Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 33

Xiao Pang was killed, implying that the hidden S Army was about to launch a roundup plan on the few remaining members of the Falcon Squadron.

On the eastern side of the long street, there was a bank. It was the tallest building on this block. After Zhou Qian received a message from the system, he quickly assessed the situation of the entire street and then swiftly directed the other players to take cover inside the bank.

At that moment, Situ Qing was still struggling emotionally, but after Zhou Qian tapped her on the shoulder and asked, “Do you really want to die here?”, she finally wiped away her tears and quickly entered the bank.

Meanwhile, everyone received another message from the system.

[Player Zhou Qian: Conversion Rate 80%, Conversion Direction—Bei He]

[Player He Xiaowei: Conversion Rate 80%, Conversion Direction—Dong Shui]

[Player Yun Xiangrong: Conversion Rate 80%, Conversion Direction—Xi Jiang]

[Player Situ Qing: Conversion Rate 60%, Conversion Direction—Nan Hu*]

*South Lake.

Except for Situ Qing, who was slightly behind, the other three players were at the same rate. Zhou Qian estimated that by the end of this task, the three of them would directly reach 100%.

As for the subtask he triggered by gifting the mooncake, he probably had to find Jiang Yuqing to complete it.

Among the four, Zhou Qian was the last to enter the bank. As he was quickly figuring out the next move in the game, he took out an item from his bag.

[Item: Snail Transmitter]

[Function: Made up of snail brothers. Only the size of a real snail, but it’s great at picking up sounds! Stick the younger snail somewhere discreet and place the older snail in your ear. Whatever the younger hears, the elder will relay to you!]

After sticking the younger snail on the lamppost behind Xiao Pang’s body, Zhou Qian didn’t immediately enter the bank. He scanned the surroundings, then sent out the small dragon he always carried with him.

After giving it an item and whispering a few words to it, Zhou Qian felt that he was adequately prepared. Only after completing these two tasks did he finally enter the bank.

Upon entering, Zhou Qian immediately closed the door and went straight up to the top floor, the seventh floor, via the stairs. Looking out of the window, he was vigilant for any signs of the S Army.

At this moment, He Xiaowei approached him, crouching. “Hey… Could the S Army possibly plant bombs, seeing us hide here, encircle us with them, and blow us up?”

Narrowing his eyes and looking around, Zhou Qian accessed the system’s map to check something, then said, “It’s certainly possible.”

He Xiaowei: “What?!”

Zhou Qian continued, “But remember, this isn’t a real war setting; it’s a heavily scripted game. The shot that hit Xiao Pang indicates the onset of the S Army’s rampage, yet the hidden sniper hasn’t acted against us right away.”

He Xiaowei realized. “Right. So, the game gives us some prep time to find cover.”

Zhou Qian responded, “Exactly. Knowing this, I sent my dragon out covertly to accomplish a task during this brief window.”

He Xiaowei curiously asked, “What task?”

“Let’s wait until it succeeds before I tell you.”

Zhou Qian added, “However, what you mentioned earlier could indeed happen, so we definitely can’t stay here for long.”

As they spoke, Yun Xiangrong and Situ Qing approached, each holding a large box. Inside were two guns and three grenades.

Yun Xiangrong said, “While you were coming up, we searched the ground floor and found a basement. It seems to be an intelligence agency’s hideout. Look, these guns have a ‘7’ symbol on them.”

“Good find.” Zhou Qian looked at them and asked, “But among you, who knows how to shoot?”

After a moment of silence, Situ Qing took the initiative to pick up a rifle. She skillfully changed the magazine and then just as expertly attached the silencer. Her movements were clearly professional.

“Damn, how do you know how to use a gun?” He Xiaowei looked at her in surprise.

Situ Qing walked to the window and looked out, saying indifferently, “I worked at a shooting range and often played with the guests. They liked to challenge people. I usually let them win.”

A little later, He Xiaowei and Yun Xiangrong went into the building to look for more usable weapons.

Situ Qing stood by the window with her rifle, acting as a temporary sniper.

Zhou Qian continued to study the city map. The city was well planned, with several main roads crisscrossing, leading everywhere. Buildings neatly lined both sides of the roads, connected by countless small alleys…

In such a big city, where could Jiang Yuqing be hiding?

With the limited information they had, it was hard for the players to decide. Searching inch by inch was clearly impossible, especially with countless S Army troops possibly about to flood the city.

After a while, Yun Xiangrong and He Xiaowei returned. As expected, He Xiaowei brought back a can of oil from the kitchen. However, they didn’t find much else.

