Chapter 157: Monitor Li's Hypocrisy

After leaving the cattle farm, Chen Hao did not return to find Nie Shicheng but instead rested at a local farmer’s house. He took out the wild boar skin from his satchel and donned his military officer attire once more. The farmer treated him with the utmost respect, offering fine tea and hearty food.

Chen Hao handed over five silver dollars to the household, asking the lady to help feed his horse while the man rode off on a donkey to gather intelligence at the cattle farm. After half an hour, the man returned with information about five ambushers. Upon receiving the news, Chen Hao entrusted his prized chestnut horse, Tixue Wuzui, to the farmer’s care, then carefully arranged an ambush in the bushes along the official road, awaiting the arrival of the five players.

He was particularly invested in ambushing these five players because they carried a Zeiss telescope—an indispensable piece of equipment for military officers during campaigns. If he could defeat them and seize the telescope, it would greatly enhance his ability to adapt battlefield strategies based on enemy movements.

Such an opportunity was rare; even in the foreign trading house, it was nearly impossible to purchase such a telescope unless one was on a mission or exceptionally lucky. This was a golden chance.

Chen Hao’s hiding spot was about three kilometers from Nie Shicheng’s camp. Soon, he heard the sound of hooves and, relying on his experience, deduced that five riders approached. Pulling out his Mauser G98 rifle, he gently parted the grass and aimed at the foremost bald player, pulling the trigger.

“Bang.”

Though only twenty meters from the road, the bald rider was struck and thrown from his horse. The five were well-trained; seeing their comrade fall, the remaining four reined in their horses and swiftly aimed their rifles at the bushes where Chen Hao hid, firing shots.

Chen Hao took no chances. After firing, he quickly concealed himself behind a large tree as the scattered bullets missed their mark. Peeking from the side of the tree, he raised his G98 again and fired three consecutive shots, knocking the last rider from his horse.

Three players dismounted and took cover prone on the ground, rifles trained on the tree behind which Chen Hao hid. They would fire the moment he showed himself. From a hollow in the tree, Chen Hao retrieved a squirrel he had prepared earlier, affixing a small stick to its back before releasing it into the bushes, producing rustling noises.

This was a clever trick popular among stealth players, but the three did not expect Chen Hao to have prepared so thoroughly. Spotting movement in the bushes, they simultaneously opened fire.

Their marksmanship was commendable, and the squirrel was quickly riddled with bullets. Distracted, the players gave Chen Hao the opening he needed. He slipped out from behind the tree, moving in the opposite direction, and swiftly shot another player.

Only two remained. They exchanged glances and dragged the corpse of their fallen comrade in front of them, cautiously watching both sides of the tree.

The tree behind which Chen Hao hid was thick enough to be embraced by two arms. He had carefully prepared his ambush spot. Retreating behind the tree, he grasped a vine dangling from its branches—a vine he had tied beforehand, unseen from the road. Pulling on it, he used his lightness skill to ascend gracefully to the treetop, concealed among the dense foliage.

From this vantage point, Chen Hao set up his rifle, aiming down at the player on the left and pulling the trigger. The remaining two players, hidden behind their companion’s corpse, believed Chen Hao could not hit them from such a distance, and were unprepared for his presence above.

The first shot struck the left player, while the other player was so startled he didn’t even know where the bullet came from before Chen Hao fired again. Since both were prone, Chen Hao’s shots missed vital spots initially, but after hitting them, he followed with rapid fire to ensure their demise, then quietly descended from the tree.

All five players had fine horses; two of the mounts whinnied in pain from the gunshots. Chen Hao paid little mind to the horses but brightened upon spotting the telescope beside the bald player’s corpse.

Item Name: Carl Zeiss Telescope
Item Quality: Standard Edition
Magnification: 4x
Attribute: Command 1 — Increases chance of detecting enemies during reconnaissance by 20%

Chen Hao hung the telescope around his neck and began gathering the weapons dropped by the players. Among them was a prestigious Mauser pistol, superior in attributes to his Colt, likely a frustrating find for the defeated player.

