Behind a distant hill, out of sight, a sudden burst of gunfire erupted.
The kill feed scrolled rapidly. In just a few dozen seconds, several more players were dead. This sort of thing was common in the Final Circle: long stretches of silence, then suddenly a flurry of gunfire. Everyone was usually lying in the grass like a bush camper, so they couldn't see their enemies. But once one person was spotted, the ensuing exchange of fire could expose many others too. The circle was small and everyone was close together, so they had no choice but to fight it out.
There were only four players left in the Final Circle.
Chen Zhao, Little Bamboo Shoot, and two enemies.
Little Bamboo Shoot seemed to be in a better mood. "Phew! I finally made it to the Final Circle for once today. At least now I have something to show my fans!"
Chen Zhao was a little speechless. "Didn't you say you were a Winner Winner Chicken Dinner streamer? Shouldn't a streamer like that make it to the Final Circle every match? What's with this 'finally'?"
Little Bamboo Shoot sounded annoyed. "I'm really good! I've just been unlucky!"
Chen Zhao shrugged, not bothering to argue with the noob, and kept scanning the woods ahead.
He paid extra attention to the grass along the edge of the hill and around the base of every tree. Those were the easiest places to hide. But even after searching carefully, he didn't spot anyone. The two remaining campers were probably skilled players, at least veterans who knew how to conceal their positions.
The next circle wasn't far away—just ten meters ahead. But it was completely exposed, with no rocks or trees. Once they went out there, they'd stand out like targets and would easily be picked off by the enemy.
There was no choice. He'd have to use his hostage again.
"Little Bamboo Shoot, move forward into the circle. Then strafe left and right," Chen Zhao said.
"Seriously? I have to dance again?" Little Bamboo Shoot was filled with misery. "The next circle is so small. I'll definitely get shot!"
"Don't worry. If anyone shoots at you, I'll blow their head off right away," Chen Zhao said.
"Can I trust you?" Little Bamboo Shoot asked timidly.
"Trust me or not, you're going forward! Otherwise, I'll take your head!" Chen Zhao threatened fiercely.
Little Bamboo Shoot whimpered, used two painkillers—probably hoping the steady healing would save her life—and then cautiously stepped into the circle and began strafing left and right!
Chen Zhao focused intently, staring at the computer screen and watching for the slightest movement.
Come out! You last two enemies!
There's someone hopping around over here! They're practically daring you to do something!
Don't you want to unload a magazine at Little Bamboo Shoot while she's jumping around?
Perhaps Little Bamboo Shoot's brazen hopping was too hard to ignore. As the circle began to shrink, two figures appeared at the same time, one on each side of the hill opposite them, and opened fire on her!
The moment they appeared, Chen Zhao had already locked onto them. He fired his SLR Marksman Rifle without aiming!
Little Bamboo Shoot screamed as all three players opened fire at once! Bullets of every caliber crisscrossed over the grass with a series of sharp whistles!
[You killed Water in Headphones with a headshot using the SLR Marksman Rifle] [You killed qwert with a headshot using the SLR Marksman Rifle]
Two notifications appeared in quick succession. The last two enemies were dead!
Chen Zhao got up and ran from the blue zone, making it into the circle.
Little Bamboo Shoot was at a loss. "What do we do now? It's just the two of us left."
Chen Zhao thought for a moment, then suddenly pulled out a grenade and pulled the pin.
Little Bamboo Shoot stood still and sighed softly. She knew she was about to get blown up by a grenade. But it was fine. Making it to second place was already a rare achievement. Sometimes she played dozens of matches in a row without even getting second. Now she'd basically gotten second for free, so what was there to complain about?
But then, with a thunderous boom, Little Bamboo Shoot stared in shock as the Winner Winner Chicken Dinner screen appeared on her monitor!
Chen Zhao hadn't thrown the grenade at her. He'd kept it in his hand and chosen to blow himself up!
"I get Winner Winner Chicken Dinner all the time. I know it's not easy for you, so I'll give you one. Being a human target must have been tough," Chen Zhao said.
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