Lin Ming and Trinh Tuan were led into separate gear rooms. Trinh Tuan emerged clad in the latest model of lightweight tactical armor, complete with a helmet equipped with a heads-up display.
He held a standard-issue military training rifle that fired stun rounds. He looked like a professional soldier ready for deployment.
Lin Ming was given a simple, dark grey jumpsuit and a basic pistol, also firing stun rounds.
The disparity was intentional and obvious. They were stacking the deck against him.
"Feeling a little underdressed?" Trinh Tuan sneered, tapping his high-tech helmet. "Don't worry. This will be over before you know it."
Quynh Nhu let out a barely audible snort from her position by the wall, amused by the blatant favoritism. Lin Ming just checked the weight of his pistol, his expression unreadable.
They were escorted into a massive chamber that looked like a hangar.
The far wall was a colossal screen, currently showing a bird's-eye view of a simulated city—a sprawling complex of concrete buildings, abandoned cars, and narrow alleys known as "Training Ground Gamma."
"The rules are simple," Instructor Long announced, his voice echoing in the chamber. "You will be inserted at separate points. Your target is a data package located in the central plaza. The first to secure the package and bring it to the extraction point on the north side wins. Your stun weapons will incapacitate your opponents for five minutes. And be aware... the simulation is populated with autonomous combat drones. They are your primary opposition. Begin insertion!"
Two large pods opened.
Lin Ming and Trinh Tuan stepped inside. The doors hissed shut. There was a brief lurch, and then the pod's interior screens simulated a rapid descent. A moment later, the door opened to the grimy, simulated world of Training Ground Gamma.
Lin Ming stepped out into a deserted street. Rain was slicking the pavement, and the neon signs of abandoned shops cast eerie glows.
He immediately checked his surroundings, his [Qi Sense] spreading out like a subtle net.
He could feel the cold, lifeless "auras" of three combat drones patrolling two blocks to the east.
More importantly, he could feel the bright, arrogant "aura" of Trinh Tuan about a half-kilometer to his south.
Meanwhile, in the observation room, Trinh Tuan's progress was displayed on the main screen.
He moved with surprising efficiency, his helmet's HUD highlighting drone positions and optimal routes.
"Young Master Tuan is quite skilled," Instructor Long remarked, clearly pleased. "His tactical awareness is top-notch."
Quynh Nhu, now sucking on a new grape-flavored lollipop, just shrugged. "He's got a fancy GPS telling him where to go. A trained monkey could do that. What's the other one doing?"
Agent Hien switched one of the smaller screens to Lin Ming's perspective.
He wasn't moving towards the objective. He was calmly walking into a dilapidated convenience store, seemingly at random.
"What is he doing?" Instructor Long frowned. "Is he lost?"
Inside the simulation, Lin Ming wasn't lost. He was shopping.
He grabbed an empty metal trash can and a long roll of thick industrial tape from the shelves. His plan wasn't to beat the drones; it was to use them.
He exited the store and headed towards a narrow alleyway he had spotted, one that led directly toward the central plaza.
He placed the trash can in the middle of the alley, then sprinted towards the drones he had sensed earlier.
He deliberately fired a shot into a wall near them to get their attention.
"Hostile detected. Engaging," a robotic voice squawked. The three drones, spider-like machines with stun rifles mounted on top, swiveled and scurried after him.
Lin Ming led them on a chase, not with pure speed, but with clever maneuvering.
He weaved through cars and ducked behind debris, always staying just out of their line of fire. It looked like a panicked retreat.
In the observation room, Instructor Long shook his head in disappointment. "He has no discipline. He's just running around wildly."
Quynh Nhu, however, leaned forward, a flicker of interest in her eyes. "No... look at his route. He's not running away. He's leading them."
Lin Ming sprinted into the narrow alleyway, leaping clean over the trash can he had placed there. The three drones followed him in hot pursuit.
