This time, netizens’ debates were exceptionally fierce, with most discussions centered on whether the current situation at UFU still had any chance of being turned around.
Everyone spoke with absolute certainty. The drowsiness that had just begun to creep in late at night was completely dispelled through the exchange. A bunch of night owls were practically rolling up their sleeves, itching to jump into the fray themselves.
“UFU is done for. Cheng Feng gave it her all, but it’s a dead end – no way out.”
“Cheng Feng’s guerrilla tactics this time looked impressive on the surface, pushing UFU’s kill count to the top. But the pace was too fast – everyone else was only halfway through the match, and you’d already risked your neck. No way you’re winning like that.”
“If Cheng Feng hadn’t fought that guerrilla battle, the subsequent large-scale team fight wouldn’t have achieved a one-for-two trade at all.”
“Isn’t the current situation much better than at the start? At least the point score has gone up. At the beginning, we had nothing going for us.”
“Sure, UFU is shorthanded now, but in the later stages, Cheng Feng could totally lure players from UMU and the Second Military to come defend the mid-lane, while she takes the remaining core members and hides out in the armory.”
“Hide? If UFU’s goal is MVP, then hiding isn’t even an option.”
“The five-school alliance’s disastrous start was just unreasonable. Isn’t San Yao going to do something about it?”
The host scanned the comments, able to roughly follow most of them, and couldn’t help but say with some regret, “Do you also think Cheng Feng can’t turn things around? But she’s been doing so well all along.”
Mr. Luo was checking the latest backend data. He gave an almost imperceptible nod, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes, but what he said was, “Turning it around is hard. And trying to use San Yao’s NPCs to adjust the match balance is even harder.”
The host paused for a moment, then asked in bewilderment, “What match balance?”
Mr. Luo pointed ahead, signaling her to watch the livestream.
Several core team members had gathered in the open area in front of the armory.
Shen Dan nudged Cheng Feng with her elbow, raising an eyebrow in silent inquiry.
Cheng Feng gave a slight nod in response, then turned her gaze to the person in front of her and said, “The situation is different now. Given the current circumstances, can you support UFU?”
The NPC lowered his arms from where they had been crossed over his chest, pressing the corners of his mouth down slightly. In an instant, two parts of his easygoing, casual demeanor faded, replaced by three parts of solemn dignity.
The eyes of Chen Huayue and the others all turned to him at once. The atmosphere grew somewhat tense amid everyone’s strained breathing.
“You’re pretty calm,” the NPC said. “We can help you, but we have a few rules.”
Cheng Feng tilted her chin up and said crisply, “Go ahead.”
The instructor seemed rather disappointed by her reaction. He shook his head and said, “First, we can only send sixty people.”
Chen Huayue was overjoyed and laughed, “Sixty people is fine! We’re not picky about the number.”
The NPC smiled back at him, his expression amiable, then continued with the rest, “Second, our kill points don’t count toward your score, but our death points do count against yours.”
Chen Huayue’s smile froze on his face, and he fell silent. A few seconds later, he closed his mouth and turned back around, looking deflated.
“That’s way too unfair,” Shen Dan said bluntly. “Listen to yourself – does that even make sense?”
The NPC ignored her and continued, “Third.”
Jiang Linxia had rarely seen such an audacious person. He stared in disbelief and said, “You actually have a third one?!”
“Third,” the young man said with a beaming smile, each word harsher than the last, “the sixty of us do not count toward your headcount points.”
Cheng Feng wasn’t entirely sure she understood, so she confirmed, “So your surviving members can’t be converted into our points – does that affect the weight multiplier?”
“You’re you, and we’re us,” the instructor said, gesturing between the two of them. “If your numbers drop below a hundred, your weight multiplier goes down. That has nothing to do with us.”
He then stood still to the side, his eyes bright as he watched Chengfeng, waiting for her reaction. His expression was thick with mockery and schadenfreude.
Jiang Linxia was about ready to start cursing. Even Cheng Feng furrowed her brows.
