Chapter 39: What Can You Do to Me?

Seeing the two opponents charging forward, Gao He refrained from making any rash moves. He knew all too well that if he acted, he would immediately expose himself to their gunfire.

As they ran, waves of smoke conveniently obscured their vision, preventing them from seeing the enemy's exact position. In such circumstances, even if Gao He and his teammate fired their weapons, they would not only miss their targets but also reveal their own location, turning themselves into live targets for the enemy sniper.

Did they really think this would stump him?

Gao He let out a cold laugh and drew a grenade. He was determined to teach them a lesson. Pulling the pin, he hurled it forward with all his might.

His teammate beside him also readied a grenade. Clearly, they intended to create a man-made bombardment zone.

One! Two! …

Grenades were thrown out in quick succession, as if they cost nothing.

Boom!

A deafening explosion erupted. The first grenade landed on the slope ahead, kicking up smoke and dust.

Boom! Boom! …

Explosions followed one after another, and by this point, Gao He and his teammate had thrown most of the grenades from their packs. He was convinced these blasts would make the opponents question their very existence.

While Gao He and his teammate were frantically throwing grenades, a series of startled cries came from Yang Hao’s side. Gao He frowned and glanced that way, but quickly refocused his attention.

Now was not the time for distractions. One slip, and both of them could be wiped out. He still wanted to bask in the glory of victory—he couldn’t afford a mistake now.

“Mountain and River used a grenade to knock out ‘I Love Xiao Han’!”

Amid the thunder of explosions, a notification appeared on the screen. Seeing that one of the opponents had been knocked down by their grenades, Gao He felt a surge of joy.

But he remained cautious. There was still one enemy charging forward, who had already escaped the bombardment zone they had created and protected himself with smoke.

At this point, Gao He knew he still couldn’t fire his weapon, even though one enemy was down.

He glanced at the two remaining grenades in his pack, hesitating for a moment.

A grenade appeared in his hand again. Pulling the pin, he preheated it for about three seconds, then hurled it toward the smoke-covered area. Clearly an experienced player, Gao He’s movements were smooth and fast.

After that, he took the last grenade, repeating the same actions.

Just then, a faint sound caught his attention. As he threw the second grenade, he noticed something rolling toward his feet.

Gao He was momentarily stunned. He was certain he had already thrown his grenades in that direction. Where had this one at his feet come from?

Immediately, his expression changed drastically.

Bang!

A sudden gunshot rang out behind him.

“Neighbor Wang used an AWM to headshot and knock out ‘Little Bamboo Grove’!”

When Gao He realized his teammate had been suddenly knocked out, his vision went white.

A flashbang!

Gao He quickly understood. The gunshot had come from behind; though he couldn’t see, his reaction was swift. He immediately switched his 98K to M416 and sprayed behind him.

There was nothing else he could do in his current situation.

Dada-da-da…

The M416 rattled in full-auto mode!

Wherever the muzzle pointed, he fired blindly.

The shooting was left to fate—whether luck favored him was up to the heavens.

Gao He sighed inwardly. He knew things looked grim, but he still held on to a sliver of hope.

What if destiny favored him?

He never saw himself as someone who would just give up; when the time came to fight, he would never surrender.

Yet—

To his astonishment, after half a magazine, there was no knockdown notification.

Even more incomprehensible, when the effects of the flashbang wore off and his vision returned, the scene before him was beyond his expectations.

No one?

Within his line of sight, he saw no trace of the enemy.

And just then, the opponent charging head-on was nearly upon him.

Seeing this, Gao Yu could no longer hesitate. He spun his gun around, ready to deal with the incoming attacker.

Suddenly, as he turned, a figure that had been hiding behind a rock sprang up.

The enemy was dressed in a ghillie suit—Gao He hadn’t noticed him before.

Footsteps sounded abruptly.

Startled and enraged, Gao He spun around.

But—

He was still a step too late.

As he turned, before he could fire, a machete loomed large before his eyes.

“Hongxing, Yang Haoran!”

The voice rang out as the blade struck his head!

His level-three helmet had already been shattered by Yang Hao earlier when entering the circle; now, Gao He’s head was completely unprotected.

One blow—fatal!

The would-be trigger-pull was cut short by the sudden strike. Gao He fell to the ground, filled with unwillingness and disbelief.

On screen, Yang Hao, who had leapt into the air, landed slowly, gripping a bloodstained machete.

A breeze drifted by, lifting a lock of hair, carrying a hint of unruly spirit.

And so, the scene froze.

“Winner, winner, chicken dinner!”

As those eight characters appeared on the screen, it marked the end of this round.

Behind Yang Hao, the crowd watched as he rose from his seat, still unable to recover from the shock.

In that instant, the echo of a stirring voice rang in their ears.

“Hongxing, Yang Haoran!”

So, this quietly formidable young man before them was named Yang Haoran.

“Haoran bro, amazing!”

“Haonan bro, you’re awesome!”

“Stylish, Haoran bro!”

…

For a while, calls of “Haoran bro” echoed through the hall.

Those speaking were naturally Yang Yu’s classmates; gazing at the standing Yang Hao, their eyes brimmed with admiration.

Hearing the voices of the surrounding youths, the other onlookers also felt a touch of respect for Yang Hao.

A master!

In many hearts, that label was branded upon Yang Hao.

Zhang Tian, for his part, was speechless.

What made him want to complain even more was the shameless Yang Hao, who now, one hand clenched in a fist, the other open, pressed the fist into the palm, and, as he made a respectful gesture, said humbly, “It was nothing, really nothing…”

Seeing Yang Hao’s cheeky smile, Zhang Tian felt the urge to give him a beating.

As for Yang Yu nearby, he was already used to it; perhaps out of embarrassment, he quietly looked away.

Meanwhile, Gao He, who had been ambushed by Yang Hao in the final circle, led his group over. Hearing the chorus of “Haoran bro” and recalling the scene from the game, he felt a surge of indignation.

“Fine, very fine…”

His gaze darkened as he fixed his eyes on Yang Hao, his heart seething with anger.

“If I’ve somehow offended you just now…”

As Gao He pondered how to regain his dignity, Yang Hao suddenly spoke, and his first words left Gao He momentarily stunned.

Not only him, but everyone around was also taken aback.

Everyone, Gao He included, fell silent, waiting for Yang Hao to continue.

Yang Hao opened his mouth and went on: “If I’ve somehow offended you just now, or behaved poorly, or acted temperamental, or been sharp-tongued, I sincerely ask you…”

At this point, Yang Hao paused, gazing deeply at Gao He.

Everyone was stunned, including Gao He.

From Yang Hao’s tone, it seemed he was about to back down?

Suddenly, Gao He, as the person involved, felt enlightened. A faint smile appeared on his face.

He believed the other must be wary of his status, afraid to offend him and risk provoking a swarm of experts from the Tianghai University Esports Club.

That must be it…

The more Gao He thought about it, the more convinced he became.

With that, Gao Yu adopted a smug expression, eagerly anticipating Yang Hao’s next words.

Under the puzzled and expectant gaze of the crowd, Yang Hao shifted his gaze from Gao He’s face, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, then resumed his roguish expression:

“What are you going to do about it?”