadn’t made any meaningful gains since the match began, and the frustration had been building in his chest, making him feel suffocated. He asked, “How much longer do we have to wait? What if they can’t even rally? How about we go farm some points first?”
Cheng Feng said with absolute certainty, “If Tao Rui is really competent – within five minutes!”
Xiang Yunjian caught her emphasis and couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle.
After all, if her guess turned out wrong, it just meant Tao Rui wasn’t competent.
Tao Rui’s reputation was on him to defend.
The NPC remarked with deep feeling, “So you lot can actually think like higher life forms.”
Shen Dan: “??”
Cheng Feng felt that if she didn’t respond to that, she’d regret it for the rest of her life. Her wit had never fired so fast – she shot back with a retort that had a very Shen Dan-esque flavor. “That’s a unique compliment. Have you been living among lower life forms for too long?”
NPC: “??”
Shen Dan, being the number one fangirl, sprang up like a carp leaping out of water and stuck her arm out in front of the man who had just jolted with a start.
The NPC laughed in fury, his expression contorted as he said, “Just you wait. There’ll come a day when you regret this!”
Xiang Yunjian chuckled, “People can end up in a coffin if they live long enough – what’s a little regret?”
“Isn’t a trash-talker cursing someone out as normal as eating and drinking? Why would she need to regret that?” Jiang Linxia chimed in. “What you should be asking is, Cheng Feng – do you regret saying just that one line?”
The NPC took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair, clearly on the verge of losing patience. With an air of incomprehension, he asked, “You guys are something else. What exactly are the elective courses for this year’s military students?”
“If you’re willing to join us, then you’re one of us, and I can tell you.” Cheng Feng’s tone shifted – she could bend when needed. “From now on, you’ll be our… our… uh…”
Shen Dan said, “Sweetheart.”
“Wow, spare me the grossness!” The NPC scoffed. “Thanks, but no thanks!”
Just then, Chen Huayue logged back in with great urgency. “I’m back! How’s it going?”
Shen Dan was about to fill him in on how stubborn the male NPC behind them was when Jiang Linxia, who was scouting the city center, sent out a critical alert: “Teams are moving.”
Chen Huayue asked, “Who?”
“Everyone,” Jiang Linxia said. “The white team’s people are actively repositioning, so the Second Military and UMU are moving along with them.”
Chen Huayue had missed five minutes of action but was still keeping up with the group. Without hesitation, he said, “So they’re leading the Second Military and UMU’s firepower around, lulling them into complacency, while simultaneously rallying their own forces and charging toward the city gates, right?”
Although the white team’s forces had been scattered and hastily reassembled, and their coordination wasn’t as tight as the red team’s, they had one authoritative commander. In essence, they were a single entity, whereas the red team was just a collection of independent factions with no shared intelligence.
The white team could maneuver more swiftly, precisely, and covertly, while the red team wouldn’t catch on immediately – they might even think the white team was just skirmishing.
Cheng Feng took a deep breath and called out with full vigor: “Here they come!”
Everyone perked up, rubbing their hands together in anticipation.
Xin Kuang was stationed near the city gates. He took a step forward in Heavy Armor, calmly pulling out the cannon from his back and hoisting it onto his left shoulder. The muzzle aimed in the direction of the enemy mech, tilting upward slightly. That single gesture was dripping with provocation and mockery. The white team’s heavy mech quickly deployed its own cannon as well – but instead of aiming at him, it pointed with unmistakable hostility at the building behind him. Which happened to be exactly where the main UFU force was lying in ambush.
Having that thing aimed in their direction was rather unsettling. Cheng Feng warned, “Xin Kuang, don’t make a move.”
“I know,” Xin Kuang laughed. “I’m just messing with him.”
Cheng Feng stood up, planted the butt of her gun against the ground, and declared with resounding clarity, word by word: “Wherever we’re ambushed, that’s where we strike back! We, the people of UFU, are not so easily bullied!”
