First Battlefield Commander! - Chapter 34
Chapter 34: Transaction
The entire communication channel fell into an eerie silence. Zheng Lei couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.
Lu Mingyuan directly contacted the platoon leader, reported their position, and arranged a rendezvous.
Lian Sheng said, "Have them take a big detour to our rear first. Only approach after receiving the signal. When coming, make sure to create a big commotion—footsteps should sound chaotic. The more people it seems like we have, the better."
Lu Mingyuan relayed the message exactly, and the other side agreed. Jiang Jiake frowned slightly but said nothing.
The situation ahead remained unclear to him, and Lian Sheng wasn't reporting to him either, so he couldn't easily intervene. He turned to arrange the central route's team first.
On Lian Sheng's side, everyone took up ambush positions as instructed by Lu Mingyuan, waiting for the enemy's approach.
"Aren't we calling the second platoon for immediate backup?" A male student patted his chest nervously. "I'm feeling a bit panicked here."
"At most, there's only one platoon over there, or maybe just a small squad. We're on defense now—as long as we don't panic, we can hold our ground," Lian Sheng said. "Only open fire when I give the signal. After taking the shot, immediately take cover in case they have snipers."
The group nodded in agreement.
Within minutes, movement came from the opposite side. The grass rustled as several figures emerged, darting past before quickly hiding behind trees again.
Clearly, the enemy was being cautious too.
With her line of sight blocked, Lian Sheng couldn't immediately determine their numbers. She carefully took a step forward, scanning for targets from her position.
But the enemy suddenly stopped.
Having encountered no one along the way, they must have grown suspicious. The situation here seemed too questionable to rush in recklessly.
The enemy sent one scout forward to assess the situation. Seizing the moment, Lian Sheng swung her hand down, and gunfire erupted from all sides. The scout dropped in the middle of the path.
The firefight had officially begun.
Lian Sheng's team had the advantage of position and the element of surprise in their opening attack. The enemy was thrown into disarray, scrambling to adjust their formation.
Another unlucky soul was taken out in the exchange.
The enemy soon realized the situation wasn't in their favor. Their hit rate was too low—they were just wasting bullets. Meanwhile, Lian Sheng's group stubbornly held their ground, making it impossible for them to break through.
Already low on ammunition and having lost their initial advantage, their offensive slowed after the failed first wave.
They began retreating cautiously, putting distance between themselves and the enemy while staying hidden to ensure their own safety.
Lian Sheng's team stopped firing as well, catching their breath while awaiting further orders.
Zheng Lei whispered, "Did we repel them?"
Lian Sheng: "No. Stay put and wait."
If they had truly intended to retreat, they wouldn't be pulling back so carefully or lingering at this awkward distance. They would have fled outright.
The forest fell silent again, with only indistinct murmurs from both sides.
Before long, a shot rang out from the enemy side, grazing straight past the tree trunk they were using for cover.
Zheng Lei yelped and immediately ducked back.
Several more shots followed in quick succession—accurate and rapid, perfectly suppressing them. They seemed to come from a single position, but no one dared peek out to confirm.
Lian Sheng counted.
Ten rounds per magazine. Only one shooter.
"What do we do? Should we reposition?" Shen Yu crouched low, clutching his head. "The terrain here is complicated—stray bullets are dangerous."
Stray bullets were unpredictable. They might embed themselves in dirt or tree trunks, but if they hit hard rocks, they could ricochet wildly. No one could guarantee safety.
"Hng—!" Another male student gasped in alarm. "They seem to be moving to the right! Looks like they're trying to flank us!"
Lian Sheng: "Hold your positions. Teams One and Two, keep watch ahead and report any developments. Teams Four and Six, turn around and fire without hesitation if you spot targets!"
Lian Sheng steadied her rifle again, aiming at the restless enemy to suppress them.
A few warning shots later, the enemy realized their movements had been detected and retreated to safety.
Snipers? They had those too.
The enemy halted again.
"Fang Jianchen! Fang Jianchen!" Lian Sheng called out while reloading. "I know it's you. Say something."
After a brief silence, Fang Jianchen's voice answered, "How'd you know it was me?"
"Such masterful precision, such an impressive firing rate—who else could possibly match such peerless brilliance?" Lian Sheng said. "Not just anyone can reach your level of excellence. At most, they might approach my own skills, right?"
Fang Jianchen smirked smugly. "Obviously."
The enemy's elite forces were limited—they couldn't possibly all be concentrated in one place.
Zhao Zhuoluo's team was likely on the right flank, while Fang Jianchen, as a sniper, was more suited to leading the left flank. The distribution made sense.
Lian Sheng said, "Let's make a deal."
Fang Jianchen's expression darkened. "What? You think flattering me will trick me into a trap?"
"Mutual benefit, that's all. At its core, isn't this competition about scoring points?" Lian Sheng said. "I'll let you pass, and you let me pass. Oh, and leave us a hundred bullets while you're at it."
Fang Jianchen snorted. "Draw your sword, brother."
"I'm serious. This is about adapting to the current situation," Lian Sheng said. "If we're both pursuing maximum gains, why waste resources on pointless sacrifices?"
Fang Jianchen said coldly, "You didn't seem concerned about 'pointless sacrifices' when you killed my comrade just now."
Lian Sheng: "Oh, but you attacked first."
Fang Jianchen: "Should we really debate who started it?"
"No more idle chatter—this is pointless," Lian Sheng said. "If we keep stalling here, neither side benefits. Want to score points?"
The Red vs. White faction battle's scoring system worked like this: All members of the winning side received a base score of 20. Individual final scores were calculated by adding faction points and personal kill points to the base score.
