Top Warzone Analyst Chapter 96

Following orders, the Red Team launched their first wave of assault of the day.

Overwhelming numerical superiority, combined with the Red Team’s unconventional style of combat, completely baffled the opposing side.

Shen Dan, in particular, played with such fierce, tiger-like swiftness that her actions greatly boosted her teammates’ morale.

After some trial runs, the team found that a continuous shooting strategy wasn’t very feasible – the system could only be triggered once for answering questions within a short period. However, large-area suppressive fire worked just fine.

Shen Dan’s shooting accuracy was below average in the squad, but her nerve was as big as her addiction. She grabbed her submachine gun, sprayed blindly, and after firing, took off running. Only after finding a safe spot to hide did she check whether she had hit anything.

If she was lucky enough to hit multiple people, she’d pick her “victims” as if choosing from a royal harem, eliminating them one by one.

Outside, the sky had already darkened. Endless rows of street lamps gradually dotted the quiet, smooth concrete road.

Inside the simulator, the scene was still in broad daylight – but the overly bright street lamps left a persistent flickering spot in one’s vision, an unnatural, blinking amber glow.

For the poor souls on the White Team, the presence of the Red Team was even more dazzling than that glitch.

Because of the Red Team’s brute-force, head-on assaults, the White Team’s defensive line was forced into a rout. No one had time to worry about data analysis or optimal formations – all they could focus on were two things: staying alive, and keeping Tao Rui alive.

The numbers on both sides began to shrink rapidly.

The commander of the second army couldn’t see the White Team’s data, only their own points gushing down like a sluice gate had been opened. As if his tail had been stepped on, he anxiously shouted over the public channel, “Aren’t there only ten questions? Why isn’t it over yet?”

“Our kill count is dropping way too fast. Even if we were committing suicide, we’d have to line up for it. What the hell is going on with you guys?”

“We’ve also reached the Red Team’s large supply crate. Good grief, not a soul here… Damn! They only answered one question! Are they some kind of academic slacker alliance? They got such a great airdrop and didn’t even bother to try more questions?”

“Three more dead? How the hell did they die? In the blink of an eye – are you serious? Tao Rui, stay calm and answer carefully. One wrong answer costs a life!”

“Okay, I’ve got it. The Red Team really has emptied their nest. If you really can’t hold them off, just pull back for now. We’ll go straight for their battle flag. Haha, they deserve it! How dare they be so reckless?”

Tao Rui wanted to shout back: Shut up!

They were down to the very last question. There was no possibility of retreat.

In the entire arena, no one carried more pressure than him right now. An endless pool of questions, teammates sacrificing one after another, doubtful looks, accusing voices, and the exam questions that demanded his undivided attention because everything depended on him.

A storm of fragmented information crashed over him all at once, each piece tearing at his sanity, impossible to prioritize.

Sweat beaded on his forehead again and rolled down, landing on the back of his hand.

The dampness of his own sweat cleared his overloaded mind in an instant. With one slow, deep breath, he finally carved out some space to think.

“Five minutes at most!” Tao Rui gritted his teeth. “Can your side hold out that long?”

His teammate on the front line replied bitterly, “Five minutes? In five minutes, I’m afraid you won’t even recognize me. And I can’t guarantee I’ll even survive that long.”

Tao Rui refused to accept it. “Did they crack the airdrop crate that quickly? What kind of lethal thermal weapons do they have? Why are our casualties this severe?!”

His comrade found it hard to answer – part shame, part resentment.

The Red Team’s style this time was nothing like UFU’s. Instead, it resembled their own approach: a reckless, unstoppable, straightforward brutality.

The First Military soldiers couldn’t help but remark to each other – yes, this kind of aggressive playstyle was indeed bold – while also starting to question their own existence. Why had they, the “genuine article,” become so fragile?

If they were truly to reflect on it, setting aside the numerical disadvantage, the real issue was probably their inability to switch their rhythm freely.

Gunfights and answering questions – their minds had to keep leaping back and forth between two entirely opposite extremes. Whoever came up with this training method must have been some kind of genius. An inhumane one, at that.

…

Cheng Feng shifted her gaze again to check the time.

In this chaotic wave of battle, the Red Team had already lost seven members. She wasn’t sure of the exact number of casualties on the opposing side, but based on her rough observations, it should be around twelve.

Having more people gave them a natural advantage in the test of answering questions. Moreover, the forces they had brought this time were all elite squads from UMU and the First Military – superior in every aspect compared to the scattered, independent fighters on the opposite side.

This figure didn’t even include the examinees Tao Rui had cost them during the answering process.

Yet, despite such an obvious – or rather, terrifying – shift in the numbers, the reinforcements Cheng Feng had been wary of never showed up.

After the second hand ticked past another full number, Cheng Feng crouched down with her rifle, tapped her headset, and asked over the public channel, “Anyone recognize any familiar faces? The other side seems a bit light on numbers.”

Chen Huayue’s voice came back, slightly unsteady. “I noticed it too. There were about 30 students putting up resistance at first. Add in the ones answering questions, and that’s roughly half of their camp. Excluding the team guarding their flag, there’s still a group of students missing.”

