Chapter 35: New Squad – A New Five-Man Team

After logging out of the game, Mo Han sent Frank a message: “Let’s have dinner together tonight. Bring Caitlin. My treat.”

Frank hadn’t seen Mo Han since the semester started. He happily agreed and set the time and place with Mo Han.

Herman University boasted not only large student cafeterias with a wide variety but also several smaller restaurants for a la carte ordering. Frank and Mo Han chose a themed restaurant known for its privacy, booked a private room, and invited Caitlin along.

At 6 PM, Frank and Caitlin arrived together.

Mo Han was already there, dishes ordered, waiting. Seeing them, he smiled. “Senior, Senior Sister, long time no see.”

Frank embraced him briefly, asking with concern, “What have you been so busy with lately?”

Mo Han replied, “I’m planning to take my graduation defense early this semester. I’ve been researching and writing my thesis.”

Herman University’s coursework was incredibly demanding. Students in the School of Computer Science still unable to graduate by their senior year were common. But Mo Han was a rare, god-like student. Having completed all his required courses by his second year, he was preparing for his thesis defense at the very start of his third year—effectively graduating a year and a half early. This was unprecedented in the university’s twenty-plus year history.

Frank, though his direct senior, deeply admired this junior. Hearing this, he gave a thumbs-up. “You, a guy two years my junior, are going to graduate before me! That’s terrifying!”

Caitlin chimed in, “Mo Han’s smarter than you, after all. You almost failed that course last semester, and he aced it.”

Frank glanced at her. “Can you give your boyfriend some face?”

Caitlin rolled her eyes. “Do you need ‘face’ in front of Mo Han? You’re the senior, yet you had to ask your junior for help on exam topics.”

Frank brazenly retorted, “So what? Mo Han already passed the courses we’re taking this semester!”

Mo Han watched their usual banter, a slight smile on his lips.

Frank was the student council president for the Computer Science department. After hearing of Mo Han’s reputation, he’d proactively invited him to join the council. Mo Han had politely declined, but through these interactions, he and Frank became friends. This senior was cheerful and always looked out for Mo Han. His girlfriend, Caitlin, was equally straightforward. Mo Han always felt exceptionally relaxed around them.

After finishing her teasing, Caitlin turned to Mo Han and asked, “How’s your thesis coming along? When’s the defense? I absolutely must come watch.”

Mo Han said, “The paper is finished. It’s submitted for preliminary review to Professor Bolt. If he approves, it goes to the defense committee. Probably around April this year.”

Mentioning the thesis gave Frank a headache. He rubbed his temples. “You write papers as easily as you code. I’m already dreading mine.”

Mo Han looked at him. “Senior, if you run into trouble, you can ask me.”

Frank felt a warmth in his heart. He smiled and patted Mo Han’s shoulder. “You’re actually quite caring! The rumors around school depict you as cold, aloof, unapproachable, utterly unmoved by juniors’ pursuits, like a cold-blooded creature… I think those people are blind. They don’t understand you at all.”

Mo Han calmly stated, “What others think of me doesn’t matter.” He took a sip of his coffee and changed the subject. “Senior, having tested Law of the Jungle recently, did you find any bugs?”

Frank pondered carefully. “We haven’t spotted any obvious glitches so far. This game’s Sandbox System is superb. Every corner of the instances is reachable, and the sense of immersion and combat feels remarkably real. Caitlin and I have cleared all the Hard Mode instances. But today was our first Nightmare Mode clear. Other scenarios will still need testing.”

Mo Han nodded, then asked casually, “That Mr. F… how did you meet him?”

Frank replied, “About a week ago. He found our team via the leaderboards, said he wanted to grind Hard Mode with us. I added him to test his skill. He’s truly impressive, as you saw today. Top-notch combat skills and incredibly precise shooting.”

The coffee in Mo Han’s mouth tasted too bitter. He frowned slightly, plucked a sugar cube from the saucer, dropped it in, and stirred slowly with his spoon. As he stirred, he asked, “Do you know anything about his background or identity?”

Frank said, “I was curious too, so I asked where he learned to shoot. He said his father is an Imperial Soldier who trained him since childhood. He’s been learning for over a decade, hence the accuracy. I didn’t feel right prying further, seemed disrespectful.”

Mo Han’s lingering doubts found an explanation. Children from military families were indeed often trained in combat and marksmanship from a young age. This Mr. F, calm under pressure and lethally accurate, made sense if he were the son of some general.

