Am I going to be controlled by the players too?

Xiao Chunan retorted softly, "But so many men have joined the army, and their wives and girlfriends stay at home. Don't they have more opportunities...?"

"Damn, there are cows too!" The officer punched him in anger. "If you keep going like this, even if every man in the city dies, not a single girl will want you!"

"Waaaaah..."

"What are you saying to our lovely, fragile male college student!"

Sitting to the side, Wang Zhiming quickly pulled Xiao Chunan over and patted his head to comfort him: "Don't be sad. The girl didn't treat you like a man at all, so whether all the men in the city live or die has nothing to do with whether you can lose your virginity..."

"Waaaaah..."

"This student is right. If you don't even dare to go to the battlefield, how dare you call yourself a man?!"

"Yeah, yeah, who would like someone if they didn't show some masculinity?"

"Go quickly and prove to everyone that you're a man!"

Xiao Chunan was completely devastated by what he was being told. Encouraged by his classmates and the officers, he shakily picked up a pen and wrote his name on the conscription registration form.

The officer immediately became amiable and patted Xiao Chunan on the shoulder, while Wang Zhiming sighed and handed the officer the conscription registration form he had already filled out.

"Brother Wang, aren't you afraid?"

Seeing this scene, Xiao Chunan became even more convinced that he was truly a useless person.

Wang Zhiming smiled coldly: "I am someone who wants to fight against the civil official group and save the empire. How can I not join the military official group?"

He paused, then added, "Besides, we're Boss Tong's underlings, and she's a lieutenant... she'll surely look after us, right? It's safer to hang out with the boss!"

"……Yeah?"

A hint of confusion flashed in Xiao Chunan's eyes: "But... no matter who we are, or who our boss is, people always die in war, right?"

"That's obvious, but everyone has to die eventually. Some deaths are as weighty as Mount Tai, while others are as light as a feather... Don't you think dying on the battlefield is more glorious than dying on a construction site?"

Is it really more glorious?

Xiao Chunan was confused.

The Empire declared war on the Kingdom because the Kingdom's Sword Saint Karen killed our War God Dane and wanted to avenge Dane... But this is clearly a conflict between legends, so why send us college students to our deaths? That's just too stupid!

Why not let the legends sit down together and play chess, deciding the outcome through the game?

Xiao Chunan only thought about it in the end and didn't ask it out loud.

Perhaps sending them to their deaths was part of the legends' game; who knows?

…………

Dozens of military transport vehicles were parked outside the school. After completing the physical examination and receiving their military uniforms, Xiao Chunan, Wang Zhiming, and others got into the vehicles and waited to be sent to the military camp.

On the bus, the students chatted and laughed, all imagining themselves fighting bravely on the battlefield. All the girls in the school saw them off at the gate, and even passersby cheered for them.

Some campus couples are saying goodbye, some parents are preparing lunch boxes, cash and clothes for their children, and some pretty girls are holding flowers to give their blessings to each new recruit.

Xiao Chunan took the rose the girl offered him, his gloom completely vanished, and excitedly brought the flower to his nose to smell it, only to be mocked by the other recruits.

Soon, the troop transport vehicle, carrying these naive college students, slowly moved forward to the strains of the song. The scenery outside the window flashed by, and the vehicle sped onto the highway. Each time they emerged from a dark tunnel, sunlight would reappear, as if paving a golden road for their future…

As the sun set, the new recruits, exhausted from chatting, finally went to sleep. Xiao Chunan carefully held the roses in her hands, afraid of accidentally crushing them while she slept.

I don't know how much time passed.

Xiao Chunan was shaken awake from his sleep and opened his eyes groggily: "Have we arrived? Is this the Kingdom of Akka?"

“We’re all new recruits, how can we go straight to the main battlefield on the eastern front?” Wang Zhiming slung his pack over his shoulder and smiled. “This is the western border, we need to train here for a while first.”

The war between empires and kingdoms did not take place on a single battlefield.

The eastern front is the main battlefield. The Kingdom of Aka is only 1,000 kilometers away from the capital city of Silvershine. Therefore, the Empire has deployed a large number of troops here through underground cities, preparing to storm the palace from the eastern front and annihilate the Kingdom. Meanwhile, the Kingdom's five-star general Navel leads the navy and the royal guard to guard the border, confronting the Empire's main force across the river.

