51: The most brutal update

"Ready?"

Xie Jinyuan asked.

Chen Xi squatted on the masonry by the gap, not looking up. His fingers slid rapidly across the system interface; a blue light screen floated before his retinas, visible only to him. On the interface, the [Engineering Module] icon had lit up, turning from gray to blue with a cold, hard metallic luster.

"Almost," Chen Xi said.

A circle of people surrounded him. Shangguan Zhibiao, the Scar-faced Platoon Leader, and a few officers who could still stand. Behind them were about twenty Soldiers, all craning their necks to watch. There was something burning in their eyes. It wasn't curiosity, but something else—like a drowning man seeing a rope.

Chen Xi clicked on the [Engineering Module].

A sub-menu popped up: [Basic Tools], [Structural Reinforcement], [Transport Equipment].

He clicked [Transport Equipment].

The list scrolled down. It was long, filled with various icons and names. His finger stopped at one spot.

[Portable High-Strength Cableway Erector].

Description: [Used for the rapid setup of temporary cableway systems. Maximum span of 500 meters, weight capacity of 1 ton, equipped with an automatic winch and safety carabiners. Camouflage form: Kite string reel.]

Price: Followed by a string of zeros.

Chen Xi glanced at his emotion points. The number was still jumping; it was rising a bit slower now, but it was enough. Enough to buy this.

He clicked [Exchange].

Confirm.

A system prompt popped up: [Exchange successful, item has been stored in system space].

He closed the interface.

He reached into his shirt. It wasn't a physical reach, but a mental operation. The system space was virtual, but items could be materialized. Thinking of the reel, he felt a weight in his hand.

He pulled it out.

A string reel.

It was wooden, about thirty centimeters in diameter, wound with silver-gray line. The line was very thin, like fishing line, but it glinted with a metallic sheen in the dim light of the warehouse. There were several buttons on the side of the reel; though he couldn't understand the labels, the system interface provided instructions.

"This is..." Shangguan Zhibiao leaned in to look.

"A cableway," Chen Xi said.

"A what-way?"

"A cableway. It's set up across the river, and people slide across."

Shangguan Zhibiao blinked. The Scar-faced Platoon Leader also blinked. The Soldiers behind them looked at each other.

"Slide... slide across?" the Scar-faced Platoon Leader asked. "Like... like a monkey?"

"Pretty much," Chen Xi said.

He stood up, clutching the reel, and walked to the gap. It was almost dark outside, and the rain was still falling—a drizzle, not heavy, but dense. The three-story building on the opposite bank was a blurred silhouette in the curtain of rain.

"I need cover," Chen Xi said. "Feint an attack on the bridgehead to draw the Japs over. The more commotion, the better."

Xie Jinyuan nodded. "It's already been arranged."

"How long?"

"Starting in ten minutes."

"Good," Chen Xi said. "In ten minutes, I'll set up the cableway."

He placed the reel on the ground, squatted down, and checked the buttons. His finger pressed on the first button.

He was just about to press it.

The system notification sound suddenly rang out.

It wasn't the usual notification sound. It was sharper, more piercing, like an alarm.

[Warning: Abnormal data fluctuations detected]

[Real Mode 2.0 Patch forced startup]

[Adjusting player pain synchronization rate...]

[Current synchronization rate: 10%... 30%... 70%...]

Chen Xi froze.

His finger stopped on the button.

[Synchronization rate: 100%]

[Adjustment complete]

The voice stopped.

The world went quiet for a second.

Then the pain arrived.

It didn't come slowly. It exploded. It was as if someone had thrown a grenade inside his body, detonating from the inside out.

His left shoulder hurt first. That grazing bullet wound, which had only felt warm at the time, now began to ache. It wasn't a skin pain, but a bone pain. His collarbone felt as if it had been smashed by a sledgehammer, the fragments stabbing into his flesh and churning.

