As the saying goes, one slow step leads to a series of delays.

By the time Li Yang and his men had finally spotted the best ambush location, Xiao Jiu had already been waiting there with five people for a while, all their guns loaded, just waiting to pounce on Li Yang's party.

"They're actually coming... Brothers, get ready!"

Although it was just a paintball competition, both sides were extremely cautious, not daring to be the slightest bit careless—this held true for Li Yang's team as well as for Ai Nan's.

Xiao Jiu and his men had made a hurried march, exhausting though it was, all to seize a tactically advantageous terrain. Just like in real combat, having the initiative was crucial.

After a brief rest, lying in a concealed location, Xiao Jiu had already spotted three sneaky figures. Unquestionably, these three were Li Yang and his two bodyguards.

The group moved rapidly, reaching the predetermined location, aimed at the enemy's predicted route, and waited for the three men to come within shooting range.

Li Yang's side was actually very alert as well. As soon as they entered the area, they suddenly felt an inexplicable threat. Although he had never been on a battlefield, he had survived in the primitive forest and could vaguely sense the presence of this threat.

Not just him, but the two bodyguards also seemed to have sensed something and slowed their steps a bit, no longer moving in a straight line, looking for any cover they could use, just in case.

"Everyone, be careful..."

Li Yang specifically warned them. He felt the presence of danger, which meant the enemy might not be far away. Extreme caution was necessary to avoid being caught.

Bang~~

Almost as soon as he had uttered these words, a gunshot shattered the "battlefield" silence.

...

While Xiao Jiu was setting up the counter-ambush against Li Yang's three men, on the other side, Ai Nan was leading another two men in a flanking maneuver from the rear, intending to directly attack the red team's base and annihilate Qin Fang's three men within their lair.

Their range of movement was even greater, which might be a bit too much for the average person's stamina; after all, carrying guns and traversing hills could be too strenuous for those accustomed to office work or for the second-generation officials and rich kids who indulged in luxury and pleasure.

But for Ai Nan and others like him, descendants of military families who had undergone rigorous training from an early age, the difficulty was much less, and they also enjoyed life. However, the iron-blooded nature and style of their military forebears still influenced them to some extent.

So Ai Nan quickly led two men in an assault towards the rear of Qin Fang's position. They were very familiar with the terrain, which naturally saved a lot of time.

According to Ai Nan's estimates, by the time the front lines engaged in combat, they would already be close to the enemy's main base. When Xiao Jiu wiped out Li Yang's three men, they should be able to arrive in time. Then they would only need to tie down Qin Fang's three men until Xiao Jiu and his forces caught up, securing a total annihilation of Qin's side.

Ultimately, they would definitely achieve a very good victory; if they were lucky, they might even manage zero casualties, which would be truly perfect.

...

"Damn, we're ambushed..."

When the gunfire sounded, Li Yang couldn't help but curse skyward.

They had been moving fast, but to his dismay, they were still a step slower than the enemy and had lost the initiative.

Gunshots came from several directions, with paint splattering near the ground in front of them, raising colorful smoke and forcing them into an awkward position.

Xiao Jiu's six people were a bit far, so their shooting accuracy wasn't too high, but with six guns firing at three people, they had some luck on their side—one bodyguard was unluckily hit by a paintball, which burst into a brilliant blossom on his camouflage uniform, of course, releasing a puff of colored smoke.

0:1.

The fight had officially commenced, and the first exchange went to Qin Fang's side with the "death" of one man right from the start—Li Yang and the other bodyguard, however, were quick to act, rolling on the ground to take cover in a ditch, narrowly escaping the siege from Xiao Jiu's six people.

But this put them on the defensive.

"Two of you come with me... The three of you stay behind, suppressive fire..."

With Ai Nan absent, Xiao Jiu took over command at the scene.

It was expected that Li Yang would fall back to the ditch, but by being passively under fire, they had already forfeited their chance of victory—it was enough for them to simply lie in wait like sitting ducks.

Leaving three men behind for suppressive fire meant that Li Yang only had two people remaining, both huddled in the ditch, not daring to show their heads, effectively sitting ducks. Meanwhile, Xiao Jiu led his men on a flanking maneuver to close in, aiming to wipe out these last two people as well.

Bang bang bang~~~

Li Yang's side, of course, knew that crouching in this pit would only lead to certain death, but the moment he popped his head out, a burst of gunfire followed immediately. Plumes of blue smoke rose around the pit, the result of paintballs hitting their mark.

With no other choice, Li Yang was forced back into cover.

"Damn it! We can't just sit here and wait for death, let's break out..."

Li Yang cursed. The enemy had numbers and heavy firepower; with only two of them left, they had no way to suppress the opposing force!

"Young Master Li, I'll make a charge; you find a way to escape..."

With no other options, the only remaining bodyguard contemplated a suicidal breakout to create an opportunity for Li Yang...

"Let's try it!"

Li Yang was also out of options. He knew that once his companion charged out, he would unquestionably be the second to fall. With their three most threatening players down, their side was sure to suffer a crushing defeat, perhaps even to the point of humiliation with shaved heads.

The bodyguard handed over his weapons to Li Yang. It was a suicidal breakout with zero chances of success. Carrying weapons wouldn't help at all but would only add weight and reduce agility. However, he alone, unencumbered by any weapons, would be more agile. Perhaps he could get further away, and by doing so, engage the enemy more effectively.

"Charge~~"

The gunfire paused momentarily as the bodyguard pushed off with great force and darted from the pit, sprinting roughly ten meters towards a nearby piece of cover. His speed was impressive, and his movements were unpredictable; it was clear he was trying to make a break for it.

Bang~ bang~ bang~

Regrettably, while his speed and agility were sufficient, several guns were waiting for him, and a burst of intense gunfire followed quickly.

Pop pop pop~~

A series of hits rang out, and the warrior was struck all over his body.

0:2.

Li Yang, not daring to hesitate, burst forth, leaping out of the trench, and rolled towards another cover.

Bang~~

Another gunshot echoed, and Li Yang suddenly felt a numbness in his chest. A burst of color bloomed across his chest, releasing a puff of blue smoke. He had been "killed."

0:3.

The sounds of gunfire on Li Yang's side ceased, leading to an eerie silence.

"Xiao Jiu's task is complete!"

Ai Nan, now not far from Qin Fang's base, had just been informed of the end of the battle when he received news that Xiao Jiu had accomplished her task. He immediately led his two companions to attack the small mound that served as the high ground.

At this location, only Qiao Zhenfei and Chu Yunxuan remained, idly awaiting the end of the combat exercise, when they suddenly saw guns protruding from above and aiming at them, without a doubt fired by Ai Nan and his team, arriving earlier than they had anticipated.

"Don't shoot, we surrender!"

Just as Qin Fang had instructed them in advance, once Qiao Zhenfei saw that there were three opponents including the best marksman, Ai Nan, with a sniper rifle already pointed at them, he didn't bother resisting and promptly announced their surrender.

0:5.

Thus, Ai Nan's team of nine wiped out five of Qin Fang's team of six with no casualties...

"Where did 'Qin' go?"

This question had just formed in Ai Nan's mind.

Bang~~

A gunshot shattered the battlefield's quiet...(to be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to support me by voting for it or casting a monthly ticket at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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