This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 197: Operation Broken Sword!

Chapter 197: Chapter 197: Operation Broken Sword!

Up to now, no one in the "Wasteland OL" closed beta server has achieved the first kill of the Claw of Death.

Although traces of the Dead Claw’s activity have been spotted in the Elm District, it is, after all, winter, and the Death Claw, being a close relative to lizards, also needs to hibernate.

They basically lie dormant in their nests twenty-four hours a day, and so far, no players have found where the Dead Claws in the Elm District are hiding.

Chu Guang, who was lurking in the forum, suddenly had a thought and spoke up.

"Xiao Qi, can you send the drone over there?"

Xiao Qi paused for a moment, then spoke quietly.

"Um, it should be possible, but there are risks. The wind outside is too strong, and there is occasional snowfall. Though our communication radius now covers up to 16 kilometers away, the Hummingbird is a short-range rotary-wing drone, and Xiao Qi worries about whether it can fly back once it goes that far."

The endurance of drones varies in different climate environments. The Hummingbird is small and stealthy, but relatively weaker in other aspects.

Chu Guang pondered for a while before saying.

"Don’t need to stay there too long, just take a couple of photos, right?"

Xiao Qi replied,

"That should be fine... Xiao Qi will give it a try."

Chu Guang nodded and said,

"Okay, just try, there’s no need to force it."

After giving instructions to Xiao Qi, Chu Guang continued browsing the forum.

Compared to the players’ discussions about the strength of the Claw of Death, backseat drivers were mainly focused on the group of Looters.

From the Looter’s weapons to their clothing styles, there were even discussions about the Looter’s habits and culture.

These discussions couldn’t be said to be completely useless; they were, in fact, utterly useless.

Chu Guang, sitting in front of his computer, silently calculated.

The Outpost Base currently had five trucks, one of which was allocated to the Industrial Zone and another on the transport route from the Outpost Base to the Changjiu Farm. The other two were deployed at temporary resource points outside the Elm District and the Northern Abandoned Town, responsible for transporting the prey that players hunted and the trash they collected back to the Changjiu Farm.

In fact, there was only one idle truck, which was the one Dr. Yin Fang had rented for the Ox and Horse Squad, currently returning from the lab of Central State Space.

The snow in the North Suburb was already knee-deep.

At the distance of nearly 16 kilometers, without a reliable vehicle, players had to be prepared to spend an entire day trekking if they were to run there for support.

"It seems the Outpost Base is lacking not only weapons but also vehicles."

Long-distance troop deployment was a big issue; even though his little players had DIY’d a few mountain bikes and managed to create tricycles, the numbers were still too few.

"... After dealing with the anti-aircraft weapons, I’ll have to get Factory 81 to think of a way to get a few more wood-burning trucks out."

There was one thing that Chu Guang just couldn’t figure out now.

What were these Looters doing with fuel rods?

Did they also need to charge their refuges?

Or could this thing be used as kindling to burn?

Just then, Old White, who had only been online for a while, went offline to check the forum again.

He had turned that post into a live thread.

Now it was updating the experience of being captured by the Looters.

"I’m back! I just went online, and I sneaked a peek out the window and saw that there are more and more freaking Looters here! At first it was a few dozen people, but now there’s actually hundreds!"

"They confiscated my VM earlier and searched me, haha, but they didn’t expect that I could go offline in my sleep!"

"Speaking of which, does this count as exploiting a game bug? Brother Guang won’t delete my post, right?"

Holy shit!

Chu Guang’s eyes lit up instantly.

Good Lord, captives can be used like this?

Rather than deleting the post, Chu Guang wished he could exploit more bugs, preferably to get all the specific numbers, troop distribution, and post them all on the forum.

As he was hesitating whether to guide the situation with an alt, the dumbass netizens waiting for updates below the post actually asked all the questions Chu Guang wanted to ask.

Clear Sky Without the Moon: "Holy crap, your cell has windows?"

Nursing Home Big Shot: "666, you hurry up and say how many of them there are, what’s their equipment like? Old Monk will bring the message when I get off the plane and go online!"

