First Battlefield Commander! - Chapter 13
Chapter 13: Melee
They swam through the grass for a long time before finally regrouping.
Cheng Ze decided to properly praise this freshman, but after scanning several black-haired heads in a circle, he couldn't tell who was who and asked, "Which one is our adorable Lian Sheng?"
Zhao Zhuoluo patted Lian Sheng's back: "The shortest one here."
Lian Sheng solemnly looked at Zhao Zhuoluo. She pushed his gun barrel with two fingers, directing it to her forehead.
Zhao Zhuoluo looked at her in confusion.
Lian Sheng said, "Giving you a point. Shoot quickly."
Zhao Zhuoluo was stunned: "What do you want to do?"
Lian Sheng: "I need to pee."
Zhao Zhuoluo: "..."
"Quick, I can't hold it anymore." Lian Sheng pushed the bullets and guns she had stored to him, "See you later!"
The others: "..."
Lian Sheng had arrived around 8 a.m., and it was now nearly 8 p.m. That meant she hadn't used the bathroom for nearly twelve hours.
She deliberately didn't drink water in the morning and only ate a piece of dry bread after 4 p.m. Anticipating the intense battle ahead, her bladder was now extremely uncomfortable.
Cheng Ze was dumbfounded.
In their team, there could have been two outstanding snipers. One was taken out by another, and the other was taken out by her own physiological needs. This realization could make them cry on the spot.
What kind of nonsense is this?
"You know..." Cheng Ze said with a bitter smile, "This isn't just about pulling down your pants, it's about... blue balls."
Lian Sheng: "So what then?"
Cheng Ze: "Right here?"
They had always relieved themselves in the wild, year after year. After all, they were all men—who didn't have those two ounces of flesh? At critical moments, how could they halt their conquest for a few dozen milliliters of liquid discharge?
But asking a girl to do the same was just...
Lian Sheng: "I'll remain silent."
Zhao Zhuoluo: "Beasts."
Teammates A, B, and C: "Beasts!"
Cheng Ze: "..."
Nowadays, the mountains were equipped with surveillance cameras, monitored by male instructors—more than one at that.
This was downright depraved.
It was indeed their oversight—they hadn't expected a girl to last this long.
Using her last ounce of endurance, Lian Sheng asked, "You guys are still too few. I can go down and call for more reinforcements. Stirring the pot would help too."
Students who drew unlucky late numbers might find their teammates already eliminated before they even got to participate. Ji Fangxiao's faction likely had screening requirements. With enough members already, they wouldn't expand further, since this was ultimately an elimination-based event, not a harmony-promoting activity.
This meant that lone students in the later stages could only go through the motions—either hide until the event ended or step forward to donate a drop of blood. They wouldn't experience the thrill of the event or gain much experience.
The oppression of class disparity born from power gaps.
Having more people to help would be good—if the reinforcements were reliable.
Zhao Zhuoluo said, "It's possible, but I'm worried about spies." If their position was exposed and they got surrounded by the enemy above, it would be disastrous.
"Don't worry. I'll command from the rear." Lian Sheng shifted her buttocks. "You guys seize opportunities to take kills."
Losing was acceptable, but not if it wasn't satisfying. The current situation was utterly unsatisfying.
And this individual competition, in essence, had no real winners or losers. Those who lasted till the end might not have the highest scores, and those eliminated early might not have the lowest.
The destination of individual combat should be a large melee!
Due to her urgent need to pee, Lian Sheng had to bid farewell to this battlefield early. The others watched her with tearful eyes.
Someone had once suggested this idea, but they had mercilessly mocked it. Now, karma had come back to bite them.
The competition setup was flawed! They demanded toilets be added!
Lian Sheng declared righteously, "Shoot me."
Zhao Zhuoluo raised his gun.
"Wait, hold on!" Lian Sheng suddenly called for a pause, turning her head to look ahead. A bright light was descending from the upper path.
It was probably an instructor coming to retrieve the comrades who had fallen in the fierce battle.
Lian Sheng sprang up nimbly and rushed outward.
"Instructor!" Lian Sheng raised her hand and shouted, "Instructor, wait!"
Their walkie-talkies were one-way—no instructor wanted to listen to their chatter. But they had a chance to see real people.
The instructor raised his hand in acknowledgment and asked, "What's wrong?"
Lian Sheng said, "I need to use the bathroom!"
Instructor: "..."
The instructor was bewildered. In all the years of this event, there had never been such a rule. But hearing her voice—a girl's—making her hold it in was downright inhumane. Letting her go on the spot...
"Let her go!"
Instructor Fu's voice came through the walkie-talkie. He said passionately, "Don't bully people like this. What did I say? Female soldiers are rare, and capable female soldiers are even rarer. Don't test them like this—it's meaningless!"