Next was his right hand. Where the web of his thumb had split, the bleeding had long since stopped, but now it suddenly tore open again. The pain of flesh ripping apart was accompanied by the rhythmic throbbing of nerves.

Then his left ribs. The gash from the shrapnel, three inches long and not deep, had already scabbed over. Now the scab broke, and blood surged out, warm, flowing down his side. The wound felt as if it were being seared by a branding iron, sizzling.

But it wasn't over yet.

More pain flooded in. Scrapes on his shins, a bruise on his forehead, the contusions on his back from the masonry. Every injury, every ache, stacked together and flared up simultaneously.

A sound escaped Chen Xi's throat.

It wasn't a scream. It was a choking sound, as if someone were strangling him. His body arched forward, hands bracing against the ground, fingers digging into the cracks between the bricks. His fingernails tore, and blood seeped out, mixing with the mud.

"Mr. Chen?" Shangguan Zhibiao shouted.

Chen Xi didn't hear him.

There was only one sound in his ears. A buzzing, high-frequency noise, like a power drill boring into his temples. His vision began to darken—not because of the night, but because his field of view was narrowing, the sides squeezing toward the center until only a small point of light remained.

He opened his mouth, trying to inhale.

He couldn't draw air in. His lungs felt as if they were coated in cement, stiff and immobile. His chest felt heavy and tight, as if a hand were inside clutching his heart, squeezing tighter and tighter.

"Mr. Chen!" Xie Jinyuan's voice sounded distant, as if through water.

Chen Xi looked up.

His vision was blurred. He saw Xie Jinyuan's face, swaying and distorted. He saw Shangguan Zhibiao rushing over, hand reaching out to him. He saw the shocked expressions of the Soldiers behind them.

He wanted to say he was fine.

He couldn't speak.

His throat was blocked; only a wheezing, hissing sound came out.

Then an even more violent wave of pain arrived.

This time it wasn't external injuries. It was internal. Internal injuries he hadn't felt before now all surfaced. His internal organs, shocked by the blast waves of explosions, began to hurt. His stomach cramped, his intestines twisted, his liver area felt bloated, and his kidneys felt as if they were being pierced by needles.

His body began to shake.

He shook uncontrollably. From his toes to the top of his head, every muscle was jumping and twitching. His teeth chattered together with a clicking sound.

"Hold him!" Xie Jinyuan roared.

Shangguan Zhibiao lunged forward and grabbed Chen Xi's arm. The moment his hand touched him, Chen Xi's body stiffened, and then he suddenly wrenched away.

The strength was immense.

Shangguan Zhibiao was thrown back, staggering a few steps.

Chen Xi stood up.

He didn't stand up of his own accord. His body was pushed up by the pain, like a spring snapping straight. He stood there, his entire body rigid, eyes wide, pupils shrunk to pinpoints.

He looked ahead.

Looking at the gap, looking at the rain, looking at the opposite bank of the river.

Then a sound rumbled from his throat.

Very low, very deep, like the dying howl of a wild beast.

Before the sound could even fade, his body fell backward.

He fell stiff as a board.

The back of his head hit the masonry with a dull thud.

He stopped moving.

His eyes were still open, but the light was gone. They were empty, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Mr. Chen!" Shangguan Zhibiao threw himself forward.

Xie Jinyuan also rushed over.

The two squatted down and shook Chen Xi's shoulders. No response. They patted his face. No response. A finger placed under his nose revealed breathing that was very weak, almost imperceptible.

"Military Doctor!" Xie Jinyuan roared.

The Military Doctor ran over, squatted down, and peeled back Chen Xi's eyelids. The pupils were dilated. He felt for the carotid artery; the pulse was very slow and weak.

"What's going on?" Shangguan Zhibiao's voice was shaking.

"I don't know," the Military Doctor shook his head. "He just suddenly became like this. It's... it's like sudden death."

"Bullshit!" Shangguan Zhibiao cursed. "He was fine just a moment ago!"