“Report,” another young voice cut in, with a rather gleeful tone. “Over here, it’s all students from the First Military and the Mobile University. I don’t see anyone from the Second Military. Looks like even the god of the battlefield can’t command the Second Military’s soldiers.”

Cheng Feng made her decision on the spot. She gestured and said, “Pull back.”

Shen Dan was right in the heat of the fight, running herself drenched in sweat but feeling no fatigue. Her eyes wide with excitement, she asked, “We’re leaving just like that? We’re almost done pushing through! We might even be able to snag one of their airdrop crates!”

Shen Dan had a tendency to lose sight of reality and her own limitations once she started getting cocky.

Amidst the sound of her own panting as she ran, Cheng Feng asked gently, “By the looks of it, Tao Rui is almost done answering his questions. Thirty supply crates – how many grenades and explosive rounds do you think he can pull from them? And how many of our fallen brothers can your one life comfort?”

Cheng Feng had always been quick to disengage. Before anyone could even react, all they could see from afar was the back of her head growing smaller and smaller.

Shen Dan: “…” And you call yourself the boss?

“Besides, we’re all grasshoppers tied to the same string. No matter how much the Second Military commander and Tao Rui don’t see eye to eye, there’s no way he’d just stand by and let him take losses.” Cheng Feng yelled with difficulty. “Our home base is getting raided, comrades!”

The very next second, the Red Team’s soldiers retreated without a second thought, scattering like autumn leaves in the wind.

The White Team pursued for a short distance, but not wanting to get bogged down in another fight, they reluctantly let them go. They trudged back to the now-quiet battlefield with their rifles raised, sighing in relief while also unable to hold back their curses. “They ran too fast! Otherwise, I’d have knocked their teeth out!”

“Did they take the wrong meds today or something?”

“Never mind them. Rally quickly and reorganize the teams!”

Tao Rui turned his head and gazed into the distance, watching the figures disappear. He frowned and clicked his tongue in annoyance. Two minutes later, after losing 13 teammates, he finally unlocked the large supply crate.

An ample amount of food and thermal weapons appeared before everyone, prompting a cheer from the scene – not exactly enthusiastic, but weary instead.

Judging by the outcome, losing 13 people wasn’t exactly a failure, but somehow, their morale just couldn’t pick back up.

The headcount at this point:

Red Team: 58 – White Team: 49.

The Red Team had successfully overtaken the White Team in numbers. However, the White Team still held a significant lead in unused supplies – 32 more crates. Based purely on points, the White Team still had an absolute advantage.

…

In the middle of the map, Cheng Feng was leading the main force back toward their home base, racing against time.

Only twelve students remained near their battle flag, while the Second Military troops heading in for a sneak attack were conservatively estimated to be over twenty.

Chen Huayue and the others had just pulled out of the chaotic fight. With no time to rest, their movements for repositioning now looked as feeble as those of worn-out, wounded soldiers – hardly any fighting force left. All they could do was urge their comrades at the base to prepare early and try to stall for time.

Upon hearing the enemy numbers, the flag defenders automatically translated the rambling that followed into a polite version of “Eat well, drink well, and pick yourself a nice grave.” Unable to stand their useless chatter, they pressed for answers. “Are there really that many? What kind of heavy weapons did they bring? How long until they get here? Should we charge out to meet them or just hold our ground by the flag? Give us clear orders, Commander!”

“To be honest, after smelling that manure for so long, I think I’ve been poisoned. My whole body feels weak, my limbs are heavy – definitely not a normal symptom.”

“That’s just because you’re fucking hungry, you idiot!”

Cheng Feng was hungry too. For someone with her appetite, if a plate of plain cabbage were placed in front of her right now, she’d gladly have a few bites.

Feeling the eager anticipation of her teammates, she – as their commander – still added one more piece of admittedly useless advice. “Look around and see if there’s any equipment nearby we can use for defense.”

A young soldier shouted in despair, “What kind of weapons could there possibly be in a pigsty? Even the fence is made of solid concrete. Want a broom for sweeping the ground? But there’s only one of those, and you’d have to get in close combat range for it to work.”

Cheng Feng fell silent. A thought crept into her mind – not exactly kind, but very tempting. Too embarrassed to say it directly, she started furiously signaling with her eyes at the people beside her.

Chen Huayue broke out in goosebumps. Feeling the pressure, he asked cautiously, “What are you doing?”

Cheng Feng fired off the question quickly. “What would happen if we accidentally opened the pigsty gate?”

Everyone immediately grew serious.

“What are you thinking?”

“We can’t take so much as a needle or thread from the people!”

“You’ll be hunted down by both the base and the villagers. Do you understand how serious the consequences are?”

“You might even have to search the entire mountain to find whatever got lost… wait, I mean we would.”

“I didn’t take anything,” Cheng Feng said, her thoughts pivoting fast. “So… can we borrow the manure in the back ditch?”

Chen Huayue shuddered at the image that came to mind. “I don’t think borrowing it would be a big problem. But if you end up spreading it all over the place… you might just soar ninety thousand miles on the wind of their fury.”

Cheng Feng: “Ooh…”

At the base gate, Mr. Zhou could no longer stay seated. He slapped the armrest and stood up, shouting angrily, “What in the world is this kid thinking? She won’t even spare the pigs!”