“This is what you call helping?” Chen Huayue shot to his feet, finding it utterly absurd. “Which side are you even helping?”
How much did Tao Rui pay you?!
The NPC shrugged, spread his hands, and wore an utterly indifferent expression. “Fine, don’t take it then. I’m not begging you.”
Jiang Linxia was so angry he laughed, and said sarcastically, “These are the most worthless two minutes of my life.”
“Is there at least some good news?” Xin Kuang said. “Even the shadiest merchants have a bait, don’t they?”
“There is some good news, I suppose.” The young man clapped his hands together and gave a bright smile. “The other two mechs can be piloted by people from your school!”
Everyone was mulling over just how good that news really was. Then the NPC remembered something, waved four fingers in front of Cheng Feng’s face, and added, “Oh, and there’s a fourth.”
The group stared back at him with cold expressions, waiting.
“We won’t take your orders,” he said, his smile revealing a set of particularly white teeth. “We’re all free agents. We’re only guarding the armory – you know the drill.”
Jiang Linxia waved a hand and decided to leave. Why waste any more time on this guy?
He had just lifted his left foot when he heard Cheng Feng respond decisively, “Fine.”
Everyone immediately turned to stare at Cheng Feng with even more incredulous looks.
Only the NPC didn’t seem surprised. “Really?”
Cheng Feng stood up, raising a hand to cut off whatever Chen Huayue was about to say, signaling that she understood. She put on the same smile as the NPC and said, “It is what it is. Might as well take a gamble.”
The NPC patted her on the shoulder and, for once, offered a compliment. “Now you’re getting it.”
Jiang Linxia called out, “Cheng Feng!”
“What’s the panic?” Xiang Yunjian half-closed his eyes, glancing sideways at Jiang Linxia. He extended two fingers from the hand holding his firearm and gestured downward. “Calm down. Don’t spread this to the team for now.”
Jiang Linxia said darkly, “I know.” There were also lone operatives from UMU and the Second Military lurking nearby, who had overheard the conversation. They crouched in the corners and quickly relayed the information to their respective commanders.
Soon, Tong Xun’s incredulous exclamation crackled through the channel. “Cheng Feng, are you out of your mind? You’re actually taking this deal?”
Kang Zhenxue also said dryly, “…Thank you for UFU’s selfless contribution?”
Tong Xun said urgently, “Do you still want to win the faction war? Are you even taking this match seriously anymore?”
The mechs going to UFU was good news. Having Xiang Yunjian and Cheng Feng piloting the mechs was a boon for the entire major faction.
But that was precisely why it seemed especially bizarre – because all the rules favored the major faction rather than UFU’s own forces.
What magnificent brilliance. Truly, it was self-sacrifice for the greater good, shining light in all directions.
Tong Xun was afraid that Cheng Feng had already given up on the rest of the match. Without such a pivotal force, they would never be able to beat the White Team.
The person who had just sealed the deal had no time to deal with these two allies.
The NPC’s expression grew increasingly benevolent, as if he were facing a flock of lambs that had strayed from the right path. He asked enthusiastically, “Which mech do you choose?”
Cheng Feng said, “Manua-operated mech, Breaking Army.”
The NPC tilted his head and gestured, “Follow me.”
The back side of the armory was very secluded – just a patch of grassland, completely desolate.
The young NPC covered his earpiece and said “Assemble,” then stopped paying attention to them, lowering his head to study the map displayed on his system.
Several minutes passed, and still there was no sign of activity around them.
The distant wind blew across the night sky, its howling moan seeming to carry a mocking tone.
Jiang Linxia grew increasingly suspicious that they had been scammed. He shuffled over to Xiang Yunjian’s side and made exaggerated faces at him.
Xiang Yunjian cast him a faint glance, then pulled Cheng Feng by the sleeve and said, “This one’s been provoked.”
Cheng Feng, seeing that only her own people were around, tilted her chin toward the NPC’s direction and said, “That person could tell at a single glance that there was a very subtle flaw in Shen Dan’s model. Guess what level that makes him?”
