Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Chapter 47

In the live-action game designed by Haishi Entertainment, there are many conveniences when entering as a team. Being able to live together is one of them.

After nightfall, black-clad soldiers assigned a double dormitory to Xi Yu and Luo Xi. Watching them step inside, one immediately blocked the door coldly and said, “The captain’s rule: no wandering around at night. Reveille at six o’clock.”

Luo Xi asked proactively, “But enemies could come at any time. Isn’t there supposed to be a patrol?”

“That’s the job of our general’s guards. Good night.” The soldier replied, then pressed the door-closing button.

The electronic door beeped twice and slid shut mercilessly.

At the same time, Xi Yu had already quickly searched the entire room and then straightened up: “Except for bedding, there are no props. The cabinets are all empty.”

“Adding props in the game creates too many variables. This time, the preliminary round focuses on screening players; there probably won’t be detailed content design.” Luo Xi knocked on the poster behind the door, “So every detail visible should have some meaning.”

The poster featured a towering photo of General Xingtian and a strange slogan: “Hope of the Star River Ship.”

Xi Yu questioned sensitively, “I don’t understand. The captain should be responsible for this ship, so why is there a general above him? And how did the general become the hope?”

“The general might be another storyline, carrying some other heavy responsibility or something.” Luo Xi leisurely lay down on the bed and crossed his long legs. “Finish a few more missions and you’ll know.”

Xi Yu sat upright facing him, body straight.

“Don’t be like the discipline officer, I’m scared.” Luo Xi reluctantly raised his eyelids. “Get some rest. When the pace picks up, you won’t even have time to sit down.”

“But it’s actually morning in real time.” Xi Yu answered honestly. “I have jet lag.”

“...” Luo Xi was speechless, turned to face him.

Xi Yu: “?”

Luo Xi didn’t say a word, only glanced at the corner of his mouth with a smile, then boldly closed his eyes and pretended to nap.

Xi Yu sighed, got up, and again stood in front of the general’s poster. In the darkness, he carefully studied the stern yet somewhat stiff face, quietly falling into thought.

Game time struck midnight sharp; the piercing alarm woke all from their dreams.

Just as Xi Yu had begun to feel sleepy, he opened his eyes to see Luo Xi already standing in the center of the dormitory.

The beautiful female officer’s voice echoed urgently through the rooms: “Attack alarm! Attack alarm! A small fleet of space pirates has surrounded the Star River Ship’s right side. All soldiers, prepare to engage immediately!”

“They’re here.” Luo Xi was spirited. “I’m going to grab a seat. This kind of battle tests shooting skills, and it’s definitely very dangerous. Wait for my message.”

Xi Yu adjusted his uniform: “Alright, I’ll find Xu Tu and draw a fleet map.”

Just after their brief exchange, the locked dormitory door quietly opened. Red warning lights flashed constantly in the corridor. The rushing streamers pushed and shoved each other, cursing between calls — the scene was extremely chaotic.

Luo Xi, always decisive, exchanged a deep glance with Xi Yu, then immediately ran toward the battle preparation room.Xi Yu tried hard to stay calm, remembering that Xu Tu’s dormitory should be on the west side, and stepped forward against the crowd.

After all, the response plan had been decided by the two of them together. At this moment, he no longer felt the previous confusion and anxiety inside the instance; instead, a sense of safety arose, and he became eager to fight for victory.

Scores and rankings were an immense temptation, especially with more opponents.

After about fifteen minutes, the streamers in the dormitories had basically all left, and the rest area became quiet, with only a few furtive figures passing by occasionally.

After reuniting with Xu Tu, Xi Yu cautiously explored down the corridor in an unfamiliar direction, softly analyzing: “This battleship looks large, but its functional areas aren’t complicated. We must be on the top floor. From front to back are the auditorium, training ground, battle prep room, canteen, and dormitory area. Earlier, I saw elevator signs near the training ground, but NPC soldiers guard there, so it’s hard to approach or see clearly when there are many people.”

