Chapter 86 To hell with rationality, to hell with self-preservation (4/7)
"Going for a drive? To see the scenery?!"
Upon hearing the reply from Ironblood Heavy Industry, Cao Hui sat in his luxurious Level 6 military pickup truck, his face twitching violently a few times.
Although he was a womanizer, he was by no means a fool.
At this critical juncture, the main force of Ironblood Heavy Industry appeared on the flank of the battlefield, fully armed, and set up an offensive formation, only to tell you that they were there to "take the newbies for a ride".
That's a lie; even a ghost wouldn't believe it!
A strong sense of unease spread through Cao Hui's heart.
Zhuge Mo would never do anything meaningless.
Why would he dare to bring people here so openly and do such a dangerous thing? Is it because of... that black RV in front of him?
Does Zhuge Mo believe the opponent has a chance of winning?
"Impossible... This is absolutely impossible!"
Cao Hui shook his head violently, trying to shake the absurd thought out of his mind.
Ironblood Heavy Industry is the weakest of the four major guilds. They have always maintained neutrality and developed their strength in a low-key manner. How dare they challenge our alliance with the Overlord Alliance?
Unless...they've gone mad!
"Vice President, what should we do now? Should we send troops to defend against Ironblood Heavy Industry?" a trusted subordinate asked tremblingly.
"Be on guard my ass!"
Cao Hui gritted his teeth and roared, "Since they say they want to see the scenery, let them see it! I doubt that Zhuge Mo would actually dare to open fire! But... we must be on guard."
He took a deep breath, a ruthless glint in his eyes.
"Report the situation here to the guild leader immediately! And make sure he tells Alliance Leader Zhao of the Overlord Alliance that Ironblood Heavy Industry intends to attack us!"
"Also! Bring all the heavy weapons teams from the west, north, and south gates over here!!"
"Yes!" The trusted subordinate accepted the order and hurriedly withdrew.
The carriage fell silent again, save for Cao Hui's heavy breathing.
He walked back to the huge floor-to-ceiling window and stared intently at the black RV bathed in gunfire in the distance.
Although the car's defensive capabilities did indeed terrify him, even fill him with despair, he refused to believe in such a thing.
"You think being tough makes you invincible? You think you can turn the world upside down just by mounting a close-in weapon system?"
Cao Hui's lips curled into a cruel sneer, "Without weapons of mass destruction, without a trump card to seal the deal, you're just a tougher turtle shell at best!"
"We can only passively take the hits and wait in despair for our ammunition to run out!"
"Today, even if I have to pile up human lives and bombard you with shells, I will pile you up here and kill you alive!!"
...
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the battlefield.
As time went on, the deafening sound of artillery fire had lasted for a full minute.
The casual players who were initially thrilled by Lin Hui's strong counterattack are now gradually losing their enthusiasm, replaced by a deep sense of powerlessness and anxiety.
In their view, the black RV looked like a small boat in a storm.
Although it remained steadfast, and although it repeatedly withstood the Wolf Guild's relentless bombardment, it... truly did not retaliate again.
The scene where one can only passively take a beating creates a suffocating sense of oppression.
"Is it still not working...?"
A sigh of despair escaped someone in the crowd.
"In the end, it's just one person. Facing a behemoth like the Wolf Guild, one person's strength is simply too insignificant."
"Ammunition will eventually run out, and energy will eventually be depleted. Once that close-in weapon system stops, or that mysterious armor is worn through, what awaits that big shot will be utter destruction."
Pessimism spread like a plague through the convoy.
The newly ignited flame of hope seemed about to be extinguished by this cruel reality.
"Uncle Hao!!"
On the level 4 earthmoving truck, the short-haired youth roared with bloodshot eyes:
"Give me a car, I want to fight!"
In the driver's seat, Deng Hao stared intently at the RV that remained motionless amidst the flames, his lips pursed, his weathered face shifting between light and shadow as he struggled violently.
Reason told him that rushing in at this moment would be suicide.
But the fighting spirit deep within him, which had not yet been completely extinguished, was pounding wildly against his chest.
On the other side, inside a Level 5 heavy truck.
Chen Ye leaned back in his chair, gazing at the blazing fire outside the window. His body, which had been trembling with anger, was now unusually calm.
He took out the last cigarette from the pack.
It lit with a "pop".
He took a deep breath, the pungent smoke swirling in his lungs before he slowly exhaled, turning into a wisp of blue smoke.
Chen Ye smiled.
It was a relieved smile.
"To hell with rationality, to hell with self-preservation."
"If I don't help you out today, even if I, Chen Ye, survive, I'll only ever be a coward for the rest of my life, never able to stand up straight again!"
He sat up abruptly and typed text into the input box of the regional channel.
Regional chat channel.
Chen Ye: "Brothers! This is Chen Ye!! I will launch my attack in twenty seconds!! If any of you share the same thought, let's attack together at that moment!! Don't let that brother in the RV fight alone!!!"
After sending the message, he abruptly stubbed out his cigarette and pressed his hand on the weapon firing button—the modified grenade launcher on the roof of his vehicle.
"20 seconds..."
Chen Ye counted down in a low voice, his eyes fixed on the Wolf Guild formation in front of him.
However.
The regional channel was quiet.
The deathly silence was more piercing than the sound of artillery fire on the battlefield.
Everyone was looking at the message, but no one replied.
Fear was like an invisible hand, gripping everyone's throat. They were afraid of being targeted by the Wolf Guild, afraid of being purged later, afraid that their meager possessions would vanish in an instant.
"15 seconds..."
Chen Ye's voice was a little hoarse, but his eyes remained firm.
Even if I'm the only one left, I'll still go.
This was not just to help Lin Hui, but also to redeem his own long-dead dignity.
Finally, when the countdown reached 14 seconds, a message suddenly popped up.
Qian Chong: Chen Ye, if you want to die, don't drag others down with you. Do you think it's easy for anyone to survive this long? Just obediently pay your toll, okay? With the strength of the Evil Wolf Guild, it's already good enough that they haven't completely swallowed up everything belonging to us casual players. We should be content.
Upon seeing this message, Chen Ye's eye twitched. Before he could even start cursing, another message popped up.
Zhen Haoyun: Damn it! I know you, your name is Qian Chong, right? The spineless coward of the Thunder Guild! What? Your spine's broken, so you can't straighten up anymore?! You're just wasting air by living like this!!
Then, another one appeared.
Li Xian: Wild God! Forget those cowards! Count me in!!! I have over a dozen vehicles here, they may be a bit beat-up, but we're ready to fight!!!
Upon seeing these two messages, a layer of mist suddenly welled up in Chen Ye's one eye.
"Good...good brother!"
"10 seconds..."
Just as Chen Ye was preparing to charge into battle for the last time in his life.
In the heart of the battlefield, an unexpected change occurs.
...