LSDWTWHA chapter 52

Chapter 51

Upon hearing Qi Hanyi’s affirmative answer, everyone’s thoughts became even more curious. It turned out that Qi Hanyi’s suggestion to hold the competition was not baseless; he already had a target in mind.

Some people looked toward Jian Cheng, silently questioning whether Qi Hanyi had taken an interest in his sister, Jian Fan, because of their close connection.

Jian Cheng immediately shook his head in denial. At first, he had thought it could be Jian Fan, until the general asked him for her information on that day. That was already several days after the competition announcement, indicating that the general had only now noticed Jian Fan and was actually interested in someone else.

Not Jian Fan? The group of pilots looked at the screen with more puzzlement, observing the few individuals on screen whom they believed to have talent, pondering what the significant purpose of this competition was. In fact, Qi Hanyi could have directly taken the person he favored to the military for discussions or trained them at the Imperial Military Academy for several years.

So what was the true intention of this competition? An audition? A selection?

Qi Hanyi also looked at the screen, but his attention was drawn to some bullet comments related to Su Su.

Most comments showed surprise and astonishment at Su Su’s fighting style, with some being affirming compliments. A small portion even incomprehensibly swooned over Su Su’s beauty, calling out terms of endearment.

However, Qi Hanyi did not show any special emotions; he just quietly watched.

This competition was not an interview for Su Su; he knew that the young man who had amazed him would definitely meet his expectations without needing a competition to test him.

Originally, the main purpose of this competition was to lure the right person in. Rather than enticing him, Qi Hanyi preferred to see the young man he had his eye on take the initiative to join. All he needed to do was to pave the way in front of him.

At that time, he did not realize that the young man he was eagerly anticipating was Su Su. But this twist of fate was perfect. Mermaids wanting to step into the starry sky faced far greater resistance than humans. This competition became Su Su’s stage, allowing him to showcase himself and prove his talent to the world.

Therefore, since the competition began, Qi Hanyi had not logged in again. He did not want to influence the fairness of the competition with his presence; Su Su should win, and win fairly.

The more astonishing Su Su performed in this competition, the more beneficial public opinion would be for him in the future. All this support would become his bargaining chip against prejudice.

As eliminations continued, gaps began to appear in their lines, increasing the defensive pressure on the stationed players.

“Help! Help!” Su Su was currently piloting his starship, embroiled in a standoff with an S-class bug, when he suddenly heard a nearby starship’s distress signal.

If he rushed over, he could save them.

So should he save them?

Su Su inclined toward not saving them.

That player’s skills were very mediocre; they could not even defeat an A-class bug. They had probably survived so far by luck, with the bugs they could have dealt with slipping past their defenses. Now, after losing all their points, they were forced to fight. Even if he saved them this time, they would still be eliminated next time. He could not always babysit them.

Su Su’s contemplation was brief, and once he made the decision, he charged headlong toward the S-class bug without looking back.

He dodged some dense, beam-like attacks and struck directly at the most vulnerable appendage of the S-class bug.

Unfortunately, killing the bug did not award any points. Instead, not supporting a teammate resulted in a deduction of five points.

Su Su pursed his lips; being docked points made him somewhat displeased.

But if there were another chance, he still would not save them. Because the rules required them to forget that this was a competition and treat it as a real war.

In a real war, he would not abandon the opportunity to kill an S-class bug—after searching for so long—just to assist a teammate who could not even handle an A-class bug.

“Thank you, thank you!” The player’s grateful voice came through the signal on the ship “You Come and Go.”

“Don’t mention it, we’re comrades. It’s what I should do,” You Come and Go replied gently.

The way You Come and Go acted was in stark contrast to Su Su’s approach.

The Phoenix ship had excellent maneuverability, and while staying within its defensive area, You Come and Go did everything possible to assist several nearby players, almost single-handedly holding up the entire line. Despite the difficulty of battle, no matter what, he prioritized protecting his teammates’ lives, even at the expense of allowing a bug to slip through.

You Come and Go understood that this was a game and that the rules came first. The idea of forgetting it was a game and entering a war merely meant adopting a more concealed set of rules.

As the game progressed to this point, he had almost grasped the rules of this round.

Firstly, this match followed a point deduction system, but that did not mean that strength wasn’t tested. Strength remained a hard criterion, reflected in how many points could be used for deductions and in whether one could survive the assaults of the bugs.

Moreover, all deduction rules were quite systematic. They clearly pointed to the phrase given at the start—real war.

In real war, orders from superiors must be followed, hence leaving one’s position incurs a point deduction.

To complete combat missions, leaking bugs results in points being taken away.

To support teammates, ignoring an ally in distress results in point deductions.

From teammates’ feedback through trial and error, it became apparent that leaving a position deducted points based on time, losing one point every ten minutes until it was gone; if it was less than ten minutes, returning would reset the timer. Leaking a bug deducted one point regardless of its level. Ignoring a teammate in distress was the most penalizing — five points. Players with few points could even be eliminated just because they ignored a teammate’s call for help.

But was that all there was to this entire competition? They supported each other until players were continuously eliminated until only a hundred remained?

