The four of them dropped onto the ground near the airport, and as usual, Yin Chen and Zong Cheng moved with perfect tacit understanding.
They landed near building C4, splitting up left and right to loot supplies.
Zong Cheng had just picked up a SCAR when he suddenly heard footsteps nearby. Instinctively, he fired a few shots toward the noise.
Immediately, 1’s voice rang through the headset.
“Ah! You scared me, big brother! Why did you shoot at me?!”
Oh, so it was a teammate.
Zong Cheng stayed silent for a second. He was so used to two-person squads with Yin Chen that he almost forgot they had other teammates.
Turning, he vaulted out the window and ran toward the building next to Yin Chen.
1 hesitated for a moment, muttered something quietly, then started looting on her own.
Yin Chen picked up a Level 3 helmet and armor, UZI in his left hand and M416 in his right, glancing at teammate #3 who hadn’t moved.
“Is this #3 teammate a bot?”
Zong Cheng was about to answer when 1’s mic beat him to it.
“Probably. Wow, #4 big brother, your voice is so nice! Are you a voice actor or something?”
Zong Cheng stifled a groan. He exhaled deeply.
This was his fault. He shouldn’t have clicked on a four-person squad.
He felt frustrated, nervous, and a little regretful all at once. He hadn’t even gotten a chance to praise Yin Chen’s voice.
He actually really liked it.
It had a touch of youthful clarity, like jade striking jade, with a faint, echoing resonance. Every word seemed to lodge in his chest.
…
So why did he have to act rashly?!
For the first time, Zong Cheng understood the feeling of hating oneself for not being steel.
“I hear footsteps—two people.”
Yin Chen quickly ascended to the second floor, hiding behind a door, calmly reporting the situation.
As for 1? She’d muted her mic.
“I’m coming over.”
Zong Cheng’s chest tightened. He grabbed a nearby backpack and rushed over.
1 called out anxiously.
“Wait! Let’s go together! Two are safer than one!”
Zong Cheng ignored her, rushing forward, and now could hear the two sets of footsteps clearly.
“They’re upstairs, be careful!”
“Got it.”
Yin Chen tossed a molotov down the hallway. The front enemy caught fire and retreated, but the blast was so big that Yin Chen fell near the stairs.
His teammate tried to pull him up, but another grenade came flying. White light flashed—no sound.
“Seriously! People still use this?”
He cursed and opened fire toward the front.
Yin Chen leaned in a corner, waiting for Zong Cheng to finish a clip. Together, they eliminated the enemies.
“Nice coordination. Didn’t expect you’d use a flash grenade.” Yin Chen praised him. Otherwise, it would have been risky for him to go in.
Seeing Yin Chen’s health bar intact, Zong Cheng relaxed. Then he admitted,
“I had no other throwables.”
?
As expected.
Once the fight ended, 1 hurried over.
“Do you guys have an M416? Mine’s not great. Can I swap?”
“The crate’s over there, loot yourself.”
Zong Cheng said flatly, dropping two extended mags and other supplies for Yin Chen. Yin Chen picked them up, and Zong Cheng took the newly swapped attachments.
“Let’s go? Not an airport circle—late crossing the bridge might get blocked.”
“Okay.”
They both jumped out the window. 1 quickly finished looting and followed.
Crossing the bridge, Zong Cheng spoke.
“#1, drive. We handle the gunfire.”
He swapped seats.
?
#1 hesitated, but Zong Cheng added,
“Or, if you can handle the gun too, that works.”
#1 quietly switched to the driver seat.
Foot on the gas, the car shot toward the bridge.
A mine dropped on the overpass.
“Whoa!”
#1 screamed, the car skidded.
“Close call!”
Zong Cheng adjusted #1’s mic volume to 5%. Next game, he promised himself, it’s back to two-person squads.
The enemies on the bridge didn’t expect them to dodge the mine or escape. For now, all was well.
Just past the bridge, Zong Cheng shouted to stop.
“Park on the left hillside. We take out the team on the right.”
“There’s no one on the right! Stopping here is risky…”
Before #1 could finish, gunfire erupted from the right. She screamed and veered toward the hillside.
As the car stopped, Zong Cheng and Yin Chen hopped out to heal.
