At nearly two thousand meters altitude, the forward positions of the Western Front were vividly alarming.

They were not the simple lines on a sandbox, but jagged, charred trenches, like ugly scars left after the earth had been repeatedly torn apart.

Between the trenches lay scorched earth, repeatedly plowed by artillery, devoid of any growth, strewn with twisted metal wreckage and unrecognizable debris.

The air was filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder, ozone, and a faint mix of blood and decay.

These incredibly real "sensations" were the information received and perceived by Qin Shi's spiritual fluctuations spreading out.

"This is the battlefield."

Even with his eyes closed, Qin Shi could see the moving, crawling figures of many people.

The new recruits huddled behind the firing positions of the trenches, their young faces smeared with dirt. Next to them were silent veterans, skillfully changing magazines or performing emergency bandaging on injured companions beside them.

And on the human side's opposite end, at the horizon, was the surging "tide."

That was, of course, not real seawater, but a torrent composed of countless twisted forms exuding an ominous aura — their followers.

They either crawled low, charged upright, or swooped low with wings. Flesh-like conglomerates moved with heavy steps; hunters covered in sharp bone spurs leapt like fleas among rocks; in the sky, flocks of skinned-bat-like flying followers screeched irritably, diving down constantly...

They were endless, as if continuously pouring out from the earth's wounds, roaring and snarling, frantically assaulting with claws, acid, and brute force the fragile defense line humans had constructed with blood and steel.

"Boss... should the show begin?"

Long Qiuyuan asked.

"Let it begin. This is their battlefield, and it's my battlefield too."

Qin Shi said sternly.

He and Long Qiuyuan had deliberated over this "fishing plan" for a long time, expending a lot of effort to get the rear command department's consent and cooperation.

As Long Qiuyuan said, this was a much-anticipated "show" on the Western Front battlefield.

The stage was the frontline!

"Boss, don't just focus on the fight, remember to recite the script."

Long Qiuyuan reminded, thoughtfully adjusting Qin Shi's collar upward and fitting him with a miniature earpiece.

Today, Lieutenant Qin appeared even more imposing than usual, his posture vigorous, especially in his neatly pressed military uniform, exuding remarkable style.

"At this moment, Boss, your voice, your silhouette, will be heard and seen by all the Barrier Cities on the Western Front."

Qin Shi nodded, gripping the Perfect Electric Shock Saber in his left hand, securing the descent rope with his right, stepping out of the cabin, and slowly descending.

Through the earpiece, Long Qiuyuan and Ye Xiaotang's voices flowed in:

"Boss, land at Area One, then proceed along the red arrows, crossing two trenches..."

Military boots stepped onto the scorched ground, and in Qin Shi's vision, a straight red arrow appeared, prompting him to advance slowly.

This area was clearly bombarded several times; after crossing the trenches, he would reach the front line's border.

From a bird's-eye view, Qin Shi was undoubtedly at the forefront of the Western Front battlefield.

Like the tip of a spear, poised to pierce through the polluted area's defense line, straight into the heart!

"Boss?" Long Qiuyuan's voice, with a faint tension, directly transmitted into the Sea of Consciousness through a special communication channel.

"After the bait was released, the school's reaction...was intense. The 'big thing' in the pollution area moved."

Qin Shi was not surprised; he fully trusted his own allure to the followers, especially since it involved thirty Chaos Crystals.

"Intense? How intense?"

"Far beyond expectations! According to energy readings, there are at least three strong fluctuations close to the fourth calamity level, encircling you at high speed from different directions."

Long Qiuyuan's pacing increased.

"They...seem impatient to devour you!"

Qin Shi took a deep breath; a platinum reflection of the scorching sun flickered in the depths of his pupils.

He realized both sides seemed to be fishing, and both believed they had the upper hand.

...

...

Western Front Command.

On the massive tactical holographic sandbox, the light spot representing Qin Shi was suspended deep within the pollution area, surrounded by three rapidly converging scarlet light spots.

"Is Lieutenant Qin's position too deep?"

A staff officer with a major's rank frowned; the original "stage" should have been the frontline camp, not the scorched no-man's-land turned by war.

"Lieutenant Qin is very opinionated; he has his ideas."

Tai Monarch said helplessly:

"Just five minutes ago, he unilaterally changed the 'stage.' If it were set at the camp, it wouldn't be attractive enough for the followers. He hopes that as the bait, he can attract something more dangerous and valuable."

The major-ranked staff officer shook his head:

"This is reckless; it will increase the risk! Over there at the camp, there's a fully equipped Divine Machine squadron! Even if followers at the fourth calamity level came, they could ensure his safety!"

Another officer of the same rank also said:

"The closest unit to Lieutenant Qin would need forty minutes to reach the no-man's-land; if the fishing fails, support would be very difficult."

He slammed the control station, "Scorching Sun...Scorching Sun shouldn't be so audacious! The frontline isn't a place for personal heroism! If he falls here, the blow to morale would be greater than losing a Barrier City!"

The atmosphere became immediately so tense it seemed tangible.

Tai Monarch repeated the words previously spoken to Yao Guodong verbatim.

In the repeated calculations of the simulation model, the probability of Qin Shi, closely protected by the Judicial Court, encountering a life-threatening situation was extremely slim.

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