But the alley was too narrow for them to pass side-by-side. They were forced into a single-file line. The moment the first drone entered, Lin Ming, who had hidden in a doorway, popped out and kicked the trash can over, trapping the drones inside the alley.
Their spider-like legs got tangled as they tried to reverse. They were stuck.
Lin Ming then used the industrial tape to secure the lid of the trash can he'd taken.
He poked a small hole in it—just large enough for his pistol's muzzle.
"What in the world is he doing now?" Trinh Tuan's father, a portly man who had joined them in the observation room, asked impatiently.
Lin Ming hoisted his new creation—a trash can lid shield. He walked calmly to the front of the alley where the drones were flailing helplessly.
One of the drones managed to aim and fire. The stun round hit the metal lid with a loud CLANG and bounced off harmlessly.
Lin Ming aimed his pistol through the small hole in the lid.
Pew. Pew. Pew.
Three precise shots. Three downed drones.
[Outsmarted robotic opponents using household items.]
[+75 Battle Will Points for creative problem-solving.]
[System Commendation: The 'Trash Can Turtle' technique is both ridiculous and effective. The system approves.]
The entire observation room was silent.
"He... he turned a trash can lid into a bulletproof shield," Agent Hien stated, a hint of admiration in her voice.
Quynh Nhu actually took the lollipop out of her mouth. A slow grin spread across her face. "Okay... so he's not just scrawny. He's a clever scrawny."
Lin Ming didn't waste any time. With the drones dealt with, he sprinted towards the central plaza.
At the same time, Trinh Tuan had also arrived. He'd used his superior gear to blast his way through several drones, though it had taken him longer.
He spotted the data package—a glowing blue briefcase—sitting on a pedestal in the center of the plaza.
"Too easy," he gloated to himself, running towards it.
Suddenly, Lin Ming burst out of an alley on the opposite side. Their eyes met across the plaza.
"You!" Trinh Tuan snarled. "Give up! You can't beat me!"
He raised his rifle to fire, but Lin Ming was already moving. He didn't run towards Trinh Tuan. He ran towards a large, rusted fuel tanker truck parked at the edge of the plaza, firing his pistol at the tanker's side.
CLANG.
The stun round was harmless, but the noise was deafening. More importantly, it acted as a giant dinner bell for every active drone within a five-block radius.
In the observation room, the tactical map lit up like a Christmas tree as dozens of red dots—drones—began converging on the plaza.
"What is that idiot doing?!" Trinh Tuan's father screamed. "He's calling them all in!"
Trinh Tuan was also horrified. Robotic screeches filled the air as drones began pouring into the plaza from all sides. "You're insane! You'll get us both eliminated!"
"I don't think so," Lin Ming called back, now perched on top of a bus shelter. He pointed at Trinh Tuan. "Hey drones! He's the one who shot your friends! Get him!"
It was a ridiculous statement, but the drones' simple AI registered Trinh Tuan, standing in the open with a rifle, as the more immediate and active threat. They swarmed towards him.
"Wait! No! It was him!" Trinh Tuan panicked, forced to open fire on the sea of approaching drones. While he was busy fighting for his simulated life, Lin Ming leaped from the bus shelter, grabbed the data package, and sprinted for the north extraction point, completely ignored by the drone horde.
[Incited robot-on-human violence. A truly chaotic move.]
[+300 Battle Will Points for turning your rival into a decoy.]
[Face-Slapping Expert progress: 50%]
[System High-Five: That was beautiful, Host. Truly a masterpiece of pettiness.]
Back in the observation room, everyone watched in stunned silence as Lin Ming casually jogged towards the finish line while Trinh Tuan was hilariously overwhelmed by a tidal wave of angry robots.
Quynh Nhu burst out laughing, a loud, genuine laugh that made everyone turn to look at her.
"I like this guy," she declared, popping her lollipop back in her mouth. "He's my kind of trouble."