While Zhou Qian was deep in thought, studying the map, Situ Qing whispered, “Two people are coming!”

Zhou Qian looked out the window and saw two armed figures in the streetlight, looking similar to the gunmen from the 12 rooms.

They walked over and glanced at Xiao Pang. Using the snail tool, Zhou Qian easily heard their conversation.

One asked, “Are you sure it’s here?”

The other replied, “Yes. A scout killed this kid and reported seeing members of the Falcon Squadron nearby. At the time, only the scout was here. The Falcon Squadron members are all skilled, so he only killed the kid and fled, not daring to act rashly against the others.”

“Then they’re probably hiding around here. Send people to search every house!”

“Yes.”

“And see if Jiang Yuqing is hiding on this street too!”

“Yes.”

“I’ll remind you again, Jiang Yuqing has something very important… He’s too cunning. He hasn’t left a single draft! All the formulas are in his head! We must capture him alive. Don’t harm him.”

“Understood, boss.”

Having overheard this, Zhou Qian quickly relayed their conversation to his teammates. He Xiaowei immediately frowned. “Damn, this level is hard. We’re just four, but the S Army is countless! It’s already hard to escape under their noses, let alone searching the whole place for Jiang Yuqing. It’s impossible! This mission is impossible!”

Zhou Qian said, “That’s why I think—searching for Jiang Yuqing isn’t our job. We should let others do it for us.”

He Xiaowei: “Huh?”

Zhou Qian continued, “Didn’t they say? They want to capture Jiang Yuqing alive because of the important data he has. So, it’s not wise for us to search the city for him. The real way to pass the level is to let them find him. We follow them discreetly, and once they find him, we rescue him.”

“Although the S Army outnumbers us, we have the advantage of surprise.”

In reality, He Xiaowei didn’t feel that his group had much of an advantage. The enemies had guns and cannons, and to exaggerate a bit, they might even have poison gas grenades. But his own group only had two rifles and three hand grenades.

At this moment, Zhou Qian coldly watched the two men on the street, continuing to eavesdrop.

The commander said, “Search this street quickly! If Jiang Yuqing isn’t here… I don’t care where the Falcon Squadron is hiding. Just plant explosives and blow up the entire street!”

“Yes.” One of the subordinates pulled out a walkie-talkie, said something, and quickly entered a nearby three-story building. He came out a minute later.

By this time, over ten more S Army troops had arrived, beginning their door-to-door search.

Having taken in the entire scene, Zhou Qian glanced at the time displayed on the system panel, saying, “They’ll find our building in about five minutes. So, listen closely to my deployment plan—”

“Situ Qing, you’ll take one minute to teach He Xiaowei how to use a gun. I don’t need him to be precise, just to be able to fire the bullets.”

“He Xiaowei, after you’ve learned how to shoot in one minute, leave this building first. The street runs north to south, and the S Army is searching from south to north. Therefore, exit the bank building through the back door and run north through the alley outside. After passing four buildings, find an appropriate sniping position. You must complete this within three minutes.”

“Three minutes later, Situ Qing will snipe from our current position. He Xiaowei’s task is to shoot from a building four buildings to the north, covering her.”

“He Xiaowei, just shoot freely. If you hit someone, great; if not, no worries. Our real sniper is Situ Qing. Just cover her and protect yourself.”

“Yun Xiaorong will leave with He Xiaowei. Follow him to the sniping position four buildings away, and within three minutes, set up an ignition mechanism using this barrel of oil. The fuse must be placed just right. When He Xiaowei shoots, time it right and ignite the fuse to explode the barrel.”

“If the trap works to its full potential, it’s best to trap the enemy army when they try to enter the building to shoot He Xiaowei.”

“Of course, even if it doesn’t kill the enemy, it’s okay. Its primary purpose is to help you and He Xiaowei escape. Once the building catches fire, they will be blocked and can’t directly pass through that building to the alleyway where you’re escaping.”

“So, I need to emphasize, measure the fuse correctly. It shouldn’t explode before you and He Xiaowei leave the bank. Time it perfectly. If it doesn’t kill, it’s okay; the primary goal is to ensure your escape.”

After listening, the three of them asked Zhou Qian in unison, “What about you?”

You’ve planned for us meticulously; what about yourself?

Zhou Qian said, “This city has three main roads. The street we’re on is on the outermost layer. I guess the S Army will close in layer by layer, searching every house for Jiang Yuqing and us. By the way… have you played PUBG*?”

*PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. A battle royale game in which up to one hundred players are parachuted onto an island where they scavenge for weapons and equipment to kill other players while avoiding getting killed themselves.

He Xiaowei immediately responded, “Yes! I have!”

