Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Ji Xinghan—

No trainee was unfamiliar with this name, yet no one could have imagined that the overall commander of the trainee faction would personally initiate contact with this bottom-ranked team.

Chu Xiao was stunned for several seconds before responding, "Loud and clear, Commander!"

Ji Xinghan didn't acknowledge the title "Commander." After a brief moment of thought, he asked, "Chu Xiao?"

Chu Xiao replied, "That’s me."

At the faction base, Ji Xinghan looked again at the name currently at the top of the scoreboard—Chu Xiao.

It was precisely because of that conspicuous 14 points that he decided to refine his tactics and open direct comms with Team 20.

Ji Xinghan asked, "You’re the captain of Team 20."

Chu Xiao: "Yes, Commander!"

Ji Xinghan, about to continue, paused mid-sentence and couldn’t help adding, "You don’t need to call me 'Commander' every time."

Chu Xiao got the message: "Understood, Commander!"

Ji Xinghan: "..."

The channel went silent.

"Time is tight, let’s continue." Ji Xinghan’s voice maintained its usual calm. "Listen carefully. The other side is currently planning an attack targeting the enemy’s Outpost 3, which is the farthest from your position. Until they successfully capture it, I need you to continue drawing enemy fire."

He elaborated clearly: "Barring surprises, the enemy commander will soon send other squads to encircle you. At that point, two to four teams will arrive on the battlefield. I know the numbers are lopsided, but no matter what methods you use, I hope you can hold them off as much as possible."

"Two hours," Ji Xinghan said. "I need at least two hours."

Chu Xiao: "Received. Will complete the mission, Commander!"

Ji Xinghan had anticipated hesitation under such immense pressure but was met with such a firm response: "You seem quite confident."

"Confidence comes from within," Chu Xiao replied with a light laugh. "Don’t worry, Commander. Since we’ve received your orders, we’ll see this mission through even if it means spilling blood. As long as we fight to the very end, we can’t go wrong. Everything for the win!"

"..."

Ji Xinghan grunted at the bravado, then added, "Then I’ll leave it to you," before cutting the communication.

The comms returned to the faint static of the team channel. Finally, someone spoke up anxiously: "The Commander just said how many teams would be coming to encircle us?"

Chu Xiao answered: "Two to four."

The team member felt despair: "So that means up to thirty or forty people? But there are only five of us left! How are we supposed to fight?!"

Chu Xiao remained as unfazed as ever: "We’ll fight the same way we just did."

The recent skirmish had already lost half of Team 20’s members. At this rate, a complete elimination was only a matter of time.

Since Ji Xinghan’s voice had come through, Bai Luming had been leaning by the window without saying a word. Now, listening to the conversation in the team channel, he simply glanced into the distance.

That was the direction of the Navi faction base.

When pushing Team 20 out as bait, the young commander had already shown a clear intent to create a diversion. But as the scoreboard updated frequently, he seemed to realize that he could push further to maximize their utility.

After all, the Navi faction was an exchange team sent by a superior Level 7 military zone. For these new trainees, having such opponents was already a case of asymmetric advantage. Not only would losing be embarrassing, but even losing a few points would be considered a disgrace. Every point on the scoreboard now was a direct slap in their face, and Chu Xiao’s 14 points were especially glaring. Whether for tactical reasons or saving face, they couldn’t afford to ignore it.

Ji Xinghan had clearly recognized this psychology on the enemy’s side, confident that Chu Xiao’s 14 points were enough to make him the primary target in their eyes.

After eliminating two squads in a row, the enemy would only send more reinforcements. The more troops they deployed here, the fewer would be available elsewhere.

This way, by finding a means to effectively pin down the remaining units, they could skillfully secure the optimal moment to attack Outpost 3.

Bai Luming recalled the training map for this assessment and had already mapped out several preliminary routes in his mind.

Of course, the diversion was only phase one. What remained to be seen was whether there would be a second layer of planning.

But no matter what, heavy combat was unavoidable.

Rationally, Bai Luming didn’t want to be given such a critical role. After all, in his life as Marshal Bai, he had never been a deserter and didn’t even know how to write those two words. It would have been fine to be quietly eliminated in some forgotten corner, but now, in a way, he had become key to this engagement, making him feel the pressure for the first time.

