This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 575: The ’Speedrun’ Method for Tasks

Chapter 575: Chapter 575: The ’Speedrun’ Method for Tasks

"Don’t get excited."

Seeing that the expressions of several people in front of him were gradually becoming strange, the officer named Luo Feihui became even more certain of his speculation and quickly laughed it off.

"I mean no harm. In fact, I quite want to make friends with you... It’s rather cold outside, let’s come in and talk."

As he spoke, he patted Fang Chang’s arm, gave the latter a meaningful look, and then took the initiative to turn and walk into the house.

Fang Chang and Night Ten exchanged glances, then followed the NPC inside with the other eight players behind them.

Since they had triggered a plotline, they might as well see what was going on.

The group entered the hotel.

Inside, it was as luxuriously decorated and spacious as the outside, with only waitstaff visible besides themselves.

The officer surnamed Luo led them straight to the innermost private room.

After taking their seats, seeing that no one was speaking, he smiled and took the initiative to start the conversation.

"Don’t be restrained. Although this place belongs to Old Master Zhao, all the people here are the families of my subordinates."

Fang Chang watched him with interest.

"When did you start noticing?"

He was certain that this guy definitely didn’t figure out their identities by looking for calluses on their hands or their facial features.

Luo Feihui smiled faintly, a hint of smugness on his face.

"I noticed from the moment you walked through the door."

"Oh?"

"Besides the reasons I mentioned earlier, the most important one was a phone call from my informant in Town of Hope. He told me that the Mutants attacked there, and a gang from the Alliance drove those green-skinned monsters away."

"I see," Fang Chang stroked his chin, "I did consider the possibility that the news might reach here, but I didn’t expect it to outpace us. That’s unexpected."

This was going to be tricky.

Watching Fang Chang lost in thought, Luo Feihui seemed to guess what he was thinking and continued with a smile.

"Don’t worry, our old master still has no clue about your identities. He thinks you’re just a group of Mercenaries who get paid to handle troubles for others. He instructed me to give you a warm welcome and casually find out if that Yang River guy has hired you for any extra jobs."

"Such as?"

"Such as usurping the power he holds."

As a look of surprise emerged on Fang Chang’s face, Luo Feihui smiled lightly and said with suggestion.

"To be honest, I’m quite surprised. I originally thought our friend Yang River was just expanding his business, but it turns out he actually defected to the Alliance... Tsk tsk, quite impressive."

Upon hearing this, not only surprise but also a subtle expression appeared on Fang Chang’s face.

To be honest, he had never heard of this Yang River mentioned by the man. It seemed to be the employer who assigned tasks to the Luoyu Brothers.

Defecting to the Alliance and all was pure speculation on his part.

But it wasn’t his fault for having such a wild imagination.

Mainly because who would have thought that in the Alliance, just by placing an order at the Mercenary Guild’s terminal and passing their review, one could even get the help of the "Regular Army."

Watching the "astonished" look on Fang Chang’s face, Luo Feihui thought he had guessed right again and felt a bit of glee.

It was this glee that gave him the confidence to keep guessing, and he continued speaking slowly with a slight smile.

"It seems I guessed right, our boss Yang betrayed his master and defected to the Alliance that made him a fortune. Then, he assisted the Alliance Soldiers in entering Pinecone Wood Farm. Let me guess again... Flame Mercenary Corps, you guys wouldn’t happen to be the Burning Corps, would you?"

Upon hearing this, not just Brother Fang Chang but almost all the players showed shocked expressions.

Well now...

If this NPC wasn’t using some cheat, his speculations were just way too outrageous!

And that wasn’t even the most outrageous part.

The most outrageous thing was that he had somehow managed to guess exactly which Army Corps they belonged to!

"You found us out."

Since the line of reasoning was just too perfect, Fang Chang didn’t have the heart to lie to him and admitted with a smile, "Yes, that’s us."

Luo Feihui obviously didn’t expect himself to be so capable of guessing everything correctly and sat straight up in his chair, excitedly.

