Tao Rui and his team were setting up thermal weapons inside the base. While studying the map, they received news that the two sides were about to engage in battle.
They admitted to themselves that they needed to reflect. They had naively held onto a faint glimmer of hope – believing that the Second Military’s flanking unit might be able to capture the Red Team’s flag and end the match early.
That was until the public voice channel began echoing with all sorts of agonized wails, and their own team’s kill count started dropping in twos and threes. Their emotions shifted from initial shock to nervous apprehension, their expectations lowered again and again, until finally all that was left was a numb, bitter sneer.
They never expected it – not a single survivor was left.
An ally couldn’t help but mock them. “If this game didn’t have a spy mechanic, I’d really suspect these guys were infiltrators sent by the red team. Trekking all that way just to get killed – what incredible willpower that takes!”
It was hard to find any words to describe their stupidity; mere language seemed too dull to do it justice.
To sum it up in one sentence – it was roughly a death by friendly fire. Or rather, a litter of piglets would have performed better than them.
The remaining twenty or so students gathered together and analyzed the situation at hand, concluding that the future looked bleak. A serious disagreement arose over their self-rescue strategy. After a few heated exchanges, they failed to reach a consensus, and simply opened their mouths to shout. “Tao Rui, what the hell should we do next?!”
Tao Rui’s previous plan could be roughly divided into two scenarios, both of which, barring any surprises, were surefire paths to victory.
If the Red Team chose to reopen the airdrop crate, the white team would lurk nearby, waiting for the right moment to act. Once the Red Team’s numbers were reduced to roughly match their own, they would immediately gather a squad to harass the enemy. By leveraging the firepower advantage from the supply crate, they could pick off the remaining enemies at critical moments.
At that point, with the resources from two airdrop packages in hand, the White Team could practically lie down and wait for the match to end.
If the Red Team chose to come push the flag, everyone would set up defensive lines near their base, sitting tight and waiting for the red team to walk into the trap. With the home-field advantage, reducing the Red Team’s numbers in the final battle shouldn’t be a problem – securing victory would be just as steady.
The White Team had started the match with a ten-person advantage and had unlocked the large supply crate first – meaning they held absolute control over the game’s pace. All Tao Rui originally had to do was maximize their existing advantages, and he could have rested easy like a fisherman waiting for the fish to bite.
That unexpected move by the Second Military had truly blindsided him. Due to the special rules for calculating points, all of his previous plans had now fallen through, and the situation for both sides had undergone a major reversal.
“There’s one very important thing we need to recognize,” Tao Rui said, his expression tense and serious. “We might lose.”
The White Team now had only 26 people left. Losing two more would push them past the 70% casualty threshold. Once they crossed that line, the point value of each supply item would plummet to one-third of a kill.
With supplies now severely devalued, Tao Rui’s earlier trade – thirteen students for one airdrop crate – had turned into a losing bargain. This was a massive loss for them. They had no choice but to reassess the gap between the two sides.
The Red Team’s exact casualties couldn’t be confirmed yet, but he estimated they were around 30%, possibly even under 30%.
Looking at it that way, the red team currently held the advantage on the field. And once the White Team’s casualty ratio exceeded 70%, a chasm-like point gap would appear between the two sides.
At that thought, Tao Rui couldn’t help but let out a bitter, angry laugh.
He could have pretended the Second Military players had simply dropped dead – everyone acting independently without interfering with each other. But they couldn’t just go and get themselves killed and, on top of that, drag the entire team down to the underworld with them.
Were they afraid of going alone?
Tao Rui said, “The point coefficient for supplies is already too low – there’s no changing that now. We have only one option left: we have to cut down the Red Team’s numbers.”
He paused, then said in a low voice, “And we have to push their surviving members below thirty percent. That means reducing the current red team headcount by at least half. At the same time, we must ensure that our side suffers no further unnecessary losses.”
It was nearly an impossible mission.
In the pitch-black, cold night, more than twenty young people stood or sat scattered about. Their vacant gazes crossed chaotically in the air. After Tao Rui finished speaking, a long, heavy silence fell over them.
No one knew who sighed first. That drawn-out sigh faded into the air, transmitted clearly through the voice pickup system of their simulation helmets – as vivid as if it had echoed from deep within their minds.
The young man by the window jolted as if someone had stepped on his foot. He immediately straightened his back and called out in a loud, clear voice, “Pah! Why all the sighing? It’s not over yet!”
Everyone snapped to attention, unwilling to let this demoralizing wind spread.
They might lose the match, but they absolutely could not lose their fighting spirit.
“Now that the sighing is done, it’s time to get to work.” Tao Rui’s thick brows pressed down heavily. The gloomy light in his eyes was veiled by his thick, long lashes, concealing emotions he hadn’t fully reined in. “What follows will be a tough battle. Our main strategy will be harassing through flanking maneuvers and guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines. Our primary tactics will be ambushes and hit-and-run attacks. Prioritize your own safety, follow orders and dispatch commands, and avoid taking unnecessary risks. Also, the opposing faction may resort to some extreme measures outside the official rules – everyone must stay alert.”