Mo Han didn’t overthink it. He just assumed the man was genuinely a top-tier player Frank had encountered in the game.

The three chatted amiably about games and studies. After finishing dinner, they left the private room.

Coincidentally, just as Mo Han exited, he spotted a familiar face—Luo Ning.

Luo Ning recognized him too and walked over, extending a hand with a smile. “Senior, what a coincidence.”

Frank and the others were nearby, and with potential eavesdroppers, Mo Han didn’t expose the Second Prince’s identity. He shook hands politely. “You also got into Herman University? Didn’t go to the Military Academy with your brother?”

Luo Ning replied, “I didn’t want the military life. Wearing uniforms all day feels stifling. Herman University suits my preference for freedom better.”

Mo Han asked offhand, “Which college are you in?”

Luo Ning said, “Literature. I enjoy it.”

This genuinely surprised Mo Han. Luo Ning and Luo Fei were twins, yet Luo Ning differed vastly from Luo Fei in personality, appearance, and interests. He seemed refined, cultured, and graceful—nothing like that thick-skinned fool, Luo Fei.

Noticing Mo Han’s momentary distraction, probably thinking of his royal brother, Luo Ning smiled slightly. “Does Senior like coming here to eat too?”

Mo Han nodded. “Mm. I came with some friends.”

Frank and Caitlin stepped forward to greet him. “We’re Mo Han’s friends. Is this junior a freshman this year?”

Luo Ning shook hands politely. “Yes, please take care of me in the future.”

This freshman was exceptionally well-mannered, making a good impression on Frank.

But just then, someone else came out from the neighboring private room. Standing only about 1.7 meters tall, appearing somewhat short next to Mo Han, he had a cute round face, large, uniquely colored eyes, and platinum-blond hair—instantly recognizable.

It was Iman.

Herman University’s most notoriously enthusiastic Omega. Rumors had it that upon enrollment, he’d scared off a shy Alpha senior with his forwardness. His style was wildly unrestrained; he constantly teased Alphas as a joke, and the Alphas in his class all kept their distance.

Frank knew him because Iman had won first place in the joint Intelligent Mecha Manufacturing competition between the Computer Science and Mecha Manufacturing departments last year. Although this Omega’s personality was… something else, as Brian’s son, he’d truly inherited his father’s genius for mecha design. If only he hadn’t also inherited Brian’s thick-skinned, shameless personality.

Spotting Mo Han, Iman’s eyes lit up. He immediately lunged over, enveloping Mo Han in a huge hug. “Mo Han! What a coincidence!”

Mo Han’s expression remained utterly placid. He nodded. “Just happened to come for dinner.”

Iman chimed, “Me too! Xiao Ning just arrived at school and isn’t familiar with the campus restaurants. I brought him to try the steak here. I didn’t expect to run into you all.”

Their meeting today was purely coincidental, and Mo Han was genuinely glad to see Iman.

They shared many common topics on mecha manufacturing, and Iman being an Omega didn’t affect Mo Han in the slightest. Mo Han found the lively, enthusiastic little guy quite straightforward and endearing. He didn’t mind Iman’s closeness; even Iman’s enthusiastic hugs felt natural to him, like a boisterous younger brother.

Iman released Mo Han and asked, “By the way, I overheard you talking in the hallway about ‘Law of the Jungle’? Is that the super popular game?”

Frank, who also knew Iman, introduced it. “It’s the holographic survival/exploration game launched by Fengyang Game Company. Incredibly immersive senses, but some scenes are especially terrifying. Faint-hearted people usually don’t dare play.”

Iman grew more interested the more he heard. “I’m not faint-hearted. Terrifying scenes don’t scare me. I want to play too! Can I join you?”

Mo Han readily agreed. “Of course. The game is open for registration now, but you need to buy a Holographic Gaming Pod to link your body’s senses.”

Iman scratched his head. “Got it. What are your in-game IDs? I’ll come find you.”

He loved playing games, so Mo Han didn’t mind him joining. Mo Han gave him all three of their IDs.

After leaving the restaurant, Iman excitedly went online, intending to buy a Gaming Pod. However, Luo Ning suddenly grabbed his arm, leaning in. “Don’t buy one. These pods are really expensive. I’ll lend you mine.”

Iman looked at him. “You don’t use it?”

Luo Ning smiled and shook his head. “I’m not interested in those thrilling, high-adrenaline games. I’d rather spend my time in the library.”

Iman paused. Luo Ning’s personality was indeed gentler. Having him engage in violent battles didn’t fit the Second Prince’s image. But that Gaming Pod was supposedly a custom gift from the Fengyang Group to both princes. Would lending it really be okay?