Old White: "Well, if we’re just talking about size, I feel like there’s not much difference between them and the Blood Hand Clan we ran into before, just your typical Looter. But overall, these Looters are way more organized than Blood Hand’s folks, with much stronger gear, sort of between an Army and ordinary Looters!"

"In addition, I saw two trucks at their camp, and would you believe it, there was a light machine gun mounted on top of one! That machine gun is the spitting image of what we seized from the Army!"

"Moreover, they’ve raised a lot of Variants, especially mutated hyenas. Normally, that wouldn’t be anything unusual—after all, the Blood Hand Clan also likes to keep dogs—but these guys are interesting. They’re not just keeping dogs; they put clothes on them!"

"I can bet those clothes aren’t for keeping warm; they’re most likely meant to strap dynamite or something like that on! If you’re planning to conquer this place, you’d better be cautious of those hyenas, and don’t let them get too close!"

Just as Old White was talking up a storm in his post, a few familiar IDs suddenly popped up on the Forum.

Night Ten: "Fuck, Old White, you’re still alive?!"

Old White: "Haha, the man’s still breathing! Speaking of which, how did you end up climbing trees too? I vouched so hard for you guys, don’t tell me it was all in vain."

Fang Chang: "We are back in the truck, heading to the base. You must have logged off, just lying there offline, came back to check. Good buddy, hold on, we’ll be right back to bring reinforcements to save you!"

Old White: "Hold on there, don’t do anything rash, okay? These Looters are tough customers. My exoskeleton is trashed, and the most valuable gear I’ve got on me now is that VM, losing the rest ain’t a big deal, and if I die it’s just three days of backseat driving in the Forum, don’t make it out to be some tearful goodbye. Right now, I just want to figure out, before I kick the bucket, what exactly those Looters are up to in that Ecological Experiment Base."

Fang Chang: "Hm... about that, I do have some thoughts. Maybe they’re not after stuff like fuel rods at all, but they have their sights set on the Eco Garden itself."

Hearing Fang Chang’s analysis, Chu Guang immediately perked up.

That was exactly what he was most curious about.

Old White: "What do you mean by that?"

Fang Chang: "Simple, a warm climate, ample space, and existing concrete fortifications—it’s naturally the perfect operations base. If I were their commander, and I confirmed that the Eco Garden in Building 3 was still operational, I would definitely choose to settle down there."

"Right now, the only trouble for them is that the Death Claw has nested there, but with the Death Claw wounded, they just need to track it down and clean it out."

Old White was taken aback.

"Shit, now that you mention it... it does sound plausible. I noticed their trucks were loaded with a lot of supplies, clearly not just for a hundred people! I counted the boxes and bags they unloaded, if they’re all food and ammo, it’d probably be enough to feed a thousand!"

Supplies!

And enough for a thousand people!

Chu Guang was instantly excited.

Good grief.

He was just worrying about supplies, and now someone was handing him a pillow?

Within less than a minute, Chu Guang made up his mind.

He absolutely couldn’t let this juicy piece of meat slip away right under his nose!

Fang Chang and Night Ten were still on the truck and didn’t dare to stay on the Forum too long. After logging off and getting updated by Old White, they went back online.

...

Chu Guang pondered for a moment, then decisively decided to take the initiative in the war. Through the VM, he issued an order to the remaining three of Ox-Horse Squad to get off the truck immediately, set up an observation point near the Central Continent Aerospace Experimental Base, and closely monitor the movements of that group of Looters.

Thinking of setting up an outpost in my backyard?

Dream on!

Chu Guang then sent a message to Luka, instructing him to gather all five trucks and wait for orders at the Northern Industrial Zone by the Outpost Base before nightfall.

At that moment, there was a knock on the office door.

Dr. Yin Fang pushed open the door and entered, a look of urgency upon his face.

"There’s big trouble!"

"Our scientific expedition team at the front has encountered Looters!"

Chu Guang responded calmly.

"You’re a bit slow; I learned about it ten minutes ago."

Seeing Chu Guang’s calm face, Dr. Yin Fang paused for a moment and cautiously said.