“That’s right. In PUBG, there’s the shrinking play zone, right? 100 players drop onto a map, shooting at each other, and the safe zone keeps changing, getting smaller, forcing the remaining players into a tiny point for a final showdown…”

“It’s similar for us now. We can consider these three main roads, along with their surrounding alleys, as three safe zones.”

“Currently, we’re in the outermost zone. The S Army will probably spend less than half an hour checking this entire area. Once they confirm Jiang Yuqing isn’t here, they’ll bomb this place. By then, this initially safe zone will no longer be safe, and we have to flee to the next zone, the second main road—Changjiang Road.”

“The enemies will keep increasing. During our escape, we take down whoever we can. So, I’ve devised this plan, especially since a few of their leaders seem to have emerged. We must eliminate them first.”

“Let me reiterate the overall plan—Situ Qing will try to shoot as many S Army soldiers as possible. He Xiaowei will provide cover from the building four structures away. Once he attracts the enemy, Yun Xiaorong ignites the fuse, and they both retreat. Situ Qing, remember to withdraw in time. Don’t expose your position. If you don’t hit anyone, it doesn’t matter; first, preserve your life and run.”

“Remember, your retreat location is Changjiang Road.”

At this point, Zhou Qian pointed towards the east, where a cross faintly appeared, signaling a church.

“The church is located on the second main road, Changjiang Road. That’s our next safe zone. Do you see the tall building next to the church? That’s our rendezvous point.”

“That building is the tallest on the second main road. It’s similar to this bank and is an excellent vantage point.”

“After all, this is just a game. If all the tall buildings are filled with snipers, it becomes too hard for us. So, I assume, like this bank, that tall building hasn’t been occupied by the S Army.”

“The idea remains the same. The S Army is encircling from the outskirts of the city, layer by layer searching inwards, bombing buildings, until they locate Jiang Yuqing. Hence, there probably aren’t any enemies inside that building for the time being.”

“But this is just my initial guess. It may not be 100% accurate. There might still be snipers hidden inside. So, while you all move, I’ll act immediately.”

“You just asked me, ‘What about me?'”

“Now, I’m telling you. I’ll reach that tall building first to check if there are any ambushes from the S Army.”

“If I die, He Xiaowei—” Looking at He Xiaowei, Zhou Qian said, “Please persuade Yun Xiangrong to use the Tick Tock Clock to save me. If I’m alive, I’ll message you through the system, instructing you to regroup here.”

To save time, Zhou Qian explained everything swiftly. Given the urgency, hardly anyone had time to doubt or discuss better options. In such situations, absolute obedience was the most efficient response.

Zhou Qian was the first to descend the building. Exiting from the bank’s back door, he went through an alley and hid behind garbage bins, peeking out to observe the street’s situation. After a little over half a minute, he heard movement behind him. As expected, He Xiaowei and Yun Xiangrong followed.

Utilizing the sparse light from the street, He Xiaowei gestured to Zhou Qian, then quickly moved into another alley, heading to the northern four-story building. Yun Xiangrong, carrying an oil barrel and moving slower, tried to keep pace.

The layout of Cypress City was clear. The sea lay to the west of the city, hence the name West Pier. The first main road from West Pier to the east was the very street the S Army was sweeping. The bank where Zhou Qian and the others were located was near the main city area, on the eastern side of the street.

This meant they could avoid crossing the main road during their escape and could directly reach the tallest building on Changjiang Road through a maze of alleys.

At the moment, many S Army soldiers had gathered on the main street. They searched house by house, swiftly clearing each alley, moving from south to north. After clearing a building, they planted explosives, intending to blow everything up soon.

Witnessing all this, Zhou Qian hoped that the explosion Yun Xiangrong would cause with the oil barrel might ignite the bombs the S Army placed prematurely, inflicting heavy casualties. But that was quite an idealistic hope. If everything went according to plan, just reaching the next rendezvous point after killing some S Army soldiers would be great.

Three minutes later, a gunshot was heard. It was Situ Qing acting punctually. Without any bravado, she shot the leader’s head. A dozen S Army soldiers instantly raised their guns, rushing out of various buildings, looking for the shooter. Another shot was fired by He Xiaowei from the outskirts of the four-story building, shattering a streetlight, drawing the soldiers’ attention.

“Over there! Throw grenades at that building!”

“Yes!”

After this command, three soldiers with grenades moved towards He Xiaowei’s location. However, four crisp gunshots rang out from Situ Qing. All her shots found their marks. The three grenade-bearing soldiers fell before reaching He Xiaowei’s building, and the commander who ordered the grenades was also killed.

