Chapter 26: Brother Bluff, Is That You?
"Brother Yuan, they're coming!"
As Cheng and his crew sped toward them in their car, someone immediately gave the warning.
Yuan had already noticed, but his attention was focused elsewhere. Judging by their positions, those driving over were the ones he'd just shot, while Lin Zijin should be among the other group. What he truly worried about was Lin Zijin, as well as the person who had just taken down his teammate.
To be able to counterattack and knock out his teammate in such a brief instant—the other side was not to be underestimated.
"Xiaogua, you'll bait them in a moment!"
Xiaogua, who had just been knocked down by Yang Hao, had been helped up, and now Yuan spoke up.
"All right!" Xiaogua understood at once and quickly responded.
After giving instructions to Xiaogua, Yuan's gaze swept toward Lin Zijin's position, his eyes narrowing, his mind razor-sharp. His previous shot had been too sudden, so Yuan was confident his location wasn't exposed. He planned to use Xiaogua as bait, drawing Lin Zijin and her group into action.
From his teammates' reports, Yuan already had a general idea of their positions. As soon as someone entered his line of sight, he was sure he could land a decisive shot.
Tat-tat-tat!
Xiaogua made his move!
He appeared at the window, raised his M416, and unleashed a wild barrage at the speeding car carrying Cheng and his men. Bullets struck the vehicle, sparking showers of light.
Now fully exposed, Xiaogua became a clear target. Yuan waited, watching for Lin Zijin and her group to react.
Suddenly, a small dark figure shifted behind a distant tree within his view.
He pre-aimed, scoped in—
Bang!
With a quick sidestep, Yuan fired a shot and immediately ducked back.
A spray of blood erupted!
Through his scope, Yuan clearly saw a burst of crimson bloom atop his target’s head.
Even the viewers in the livestream barely caught Yuan’s scoping action before the telltale crack of the 98K rang out—a speed that left them dumbfounded.
But then, everyone was stunned; no knockdown notification appeared on the screen.
Did he miss?
Such a thing was rare for Yuan.
His target remained standing, but this was within Yuan’s expectations. At the moment he fired, he saw the other’s head protected by a level-three helmet.
With that helmet, a single 98K shot couldn't finish the job.
But Yuan wasn’t discouraged. Calmly, he worked the bolt and chambered a fresh round.
Let the enemy show themselves again… This next shot would be lethal.
Meanwhile, through Lin Zijin’s stream, it became clear that Yuan’s bullet had struck Yang Hao’s head, dropping his health to its lowest ebb and prompting a collective gasp.
If not for his level-three helmet, Yang Hao would already be down.
Yet that shot also destroyed what little durability his helmet had left.
By now, Cheng’s car had pulled up and the tension between the two sides thickened palpably.
Yang Hao, his health nearly gone, used a medkit, restoring himself. He downed an energy drink and picked up his gun once more.
Though he’d just been shot, Yang Hao and Lin Zijin now knew the sniper’s position. But without his helmet’s protection, Yang Hao dared not expose himself again—another hit would be fatal.
Bang!
As Cheng’s team clashed with Yuan’s squad, Lin Zijin struck!
“Qingqing Zijin used Kar98K to headshot and knock down Glory, Xiao Xi!”
With the gunshot still echoing, the knockdown notification flashed once more.
A shot through the clouds!
Viewers saw only a blur as Lin Zijin peeked out and ducked back in a heartbeat—then the kill feed confirmed her lethal accuracy.
Yuan, too, saw Lin Zijin’s handiwork, but when he aimed to fire, he was already too late.
Lin Zijin was simply too fast—so fast it was almost despairing.
His bullet struck nothing but air.
Missing his chance didn’t rattle Yuan; he calmly worked the bolt and reloaded.
Just as the 98K’s bolt clicked home, Yuan noticed activity from Lin Zijin’s side; it seemed she was aiming his way again.
He had already shifted position. Rising swiftly, he snapped his scope up—his crosshairs landing squarely on Lin Zijin’s level-three helmet.
As he pulled the trigger, Yuan’s pupils contracted.
Because, at that exact moment, Lin Zijin swung her crosshairs toward him.
Their shots rang out almost simultaneously!
Bang!
A 98K round, trailing a shockwave, slammed into Lin Zijin’s helmet, a crimson mist bursting forth.
And the same thing happened to Yuan—thanks to his own level-three helmet, neither could deliver a fatal blow.
Yet just as Yuan fired and prepared to retreat, a knockdown notification appeared that left him utterly stunned.
“Youyou My Heart used Kar98K to knock down Glory, Yuan!”
Yuan was dumbfounded…
When he found himself clutching his stomach, lying prone on the ground, he was at a loss.
No wonder something felt off—the shooters weren’t just the two of them, but that other person from before.
But that person’s skill…
Staring at the message on his screen, Yuan was dazed.
He knew Lin Zijin’s level—her ability to react so swiftly and land a headshot in a split second was astonishing, but not beyond belief.
But who was that other person?
To react and shoot so quickly—he hadn’t even noticed their move.
“What the hell just happened?”
“Yuan Oppa got knocked down? Who on earth is this Youyou My Heart?”
“This is terrifying—absolutely chilling!”
“Another top-tier player?”
“This is bad—the car team is already downstairs…”
...
Yuan’s chat exploded with shock.
Almost simultaneously, Lin Zijin’s stream fell utterly silent.
Watching her play, the audience was astounded—her lightning reaction to spotting Yuan, instantly pivoting to return fire, was a move beyond legendary.
They knew Yuan’s helmet would keep him alive, so they realized Lin Zijin’s shot alone couldn’t seal the deal.
But when Yang Hao’s kill notification for Yuan appeared, the chat was in uproar.
Was this really the Hustler they knew?
The comment feed went wild.
“What the hell!”
“No way, no way, no way…”
“Hustler, is that really you?”
“It can’t be—you’re not this good!”
“Sorry, this isn’t the Hustler I know!”
“Come back, bring my longing with you…”
...