In a crossover anime, do you believe that a machine spirit can defeat a fake human?

Not a single word this guy says can be trusted.

"Tell me, what game?"

People have to bow their heads under the roof.

"A cat-and-mouse game... I've taken a hostage, and your goal is to find her and rescue her, how about it?" The woman chuckled and then fell silent.

"Command has been transferred, Leader. We can begin operations now."

The four teammates who had disappeared earlier suddenly reappeared behind them, and at the same time, the radio crackled to life.

P.S.: I'm a little late today, so I'll explain in a separate chapter.

High school sophomore: Ramblings 2 (Not abandoned)

The book has now accumulated a certain number of words and a certain number of readers, which is good news.

However, it seems I've entered the painful period of writing a book, which is bad news.

Uh, how long has it been since my last rambling? I've kind of forgotten, it must have been more than half a month.

Well, this time it feels a little different from last time. Last time it was because I was so frustrated with my coping skills that I broke down. This time it's just simple.

—The enthusiasm has faded.

Many authors go through this phase. I thought I would last a little longer than other authors, but I didn't expect it to only reach 300,000 words.

However, I expected this day to come; it's normal, it's human nature.

When a hobby becomes a job, such a gap is inevitable.

Although I understand the logic...

However, the waning of enthusiasm is still quite distressing.

In stark contrast to his current state of being overwhelmed, he's recently reached a point where he 'doesn't really want to write' even when sitting in front of the computer.

Do I want to play games? A little, but mostly I just don't want to sit in front of the computer anymore.

But my damn sense of responsibility still got the better of me...

No, it should be called inertia.

Writing every day is a habit that cannot be stopped. Many authors abandon their works because they keep writing and stopping.

I don't want this to happen.

But sometimes I wonder if I'm pushing myself too hard.

I updated quite late today... so there are some things I really have to say.

The recommendation has just ended, and the earliest the next recommendation will be is in two weeks, based on my usual update speed.

How to get through this period... I still need to figure out a way.

That's all for now. Goodnight, dear readers.

High School Sophomores: Chapter 163 Cat and Mouse Game (Bonus Chapter)

Chapter 163

The glass was broken, there were signs of violent damage on part of the door, and bullet holes and bloodstains were everywhere...

In the blink of an eye, as Chen Yi raised the gun in his hand, the once empty and clean first-floor bar area became messy and chaotic. If you sniffed carefully, you could still smell a burnt and bloody odor in the air.

"Leader, 16 civilian casualties have been found in the first-floor area, all of them unconscious," the Irishman replied in broken Chinese.

If their fate is unknown, then they are dead.

"...Line up and get ready. We'll go up to the second floor via the fire escape stairs. Keep an eye on the front and back."

After hesitating for a moment, Chen Yi gave the order.

Although I don't know why I'm here... it seems that I have no choice but to follow the demands of the instigator.

"Understood, Leader."

"Leader, you're blocking my way."

Another Irishman stood in front of Chen Yi like a machine, only catching up with the three people in the group after Chen Yi took a step to the side.

"..."

It's all too weird no matter how you look at it. I think killing them all wouldn't break the rules of the game, right?

Chen Yi followed at the very end of the line, watching them line up at the entrance to the fire escape.

Chen Yi stepped forward and gently turned the doorknob. There was no lock, so he opened it a crack.

He raised one hand, making a tactical gesture to eliminate the threat.

"..."

The four teammates remained motionless.

No way.

"Open the door, then eliminate the threat."

The Russian at the front of the line moved; he pushed the door open a little, aimed, and then opened it wide.

"Contact the enemy!"

Several gunshots rang out, and the enemy units inside were instantly knocked down.

Oh, so we're not good people after all, we just beat people up?

Chen Yi had initially thought the woman's voice was from the police when he heard her explanation.

"Go upstairs."

Chen Yi continued.

Isn't it too much to forbid us from using hand gestures? Who designed this rule? What if the other side hears us talking and just sets us up somewhere?

