Chapter 126: Yang Hao's Desperate Counterattack

Taking a deep breath, Yang Hao accelerated once more, charging toward the airdrop at breakneck speed.

He could no longer retreat. Nor could he afford to keep racing on the motorcycle for long. Even though he had only been hit once, the longer he stayed on that bike, the greater his danger became. Besides, he had no way to return fire while driving. This predicament was far too passive for his liking. He had to change the situation.

Just as he neared the airdrop, another bullet tore through his body.

*Puff!*

With a soft sound, his health bar dipped into the red. Yet, Yang Hao remained composed, his face devoid of any panic, as if the person who had just been shot wasn’t him at all. Furrowing his brows slightly, he yanked the handlebars, sending the motorcycle into a sharp, calculated arc across the grass, sliding toward the airdrop.

As the bike swept past the supply crate, Yang Hao’s gaze shifted, and he suddenly leaped from the vehicle, which was still moving at maximum speed.

He pressed his back against the airdrop, his health teetering on the brink of collapse. Meanwhile, the motorcycle, now riderless, continued to drift forward under the influence of its own momentum.

*Rat-tat-tat!*
*Brrrrt-brrrrt-brrrrt!*

Suddenly, gunfire, more intense than before, erupted and tore through the air.

*BOOM!*

Hidden behind the airdrop while applying a bandage, Yang Hao watched from his vantage point as the motorcycle, caught in a concentrated hail of bullets, exploded into a heap of scrap metal. Even though he had anticipated this, his heart still skipped a beat. Had his reaction been even a fraction of a second slower, he would have been a dead man.

Up in the commentary booth, as the smoke cleared and the gunfire subsided—with no notification of a knock or a kill appearing on screen—the commentator, Xiao Qi, blinked in confusion. But when the camera panned to Yang Hao, huddled behind the airdrop and bandaging his wounds, Xiao Qi’s expression froze instantly.

*Is this guy still alive?*

Just moments ago, when the motorcycle had exploded, Xiao Qi was certain Yang Hao had perished in the blast. Recalling the impulsive comment he’d just made about the explosion, his face darkened even further. He had been slapped in the face by reality yet again.

Xiao Qi felt like crying. Everything had happened so fast, and he had never expected Yang Hao to pull a stunt like that. Caught up in the heat of the moment, he had jumped to the wrong conclusion.

Meanwhile, the audience watching the broadcast was stunned.

"Holy crap! He's not dead?"
"666, 'Huyou' has some serious skills."
"I missed that—wasn't he just on the bike?"
"Can someone explain what just happened?"
"Xiao Qi: WTF, how are you still alive? Hurry up and die so I can keep my job..."
"Huyou: Can't help it, just showing off."

Many were genuinely shocked by Yang Hao’s maneuver. In that situation, who would have thought to use the bike as a decoy to divert fire? It was a masterful sleight of hand. The tide of battle was ever-changing, and Yang Hao had exploited that perfectly, using the motorcycle to draw everyone’s attention while he slipped into the safety of the airdrop before anyone realized what had happened.

It didn't take long for the surrounding players to sense something was wrong. The diversion was only temporary; once the others realized what had occurred, it was already too late.

At that very moment, on the broadcast, Yang Hao suddenly stopped bandaging. In the next heartbeat, a Kar98k materialized in his hands.

He snapped into his scope, flicked his aim, and pulled the trigger.

*Click.* He zoomed out.

A kill notification flashed across the screen.

"Holy mother of god, that reaction time is insane!"
"I didn't even see the guy!"
"Is 'Huyou' actually this monstrous?"
"He was totally playing the 'noob' card before, wasn't he?"
"Haha, is 'Huyou' a god among mortals?"
"I kneel before his greatness!"

The viewers were blown away. One moment he was bandaging, the next he was flicking his Kar98k to secure an instant kill. It was a move no one else could replicate.

In the booth, Xiao Qi and Xiao Mo had their mouths hanging open. They were speechless. Just as Yang Hao fired, Xiao Qi had spotted the enemy peaking, and just as he opened his mouth to warn the viewers, Yang Hao had already struck.

A single shot, and a lethal one at that. Even seasoned commentators like Xiao Qi and Xiao Mo were left dumbfounded. Xiao Qi, in particular, felt a herd of alpacas stampeding through his mind. *Can you give me any room to work with here?*

Commentary was supposed to be about the tension and the build-up of a clash. If he just headshot everyone instantly, what was left to say? A great commentary needed a narrative arc; without the lead-up, the climax felt too abrupt, leaving them with nothing to add. The audience was thrilled, but the commentators were frustrated. They needed time to build the atmosphere to a fever pitch.

Unfortunately, Yang Hao couldn't care less. He had taken out one opponent, but his situation remained dire. The only silver lining was his position, which happened to be a blind spot for most of the surrounding players.

However, he knew he wasn't out of the woods yet. Although he had mentally mapped the locations of the nearby enemies, he couldn't be sure there weren't others lurking—especially the patient "old silver coins" waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Like the one he had just killed, who had remained hidden until the very last second. If not for his constant vigilance, he wouldn't have been able to react so quickly.

Feeling the hair-trigger tension in the air, Yang Hao’s eyes darkened. He was trapped, and the walls were closing in.