Chapter 44: Kashi Village

The whirlpool of the [Golden Pupil War] was of medium size. Compared to [Pretty Friend], it appeared quite small, but it was roughly on par with [Shibuya Incident].

[The Ultimate Ferocious Tiger of the Auditorium] had not come online yet, so Chen Lai did not call for him. Instead, he simply pulled Zhang Long along, chatted briefly on Penguin Island, and then jumped straight into the whirlpool.

[Confidential - Golden Pupil War (Access Preparation: 30,000 RMB)]
[Pre-battle preparation time. This game will last for one month. You must evacuate from the designated location within the time limit, timed from entering the instance.]
[Your in-game items: None]
[Bank balance: 19,500 RMB]

Seeing his balance, Chen Lai's expression instantly turned bitter. He had forgotten that he was completely broke...

Just as he was agonizing over who to borrow gear-up funds from, an octopus-shaped wallet dropped from the sky, and a massive flood of Q-coins poured into his bank balance. The Ferocious Tiger had come online and transferred the earnings from the previous live broadcast to him.

From the previous live broadcast, only the phase facing Amon had yielded substantial profits. The Ferocious Tiger had transferred 50,000 RMB to him, pushing his savings to the threshold of 70,000.

"This wave is crucial, brother."

Chen Lai tossed the octopus wallet away. It instantly turned into a living creature, swimming out of the whirlpool to report back to the Ferocious Tiger.

The Ferocious Tiger's money had arrived just in time, but it was still not enough to purchase the [Half-Breed] identity card, unless...

Unless he was willing to choose the [War Frontline] spawn point, which would grant a discount on the identity card. This was a special mechanic for instances containing the word [War] in their titles. After all, spawning on the frontline during a war meant a quick death, making the best gear useless anyway.

With a total of 70,000 RMB, Chen Lai intended to select the war frontline spawn. This way, the [Half-Breed] identity card would be discounted and could be secured for 60,000 RMB.

"The Half-Breed identity card is a must-have. Whether it's the frontline or not doesn't matter; this war will eventually engulf everyone anyway."
"Aside from the Half-Breed identity card, I'll grab a rifle and some ammunition, and finally, a hunting knife."

Chen Lai made his selections from the wide variety of instance items. The sheer number of firearms was enough to make his head spin.

What with PPD-34 submachine guns, Tokarev rifles, Mosin-Nagant rifles... The variety was vast, and the models were quite mixed.

In the end, Chen Lai chose the Tokarev rifle.

This was no random choice. This rifle was collectively referred to by players within the instance as the "S-rifle," named after the leader of the Great Rosa. Compared to the old and crude Mosin-Nagant, the Tokarev was a newly produced semi-automatic rifle, currently distributed only to the Guards!

The price was a bit steep, but it was truly worth it. Chen Lai exchanged for it immediately, along with two hundred rounds of ammunition in reserve, and a hunting knife to serve as a close-combat weapon.

With the final 2,500 RMB, Chen Lai bought five RGD-33 grenades, completely wiping out his remaining cash.

[Combat readiness requirements met. Deploy?]
"Of course!" Chen Lai perked up. This trip was meant for a fat extraction; he had thrown his entire life savings into it!

The next second, his consciousness blurred and grew hazy as he lay down on a hospital bed.

It was a very narrow bed. A Red Star steel helmet sat compactly on the table beside the bed, a web belt hung messily over the chair, and an unpleasant odor of herbal medicine drifted in from outside, accompanied by deliberately hushed voices.

"Ulya, has he woken up yet?"
"Not yet, Comrade Korchagin. He is very badly hurt, the bullet went straight through his chest... The bullets from the Prosen rifles are heavy and long. To pull a life back from a shot like that is already a miracle."
"Given his condition, can he travel?"
"Not at all. From our village to Donetsk, such a long way, and with it snowing now while he still has a fever, he simply cannot endure it."
"Very well then. The situation as it stands is that the Organization Department has prepared to evacuate. Anyone in the village who is able to move and is under fifty years of age must follow. The wounded and sick may remain behind... This is going to be a very difficult time. The Prosen people are very barbarous."
"I understand completely, Comrade Korchagin, but as a nurse, I must stay with my patient until the very last moment. Besides, he is a hero of Rosa, wounded while fighting the Prosen devils."
"With such awareness on your part, I suppose I have nothing to worry about... Let us shake hands, Comrade Ulya, and hope for the day we meet again."
"That day will come, Comrade Korchagin. The Prosen devils' goals will never be achieved, and the Rosa homeland shall endure forever!"

Chen Lai silently listened to the conversation between the two and touched his forehead with his hand... He was indeed running a fever. It seemed he was out of luck this time; he had spawned on the frontline, only to end up as a patient.

There was also a vague tearing sensation in his right chest. This tearing sensation left his body weak, a genuine sign of having been shot.

[Reincarnated Truck-kun: Where did you spawn? I'm currently on the Yancheklak Bridge, the General says we're retreating to the east.]
[Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon: You retreat first. I spawned on the war frontline, currently in a small village. I'll come look for you once I regain my mobility.]
[Reincarnated Truck-kun: Got it, keep in touch.]

Chen Lai split his attention to reply to Zhang Long, and prepared to climb out of the hospital bed when the door creaked open. Ulya walked in holding a basin of hot water. Their startled gazes met, and Ulya's expression suddenly turned to pleasant surprise.

"Oh, Comrade Commander, you're finally awake! How do you feel? Does the wound still hurt?"

As she spoke, Ulya tucked the stray strands of blonde hair behind her ear. Chen Lai carefully observed her. The young woman possessed a rustic, down-to-earth charm; her large eyes were bright and clear, and the skin on her face bore slightly pale textures where collagen fought against the freezing cold of Rosa.

"I feel okay. What is this place?"
"This is Kashi Village, Comrade Commander. The frontline troops have been retreating one after another, and now we've become the front line of the war. Soon, we too will be driven from our homes."
"How far away are the Prosen people from here?"
"You should ask Korchagin about that. He is our political commissar here, and the only person who can contact the partisans. However, he has already said that the Prosen people will occupy the village very soon, and they won't wait an extra second or two."

Chen Lai nodded, indicating that he understood. Then, he looked at the table nearby, where his folded clothes were placed. They were thin and old at a glance, with three stars on the shoulder boards, signifying a warrant officer—a First-Class Warrant Officer.

He sat up, but did not see his weapon, so he turned to Ulya: "Comrade, where is my weapon?"

Ulya dipped a towel into the hot water, preparing to wipe his body: "Are you talking about that S-rifle? I handed it over to Comrade Korchagin. Weapons and ammunition are in extremely tight supply right now."