Jiang Linxia was skeptical. “For real?”
Shen Dan raised her hand in confirmation.
“Their kill points don’t count for us, but they don’t count for the opposing side either,” Cheng Feng said. “Sixty Xiang Yunjians… or sixty Yan Shens – how many White Team kills could they shave off?”
Yan Shen let out an “Hm?” Since when did he become a unit of measurement? Was he that common?
“But they don’t take orders,” Jiang Linxia said, pointing at the NPC. “And besides, maybe he was just cheating back then? Just look at his slacker vibe – does he really seem like someone that impressive?”
The NPC glanced back over his shoulder. That single look made Jiang Linxia’s spine inexplicably run cold. His lips moved, but he chose to keep his mouth shut.
Another ten minutes passed. Then, out of the night, a single sound of footsteps suddenly rang out.
The footsteps were heavy, steady, and powerful – as if dozens of military boots were striking the ground in perfect, identical rhythm.
That familiar, crisp sound made everyone waiting perk up, their spirits lifted as they turned their gazes toward the source.
A team of sixty people marched out in neat formation from beneath the streetlights. Arranged in five rows, perfectly aligned, the soldiers at the front stood tall and straight, striding with the majestic bearing of dragons and tigers. Just the sheer presence and momentum of their march was far more imposing than that of ordinary military students.
Jiang Linxia was stunned. Even Xiang Yunjian looked surprised.
Chen Huayue stammered, “…Holy crap, who are these people?”
As everyone knew, the two thousand NPCs guarding the armory were usually as weak as pushovers – practically free points fed to the White Team. But these sixty – they should have been real players who had just logged into the game within the last ten minutes.
When the sixty finally came to a halt and stood at attention before the group, the simple command of “Attention – Salute!” rang out in four syllables, and the pressure and aura they exuded became all the more tangible.
Xin Kuang said softly, “Sixty people is exactly two platoons.”
Jiang Linxia leaned across Xiang Yunjian, grabbed Cheng Feng’s shoulder with one hand, swallowed hard, and said, “You won the gamble, Cheng Feng.” Cheng Feng let out a “Tsk,” and Xiang Yunjian casually swatted his hand away.
The NPC said, “Manual-operated mechs still need a cockpit, right? So we’ve brought along an armored vehicle. But there are no thermal weapons on the roof. You can pick a safe spot to use as the initial parking location.”
Shen Dan’s voice had dropped to a whisper. “I’m driving?”
The NPC rolled up his sleeves and volunteered, “I’ll drive for you!”
To be honest, Cheng Feng didn’t fully trust him on this. She had a feeling he might deliberately seek revenge. But she figured it wasn’t a good time to refuse, so she kept quiet.
The NPC said, “Now then, tell me your requirements. If conditions allow, we might be able to accommodate them.”
Cheng Feng had already thought it through.
“I have half as many requirements as you – only two.” She made a “V” sign in the air. “One: survive. Two: kill.”
Jiang Linxia reluctantly tore his gaze away from the NPC and said hesitantly, “Doesn’t this requirement feel a bit… familiar?”
Shen Dan raised her hand obediently.
The NPC gave a cold nod. “Speak.”
Shen Dan asked, “May I ask which unit you distinguished gentlemen belong to?”
The young man said, “Tell them.”
A sonorous, powerful voice shook the air in rippling waves.
“Report! Expeditionary Force, 6th Division, 307th Batch of Recruits, 2nd and 3rd Platoons – all present and accounted for!”
The words “Expeditionary Force” left everyone both inside and outside the screen utterly stunned. Jiang Linxia, in particular, felt goosebumps erupt all over his body.
He couldn’t take in the rest of the report. He turned to look at the people beside him and saw that everyone’s faces were blank and dazed, while inside, their minds were roaring like a stampede of ten thousand horses.
Yan Shen as a unit of measurement.
Tsk.
That was a bit of an understatement.