It’s true—having too strong a sense of morality is a burden.

As he thought this, Bai Luming couldn’t help but glance up at the ceiling overhead, suddenly feeling a twinge of envy.

Envy of a certain polished bastard’s shamelessness and complete lack of a bottom line.

It’s hard to be a good person.

*

Half an hour later, the third wave of clashes erupted at the supply point.

Bai Luming heard screams of pain one after another from the team channel, followed by two more eliminations as their communications were completely cut off.

The shouts after being shot were too shrill, piercing his ears until he couldn’t help rubbing them.

The enemy, surprisingly, took them seriously—this time, three teams had been sent to encircle them. Clearly, they had coordinated in advance: one team drew fire from the front while the other two used the rough terrain to slowly close in from the sides.

Now only three remained on their team. Outnumbered and outgunned, Bai Luming could only ensure that the enemies at the front were all handed over to Chu Xiao before waiting for an opportunity to act.

The river surface ahead was once again littered with bodies, but one team had already completed their flanking move and was approaching from the side.

Bai Luming heard someone searching around near the building they were in, footsteps growing clearer.

He glanced toward the door and warned in the team voice channel: "They’ve found our position."

He Yilan responded with a soft "Hmm."

Even though he couldn’t see him at that moment, the relaxed tone of that trailing sound was enough for Bai Luming to imagine his expression—probably no different from ignoring a pack of dogs.

The image was so vivid that Bai Luming couldn’t help but let out an inexplicable laugh.

"Why are you still laughing?!" Chu Xiao’s heavy panting sounded like a rushing wind. He clearly valued his two remaining teammates dearly and didn’t forget to reassure them responsibly: "I’ve cleared the area here. Hold on! Just hold on, I’ll be there soon. Whatever you do, don't get killed!!"

"Got it," Bai Luming replied, rubbing his ear. "Won’t die."

The surroundings fell quiet. In the silence, the grating sound of metal scraping against rust could be heard.

A team cautiously opened the door from outside, footsteps light, but from the subtle noises, it was clear they had split into two groups—one heading straight for the staircase.

"Someone’s coming up," Bai Luming reminded in the team channel, but he remained rooted in place, not even shifting his stance, showing no intention of offering support.

As the old saying goes: drop the hero complex, respect others’ fate.

Besides, his own fate wasn’t exactly smooth sailing either.

The opposing team was clearly conducting a room-by-room search, getting closer and closer to the room where Bai Luming was.

One of them outside had already placed a hand on the doorknob, and as they pressed down, the rusted metal emitted a faint screech. Just as they were about to push the door open, there was a sudden loud crash.

Without any warning, Bai Luming jerked his leg up and delivered a powerful kick, slamming the just-opened door shut again.

The door struck the opponent squarely on the bridge of the nose, accompanied by a yelp of pain. The others behind reacted quickly; as their comrade fell, they raised their guns and charged into the room, immediately unleashing a suppressive barrage.

Every shot missed.

Bai Luming had no interest in engaging. After showing off his swift kick, he swiftly retreated behind the door, using it as a natural barrier to avoid the conflict. Then, as the others circled around to pursue him, he rolled sideways under a wooden table. As he brushed past, he swung his leg deftly, sweeping a group of enemies who hadn’t yet grasped the situation inside off their feet.

With a quick scan, he pinpointed the positions of the several men, leaped back to create distance, and by the time they realized what was happening, their gunfire only kicked up puffs of dust at Bai Luming’s feet.

This series of movements, executed without a single wasted action, should have been smooth and fluid. But because of Bai Luming’s clumsy, faltering demeanor, it somehow created the visual effect of desperate, chaotic scrambling.

Watching this rookie scrambling wildly and somehow managing to shatter their formation, the opposing side grew even more furious. Seeing that Bai Luming had nowhere left to hide, they raised their guns in unison toward him.

The Nawei soldier who had been earliest hit by the door, his nose red and his head still spinning, gritted his teeth and spat, "Think you’re slick, huh, kid! Let’s see where you can hide now!"