Xie Jinyuan didn't speak.

He looked at Chen Xi's face. It was pale, bloodless, and his lips were turning purple. His forehead was covered in cold sweat, which flowed down his temples and dripped onto the bricks.

He reached out and wiped the dust from Chen Xi's eyelids.

Then he stood up.

"Carry him to the back," he said. "Be careful."

Four Soldiers came over and lifted Chen Xi onto a stretcher. Their movements were very gentle and slow. Chen Xi's body was limp; as the stretcher swayed, his arm hung down and swung.

They carried him to the wall and set him down.

The Military Doctor knelt beside him and continued the examination. He listened to the heartbeat, counted the pulse, and checked the eyelids. The more he checked, the paler his face became.

"Regimental Commander," the Military Doctor looked up, "he's really not going to make it. The heartbeat is almost gone."

Xie Jinyuan walked over and squatted down.

He looked at Chen Xi.

He looked for a long time.

Then he reached out to close Chen Xi's open eyes.

His hand was shaking.

He closed them, but they opened again. The eyelids snapped back, remaining open as before, staring vacantly.

Xie Jinyuan tried to close them again.

This time he held them down for a few seconds.

He let go.

The eyelids stayed shut.

"Regimental Commander," Shangguan Zhibiao's voice was hoarse, "the cableway..."

Xie Jinyuan stood up.

He turned and looked out of the gap.

The rain was still falling. It was completely dark. In the distance, by the bridgehead, gunfire rang out. The feint had begun.

But he knew it was useless now.

The cableway hadn't been set up. Chen Xi had fallen.

The plan had collapsed.

He took a deep breath.

The air he inhaled was full of the smell of blood, the scent of burning, and the earthy smell of rainwater.

"Follow the original plan," he said, his voice flat. "Force a breakthrough across the bridge."

"But—"

"Execute the order."

Shangguan Zhibiao grit his teeth and stood at attention: "Yes!"

He turned to assemble the troops.

Xie Jinyuan stood where he was.

He looked at Chen Xi's face on the stretcher.

He took one last look.

Then he turned and walked toward his troops.

The warehouse became a bustle of activity. Soldiers checked their weapons, packed their gear, and shared the last of their dry rations. No one spoke, but their movements were swift.

By the stretcher, only the Military Doctor remained.

The Military Doctor was still trying to resuscitate him. He pressed on the chest and performed artificial respiration. It was no use. Chen Xi's body was growing colder, and his face was turning increasingly blue.

The Military Doctor stopped.

He panted, looking at Chen Xi.

Then he reached into his shirt and pulled something out.

It was a cross, made of wood, very small and worn smooth until it shone.

He held it in his hand, closed his eyes, and his lips moved slightly.

A prayer.

When he finished praying, he opened his eyes.

He looked at Chen Xi.

On Chen Xi's chest, something was flashing.

A very faint light, a shimmering blue, showing through his clothes.

The Military Doctor was stunned for a moment.

He reached out and pulled open Chen Xi's collar.

There was something underneath. Pressed against his chest was a square object, like a pocket watch but thinner. The light was coming from there, flashing rhythmically like a heartbeat.

The Military Doctor stared at it.

He watched for three seconds.

Then he suddenly turned his head and shouted, "Regimental Commander! Regimental Commander!"

Xie Jinyuan had just reached the front of the troops; hearing the shout, he turned back.

"Look at this!" The Military Doctor pointed at Chen Xi's chest.

Xie Jinyuan walked back and squatted down.

He saw the glowing object.

The light was weak but steady. Flash, flash. The frequency was slow but regular.

"What is this?" Shangguan Zhibiao also leaned in.

No one knew.

Xie Jinyuan reached out, wanting to touch it.

His hand stopped halfway.

The light suddenly changed.

From blue, it turned red.

It flashed faster.

Then, the object emitted a faint—

Beep.