First Battlefield Commander! - Chapter 234
Chapter 234: Extra 3: Instructor Lian and Her Little Companions
Afterward, the students finished assembling. Following the usual leader's speech, they began heading up the mountain to prepare for the shooting activities.
Lian Sheng temporarily squatted at the foot of the mountain. Zhao Zhuoluo and the others carried the prey up the mountain to help distribute it.
Ji Ban asked, "Aren't you going up to follow them?"
"No, let's see their performance first," Lian Sheng said. "I think they probably don't want to see me right now; that would affect their performance."
Ji Ban: "I thought you'd go interfere again."
Lian Sheng leaned back in her chair. "Forget it. The new rules for the hunting activity specify that the four-person squad is a group sharing honor and disgrace. If they want to eat lunch, they must ensure everyone in the team can hit at least one prey. In this situation, I believe smart people will let the weakest player in the team shoot when the prey is relatively dense. This is the approach of someone with team cooperation awareness."
But Ding Xuexi's attitude just now clearly indicated he would resist. It was likely the same for both teams; they didn't approve of her newly formed teams.
Their method of resistance would likely be simple: show her that even without cooperating with these teammates, they could still accomplish their tasks. Individual strength determined the main outcome.
And the subsequent individual point matches, or team point matches, or even the Red vs. White faction battle, were all team melees. They could further ignore the individual squad lineup, regroup, and seize individual points.
Lian Sheng said, "I think they will probably just act separately. Someone hits four or more, then distributes one each to ensure their own lunch."
Ji Ban thought for a moment. "Four boys, still growing boys, one chicken definitely isn't enough. I think even three chickens are too few."
Lian Sheng: "If they want to eat their fill, the demands on individual soldiers will rapidly increase. Distributing prey is equivalent to transferring personal points to teammates, clearly a roundabout method."
Of course, just like Lian Sheng and Zhao Zhuoluo's group back then, perhaps some members among them had excellent shooting skills, which could greatly alleviate the pressure on the other teammates.
Lian Sheng smiled. "They're all wearing sandbags on their hands now. Let's see how many they can hit."
Even for the most talented shooter, suddenly adding weight to the sensitive wrist, with only ten bullets and no adjustment time, achieving perfect accuracy was unlikely.
It was just unknown where this group of students would ultimately stand between impulse and reason.
The choice and test had been given to them; Lian Sheng didn't need to interfere further.
Lian Xun was in the training clearing ahead, being led by an instructor in a wild run. Then he was snatched away by Lu Mingyuan, using his paws to randomly arrange drop points on the map.
At this time, the crowd had already set off in a vast procession.
Yu Yang and Ding Xuexi headed straight up the middle path of the mountain.
The two led the way, maintaining a low-pressure silence. The two other boys in the squad felt somewhat apprehensive, following closely behind.
The teammates behind pursed their lips, feeling quite displeased. They had to admit that compared to them, they were likely to drag the team down and were unwelcome by these two elites. At the same time, they felt this was clearly an undeserved disaster; teaming up wasn't voluntary. Their existence or non-existence wasn't up to them either. At least they were also students of the Individual Combat Department; being ignored like this, why?
The two glanced sideways at each other, exchanged a look, and decided to act separately after all. Following Yu Yang and Ding Xuexi offered no benefits; better to pair up and farm points, at least life would be more comfortable.
The two agreed instantly and left without greeting Ding or Yu, directly changing paths.
Yu Yang noticed the teammates' movement, turned his head, and frowned at them.
Ding Xuexi stopped beside him. "If they're unwilling, forget it. Teammates without chemistry will only drag each other down. Staying together easily causes team conflict; their leaving is actually good."
Yu Yang glanced at his wrist. "The situation is currently unclear. I suggest we don't split up."
"From now on, don't aim for extra points. Just consider lunch and make a plan. Our team needs to hit twelve or more prey, preferably sixteen," Ding Xuexi said. "Our shooting accuracy cannot be guaranteed right now. For safety, you provide cover, I'll assist in attack. Strive to ensure a 50% effective hit rate."
Yu Yang trusted his words relatively well and said decisively, "Okay."
The two who left the team entered the mountain forest midway and began searching for prey.
