514: Full map of the central control blockade

"I told you, it wouldn't be that simple!"

"Old Yang was too reckless. He didn't even gather all the info before rushing in. He deserved to get his leg broken just now."

"If I'd known he was such a burden, I wouldn't have saved him."

"Don't, don't say that. We're all brothers. If he hadn't led the charge, we wouldn't even know the people at Central Control were still watching us!"

"True. So, what should we do now?"

Behind a building cover between the Aerospace Forbidden Zone's Central Control Building and the Prison Boss spawn point.

Of the original three-man squad, only two remained.

The one who died was none other than Old Yang—the same man they had just rescued after Luo Xiu's team at Central Control shot out his leg.

Old Yang's body had already turned to ash and scattered with the wind. Where he died, only his dropped weapons, equipment, and chest rig remained.

"What else can we do? That team at Central Control is staring us down! Going out is a death sentence. Let's just stay here. I don't believe that team will kill so many people and not come to loot the bodies."

"Makes sense. Judging by the noise from the Dormitory Area, a few people who spawned there must have died on the road too. I wonder if West University swiped a card this round? If not, their team might be right behind them."

The two behind the cover analyzed the situation, both agreeing that they should wait and see rather than making a rash move.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the team that spawned in the Dormitory Area was currently heading toward the Central Control Bridge.

Similar to the two in the Sandy Area, only two members of the Dormitory team remained, hiding behind a truck for cover.

In front of them was a teammate's corpse, which had also vanished into ash, leaving behind a pile of loot.

"Damn it, how is someone already at Central Control right at the start!"

"These guys are too sinister, camping here with snipers from the get-go, and they're using LMGs. If these people have any family left... I'll eat a shoe!"

"Damn, the people from the West District Gate might show up soon too! If we get pinched from both sides, we're dead."

"Wait a bit. Their attention doesn't seem to be on us anymore. They've started shooting at the people in the Sandy Area. I wonder if it's Prison Boss's team or the second-place team."

"Let's watch a bit longer. If there's a chance, we'll take our revenge. My aim isn't half bad either."

The team from the Dormitory Area whispered behind their cover.

They had also realized that the team on the bridge was facing more than just them.

Just after they hid, continuous gunfire rang out from the Central Control Bridge again.

Judging by the sound, even though every LMG was equipped with a suppressor, it was clear their direction of fire was not toward the dormitory.

Meanwhile, on the bridge, the Tianshen Team led by Luo Xiu fired in both directions. After taking down one person from both Prison Boss's and the Dormitory teams, they didn't choose to be aggressive.

Even though they were wearing Tier 5 gear and everyone was equipped with a fully modified rifle in addition to their LMGs—a level of combat power akin to using a cannon to hit a mosquito on this map.

In the past, Luo Xiu would have definitely ordered a push after a knockdown to eliminate a squad, making the rest of the battle easier to judge and handle.

But this match was different for them.

Previously, whenever they entered a forbidden zone, they would bring fully modified firearms, full-durability Tier 5 gear, medicines, and Golden Eggs, intent on clearing the map.

However, for this match, Luo Xiu had received instructions from Song Qiuyun to essentially act as an escort for Xiao Yun's team.

"Hey, Xiao Yun, how's it going on your end?"

Seeing that only two minutes had passed, Luo Xiu couldn't help but open the radio to ask Xiao Yun about the situation.

He remembered that Xiao Yun and Liu Shihhan had spawned in the Launch Area and entered the core mechanics area without any obstacles.

From the Central Control Bridge, he could see the West District Gate hadn't been opened, and there was no sound from the Ark Bridge on the East District side.

In other words, except for their team, any other squad wanting to enter the Core Area had to pass through the Central Control Bridge.

"Searching right now. What's up?"

"Nothing. Take your time. This match should be very safe; no one will interfere with you."

Luo Xiu's tone was a bit smug as he continued.

"The people from the Dormitory and Prison Boss just tried to head toward the Central Control Bridge, but we picked off one from each side. It looks like their gear isn't that great this round. We'll wait until you're done with the Core Area before we start clearing the map."

"OK. But I'm worried. You guys brought such expensive gear; I don't know if the Golden Eggs you get from clearing the map will even cover the costs. Can you really break even?"

"Don't worry about that. A few Golden Eggs aren't worth much. This gear and these weapons aren't one-time use; as long as we don't die or drop them, we can keep using them. And don't forget, we have Deep Blue in our team. Even if someone dies, he can help us bring the gear out safely."

"Alright, I'll start searching as fast as I can. If I find anything good, I'll let you know."

...After the exchange, Xiao Yun closed the radio channel.

By now, he and Liu Shihhan had reached the outside of the Presidents Office.

Liu Shihhan was happily opening a large safe, while Xiao Yun prepared to enter the Presidents Office to see if any big reds or keycards had spawned in the open.

Less than two minutes into the match, they had already finished looting the high-value spots in the Blue Room and Black Room before heading straight for the Presidents Office.

For the current Xiao Yun and Liu Shihhan, there was no need to search low-value spots. The drop rates were low, and even if something did drop, it would just be a small or medium gold item at best.

Trying to find a big red in those low-value spots was practically a pipe dream.

And right now, what Xiao Yun and Liu Shihhan needed was precisely a big red.

"By the way, Xiao Yun."

"What is it? Did you find something?"

Hearing Liu Shihhan call him from outside the Presidents Office, Xiao Yun guessed she might have opened something good.

"No, this safe is a troll. It didn't even give me a small gold."

"Then what's wrong?" Xiao Yun asked, puzzled.

"Oh, didn't you say before the semester started that you'd contact the Administrator to see if there's any special way to get Lu Xueqing into Qingbei University?"

"Oh, right."

Hearing Liu Shihhan mention it, Xiao Yun finally remembered.

He did indeed want Lu Xueqing to stay in the team. After all, the drop rate in the forbidden zones was vastly different with her around.

Back at the Zhongye Dam, it was fine; even if no Reds dropped, they could loot plenty of Tier 5 and Tier 6 armor and modified guns from the NPCs. They could make several million even without a major drop.

But that wouldn't work now.

Now that Xiao Yun had the family heirloom funds, he wasn't short on equipment, nor did he need to sell gear for money.

What he needed now was to help the Haibei Research Institute find the specific big red materials they needed for research.

Trying to get a specific type of big red was the hardest part. Without Lu Xueqing's luck, Xiao Yun didn't know how long it would take to find everything on the list.

"Well, just now while we were separated—you in the Blue Room and me in the Black Room—I asked He Yan and the others. Guess what?"

"What?"

Hearing the slight hint of joy in Liu Shihhan's voice, Xiao Yun knew the matter was likely settled.