The first target point in the side story
The air seemed to freeze.
Wang Lei, Chen Mo, and Sun Yi were all stunned. None of them expected that Lu Chen would suddenly take action, and so decisively.
Zhang Mang stood motionless, only his chest heaving violently. He could feel warm blood flowing down his earlobes and dripping onto his collar. The dagger, still stuck in the tree trunk, was only centimeters from his temple.
He wasn't unfamiliar with fighting or bloodshed. But the instant Lu Chen threw the dagger, he truly sensed a murderous aura. It wasn't feigned; it was something that emanated from the very bones, something only someone who had truly been on the battlefield possessed.
This Lu Chen is completely different from the rich kids he'd met before who relied on their family background.
He stared intently at Lu Chen, his eyes bloodshot, as if they were about to spit fire.
Lu Chen met his gaze without flinching, his eyes remaining icy.
"You..." Zhang Mang let out a beast-like growl, his knuckles turning white from gripping the gun so tightly.
"What? You want to fight?" Lu Chen took a step forward, closing the distance between them to less than half a meter. "You can try. Let's see if your gun is faster or my knife is faster."
The atmosphere was extremely tense. Wang Lei and Sun Yi instinctively gripped their weapons, fearing that they might actually start fighting at any moment.
Just then, Chen Mo, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.
"Captain, the trap has changed."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a stone thrown into a tense lake.
Lu Chen shifted his gaze from Zhang Mang's face to the bushes. He saw that the soil on the patch of ground that Zhang Mang had just stepped on was slowly sinking.
That wasn't a simple tripwire trap; it was a pressure-based trick. If Zhang Mang had taken just one more step forward, he would have fallen right down.
“It’s a pit,” Chen Mo calmly analyzed. “There should be something down there. Also, I just saw a reflection on the pit wall, which might be metal.”
Everyone's attention was drawn to it.
Zhang Mang also subconsciously glanced back, and when he saw the slowly forming trap pit, a cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.
He was just one step away.
Lu Chen ignored him and instead said to Chen Mo, "Find a longer branch and go explore."
Chen Mo nodded, quickly found a dry branch several meters long, and carefully reached into the bushes to poke at the collapsed area.
"Crack!"
A crisp click of a mechanism rang out.
Immediately afterwards, with a few "whoosh" sounds, three sharpened bamboo spears shot out of the pit, whistling through the air, and embedded themselves deeply into the tree trunk on the opposite side.
Everyone gasped as they looked at the still trembling bamboo spears.
If Zhang Mang had fallen down just now, he would definitely be riddled with thorns by now.
Zhang Mang's face instantly turned deathly pale, devoid of any color. He wasn't stupid; he knew that Lu Chen's strike had saved his life.
If Lu Chen hadn't intervened, he would be dead by now.
"Damn it..." he cursed under his breath, but his voice was no longer arrogant as before; instead, it carried a hint of lingering fear.
Lu Chen walked to his side, pulled the dagger nailed to the tree, wiped the blood off his clothes, and then sheathed it.
"Do you still think I'm a coward?" he asked Zhang Mang calmly.
Zhang Mang's lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't utter a single word. For the first time, he felt what it meant to be "convinced" in front of someone. It wasn't because of the other person's status, nor because of their violence, but because the other person's judgment and strength had truly crushed him.
"I...I'm sorry." He squeezed out the two words through gritted teeth, his voice barely audible.
Wang Lei, who overheard this, curled his lip, feeling incredibly pleased. "Serves you right for being so arrogant! Now you know how powerful Brother Chen is!"
Lu Chen didn't look at him again, but turned to Chen Mo and said, "Get the things out of the pit and take a look."
"yes."
Chen Mo and Wang Lei found some vines and made a rope loop. Carefully avoiding any other possible traps, they finally managed to pull a military green iron box out of the pit after some effort.
The box was locked, but that didn't stop them. Wang Lei pried it open with an entrenching tool in just a few strokes.
Inside wasn't the weapons or supplies they had imagined, but a map wrapped in a waterproof bag.
Lu Chen opened the waterproof bag and took out the map.
This is a more detailed topographical map of the "isolated island," with three locations marked by red circles. Next to each location is a number.
"Number 1, 10 points. Number 2, 20 points. Number 3, 30 points," Lu Chen read out.
"These are the target points!" Wang Lei shouted excitedly. "Brother Chen, we've struck gold! We've got the locations of three target points in one go!"
"Don't get too excited," Sun Yi said, pouring cold water on the idea. "If we can get it, other teams can too. It's very likely that the instructors deliberately let us meet up early and fight each other."
Chen Mo nodded in agreement: "Sun Yi is right. And look at the locations of these three points. Point 1 is the closest to us, only about three kilometers away, but the terrain is the flattest and it's easy to spot. Point 3 is the furthest, in the swamp on the other side of the map, but it has the highest score. Point 2 is in a rocky mountain in the middle."
Lu Chen stared at the map, his brain racing.
This is a typical multiple-choice question.
Choosing number 1 carries low risk but also low reward, and you're likely to encounter other teams that also opt for stability, making conflict inevitable.
Choosing number 3 offers the greatest potential benefit, but the journey is long and involves crossing dangerous swamps, with too many variables, making it potentially a losing proposition.