Xu Tu nodded: “Mm, the places where the high-ranking officers move are unknown, as is the freezer holding fifty thousand humans. We’d better try to explore those tonight.”

Xi Yu noticed her calm expression and deliberately asked, “Aren’t you worried about Bai Qi?”

Xu Tu replied, “Why would I worry about him?”

Xi Yu honestly said, “I’ve heard Luo Xi praise you a few times, but I don’t really know Bai Qi’s abilities.”

“Oh, him? He’s just smart. Very good with tech, math, and gambling games.” Xu Tu waved her arm. “But his fists aren’t as strong as mine, so he has to listen to me.”

Xi Yu smiled faintly.

Xu Tu asked, “What’s so funny?”

Xi Yu said, “Most streamers I’ve seen are mentally exhausted and tense. Whether in communication or judging things, they tend to be extreme. But you and Bai Qi feel different—very enviable.”

Xu Tu perked up, unusually serious: “Doubt is a thing—when you have a bit, the other side gets twice as much, until there’s only an abyss between. So I keep it simple with him and the boss. Even if someday they really harm me, I won’t complain.”

Just as Xi Yu was about to nod, he suddenly heard faint footsteps and immediately pulled her to hide at a nearby fork in the corridor.

After a moment, the voices of two other streamers faintly came:

— “Damn, did you see that? Are you still half asleep?”

— “No, really, a huge bug just crawled by, at least two meters tall!”

— “Although the game is set in space, the ship is sealed tight, so an alien suddenly appearing doesn’t make sense.”

— “Who knows? Just be careful.”

...

The conversation sounded very strange. Xi Yu and Xu Tu exchanged glances and were about to withdraw further to hide their tracks, when suddenly they smelled a disgusting odor.

Rotten, bloody... and fermented alcohol...

Xu Tu realized the danger, immediately turned, and shouted in terror, “Xi Yu, run!”

Almost instantly, Xi Yu also saw the monsters rapidly approaching them!

The two streamers had been right: inside this heavily guarded military ship where such things shouldn’t appear, there really were several huge bugs!

Their shells gleamed with oiliness. Their various limbs and antennae were either razor-sharp or twisted and grotesque. Their mandibles, larger than human heads, were filled with sharp black teeth constantly dripping blood-colored mucus—far more terrifying than the monsters of nightmares!

At this moment, no one could care about whether their movements remained hidden.Xu Tu ran with long strides, screaming miserably: “Xi Yu— I hate bugs— save me—”

The sharp voice of the girl gave Xi Yu a worse headache than the alien bugs. He said coldly, “You go first!”

Saying that, he picked up two iron boxes from the corridor and threw them one after another behind him.

The giant bugs angrily shook off the obstacles coming at them and chased after even faster!

Xu Tu and Xi Yu fled in a line, quickly reuniting with the streamers they had heard discussing earlier.

Several people crowded the corridor, the scene chaotic and desperate.

Xi Yu grabbed Xu Tu’s hand: “This way! There were guards patrolling here just now!”

Xu Tu’s fear was genuine. She shouted in panic, “Ahhh, just let me die! I don’t want to fight bugs!”

As soon as she said this, the leading giant bug bit the slowest streamer running behind them.

Its sharp teeth mercilessly closed, blood splattered, and the tough human body was immediately cut in two.

“...” Xu Tu broke down: “I still don’t want to die!”

Xi Yu was at a loss amid the panic, about to continue running with her, when suddenly the ship shook violently as if the sky and earth were collapsing!

The beautiful military officer’s voice broadcast urgently: “The west side of the Xinghe Ship has suffered severe damage. Dangerous intruders detected! Soldiers, stay calm, unite, and repel the enemy!”

“I’m supposed to fight? You didn’t even give us weapons!” Xu Tu screamed miserably, crying: “Xi Yu, left, left!”

