The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

Chapter 182: There was no underestimation of the opponent; the difference in strength was simply too great.

The X City Biochemical Research Institute is getting closer and closer.

A huge circular dome came into view, covered with white snow. At first glance, patches of snow were seen sliding down the dome.

Tian Tian looked out the window and murmured, "Can this really be called a research institute?"

Indeed, such a huge building seems a bit small if it's simply called a research institute.

But this is, after all, a battlefield where two teams compete, so it's reasonable that the venue would be larger.

As soon as everyone got off the car, they pushed open the gate of the Biochemical Research Institute and walked into the institute's south square. Perhaps because of the wall, the snow here was very thick, and it crunched underfoot.

The courtyard was eerily quiet, and at a glance, there were no zombies in sight.

But standing at the foot of this massive biochemical research institute building, looking up at it, one feels an even greater sense of weight and solemnity, especially with the surrounding area covered in white snow, which makes the cold and desolate feeling even more pronounced.

The members of the Qing City team left their footprints on the smooth snow and stood in front of the research institute.

creak-

The door was pushed open, and what came into view was the lobby of the research institute's first floor, shrouded in darkness.

After a cautious look around, I didn't see any zombies in the lobby on the first floor, nor did I see any ambushes from the opposing team that I had imagined.

Although they knew the target item was on the top floor, they did not rush to the roof immediately, but instead gathered some information in the lobby on the first floor.

Jiang Chuan reached out and wiped the dust off the building diagram in front of him. In the beam of his flashlight, he spoke:
"It seems we don't need to worry about an ambush anymore."

"The research institute appears as a single unit from the outside, but internally it is divided into two completely separate areas: an experimental area and an office area."

"The south entrance and the north entrance are the only entrances to these two areas, respectively."

"In other words, the two teams are in a completely equal situation."

"The only connection between these two areas is under the circular dome, which is where our target is located."

As Jiang Chuan spoke, he looked up at the sky.

Then continued:

"The research institute has a total of 22 floors, including three underground floors and nineteen floors above ground."

"It seems that the first thing we need to compete on is speed."

"Let's see who can get to the 19th floor first."

Lin Ci said, "It seems that before fighting the opponent, we need to break through the zombies first..."

Chen Ming nodded: "Let's not delay, let's set off quickly."

Tian Tian and Li Yi had already reached the top of the stairs, and they both looked back.

Tian Tian said, "Let's go."

……

the other side.

The group from Songshi Agency had also arrived, following a similar process to Jiang Chuan and his group. They had also realized that being the first to reach the 19th floor would give them a certain advantage, and judging from their plan, seizing this advantage was of paramount importance.

Qi Feng took the lead and entered the stairwell first, his square face filled with solemnity and determination.

Although the flashlight beam was dim, it was enough to make out the shapes of the zombies.

"I'll clear the way."

"..."

"Follow me!"

As he spoke, he put brass knuckles on his fists.

Then, he took a deep breath and gradually quickened his pace.

The echoes in the stairwell corridor grew faster and faster. At this moment, he had already started running wildly towards the zombies!
He then leaped up suddenly, raising his right fist high, and using the momentum of his descent, he threw a vicious punch!

boom!
The first zombie that appeared in the corridor had its head blown off by that powerful punch!

The sound startled all the zombies in the corridor...

The zombies stiffly turned their heads to look in Qi Feng's direction, then swarmed over with bared teeth and claws!

Qi Feng seemed to be used to this kind of scene. He stepped forward without fear, his arms seemed to swell up, and he swung his powerful fists out with a cold light!
bang bang bang! ! !
His boxing style is unparalleled in its ferocity and power; at the same time, it is incredibly fast!
Behind Qi Feng, his teammates immediately followed, and the rifles were used to their fullest potential in the narrow corridor.

The three took turns firing, and even the speed at which they reloaded was well controlled, ensuring that there were always two people ready to fire and support Qi Feng who was charging ahead.

Amidst the flashes of gunfire illuminating the stairwell, the cold glint of daggers and throwing knives also mingled…

Once Qi Feng's strength weakens, the girl named Sun Yiran who uses darts will quickly take his place to buy Qi Feng time to recover.