[Situ Qing, you might be exposed. Run now. Saving your life is most important.]

Upon receiving this message from Zhou Qian, Situ Qing immediately fled. Just as she left the building and hid in an adjacent alley, shouts were heard on the main street. “Wrong! The real sniper is in the bank! Move in quickly and eliminate them! This Falcon Squadron is too cunning!”

At this very moment, Situ Qing, who was desperately running for her life in the darkness, felt her heart skip a beat.

He’s different. Zhou Qian really… is different from Mu Sheng.

Upon reflection, she thought she should have realized this earlier. Most people in this world weren’t like Mu Sheng.

Mu Sheng was an anomaly—a demon dragging her down with him. She should have… should have left him long ago.

Elsewhere, Zhou Qian quickly sent messages to He Xiaowei and Yun Xiangrong.

[Successfully took out two of their minor leaders. Without a leader, they’ll be more chaotic; the mission is accomplished. Run now.]

After sending the two messages, Zhou Qian dashed toward the tallest building near the second main road.

He estimated that it was unlikely for an ambush to be there, but he wasn’t completely sure.

As he ran, Zhou Qian pulled out a second dragon scale, quickly summoning another small dragon.

After giving the dragon its orders, it flew from his embrace, heading straight for the tall building.

The dragon carried Zhou Qian’s life essence and would be treated as if it were a human.

It could test if there was a sniper hidden in the building.

After the dragon left, Zhou Qian stopped momentarily in a small alley far from the main street.

He stood with his back against a tree, blending into the shadows of the night. His gaze remained fixed in the direction the dragon had gone, not wavering in the slightest.

However, just a minute later, “Bang”—

From a distance, the sound of a gunshot echoed, and something fell, motionless.

At this very moment, Situ Qing, Yun Xiangrong, and He Xiaowei had split into two groups, each rushing towards that tall building. They had temporarily hidden in secluded spots, waiting for a definite message from Zhou Qian before converging at the building.

But they all heard the gunshot unexpectedly.

He Xiaowei almost shouted, but Yun Xiangrong covered his mouth just in time.

“Qian… What if something happened to him?” He Xiaowei’s voice shook uncontrollably. “Even if you guys had disagreements, objectively speaking, he’s not the main culprit. Without him, we might not get through the next level. This—”

Yun Xiangrong’s voice was also grave. Her dark eyes stared intently at the building, trying to locate the sniper.

She whispered, her voice hoarse, “Don’t worry. After all, he is Zhou Qian. I don’t think he’d die so easily. Let’s wait for further updates and not panic.”

As Yun Xiangrong spoke, a loud noise erupted behind them.

It was an oil drum trap set up by Yun Xiangrong, now detonated.

The resulting fire spread rapidly, engulfing the entire building in moments.

Among the flames, distant shouts of the S Army could be heard.

“We should retreat to the perimeter!”

“Right, retreat! We’ve set up so many bombs; the fire will surely set them off!”

“Jiang Yuqing is definitely not here; otherwise, they wouldn’t cause an explosion!”

“Retreat to the pier! Then blow this place up! We have many men… after the explosion, let them all come down, and we’ll push towards the city center!”

“Right! They won’t have anywhere else to run!”

Hearing this, He Xiaowei said, “Qian was right! The safe zone is shrinking… we have to keep moving towards the city. And did you hear? They’re getting reinforcements from the west pier! Isn’t their army on the ships? Did I hear it wrong?”

“You heard right,” Yun Xiangrong replied. “Their main forces are at the west pier.”

He Xiaowei exclaimed, “But our mission is to escort Jiang Yuqing to the west pier to board a ship! Do we really… have to take them all out as Qian said? How can we do that? With our mana, we could run out at any moment… How can we fight so many soldiers?! This mission is impossible!”

On the other side, Situ Qing had similar thoughts.

Zhou Qian turned out to be different from what she had imagined. Mu Sheng always pushed her to take risks. But although Zhou Qian was the team leader, guiding everyone’s actions, he also took risks himself. But…

Is he dead?

This mission was like facing a hundred enemies with just one person.

Can we really succeed?

Zhou Qian, the man everyone was worried about, was standing beneath a tree.

He watched as the dragon he had dispatched fell in the darkness. Its body slowly became transparent until it turned into a dim dragon scale, impossible for him to find.

Upon hearing the loud explosion, Zhou Qian turned around emotionlessly, looking at the building behind him that was engulfed in roaring flames.

The reflection of the fire in his unfathomably cold eyes made them seem as if they were ablaze.

He faintly felt that this time… he might actually be a little angry.

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