"Look, we're all wearing combat uniforms and carrying guns, and we're inside an aircraft. Either we're on a military exercise, or we have a combat mission. On that basis, Wolf Warrior could mean one of two things: it's either a unit's code name, or we're about to fight wolves. I'm more inclined to think it's the former."
Xu Long analyzed the situation carefully, trying to reveal a little of the plot.
As fellow reincarnators from the First District, Xu Long preferred that everyone return alive, as long as there was no conflict between them.
"On that basis, and considering the mission prompt, I'm ninety percent sure Wolf Warrior is the unit we belong to, and our enemies are mercenaries and drug dealers."
"Wait, what mercenaries? And drug dealers? What are you talking about? My mission is to survive for two days, and my side mission is to win the exercise. There's nothing about mercenaries or drug dealers!"
Xu Long had barely finished speaking when Zhang Dawei, sitting beside him, couldn't help piping up.
"The missions are different?"
The people in the cabin looked at one another, at a loss for words.
"What the hell..."
Xu Long finally understood. He was being treated differently.
His main mission was different, and so was his side mission. The rewards would probably be different too.
After thinking it over briefly, Xu Long felt it wasn't impossible to accept.
Since he enjoyed privileges the other reincarnators didn't have, he should have to face additional trials.
Getting everything without giving anything in return-where in the world could you find a deal that good?
"If it's just surviving for two days, then there's nothing more to say."
Xu Long sighed and slumped back in his seat like a broken toy.
"Uh, if you don't mind me asking, idol, what's your mission?"
Zhang Dawei asked, extremely curious.
"My main mission is to survive for three days. My side mission is to kill the mercenary leader and the drug dealer."
Xu Long had nothing left to live for. He was almost certain these people were just here to buy soy sauce.
"Whoa, damn!"
Everyone was shocked by Xu Long's words.
As everyone knew, the longer a mission lasted in the same world, the greater the danger. Beyond a certain point, the danger could even increase by leaps and bounds.
Take Resident Evil, for example. Ten minutes was different from half an hour, and one hour was even more different from two.
With every minute that passed, the danger increased. If it lasted more than five hours, the death rate would approach one hundred percent.
And judging by his side mission, there was a ninety-nine percent chance Xu Long would have an encounter battle with the mercenaries.
When that happened, it would be a straightforward fight to the death. There was absolutely no third possibility.
"Idol, did you do something that outraged heaven and angered the people, and now the Main God is targeting you?"
Zhang Dawei asked timidly, immediately drawing everyone else's attention.
Judging by their expressions, they were clearly already convinced Xu Long had.
"Maybe it's because I'm too handsome!"
Xu Long sighed, his face utterly despondent.
"Tch!"
"Shameless!"
"..."
After that bit of banter, the tense atmosphere immediately eased considerably.
"With idol holding the front for us, we basically don't have to worry about anything. We can just take it easy and coast."
Zhang Dawei was easygoing enough to settle on his strategy for what came next on the spot.
That was a natural way to think. After all, a person's name was like a tree's shadow. With a world-famous figure like Xu Long there, he would shoulder almost all the danger.
Another two minutes passed before Leng Feng, who had been unconscious the whole time, finally woke up.
Only then did everyone turn their attention from Xu Long to him.
The reincarnators exchanged glances, but none of them spoke.
"It's about to start. How do you feel?"
Xu Long patted Leng Feng on the shoulder and asked a question that could be taken more than one way.
"The old regimental commander said an exercise is real combat."
Leng Feng looked utterly full of himself, so cool he practically dripped with it.
"Well said. Even a lion uses its full strength to fight a rabbit. You have to give every battle everything you've got."
Xu Long nodded, then waited for them to reach their destination.
"Possible targets detected. Deploying decoys. Everyone, prepare to jump."
A woman's voice came through the headset. Xu Long tapped it, and the Red Queen immediately began hacking in.
"Infiltration of both the red and blue networks successful! Connecting to the external network!"
The Red Queen worked with incredible efficiency. In less than ten seconds, she had taken complete control of both the red and blue sides' networks in the military exercise.
Using them as a foundation, the Red Queen would connect to the global network and then bring the entire world under surveillance.
In modern warfare, air superiority was paramount.
To gain air superiority, one needed, first, powerful airborne military forces such as fighter jets and warships, and second, absolute network access.
Of the two, the latter was more important.
With the Red Queen around, the first thing to do upon entering a mission world was to obtain network access.
After that, whether they were looking for someone or searching for information, things would be much easier. Even the enemy's movements would be completely exposed to the Red Queen.
Of course, this applied only to technological worlds, and their level of technology couldn't be too high. Otherwise, the Red Queen risked being counter-hacked.
"Brothers, prepare to jump!"
The decoys were already descending by parachute. Xu Long called out to the others and was the first to leap from the aircraft.
"Master, I found 374 signals in the border area, including 196 possible targets. I need approximately two minutes to investigate and confirm them."
The Red Queen's voice sounded through his headset. She was incredibly efficient: the plot had only just begun, and she had already found the general area where the mercenaries were.
Of course, none of those targets might be the people Xu Long was looking for. The mercenaries might not have approached China's border yet.
"Proceed according to plan. I reckon something unexpected will happen during this mission. That mercenary named Old Cat should be a formidable opponent."
With that, Xu Long bent his knees and prepared to land.
All around them were decoys released by Wolf Warrior Squadron's captain, Long Xiaoyun. They descended alongside the men, intended to confuse the red side's commander.
But as an outstanding soldier who had fought in countless battles, the red side's commander wasn't fooled by the decoys and chose to open fire directly.
Fortunately, they were landing at the edge of the area. The shells passed close by their parachutes, and no one was hurt.
Night parachuting put a soldier's physical fitness and combat experience to an extreme test, but these people were all D-rank reincarnators, far stronger than those special forces soldiers.
"Squads one, two, and three, assemble at coordinates 385, 279."
After issuing the order through his headset, Xu Long began organizing the team.
He had replaced Shao Bing, Wolf Warrior Squadron's deputy captain, and held absolute command in battle.
If they lost contact with headquarters, he would lead the team to victory or destruction.