This area had abundant weeds and uneven paths. The two carefully moved along the slope, searching all around for movement, looking for targets.
They divided the observation environment, one above, one below.
The boy walking ahead suddenly felt his eyelid twitch. Perhaps his movement startled an animal previously hidden nearby. An unnatural rustling occurred in the grass, spreading forward.
His partner behind immediately patted his back excitedly; his own line of sight was blocked, preventing him from attacking. The boy understood and immediately raised his gun to aim.
The prey darted quickly, much more adapted to the terrain than them. And the boy's hand wasn't steady; fine aiming was basically impossible, relying more on feel.
The feel was now interfered with by the sandbag.
He clenched his back teeth and fired a shot filled with anger.
That shot, due to the increased distance, deviated significantly.
The boy cursed under his breath, reloaded, and quickly followed, preparing for a second pursuit. Just then, a bullet flew past from the side, hitting his prey first.
The boy stopped in his tracks, looking towards where the gunshot came from.
"Sorry, seniors, let the freshman junior have it." The speaker emerged from higher ground, shaking the sniper rifle in his hand. "Don't mind, right? I've been ambushing here for a long time."
It was originally a competitive activity; the two naturally couldn't say anything, just felt increasingly unhappy. They nodded in greeting.
The junior went over, picked up his prey, and asked again, "Why are you all using handguns?"
The two raised their hands, showing the sandbags on their wrists. Sniper rifles or assault rifles were too heavy; they could no longer meet the demands of standing upright or pursuing.
They briefly explained their team's rules and punishment, then shrugged and sighed.
The junior exclaimed, "Damn, you guys have this rule? A bit perverted."
The group froze for a moment. "You guys don't?"
"No. Our instructor didn't declare it. The rules of combat exercises are supposed to give some students enough room for development, right? Even if teamwork is important, there's no need to forcibly bind two incompatible people together, right? Isn't that overcorrection?" the student said. "Seems not every soldier is suitable to be an instructor."
A boy said, "Isn't that obvious? If every top student could be a good teacher, why would we need teacher training colleges or teacher evaluations?"
"Your instructor is that woman, right? Damn, she's fierce." The junior shivered, still shaken. "Looks murderous, and has a terrible temper."
The topic opened up, and the three reached some consensus.
A boy asked, "What about your instructor? Which one?"
"I found the instructors this time are all a bit abnormal, don't like showing their faces. But our instructor is super cool. Especially compared to your instructor, too normal," the junior said. "Our instructor ran with us before. If someone slowed down or fell behind, he'd directly chase and kick their butts. Said if anyone didn't want to run, he'd tie them with a rope and let other students drag them."
The two: "..."
Normal my ass, masochists, this group.
The junior waved his hand. "Sigh, no. Didn't really do that. Just that unwavering attitude is awesome."
A boy sighed. "Our instructor also says one is one, but we can't bear her 'one'."
The two sighed in unison. The junior looked at them sympathetically.
His companion suddenly remembered and solemnly reminded, "Damn, let me tell you, the most perverted thing about our instructor is adding rules anytime, anywhere, or deliberately holding back from saying them. I suggest you ask your instructor clearly; maybe they all follow the same damn trick."
The junior hesitated. "...No way?"
Just then, Zhao Zhuoluo walked past carrying an empty basket. Because he wore a helmet, the three couldn't recognize his face, only knowing he was male.
Currently, being of the same gender was their greatest comfort. Seeing a male instructor brought them immense peace of mind.
"Instructor! Ask you something." The junior waved his hand. "Does our team have rules regarding the number of prey that can be kept, related to the lowest individual hunting count of a team member?"
Zhao Zhuoluo stopped, thought for a moment, understood his meaning, and said, "If you guys are willing, you can add it."
The junior shook his head. "No need, no need, just asking casually."
Zhao Zhuoluo took two steps forward, then returned. "I think this rule is quite good. Since it's a team hunting task, team collaboration ability is more important. Let's add it then."
He spoke a few words into his communicator, then a mountain-wide broadcast announced the temporary addition of a rule.
"..." The three. "..."
The two boys prepared to sneak away. The junior stiffly turned his head, then chased after the two, hitting them.
Retribution!
Just because he stole one target from them, look what these two did!
