Chapter Twenty-Nine: Ambushed—Shen Li on the Brink of Death

Almost simultaneously, Shen Li turned and raised her gun, shouting, "Here they come!"

Immediately, gunfire erupted throughout the forest. Shen Li traded fire with Lu Ziwei while frantically searching for cover to dodge his shots. Lu Ziwei fired six consecutive rounds, but every one of them missed.

"Damn it!"

Frustrated, he fired several more shots, then ducked to reload. Seizing the momentary gap, Shen Li poked her head out and fired twice. One bullet struck Lu Ziwei in the shoulder, the other in the leg, depleting half of his health.

At that same moment, an announcement rang out: Bai Qiuya had been eliminated. Shen Li frowned. "You're asking for it!" She turned her gun toward Jiang Nian, the one who had taken out Bai Qiuya, and fired.

To her surprise, he dodged with agile grace. Not a single shot landed. Jiang Nian didn't even fire back at her; instead, he turned his aim toward Qiao Le. Two precise shots struck Qiao Le squarely in the chest, leaving her at critical health.

—Wow, Jiang Nian’s aim is actually insane (surprised)
—If I didn't know he was a painter, I’d think he was a SWAT officer. So cool.
—Total fan now. He’s handsome, a great artist, and a crack shot. Perfect.
—Except for the sharp tongue and cold personality (facepalm)
—Doesn't matter, his face is enough for me to spoil him rotten.
—Question: since his aim is so good, and Shen Li is already at low health, why didn't he just finish her off? Why switch to Qiao Le, who was at full health?
—Who knows? Maybe the handsome guy has his own ideas?

Pei Wenxuan stared intensely at the live stream comments. Seeing this user's remark, he clenched his fists tightly. He remembered Jiang Nian’s arrogant demeanor from last night all too clearly. He knew deep down that this man could not be brought into the fold. If that was the case, he would have to find an opportunity to eliminate him. He could not be allowed to get in the way.

...

Within the "Scandal Team," Qiao Le’s marksmanship was only slightly better than Bai Qiuya's. Against Jiang Nian, whose every shot was precise, she was completely outmatched. She hid behind a large boulder, trembling. If one more bullet hit her chest, she would be out, and her team would be at a massive disadvantage. She couldn't afford to be eliminated. And if she were to go, she had to take someone down with her.

A plan formed in Qiao Le’s mind. Shen Li was more than capable of handling Lu Ziwei, and Lan Ting was evenly matched with Ji Beishu, though Ji Beishu had a slight edge. That left Jiang Nian as the wildcard.

She had to take out Jiang Nian!

Thinking this, Qiao Le quietly moved toward Jiang Nian’s position. Shen Li was currently behind cover, safe from Lu Ziwei, so Qiao Le seized the chance to slip behind Jiang Nian and aimed her gun directly at Lu Ziwei.

The latter instantly grew alert and reflexively returned fire. Just then, Qiao Le lunged at Jiang Nian’s back. A bullet meant for her struck Jiang Nian instead.

Unfortunately, it only hit his thigh, costing him half his health.

The same trick wouldn't work twice. Jiang Nian reacted instantly, spinning around to point his gun at Qiao Le. At this life-or-death moment, even if she could only shave off one of Jiang Nian’s lives, it would be a win for her team. Qiao Le screamed, "I'm going for it!"

She pulled the trigger. Jiang Nian, having anticipated the move, sidestepped her shot. Even though Qiao Le knew this was a simulation, she felt genuine terror in that moment. They were in a virtual world, but the sensation of that final moment felt real. As the bullet flew toward her, the world seemed to stop. She felt a wave of regret—she was so useless. Not only had she failed to take a life from Jiang Nian, but she was paralyzed by the fear of death.

But fear of death was a human instinct; she couldn't control it.

She whispered to herself: *Don't be afraid. It’s just returning to the real world. Nothing to be...*

Just as she prepared to close her eyes and accept her fate, a dark shadow flashed before her. Shen Li, who had somehow reached her side, lunged forward and shoved her out of the way. Shen Li tumbled across the ground, her back slamming into a massive boulder, and she coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Cough, cough!" Shen Li’s eyes were rimmed with red. "Qiao Le, how could you make such a reckless decision? You can't die!" At the very least, Qiao Le’s presence kept their team in the game. When she saw Qiao Le lunging at Jiang Nian to provoke Lu Ziwei, she had guessed her intent and had used the cover to move toward her. Thankfully, she had arrived just in time to save her.

At that moment, Lu Ziwei laughed maniacally. "Then die in her place!" He pulled the trigger without hesitation. Jiang Nian turned back, his pupils dilating.

He moved half a step to the right without a sound, and the bullet struck him squarely in the back. Lu Ziwei’s arrogant laughter died instantly.

[Jiang Nian has 1.5 lives remaining.]

—Uh, what... so much for Lu Ziwei being a "professional."
—The slap in the face to his fans is so loud, I’m dying of laughter.
—He had the chance and blew it. Shooting his own teammate? Really?
—He clearly saw Jiang Nian standing in front of Shen Li, yet he fired straight ahead. I don't know what he was thinking. He could have moved a few steps before shooting (eye roll).
—My intolerance for stupidity is acting up. By comparison, Shen Li actually surprised me. Lunging to save Qiao Le changed my opinion of her.
—Pfft, she only saved her because she knew she wouldn't die. If it were permanent, she’d be the first to hide.
—Don't be stubborn, Lu fans. At least she saved her teammate, while your idol just took his out (giggles).

...

Jiang Nian stared at Lu Ziwei in disbelief. "Why did you shoot me?"

Lu Ziwei was left speechless. "I... I didn't mean to hit you."

"Can't you aim better?" Jiang Nian countered, acting first to seize the narrative so no one would realize he had intentionally blocked the shot.

However, Shen Li, standing right before him, saw it all clearly. She watched the two of them bicker and pulled Qiao Le behind the rock.

She had to admit, Pei Wenxuan’s decision to use Jiang Nian to lure her out was his only smart move; everyone else was too foolish. In her past life, she had been trapped in a mire of trying to prove her innocence, brainwashed and sabotaged by these very people. This time, there was no way she would trust Jiang Nian.

Even if he had just saved her life.

She only had half a life left; she had to be cautious.

Just then, gunfire rang out again. Ji Beishu had tried to ambush Lan Ting while she was distracted by the argument. Lan Ting only had one life left, but she reacted the moment he raised his weapon. Both pulled their triggers simultaneously.

[Lan Ting, Ji Beishu: Out.]

Before a second had passed, Shen Li popped out and aimed at Lu Ziwei. Qiao Le caught on immediately and moved to the other side of the boulder, both of them locking their sights on him.

"Bang! Bang!"
"Bang!"

The shots echoed in succession. In a panic, Lu Ziwei couldn't focus his aim and fired blindly at them. He took two hits, but his own shot managed to clip Qiao Le’s arm. Jiang Nian then quickly retaliated, finishing off Qiao Le.

[Lu Ziwei: Out.]
[Qiao Le: Out.]

Only two remained in the arena: a critically wounded Shen Li facing off against Jiang Nian, who still had an extra life on her. Shen Li immediately retreated behind cover to rethink her strategy.

At that moment, Jiang Nian spoke...