Choosing number 2 seems like a compromise, but the terrain of Luanshi Mountain is complex and easy to defend but difficult to attack. If a team has already occupied it, the cost of a strong attack would be very high.
"Brother Chen, which one should we choose?" Wang Lei asked.
Lu Chen did not answer immediately, but looked at his three teammates.
"Chen Mo, what do you think?"
Chen Mo thought for a moment and said, "I suggest abandoning point 1. Most teams, especially those nearby, will definitely choose it first. Going there now would just be throwing ourselves into the middle of the enemy, which would be too passive. I prefer point 2. Although it's difficult to take, as long as we can arrive early and use the terrain to our advantage, we can wait for the enemy to attack."
Lu Chen nodded, then looked at Sun Yi.
Sun Yi's view was more conservative: "I think point 2 is too risky. We are completely unfamiliar with the terrain there. I think we can do the opposite, ignore these three points for now, find a secluded place, observe the movements of the other teams, and wait until they are both exhausted before we can reap the benefits."
This is the safest approach, but also the most passive. Placing one's hopes on others has never been Lu Chen's style.
Finally, Lu Chen's gaze fell on Zhang Mang.
Zhang Mang was looking down, using gauze from the first-aid kit to bandage his ear, remaining silent the entire time, as if what had just happened had nothing to do with him.
"Zhang Mang, what about you?" Lu Chen asked.
Zhang Mang paused for a moment, raised his head, and glanced at Lu Chen with a somewhat complicated expression.
"You're asking me?"
“Yes, I’m asking you,” Lu Chen said. “We’re a team now, and everyone’s opinion is important.”
Zhang Mang was silent for a few seconds, then said gruffly, "If we're going to go, let's go to the furthest one! Number 3! 30 minutes! Let's do something big! Stop dawdling like women!"
His ideas were simple, crude, and full of gambler's madness.
Wang Lei immediately panicked upon hearing this: "Go to number 3? Are you crazy! Do you know how dangerous that swamp is? If you get stuck, not even a god can save you!"
"If you're afraid of dying, don't join the army!" Zhang Mang glared at him.
"you!"
"Alright," Lu Chen interrupted their argument.
He had already made up his mind.
"Let's go to point number 2."
This decision took into account Chen Mo's suggestions and Sun Yi's concerns. Going to point 2 would avoid the chaos at point 1 and would be safer than going to point 3.
“However,” Lu Chen changed the subject, “we won’t go directly. Chen Mo, you and Sun Yi are in a group. Take the copy of this map we found, deliberately take a detour, leave traces on the way to point 1, and lure other teams there.”
"Wang Lei, Zhang Mang, and I traveled light, took a straight line, and rushed to point 2 as quickly as possible to set up our positions first."
This is a feint attack.
"Will this... work?" Sun Yi asked with some concern. "What if other teams find out?"
“That’s exactly what we want them to figure out.” Lu Chen smiled. “This map is likely to be obtained by more than just our group. There will definitely be smart teams that will analyze it like we did and guess that someone will go to point 2. We’re leaving traces to mislead them, to make them think that our main force is going to point 1, thus lowering their guard against point 2.”
"As for the three of us..." Lu Chen looked at Wang Lei and Zhang Mang, "Our mission is very important. We must reach Luanshi Mountain before dark and find a defensive point that is easy to defend and difficult to attack. Any questions?"
"No problem!" Wang Lei immediately patted his chest and assured him.
Lu Chen looked at Zhang Mang.
Zhang Mang looked at Lu Chen, his eyes no longer showing provocation, but rather a hint of inquiry. He had to admit that Lu Chen's plan was far more meticulous and insidious than his own idea of "doing one big heist."
"No problem." He nodded, which was taken as agreement.
"Okay!" Lu Chen handed the map to Chen Mo. "Split up! Maintain contact via radio, but only in emergencies. Be discreet and stay safe!"
"yes!"
The five-person team reached a consensus for the first time, quickly split into two groups, and disappeared into the dense jungle.
Lu Chen, along with Wang Lei and Zhang Mang, sped towards point 2 on the map.
Without the burden of backpacks, the three moved quickly. Lu Chen led the way, his excellent sense of direction allowing him to always find the most energy-efficient route. Wang Lei followed closely behind, full of energy.
To Lu Chen's surprise, Zhang Mang was the one who surprised him. He thought the guy would continue to act up or fall behind, but to his surprise, Zhang Mang followed silently at the back, his steps steady, his breathing even, showing no sign of falling behind. Moreover, he always maintained a fixed distance from Wang Lei in front, no more, no less, enough to provide support at any time without crowding together.
This is a habit that only experienced players have.
Lu Chen became increasingly certain that Zhang Mang was definitely not a simple troublemaker. There was definitely a story behind him.
Just as they crossed a mountain ridge, Lu Chen suddenly stopped and made a shushing gesture.
Wang Lei and Zhang Mang immediately stopped and squatted down.
"What's wrong, Brother Chen?" Wang Lei asked in a low voice.
Lu Chen pointed to an open space not far ahead.
On the open ground, there were still fresh ashes from a campfire. Nearby, several compressed biscuit wrappers were scattered.
“There are other teams that just rested here.” Lu Chen’s expression turned serious. “Moreover, they went in the same direction as us.”
They've already been beaten to it.
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