11: Prove your worth

"May I ask, sir... who exactly are you?"

Xie Jinyuan's voice wasn't loud, but it felt like a heavy hammer slamming into everyone's hearts.

Inside the headquarters, the air seemed to have been sucked dry.

Shangguan Zhibiao stood to the side, not even daring to breathe loudly. He looked at his commander's unfathomable gaze, then at Chen Xi's face flickering in the kerosene lamplight, his palms drenched in sweat.

Chen Xi remained silent.

How could he answer?

Say he was a lonely soul from eighty-nine years in the future, possessing a game streamer, and air-dropped here through an absurd livestream system?

If he dared say that, Xie Jinyuan would probably have him treated as a demon in the next second, tied to a Nickname and burned at the stake.

But in front of this man, lies seemed so ridiculous.

At this moment, the comments in the livestream were completely split into two factions.

[Hurry up and say it, Master Xi! Say you're the last descendant of the Mohists, a master of machinery!]

[The guy above knows nothing! You should say you're a cultivator from the mountains who just came down for experience and happened to run into this!]

[Are you all crazy? Master Xi, don't be afraid! Just tell him the truth! If he doesn't believe you, use the Squirt Gun to melt a hole in this warehouse for him to see!]

[Stop giving shitty advice! Do you want Master Xi to die? I feel like this Commander Xie isn't someone who's easily fooled...]

Just as Chen Xi's brain was working at high speed, weighing which explanation would keep him alive the longest...

"BOOM—!!!"

An explosion, more violent and muffled than any before, suddenly erupted from the north side of the warehouse!

-

The entire headquarters shook violently. The teacup on the table was jolted up, fell to the ground, and shattered into pieces. Dust fell from the map on the wall.

"What happened?!" Shangguan Zhibiao lunged to the door and barked the question.

Before the sentry outside could answer, a blood-covered messenger scrambled in, his voice filled with sobbing and extreme terror.

"Com... Commander! Something's wrong!"

"The little devils... the little devils somehow got their hands on a type 92 infantry gun! They're pounding our fire points on the north wall!"

"The brothers... the brothers can't hold on much longer!"

A type 92 infantry gun!

Hearing this name, the expressions of both Xie Jinyuan and Shangguan Zhibiao changed instantly.

-

That thing, though its caliber wasn't large, excelled in its high rate of fire and flat trajectory. It was specifically designed to take out bunkers and machine gun nests—an absolute nemesis for their crude fortifications!

"Where's the machine gun squad?! Suppress it!" Shangguan Zhibiao's eyes were bloodshot as he grabbed the messenger's collar and roared.

"We can't suppress it, Captain!" the messenger's voice was cracking. "The little devils have gotten smarter. They've hidden the gun behind some ruins hundreds of meters away; our machine guns can't reach them at all! But their shells are hitting us one by one like they have eyes! Just now... just now... the brothers of the First Machine Gun Squad... are all gone!"

By the end, the messenger could no longer hold back and began to wail.

Shangguan Zhibiao's body swayed. He let go, took two steps back, his eyes filled with pain and helplessness.

-

A deathly silence fell over the headquarters.

Outside the window, that type 92 infantry gun continued to roar tirelessly. Each blast felt like a death knell for the defenders on this isolated island.

Xie Jinyuan slowly closed his eyes.

-

For the first time, a hint of undeniable exhaustion and grief appeared on his refined face.

But only two seconds later, when he opened his eyes again, all emotion had vanished, replaced by steely calm and resolve.

He didn't look at Chen Xi again. Instead, he turned and walked quickly to the weapon rack by the wall.

He picked up a Zhongzheng Rifle, pulled his sidearm from his waist, and began checking the ammunition.

-

"Commander! What are you doing?!" Shangguan Zhibiao was shocked.

"I'm going."

Xie Jinyuan's voice was frighteningly calm.

"I'm going to organize a Suicide Squad, charge out, and blow up that gun."

"No!" Shangguan Zhibiao blocked him without a second thought. "You're the commander-in-chief here! If something happens to you, what will happen to these four hundred brothers?! I'll go! I'll take the men!"

"If you go, who will command the western defenses?" Xie Jinyuan looked at him coldly. "This is an order."

-

Shangguan Zhibiao's lips trembled. This iron-willed man's eyes were so red they looked like they might bleed.

He knew that for a so-called Suicide Squad, charging out meant a slim chance of survival.

Or rather... certain death.

The viewers in the livestream were also stunned by this sudden tragedy.

[Holy shit... is this going to be the final assault?]

[type 92 infantry gun... I looked it up. This thing is specifically for hitting bunkers. They can't hold!]

[It's over, it's over. These NPCs are going to organize a suicide charge...]

[Master Xi! Master Xi, think of something! Aren't you an immortal?!]