As he spoke, everyone’s aim was fixed squarely on Bai Luming. The gunfire from upstairs became the only background noise in the tense atmosphere.

Bai Luming stood by the window, seemingly completely exposed within the enemy’s firing range. Under the deliberately activated red targeting lasers, he merely narrowed his eyes slightly with an ambiguous expression. "Tsk, playing like this, huh?"

The protective suits worn by both sides could neutralize the damage from the exercise guns, preventing any real consequences. But in this environment, where pain simulation was synchronized, the sensation of teetering on the brink of life and death felt all too real. So, during these exercises, aside from unavoidable collisions during combat, participants generally avoided deliberately targeting highly sensitive vital areas—such as the face.

But now, the Nawei side wasn’t aiming at Bai Luming’s body. Instead, their shots were precisely concentrated on his eyes.

Clearly, it was intentional.

And from the uniformity of their actions, it was obvious this wasn’t the first time they’d done this.

Bai Luming didn’t particularly care, but the trainee side today consisted entirely of newcomers who hadn’t yet undergone systematic training. Experiencing the pain of having their optic nerves shot through and shattered at this stage—even at only 60% pain coefficient—the realism of having their eyes pierced could easily cause severe psychological trauma.

In the worst cases, it might even leave them without the courage to ever set foot on a battlefield again.

All you could say was, they really knew how to play nasty.

As if completely unaware of the glaring laser sights trained on him, Bai Luming slowly raised his eyelids.

The red dots converged at the center of his pupils, spreading like pools of intense blood outward.

As a faint, cryptic smirk curled at the corners of his mouth, the grins on the faces of the Nawei squad members stiffened unconsciously. A chill ran down their spines, making them shudder involuntarily, and as if possessed, they squeezed the triggers.

Gunshots rang out.

Just as the dense beams were about to pierce through Bai Luming’s pupils, his figure abruptly tipped backward. At the same time, he smoothly loaded a round in his own gun.

He toppled straight out through the window, and as he fell, several particle bullets shot from his barrel.

Multiple shots, in rapid succession.

The gunfire and the ensuing screams of pain erupted almost simultaneously. The figure falling from the window buried itself deeply into the thick grass below, and amidst the scent of fresh earth, the surroundings gradually grew quiet again.

From his lying position on the ground, Bai Luming could catch sight of the chaotic figures on the second floor—quite a lively scene, yet one that fell silent again with swift finality.

What had happened was clear at a glance. Obviously, a certain Mr. He had ultimately made the same choice and opted for carnage.

"I’m here, I’m here! How are you guys, are you okay?" Chu Xiao’s voice came through the communicator, gradually overlapping with the words spoken nearby. "Lu Ming, why are you lying outside? Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I’m fine." Bai Luming took the hand Chu Xiao offered and stood up. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a figure darting past the neighboring house. "Captain, since you’re here, the clean-up duty is all yours."

Chu Xiao agreed readily: "Don’t worry, leave it to me."

After over ten minutes of intense fighting, the outcome was decided.

Bai Luming looked up just in time to see He Yilan coming down the stairs.

That face still showed little expression, but within the calmness of his features, there was an icy, severe edge that wasn’t usually present.

Bai Luming raised an eyebrow slightly, immediately guessing what had probably happened.

After a moment of eye contact, Bai Luming watched as He Yilan turned and walked into the room. He then called out to Chu Xiao, "Captain, want to give me a hand?"

Chu Xiao looked over: "With what?"

A short while later, the "corpses" in the room had been neatly piled up against the wall.

In front of this "pile of bodies" from the Nawei Military Region, Bai Luming stood with one hand holding his gun and one foot resting on a chair. Using the barrel, he lifted the chin of each lowered head one by one. His voice, directed at He Yilan, was brimming with eagerness: "Since we’ve got nothing better to do, where do you think we should start the corpse humiliation?"

Chu Xiao, who had just helped play body carrier, was still a bit confused about the situation: "What are we playing at?"

Bai Luming laughed and beckoned: "Corpse humiliation. It’s really fun. Join us, Captain."

Chu Xiao’s eyes lit up: "Is it fun?!"