Although he didn’t say it explicitly, the instructors outside the arena could all hear the turmoil beneath his tone – he’d pronounced the last few words with notable force.
To be precise, every member of the white team had doubts about that last wave of fighting, but they had no leisure to complain at the moment, nor did they want to say too much and affect their teammates’ morale.
“Prepare for a prolonged battle. The Red Team doesn’t have an airdrop crate, so they can’t eat. The longer this drags on, the more it works in our favor,” Tao Rui said. “Right now, what we need to do is confirm the Red Team’s exact movements.”
…
The group of young men from the red team were still inside the livestock farm.
To express their gratitude to the outside contractor – a middle-aged man – they took the initiative to thoroughly inspect the smart systems inside the pigsty.
And to prove their own brilliance, this bunch of socially oblivious young men went out of their way to find and fix a few minor bugs in the operating programs. After cornering the middle-aged man for a ten-minute lecture, they casually went ahead and updated part of his software as well.
Cheng Feng felt that if it weren’t for their overwhelming numbers, the man would have already picked up his pig-feed mixing stick and started swinging it at their heads.
Who wanted to hear about computer operating rules or the five basic methods of bug detection? He was just a pig farmer!
Not even half as pleasant as the chorus of squeals rising and falling in the background.
After fifteen minutes of mental torture, the military cadets’ VIP treatment process finally reached its ceremonial send-off phase.
The middle-aged man put on his tool cap and couldn’t wait to head out. Just before leaving, he made a cautious, startled stop and, still uneasy, warned them not to touch the wastewater ditch behind the facility.
They hadn’t even mentioned it.
Truly, a kindred spirit could see right through their thoughts at a glance.
The Red Team members nodded regretfully.
Only after receiving the young men’s assurances did the villager dare to walk back toward his own home under the pale yellow light.
When he reached a spot where the others could no longer see him, he glanced back again and muttered quietly to himself, “This year’s students… they all seem to have some serious problems.”
The slightly more normal kid, it seemed, had been unfortunately eliminated by him just now.
The middle-aged man tucked his chin in, shoved his hands into his pockets, and shook his head. “Anyway, none of my business.”
The Red Team members indulged in a brief moment of rowdiness, but as soon as the villager left, they immediately composed themselves.
They tallied the losses from the chaotic battle and formed new squads.
Because they knew each other well, this task took less than three minutes. The young men, now armed, spontaneously adjusted their positions, fully prepared and ready to move out.
Cheng Feng and Chen Huayue were planning out the new map when a teammate smiled and asked, “If we went and opened that supply crate now, wouldn’t that guarantee us a win?”
Cheng Feng looked up, puzzled. “Open what supply crate? We’re guaranteed to win even without opening it. At a time like this, doing more just creates more chances for mistakes. Better to rest and wait for the enemy to exhaust themselves.”
The teammate asked, “So we just all hold the base together and wait for midnight, when the system tallies the points?”
“That probably won’t work just yet. I can’t confirm the exact number of enemy casualties. Only when we ensure the opposing side’s casualty rate is above seventy percent can we be absolutely certain of victory.” Cheng Feng said thoughtfully. “Until the very last moment, everyone should stay alert. The White Team still has a slim chance to turn things around.”
Their biggest problem now was how to initiate a safe, controlled fight.
They couldn’t approach the enemy base unless absolutely necessary – that was the White Team’s home ground, and it was almost certainly booby-trapped with ambushes.
“The White Team will most likely resort to guerrilla tactics. There’s nothing inherently bad about guerrilla warfare – it just comes down to who exhausts whom first… Our current numbers advantage is huge. As long as we don’t get completely wiped out like those Second Military students, it won’t count as an unexpected situation…”
Cheng Feng quietly analyzed for a few moments before making a decision.
“Let’s split up. The White Team is surely desperate to reduce our numbers right now. They have more advanced thermal weaponry, so having dispersed teams will maximize their consumption of supplies. Plus, stretching out the frontline will allow us to detect their movements in time.”
The group had no objections.
“Teams of three should be enough. And don’t forget to scavenge the scattered supply crates on the map. Those are still very valuable to us.” Cheng Feng subtly emphasized a key point. “If you run into Tao Rui, let me know. And as for dangerous tasks – please leave those to your deputy commander.”
Meanwhile, the White Team members also began to move.
Tao Rui led the team as they ran past the base entrance. The eliminated students, standing behind their instructors, spotted them and started making exaggerated faces and gestures – twisting their features wildly – practically screaming without words: Go talk to the instructors!
But Tao Rui only glanced briefly in their direction. Seeing what looked like a row of wooden stakes swaying in the wind, he found it a bit eerie and quickly looked away. No one tried to approach the instructors for help.
As the main force disappeared into the distance, the First Military’s physical training instructor closed his eyes and let out a helpless sigh.