When the broadcast sounded, curses echoed throughout the mountains.
The comrades from the third-year Individual Combat Department felt comforted and healed.
Yu Yang and Ding Xuexi had already hit five targets.
Strong joining forces, they coordinated, taking turns pursuing. After using half their bullets for adaptation, they roughly got used to the current way of holding the gun.
Just that their arms were somewhat sore, making movement uncomfortable.
"Here!" Ding Xuexi called out softly, attracting Yu Yang's attention. The two refocused on a rabbit in the grass ahead.
Crouching down, setting up the gun, just about to shoot. The moment the trigger was pulled, a bullet shot out first from his side, but hit behind the rabbit, startling the animal into a shiver and frantic escape.
Yu Yang hesitated for a moment, didn't manage to fire, and the rabbit took the opportunity to escape his target range.
Yu Yang looked right and saw an instructor holding a gun, saluting him.
Logically, instructors weren't supposed to compete for prey, meaning this person was purely here to cause trouble.
Ding Xuexi nodded at him, and the two shifted positions without another word.
Fang Jianchen followed again with his gun raised.
Yu Yang turned around. "Instructor, why are you following us?"
"Increasing the hunting difficulty for you guys, preventing industry monopoly." Fang Jianchen pointed at the string of animals they dragged behind. "Leave a way out for other students."
Yu Yang said, "We hunted these with our own skills."
Fang Jianchen asked, "Where are the others in your team?"
Yu Yang: "Don't know."
Fang Jianchen: "What are you doing? Can this even be called a team?"
Both were not very happy.
Fang Jianchen watched them for a while, then turned and left again. Afraid if he pushed too hard, these two would directly rise up in rebellion.
"Very individualistic, your students," Fang Jianchen said into the communicator. "I just followed a few on the map; basically no formed teams. Either they simply regrouped with original partners for hunting, or directly dispersed the team to act independently. Very fierce."
Lian Sheng said, "To be precise, they actually already have their own ideas. Believing partnering with suitable people leads to higher efficiency, so they chose the most comfortable way to execute."
Lu Mingyuan interjected, "To be even more precise, compared to unfamiliar partners with unequal strength, in this extremely disadvantageous situation, the most comfortable method they chose is also the quickest way to escape their predicament."
Lian Sheng sat leisurely in her original spot, fanning herself. "No problem there. But there's no eternally comfortable thing in the world. They won't only cooperate with their friends in the future. More often, they need to pair up with various unfamiliar companions from different units, with different strengths and areas of expertise. If they don't understand the fun of mixing and matching, how can they improve?"
Fang Jianchen: "Then I'll go mess with them again. Tell them gathering four fixed teammates unlocks instructor harassment."
Lian Sheng: "...Friend, stop messing around, friend. Let them continue making waves. There will always be a day they get exposed."
Due to the newly added rule, the final hunting results were very touching.
The number of team members completing the task before noon was significantly less than in previous years; they became more cautious.
In the end, apart from some students enjoying the treatment of a full stomach, the rest could only go to the aid station to collect bland, tasteless steamed buns, eating dinner with thin porridge.
But the third-year Individual Combat Department students performed surprisingly well. At the very least, they could keep one prey. That one prey was also their dignity. As if in protest, expressing their pride to Lian Sheng.
But Lian Sheng showed no expression at all.
Subsequent night runs, physical training, and obstacle training unfolded methodically.
Although Lian Sheng didn't run alongside, everyone knew she would be observing them somewhere, and were afraid, so didn't dare slack off again.
Lian Sheng still specifically targeted several individuals, finding various reasons to force them into extra training.
Knowing resistance was futile didn't mean they would happily accept it.
This method once again ignited the students' anger towards her. The popularity accumulated previously due to her shooting skills dissipated completely in less than one night, leaking away entirely.
Lu Mingyuan and Zhou Shirui spread out the big data.
Lu Mingyuan was responsible for analyzing the results of the hunting battle, while Zhou Shirui analyzed the results of the individual point battle.
Actually, looking at the data, the two large-scale activities had very similar aspects. That was the interaction between students.
Individual point battle, killing each other for points and bullets. Under the pressure of the larger environment, it was also very suitable for mutually beneficial team cooperation. For teams with prior experience, they had an inherent advantage.
