Chapter 102: Jiang Chuxue's Disappointment

Amidst a chaotic haze, a dazzling brilliance radiated forth—truly, the crocodile had unleashed quite a spectacle.

The gentle flow of the water, heavy with moisture, quickly washed away all traces of the explosion, leaving only the scattered ruins beneath the surface, strewn with remnants of what had transpired.

“My goodness, these girls are really fighting with everything they’ve got,” murmured Robbie, the village chief, standing on the distant riverbank, eyes wide with shock and admiration. Along the path he had walked, he had seen the ground littered with bat corpses and witnessed the dire, desperate scenes within the tunnels. As a native of Shanyao Village, he was intimately familiar with these bats and knew all too well their ferocity.

The last time they had buried Naples, the village had gone to great lengths to conduct rituals, which was why the bats had refrained from causing trouble then.

On the way, seeing the broken equipment, Robbie had known that lives had been lost. Together with Big Grey, he had dug through the stone barricades blocking their path, hoping to reach the Thorn Rose squad and warn them. Instead, he found them bravely sacrificing themselves, throwing caution to the wind.

Robbie was deeply moved, a profound respect blossoming within him.

Snapping back to reality, he swiftly swam to the ruins, gathered all the scattered items, and, while the sky was still dark, hurried back to the village. He intended to share everything with the villagers, rekindling their hope as they awaited the girls’ return.

...

On the outskirts of HZ City stood a sprawling exclusive compound, its gate adorned with a sign: Pepsi Professional E-sports Club.

Pepsi was a newly emerged club over the past two years, boasting five small teams specializing in CF, LOL, Dota, Hearthstone, and KartRider. Starting with local competitions in HZ City, the club had steadily climbed the ranks, enduring hardships to firmly secure the title of the city’s top e-sports club. This year, all five teams blossomed simultaneously, qualifying for the provincial championships for the first time.

After intense battles, four of the teams—LOL among them—had clinched either champion or runner-up titles, earning tickets to the regional finals. Only the CF team faced unprecedented challenges, with nearly all opponents being well-known professional squads. After several days of contests, Pepsi’s CF team stood near the bottom with a record of one win and three losses.

Their last chance to secure a spot in the regional finals lay in a sudden-death elimination match.

Returning from the competition site at noon, the players were somewhat disheartened but refused to concede defeat. After a quick lunch and rest, they gathered in the viewing room to carefully study their opponents’ offensive strategies. Members from other teams also came by to offer encouragement.

Jiang Chuxue, the team leader and deputy general manager of Pepsi Club, had witnessed the players' defeats and disappointments throughout and felt a heavy weight in her heart. To boost morale and prepare thoroughly for the elimination match the day after tomorrow, she reserved a luxurious private room at a city bar, planning to invite the entire club for some relaxation that evening.

Her initiative received the full support and approval of General Manager Zhao Cheng, who, due to an engagement with sponsors that night, entrusted Jiang Chuxue with full responsibility.

In the third-floor office, Jiang Chuxue, dressed in a sleek black business suit, leaned against the window with a simple black tea cup in hand, watching the ebb and flow of traffic in the distance. Her thoughts drifted and settled intermittently. A pragmatic and straightforward woman, she rarely experienced such frequent emotional fluctuations.

She was waiting for a call from her cousin, Jiang Ke’er.

She had inquired at noon, and now it was already 4 p.m. with no news. Anxiety gnawed at her; Ke’er was her only hope at the moment.

Suddenly, the phone rang. Jiang Chuxue immediately turned and dashed over—it was Ke’er calling.

“Hello, Ke’er, why are you just calling now? You nearly scared me to death! So, what’s the news?” Her words tumbled out rapidly, almost overwhelming Ke’er’s ears.

After a long pause with no response, Jiang Chuxue grew even more anxious, about to ask again when she suddenly heard a clear, melodic laugh on the other end.

It was full of teasing.

“What are you laughing at?” she asked, a hint of irritation in her voice.

“Hehe, sis, is that you? Since when did Miss Jiang become so impatient?” Ke’er taunted.

Jiang Chuxue’s cheeks flushed crimson with embarrassment.

“Sis, it’s not looking good,” Ke’er suddenly said. Jiang Chuxue’s heart immediately tightened as a silent alarm sounded—this could mean trouble.

Given his status, refusal would have been understandable.

“Sigh... never mind. I guess I was just imagining things,” she sighed dejectedly, about to hang up.

“Hey, hey, hey, sis, what’s wrong? I haven’t finished talking yet,” Ke’er cried out anxiously, but Jiang Chuxue seemed not to hear.

“Sis, sis, he agreed!”

“Enough with the lies! How could he possibly agree?” Jiang Chuxue shook her head, dismissing it as a joke.

“Uh...”

“He didn’t agree, but his girlfriend agreed on his behalf...” Ke’er hurriedly explained, recounting the situation exactly as it had happened.

Jiang Chuxue, who should have been thrilled, found herself unable to feel joy—only a faint disappointment lingered.

After hanging up, she pondered for a long while and then drained the overly strong tea in her cup.

“Why dwell on this? He doesn’t even know me. He just recently broke up with Lin Guo, and to find a new love so quickly... he must be quite charming,” Jiang Chuxue laughed bitterly and opened her computer.

According to Ke’er, he was currently playing “Journey,” a game Jiang Chuxue knew of but had never had the time to explore.

After carefully browsing the official site and forums, she found the game interesting—it integrated many elements from CF and seemed worth a try, if only to pass the time.

Beep beep beep...

“Hello, this is Jiang Chuxue from the prestigious Jiang family, please help me get a diamond-level gaming helmet.”

...

“Ouch...”

Li Xin rubbed his eyes and sore body, slowly coming to consciousness. Before him were several unfamiliar faces, each stern and piercing in their gaze.

Looking closer, they wore dark green Angel Corps camouflage combat uniforms.

Li Xin realized he had infiltrated the enemy’s ranks. Yet, the current situation remained unclear—whether it was good or bad, he could not tell.

“Captain Yi Ran, you’re awake,” one of them spoke suddenly, leaving Li Xin momentarily bewildered. Soon, he regained composure and confirmed he was safe.

“Thank you for your help,” he smiled and slowly sat up.

After some conversation, the group urged him to rest well before one by one departing.

Regarding the game’s setting, Li Xin found it simultaneously amusing and exasperating. The relocation of the dead soldiers’ base was actually a system-enforced alteration of the local forces’ data, implanting the dead soldiers’ false identities. Throughout, there was no sense of dissonance; it was as if the dead soldiers had originally belonged to their side.

For example, in the Angel Corps’ version, Li Xin had led a small team on a reconnaissance mission but was ambushed by a large group of beasts. During the retreat, he tragically fell off a cliff. His comrades all died, leaving only him alive, awaiting rescue.

After a long moment, he gave a wry smile. “What a damn misleading setup.”