Fang Jianchen said, "There's no room for cooperation between us."
"If our understanding aligns, so do our interests. Frankly speaking, our team can't beat yours—whether in command ability or combat strength," Lian Sheng said. "The moment someone like me was relegated to a mere foot soldier, the outcome was practically decided."
The others suppressed their reactions.
Fang Jianchen: "Go on."
Lian Sheng: "Since we've already accepted that we won't get the base 20 points, we have to compensate for the gap as much as possible. Jiang Jiake's command style is too straightforward—it's limiting. He actually wanted us to engage in a frontal assault. How can a support player like me clash head-on with you? That's just using us as cannon fodder. I can't agree with that. Right?"
Fang Jianchen slapped the ground. "...Stop trying to engage me. Can't you just talk by yourself?"
"I'm negotiating with you," Lian Sheng said. "Also, I don't like this commander. He's arrogant, stubborn, and seems to have some kind of grudge against me. What I can't forgive most is his sexism. I heard he's pretty close with Ji Fangxiao—birds of a feather. Don't believe me? Ask him yourself."
The male students around her grew restless, unsure of Lian Sheng's true intentions. If things were as she described, they certainly wouldn't stand for it. They nearly protested but were held back by their teammates. For now, they waited.
Fang Jianchen's eyes shifted. He scratched his ear and said, "What's that got to do with me? There's no benefit for me here. And you want me to give you a hundred bullets? Wishing you success in your venture?"
Lian Sheng scoffed. "I know your battle strategy. Just guessing here—you're leading the left flank's assault, Zhao Zhuoluo's taking the right..."
Fang Jianchen interrupted, "Obviously! The battle's already begun!"
Lian Sheng ignored him and continued, "The rest of your forces are holding the center, securing the rear while preparing to strike. Ji Fangxiao thinks we've concentrated our forces in the middle, right? That we've emptied our base and left it vulnerable. But he's not entirely sure, so he sent you ahead to test the waters and whittle down our numbers while scouting. If we don't attack and choose to defend instead, what's your next move? Send a few squads to harass our center, create confusion, then secretly gather your forces for a pincer attack and full-frontal assault, right?"
Fang Jianchen: "..."
"Tch." Lian Sheng sneered. "How naive. With me here, you think it'll be that easy?"
Fang Jianchen said irritably, "Not my problem. Why you tch-ing at me?"
He wasn't the commander.
Lian Sheng rubbed her chin. By reverse-engineering Jiang Jiake's strategy, she had guessed correctly.
Ji Fangxiao clearly understood Jiang Jiake well—this was a trap tailored specifically for him.
Jiang Jiake was careless yet conservative. From the few battles Lian Sheng had fought against Ji Fangxiao, she knew he was bold yet cautious. That was why he chose the high-risk, high-reward chaos of melee combat to rack up points while ensuring his own survival. For things he wasn't sure about, he had the patience to wait it out.
Steady yet aggressive—he wanted complete control over the battlefield.
Misinformation would be most effective against someone like him.
Lian Sheng's squad finally caught on.
Had the enemy deduced their strategy, and then Lian Sheng deduced the enemy's counter-strategy?
It seemed something extraordinarily impressive had just happened. They all felt like kneeling in admiration.
They were frontline fighters—no scouts reporting back, no analysts assisting. Since setting out, all they'd seen were scattered bullet casings and this enemy squad before them.
And yet, she had mapped out the enemy's entire plan?
They steadied themselves and let Lian Sheng continue her performance.
"One piece of intel for a hundred bullets," Lian Sheng said. "I'll tell you where our defenses are weakest."
Fang Jianchen fell silent for a long time, likely consulting with his commander.
Eventually, he sighed. "We don't have many bullets to spare."
Lian Sheng: "We don't have much intel either."
Fang Jianchen: "How do we do this?"
Lian Sheng: "Toss the bullets to the middle."
"I don't trust you," Fang Jianchen said. "My dear junior told me you're cunning, unpleasant, and impossible to get along with."
Lian Sheng: "..." Was he trying to start something?
Lian Sheng said, "Toss fifty first. I'll tell you half."
Fang Jianchen's team received the order and threw out the bullets, scattering them across the middle of the path.
Fang Jianchen shouted, "Out with it! My fifty bullets!"
Lian Sheng: "We've already guessed your plan. We have people lying in ambush behind us, waiting to wipe you out."
"And?! You just told me that!" Fang Jianchen roared. "You're scamming me!"
Lian Sheng sighed. "If a jade breaks in two, its value isn't simply halved."
Fang Jianchen snorted but had his team toss out the remaining fifty bullets.
Lian Sheng's squad covered their mouths to stifle their gasps.
This was too damn impressive! If she weren't a commander, she'd make an excellent con artist!
Lian Sheng said, "Actually, our center is the weakest. Most forces have pulled back to the flanks. That's all I'll say—do with it what you will."
Fang Jianchen considered it. Whether he believed Lian Sheng or not, a frontal assault here was ill-advised. Better to reposition first.
As they turned to leave, Lian Sheng said, "You can't just leave like this. If you retreat without a fight, I'll look suspicious—they'll think I'm a spy."
Fang Jianchen: "...As if you aren't one already."
Lian Sheng: "I've already called for backup. Play along when they arrive."
As they spoke, hurried footsteps approached from behind. Judging by the sound, the reinforcements were numerous, and the distant figures gave the impression of a dense crowd.
Fang Jianchen immediately barked, "Fall back—! Situation's bad, retreat now!"
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