Without instructor interference, Ding Xuexi and Yu Yang indeed didn't disappoint. The two teams they led vented their previous frustrations, their scores far ahead.
Looking at their team combat capabilities, it was obvious they had received professional guidance.
And the subsequent instructor point match was the main event among main events.
Even on the night the individual point match ended, the entire camp felt the excitement from the Individual Combat Department crowd.
Hard to suppress, no need to hide!
When Lian Sheng went on patrol at two in the morning, some students were still wide-eyed, awake and whispering. They were discussing how to intercept Lian Sheng tomorrow and rally the masses to besiege her.
Everyone rubbed their fists, eager to try. "Damn, the chance for revenge finally came!"
Lian Sheng was quite moved. Indeed, having a common class enemy allowed the masses to appreciate the value of unity.
When Lian Sheng assembled the next day, this group remained highly spirited, showing no sign of listlessness.
Lian Sheng stood before them, bouncing her leg. "Very excited, you guys."
Everyone maintained military posture, unwavering.
A boy raised his hand. "Report!"
Lian Sheng: "Speak."
Boy: "Instructor, you will participate, right? The point match."
Lian Sheng said, "Of course. Not only will I participate, I will also prioritize eliminating you."
Everyone expressed disdain.
An entire class against one person, afraid they couldn't take her down? The inhumane treatment suffered over the past few days must all be reclaimed in this counterattack.
Instructor confrontation match, fixed number of people on the mountain, students entered the confrontation zone sequentially.
At seven in the morning, Lian Sheng and others entered the mountain area as the first batch.
Considering subsequent replaceability, while also keeping some internal personnel at the mountain base to collect information, Lian Sheng temporarily left Fang Jianchen and Lu Mingyuan below. Ji Ban wasn't suitable for the sport of mountain climbing, so didn't participate, staying below as a full-time nanny. Then she led the remaining four teammates up the mountain.
Afterward, students drew lots, and the first batch of two hundred also went up the mountain sequentially.
Although several decided to cooperate, regarding the content of cooperation, they had no intention of acting together. It was more about probing and communicating Lian Sheng's position.
The order of ascent was scattered, unable to rule out various accidents. To obtain instructor dynamics immediately, they needed enough people; this was their main goal.
Even instructors couldn't use optical computers during the confrontation match.
Zhou Shirui had arranged a place beforehand, found a target point with a relatively open view, and waited for the other few people to rendezvous.
Fortunately, none of them were severely directionally challenged and were familiar with this exercise area. They soon gathered safely.
Lian Sheng used the scope on her sniper rifle to observe various groups of people in the distance.
As far as she could see now, this group of students wasn't very skilled at concealing themselves. She observed many people but didn't shoot, instead noting their positions and searching for another group.
"Haven't had such an exciting moment for a long time," Lian Sheng said. "Thinking about being focused fired upon makes me particularly scared."
Everyone: "..."
As if they would believe her nonsense.
Lian Sheng patted her pants pocket. "Thirty bullets, target is to farm twenty-five people."
Zhou Shirui handed over his own bullets too, keeping ten for himself. "Now it's fifty."
Lian Sheng accepted them. "Very good, very good. My target is too obvious, and the enemy has a huge numerical advantage. At the same time, our bullet count is insufficient. To prevent being accidentally injured during group attacks, I think we need to request some external support."
Cheng Ze said, "...Somehow feels like not a good thing."
"I don't think I was on your team back then," Zhou Shirui said. "Recall again, what exactly did you guys do back then?"
That incident felt very distant. Anyway, it was Lian Sheng's first major display of skill, and a command that left an indelible scar on the instructors' hearts.
Cheng Ze slapped his thigh. "It was about first using the instructors to trick the students, then letting the students and instructors trick each other, taking heads and incidentally stealing their supplies."
Lian Sheng licked her lips. "That bread was really sweet, almost too much."
Several people nodded in agreement.
Zhou Shirui: "..."
Sounded quite spectacular. Only knew the instructors had lamented and hinted darkly at them for several nights afterward, but didn't know the specific details.
Cheng Ze asked, "So this time you also want to use other instructors to attract student fire?"
