Chapter 189: Plan

At the same time, messages came in from Shi Zhiyi and Jiang Jing.

They had joined the crusade against Shi Zhile, acting as inside agents and sending real-time updates on specific details and ambush plans.

For instance, just now, Shi Zhiyi reported that their force had grown by over a thousand people, bringing the total to more than 5,000. These people were spread out evenly across the grasslands, mountains, and forests.

Jiang Jing added that they had formulated another meticulous ambush plan. Since the grasslands were too vast for an effective encirclement, the 2,000-plus players in the mountain region were to stand guard at the foot of the mountains. The plan was to let her enter the mountains first, then, once the other players arrived, they would close in on her, advancing up from the base.

Shi Zhile couldn’t help but laugh when she heard the plan.

“What kind of weirdo came up with this plan? With that many players in the mountains, they could wear me down and kill me with sheer attrition. And they still insist on herding me into the mountains for a game of cat and mouse.”

Of course, once they were in the mountains, it was anyone’s guess who would be the cat and who would be the mouse.

Sun Ci said, “They’re scared of your Water Gun. A good number of players survived the first ambush under its spray.

The mountains and forests are dense. Even if you use the Water Gun, they can hide behind trees. Add in sneak attacks and a siege, and they’re certain they can kill you.”

Wen Bai scoffed. “Anyone who’s survived this long is no fool.”

They’re teaming up to use each other. They want your supplies, but none of them wants to be the one to stick their neck out and die for nothing. Their hearts aren’t in it together, which is obviously to our advantage.”

The four of them sat in a circle, discussing how to get into the mountains and how to evade the other players.

At the foot of the mountains, players passed by at regular intervals. Everyone was keeping a close eye on the map, watching for any change in Shi Zhile’s coordinates.

While everyone thought Shi Zhile was still outside the mountain range, the four of them had already slipped inside.

And there, on a slope, a life-sized, realistic doll of Shi Zhile sat cross-legged on the ground, its back to the mountains.

It was grinning, its shiny black eyes darting back and forth, both hands held up with middle fingers extended in blatant mockery of all the players.

At the foot of the mountains, the leader, Wei Hui, was pacing anxiously. “Why is she still stopped there? Why won’t she go into the mountains? Don’t tell me she found out about our plan.”

He was one of the first players to plan an ambush on Shi Zhile. Because the plan had dragged on for so long without an opportunity presenting itself, the team he led had grown massive.

Shi Zhiyi and Jiang Jing stood beside him. They exchanged a look, both raising an eyebrow.

Jiang Jing reassured him, “It’s impossible for her to know our plan.

We just sent two hundred people to attack her two days ago, and she and her team have barely moved since. I suspect she or one of her teammates is injured.”

Wei Hui’s eyes lit up. “True. We’ve sent wave after wave to attack them, a perfect war of attrition. Even if they aren’t dead, there’s no way they’re unscathed.

This is no good. You two, come with me and let’s check it out.”

Shi Zhiyi shook her head gently, her voice sweet and soft. “Captain, I don’t think Jiang Jing should go. It’s not that I have a problem with him, but they used to be on the same side.

What if Shi Zhile isn’t injured, and he deliberately leads everyone there to work with her from the inside?”

Jiang Jing looked furious, pointing at Shi Zhiyi. “You…”

Shi Zhiyi paid him no mind, stepping closer to Wei Hui and watching Jiang Jing warily as she whispered, “And another thing.

What if they really are injured, and Jiang Jing kills Shi Zhile first to get the supplies for himself? You’d lose out on the biggest prize, wouldn’t you? Don’t forget, he has just as many supporters as you do.

You can’t be too careful when it comes to trusting people.”

Wei Hui was indeed wary of Jiang Jing.

First, because he was from Huaxia Base. Second, Shi Zhile often @-mentioned him in the group chat, which showed they had a good relationship.

As for the third reason, it was even simpler: Jiang Jing was too smart and full of crafty ideas. Even though Shi Zhile managed to foil his plans every time, he still had a loyal following among the players.

“Niandi, what do you think I should do?”

Shi Zhiyi pondered for a moment before whispering, “There’s a high probability that Shi Zhile is injured. They might have a lot of weapons, but after several rounds of attacks, they’re a spent force.

You should go over there yourself, and take a lot of men. First, to prevent them from escaping, and second, you’ll need people to escort you away after you kill her.

I’ll stay here and keep an eye on Jiang Jing. To make sure he doesn’t follow and mess things up, leave five… no! Leave ten men with me.

The more people you take, the more secure you’ll be. Only when you kill Shi Zhile will we have more supplies than we can eat.”

Listening to her soft, sweet voice, Wei Hui was practically drooling. Shi Zhiyi lowered her gaze, unable to hide the disgust in her eyes.

When she looked up again, all emotion had vanished from her eyes.

“Captain, are you listening?”

Wei Hui snapped back to reality. “I’m listening. We’ll do it your way. I’ll take some men over there right now.”

He started a video call and gave orders. A few moments later, over 200 players arrived.

Seeing that none of Jiang Jing’s people had come, his eyes flickered. After a moment’s thought, he left only two men with Shi Zhiyi before leading his group away aggressively.

Once their figures disappeared completely, Shi Zhiyi and Jiang Jing exchanged a look.

A blade flashed. A hand covered a mouth, a throat was slit. A single, fatal strike.

The two of them buried the bodies, all while scanning their surroundings and listening for sounds in the distance.

A few moments later, with a loud BANG, a giant mushroom cloud of blood rose in the distance.

Afterward, the hillside had been flattened. Severed limbs and skeletal remains were scattered everywhere. There were no survivors.

In the very center, there was a massive, deep crater.

The two exchanged another glance and started walking toward the mountain forest at an unhurried pace.

As he walked, Jiang Jing sent a voice message: “Shi Zhile and her group are injured and have fled into the mountains. All players, be on alert.”

After that, he sent another voice message to his private group: “Listen up, everyone. Shi Zhile must be ours. If you find her, notify me immediately. I’ll get there as fast as I can. We absolutely cannot let any other players kill her.

If necessary, you have permission to kill other players to secure the supplies that belong to us.”

Below, a uniform flood of “Roger that” responses came in.

Ending the conversation, Shi Zhiyi started a video call with Shi Zhile.

“Any survivors?”

Shi Zhile shook her head. “None. The doll’s blast radius is huge. A System product, quality guaranteed.”

Zhiyi was relieved. “The news that you’ve entered the forest is already out. Jiang Jing has really muddied the waters. They’ll definitely turn on their own allies to fight for more supplies. You guys be careful not to get caught in the crossfire.”

Jiang Jing spoke from off-camera, “Under the name Zhang Niandi, Shi Zhiyi is a damn good actor when it comes to picking fights.”

Why was Wei Hui so convinced by Shi Zhiyi?

Because the two of them were such great actors, of course!

First, Jiang Jing turned some of Wei Hui’s players to his side, which earned him Wei Hui’s displeasure.

Then, Shi Zhiyi pretended to “seduce” Jiang Jing, got rejected, and turned against him to join Wei Hui’s side.

For a week, the two would bicker whenever they met, and even came to blows on two occasions.

Not only did they “fight,” but they also constantly instigated fights among the others until more than half were dead or injured and the two teams had a complete falling out.

If you had to say who on Wei Hui’s team “hated” Jiang Jing the most, Zhang Niandi (Shi Zhiyi) would be the first to come to mind.

The more viciously they fought, the more Wei Hui believed them. Plus, the players following him weren’t the sharpest tools in the shed, so the two of them played everyone like a fiddle.