"Really? What a pleasure! I must tell you, I’m a reader of Survivor’s Daily. I’ve always tuned into your channel and have long admired your reputation! I just never expected that we would meet in such a way."

"I didn’t expect that either, that such a small place with fifty thousand residents would hide someone of your... brilliant ingenuity."

Fang Chang smiled, leaned back in his chair, and looked at him with ease.

"And now? What do you plan to do?"

His expression seemed not in the least worried about blowing his own cover.

Luo Feihui wasn’t surprised by his reaction at all, having heard of the achievements of this Army Corps. They had forcibly breached the defenses of Falcon City and even captured the king himself.

Compared to that, what was his daydreaming old master good for?

On this, he had far too much self-awareness.

"I told you I meant no harm. If I really had that intention, I would have informed the old master about your visit before you even arrived."

"So should I thank you?"

"No," Luo Feihui smiled and waved his hand, "Didn’t I say from the beginning that I really wanted to make friends with you?"

As he spoke, he stood up from his chair and leisurely walked to the window, his gaze traveling through the blinds to the mansion close at hand.

"What do you think of this settlement?"

Fang Chang couldn’t quite fathom what he was getting at with such an abrupt and odd question, so he casually shot back a question.

"Can this place even be considered a settlement?"

Luo Feihui laughed softly and continued.

"Indeed, to you residents of the refuge, and even to other Waste Land Wanderers passing by, this isn’t a settlement at all, just a large farm. Everyone here is private property of the Zhao Residence, no different from livestock in a pen... That’s why he can do whatever he pleases, without caring what we think."

Upon hearing this statement, Fang Chang gave him a second look, surprised.

He hadn’t expected this fellow to have such awareness and such a thorough understanding of his own situation.

Seeing that Fang Chang was silent, Luo Feihui continued in a very soft voice.

"Most farms here are like this, and the reason goes way back... so far back most people have completely forgotten."

"Brocade River City once had a real settlement that flourished no less than Giant Stone City to the north. But because of a bunch of dimwits acting on their own accord, taking in a group of green-skinned riffraff, the whole settlement fell apart."

"Some folks managed to escape to the farms outside. Driven by their fear of the green-skinned monsters, they decided to unite and fight back. Trading the grain they grew with Giant Stone City in the north in exchange for weapons to protect themselves. A lot of things happened afterwards until the smaller farms were merged into larger ones, and survivors who lost their land became slaves... That’s the history of most farms here and the past of the Pine Nut Farm."

"Do you think I’m complaining? Then you’ve misunderstood me. I consider it a necessary sacrifice. To defeat an enemy that seems unbeatable, we must make greater sacrifices than our enemies..."

At this point, Luo Feihui suddenly shifted his tone and his voice became impassioned.

"But haven’t you noticed? The people here seem to have completely forgotten what we originally put the noose around our own necks for... It was to drive out those mutants, to expel every last one of those green-skinned monsters and reclaim our honor and prosperity!"

"And now, as you see, we’ve begun to grow those Nago fruits, listen to the lies spun by a bunch of charlatans, wallow in the false dreams they weave, fantasizing about forming an alliance with the mutants, then selling some of those pitiful things drowned by the Nago to the mutants to be their food and reproduction tools... If my grandfather were still alive, he would feel ashamed of Old Master Zhao today."

"We’re putting the noose around our own necks with our own hands, becoming slaves to the mutants, and yet that fool is still stubbornly being the Church’s dog! Dragging everyone here with him! Even though Town Of Hope has already proven that those mutants don’t treat us any differently based on our beliefs, he still comforts himself thinking that was an exception."

"I don’t know what Yang River has promised you, but I dare say I’m a far more suitable candidate. There are many of my confidants in this settlement on my side. He can at most help you enter the settlement, but I can help you get straight into the Zhao Residence... In exchange for helping you, I only have one demand!"

"What demand?" Fang Chang looked at the increasingly excited man with an inquiring gaze.