Luo Xi had praised Xu Tu’s spatial awareness many times before, so the breathless Xi Yu naturally chose to trust her.

But just as they turned the corner, the Xinghe Ship began to tilt violently!

Seeing they were about to fall into the bug’s mouth due to artificial gravity, Xi Yu stepped on the wall and leapt up, grabbing a lampshade while tightly pulling Xu Tu, shouting, “Quick! Jump over!”

Because of the ninety-degree change in space, Xu Tu completely missed her footing. Seeing the giant bug crawling crazily beneath her, she gritted her teeth, held her strength, and with Xi Yu’s help, leapt to the wall at the corner!

Xi Yu followed closely, jumping and landing, still holding Xu Tu as they fled.

At that moment, the Xinghe Ship flipped back suddenly, causing the two to fall clumsily and unexpectedly.

Xu Tu screamed, “Xi Yu!”

Xi Yu held her tightly and saw the dangerous giant bug had already crawled past the corner. Just as he was about to get up and struggle to stop it, fortunately, the general’s guard squad appeared.

The black-clad soldiers looked surprised by the danger and immediately knelt on one knee, shooting massive binding nets at the bugs.

Three giant bugs were caught one after another, retreating clumsily and leaving terrifying bloodstains on the floor.

Xi Yu and Xu Tu gasped heavily, finally breathing a sigh of relief.

The guard squad leader said sternly, “You did not participate in the fight. Return to the dorms immediately to rest to avoid casualties.”

Xu Tu’s hands and feet were icy cold. She eagerly pulled Xi Yu and ran away from the scene.After the life-or-death crisis, the quiet night became extremely precious.

Thinking about how foolish she had been earlier, Xu Tu was very frustrated and chased after Xi Yu to explain: "I'm usually not this cowardly! The only thing I’m afraid of is bugs, and yet the bugs in this mission are so huge!"

Xi Yu nodded calmly: "Mhm."

Xu Tu was momentarily depressed: "Have you never been afraid of anything?"

Xi Yu really thought about it carefully and then hesitated, shaking his head.

"That’s impossible. Everyone has something they fear," Xu Tu said, fixing her sweaty hair while braiding it. "It seems like it can’t even be explained genetically. There was a related paper that even won an award."

Xi Yu blinked: "Really? What is Luo Xi afraid of?"

"You care so much about the boss," Xu Tu grinned. "He doesn’t like fire. It’s not exactly fear, but being around fire makes him extremely anxious and his temper gets bad."

Xi Yu blinked in confusion.

Xu Tu suddenly forgot about the bug threat and gossipingly asked, "I saw you two got along well after the argument. How far has it progressed?"

Xi Yu answered honestly: "Nothing much, just friends."

"...Friends?" Xu Tu’s eyes widened. "The boss put so much effort in, and you just think he’s a good friend?"

Xi Yu: "Effort? What effort?"

Xu Tu sighed unhappily, then put her hands on her hips: "For example, that little kitten. Do you know how expensive artificial humans are? Have you seen other animals in the living area? The boss spent all his Yuntai currency on him!"

Xi Yu really had no concept of this. He knew Xiao Qi was probably not cheap, but not that expensive...

"I’m not talking to you anymore. You’re cruel, cold, heartless, and unreasonable!" Xu Tu rolled her eyes and then peeked around the corner: "The elevator entrance is over there."

"..." Xi Yu didn’t continue the awkward conversation. He glanced stealthily in the direction she pointed and found it was indeed the staircase he saw during the day leading down.

But outside the elevator entrance stood more than ten black-clad soldiers guarding it loyally. The high-tech guns they held thoroughly dashed any hope the two had of forcing their way through.

Yet Xu Tu refused to give up. She blinked and said, "I’ll go check it out. Don’t move."

Xi Yu didn’t have time to stop her as the girl, now fully in dramatic mode, cried and shouted as she rushed forward: "Help! Help!"

One guard from the protection team raised his gun warily: "What are you doing?"

