CHAPTER 74: CHAPTER 74: BLUE STAR PLAYERS FACE THE BRUTALITY

On the hillside.

Fang Ming focused his mind, only seeing the Imperial Soldiers below.

Bang!

One shot, a headshot.

The Imperial Soldier died without any pain, collapsing instantly.

As an all-round assault player in FPS games, Fang Ming’s shooting skills are better than other players, but this game has no room for an assault player to shine.

Charging meant death, and there was no respawn...

Fang Ming, unable to showcase his assault skills, could only lie prone and snipe one by one. After killing one Imperial Soldier, he reloaded his rifle.

He raised his gun to aim again.

A sense of crisis swept through him suddenly, and out of the corner of his eye, Fang Ming saw the tank’s turret slowly turning, making his scalp tingle:

"What the heck!?"

He sprang up, running towards the distance, while turning back to shout for everyone to run.

But the other players nearby just stared at him, bewildered.

As if wondering why this guy suddenly sprinted.

A dull sound clearly reverberated from afar, the ground trembled a bit.

The next second.

Boom—!

A tank shell hit the rocks where several players were hiding.

Fang Ming could even see their bewildered expressions, before... they were torn apart by the explosion in a burst of fire.

Shattered stones and blast waves arrived.

Fang Ming was knocked off balance, rolling over and lying on the ground, dirt burying him.

Several seconds passed.

Fang Ming shook off the dirt, dazedly shook his head and got up.

His heart was racing uncontrollably.

This feeling was different from the Normandy Landing battlefield and the Battle of Britain, one was a constantly restarting battlefield, the other was a randomly bombarded death scenario.

While Blitzkrieg Poland was a genuine large-scale battlefield.

In terms of immersion, it was even more intense than the other two.

Fang Ming got up, looking towards the hillside below, the battle continued, with the Imperial Tank already climbing the slope, soldiers following behind.

The ambushed Polish soldiers and players could not damage the tanks with their firepower.

On the contrary, they would expose their positions.

Those tanks were like reapers, slowly turning the turret, and then....

Boom—!

Leaving only Blue Star players and soldiers’ bodies.

Polish soldiers and players on the hillside retreated as they fought, Fang Ming mixed in, constantly avoiding the direction of the Imperial Tank’s turret.

The battle lasted for more than half an hour.

The Imperial Tank suddenly stopped and slowly retreated, Imperial Soldiers also retreated behind the tank downhill.

Seeing this.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, Fang Ming only then gritted his teeth and looked down, realizing his thigh had been pierced at some point.

Blood soaked through his pants, and as he relaxed, intense pain swept through.

Suddenly.

A Polish officer NPC, holding binoculars, looked delighted:

"Reinforcements have arrived!"

"The commander has mobilized the main force here! We need to seize the opportunity to counter-charge back!"

Fang Ming’s mouth twitched, where would you lead the counter-charge against tanks?

Suddenly.

A rumbling sound came from the sky.

Everyone looked up, their faces changed, some players recognized it:

"It’s a Stuka!!!"

Swarms of Imperial Stuka Dive Bombers swept over the hilltop where everyone stood, heading towards the Polish main force, everyone’s heart sank.

Polestar Game Company.

In the office.

Zhao Ming watching the live footage of the Stuka flying past couldn’t help but click his tongue.

Artillery is gone.

In these Polish divisions, each generally equips an artillery regiment, while Shi Jun gathered four artillery regiments, aiming at the trench defenses from preset positions.

If the imperial forces really get stuck, a barrage might yield some effect.

But if the imperial tank units are not stalled and continually bombarded from the same spot, the issue becomes huge.

With non-mobile artillery and a command devoid of anti-air awareness, Zhao Ming shook his head, not even worth contemplating, more clueless than him.

In the live footage.

The Imperial Stuka bomber squadron bypassed the Polish main force below, directly targeting the four artillery regiments on the rear plain.

Intensive bombs and incendiary bombs were dropped, extinguishing the entire group’s fire support with just one sortie.

In the game.

Inside Shi Jun’s command post.

Seeing the Imperial Stuka squadron bypass the main force without bombing, Shi Jun was relieved but puzzled.

Yet immediately afterwards he saw despair unfold, with the Stuka squadron targeting the artillery regiment.

Even though Shi Jun ordered the four artillery regiments to retreat instantly.

The hasty order couldn’t withstand the speed of the bomber, he watched as all his available fire support vanished.

Leaving only the forces of four divisions and two cavalry brigades to face off against the empire.

Shi Jun’s vision went dark.

Doomed....

From the layout error, the empire’s unimpeded advance, to the trench defenses failing to hold and the destruction of four artillery regiments, only a head-on battle arena remains.

But with so many imperial tanks, all that remains are infantry divisions.

Head-on clash?

Who stands strong is obvious, right?

This stack of mistakes isn’t merely ignominy.

Could end up a public menace.

Not acceptable, not acceptable!

Can’t let it end like this, Shi Jun pulled up the live front-line footage, watching the tense battlefield, rapidly thinking of a solution.

Soon he thought of something, gritting his teeth he gave the order.

...

...

On the front-line battlefield.

With the addition of the main force, dispersing the firepower from the hills, Fang Ming and other players breathed a sigh of relief, feeling less pressured.

But at this moment.

The Polish NPC officer abruptly received an order, incredulously looking at the communicator:

"What?"

Then fell silent, nodded slightly.

Then ordered everyone to organize ammunition, grenades, etc.

Fang Ming held his head and muttered:

"No way."

"Are they really going to counter-charge?"

In Fang Ming’s live chat, all jokers laughed hysterically at the situation.

This NPC truly meant what he said; with so few people, they want to counter-charge.

Fang Ming helplessly shook his head, then everyone sorted out ammunition, grenades, etc.

Then the Polish NPC officer commanded everyone to bundle six grenades together.

Seeing everyone finished, the NPC officer ordered everyone to pick them up, pointing at the imperial tank units advancing and engaging with the main Polish forces, issued a command:

"Everyone, disperse and charge."

"Blow up the tracks on the Imperial Tank units ahead, help the main force shape a defense line."

Everyone was bewildered, Blue Star players looked at each other.

Even doubting their hearing?

What?

I’m going to blow up tank tracks? Do I look like a tank to you?

Fang Ming’s face showed a look of disbelief, the live chat was filled with question marks.

[???]

[???]

[Holy crap, what’s this NPC saying?]

[Blow up tank tracks? How do we blow them up???]

[Are they using human sacrifice? Sacrifice lines like a baby?]

Fang Ming took a deep breath, looked at the NPC officer:

"Commander, you’re saying we should take grenades, charge under the tanks, stuff the grenades in, and blow up the tank tracks?"

The NPC officer replied:

"That’s correct."

"Only by breaking the foremost tank tracks will it stop in its tracks, halting the advance of tanks behind, providing our main force attacking time."

Fang Ming felt his temples throbbing:

"What if I refuse?"

In so many Blue Star movies and games, Fang Ming had never heard such a command.

This not only refreshed his understanding of the game but also of human nature, Blue Star players were stunned by such reckless orders, wondering what these NPCs were thinking.

Clack!

The sound of a pistol loading, the NPC’s cold voice sounded:

"Disobey orders, and I can execute you on the spot."

The air fell silent.

Everyone froze motionless, only heavy breathing was heard.

The pungent smell of gunpowder and blood filled the air, the scorching aftermath of bomb explosions lingered, but all the Blue Star players felt a chill through their bodies.