#1 blinked.
“You two didn’t even lose health… why heal?”
Before she finished, a grenade flew in.
Boom!
All three took minor damage—#1 the worst. She quickly healed, noticing that Yin Chen and Zong Cheng’s health was already full from previous meds.
?
Unbelievable! That’s why they healed before!
“Wow, you guys are amazing. But why didn’t you tell me to heal? Now I wasted time…”
Zong Cheng cut her off.
“Don’t speak. They’re pushing.”
#1 felt wronged. She silently healed.
A full squad charged: one left, three right.
Yin Chen was on the right; Zong Cheng saw this and tossed a grenade to suppress the fire. He peeked left, and the enemies fell.
Yin Chen’s grenade forced two back. Perfect opportunity.
He didn’t hesitate, knocking down the nearest enemy.
Two left—one tried a smoke grenade to help his teammate. Too late. Zong Cheng sprinted, knocking him down. Smoke puffed up.
“I’m coming! I’ll help!”
#1 ran, excited—her kill depended on it!
?
Zong Cheng was about to speak, but saw #1 charge. Three shots later, she was down.
In under three seconds.
Zong Cheng was almost unsurprised. Perhaps even a little pleased.
“Ahhh! Why aren’t you coming together? Kill him! Save me! I don’t want to die!”
#1 cried.
He already knew the enemy’s location and calmly eliminated them.
“Quick! Pull me up!”
#1 shouted, noisy.
Zong Cheng frowned, about to throw a smoke, then heard a car approach.
Yin Chen warned him,
“A full squad’s coming—four enemies!”
Zong Cheng gave up on saving #1.
“Take cover.”
#1 panicked.
“No! Use smoke to save me! You’re so strong, you can do it!”
Before she finished, three enemy kill messages appeared. Two down, but Yin Chen was knocked.
Looking at the screen, Yin Chen felt a pang—still not strong enough.
He glanced at the two enemies heading for him and Zong Cheng’s health. Decisively,
“Don’t worry about me. Heal yourself first.”
Zong Cheng pressed his lips together, silent.
A familiar character appeared.
Yin Chen froze slightly.
“Why are you charging over? Why not heal?”
Zong Cheng stayed silent, taking out an enemy with near-zero health, then ran to Yin Chen.
The last enemy threw a grenade, and they were both knocked down.
Yin Chen stared at the two knocked boxes—surprised.
“Why didn’t you heal? You could’ve countered them.”
Zong Cheng could have easily countered if healthy. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Trying to bluff, he suddenly remembered Aunt Tang’s voice:
“Say you like him every day. Confess when the opportunity arises!”
?
What happened to Zong Cheng?
Yin Chen was truly shocked.
“Are you still there?”
“Yes.”
Zong Cheng was about to speak when 1’s voice came over the mic.
“Why aren’t you healing? Or saving me? Are you trying to save him? You can’t! Why do this?!”
?
Who do you think you are? A surge of anger rose.
Zong Cheng’s voice was cold.
“See our IDs? Couple names. Got it? Who are you? Why would I save you?”
Yin Chen’s voice came softly,
“So these are couple names? How come I didn’t know?”
Earlier, Zong Cheng had seemed so confident—now he cowered.
Yin Chen laughed.
“I remember you were drunk when choosing. Now? Not drunk?”
Ah.
So timid.
Zong Cheng opened his mouth, letting out a faint breath.
Aunt Tang! Should he pretend drunk or not?
Yin Chen laughed again.
“If not drunk, you know I know you like me. If drunk, you don’t know. Do you want to choose again?”
Coward.
Again?
Zong Cheng choked.
After a moment, he admitted,
“I don’t know which to pick.”
Yin Chen hummed.
“Really don’t know?”
“…ugh! I can’t take this anymore!”
The dead female mic twitched, then a strong, muscular voice came through.
“What the hell! Acting all cute, no wonder you didn’t respond—turns out it’s a male couple. Playing innocent? #2 goes straight in, while #4 waits for a wall-kiss confession?!”
Yin Chen and Zong Cheng froze.
Next second, Yin Chen tapped the table.
Confess against the wall?
Imagine that scene…
With Zong Cheng?
With him?