Mr. Zhou shrugged, wearing an expression that said, “It’s not that I didn’t give him a chance – he just didn’t take it,” looking perfectly at ease with himself.
The following hours turned out to be far more uneventful than anyone had imagined.
There were no thrilling clashes, and even unnecessary conversation faded into silence.
The White Team’s style became extremely conservative. Under Tao Rui’s direction, they focused on defense, evasion, and searching for safe opportunities to attack.
But such opportunities were exceedingly rare. After an entire night of exertions, even Tao Rui’s strategic model showed a flicker of hesitation.
Tao Rui had no choice but to change tactics – temporarily abandoning guerrilla warfare and shifting to pure harassment and delay, waiting for the Red Team to show a weakness.
As the Red Team’s defensive line gradually stretched thinner, the physical exhaustion of the White Team members intensified. Coupled with low morale, by around nine o’clock at night, Tao Rui and his group looked utterly worn out – even more haggard than Cheng Feng, who hadn’t eaten anything all night.
Cheng Feng’s mind no longer had room for Tao Rui. At most, he was only worth half a braised pork hock.
If she could also have a bowl of seaweed and pork rib soup, that would be even better. Of course, she wouldn’t say no to Codonopsis chicken soup either.
Chen Huayue, initially humoring her because she was young, joined in her food fantasies for a while. But when Cheng Feng’s topic greedily progressed from braised dishes to barbecue, he couldn’t take it anymore and warned her, “Stop it! If you keep talking, I’ll want to sell you off!”
“Sell me to whom?” Cheng Feng asked. “Can you even sell someone who’s already an adult?”
She wanted to be a child in Xiang Yunjian’s family. Xin Kuang’s family wouldn’t be bad either. As long as it wasn’t Yan Shen’s family, she’d be safe.
Unfortunately, none of these people offered that kind of service.
Chen Huayue gave her a strange look. “It sounds like you’re actually looking forward to it?”
“Mainly, I just want to mooch a meal,” Cheng Feng said, licking her lips. “My standards are very low. I could even accept something like boiled pork slices with bean sprouts underneath – a subtle meat dish…”
“Hey–”
The group erupted in collective irritation.
“Quickly dig out Tao Rui!”
Otherwise, they were afraid they’d lose control – and lose their commander.
In the damp night air along the mountain paths, the hoarse shouts of the Red Team’s young men echoed through the darkness.
What Tao Rui had in abundance right now was patience. He remained unmoved by all the jeers and provocations hurled his way.
With his back against a hidden rock, he scanned for traces of the Red Team members, marking their positions one by one on the map and warning nearby teammates to stay alert.
Listening to the faint breathing sounds in his earpiece, Tao Rui found himself pondering several key turning points in this exam.
Among the diverging decisions made by the two sides, the one that bothered him most was how they handled the airdrop crate.
Looking at the outcome, his choice at the time had led to negative consequences. Yet if he were given the exact same conditions again, he would probably still make the same decision.
And he believed most deputy commanders would judge the same way.
If there truly were a chance to do it all over, the most effective way to turn things around would be to firmly restrain those fools in the Second Military.
If things had developed normally, the White Team should already be sitting in the military district’s cafeteria, celebrating their victory.
…Isn’t that right?
Tao Rui swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing hard.
That’s what the data said. Could the data be lying?
That little flicker of doubt was utterly unreasonable. It was likely just the unfavorable wind affecting his judgment.
Tao Rui shifted slightly. Staying in the same position for too long had left his muscles so numb he could barely feel them.
At this point, less than two hours remained until the end of the faction battle. Regardless of which side, everyone had grown utterly sick of this stagnant, fruitless search.
Tao Rui focused his attention, listening to the increasingly irritable shouting from the roadside and the scattered positions now appearing on the map. He parted his lips and warned, “Get ready…”
His voice came out utterly hoarse, startling even himself.
Tao Rui cleared his throat lightly, adjusted his state, and continued, “Prepare to move -the Red Team is starting to let their guard down. Everyone, close in on my position and launch a counterattack following the route I’ve marked in red. As soon as you spot four or more red team members gathered together, throw directional demolition charges immediately!”
“Copy that.”
“No one’s fallen asleep, have they? Wake up – let’s finish this and call it a day!”
Tao Rui bent his elbow, making small adjustments to his position to relax his muscles.
He didn’t know whether this strike would succeed. The odds were probably fifty-fifty. But at the very least, it would bring both sides’ scores to a similar level.
He wanted to use one brilliant counterattack to show the instructors – it wasn’t yet decided who was right or wrong.
The system clock ticked past 10:30.
Tao Rui’s heart gave a violent jolt. As blood surged through his limbs, he growled, “Move!”
The White Team members immediately leaped out from their hiding spots.
A Red Team youth on patrol turned his head. Spotting the sudden emergence of people from all directions, he didn’t panic. Instead, he grinned, showing a row of white teeth.
Tao Rui fired a shot at him. But after the system registered the hit, the other youth grinned savagely and made a throat-slitting gesture toward him.