Her figure was extremely agile and flexible, but while possessing the unique feminine grace, the powerful force generated by the coordinated action of her wrist and fingers when the dagger flew out of her hand was also extremely terrifying!
While strength is limited in virtual reality, recovery speed is much faster than in the real world. Therefore, although Sun Yiran bears a significant burden of offensive pressure, fortunately, Qi Feng doesn't need much rest before being able to rejoin the battle!
Although these zombies would pose a threat once they amassed in numbers, they had already been through the first six levels and were quite used to this kind of stairwell and alleyway combat...

This team from the Songshi organization looks quite mature.

Not only is the division of labor clear, but the level of cooperation and teamwork is also top-notch!

Like a sophisticated machine, each gear meshes with the others, each playing its own role, propelling this "machine" forward with a roar!

In the planning team's office, many eyes were drawn to the aesthetic beauty created by this collaboration.

People were immersed in this exquisite repetition, experiencing a feeling completely different from the violent and fierce Jiangchuan.

This was also the first time Feng Xiaobo had ever seen such teamwork.

"These children from the Matsushita Institute..."

"The level of teamwork and coordination they have is something Jiang Chuan and his team simply can't match."

"It hasn't been that long, and we've already passed the tenth floor."

"And then look at Jiang Chuan and the others..."

Feng Xiaobo silently shifted his gaze to the left side of the large screen, to Jiang Chuan's half of the split screen.

The situation was completely different from that of the Matsushi branch; there was absolutely no order or method in the Aoshi branch.

Lin Ci's fist and Jiang Chuan's dagger might hit the same zombie at the same time, and Li Yi's Tang sword and Tian Tian's dagger would occasionally collide, cutting off the same zombie's head together. Meanwhile, Chen Ming, the Tai Chi master, was just following behind them, unable to get involved at all. He could only helplessly pick up the scraps, checking which zombies weren't quite dead yet, and occasionally adding a kick.

That's a ridiculous combination; how could it possibly be faster than the other side?

But when the camera focused on the floor numbers, Feng Xiaobo's expression suddenly changed, and his pupils contracted sharply.

"what's the situation?"

"The twelfth floor?!"

Such ridiculous teamwork, utterly disregarding physical exertion, and mindlessly charging forward without utilizing teamwork—yet they're faster than the Songshi organization!?
Soon, Feng Xiaobo noticed that the five people from the Qingdao organization had already used a single injection!
Thinking about this, Feng Xiaobo's face darkened.

He was, of course, aware of the number of injections Jiang Chuan had accumulated over this period.

But this doesn't really disrupt the balance; it's just that others didn't get that many injections...

Jiang Chuan obtained so many injections, all within the permitted range.

Since they didn't disrupt the balance, he couldn't say that Jiang Chuan and his group's actions were problematic...

"But it doesn't matter."

"Using injections here is a complete waste; reaching the top floor earlier does offer some advantages..."

"But the children in Songshi are only two floors behind, so this difference is nothing."

"Getting the ball doesn't guarantee a goal..."

"Jiang Chuan, underestimating your opponent... will come at a price."

Feng Xiaobo had been observing Jiang Chuan and his group of five the whole way.

Jiang Chuan and his team never had any detailed plan for this operation. Compared to the plan made by the Song City organization, they only knew the conditions for victory and then acted on instinct. With Jiang Chuan as their core combat force and the first injections available, they seemed to have victory in their grasp.

But victory is never that simple.
The injection could indeed maintain unlimited stamina for 20 minutes, but not expending stamina didn't equate to increased strength, and it couldn't guarantee victory. Without a clear objective, the team's execution would inevitably suffer, especially after the students from the Songshi institution displayed such perfect teamwork. Feng Xiaobo felt this even more strongly…

Jiang Chuan is finally about to face his defeat.

"It's time to taste the bitterness of failure."

"Go for it, kids of Songshi!"

……

19 floors.

The main gate on the north side was forcibly pried open.

This was originally an automatic door, but without electricity, it can only be opened by brute force.

Qi Feng led his team into the top floor hall of the biochemical laboratory.

This place resembles a giant factory workshop, with massive experimental equipment on display, crisscrossing pipes, and rows of culture chambers arranged among them. Through the observation windows, one can see figures of people.

The vaulted ceiling here is very high, making it look very spacious. Light refracts through the glass of the dome and illuminates the entire laboratory.

Looking towards the center, you can see their objective for this seventh mission...

There were five cylindrical containers filled with green liquid, encased in transparent glass domes; this was their objective.

"Execute according to plan."