But the western front was where the empire and the kingdom met.

This frontier is far from the kingdom's core city, with vast uninhabited Gobi and desert areas in between, so there are not many troops stationed on either side.

Once the war begins, the eastern front will inevitably be awash in silver and gold, with countless armies locked in a bloody battle for landing rights. The western front, however, will see the Imperial Army, after digging trenches, steadily advance, occupying border towns, farms, and factories in small units to gradually push forward and ensure uninterrupted supply lines. Only after news of victory arrives from the eastern front will forces be concentrated to attack Seattle, the largest city in the west.

After ten days of short-term military discipline training, the new recruits finally received their weapons.

"Is this a gun? Is this thing really better than a sword?"

Xiao Chunan curiously examined the dark, hollow metal rod in his hand, then leaned closer, staring into the dark hole, wondering if there were any bullets inside.

"Snapped!"

Seeing this, Wang Zhiming kicked the gun barrel away and then slapped him across the face: "Are you trying to commit suicide?"

"No, I was just curious..." Xiao Chunan covered his swollen cheek, "Do you think this thing is really that powerful? I've never heard of this kind of weapon before, but now the entire army is using it..."

"Of course, it's a gun!"

Wang Zhiming proudly brandished the gun in his hand, aiming at the open space in the distance: "I've seen it on the news. This kind of weapon can take a life from 800 meters away. Each bullet is comparable to a strike from the mid-stage of Qi Refining, and the standard for this gun is thirty rounds!"

"I've heard there's an even stronger weapon called 'Namo Gatling Bodhisattva,' which can rotate 360 ​​times in a single breath, comparable to the power of a Silver-ranked weapon!" Wang Zhiming said excitedly. "And every class has one of these weapons!"

The Imperial Army had ten men in a squad. Xiao Chunan and Wang Zhiming were assigned to the same squad, with Wang Zhiming, who had performed the bravest, serving as the squad leader.

"My God, does this mean the army is giving each of us a Qi Refining artifact and each squad a Foundation Establishment artifact?" Xiao Chunan exclaimed in surprise. "The army is so generous! It's completely different from school; it's not oppressive at all!"

The military is indeed generous, with advanced weaponry and well-equipped canteens. Even military pay is directly deposited into each person's bank account by high-ranking officials, bypassing officers at all levels, thus minimizing corruption. Of course, it cannot be completely prevented; those who receive pay without working still do so, only now it requires more skill.

As the saying goes, "Your appearance reflects your salary." With a monthly salary of tens of thousands of credits during the training period, even college students are all radiant and full of hope for the future.

“This isn’t a magical artifact, but a weapon with a mechanical structure.” Wang Zhiming shook his head. “It’s impossible to explain to a college student like you.”

"Not a magical artifact? Does that mean it's very inexpensive to make?"

Xiao Chunan was completely shocked.

Based on his experience and understanding of war movies since childhood, war is about ordinary soldiers fighting with swords and bayonets, silver soldiers forming ranged mage groups or charging as knight orders to tear apart enemy lines, while gold soldiers are war machines that can single-handedly take on an army of ten thousand...

However, if these firearms become widespread in war, the Silver Knights' charge will lose all meaning.

As for ordinary soldiers, they might just pick up a gun and rush into the enemy's attack range, only to be taken away by a bullet, dying in vain without even seeing the enemy's shadow.

Is dying like this truly glorious?

"It's not just cheap, it's completely changed the way we fight! What do you think we were doing before, digging trenches and laying barbed wire?"

As he spoke, Wang Zhiming sat down and leaned close to Xiao Chunan's ear, saying, "Don't you find it strange? This weapon was developed in just the last two years, yet it's so...perfect. Look at the mechanical structure, this mature system. Does it really look like something that was created in just one year? Also, it's one thing for the Empire to develop it, but I heard that the Kingdom is also mass-producing firearms at the same time, even more advanced than ours...Isn't this really a coincidence?"

"Indeed, it doesn't look like it at all."

"So, there's a conspiracy by the civil service group here!" Wang Zhiming said with certainty, weeping bitterly. "It must be the civil service group that's mind-controlling the whole world, making us forget the heritage and manufacturing techniques of firearms, and then selling these technologies to the kingdom, causing us to fall far behind in this area!"

