First Battlefield Commander! - Chapter 67
Chapter 67: Report
History always repeats itself in uncanny ways.
A loud bang came from Fang Jianchen's training pod, interrupting the conversation of the three people nearby. They turned their heads in unison to see Fang Jianchen pushing open the door and stumbling out.
"Old Ye—!" Fang Jianchen hugged the nearest person, sobbing dramatically. "Zhuoluo tricked me again!"
Zhao Zhuoluo immediately tried to slip away, but Fang Jianchen spotted him and grabbed him from behind, his face twisted in accusation. "Why? Why would you do this to me?"
Ye Buqing and Cheng Ze stood to the side, watching the spectacle. "What exactly happened?"
Fang Jianchen shook Zhao Zhuoluo by the shoulders. "Why did you lie to me? Do you know how much dignity and face I've lost? We can never be equal brothers again!"
Zhao Zhuoluo blocked his hands and nodded. "Now we're finally equal."
Fang Jianchen headbutted him with his iron skull. "Who wants equality with you?! Couldn't you just not screw me over for once? Would it kill you to take the fall for me? After all the chances I gave you, you're forcing me to end this friendship!"
Zhao Zhuoluo said, "I warned you yesterday. You said you wanted to teach her a lesson."
"What's wrong with you two? First Zhuoluo yesterday, now you. It's just a match—" Cheng Ze's thoughts drifted to the most bizarre possibility, and he suddenly exclaimed, "Wait, is the Piaoqi Great General actually a man?!"
Ye Buqing was startled by this idea. "It can't be that extreme, right?"
"It's worse than that!" Fang Jianchen wailed indignantly. "The Piaoqi Great General... is fucking Lian Sheng! I never want to hear that name again—it's the shadow haunting my life!"
Ye Buqing and Cheng Ze were genuinely shocked and immediately began reviewing whether they'd said anything embarrassing in front of her.
Probably not. Fang Jianchen had already said everything they would and wouldn't dare to.
What a true bro.
Fang Jianchen recalled his match history and felt utterly wronged. "She killed me, I carried her to farm points, and she still killed me! And now she might even mock me for it!"
"In the future, this kind of thing..." Cheng Ze paused, then said gleefully, "Well, it's very likely, but not guaranteed. You can cling to hope and pray for a miracle."
Zhao Zhuoluo: "I only helped her farm points. I don't need to hope for miracles."
"Am I scared? Do I look scared? I'm just embarrassed!" Fang Jianchen snorted at him, turned on his heel, and marched back to his room, deliberately locking the door loudly behind him.
Fang Jianchen and Zhao Zhuoluo had been avoiding Lian Sheng for days, staying off Sanyao and its official site.
Ye Buqing didn't understand their mentality—he saw no need for it. In his view, Lian Sheng was a diligent, professional, highly skilled, and self-reliant woman. Why would she nitpick over such trivial matters?
Her unwavering presence on the arena proved she wasn't holding a grudge.
It had been over a week since Lian Sheng officially started her arena streak.
She was probably the fastest mech duelist in history, averaging 7 to 9 minutes per match while maintaining an 80% win rate.
Part of this was because she set up her arena in District 12, a newbie hub where early challengers were generally weaker. But her own skill was undeniable.
After learning the Piaoqi Great General was Lian Sheng, Ye Buqing grew more interested. He wanted to see how far this enigmatic figure could go.
He logged in to check—Lian Sheng's point-grinding speed had skyrocketed, now exceeding 1,500 points. But her loss count had also reached 24, meaning her farming days were numbered.
Rising alongside her points was her popularity.
The name "Piaoqi Great General" had been flashing frequently on Sanyao's homepage. A professional analyst had finally dissected her matches and posted a report online.
This professional was Hundred Meter Flying Dagger, a legendary figure in Sanyao circles. He only analyzed top-tier mech pilots, his reports concise and razor-sharp. His sudden analysis of the Piaoqi Great General drew intense attention.
Ye Buqing called Cheng Ze and the others over. If Hundred Meter Flying Dagger had taken notice, there had to be something special about this pilot.
—"Exposed: Who Is the Piaoqi Great General?"
"In a Sanyao arena match, the Piaoqi Great General burst onto the scene with a refreshingly unique playstyle, quickly dominating District 12. And folks, don't underestimate District 12—while it's known as a cradle for newbies, it's also a breeding ground for all kinds of freaks.
Back on topic, the Great General only started her arena streak on the 16th of last month. Probably too busy at first, she only fought one match a day. But a week ago, she switched to a fixed schedule—7 to 10 PM daily.