The Nawei Fortress soldiers: "..."

Finally, one of them couldn’t hold back: "Don’t you dare mess around! Is this a violation of exercise rules?"

"Violate exercise rules?" Bai Luming chuckled at that, asking slowly and with a politeness that was startling at first listen. "Show me the rule that explicitly states that corpse humiliation is prohibited? I only remember one that clearly says 'corpses are forbidden from speaking.' What, are you planning to break the rules?"

The Nawei soldiers: "..."

"Actually, I didn’t want to do this either," Bai Luming said, gesturing with his gun toward He Yilan, his words full of menace, "but who told you to provoke someone you shouldn’t have? See this person? His temper is especially bad. You pointed your guns at him, and in that manner too. If we don’t do something about it, it’ll be trouble trying to appease him later."

He Yilan: "..."

After a glance at Bai Luming, He Yilan ultimately let him continue his performance and took the blame without denying it.

After speaking, Bai Luming didn’t forget to point at himself: "Turns out, I’m just as bad."

His gaze swept over the several men present, as if finally remembering something, and settled firmly on one of them: "You were the one leading the aim at my eyes, right?"

The other didn’t deny it, only gritted his teeth: "So what? I don’t believe you can actually do anything to me. You’re just a trainee, not even a reservist! Be careful, if you act out of line, you might get kicked out of the subsequent assessments!"

Bai Luming repeated his words: "Kicked out of the assessments?"

Thinking he had scared him, the opponent was about to sneer again when he heard Bai Luming speak as if he’d just heard the best news possible, a delighted smile spreading across his face: "That would be perfect!"

The Nawei soldier: "?"

Was this guy really lost his mind?

The soldier wanted to say something more, but then a black muzzle suddenly appeared right before his eyes. As his eyes widened in shock and he prepared to resist, his field of vision darkened—He Yilan had already stepped in front of him, pinning his arms behind his back.

Bai Luming gave a satisfied nod at someone’s unspoken understanding: "Thanks."

He Yilan: "Don't mention it."

Bai Luming sank into a crouch in front of the soldier.

His gun was trained precisely at the soldier's pupils from such close range that the soldier could almost feel the searing residual heat lingering on the metal surface after continuous firing.

Overwhelming terror surged through the soldier's mind.

At such a close distance, he couldn't begin to imagine the sensation the moment a bullet pierced through his cornea, how the completely distorted nerves would react.

The others stood frozen nearby, watching them, frozen between action and inaction due to the exercise rules.

Despite still wearing that half-smirk, the atmosphere around Bai Luming grew increasingly oppressive. His usually gentle eyes now sharp as blades.

He held what seemed like a weapon of punishment, capable of dealing with others at will, yet his attitude was so natural, as if he were doing the most ordinary thing.

The soldier under his gaze felt as if an invisible hand were tightening around his neck. His pupils contracted with inexplicable fear, and he felt he was losing his mind: "What are you all standing around for? Stop him—! No! You can't… You mustn't…"

A light chuckle: "Worthless."

"Bang—!"

Without giving the soldier any chance to speak further, a deafening gunshot plunged the surroundings into dead silence.

The once boastful soldiers from Navie Fortress were completely silenced.

No one had expected the person before them to actually pull the trigger. An unprecedented fear washed over them, their faces ashen as they stared at Bai Luming as if he were a true madman.

For a moment, the only sounds in the room were the soldier's heavy, panicked gasps.

And the gradually spreading, pungent smell of piss saturating the air.

Bai Luming glanced at the puddle of piss spreading beneath the soldier's feet, his usually casual tone lifting in a mocking lilt: "Why so serious, seniors y'all? Relax~ the gun~ isn't~ loaded~"

He looked at the others present, his brow quirked playfully: "And you really aren't familiar with the exercise rules, are you? What's there to fear? The pain coefficient for post-mortem 'corpses' from training guns is 0%. Even if I wanted to desecrate the corpses, I couldn't hurt you."

He patted He Yilan's shoulder, signaling it was time to leave. Pausing at the doorway, he glanced back at the soldier's completely soaked pants and thoughtfully threw in: "You might want to clean that up. After all—it stinks."