You Come and Go did not think so. If the competition was just like this, they might as well have thrown them into the battlefield — why bother discussing the mission at the start? Why let them land at the hall instead of on the starship?

The commander had given them an unreasonable defense map that even someone with a basic understanding could see was flawed, making these so-called trainee starship pilots hold one supply point as they awaited reinforcements. However, more than half of their people had been injured or killed, yet reinforcements had yet to arrive. According to game design, they either wouldn’t come at all, or they would only arrive once their numbers dwindled to a hundred.

Was such an arrangement really reasonable?

Moreover, the commander claimed everyone’s starship had communication signals to receive orders from the command room, yet, up until now, none of the numerous requests sent to the command room had received even a single response.

The commander portrayed a foolish and overbearing demeanor, exuding an attitude that clearly signaled a willingness to send trainees to their demise, which should not be the image the military wanted to project.

Thus, You Come and Go suspected that there might be a hidden sub-mission lying within the command center: to expose the commander’s true face, seize control of the supply point, and reframe a reasonable defense line. This could also be a strategy they could utilize.

Since this was a simulation of real war, there should not be just one possible outcome. The command was precisely what You Come and Go was good at.

You Come and Go thought this should be his opportunity to showcase himself to the world, even to some military members quietly observing the competition.

It was worth a gamble.

Leaving one’s position results in a point deduction every ten minutes; however, heading to the command center would only take half an hour.

The Phoenix ship left its assigned line and flew towards the supply point without looking back.

Within the defense line, many bugs had slipped through, but most had already been dealt with by the defense system of the supply point, with very few actually breaking in. The Phoenix took some time to clear out the last few bugs.

You Come and Go disembarked from the port and raced toward the command room at top speed.

The door to the command room was slightly ajar, the screen still displaying the current combat status at all defense points, with some command equipment laid out on the table, yet the commander who had just arrogantly issued orders was nowhere to be found.

At that moment, a sudden communication information popped up from the main control room, capturing You Come and Go’s attention.

There were no extraneous elements in the game; You Come and Go was nearly certain he had triggered a hidden sub-mission.

The message stated that the stationed troops here had received an emergency mission last night and were currently engaging in combat a thousand star distances away.

However, that combat order had actually been fabricated by bug spies, intending to draw their team away and lead a bug army to ambush their supply point. Facing the bug army without support from the supply point and with their fuel exhausted, it was nearly a death sentence.

Two hours ago, after receiving this information, they had raced back at full speed; however, it would still take around four or five more hours to arrive.

You Come and Go realized that they were not waiting for reinforcements, but rather for the stationed troops to return.

But if the commander was leading troops outside, then who had just given them the defense map?

You Come and Go continued reading. The information revealed that there were also trainee students from the Imperial Military Academy at the supply point. They had not yet graduated, were only there for observation, and lacked any combat experience against bugs. The supply team’s captain was required to ensure the students’ safety.

It also stated that if danger arose, even if the entire supply point fell, the first priority must be to allow the students to evacuate.

So, was that fake commander the supply team captain? What about the members of the supply team? You Come and Go pulled up the previous combat recordings.

From the recording, You Come and Go clearly saw that just shortly after they had arrived at the defense line, while the supply team took advantage of their staunch defense to sneak away toward a bug-free direction — all members had fled.

As he finished reviewing all the clues, a system notification chime sounded: “Ding-dong, congratulations player You Come and Go for discovering hidden clues, mission ‘Temporary Commander’ activated.”

“As trainee students from the Imperial Military Academy, you unexpectedly encountered a bug wave. The real military is a thousand star distances away, while the cowardly guards have all fled, leaving only you students to hold the defense.”

“You are adept in command and have long noticed the flaws in the defense map, developing suspicions about the impersonating commander. Now that you have uncovered the truth, as a future soldier of the Empire, do you wish to become the temporary commander here, leading your classmates to persist in this cruel battlefield? Yes/No?”

“Note: Accepting this mission will alter the current game rules. Please endeavor to protect the supply point and the survival of each student. Upon mission completion, the temporary commander may earn additional hidden points based on performance.”

You Come and Go unhesitatingly selected ‘Yes.’

Then all players simultaneously received the information You Come and Go had just discovered as well as the newly issued system notification.

“Congratulations player You Come and Go for becoming the temporary commander. The previously designated defense areas are now void; please follow the orders of the commander for the next operations.”

Following that, You Come and Go’s calm and measured voice came through the communication: “Hello everyone, I am You Come and Go, your temporary commander.”

“I believe everyone understands the previous situation. Holding the defense line is futile; we must reorganize our forces and allocate defenses more reasonably to ensure more people survive. Next, I will devise a new defense plan based on everyone’s abilities, so please follow my orders to assigned positions to fortify defenses.”

He prepared the defense plan rapidly. There were still over four hundred players present, which he divided into 26 small teams according to each starship’s capabilities, each responsible for defending a specific direction.

Additionally, he established four mobile strike teams explicitly for dealing with high-level bugs.

You Come and Go’s exceptional command abilities shone at that moment. He clearly understood the strengths of all frontline players, distributing them into teams and providing reasonable tactics, even including the supply point’s fortification facilities in his calculations. Under his arrangement, the pressure on the defense line was significantly relieved, and the rate at which players were eliminated quickly decreased.

