Top Warzone Analyst Chapter 22

They might well be the first team in this competition to frantically beg the deputy commander for help on an individual level.

Looking back over the past few sessions, such a scene had probably never occurred before.

The team members had cast aside the pride of individual soldiers, but the deputy commander’s response was rather indifferent.

Cheng Feng seemed to exist in an entirely different, calm world, untouched by the chaos around her. So even her words of encouragement were soft and slow, utterly half-hearted. “Shh… stay steady.”

“You actually ran off on your own!”

“Let’s just call for reinforcements – after all, we’re all from the same uni!”

“I’m being chased so hard my adrenaline’s all out of whack. You might as well tell me now if there’s still a chance to survive – I can take it!”

“Doesn’t it work even after all the times I’ve called you ‘sister’?”

Cheng Feng marked their escape route on the map with a thick red line. The group glanced at it, feeling as though she was subtly leading them in circles.

Still, it gave them a glimmer of hope. The three young men charged toward the target point, shouting as they ran.

Their morale greatly influenced their comrades several kilometers away. Number One felt as if his neck was already under the blade, his breathing growing tense with anxiety.

Under pressure, great potential often erupts. The three warriors pushed forward with all their might for several minutes. Not only did they avoid being taken down by the twenty pursuers, but they even managed to put some distance between themselves and the enemy team.

Just as they began to believe that Cheng Feng was using the terrain to help them escape, another bright red arrow appeared on the map – only a few hundred meters ahead of them.

“Alright, come here.”

Those words sounded like music to their ears.

The three of them maintained their sprinting rhythm, too breathless to speak, and quickly veered toward the hopeful red arrow.

When they passed the target point, they didn’t notice anything unusual.

Their heavy panting completely drowned out the sounds coming from the nearby grass. It wasn’t until the wild and twisted laughter behind them was interrupted by gunfire – turning into a string of curses – that they realized something was happening.

“Holy crap!”

“Those behind us, watch out for an ambush!”

“Damn! UFU allied with Mobile University! How shameless!”

In contrast, excited shouts came from the Mobile University side.

“It’s true!”

“This is our moment, bros! We’re not ending up in fifth place this time!”

“Take down the Second Military!”

The three of them turned around, moved by the scene.

“Don’t stop,” Cheng Feng said. “They are just indiscriminately taking everyone out -they’re only after points.”

The three, who had been about to slow down, picked up their pace once again, mustering their last bit of willpower to break free from the chaos.

The Second Military had already been run around in circles for quite a while, and their fingers were still trembling slightly. Facing the sudden outbreak of gunfire, they were at a clear disadvantage, showing signs of exhaustion and an inability to hold their ground.

Although the students from Mobile University weren’t as skilled as those in the Second Military, they were cautious enough – worried that they might fall into Cheng Feng’s trap – so they called over their neighboring allies for backup.

The two teams shouted simultaneously, their momentum overwhelming, completely suppressing the Second Military’s spirit. Relying on their numerical advantage, they tore through the enemy, sending them scattering in all directions.

Cheng Feng blended into the chaos, quietly collecting points.

While her marksmanship wasn’t exceptionally precise, it was far from embarrassing. Amidst the fleeing herd, she silently took down four players, then quit while she was ahead and ran off to regroup with her teammates.

…

The First Military commander sat cross-legged on the ground, his fingers tapping incessantly on his knees.

It had been too long. He was starting to suspect that the Second Military had long seen through his lie and was deliberately leaving them hanging.

His teammates grew restless, their faces full of suspicion. Bearing the pressure, he initiated a third communication with the Second Military.

This time, it finally connected. But the other side barely had time for him – his hoarse throat was already roaring desperately. “Retreat! Back to base! Move toward the base! Reinforcements are on their way! Mobile University, have you lost your minds? I’m warning you not to go too far!”

The dense sound of gunfire in the background sent a chill through everyone listening.

Without a second thought, the First Military commander grabbed his gun and ran. The young men behind him quickly followed.

Just as the team began to withdraw, Number One and his teammate, hidden in a concealed spot, emerged as Cheng Feng had instructed.

Guilt made them hesitant to get too close, so they merely raised their rifles and fired a few random shots, putting on a clumsy act.

This unusual move of deliberately exposing themselves only reinforced the First Military’s suspicion that an ambush lay ahead.

“Don’t bother with them!” the First Military deputy commander said indignantly. “Playing the undercover wolf in sheep’s clothing, huh? UFU really is shameless across the board! Why do they love acting so much? Is it fun? Who do they take us for?”

“They’re not just shameless – they’ve all got a dozen faces!”

“Unbelievable! UFU actually allied with Mobile University. Doesn’t Mobile University specialize in infighting? How did they convince them!”

The group kept looking back as they ran. Only when they could no longer see the pursuers and thought they were finally safe did they breathe a sigh of relief, ready to return to base and regroup.