"Don't mess around, friend," Lian Sheng said. "Previously our target was the instructors, and we were also competitors with other students; tricking each other was fine. Now we don't need to farm points, why trick the instructors? Easily damages the deep friendship between us."
People's interests change with their standpoint.
Lian Sheng held her gun. "This time our opponent is clear and fixed: all students. Students from the Individual Combat Department are priority targets. They have sufficient strength, their goal is unshakable: kill the instructor. But for other students, not necessarily. We can totally make effective use of conflicts between students."
Lian Sheng pointed upwards, signaling, "First go pull in our first partner, then let him go negotiate; safer and more reliable."
That was the location where students had hidden previously.
"Cheng Ze, you go, I'm not good at showing my face," Lian Sheng said. "Don't know who the opponent is, might achieve mutual destruction."
Cheng Ze: "You still have some self-awareness."
This hatred was pulled really firmly.
The five finally began to move.
They searched for student tracks along the way up the mountain, then carried out encirclement.
Students entered from different directions, in different orders, unable to rendezvous quickly. So in the early stages of the match, large teams were unlikely to form.
They soon found a three-person squad and forcefully suppressed two students who rose up to resist.
When only one person remained, Cheng Ze revealed both his gun and face. Lian Sheng shot at the person's gun from the shadows, covering his exit.
The student's hand strength was sufficient, holding steady. It tilted slightly but didn't loosen.
Cheng Ze waved his hand, signaling him not to move, put the gun down.
The student realized he couldn't escape, having little thought of resistance left, very confused about the current situation. Finally, he obeyed, lowered his weapon, and raised both hands above his head.
Cheng Ze smiled. "Representing the organization, came to chat with you."
Instructors came to collect the "corpses" down the mountain, solemnly reminding them, "You don't know what happens after you 'die', understand? Can't talk nonsense after going down the mountain, understand?"
Everyone nodded speechlessly.
Ding Xuexi drew a number just over two hundred; he went up the mountain quickly.
Yu Yang drew over four hundred. The activity progressed very slowly; even by noon, he still hadn't gone up.
The students waiting below asked some people coming down the mountain, but consistently received no information related to Lian Sheng. Everyone was shocked.
Students from the Individual Combat Department speculated widely: "Is the instructor's anti-reconnaissance level really that amazing?"
"No, just because they didn't see her doesn't mean she didn't appear. Her previously demonstrated shooting level was so amazing; guessing she's a sniper makes everything plausible," another student said. "Snipers always attack from the shadows, and the instructor should have helpers. It's normal for these 'fallen' students not to find her tracks."
"But so many people were attacked by the instructor; we can't confirm now either. Agreed to gather near where the instructor appeared, what now?"
Yu Yang hesitated between going to eat or not. His number being stuck here was awkward; unable to control the progress on the mountain, inconvenient to leave. But constantly wearing the bulletproof vest, hot and heavy, was also uncomfortable. Who knew how things would develop later.
Among the eliminated students, none were his fixed teammates.
Although this made it inconvenient to inquire about information on the mountain, he was indeed relieved. When he went up, he could make more precise arrangements.
He carried his helmet in one hand and walked to the data statistics area to check the current situation.
Almost as his foot crossed over, commotion erupted from that side.
The previously stagnant data began jumping rapidly. Even without video, it was clear from the data that infighting had begun among students, directly eliminating a portion of the crowd.
If this scene appeared in the individual point match, it would be normal; conflicts could arise anytime teams met. But suddenly appearing in the instructor confrontation match was very abnormal.
From the start of the match this morning until now, nearly two hundred students had come down sequentially, but only about twenty instructors had been eliminated, most of whom were non-training logistics personnel. Under these circumstances, internal strife among students was inappropriate; they should know this themselves.
Yu Yang squeezed in for a look. Among the string of eliminated names, he found several familiar ones. His teeth instantly ached.
They couldn't possibly be this impulsive; it didn't conform to common sense.
While he was still stunned, the broadcast started calling his number again, telling him to gather at the foot of the mountain, prepare to ascend.
Not long after, the "corpses" led down also came down from the mountain.
The group of students waiting to go up as replacements was still queuing when they heard a group of people cursing and blaming each other.
Among them were two of Yu Yang's teammates.