As soon as You Come and Go discovered the clues, the bullet comments started pouring in. Fans of You Come and Go, who had been harshly suppressed in the early stages of the competition, felt vindicated upon witnessing this series of operations, showering him with praises.

“He must have noticed it from the beginning; he mentioned before departure that the defense map was unreasonable.”

“Isn’t he strong? While others were still mindlessly fighting bugs, he had already found the commander’s flaw. You Come and Go is on another level.”

“He! Is! A! Commander!”

“He has always been the strongest in command. Who else do we need to mention for the preliminary competition winner?”

“With a brain like that and such capability, it would be a loss for the Expeditionary Army if he doesn’t join.”

But there were also some skeptical voices: “The command was indeed good, but he put all his people in the innermost safe position, thinking no one would notice.”

“That strike team has a whiff of malice about it. Who doesn’t know how dangerous it is to deal with S-class bugs? He just drew in all the high-scoring players, which is clearly an attempt to eliminate his rivals.”

“Ha! He has always been good at eliminating rivals.”

“I feel sorry for Jian Fan; after being targeted in the last two rounds, this time she was just placed in the strike team leader position, clearly set up to die.”

“Also Bai Lin Sha Sha, he has his points deducted by half already. If the strike team eliminates a few more of his teammates, his points will hit rock bottom.”

“Now You Come and Go really has everything to gain. No need to eliminate his own people, and he can take down competitors while also raking in a huge amount of hidden points.”

Hua Fan Wei Jian, who received the information, had already realized she had been tricked. Initially, she had some suspicions about the defense map and the commander but had not been as certain as You Come and Go and did not plan to take any risks.

Unexpectedly, she was one step ahead, putting herself in a passive position.

Yet to her, You Come and Go’s arrangement did appear reasonable. Having the stronger players handle the higher-level bugs could indeed minimize casualties. It was acceptable for her to serve as the leader of the strike team.

Although it was uncomfortable to be used by You Come and Go, after weighing the situation, Hua Fan Wei Jian decided to accept the mission.

What if he tricked her? As long as she was strong enough, she could complete the mission and survive.

“That player named You Come and Go is indeed impressive; he has determination, guts, and intelligence. He dares to question and try; upon taking the position of command, he immediately proposed a plan. He has the makings of a commander,” a fellow starship pilot serving as a commander said admiringly, looking at You Come and Go.

“This sub-mission isn’t hard to discover; anyone with a basic understanding of defense principles can see there’s something wrong with that map. The key lies in whether anyone dares to take the risk of returning in the face of point deductions, and whether they’ve got the guts and capability to really take this position.”

“He’s smart, but in battle, I really wouldn’t want to be his comrade. He’s too calculating; the tricks he pulled in the last two rounds aren’t exactly honorable, especially targeting Jian Fan in the second round and now attacking her again. Can’t we just compete in fair play?” a female pilot who had a good relationship with Hua Fan Wei Jian interjected.

But her words barely fell when someone quickly retorted, “I know you’re close to Jian Fan, but this competition has to be fair; favoritism is not allowed. The reason You Come and Go targeted Jian Fan is due to their positions as competitors — to put it bluntly, they’re enemies on the battlefield. Dealing with enemies is all about winning, regardless of the means. You see how he protects his own people well? He ensures their survival while maximizing their capabilities; that’s the hallmark of a good commander.”

A group of people began to debate intensely, their gazes constantly flicking to the main seat. This You Come and Go had performed excellently, unlocking a hidden mission; they couldn’t help but wonder if this was the person Qi Hanyi was paying attention to.

However, Qi Hanyi’s expression remained calm and indifferent. It was as if he was unconcerned about everything happening in the current live broadcast.

Some sharp-eyed pilots noticed that Qi Hanyi’s gaze had been fixed on another section of the split screen, where the individual was neither Jian Fan nor the recently outstanding You Come and Go, but rather Bai Lin Sha Sha, a player who had frequently incurred point deductions throughout this round.

The crowd felt puzzled. Bai Lin Sha Sha’s skills were indeed good, but he had not shown any particularly remarkable traits in this round. In terms of single-handedly defeating bugs, he was not as adept as Hua Fan Wei Jian, and regarding strategy and tactics, he had been an utter mess in this round.

Not to mention that even players within the top hundred had shown more initiative; they knew to form alliances and cooperate in tackling bugs. Even Jian Fan, who was known as a lone wolf player, understood she needed to save teammates in this game. Yet Bai Lin Sha Sha had ignored everyone, focused solely on fighting bugs.

As a multitude of commanders contemplated whether Qi Hanyi was truly paying attention to Bai Lin Sha Sha and exactly what aspects he was interested in, Bai Lin Sha Sha on the live stream unexpectedly started to run.

He wasn’t heading toward the location You Come and Go had set; he wasn’t fleeing the battlefield — instead, he charged headlong into the swarming bugs.

“Damn! That’s the bug nest!” a pilot couldn’t help but curse: “Is he thinking of taking out the mother bug by himself?”