Someone nearby snapped, "Why are you here again? Are you really that bored?"
Instructor Fu shouted, "Quick, quick! I'll come arrange it right away!"
The instructor thought it over and agreed. The exercise was meant to train skills, but bladder control wasn't one of them. So he temporarily planted a white flag on Lian Sheng's back and prepared to escort her down.
The moment the flag was on her back, Lian Sheng bolted downhill. The instructor was stunned again and chased after her, yelling, "Wait! Hey! Wait for the people behind you! Watch your step!"
This was a mountain path at night, not easy to navigate. But their bulletproof vests were thick enough—nothing could stop Lian Sheng now.
She leaped, slid, tumbled, and rolled down at breakneck speed. Reaching a relatively flat area at the foot, brightly lit, she began stripping while walking. By the time she reached the training ground, she was fully prepared.
People were still training at the foot of the mountain.
The event's progress was unclear, so everyone had to stay on standby overnight. Those already eliminated continued training, those with numbers close to being called warmed up nearby, and those with later numbers could rest first and wait for notification.
Meng Jiangwu should have been resting, but he couldn't sleep, so he came back to train. Then he saw a figure charging down, recognized it as Lian Sheng, and immediately chased after her to ask for updates. Lian Sheng had a "block me and die" expression, fiercely tossing her gear at him before diving into the nearby restroom.
Meng Jiangwu: "..."
When Lian Sheng emerged after relieving herself, shaking her hands, she found a crowd gathered outside the restroom—including many instructors and students who had heard the news.
One instructor frowned, hands on hips, and said, "If she's not dead, how can she come down? Does she have to go back up? This violates the rules. Why make an exception?"
Instructor Fu: "Or should she shoot herself first just to use the bathroom? What's the point of the rules then?"
A listening student said, "Rules exist to ensure fairness. If she knows the situation on the mountain now, she could just lead people up for a counterattack or something."
Instructor Fu: "Fairness should go both ways. Is denying someone a bathroom break fair?"
His student being eliminated because she had to pee—Instructor Fu couldn't accept that.
The person in question had appeared, but she didn't draw their attention. Lian Sheng quietly joined the crowd and asked, "Can't the eliminated people who came down also talk about the situation on the mountain?"
Meng Jiangwu nodded: "They can."
A student nearby interjected, "But they can't go back up. Verbal descriptions and reality are definitely different."
Instructor Fu looked at her: "Then you go back up in three hours."
By then, the situation and personnel would have changed.
Lian Sheng had no objections and nodded. She said, "If you're worried about this, I can just give a verbal report. After going up, I won't lead or guide. I'll just take kills without talking. Supervise me however you want."
Cheating? Lian Sheng didn't need that.
The previously aggressive students instantly deflated. They exchanged glances and said, "This... isn't necessary, right?"
They weren't deliberately targeting Lian Sheng—they just felt indignant seeing someone break the rules. But upon reflection, the whole thing did seem ridiculous, not without reason. Lian Sheng's straightforward attitude now made them feel like they were the ones being unreasonable.
Instructor Fu listened, feeling complicated.
When Lian Sheng boasted to him, he just wanted to slap her. When she boasted to others, he inexplicably felt... proud.
Instructor Fu sighed. This was... a father's heart.
"Whatever, let's just decide like this." Lian Sheng raised her hand, not bothering to argue further, and shouted loudly, "Spread the word! Anyone who wants to farm points and have fun, gather at the mountainside!"
Many people in the distance heard and began whispering.
Lian Sheng ran toward the equipment point, asking as she ran, "Is Lu Mingyuan here?"
Meng Jiangwu followed behind, speechless: "...You should call him Senior Lu." Lu Mingyuan was quite prestigious even among seniors.
Lian Sheng: "Is that important?"
Meng Jiangwu: "Yes!"
Lian Sheng then shouted, "Senior Lu!"
Lu Mingyuan was indeed here. Hearing the commotion, he responded, "I'm here."
He was halfway into his gear, helmet in his arms.
Lian Sheng ran to him and asked, "Have you gone up yet?"
"Not yet, but soon." Lu Mingyuan calculated. "No more than ten numbers away."
Lian Sheng asked again, "Do you know Ji Fangxiao?"
"I..." Lu Mingyuan's expression twisted slightly, misunderstanding her. "We're not very close. I can't introduce you."
Ji Fangxiao had an impressive background and achievements—many wanted to know him.
Lian Sheng slung an arm over his shoulder: "Not close is good. I need you to help kill him."
"...Huh?" Lu Mingyuan was stunned. "You want to snipe Ji Fangxiao?"
Lian Sheng: "Are you on their side?"
Lu Mingyuan shook his head: "No, I'm not. I was just going up to wander around."
Lian Sheng pulled him down to squat, picking up a small stone from the ground.