"Damn! Damn, what are you guys doing! Are you crazy? Is this the time to play around?"
"The instructor is the absolute enemy, how could you mistake this? What do you usually do!"
"Xiao Liang convinced me to come."
"Me too."
"Not me, I came with the warriors ahead."
Yu Yang stopped in his tracks, wanting to listen. The instructor responsible for leading them up the mountain thoughtfully stood still, letting them understand the situation here first.
That group over there spoke chaotically, but from the explanations shifting blame, the relevant facts were still described.
That was the first student hooked.
Cheng Ze, following Lian Sheng's meaning, stood before him. "Which team?"
The student froze for a moment, cautiously. "Can faces be scanned in this activity?"
Cheng Ze said seriously, "Of course. But it scans your instructor's face."
The student immediately said, "I'm from the 16th Company!"
Cheng Ze: "I could eliminate you with one shot right now, but I didn't. Understand what I mean?"
Student nodded: "I understand."
Instructors only had thirty bullets, and they weren't compatible with student bullets. They were partners with each other; impossible to steal bullets from friendly forces.
Clearly analyzing their disadvantage made their current intentions unsurprising.
Just that historically, no instructor had ever colluded with students like this, so the student was momentarily quite confused.
Cheng Ze said, "We are very reasonable. The main purpose of instructors is to teach you how to conduct combat. So the first priority is to confirm your enemy."
Student: "Enemy?"
Cheng Ze: "The number of instructors is fixed, while students have a numerical advantage. So there is undoubtedly certain competitive pressure among you. Based on team combinations, the strong get stronger, the weak get weaker. Most people won't get one or two points by the end of the match, maybe not even experience any fun in the competition. Now your teammates have withdrawn; surviving alone in this arena is very difficult. More like a mobile bullet repository, understand what I mean?"
Student nodded: "Understood."
Cheng Ze continued, following the voice in his communicator, "Looking at your physique and reaction speed, I think you probably belong to the type that gets eliminated with zero points."
"..." The student lowered his head sadly. "Occasionally not. Can pick up a leak."
"Doesn't matter." Cheng Ze smiled slightly. "Your enemy isn't the instructors, understand? Because more dangerous than the instructors are those top students desperately needing bullet reserves. Being cannon fodder isn't fun; resisting is. Instructors change every year, but those students pressing down on your heads are there year after year. Aren't they more annoying?"
Cheng Ze said, "Relying on strength for a frontal assault, I'll be frank, you don't easily get opportunities. But actually, there's a simple and convenient method for you to get headcounts from us: follow our arrangements. If you can help us take down ten student heads, we'll give you one."
"...Really?" The boy said doubtfully, then lowered his head. "But I can't kill ten brothers either."
"Of course it's true," Cheng Ze said. "Doesn't have to be you alone. You can find friends, or convince other students. If you agree to our suggestion, I can give you some points right now."
Hearing this, the student abruptly looked up, eyes burning as he looked at Cheng Ze.
Then he raised his gun and got the first point from Cheng Ze.
Instructors don't die from one hit. Cheng Ze asked, "Excited?"
The student nodded vigorously.
Cheng Ze: "Activities should be fun, isn't this more interesting? We'll follow carefully behind you. From now on, follow our instructions, understand?"
"Damn!"
Yu Yang's teammates saw Yu Yang and pointed at several people, accusing, "Too damn tricky! We hid sneakily on the mountain for over four hours looking for the instructor, found nothing. Then these guys came out, told us they had news of the instructor. Thirty-something of us, thirty-something all went with them. Damn! They turned coat with the instructor to attack us! The instructor ran first when things looked bad, leaving us a group to fight internally, fight my ass!"
Hearing this, the crowd felt their world shatter. They started arguing again.
"No, why can instructors incite students! Isn't this against the rules?"
"This is the instructor confrontation match, right?"
"Why can't we fight? Fight however we want."
"The rules indeed don't forbid it! Everyone just plays the activity according to their own wishes; we're not teammates."
"If you're amazing, you can also reverse-incite the instructors."
"How is that possible? Joking? Not the same level of difficulty at all, okay? Who can turn an instructor?"
"Don't say that," the lead instructor said calmly. "It has actually happened before. A legend."
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