"I have to warn you, if they take away the fuel rods there... all our work over the past week will have been for nothing, and we’ll have to start the search for a new target all over again."

Chu Guang said.

"I know, but for now, the fuel rods don’t seem to be in much danger."

Dr. Yin Fang asked.

"What do you mean..."

"Those Looters have set up camp there. Judging from the size of their team and how they’ve deployed supplies, they are probably planning on using it as an operations base... If my guess is right, they should be the ’Chewing Bone’ Tribe that’s risen to power recently."

If things go as expected, they are probably planning to establish a stronghold at the Central Continent Aerospace Experimental Base, to serve as a bridgehead for a full-on invasion of the Southern River Valley Province.

Just as Fang Chang had said, they never intended to take the fuel rods.

They were actually headed for the Ecological Experiment Base!

As he spoke, Chu Guang couldn’t help feeling emotional.

He hadn’t expected them to come so quickly...

Upon hearing Chu Guang’s words, Dr. Yin Fang’s complexion slightly changed as he anxiously said,

"Isn’t that even more serious?"

"They have their intentions written all over their faces, do you think I will let them succeed? It’s just over a hundred people, and it’s not my first time exterminating bandits."

Looking at the slightly stunned Dr. Yin Fang, Chu Guang smiled faintly and continued to speak,

"The reconnaissance team has already been deployed near those Looters. Right before you walked into my office, I had already mobilized all the base’s trucks and will soon mobilize an additional 200 reservists to form an enhanced company."

"Since they’ve set foot on my doorstep, they must have come prepared to leave their legs and shoes behind."

"When it gets dark, I’ll teach them a profound lesson!"

...

Old White, trapped in the "cell" and unable to leave, looked around bored occasionally, occasionally moving to the window to glance outside when he heard a noise, and then returned to sit on the bed plank.

It had just passed noon in the Game, whereas it was the early hours of the morning in reality. Even if he returned, he was just going to sleep, and might not even be able to fall asleep.

It was better to stay here and be lost in thought.

Speaking of which, those Looters were quite interesting too.

When standing at the window observing, Old White noticed that these NPCs each had their own life trajectories, just like the ones in Grand Theft Wilderness.

For example, the Looter who stood guard at the entrance of the experimental base was a chain-smoker. Whenever his superior was away, he would furtively sniff a half-smoked cigarette before putting it back into his pocket.

The truck drivers leaning against the vehicles seemingly had higher status. No one bothered them as they smoked rolled cigarettes with the co-pilot, indulgently puffing away with contented faces.

There was also a Looter sitting on the stone steps, scratching something on the bullet casings with a Small Blade.

Speaking of which, does anyone actually believe that urban legend?

That carving a cross on a bullet head could increase damage.

At this moment, Old White suddenly noticed through a small hole in the tent, a massive creature approximately four meters long was being carried out from the main entrance below.

"Dead Claw!"

Surprise flickered across Old White’s face.

"These people actually took down a Dead Claw?"

To say they took it down might not be accurate.

Upon closer inspection, although the Dead Claw was covered in ghastly wounds, it appeared to be barely alive, still breathing.

Behind building number 2 was a row of tents, which was very close to where the trucks were unloading supplies.

Several Looters worked together, carrying it on a stretcher into a spacious tent.

Just as Old White was wondering what they planned to do with it, he quickly saw an ugly-faced old man following them inside.

For some reason, Old White always felt that the old man wrapped in a thick coat had a different aura from the surrounding Looters.

How to put it?

He seemed mysteriously mysterious.

If you were to compare the surrounding Looters to Goblins, then this old man would at least be a Goblin Witch Doctor.

"Do they plan to heal the Dead Claw?"

A peculiar expression crossed Old White’s face.

Surely not?

...

Xiao Qi’s drone returned, bringing aerial photos of the Raider Camp. From several photos, it was clear that there was at least a company’s worth of Looters stationed at the Central Continent Aerospace Experimental Base.

To put it plainly, that’s at most 150 people, at a minimum 100.

They were scattered in several experimental buildings.

Some were patrolling with dogs.