He didn’t know if this guy could be trusted.

But if this man really thought this way, there was indeed a possibility of cooperation.

Luo Feihui stared back at him, his words deliberate and spaced.

"Let me be the master of this farm!"

...

The night grew ever darker.

Approaching midnight, the drunk mercenaries, led by the settlement guards, were brought back to the gates of Pine Nut Farm.

Just as Fang Chang had guessed, the suspicious farm owner wouldn’t let them stay on the farm overnight; their accommodations were located outside the farm’s enclosing wall.

However, the old master clearly hadn’t accounted for another matter.

The drunken revelers were not the same group of mercenaries as before but instead were the household servants of the officer with the surname Luo, simply dressed in the casual clothes the players had worn upon arrival.

Although their appearances were completely different, it was too dark to notice anything, and the group managed to reach the entrance of the settlement without arousing any suspicion.

The only one who sensed something amiss was Wu Wen Zhou alone.

He vaguely guessed what might be happening but, under the watchful eyes of Luo Feihui’s subordinates, he dared not make a sound and could only pretend to lead the group to the inn Old Master Zhao had prepared for their lodging.

It was also at this time that several wooden boxes were brought to the back door of Xinglong Hotel, along with Luoyu and his Xiaoyus.

Following a few servants into the storage room in the back yard, Luoyu pulled Fang Chang over as soon as he saw him checking weapons and asked.

"What’s going on? Weren’t we agreed that I’d launch an attack on the outskirts to help you distract the troops inside the settlement?"

Yes.

Before they had arrived at the settlement, they had already discussed their plan, never intending to complete their mission through infiltration or other mild means but to directly capture the leader—taking down the farm owner.

A settlement with only fifty thousand residents typically had a simple power structure; as long as you controlled the one giving orders, the whole settlement would essentially fall into their hands.

Shaping it however they wanted wouldn’t be an issue, let alone releasing a few hostages and gathering some intel about the Torch Church.

When Luoyu first heard Brother Fang Chang’s idea, he was shocked, not expecting him to be so rash.

But then, he thought that it might actually be the most efficient approach.

Directly taking over the farm solved all their problems, right?

However, just as he was ready to make his move, the guy sent him a message saying the original plan was canceled.

"The situation has changed; now there’s a better way... You explain it."

After checking the weapons, Fang Chang turned to look at Luo Feihui, who stood to the side. Clearing his throat, Luo repeated his plan.

"The hotel’s chefs are Old Master Zhao’s kitchen servants; they will return to the manor estate by carriage after the banquet is over."

"My men will detain them, and you can ride in their carriage, passing directly through the manor estate’s checkpoint and arriving at the central mansion. The coachman is one of my people; he will help you deal with inspections along the way... The rest is up to you."

Luoyu was stunned, finding it a bit hard to believe.

"Is it really that simple?"

"You had better not take this lightly."

Luo Feihui glanced at him and continued solemnly.

"That Zhao Tiangan keeps some Awakeners as enforcers, and if gunshots are heard on the estate, the nearby thousand team can arrive in at most ten minutes... and I don’t have many subordinates that I can directly command, so I’m afraid I can’t offer you more help."

"Understood," Fang Chang casually responded, without any hesitation, "You just need to handle the aftermath, leave the rest to us."

Luo Feihui gave a slight nod.

"I’ve bet everything I own on you guys; I hope everything goes well."

After saying that, he stepped out of the door.

Watching the wooden door close, Falling Feather looked suspiciously at Fang Chang and whispered in Mandarin,

"This guy... Is he really okay? To help us like this on our first meeting?"

He was actually somewhat distrustful.

The plan sounded too smooth, almost as if this guy knew they would come, and even guessed what they were planning to do.

"I don’t fully trust him, and it’s not impossible that he’s hiding something from us or has another agenda. But since we’ve been found out, the original script definitely won’t work. In that case, why not see what script he has prepared for us?"