As if reading his doubts, Luo Ning added, “Don’t worry. Although it was a custom birthday gift, given to me, it’s now my property. I have the right to use it as I see fit. It’s just gathering dust anyway. Consider it on loan.”

Iman beamed and hugged Luo Ning. “Awesome!”

Hugging people when happy was a lifelong habit of his. He’d even unabashedly tackle Alpha acquaintances. Luo Ning could only sigh.

At the same time, Saint Romia Military Academy.

Luo Fei had just exited the Zombie Siege instance and was about to log off when a system alert chimed: “You have a new friend request. Please check.”

A friend request?

Puzzled, Luo Fei opened it. It was from that player “Hunter”—the one he’d sniped dead in the last Nightmare Mode match. The verification message was a simple sentence: “Your skill is decent. Add me. Up for a 1v1?”

Luo Fei: “…………”

Was this a challenge?

Luo Fei wasn’t one to back down. His eyes narrowed. He immediately accepted the request and pulled the Hunter straight into a duel instance.

The Duel Instance wasn’t as complex as the team-based Jungle Adventure mode. The map was only about the size of a sports field, with no scene creature attacks. Players didn’t need to scavenge for gear either. Upon spawning, each received 100,000 gold coins to freely purchase desired equipment from the armory.

The sole objective: eliminate the opponent.

The moment the match began, Luo Fei swiftly bought a sniper rifle, a pistol, a Dagger, a few Flashbangs, hand grenades, and a large quantity of ammo from the armory.

Since the gold was limited, gear selection required tactical consideration. Luo Fei skipped the submachine gun—effective for suppressing fire in group fights, but in a 1v1 against a skilled sniper, its utility was minimal.

The map was called Transport Ship—a derelict vessel floating at sea, cluttered with numerous cargo containers.

The match started. Luo Fei moved swiftly along the wall, ducking behind a container for cover, advancing in timed, stealthy bursts.

A sudden deafening “BOOM!”—a grenade explosion. The opponent had guessed his movement path and was trying to flush him out with explosives.

Luo Fei naturally didn’t comply. He retaliated, hurling a flashbang toward the sound’s origin. Blinding white light illuminated the sky in the distance. Exploiting the enemy’s lost vision, Luo Fei rapidly repositioned to the ship’s deck, seizing the high ground.

What followed was an intense exchange of fire. Luo Fei couldn’t pinpoint the Hunter’s exact location, and the Hunter couldn’t kill Luo Fei.

A cat-and-mouse guerrilla fight unfolded across the cramped ship. The duel stretched past ten minutes with no resolution.

By now, Luo Fei recognized the opponent’s formidable skill—easily matching, even rivaling, his own.

Luo Fei had trained professionally since childhood, intimately familiar with every firearm’s sound signature, muzzle velocity, and capacity. Yet his opponent displayed the same expert knowledge. When to switch weapons, when to reposition—an uncanny synchronization. After ten minutes, it was a deadlock.

The ship, however, was nearly blasted to pieces.

Five more minutes passed. Luo Fei finally called out, “At this rate, we’ll just sink the ship without a winner. Let’s settle this: at the 16:00 minute mark exactly, we both reveal ourselves. We’ll see whose shot is faster. One shot decides it.”

The other voice replied, “Deal.”

The timer read 15:55. Five seconds later, Luo Fei peeked out from cover. At the same moment, the opponent emerged a distance away.

In that instant, both scoped and fired simultaneously—

Bang! Bang!

Two bullets shrieked through the air. Luo Fei’s Mr. F dropped, hit. The player called Hunter was also headshotted.

The system calculated and delivered the result: Draw.

A system-judged draw meant they had fired their kill shots at virtually the exact same moment.

This was a rare occurrence. Luo Fei’s initial annoyance at Hunter for wounding Mo Han had already faded, replaced by genuine appreciation. A smile touched his lips. “Good reflexes.”

Hunter replied, “Yours aren’t bad either.”

Luo Fei offered, “Let’s be friends. Maybe team up sometime.”

Hunter agreed. “Alright.”

Adding a friend allowed viewing detailed profiles. Both simultaneously acted on this, checking each other’s info. And then, Luo Fei’s jaw nearly hit the floor.

Hunter’s face… was identical to his cold, aloof roommate… Ludwig?! It was exactly the same!

After a long, stunned moment, realization dawned—this must be Ludwig himself.

