A wave of despair settled over everyone's hearts.
Just then.
Chu Fu suddenly heard an extra sound.
"Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!"
The noise was loud.
The sound of spinning rotor blades.
Chu Fu and the others looked toward the source of the sound, and the next moment, they all tilted their heads back, mouths hanging open, looking like they had never seen the world before.
What appeared in their sight was actually a helicopter.
Coming from the west, flying very close to the ground, allowing them to see it clearly.
It was larger than the helicopters they had seen on TV or in videos.
Its dark green shell looked like a roaring monster.
While they were still in a daze, another helicopter appeared in everyone's sight.
This time, it came from the east.
This helicopter was white, with four large red characters printed on its top: "China Armed Forces."
It was an Air Force search-and-rescue helicopter.
The next moment, a even more distinctive blue-gray helicopter appeared right in front of them.
The three helicopters grew closer and closer, and finally they all hovered in a circle around the group of teenagers, as if surrounding them.
The terrifying wind from the helicopters sent the teenagers staggering.
"Th-this... Did we break some cosmic rule? They're sending three helicopters to catch us?" The telekinetic boy finally couldn't help it and plopped down on the ground.
Chu Fu was also stunned.
These were clearly national team helicopters, but to rescue people, why mobilize so much force?
Most importantly, Wan Huanyu and Guan Youlong couldn't possibly be powerful enough to command the national team.
Besides, they were the very ones who first initiated the split.
After the game invaded reality, they quickly occupied Wangxi Scenic Area, refused to be requisitioned as a settlement site, and openly challenged the national team.
How could someone like that have such a background?
Soon, the three helicopters dropped ropes, and troops descended directly from the air. A squad of soldiers ran over first.
A woman in a military uniform led the way, saluting Chu Fu.
"We have received orders from superior command to ensure the safety of comrade Chu Fu, a special talent."
Special talent?
Me?
Chu Fu was somewhat taken aback. This was entirely a plot point that didn't exist in the book.
Or rather, it was the butterfly effect caused by her arrival.
Or maybe it was because Chu Feng was a lone wolf, so there was no description of how the national team dealt with this disaster before the game invaded reality.
Just then, the telekinetic boy beside her suddenly jumped up.
"You-you-you, Fang Ning! Aren't you the host from those esports competitions, Fang Ning?"
Everyone stared at her in astonishment.
Fang Ning was the most famous host in the esports circle at the moment.
She could speak five foreign languages, do on-site simultaneous interpretation, and had appeared many times in global esports tournaments. She loved wearing traditional clothing and promoting traditional culture.
These internet-addicted teenagers obsessed with games recognized her easily, but seeing her in a camouflage uniform was almost unbelievable.
Fang Ning laughed generously.
"Looks like all those years weren't wasted.
Let me introduce myself briefly. I'm Fang Ning. I'm now a member of China's Special Preparation Bureau, specially assigned to recruit special talents for the country.
On behalf of Cangsong City, I warmly welcome comrade Chu Fu to join us.
Of course, if any of you have an S-rank talent in the game, you can join too."
Everyone was stunned by this shocking news.
China had actually established a department solely to recruit players with S-rank talents?
It felt like a dream.
Could they—these kids who just played games, these children not recognized by their parents—really join the national team one day?
The telekinetic boy immediately shouted.
"Me, me, me! I have an S-rank talent, Telekinetic Field. I'm also a special class, a Telekinetic. My ID is Dream King, and my name is He Huiqi!"
An unexpected gain?
Fang Ning's eyes lit up instantly.
Just then, the second squad of soldiers arrived.
"Fang Ning, the public security in Cangsong City is so bad that schools like this haven't been shut down yet. This time, this genius player was even kidnapped and brought to Cangsong City. How dare you still invite her!"
The man who spoke then turned to the group of teenagers with a smile.
"Everyone, my name is Luo Qi. I'm the captain of the SAW team. I've also hosted some competitions. On behalf of Shanhai City, I invite you all to join us!"
SAW was the strongest club in the esports field, sweeping all major championship titles. Luo Qi was the champion team captain of the first generation.
His credentials were clearly stronger than Fang Ning's.
It was just that when it came to appearance, he had no advantage. The esports circle rarely had anyone this ugly. When he smiled, it was downright scary.
Everyone stayed silent.
At that moment, another team ran over from the distance.
They carried stretchers and medical kits.
It was the rescue team from China Armed Forces.
"Is anyone injured? The girl is the mission target, right? We need to give you a checkup. How are you feeling now?"
Chaos ensued.
Chu Fu's injuries weren't serious—just scrapes—but others present had been beaten black and blue. Some had been running hard before and hadn't felt the pain, but now they couldn't hold it in anymore.
For a moment, everyone cried out in pain.
"Boo-hoo, finally someone came to save us!"
"It hurts so much! They hit me!"
"My stomach hurts, my gut hurts too. I haven't had a full meal in days."
The crowd wailed.
The medical team rushed to treat them.
Just then, Chu Fu's phone rang.
It was a call from Chu Feng.
"Fufu, are you okay? Are you all right? I got word that you've been rescued. Don't worry, I'll be there in another hour."
Just then, Chu Fu heard another voice on the other end of the line.
"Brother Chu Feng, tell your sister—don't agree to anything Cangsong City or Shanhai City asks! She belongs to Linjiang City! Don't worry, I'll give you the best treatment."
"Alright, alright, I know! I'm talking to my sister! Don't interrupt!"
Chu Feng said a few more hellos.
"Fufu, can you hear me?"
"Brother, I'm here. What's going on?!"
Chu Fu wanted to know too.
Soon, Chu Feng explained it to Chu Fu.
During this time, Chu Fu and the others were taken back to the internet-addiction boot camp. Because Chu Fu wouldn't agree to board the helicopter, and Chu Feng didn't agree either, they couldn't just bake in the sun by the roadside, so they had to return to the school.
But this time returning felt completely different from before.
Previously, it was a cage.
Now, everyone knew they would soon leave.
This was just a temporary rest.
By then, all 34 people involved with the boot camp, including the kitchen auntie, had been taken into custody.
The surveillance footage was all deleted. Everyone was detained. All phones were confiscated.
But before that, the video had already been sent out.
Fortunately, it was only sent to a single person whose name wasn't marked. In fact, this person was Guan Youlong.
The moment Guan Youlong got the video, he forwarded it to Wan Huanyu, his voice almost breaking.
"The vegetable has woken up! And he’s even brought abilities from the game. The world has gone crazy. No wonder, no wonder all the conglomerates are pouring massive amounts of money into the game now!"
"Wan Huanyu, hold tight—this is our era now!"
Wan Huanyu watched the video, his fingers turning white from the pressure.
Just then, a knock came at the door.
"Come in!"
