Chapter 108: An Intruder Arrives

Before long, Su Ming and Li Ban Chuan arrived outside the shooting range.

Gazing at the earthen walls before them and the tall arched gate at the center, both men felt a surge of excitement.

“Brothers, we’re about to enter the shooting range!” Su Ming exclaimed excitedly to his live stream audience.

“But there are already some people over there,” he added, shaking his head. “The line’s moving so slowly—I have no idea what they’re doing.”

Just as he was thinking this, a shout came from ahead: “Any shooting experience? Ten people per squad, still need two more!”

“Chuan, what’s going on?” Su Ming asked.

“I’ll go check,” Li Ban Chuan replied, equally puzzled.

Approaching the gate, he saw two men standing outside, dressed in distinctive earth-yellow military uniforms that made them stand out among the crowd.

One was burly and dark-faced, wearing a stern expression.

The other was lean and gentle-looking, with the air of a scholarly youth.

Seeing them, Li Ban Chuan felt an uneasy sensation.

“Who are those two?” he quietly asked a passerby.

“That’s Kong Jie and Zhao Gang,” the man replied with a smile.

Kong Jie and Zhao Gang?

Li Ban Chuan frowned, feeling those names were familiar but struggling to place them.

“Don’t know them?” the man chuckled. “They’re the original Commander Kong and Political Commissar Zhao from the ‘Drawing Sword’ series.”

Drawing Sword!

Li Ban Chuan’s memory clicked. He had watched that drama before.

Though he didn’t agree with everything, he found it relatively objective—far better than those absurd shows where novices effortlessly outshine veterans.

Seeing Kong Jie and Zhao Gang explaining something to others, Li Ban Chuan stayed back and asked the helpful youth, “Why are they recruiting squads of ten? What does that mean?”

“You haven’t read the instructions?” the young man grinned. “Inside the shooting range, it’s staged battles from the Resistance War, and you go through each stage. Killing a little Japanese soldier earns you one point…”

Li Ban Chuan’s face remained unchanged, but his mind buzzed loudly.

Killing Japanese soldiers!

He had underestimated this—he hadn’t expected the place to be like this at all.

No wonder he overheard someone shouting, “Let’s finish off those damn little devils.”

At first, he thought someone had recognized him.

His thoughts were a tangled mess, and he said nothing for a long time.

Although his ancestors had supported the Imperial Way faction back then and had quickly distanced themselves after the defeat—thus gaining support from Eagle Nation and becoming one of the island’s major financial powers—he understood those were merely internal factional disputes.

If the Imperial Way faction had truly risen, they would have inevitably united.

How could they, isolated in a corner, not covet this vast, resource-rich land?

A tiger without claws and teeth is no different from a sheep.

Thinking of this, he suddenly reflected on his own country’s current predicament.

Wasn’t it just being raised like a sheep by Eagle Nation?

A heavy weight pressed on his heart.

“Brother, you okay?” the young man asked Li Ban Chuan, noticing his expression. “The battlefield’s no joke. Those little devils are vicious. If your heart can’t take it, maybe you shouldn’t go.”

Li Ban Chuan suppressed his emotions and shook his head. “Of course I have to go. It’s rare to come here.”

A bunch of long-dead ancestors.

Might as well turn them into my points.

He clenched his fist firmly.

He would just treat those men as his grandfathers.

Feigning calm, Li Ban Chuan inquired about the shooting range from the crowd.

The ticket price was one million; death or surrender meant failure.

You could enter unlimited times daily, but were forced to leave after five o’clock.

Inside the shooting range were four battles from Drawing Sword—the Cangyun Ridge Breakout, the Li Family Slope Assault, the North China Army Ambush Observation, and the Battle of Ping’an County—plus ten major battles including the Battle of Shanghai and the Defense of Nandu.

Once inside, participants began with the Cangyun Ridge Breakout and proceeded through each stage.

The scenarios were slightly adjusted from the original story or history, but the overall direction remained unchanged.

Not only were there Japanese soldiers, but also friendly forces and civilians.

Points could be earned not only by killing the enemy but also by assisting allies and civilians.

Attacking allies or civilians brought severe penalties, including possible expulsion from the shooting range and permanent blacklisting.

Judges included the intelligent control platform running the shooting range and staff with some discretionary authority.

Each session admitted ten people simultaneously.

Others could enter too but were placed in parallel battlefields.

Only after all ten died could they leave.

Those who died early entered spectator mode.

After gathering this information, Li Ban Chuan returned to the queue.

Su Ming was still helping him line up.

“Haha, killing devils—that’s fun,” Su Ming laughed heartily.

“Let’s wipe out those damn dogs!”

Li Ban Chuan glanced at Su Ming’s live stream.

Almost all the comments shouted, “Kill those damn dogs!” “Fuck the little devils!” and the like.

A sour feeling welled up inside him.

“Why do you look so pale?” Su Ming asked, concerned. “Are you alright?”

Li Ban Chuan shook his head. “Just a bit nervous.”

“The devils are vicious, sure, but we won’t die,” Su Ming sneered. “What’s there to be afraid of?”

Li Ban Chuan said nothing.

Ahead, Zhao Gang and Kong Jie had already walked away.

At first inexperienced, they had come out to help answer questions but were overwhelmed by the bizarre inquiries.

After hints from a few volunteers, they quietly withdrew.

Volunteers outside maintained order, so they didn’t need to show themselves.

As for monitoring inside the shooting range, the intelligent control platform handled it; they only needed to confirm any violations.

But neither were irresponsible like some careless fools.

Once inside the office behind the earthen wall, each was served a cup of tea.

They chatted quietly while watching the massive screen.

As visitors entered the shooting range one by one, the two men smiled and offered commentary.

“There’s a foreign devil, a woman!” Kong Jie noticed a blonde, blue-eyed woman whose identity on the screen marked her as from Eagle Nation.

Zhao Gang chuckled, “Commander Kong, don’t be biased against women. This is the new era—gender equality.”

Kong Jie popped a peanut into his mouth, sipped his tea, and settled into the sofa with a sigh. “Things have changed so much—it’s really beyond imagination.”

Zhao Gang absentmindedly patted the sofa beneath him. “We’re enjoying ourselves here, while Old Li and the others…”

“They’re the ones enjoying themselves,” Kong Jie snorted. “That guy, I don’t know what he’s up to, but with those weapons, he’s definitely planning a big battle! And we’ve got to stay here for another month!”

Zhao Gang smiled wryly. “A volunteer just told me another batch of aid weapons arrived… After work, let’s go receive them and maybe meet Wang Lang—Old Li talks about him all the time.”

“Alright… oh!” Kong Jie suddenly shouted, “Here comes another devil!”

Stealing Fragrance