Chen Yi followed behind his four teammates, directing them to push open doors, clear out enemy positions, and eliminate enemies...

"What mission did that woman's voice just mention?"

Rescue them? Capture them alive?

If it's about saving lives, everyone else is dead, so where are they?

If they were captured alive...

He really needs to kill these guys who shoot at anyone they see, so they don't accidentally hit the mission target.

......

Excluding the private rooms on the second floor, only the indoor swimming pool on the fourth floor and the rooftop casino on the fifth floor remain.

Compared to the casino on the top floor, the fourth floor finally features NPCs other than enemies.

He was a portly, wealthy businessman.

"Leader, what should we do?" the Italian asked.

“Who knows… no, cuff him.” Chen Yi answered instinctively, then noticed the handcuffs hanging from the Italian’s waistband.

"This should be a civilian... Is he the mission target?"

I waited in place for a while, but nothing changed.

"...No, keep going up."

The staircase between the fourth and fifth floors was in the middle, and Chen Yi cautiously chose not to take it. Instead, he tried to enter through the fire escape, just like before.

"Line up and get ready."

Chen Yi kept watch behind him, glancing back at his bot teammates from time to time. Once he saw that they were all ready, he gave an order.

"boom!"

Chen Yi turned around abruptly, and the four people standing on either side of the door were blown to pieces by the tripwire behind the door.

"When exploring behind the door, remember to be careful of traps."

The woman's voice rang out softly, as if explaining the mechanics of a game.

Chen Yi bypassed the bodies of his cheap teammates and quickly circled around to make a lookout.

There was no one there; the casino lobby on the fifth floor was safe.

Chen Yi squatted down and casually rummaged through his teammates' bodies to see if they had any useful tools.

"Strange, was I really that indifferent before? Unmoved even by a corpse?"

A sense of unease rose from the depths of my heart, like a needle piercing my brain.

After silently finding a few throwables and props that seemed somewhat useful, Chen Yi left the fire escape.

......

Dance floor, amusement park rides, bar area...

Nobody, nobody, absolutely nobody...

In an instant, it was as if everyone had disappeared, and the world froze again.

Stuck? Pause? Or...?

Chen Yi stopped in front of an unopened door; this was the last unexplored area.

Chen Yi gently opened the door a crack and peeked under the door frame.

No tripwires, safe.

I pushed the door open and quickly scanned the room in the direction it rotated.

The interior was decorated like an office, but it maintained the same luxurious style as the exterior. A woman was squatting behind the desk.

The other person was wearing a cutout mask, and looked very familiar.

A name seemed to be vaguely emerging in my mind, almost ready to be uttered.

Chen Yi stared at the other person for a while, but the other person didn't give him any response or say a word.

"Aren't you going to handcuff me?" After a long silence, she looked at Chen Yi with her red eyes and asked in a low voice.

"You're the mastermind behind this?"

Chen Yi blurted it out.

"You won this game... Aren't you going to handcuff me?" The other person naturally knelt down, putting their hands behind their back.

Perhaps due to her figure and clothing, this pose is extremely alluring.

"..."

Could it be a scam?

Chen Yi subconsciously took a step back.

"The commander is always so vigilant..."

The other person sighed, looking helpless, and stood up directly, walking towards Chen Yi.

Chen Yi instantly raised his gun and pulled the trigger.

"Click, click."

There was no response; no bullets were fired.

The woman forcefully took Chen Yi's gun, then pulled a handcuff from his waistband, grabbed one of his hands, and cuffed him to herself.

"...?"

“I gave you a chance but you didn’t do it, Commander~” She stroked Chen Yi’s face, startling him into taking a step back.

"Now the opportunity has been delivered to your lips, huh? Are you going to seize it?" She chuckled, pinching Chen Yi's chin.

"..."

A sound suddenly rang out in the empty hall outside. The woman walked out, and a force pulled Chen Yi forward, forcing him to move forward as well.