"I'll go."

A calm voice suddenly rang out behind them.

-

Xie Jinyuan and Shangguan Zhibiao turned around at the same time.

They saw that Chen Xi had stood up at some point.

The previous tension and hesitation were gone from his face, replaced by a calm confidence that felt somewhat unfamiliar to them.

"Commander," Chen Xi said slowly, looking at Xie Jinyuan, "words are empty in the end."

He grinned, revealing a row of white teeth, with a hint of roguishness.

"Some things need to be proven."

-

Xie Jinyuan looked at him, a complex light flashing in his eyes.

He didn't agree immediately, nor did he refuse.

He just remained silent and handed a pair of German Binoculars to Chen Xi.

Chen Xi took the binoculars and walked to the window.

He raised them and looked toward the north.

His gaze passed the shattered window frame and the cratered streets, quickly locking onto the ruins the messenger had mentioned.

It was a cluster of bombed-out houses, with rebar and concrete blocks twisted together.

-

A Japanese type 92 heavy machine gun was mounted on a broken wall, frantically spitting fire, suppressing several fire points on the second floor of the warehouse.

And about fifty meters behind that heavy machine gun, in a deeper hollow, Chen Xi saw the shadow of the infantry gun.

Several Japanese gunners were skillfully operating it—loading, firing—the movements were seamless.

-

The flash from the muzzle vanished in an instant.

A few seconds later, a new breach exploded on the north wall of the warehouse.

The distance was too far.

-

It was at least three hundred meters away by eye.

Moreover, the opponent's position was very tricky, perfectly situated in a blind spot.

No weapon in the warehouse could do anything about it.

Chen Xi lowered the binoculars.

"How is it?" Xie Jinyuan's voice came from behind him.

"A bit troublesome," Chen Xi turned around, his expression relaxed, "but it can be solved."

He said this nonchalantly.

But to Shangguan Zhibiao's ears, it sounded like a fantasy.

"You'll solve it?" Shangguan Zhibiao's eyes widened. "How? By charging out? Three hundred meters! The little devils' machine guns will turn you into a sieve halfway there!"

"Who said I was going to charge out?"

Chen Xi smiled and didn't explain.

He simply reached out a hand to Xie Jinyuan.

"Commander, lend me a spot. Preferably somewhere high with a clear view."

Xie Jinyuan gave him a deep look.

"Follow me."

He didn't ask another question, turning and heading toward the stairs to the third floor.

Chen Xi followed.

Shangguan Zhibiao hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and followed quickly. He wanted to see what kind of tricks this mysterious guy could pull off.

The damage on the third floor was even worse than on the second.

A huge hole had been blown in the roof, through which the gray sky could be seen.

Cold wind poured in from all directions, making one's face sting.

There were almost no intact walls here, only ruins everywhere. A few Soldiers were huddled behind cover, dodging stray bullets that flew by from time to time.

Xie Jinyuan led Chen Xi to a window facing north.

This was one of the highest points in the entire warehouse, offering an excellent view.

One could clearly see the ruins and, behind them, the artillery position that was continuously spitting death.

"Will this spot do?" Xie Jinyuan asked.

"It's enough."

Chen Xi nodded.

He leaned against the window, raised the binoculars again, and carefully observed the target.

That machine gun nest: two gunners.

That artillery position: one commander, three gunners.

Total: six people.

He lowered the binoculars and took a deep breath.

Then, under the gaze of Xie Jinyuan, Shangguan Zhibiao, the surrounding Soldiers, and the millions of viewers in the livestream—a gaze mixed with curiosity, expectation, doubt, and tension—

He slowly pulled his "weapon" out from the invisible "System Backpack" behind him.

It was... a slingshot.

A red, plastic-textured, most ordinary, cheapest children's toy that looked like it had been bought for fifty cents from some small convenience store.

"..."

Shangguan Zhibiao's mouth slowly fell open.

He rubbed his eyes hard, thinking the gunpowder smoke was causing him to hallucinate.

The Soldiers around them were also dazed, looking as if they had seen a ghost.

Even on Xie Jinyuan's perpetually frozen face, a crack appeared for the first time.

He looked at the ridiculous red slingshot, then at the roaring artillery position in the distance. Despite his vast experience and steady temperament, his mind was now a total blank.

In the livestream.

After a brief pause, the comments instantly exploded across the screen with unprecedented madness.

[A... slingshot??????]

[Am I fucking seeing things??? Master Xi pulled out a slingshot?!]

[Three hundred meters away! Taking out a gun! With a slingshot?! Streamer, have you lost your mind?!]

[It's over, the immortal persona has crumbled. Master Xi is being forced into a corner and has started trolling, hasn't he!]

[Sorry, I know it's dangerous right now, but... Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!]