As for supplies, from the aerial photos, it did seem like there were enough for a thousand people, and the unloading spot was near building number 2.

The Looters seemed intent on hiding supplies in the building, so they began clearing out the Mucor species Variants in Building 2.

Night Ten set up an observation post nearby and mounted a sniper rifle. Fang Chang of the Agile system had vision enhancement and served as the spotter. Wild Wind lay in ambush nearby, responsible for covering their rear, while occasionally going offline to check the forum.

Old White, treated as a captive, had become their spying eye within the Raider Camp, constantly monitoring the distribution of personnel within the camp.

However, since the entire Experimental Base itself was built on relatively high ground surrounded by ruins and jungles, Night Ten, serving as the sniper, didn’t have a very good view.

But that was unimportant.

Their mission was not to snipe from a high point but to watch the patrols scattered outside the base, providing cover for players approaching the base.

In case they spotted a high-threat target, such as a Gunman or cannoneer, they were to take them out before they could pose a threat to our units.

Wasteland time, eight o’clock at night.

Five light trucks delivered 200 players to the battlefield in two batches, completing the assembly one kilometer away from the Central State Aerospace Ecological Experimental Base.

Chu Guang personally commanded this operation, arriving at the front with six guards for supervision.

In addition, Vanus, a former Army legion chief, was also permitted to go to the frontline.

It was his own request, claiming he wanted to witness firsthand how those who had defeated them on the battlefield fought.

Chu Guang agreed to his request, bringing him alongside and allowing him to observe.

Having an advisor was exactly what he needed; he didn’t necessarily have to follow his advice, but Vanus’s combat experience might come in handy at a critical moment.

The southwestern side of the Experimental Base was Qingquan City, which was also a focus area for the Looters’ defenses.

A machine gun was mounted on the third floor of Building 1, with sandbags stuffed in the window as a barricade, its muzzle pointed directly at the base’s gate where the guard post was placed.

Near the guard post, sandbags were piled up, and from behind them, one could shoot downward at the forest below the slope.

Moreover, about thirty Slaves, in shackles, were constructing simple concealments and defensive works inside the base, under the supervision of a ten-man squad.

It was apparent that these Looters were very cautious.

They even considered the possibility of air raids and artillery strikes and even knew to dig Dugouts in their lair.

Chu Guang guessed that those Dugouts and coverings were not for him but more likely in anticipation of Giant Stone City’s aircraft or something else.

The eastern side of the Experimental Base, however, was their weak defensive area, with only two patrol teams and no heavy weaponry deployed.

Perhaps because the terrain was flat and cover sparse, they were confident in their ability to respond quickly to any attack from this direction, bringing in trucks with welded-on machine guns.

But they were not facing ordinary opponents.

Vanus glanced at Chu Guang, who was clad in power armor, and said with a strange expression,

"You’re planning to go to the front line in person?"

Chu Guang gave him a look.

"Did I ever say that?"

Vanus eyed the heavy Breastplate, the hammer on his back, and the Gauss Rifle, then slowly shook his head.

"No."

To be honest, he had fought in hundreds of battles, big and small, but it was the first time he had seen a commander arm himself like a tin can.

Lu Yang didn’t count.

In his eyes, that man could hardly be considered a commander.

Chu Guang paid him no heed, his index finger lightly tapping on his helmet, projecting an orange floating window onto the Tactical Goggles of the helmet.

The information was simultaneously updated on the players’ VMs!

[Task: Operation Broken Sword]

[Description: The Chewing Bone Tribe’s vanguard has arrived on the "North Suburb" of Qingquan City, not only capturing our compatriots but also planning to establish a Bridgehead for invading Qingquan City! Unfortunately, they’ve picked the wrong opponent, and we’ll use bullets to show them the cost!]

[Note: Participation in the operation will earn 100 points, completion of the commander’s orders can earn 10-50 points.]

[Reward: 1 silver 1 contribution per point of war score.]

——

[Task: Rescue the Captive (Side mission)]

[Description: We won’t leave anyone behind!]

[Note: Rescue the captives of the refuge.]

[Reward: 50 silver 50 contribution]

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