Qi Feng's voice wasn't loud:
"Seize the target, then cover Liu Zhen's retreat."

Several people nodded.

Immediately afterwards, they took a step and rushed towards the center.

But before he could run a few steps, Qi Feng stopped first.

He saw a figure leaning against a giant pipe, watching him with a leisurely air.

Qi Feng looked at him and frowned: "You guys arrived a long time ago?"

Jiang Chuan smiled and said, "As you can see."

Qi Feng glanced around and spotted the figures of several other people.

Five people... are all here.

Two women and three men stood out behind a series of thick pipes.

Qi Feng frowned: "What do you want?"

As he spoke, the other four members of the team also became alert. Three men raised their guns and aimed in various directions, while Sun Yiran drew her dagger, ready to launch an attack at any moment.

Jiang Chuan simply smiled indifferently:
"Don't be too nervous, my teammates and I are planning a fair competition."

"Simply winning is meaningless; the meaning of training lies in competing against you guys."

Qi Feng was stunned for a moment: "You mean..."

"You think you can beat us so easily?"

Jiang Chuan was also taken aback for a moment, then nodded nonchalantly:

"Yes."

"I just want to give you a level playing field."

He spoke calmly.

These words made Qi Feng's eye twitch, and then he chuckled:
"I don't know where your confidence comes from."

Then, his voice sharpened: "Plan B!"

"action!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Qi Feng unleashed his speed, charging toward the target in the very center!

In the team, only Liu Zhen burst out with speed to keep up with Qi Feng's pace, while the others launched attacks on other opponents nearby!

Qi Feng's plan was clear: he wanted to seize the target item, hand it over to Liu Zhen, and have him leave as soon as possible!
At this moment, we are almost there to complete the first step of the plan!
"I've run into such a spoiled brat."

"And what about fair competition?"

"You idiot missed such a great opportunity!"

Qi Feng was filled with disdain for the guy who had been playing with the dagger.

If they leave with the items, then we will have to pursue them, at which point the other side will have the upper hand and we will be at a significant disadvantage.

But the other party so easily gave up such a great opportunity!
Such an opponent... thankfully I still took them seriously!

You will definitely win!
……

Feng Xiaobo frowned as he read it.

"Where does Jiang Chuan get his confidence from? Is he really that arrogant?"

"I really need to give Boss Cao a call. How does he teach his students?!"

"Having no plan is one thing, but underestimating your opponent like this is unacceptable!"

"Don't you understand the principle of strategically despising the enemy while tactically taking them seriously?!"

"These teammates all fooled around with him too!"

"You were completely wrong about Jiang Chuan before!"

"If this kind of personality continues, he'll be the first to die if something really happens! He'll send the whole squad to hell!"

Although Feng Xiaobo was furious, the others in the office felt completely different. "If someone else had said those things, it would have seemed a bit pretentious, but what Jiang Chuan said... felt just right."

"Hmm... He has more than twenty syringes on hand, so it's normal for him to be a little more confident."

"How could they lose? It's not like they're going to lose."

Hearing these comments, Feng Xiaobo rebuked them, saying, "Don't think that having injections means you can win!"

"No amount of injections can make up for their current oversights!"

"Although each member of the Songshi organization only has two injections, 40 minutes is enough to decide the outcome!"

"If we're only judging a mission's success by its apparent strength, then we might as well compare the numerical values!"

Everyone was taken aback, but they also thought it made sense.

But one of the staff members spoke up: "Boss, how about we take a gamble?"

"If Jiang Chuan wins, will he get dinner for a month?"

Feng Xiaobo turned his head away without replying.

……

However, just as Qi Feng was covering Liu Zhen as they charged towards that direction, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

Qi Feng snorted coldly.

He was extremely confident in his strength, especially since he was sprinting at high speed...

Anyone who dares to block his way is practically asking for death!
Without saying a word, he threw a powerful punch right at him!

The punch was accompanied by the sound of wind being cut, and it was so powerful that even Jiang Chuan would have to temporarily avoid its edge. But the figure did not dodge or avoid it. He just stood there calmly, and even had a smile on his lips.

Seeing this, Qi Feng was also disdainful:
"court death?"

"Taking care of one first will increase our chances of winning!"

At this moment, Qi Feng had no other choice. He had already thrown a punch, and hesitation would only diminish its momentum. He was determined to finish off his opponent with this one punch!