"There are—bugs, huge ones! They’re going to eat me!!!" Xu Tu panted, clutching the blood-splattered uniform: "Right behind! Three of them! Quickly catch them!"

This really raised subtle suspicion among the guards.

The one speaking frowned and pointed at his companions: "You five, come with me and take a look."

Xi Yu immediately hid farther away, avoiding the approaching group.

Xu Tu still sat quietly crying, sneaking glances at the elevator door.

The door was tightly closed with no up or down buttons, only a card swipe reader beside it.

It seemed they needed some advanced credentials to get through.She bit her lip secretly and suddenly realized the greedy gaze from the nearby black-clad guard. She immediately stood up: "What are you looking at? No matter how good I look, you can’t look at me—I only like women!"

"...Cut the crap." The guard raised his gun: "Go back to the dorm."

Xu Tu snorted and quickly slipped away.

Explosions outside the fleet faintly continued, obviously intense fighting against the space pirates.

Xi Yu and Xu Tu, having gained little, naturally didn’t obey orders to rest but insisted on limited exploration on this level.

The seriously damaged west side of the battleship had already been urgently sealed off by the guards. Black-clad soldiers hurried down the corridor carrying repair equipment and weapons, probably rushing to fix the ship’s damage.

Actually, Xu Tu cared a lot about the battle. She found a transparent cabin wall and immediately pressed against it, spying on the distant flashes of the battleship’s exchanges of fire and explosions. Bright reflections shimmered in her big eyes.

Xi Yu frowned beside her: "Looks like many streamers were out in this attack."

"That’s fine, they owe themselves that," Xu Tu said softly. "Compared to the game’s story about protecting humanity, the streamers actually want to protect their own freedom—even if it’s just a faint hope... Who would want to live miserably day after day on Yuntai?"

As soon as she said this, red light flashed around them.

The system’s cold voice harshly echoed:

【Streamer Xu Tu, please stop discussing company strategies. This is the final warning!】

Xu Tu obediently closed her mouth, a faint sneer appearing at the corner of her lips.

Xi Yu wanted to ease the mood but felt powerless against reality.

Just as the atmosphere froze, an unusual noise came from behind them.

They immediately turned to see—a huge figure clad head to toe in terrifying metal armor.

This figure was obviously injured; although holding a laser gun, his steps were staggered and unstable.

Xu Tu whispered in shock: "What’s going on… is this one of the space pirates who just broke in? Could it be the intruder isn’t a giant bug after all..."

Xi Yu recalled Luo Xi’s "moderate" strategy and held back his impulse—not planning to help or stop the newcomer, instead obediently grabbed Xu Tu’s wrist and chose to surrender.

The metal-clad creature hesitated but didn’t fire, muttered some garbled words, shot and damaged the surveillance point, then limped away hurriedly.

Xu Tu squinted: "Huh? What did he say?"

Xi Yu didn’t understand either, puzzled: "Since this is a sci-fi game, it’s probably an alien language invented by the game designers. Let’s leave here first."

Xu Tu nodded: "Yeah, I’ll steal a pen and paper—at least we can map this floor, or the boss will blame me for not working."

Xi Yu looked back toward the fierce battlefield outside the starship, clearly worried about Luo Xi’s safety but unable to voice it.

The first interstellar war slowly ended at dawn.

Countless light warships returned to the mothership, leaving trails in the dark space that looked like brilliant meteors.

Xu Tu and Xi Yu, who had long been waiting in the corner of the war room, quickly got up and checked each small warship entering the ship, hoping to reunite with their partners whose fate was still unknown.At this moment, the sweet female officer announced the battle results.

