Chapter Sixty-Six: Ambush in the Wheat Field (Part Two)

After all the players had gathered, Chen Hao called out loudly, “Everyone who has a gun, bring it out so I can assign tasks.”

There were a total of twenty-four players with firearms: eighteen rifles, one shotgun, and five pistols. Their weapons were a motley assortment—most of the rifles were Mannlichers and Kue Li’s, while the pistols included four standard Mausers and the Colt in Chen Hao’s possession.

Within Chen Hao’s leveling team, Liu Zixuan wielded a regular Kue Li rifle, Yudie used the standard Mauser she won as a reward from the last mission, the fisherman still carried his old shotgun, and Lin Xiaofeng and Chen Feng, both specializing in melee combat, didn’t care about having guns.

Baihu Baiyaoni, with a shooting attribute of twenty-two, could barely handle a firearm now, yet he was unarmed. Chen Hao tossed him the prestigious Colt and handed him twenty rounds of ammunition he’d bought from the trading company. “You’re using this gun. If you don’t take out a few more enemies, don’t bother coming back to see me.”

When Baihu Baiyaoni saw he’d been given the prestigious Colt, he was so excited his face lit up. “Brother Chen, you’re way too generous! How could you bear to lend me such a fine weapon? I swear I’ll—”

Chen Hao interrupted him bluntly, “Don’t get any ideas. The gun’s just on loan for now. If I ever get a better one, maybe then I’ll let you keep it.”

Chen Hao then picked out twelve players with rifles, including Liu Zixuan, and addressed them gravely. “You’ll be lying in wait on the mountain. Once the authorities pass, come down and set up makeshift barricades on the main road. Four of you will hold the road and stop any enemies trying to retreat. The rest will provide supporting fire from halfway up the mountain.”

“Everyone is to follow Liu Zixuan’s orders. I hold command of this battle, and my word is law. You all know the severe penalties for disobeying orders in this game.”

In Chen Hao’s team, only Liu Zixuan had a long gun, so after outlining the tactics, he placed her in charge. He wasn’t worried about the ambush in the fields, but if the NPC constables tried to escape, their only hope would be to reach Penglai County. When cornered, they’d fight like madmen. Whether they could be stopped would determine the outcome of the battle.

After the twelve players headed up the mountain, Chen Hao led the rest a kilometer onward to the wheat fields. He instructed the armed players to enter the field on the left, while the unarmed ones hid in the right field, not far from the main road.

In Penglai County, thirty constables marched out of the west gate, followed by a line of over ten prison wagons, each containing a female prisoner. Four players stood guard beside the wagons.

Behind them, fifty players formed a protective cluster around a carriage that moved slowly ahead. Sansheng Shi and Mr. Liu were inside.

Mr. Liu, having received a bribe of a thousand silver dollars from Sansheng Shi, treated him with marked courtesy. Smiling, he said, “Sansheng Shi, you’ve earned the highest merit for capturing over ten Red Lantern bandits this time. The Inspector will surely reward you.”

Sansheng Shi replied humbly, “You flatter me, sir. The capture was only possible thanks to your brilliant strategy. I merely assisted and dare not claim the credit.”

Mr. Liu was pleased with his attitude and smiled faintly. “There shouldn’t be any surprises this time. I’ve already had word that the Red Lantern bandits have returned to Tianjing from Qinghe. We shouldn’t encounter any danger on the road. You’ve rendered meritorious service in this operation. The Inspector admires young talents—you’ll at least be promoted to a regional inspector.”

Sansheng Shi was overjoyed. “Thank you for your generous support, sir.”

Despite Mr. Liu’s assurances that the Red Lanterns had returned to Tianjing, Sansheng Shi didn’t dare relax. This prisoner escort was pivotal for his early progress in the game. If successful, he’d be promoted and, with the command headquarters blueprint, could legally establish his own base.

If anything went wrong and the prisoners were rescued, Mr. Liu would blame him even if he escaped. Worse yet, if Mr. Liu were killed, Sansheng Shi would return to Penglai to face the wrath of Liu Ziyuan and Li Piseng, who would surely seize the chance to bring him down. Without Mr. Liu’s backing, the Inspector might even issue a warrant for his arrest out of anger over losing his capable aide.

Peering out from the carriage, Sansheng Shi called, “Wang Yu, take a few men and scout ahead. Report back immediately if you see anything suspicious.”

Wang Yu led three players to the front. Soon, they reached the gap between two small hills. He said to the player beside him, “Lin Zihao, Leopard and I will check the hill on the left. You and Meng Lang take the right.”

Wang Yu climbed up the path to the hill beside the road. When he reached the summit and found nothing, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The left hill was indeed clear of players, but on the far side of the right hill, hidden among the brambles, Liu Zixuan and her group of twelve were holding their breath just ten meters from Lin Zihao.

Lin Zihao stood on the summit, scanning the area for a while. Seeing nothing, he went back down to the main road. Only after he’d left did the hidden players exhale in relief. They looked at Liu Zixuan with admiration—there had been a debate over how best to hide. If not for her insistence, they’d have been discovered.

Chen Hao had ordered the twelve to hide on the far side of the hill. Some thought it would be enough to stay just out of sight from the main road, but Liu Zixuan insisted only the far side was truly safe. Once there, she had them all cut brambles for camouflage against any who came to investigate.

When the scouts approached, everyone immediately ducked into their prepared hiding spots, escaping Lin Zihao’s detection.

Liu Zixuan was so meticulous because she’d previously misunderstood Chen Hao. Now that he’d entrusted her with an important task, she was determined to avoid any mishaps—a caution that proved invaluable.

“No problems on the right hill?” Wang Yu asked as Lin Zihao descended.

“I checked the summit myself. There’s no ambush,” Lin Zihao replied confidently.

The four stood by the roadside. Soon, the convoy reached the hills. Wang Yu approached the carriage and said, “Boss Zhou, we checked both hills. No sign of an ambush. Beyond here, the road’s flat for a long stretch. If the enemy were going to set an ambush, this would be the place.”

Sansheng Shi nodded. “Good. Keep scouting ahead once we cross the plain.”

Inside the carriage, Mr. Liu shook his head. “Sansheng Shi, I’ve already told you—the Red Lanterns have returned to Tianjing. No one else would risk rescuing these prisoners. Why are you so tense?”

Sansheng Shi forced a smile. “Sir, it’s true the Red Lanterns are gone, but I’m worried about a large number of Outlanders lying in ambush.”

“Outlanders?” Mr. Liu couldn’t help but laugh. “Would you Outlanders really dare attack the authorities without enormous profit at stake?”

(Suddenly I realized there’s a subtle little bug in these chapters—it’s a tricky one to fix. If no one notices, I’ll just leave it, hehe!)