The pungent smell of charring mixed with gunpowder, drilling into his nostrils.
Wang Yu looked at the charred bodies not far away, their human forms barely discernible, and his stomach churned.
He suppressed the urge to vomit, his brows tightly furrowed.
"This is a... Soviet-made RPG-7 rocket launcher," he muttered, the weapon's parameters automatically appearing in his mind.
"Its armor-piercing capability is decent, but it shouldn't be used against our few dilapidated vehicles, right? We're just transporting some diesel. Is it worth using a rocket launcher?"
"Is it worth it?!" Alan's eyes were bloodshot, clutching his rifle tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hand, as he growled through gritted teeth, "These damned rebels are crazy with poverty! Forget diesel, even if you're pulling a cart of cow dung, they'd risk their lives to snatch it!"
The scent of blood in the air gave Wang Yu goosebumps.
He had, after all, grown up in a peaceful country, and this hellish scene instinctively made him feel nervous and afraid.
But at the same time, a strange sense of excitement was rising from deep within his heart, flowing through his entire body with his blood.
Just then, the cold mechanical voice sounded again.
【Ding! Host detected experiencing first real combat, new mission triggered.】
【Mission Name: Battle for Survival】
【Mission Objective: Assist the Chi Yun Mercenary Group to successfully repel the enemy and complete this transport mission.】
【Mission Reward: Combat Skills (Beginner).】
"Tat-tat-tat-tat..."
"Da-da-da..."
"Tat-tat-tat-tat..."
"Da-da-da..."
The surrounding gunfire grew denser, bullets whistling through the air with a spine-chilling shriek.
At this critical moment, Wang Yu's phone in his pocket vibrated at an inopportune time.
He subconsciously pulled it out and saw that the caller ID was "Li Ming."
Damn it, why is this guy calling now?
Wang Yu had no time to reminisce with him and was about to hang up without thinking.
But his finger stopped halfway.
What if... it was something urgent?
He took a deep breath, hid behind a truck tire, and pressed the answer button.
"Hello!"
Wang Yu yelled, his voice hoarse; in the hail of bullets, he wouldn't be heard if he didn't.
"What the hell are you yelling about?" Li Ming's boisterous voice came from the other end of the phone. "Did you eat gunpowder? Five-man internet cafe session tonight, coming or not?"
Wang Yu was so angry he almost crushed his phone.
"Five-man session my ass! I'm in a war, damn it! Spit it out if you have something to say!"
The other end of the phone was clearly stunned.
His best friend, Li Ming, was dumbfounded.
After a few seconds, a more familiar voice snatched the phone; it was his high school classmate, Wang Chen.
"Wang Yu? You're fighting a war? What kind of daydream are you having, kid? Are you obsessed with movies? Listening to that sound, surround sound, huh? Good effect. Which cinema is that?"
"Boom!"
Another shell exploded not far away, and the stirred-up sand and dirt pelted Wang Yu.
"Cinema my ass!" Wang Yu was completely impatient. "I'm in South Sudan! With real guns and live ammunition! Weren't you two idiots supposed to go work on a construction site? Get lost! Hanging up!"
After speaking, he directly cut off the call.
On the other end of the phone, Li Ming and Wang Chen looked at each other, both seeing confusion in the other's eyes.
"South Sudan? What's he doing there?"
"And fighting a war... This kid hasn't been tricked into some big factory for telecom fraud, has he?"
As the two were lost in wild conjectures, Wang Yu's video call came in again.
Li Ming's hand trembled, and he answered.
The next second, both their eyes almost popped out.
On the phone screen, Wang Yu's fair face was smudged gray with gunpowder smoke.
He was wearing a tactical vest and a steel helmet, half-crouching behind a heavy truck.
In his hand, he was holding an automatic rifle that they had only seen in games.
The most terrifying thing was that in the background of the camera, bright yellow tracers could be clearly seen, leaving long trails as they whistled over his head!
"Holy crap!" Wang Chen exclaimed.
"I told you, there's a war, there's a war, and you still don't believe me?" Wang Yu said quickly, "I'm working and studying abroad. Talk later."
After speaking, the video call was hung up again.
Li Ming and Wang Chen stood dumbfounded, their phones almost slipping from their hands.
Working and studying?
Working and studying on a battlefield?!
On the South Sudan battlefield.
The battle had entered a white-hot stage.
Alan reloaded a magazine and leaned against cover, breathing heavily.
He glanced at the unusually calm Wang Yu beside him and asked in broken Yan Country language, "You... are still a student? Like, university?"
"Yeah," Wang Yu said without looking up, his eyes fixed on the front. "What's wrong? Do mercenaries check academic qualifications?"
Alan's expression became strange. He shook his head and sighed, "I just think... are all you Yan Country people this foolish?"
No sooner had he spoken.
"Bang!"
Wang Yu suddenly raised his gun and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
The bullet instantly left the barrel.
Alan was startled by the close gunshot and instinctively wanted to curse.
But as soon as he turned his head, he saw a Black enemy soldier, who was about to peek out from the front-left, now with a bullet hole in his forehead, falling straight backward.
Is this guy a university student?
Or are all Yan Country students this awesome?!
Wang Yu rubbed his tiger's mouth, which was a bit numb from the recoil, blew away the smoke from the muzzle, then turned his head, looking at Alan with curiosity.
"What were you... trying to say just now?"
Alan's facial muscles twitched. He suddenly gave Wang Yu a thumbs-up, squeezed out an incredibly sincere smile using all the Yan Country language he knew.
"Nothing, nothing! I meant... you Yan Country people are truly amazing!"