While speaking, Fang Chang pulled out his VM and tapped it with his index finger. Soon, a thermal imaging aerial video in black and white was projected onto the screen.

If you looked closely, the center of that screen was the Pinecone Wood Farm!

White dots marked the heat sources in the darkness; at this hour, those still wandering the streets had to be the patrol teams from the farm.

Recognizing the familiar interface, Falling Feather’s eyes widened.

"Wow... Seagull?"

The Seagull fixed-wing unmanned drone!

Capable of carrying eight R-36 "Sanction" air-to-ground missiles, it had participated in the Alliance’s military operations in Luo Xia Province and had shone brightly on the battlefield!

He hadn’t imagined that this guy would actually use this.

Seeing Falling Feather’s astonished expression on his face, Fang Chang explained succinctly.

"We reported this operation to the Alliance Army Command in advance and were approved by the Manager. If we allow this habitat to continue growing Nago, it would pose a serious threat to the entire Southern River Valley Province and even to Luo Xia Province... He hopes we can do the cleanup and remove this tumor with minimal cost."

"I remember a single R-36 costs like a hundred thousand Cr." Falling Feather said, envious.

His total mission was only worth one hundred thousand silver coins!

Such expensive support was something he wouldn’t even dare to dream of!

Fang Chang cleared his throat.

"The missiles actually loaded on the drone are not R-36s, but Huge Rock Military Industry’s Dove-type Missiles... Those aren’t as exaggerated."

Saying this, he tapped on the VM screen, switching the communication channel to Old White.

"The recording has been sent over; the situation is just as described... We’ve got help from an inside source, and now we plan to directly seize control of the Zhao Residence at the very center of the Pinecone Wood Farm."

After the hissing of electrical current, Old White’s voice came through the earphone.

"Understood, do you still need our support?"

Fang Chang: "... You guys stay near the area on standby; if the situation looks optimistic, there’s no need. The best result would be taking control of the entire habitat without the Torch Church noticing a thing... That way, we wouldn’t need to fire a single bullet and could catch them completely by surprise when the time is right."

Old White: "That’s a good idea, but isn’t it a bit too optimistic?"

Fang Chang said earnestly,

"It’s worth a try."

Old White briskly said,

"Alright, your call!"

The tacit understanding between the two didn’t require much communication; they understood each other quickly after a brief exchange.

Not long after, Luo Feihui returned to the doorway to inform everyone that the carriages were ready, and the group boarded with their equipment.

There were three carriages in total, looking like canopied cargo wagons. Each could fit seven or eight people without being too crowded.

The journey was utterly silent.

Clenching the rifle in his hands, Falling Feather, seated in the carriage, felt his heart pounding rapidly, and every little noise outside made him involuntarily tense up.

Despite having been on battlefields often, this was his first time undertaking such a thrilling infiltration mission.

"Don’t worry," Night Ten, seated beside him, chuckled softly, "I don’t sense any malice right now... there’s no one targeting us within at least five hundred meters."

"You’ve got nerves of steel," Falling Feather said, looking at him in slight surprise.

"Nah, what’s there to fear," Night Ten said indifferently, "back in the day in West State City, it was much more thrilling than this. Plus, it’s just a game; dying only sets you back three days."

"That makes sense."

On reflection, Falling Feather realized he was right; even if they failed, it was just a three-day cooldown.

It was he who had gotten too immersed, nearly getting played by the game... Wait, no, that’s not right!

Suddenly he remembered that unlike these guys, who could reset at any time, he had a mission worth one hundred thousand silver coins on his back.

If this went awry, that mission was likely toast!

With that thought, his anxiety surged...

Thankfully, the journey was free of danger.

The duty guards didn’t inspect them closely, just glanced at the person riding the horse and yawned, waving them through.

Before they knew it, the six hundred meters were behind them.

They passed through the gates of the estate smoothly, past two sentries with machine guns, and quickly saw a lavishly decorated villa not far away.