Equipment Name: Mauser Pistol (Semi-automatic)
Type: Handgun
Quality: Prestigious Edition
Description: One of the world’s earliest automatic pistols, developed by the German Feeder Brothers and named after Mauser.
Length: 300 mm
Caliber: — mm
Weight: — g
Effective Range: 80 meters
Magazine Capacity: 10 rounds
Base Attribute: Shooting 2
Power: 50
Rate of Fire: 65
Accuracy: 75
Stability: 95

This prestigious Mauser features an extended barrel, reaching an effective range of 80 meters—30 meters farther than the standard model. Remarkably, despite the longer barrel, its weight decreased by 0.14 kilograms. Its power, firing rate, and accuracy all surpass the regular version.

Its base shooting attribute is 2, matching Chen Hao’s prestigious Colt, but with a firing rate 15 points higher. If dual wielding were not an option, Chen Hao would prefer this semi-automatic over the Colt.

Packing away the Mauser, he was about to gather the scattered horses when over ten players appeared nearby. Their heads wrapped in towels and clad in Boxer Rebellion attire, they were clearly on a Boxer mission. Chen Hao couldn’t clearly identify them as they crouched low on their mounts, but encountering such a large group while collecting spoils was never a good sign.

He mounted a white horse and led two others, preparing to leave when suddenly a loud voice called out, “Wait up, brothers ahead! Let’s discuss something first.”

The group quickly closed in. The apparent leader spoke of discussion, but the players behind him aimed long rifles—if Chen Hao tried to ride off, they would open fire.

With no choice, Chen Hao halted, coldly watching the advancing dozen-plus players. Recognizing the leader, his face registered surprise. It was his real-life squad leader, Li Hongbo, founder of Blue Sky Studio. The others were members of the same group.

Li Hongbo, with grace, cupped his hands toward Chen Hao and said, “Brother, those three horses you have must be freshly captured, right? You can’t ride so many alone. Why not sell me the other two?”

Chen Hao smiled mockingly, “What if I refuse?”

Li Hongbo’s expression turned serious. “I heard gunfire earlier. It’s not right for friends to ambush and rob others like that. We play games for fun, and attacking innocent players is wrong. If you hand over the spoils, I’ll return them to the rightful owners. If not, I’m afraid my brothers won’t agree.”

Chen Hao couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. Li Hongbo was truly the epitome of hypocrisy, asking him to surrender spoils to be handed back to victims—utterly shameless and unblushing. If there were a contest for brazenness, Li Hongbo would top it.

Li Hongbo had over ten men. If the distance were greater, Chen Hao might have bargained, but now he was at a disadvantage, unlikely to win a fight. Feigning reluctance, Chen Hao sighed, “Name your price.”

A triumphant smile spread across Li Hongbo’s face as he pulled fifteen silver dollars from his satchel. “Five silver each for the three horses, fifteen in total. Fair price, don’t you think?”

Chen Hao’s three horses were quality stock, worth at least 50 silver each on the market. Offering five silver apiece was blatant exploitation. Resigned, Chen Hao silently cursed Li Hongbo’s ancestors, then said with a forced grin, “That price’s reasonable enough. But I want to keep one for myself. How about selling two?”

Li Hongbo smiled warmly. “Fair enough to leave you a mount. How about I buy all three and throw in a mule for you to ride?”

At his command, a Boxer NPC from his group approached, dismounted from a mule, and handed its reins to Chen Hao.

Surrounded by the dozen-plus players, Chen Hao knew resistance would be futile. Li Hongbo calmly said, “Here’s fifteen silver. Ride off on the mule.”

Chen Hao was furious yet amused. Taking the mule’s reins and picking up the silver Li Hongbo tossed on the ground, he turned and sprinted toward the farmer’s home.

Watching him depart, a player beside Li Hongbo raised his rifle. “Boss, should we kill him?”

Li Hongbo shook his head. “Don’t go too far. If we kill him and steal the horses, we’d be as shameless as he is. Now we’re buying the horses fairly. Even if he rants on the forums, it won’t matter. Killing and robbing would be different.”

“That’s the height of hypocrisy,” the player muttered, regretting joining Li Hongbo’s gaming studio, but it was too late now.

Back at the farmer’s, Chen Hao handed over the mule to the lady. “The mule’s for you. How are my horses?”

The woman trembled. “I fed them fine grain earlier; my husband took them to the river to wash.”

Chen Hao nodded, led out Tixue Wuzui from the pen, changed out of his officer’s uniform, and spurred the horse onto the official road at full gallop. On horseback, he loaded his Mauser G98 to full capacity and pursued Li Hongbo’s group at full speed, determined to teach the hypocrite a lesson: easy gains are not to be had so cheaply.