The First Military commander, still shaken, said, “Good thing we let the Second Military clear the way first. Is UFU planning to stop keeping a low profile this time?”

“Ha, one more win and they’ll have four straight victories. Do they even have the right to keep a low profile anymore?” “Their momentum is too strong. That’s not good.”

The First Military commander was frowning, pondering how to dampen UFU’s morale, when the nightmare of gunfire erupted in the air once again, accompanied by dirt kicking up not far away – ushering in another round of firefight.

They had spent the entire morning on edge, jumping at shadows. Before they could even react, their bodies instinctively dove to the side at the sound, shifting into combat stance.

“Now who is it?!”

The deputy commander focused his eyes and saw that the roadblock ahead was the familiar UFU guerrilla team. At that moment, he was so enraged it felt like a stroke was coming on.

“Damn! They just won’t leave us alone!”

The group felt as though every path they took was booby-trapped, like they were trapped in a real-life version of a ghostly dead end – completely illogical. Cornered, they couldn’t help but unleash a torrent of curses.

“Are you guys just going to keep ambushing us endlessly?!”

“How do they have so many people?!”

“They went all-in right from the start – are you people from UFU insane?!”

The UFU guerrilla team was equally baffled.

“Have they lost their minds? What are they even talking about?”

“Hallucinating right from the beginning – how pathetic.”

“Let’s just send them off the field early so they can rest. Come on, guys!”

The chaotic multi-sided battle raged fiercely. The First and Second Militaries were fighting as if their very soul as teams was on the line, every face contorted with ferocity, bloodlust spilling over.

Meanwhile, the audience watched with beaming smiles, thoroughly entertained.

“Guessed right, but also completely wrong at the same time. Impressive.”

“This wave of reverse psychology had me laughing. For a moment, I couldn’t tell who had it worse – the First Military or the Second Military.”

“When they watch the match replay, it’ll definitely be the First Military that suffers more. Not only do they have to face the Second Military’s wrath, but they also have to confront the fact that they were utterly fooled.”

“Six people managed to create the illusion of a full-scale assault. That deputy commander from UFU is something else! Add that genius tactician into the mix, how much overtime will their admissions office have to claim this year?”

“This deputy commander isn’t just good – she’s dominant across the board. Including her modeling skills and data analysis capabilities.”

“The casualty report is out. After that bewildering round of fighting, the First Military lost 11 members, the Second Military lost 14. The fact that they weren’t completely wiped out shows they’re still top-tier military universities. [Applause]”

“Misery loves company – whoever wins first is the real dog. I’m completely hopeless about these two idiot alliances now.”

…

With the dust settled, the young men who had been running all the way collapsed in exhaustion, lying on the grass and gasping for air.

Number One, confirmed that the immediate danger had passed, slumped against a rock and sat down, asking, “Boss, why did you let Mobile University have the points on the east road? Wouldn’t it have been better to just call in reinforcements from ourselves?”

Cheng Feng’s clothes had picked up quite a bit of forest debris during the earlier maneuvers. She looked down, brushing off her pants as she replied, “Giving the points to Mobile University or to ourselves – it’s essentially the same.”

The young man lying on the ground raised an arm and wagged his index finger. “How can that be the same! We’re not even allies, and even if we were, it still wouldn’t be the same, right?”

Cheng Feng asked, “If you had to choose a faction to cooperate with, which one would you pick?”

The guys were a bit reluctant to think about it.

“They’re all shady. Not really keen on cooperating with any of them.”

“Given what happened to the First and Second Militaries, I think going solo is just fine.”

“Of course, the strong should team up with the strong!”

“No, I get it!” the first young man exclaimed, realization dawning. “We should pick the weakest one! That way there’s no risk!”

“Exactly. Mobile University is the sharpest knife in the ‘kill by proxy’ playbook.” Cheng Feng shouldered her gun and started walking back. “Giving them the points also helps build mutual trust and opens the door for future cooperation. After all, we are under attack from all sides right now – every soldier counts. In the early stages, it’s best to avoid unnecessary casualties.”

If UFU can secure first place, they wouldn’t mind letting Mobile University take second.

Provided they’re willing to cooperate.

The dozen or so team members holding down the town were so bored they were nearly dozing off, surviving solely by eavesdropping on the combat commands in the team channel. Unfortunately, the more they listened, the more restless they became. Seizing the moment, they jumped in with flattery, trying to curry favor with Cheng Feng.

“So cool, sis. How can you be so smart?”

“Sis, can I follow you in the next match?”

“Sis, take me along too, please. I’m obedient – I won’t make mistakes or pass the blame. Just now, Number Four was badmouthing you, saying you ran off on your own. That was so out of line, oh my god. I wanted to curse him out right then.”

Number Four was utterly shocked. “Go to hell! Damn, how can you be such a brown-noser?”

Cheng Feng said, “We’re back. Let’s see how things play out first.”