Its exterior was made entirely of marble, with exquisite reliefs, looking like a piece of art, seven stories tall.

Far off in the distance, it appeared like a castle standing erect amidst a garden, involuntarily reminding one of Old Leech from Bet Street.

However, this mansion was far more luxurious than that patched-up "Amusement Park Castle." Their wealth was clearly incomparable.

"Damn... Can he actually live in so many rooms?" Peeping through the gaps in the carriage, Night Ten couldn’t help but be amazed as he silently counted the windows of the mansion.

Wild Wind teased him over the communication channel.

"You think he lives there alone?"

"Uh, seems like it..."

Night Ten changed his mind and considered that there might be some truth to it.

If he was in that position as this land’s emperor, it would be a disgrace to himself not to have seventy or eighty harems.

Indeed, poverty limited his imagination.

Passing by a fountain, the coachman saw the patrol team leaving in the opposite direction and coughed lightly twice.

Receiving the signal, the players immediately grabbed their weapons, jumped down from the carriage, switched off the safety, and loaded their rifles.

Speaking in a hushed voice, Fang Chang issued orders through the communication channel.

"... Team A circle to the back of the building to prevent the target from escaping, Team B stand by in the courtyard and move into the building after the firefight!"

"Team C at the front door, Team D at the end of the left hallway by that window!"

"Move out!"

Unified responses came through the communication channel.

"Received!"

The routes for each small group were marked on the aerial drone images.

Quickly, everyone arrived at their battle positions, and as planned, they split into four groups and crossed the densely vegetated garden.

Ten Xiaoyus were dispersed among the four teams, wearing the K-10 "Iron Wall" exoskeletons, serving as the vanguard of the teams.

Approaching the main door with Team C, Fang Chang gave Falling Feather, who was clinging to the other side of the door, a meaningful look. The latter, understanding, gave a soft shout through the communication channel.

"Xiaoyu!"

"Yee-uh!"

A zealous reply came through the communication channel.

A sub-entity wearing the Iron Wall exoskeleton took a running start posture and then, like a rugby player, rammed hard into the door with its shoulder.

"Bang—!"

The heavy door was easily slammed open.

The silent night was shattered by the sudden noise.

But now there was no need for concealment.

Drones laden with missiles hovered overhead, and the four teams had completely surrounded the building. All that remained was what one would call shooting fish in a barrel.

Team C immediately stormed into a pitch-black hall, with Team D simultaneously taking action.

However, the moment they entered the hall, Fang Chang immediately sensed something was off—a faint smell of blood invaded his nostrils.

Then he saw a body, hanging beneath the chandelier, with no telling how long it had been dead.

The person’s belly had been sliced open, intestines hanging around their neck, and the bloodied face appeared contorted in agony, a ghastly sight.

The instant he saw the body, Fang Chang’s pupils constricted slightly and he immediately turned on his flashlight to illuminate it.

That military uniform, and that face...

It was that officer named Luo Feihui!

He couldn’t be mistaken!

They had just met him an hour ago!

Fang Chang felt a chill run down his spine, unable to understand how this man had ended up dead here. Or perhaps this man had been dead all along, and the one he had just met was someone else.

At that moment, a creaking sound came from the side.

He fiercely pointed his flashlight in that direction, only to see a huge figure sitting on the ground, nonchalantly shoving something into its mouth, chewing voraciously.

The creature had dark green skin, but it didn’t look like a mutant; instead, it more closely resembled the slime mold’s offspring, "Butcher."

Fat was bunched up in clumps on its body!

The sitting figure was like a rocky hill!

Several ghastly corpses lay scattered beside it.

Men, women, elderly, and children... as well as their body parts.

These dead, most likely, were the families of that military officer.

"Fuck..."

Standing beside, Falling Feather felt a wave of nausea, and raised his gun, aiming at the monster that continued to feast despite their presence.

At this moment, a dry and hoarse voice came from above the stairs.

The voice carried a faint hint of mockery.

"I hear..."

"Someone is looking for me?"

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