【After a night of fierce fighting, our brave soldiers have repelled the most meticulously planned attack by the space pirates!】

【Fifty thousand human cryo-pods remain completely intact; everyone has fulfilled their mission with honor!】

【According to statistics, we have lost one hundred twenty-three fighter jets completely destroyed, and one hundred forty-five comrades have honorably sacrificed their lives. Salute!】

【At exactly 17:00 today, Captain Bai will award the soldiers who participated in the battle. Please gather at the auditorium on time!】

Although over a hundred streamers were out, which was not much for the more than two thousand streamers still competing, the information inside and outside the announcement still felt heavy.

Xu Tu said she wasn’t worried about Bai Qi, but hearing this made her fingers twitch nervously: "A Qi wouldn’t be this unlucky, right..."

Xi Yu didn’t say the comforting words, but she happily stood on tiptoe: "Silly Bai Qi! Didn’t expect you’re still alive!"

Then Xu Tu hurriedly ran toward Bai Qi who had just appeared.

Left behind, Xi Yu was confused. He continued weaving between countless fighter jet docking spots, finally spotting a tall figure jumping out of a cockpit. Although the other still wore a helmet, Xi Yu didn’t hesitate and quickly approached: "Hey."

The pilot removed his protective gear—it was indeed the triumphant Luo Xi.

Xi Yu smiled: "Good to see you’re okay."

Luo Xi’s fighter jet and he himself were both intact. He raised an eyebrow and said, "It was a mess, some streamers were completely shot down by their own teammates. I just symbolically destroyed a few enemy ships and then started circling around. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get close to their mothership all night."

"Those pirates, were they bugs?" Xi Yu asked curiously.

Luo Xi: "Hmm?"

Xi Yu quickly recounted the important parts of the night’s encounter with Xu Tu.

After listening carefully, Luo Xi replied: "We can’t tell who the pirates really are for now. Those small fighters explode as soon as they are pierced, not even leaving ashes. We haven’t figured out how to capture any."

Xi Yu thought deeply: "You did the right thing. We can’t kill too many at once; if there’s a reversal, it’d be hard to handle."

"I have my own thoughts on this. Once today’s scores are announced, we’ll have an idea," Luo Xi stretched his shoulders: "Let’s go have breakfast."

"There’s no clue in the hidden scores; I’m worried..." Xi Yu followed him: "One of us might be out."

Luo Xi: "Trust me, the more you do, the more dangerous it is. If someone’s going out, it’s most likely me."

Xi Yu: "Hey..."

Luo Xi couldn’t help but laugh: "What’s wrong? Don’t want me to die?"

"Why did you spend all your Yuntai coins buying me a cat?" Xi Yu couldn’t help but ask.

Luo Xi blinked: "...Money is just an external thing. No reason—just spent it happily."

Xi Yu never understood his heart. Since agreeing to team up, he had completely lost the initiative in their relationship, and now he had nothing to say.

Luo Xi raised his chin toward a short distance: "Isn’t that your little partner?"

Xi Yu turned his head and saw Tang Yanyan covered in blood, being supported forward by Wu Zhi.He approached without hesitation and asked, "What’s wrong?"

"Yanyan grabbed a fighter jet but got hit. Luckily, the jet didn’t completely fail; she stubbornly flew it back," Wu Zhi said worriedly. "I have to accompany her to the infirmary."

"Mm, exit and turn left, go forward three hundred meters, then turn right," Xi Yu reported the location, though he couldn’t help much more.

Wu Zhi hurriedly dragged Tang Yanyan away.

Luo Xi leisurely sighed beside them: "You have a bit of a fledgling complex. Seems like the teammates from the first battle are the hardest to forget."

Xi Yu snapped back to reality and suddenly proposed, "After the midnight scores are announced, how about coming with me to steal something?"

Luo Xi raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

Xi Yu said seriously, "I can’t stand doing nothing. I want to take a look at the lower level of the warship, but we need the general’s guard team’s access card."

In a way, both Luo Xi and Xi Yu liked to take initiative. Just as Luo Xi was about to object, Xi Yu pressed a finger softly against his lips.

Xi Yu whispered, "It’s not a critical moment now, so listen to me."