"You're familiar with the terrain here. You know where the trees are sparse and the grass is tall..." Lian Sheng described the scenery roughly, sketching the positions of landmark rocks and trees as hints.
Lu Mingyuan recalled and said, "I know. You're talking about the path to the southeast of the mountaintop. It's exactly like that."
A living map indeed. Knowing the exact location made things much easier. Without needing further explanation, Lian Sheng briefed him on the plan.
Lu Mingyuan hesitated: "That's it?"
Lian Sheng nodded: "That's it."
The instructors began urging: "Numbers 512 to 516, prepare to depart!"
Lu Mingyuan stood and pointed: "I need to go."
Lian Sheng saluted him: "See you later."
Following Lian Sheng's instructions, Lu Mingyuan first exchanged his weapon for a sniper rifle, took ten bullets, and then told the teammates at the foot who hadn't gone up yet to also choose sniper rifles.
Honestly, their choice of weapon didn't matter much—those with late numbers were already prepared to return empty-handed. But seeing Lu Mingyuan so earnest, they enthusiastically agreed.
It showed how respected he was.
Next, Lian Sheng found Meng Jiangwu and told them to wait at the mountainside after entering—someone would come to guide them.
Perhaps because Ji Fangxiao's team was taking shape and the mountain was stabilizing, or because night had fallen and the daytime fighters were growing tired, the rotation of numbers slowed dramatically. In three whole hours, fewer than thirty people had gone up.
Lian Sheng understood why a drill could last three days.
Wars of attrition were painful—for both sides. This event didn't need to reach this point. The current trajectory robbed most people of the fun, achieving the opposite effect.
Even in real combat, soldiers should feel the meaning and passion of their fight. Apart from the few guerrilla fighters from the individual combat department, Lian Sheng only saw their exhaustion.
It shouldn't be like this.
Three hours later, Lian Sheng woke up and was permitted to return to the mountain.
When she reached the mountainside, she found over forty people gathered there, waiting for her.
Lian Sheng was surprised—far more than she'd expected.
Lu Mingyuan, seeing her expression, explained, "You said you'd take three hours to get here, so we all went up together and brought a lot of people down."
Lian Sheng nodded.
Many were probably hiding on the mountain. Ji Fangxiao's team wasn't recruiting anymore, wandering around risked death, and they weren't willing to end it like this. Lost and unsure what to do, seeing a new team naturally drew them in.
A new member asked, "They're organized and disciplined, and they might outnumber us. Will this really work?"
Lian Sheng pointed at her throat, shook her head, then pointed at Lu Mingyuan.
Someone nearby explained, "She said she won't speak after going up. Senior, you take charge."
Lu Mingyuan clenched his fist: "Then let's set off now!"
Lian Sheng took his sniper rifle and their bullets, heading up the mountain.
Lu Mingyuan led them on a different path from Zhao Zhuoluo's, and Lian Sheng didn't plan to regroup with them either. Without knowing how trustworthy their allies were, she didn't want to drag them down.
Lu Mingyuan led them on a detour, circling upward. He explained the combat plan along the way, and the others responded eagerly.
Zhao Zhuoluo had chosen a path with fewer trees, while Lu Mingyuan did the opposite—he picked the densest route.
As they neared the summit, their large group was spotted. Both sides alerted their teams and began exchanging fire.
"Charge forward! Blend into their ranks! Farm kills!" Lu Mingyuan shouted. "We outnumber them—we're not afraid!"
Everyone began lightning-fast movements from behind trees, advancing upward. The focus wasn't on attacking yet but on positioning.
The terrain here provided perfect cover.
In this exercise, bulletproof gear included helmets, so all they saw were dark silhouettes. The only distinguishing features were body shapes and chest badges—the badges were invisible at night, and body shapes relied on vague intuition.
So when the two groups mixed, the comrades who came to reinforce were instantly baffled.
What the hell was this?!
Then they were absorbed into the crowd too.
Lian Sheng took her rifle to the prime sniping spot Lu Mingyuan had pointed out. Meanwhile, Lu Mingyuan and others who had contributed bullets but lacked combat skills scavenged in the chaos.
Carefully weaving through the crossfire, they looted bullets from corpses. Ducking their heads, dodging attacks, signaling teammates for coordination, and striving to pass the spoils to Lian Sheng—the thrill and anticipation electrified their minds. It was... incredibly fun!
A massive melee began—one that could hardly be called coordinated, where everyone fought freely, both hilarious and exhilarating.
There was a mischievous joy in causing chaos. For the first time, they realized drills could be played their own way. This was how their command department should shine.
Zhao Zhuoluo and his team lay on the ground, suddenly lifting their heads to look at the other side of the mountain: "What's going on? It's so noisy over there."
Causing trouble ofc~🙈🙈
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