But just as his punch was about to hit, the man raised his arm, seemingly wanting to take the hit head-on, but in reality, he clung to Qi Feng's arm and stuck to him! An unexpected attraction suddenly occurred, forcibly changing the course of his punch, causing it to uncontrollably smash into the metal pipe beside him!
Boom!
A deafening clang of metal clashing echoed through the vast laboratory!

Qi Feng's arm was numb and tingling from the shock. He looked over in astonishment: "Tai Chi!?"

Chen Ming smiled and gestured for him to proceed.

Qi Feng knew that he had met his nemesis.

But now is not the time to get entangled; I must protect Liu Zhen and get the target.

To achieve his strategic goals, he must fight two opponents at once, but neither of them can be the one who plays the Tai Chi master!

Qi Feng did not respond to Chen Ming's invitation, but immediately made a judgment: "Change the player!"

We need to get others to distract this Tai Chi master...

He had to exchange hands with the other players, but when he gave the order, no one responded.

how?

He was somewhat surprised and subconsciously looked around.

Only then did he notice that his other teammates were struggling, barely able to hold on, let alone break away to provide support.

Sun Yiran was originally a combatant he trusted, but he didn't expect that the woman wielding the Tang sword would be so powerful.
In just a few moments and a few rounds, Sun Yiran already had numerous wounds on her body!
The other two team members were so badly pressed down by the two men that they could barely lift their heads!

The strength of these three opponents was incredibly formidable!

"how come……"

In that fleeting moment of distraction, a black figure silently attacked from behind!
Qi Feng reacted instinctively, dodging to the side...

But the black-clad figure's target brushed past him.

In that instant, a flash of lightning struck Qi Feng's mind!
"Liu Zhen!!"

But he only managed to shout those two words, before he could even say "be careful," when the figure had already blocked Liu Zhen's path. The speed that it unleashed was simply too fast!
A cold glint flashed, and Liu Zhen instinctively dodged, but he still couldn't avoid the cold light.

brush--!
Blood splatters!

At this moment, Tian Tian was staring at her prey with extreme indifference.

Tian Tian's usual cheerful and playful expression was completely gone, replaced by an extremely ruthless look. Although she had already succeeded, she did not stop her attack. Her dagger struck relentlessly, targeting her opponent's weaknesses with vicious stabs, clearly intending to strike while the iron was hot and finish her off!

In just a moment, Qi Feng felt that they were already shrouded in the shadow of defeat.

But...why?
"what!!!"

A scream sounded.

He looked in the direction of the sound and saw that his teammate had been stabbed through the heart with a dagger by the man. His body fell heavily to the ground and disintegrated and disappeared in an instant, completely exiting the scene.

"how……"

Click! !

Another sharp crack suddenly rang out.

Looking over there again, another teammate's neck had been broken.

Sun Yiran was still struggling to hold on, but it was all she could manage; she couldn't retaliate at all. The reason she hadn't logged off yet seemed to be simply because this woman wielding a Tang sword wasn't quite used to that weapon…

Liu Zhen's thigh tendons had been severed by the dagger, rendering him incapable of resistance. The girl carrying the dagger was slowly approaching him, preparing to deliver the final blow.

In the blink of an eye.

The defeat was already inevitable.

Jiang Chuan's calm voice rang out again:

"You didn't want a fair chance."

He walked towards Qi Feng step by step, saying with some regret as he went:

"It could have been a really interesting exchange and competition."

"Alright, that's not very interesting for us anymore."

Qi Feng finally realized what was happening. He gritted his teeth and said angrily and gloomily:

"You planned all of this, what are you talking about as a fair chance?"

Qi Feng took a deep breath:

"My initial judgment was wrong... I underestimated you."

"By taking advantage of our plan to target them, you briefly created a five-on-four situation..."

"Use their scheme against them, feign weakness to lure them out..."

"Good plan."

However, Qi Feng guessed wrong.

Or perhaps he didn't guess completely correctly.

Because he only saw the surface.

In essence, the victory of the Qing City team this time was simply due to their complete overwhelming strength.

Jiang Chuan did this, and it even seemed like he was being careless and underestimating his opponent, because he judged that their actual level was far superior to that of their opponents.

The reason we entered the seventh level at this time is because Jiang Chuan's level is twice as many as everyone else's.

From this perspective, the opponents who entered the seventh level with him were far inferior to him in terms of strength.