He was General Michael’s son, trained from childhood in firearms and Combat Skills just like Luo Fei. No wonder his reactions were equally sharp.

The difference: he’d loaded his real appearance into the game, just like Mo Han, Frank, and others. Not a system default like Luo Fei.

Thus, Luo Fei recognized him instantly, but Ludwig had no idea who Luo Fei was.

Luo Fei found this incredibly amusing. Encountering his military academy roommate in-game was quite the coincidence. But he decided against revealing his identity just yet. He was curious to see what the perpetually icy-faced Ludwig would be like in the game world.

The next morning, Ludwig was eating breakfast in the mess hall when he noticed the First Prince constantly grinning at him. A little puzzled, he frowned slightly and said coolly, “Morning.”

Luo Fei sat down beside him, smiling. “Sleep well?”

Ludwig replied, “Okay.”

Luo Fei knew he hadn’t slept well. Their 1v1 match had ended around 3 AM. Waking at 7 AM meant only four hours of sleep.

But both had undergone military sleep-deprivation conditioning since childhood. Even four hours left them fully alert and functional.

Luo Fei said no more. After changing into his uniform, he headed to the special training grounds with Ludwig.

Today’s Physical Fitness regimen was even more grueling than before. Luo Fei had to ensure he passed each test, or be subjected to the instructors’ harsher punishment drills.

The past few days had seen his entire class slim down a full size. Many exercises pushed the absolute limits of human endurance.

But, he had to admit, this hellish training forged an iron will.

Despite his body’s exhaustion after each day, Luo Fei found his mind remained exceptionally lucid, his judgment in complex situations sharper than ever. More importantly, going through this training… he was slowly, unmistakably, taking on the bearing of a true Imperial Soldier.

He could feel himself changing, and this transformation filled him with exhilaration.

He was only eighteen, but he clearly knew the road ahead was long. He wanted to mature as quickly as possible, graduate from the academy a truly responsible man. Then, he could protect the person he loved, and safeguard his nation.

The following days saw a clear increase in Luo Fei’s training load. He understood this must be his Royal Father’s directive, so he voiced no objections. When the instructors intensified the difficulty, he gritted his teeth and persevered, completing every task successfully. Even the notoriously harsh, devil-like instructors praised his dedication.

Returning to his dorm at night, utterly drained, Luo Fei would still log into the game for an hour of Jungle Adventure.

During the academy’s closed special training, students were forbidden from leaving the base. So he couldn’t see Mo Han in person.

But seeing Mo Han in the game was still wonderful.

It was the happiest part of his day.

One night, logging in again, he immediately received Mo Han’s invitation.

He joined the squad without hesitation, only to find, besides Frank and Mo Han, a new member named “Genius”.

Who would pick that name?

Puzzled, Luo Fei queried, “Who’s ‘Genius’?”

Mo Han replied, “A friend from school.”

Entering the instance, Luo Fei’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull—Iman?!

He was using his real appearance too. Thus, Luo Fei recognized him instantly.

What was Iman doing with Mo Han? Was he still shadowing Mo Han like a persistent ghost? Luo Ning hadn’t mentioned this. So maybe Iman was just curious about the game and playing on a whim?

As he brooded, Mo Han’s cool voice asked, “Caitlin isn’t coming today?”

Frank said, “Best friend’s birthday party. She can’t make it.”

Mo Han considered. “Then us four?”

Luo Fei snapped to attention and quickly said, “I have a friend—that Hunter from last time. Can I invite him too?”

Mo Han, having witnessed Hunter’s skill, naturally had no objection. “Go ahead, invite him.”

Moments later, “Hunter,” wearing Ludwig’s face, entered the squad room.

He didn’t greet anyone, just stood there, cold and stoic, waiting for the countdown.

Iman glanced at the system-faced “Mr. F,” then at the handsome “Hunter.” As a die-hard face-connoisseur, he had zero interest in system faces. But Hunter… now he was something.

He immediately bounced over to the man, beaming. “Hello! I’m new. Is that your real appearance in-game? Because if you look like this in real life, you’re way too handsome! Do you really like military uniforms? I especially like handsome guys in uniforms. They just have such a powerful aura #$%^…”

The guy before him was a full head shorter, rambling a stream of compliments.

Ludwig listened without a flicker of expression. When the torrent finally paused, he stated coldly, “Are we close?”

Iman: “………………”

Watching Iman completely shut down, speechless, Luo Fei wanted to howl with laughter.

Served you right for always teasing Alphas! You finally met your match!