In my opinion, compared to her record—let's be honest, across all of Sanyao, her record is fairly unremarkable—the mysteries surrounding her are what truly deserve attention."
"To summarize:
1. Is the Great General actually a newbie?
2. Why does she only use the starter mech in her arena?
3. Why are her movements so unusual? Are they just mistakes, or intentional quirks from some secret training?"
"Alright. Let's get into it. Is she a hidden pro or not?
Due to time constraints, I only analyzed data from her first 50 matches. If any experts want to expand on this, feel free.
Even these 50 matches yielded massive data. I had to enlist my team to help extract key segments."
Though Lian Sheng's matches were short, Hundred Meter Flying Dagger found every move worth studying. He split the footage into multiple frames, then compiled and compared them.
When he first watched the Great General's matches, he only felt something was off. The early matches were unremarkable—she won only because her opponents were weak.
Dismissive, he closed the video and forgot about her. Until two days ago, when he clicked on her latest match out of curiosity.
This time, her opponent was a Wind Wing, a recon mech famed for speed.
By the end, he was electrified, a chill shooting up his spine and making him shudder.
After running statistical measurements, he realized the Great General's unconventional movements were stable, fast, and adaptable. Without using thrusters, she had boosted the starter mech Yuan Rui's turning speed to a freakish degree—almost on par with a mid-tier simplified new model. This also let her conserve the starter mech's energy reserves.
He then broke down each of the Great General's mech movements, mapping them to human joints and converting them into data.
What followed was a detailed video and text breakdown.
"I don't know how familiar you all are with ancient martial arts. Modern close combat mostly revolves around mixed martial arts, while mech training focuses on shooting and fitness. I bet most of you haven't heard the term 'ancient martial arts' in ages.
It refers to a mystical force from an ancient Eastern nation predating the Alliance. Thousands of years ago, it was wildly popular. But with the rise of firearms, the Alliance's cultural revolution, and a lack of successors, documentation was lost, and ancient martial arts declined. Now, most people don't even know it exists, and those who do find it awkward.
The invention of sensors revived interest in close combat—this isn't a joke. Rewind a few millennia, and ancient martial arts were peerless in hand-to-hand combat. I never thought I'd see the day—truly, never in my life!—when I'd witness its shadow!"
The diagrams showed the figure's footwork during turns and the varied angles of her weapon strikes in close combat, proving she wasn't using MMA or random flailing. She was skillfully redirecting force.
"But sorry, folks—I'm as clueless as you. The only ancient martial art I know is Tai Chi, and I'm not even sure what that is. Also, aside from ancient techniques, her jumps and sprints are strikingly modern."
Track-and-field stances—sprint starts and long-jump arm swings—were subtly woven in, barely noticeable but spotted by Hundred Meter Flying Dagger.
Ancient martial arts blended with modern sports—no wonder her movements seemed increasingly bizarre, yet she fused them seamlessly.
"My analysis shows a stark contrast between her early and recent performances. The numbers are worlds apart. The sports elements seem to have emerged later. I have three theories: Either she was holding back (unlikely), she was adapting (obviously), or she was recovering from an injury early on, making her movements stiff and awkward (just a guess)."
"Now, to answer the three questions above:
1. Is she a newbie? I think so.
2. Why only the starter mech? My take: As a newbie, she can't afford others. Dumb question.
3. Unusual but mesmerizing moves, folks~ Watch and get hooked~"
"I guarantee, if the Piaoqi Great General keeps this up, her ancient martial arts will revolutionize mech combat. She improves every match, making her my top pick right now."
"Hundred Meter Flying Dagger, signing off. Fight me if you disagree."
His post had sparked a day-long flame war.
Most were skeptical, some were cautiously optimistic, and a few rabid fans wholeheartedly agreed.
"Ancient martial arts? Isn't that just a scam?"
"Who even practices that anymore? The lineage's broken. Who'd teach it?"
"How much did this promo cost?"
"I freaking knew it! I said she was tough, and you all laughed! I've been mocked for half a month!"
"Deserved. I still don't buy it. Hundred Meter Flying Dagger, you're getting blocked."
Regardless, tonight's arena match would be explosive. The Piaoqi Great General's challenge queue had finally reached a minor god—a pilot with over 50,000 points.
This minor god had never been analyzed by Hundred Meter Flying Dagger. Then again, neither had most people. And the analyst's closing line felt like a slap to his fans.
After the report dropped, the minor god updated his profile with a single line:
—"See you in the arena."
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