"Fortunately, General Peng Longteng of the military officer group saw through the civil officials' conspiracy and restarted the research and development of firearms, which saved us from defeat!"

"Um... what's the civil service group trying to achieve by doing this?"

"They don't want anything in return!" Wang Zhiming's eyes turned cold. "The so-called civil service group are just parasites who would rather sacrifice their lives than betray the empire! They are all resolute and well-organized, yet they refuse to use their talents for good..."

Xiao Chunan felt that what he said was very logical, coming from a series of well-reasoned arguments and quotations...

Just then, a group of people rushed toward the gate of the military camp!

The two men exchanged a glance, puzzled, and grabbed one of the running soldiers: "What's wrong with you two? Is the mess hall open yet? It's not this time."

The soldier tugged at the door, but couldn't pull it away, so he had to explain, "Supplies have arrived, they're right at the camp gate!"

He paused, then added, "The officer said that anyone who helps move the goods today will get double the tobacco!"

Neither Xiao Chunan nor Wang Zhiming smoked, but tobacco was indeed the second most valuable currency in the military, second only to credit points. Unlike the Kingdom Army, which directly distributed moon candies and operated a military prostitution system, the Empire strictly prohibited drugs, gambling, and prostitution. The only addictive substances left were tobacco and alcohol.

Unless it was war or a victory celebration, drinking was generally not allowed in military camps, so tobacco became the only pastime.

"Let's go! Let's go together!"

The two hurried to the gate, but did not see a convoy of military trucks; only a young girl was there.

Behind the girl, dozens of containers filled with military supplies were flying around!

"Tong Chuxue... Boss?"

Xiao Chunan rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

…………

"I didn't expect you guys to be assigned here..."

Tong Chuxue held her wine glass, her eyes somewhat dazed.

When they arrived at the Eastern Front military camp, it was already evening. Tong Chuxue was too lazy to go back, so she entertained her two little followers in the small room assigned to her by the military camp. They drank some wine around a hot pot and chatted about the current situation of their classmates.

"He's a new recruit after all, and the eastern front isn't really suitable for him..." Xiao Chunan said shyly with a smile, "Boss's demeanor has changed a lot..."

"You noticed too, didn't you?" Tong Chuxue was overjoyed. "I've already reached the peak of Qi Refining!"

Peak of Qi Refining!

This is an achievement that many top-ten undergraduate students cannot accomplish even after graduation!

After joining the army and becoming a second lieutenant, Tong Chuxue immediately spent money on various upgrade pills on the merit list. After hearing that "a rider who doesn't steal food from his delivery is still a rider", she decisively ate a few high-grade pills that were supplied to senior officers while transporting military supplies. She also worked hard to cultivate during her rest time and finally soared to the peak of Qi Refining in just half a month!

What incredible talent, what incredible speed!

Don't say that being a medicine addict isn't a genius—even if others take the same pills, they only advance to the mid-stage of Qi Refining, while Tong Chuxue can advance to the peak of Qi Refining. This proves that she has strong digestive ability and strong ability to utilize the medicinal power—what else is this but talent?

"I never expected that such a phoenix would emerge from the chicken coop of a junior college..."

"What junior college! Boss, you're so outstanding, the Empress will probably grant you special permission to upgrade to a bachelor's degree in a couple of days!"

"God, it's absolutely amazing!"

"Boss, you are electricity, you are light, you are my only myth!"

Xiao Chunan and Wang Zhiming both praised her from the bottom of their hearts, which immediately made Tong Chuxue feel very comfortable.

If you upgrade but don't show off, it's like wearing fine clothes in the dark—what's the point?

We need to praise you, praise you more, otherwise, would I really call you guys for drinks just to strengthen our friendship?

Just then, Wang Zhiming toasted Lieutenant Tong, and then, emboldened by the alcohol, tentatively asked, "Boss, about this war... it's been over a month since the declaration of war, but neither side has made a move. Is the war going to continue or not?"

Upon hearing this, Tong Chuxue closed her eyes, seemingly listening to something, then put down her wine glass and said firmly:

"We will fight, and it will start on the western front."

"Huh? Why?" Xiao Chunan was stunned. "So many troops were deployed on the eastern front, how could they come from here..."