Li Yilin dismissed Chen Ming and Tian Tian; these individuals would be absolute key players in any organization across the country. Moreover, Tian Tian and her team had already reopened the sixth level several times. The reason it was so difficult was simply because he, the first to break through the sixth level, hadn't shared the intelligence due to that previous phone call. Otherwise, the speed at which the Qing City organization broke through the sixth level would have been significantly faster.

This also indirectly shows that there was actually a huge gap in strength between them before.

Qi Feng is indeed quite skilled, but everyone here is at least as strong as him.

Given such a disparity in strength, the only possibility for the Qing City team to fail is this:

That means the other side entered the top floor first and took the mission objective before them. Even just taking it wasn't enough to make up for the gap; they would need another Awakened One with a significant speed advantage.

To prevent this from happening, Jiang Chuan and his team used a single injection...

This is already a case of a lion hunting a rabbit; it's an all-out effort.

Therefore, as long as Jiang Chuan and his team can reach the 19th floor before their opponents, the victory is already assured.

This is why Jiang Chuan had said long ago that "we have a better chance of winning."

Even if the two sides are evenly matched, or even if the opponent has a slight advantage, a large number of injections can ensure victory.

Unfortunately, the other party had no power to force them to use the injection.

Just as Qi Feng was speaking, the woman had already been killed by Li Yi and logged off.

Tian Tian has already dealt with Liu Zhen.

At this moment, it's a five-on-one situation.

Jiang Chuan shook his head at the analysis made by the person with the square face:
"I... don't have that many designs."

Upon hearing this, Qi Feng was stunned: "What?"

Jiang Chuan said calmly:
"You heard that right."

"..."

"I don't have that many ideas, and I don't want to design anything."

"I'm giving you a fair chance to compete... just because I want to get through this quickly."

"Running with things is too slow."

"So we'll choose the second way to pass the level."

"Kill them all, and you'll pass the test."

Qi Feng thought he had been tricked, and he was already somewhat angry, but when he heard the other party's utter contempt for him, he became even more furious and laughed in defiance:

"you……"

But he stopped abruptly before he could even finish speaking.

Because Jiang Chuan was already charging towards him!
The speed was so fast that Qi Feng's pupils suddenly contracted. In the blink of an eye, the other party had already rushed in front of him!

He could see the other person's movements clearly, but his body simply couldn't keep up with their speed...

Even after the fist was thrown, the opponent was faster than him!

The dagger, its sharp edge gleaming, stabbed towards Qi Feng's chest. Qi Feng instinctively began to dodge, but the speed at which he moved was nothing compared to the tip of the dagger... it was as if they were in two different worlds with different time flows!

At that moment, Qi Feng suddenly understood many things.

The other party was neither boasting nor trying to belittle him.

This is pure, overwhelming strength!

Qi Feng even suspected that this guy could easily wipe out their entire team without needing five people!
Just minutes ago, I thought I had already won...

Their once-proud teamwork crumbled under the overwhelming strength of the opponent.

But how could someone of their caliber be matched with me?
When the dagger pierced his heart, Qi Feng's fist had only been halfway through its swing.

He completely lost his strength, collapsed to the ground, and his body disintegrated inch by inch, turning into light fragments and disappearing.

At this moment, the level completion screen appeared before Jiang Chuan's eyes.

[Level 7: Winter is Coming]

[Customs clearance time: 00:48:44]

[Customs clearance completed].

……

Feng Xiaobo looked at the scene before him, rubbed his eyes, and was somewhat dazed.

He couldn't understand.

Even if they were going to lose, it shouldn't have happened this quickly, right? From the moment they met until the end, how long had it been?
Moreover, Jiang Chuan had no plan at all, and even deliberately gave up his advantage. How could he win like this?
Those lazy bums from the Songshi organization are hopeless!

Not only did Jiang Chuan win again, but he won so easily!
However, thinking of this, Feng Xiaobo rubbed his chin again.

"Could it be that Jiang Chuan underestimated his opponent?"

"Was this all part of his plan?"

"..."

"wrong."

"What he just said to Qi Feng shows that he doesn't take his opponent seriously at all."

"The fact that we didn't suffer a loss this time is indeed due to a difference in strength, but the opponents we face next will not be so easy."

The eighth and the following ninth levels are also team-based, and the situations are far more complex than those in the seventh level.

"This kid really needs to be taught a lesson..."

"So that I can live a little longer in the future."

(End of this chapter)