All adventurers gathered around Shen Yi.
Jin Gang asked, "What's the matter now?"
Shen Yi pointed to the blood-stained emblem and asked, "How much time is left on this?"
After a glance, Jin Gang replied, "Nine days and ten hours."
Shen Yi snapped his fingers, "It's 10 PM now. We landed at 8 PM last night, completed the mission by midnight, and the optional mission started eight hours early, which means the official mission started this morning at 8. Am I right?"
Everyone was confused.
"That means the process of capturing the bridge is also included in the mission time. It's not just about holding the bridge for ten days, but also about capturing and holding it within a total of ten days. How this time is divided is not of concern; what matters is that we have full control of the bridge after ten days. We can either capture the bridge today and hold it for ten days, or fight for a few days before capturing it. Am I correct?"
The adventurers looked at each other, not understanding Shen Yi's point.
Even Jin Gang was puzzled, "What's the difference between capturing the bridge today or in a few days?"
"There is a significant difference," Shen Yi answered seriously. "The sooner we capture the bridge, the sooner we face the Germans' reinforcements and counterattacks. The more time we give the enemy, the greater the pressure to hold the bridge."
As he finished, a shell whistled through the air, exploding near their assembly point.
Everyone hit the ground. Hong Lang shouted, pointing to a crater in the distance, "Do you think our current survival pressure is small?"
"Compared to a barrage of ten shells per second, this is just child's play!" Shen Yi yelled, turning and firing his spirit fire gun, taking down a German soldier.
His message was clear.
Once the adventurers capture Arnhem Bridge, the Germans would desperately counterattack. Reinforcements would arrive continuously, and Arnhem would be bombarded by planes and tanks. The longer they delayed, the more German soldiers they would face, increasing the difficulty.
On the surface, this optional task in the Bloody City seemed easy, but it was a deadly trap. If the adventurers attacked the bridge recklessly, they would face ten days of relentless German assaults.
In contrast, the current situation was much better.
As long as the Germans weren't driven from the bridge, they wouldn't rush to call reinforcements, reducing the pressure on the adventurers.
This period was actually the most relaxed time for the adventurers.
Once Shen Yi explained this, everyone understood his logic and admired his meticulous thinking.
Under German artillery fire, Jin Gang loudly asked, "So you mean we should delay capturing the bridge and extend this safe period?"
He emphasized "safe period," clearly not considering the current situation safe.
But Shen Yi nodded seriously.
"Are you sure the German reinforcements are something we can't handle?" Hong Lang shouted, unable to lift his head due to the relentless German gunfire.
Shen Yi spread out a map on the ground, "Look, the Germans have heavy forces in Arnhem, including two SS armored divisions, Hitler's elite troops with Tiger tanks, and an airfield nearby. I'm not sure how many planes they have, but it's certainly not a small number. Currently, only a small part of Arnhem's heavy forces are here, the rest are either engaging the main force of the 1st Airborne or defending other areas. The closest troop to Arnhem can arrive in four hours, and the furthest in twelve. They're not attacking us now because they don't need more forces to deal with a small unit. But if we take the bridge, they will frantically counterattack. From the moment we gain control, the Germans will know, and we will face wave after wave of desperate counterattacks. According to the principle of increasing strength with each wave, we might eventually face an entire armored division with hundreds of tanks! Our optional mission is not to capture, but to defend!"
Everyone was stunned.
Hong Lang muttered, "No wonder there's a team reward for this mission. Damn, it's a hidden trap."
"Exactly," Jin Gang nodded, "I knew this mission couldn't be that simple."
Indeed, this mission from the Bloody City was a trap, and a very flexible one at that. It took into account the strength of the adventurers. If they were strong, they might capture the bridge on the first day, facing ten days of counterattacks. If weaker, they might take a few days to capture it, resulting in a slightly weaker counterforce.
However, if someone could spot this trap, they could cleverly control the timing of capturing the bridge to reduce the difficulty. Clearly, the city seemed to accept such cunning tactics. Perhaps, in the eyes of the Bloody City, wisdom was also a part of strength.
"When exactly should we start capturing the bridge?" an adventurer asked. "The later, the better. But the problem is..." Shen Yi glanced at the confident Captain Frost, then said helplessly, "Will he accept it?" Indeed, would Frost accept it? In his orders, not only was capturing Arnhem Bridge necessary, but the sooner, the better. Montgomery was confident that his forces could swiftly pass through the heavily guarded German areas and arrive here to achieve the feat of crossing the Rhine. Regardless of whether Frost believed in Montgomery, as a competent officer, he had to unconditionally obey and execute the orders. So, no matter what Shen Yi said, Frost wouldn't agree to temporarily stop the attack on the bridge. Moreover, the Bloody City was subtly influencing everything. This was precisely what made Shen Yi feel helpless. He could see the problem, but he couldn't solve it. The Bloody City might allow him to take shortcuts but wouldn't let him rely entirely on them to pass the test.
Everyone was now somewhat panicky. If they captured the bridge tonight, they would face nine days of fierce counterattacks from the German armored divisions. Could their ammunition supply last that long? Even if their weapons were advanced, except for Shen Yi, none had unlimited ammunition. Even if they had bulletproof gear, how many waves of enemy bullets could they block? Even with their enhanced abilities, how effective could they be under relentless gunfire and bombardment? Hong Lang swallowed hard, "We have to try, right?" Hopeful eyes turned to Shen Yi, who sighed. He approached Frost. Soon, Shen Yi and Frost had a heated argument. Not long after, Shen Yi returned with a gloomy face. "He refused to stop the attack on the bridge and doesn't believe the Allied forces can't arrive in ten days. Damn it, I can't even tell him about the actual number of German troops in Arnhem. He still thinks the troops here don't exceed an infantry division." "That's expected," Jin Gang was not surprised. "What do we do now?" Wen Rou asked Shen Yi. Shen Yi looked at the German defenses on the south bank of the Rhine for a long time before finally saying, "Delay... delay as much as possible. From now on, don't use your weapons against the Germans, take off your bulletproof gear, wear bulletproof vests, and I'll heal any injuries. Try to conserve resources." "How long can we delay?" "As long as possible!" Shen Yi said firmly.
In the following period, the adventurer team entered a collective "slump." They no longer displayed the bravery of their first day. However, perhaps because of their outstanding performance on the first day, many German soldiers were already frightened, reducing their combat effectiveness, and the 2nd Airborne Battalion still held the upper hand. Every time the British paratroopers advanced, the adventurers felt more uneasy, wishing they could pull them back and yell, "Don't rush! We have to hold for ten days with you." But such thoughts remained unspoken, while the British paratroopers steadily continued their assault, advancing every hour. In reality, delaying the capture of the bridge didn't mean the German attack would be less fierce. On the battlefield, amidst flying shells and chaotic flames, it felt like hell, and one could think nothing could be worse. The adventurers did well just to control themselves, let alone the pace of the entire battle. They could only slack off and slow the pace of victory. Fortunately, the Germans' last desperate resistance was indeed tough. After a night of fierce fighting, they finally halted the 2nd Airborne Battalion's advance. Frost was naturally dissatisfied, but the adventurers all excused themselves with combat fatigue, lack of strength to use their special abilities, and needing rest, leaving Frost helpless. Successfully delaying for one night, the adventurers continued their passive resistance the next day.
This time, the adventurers' slacking off reached outrageous levels, resorting to feigning illnesses with more excuses than a procrastinating author. Complaints of stomachaches, headaches, and the like were rampant, while Shen Yi simply spread his hands, claiming this was the result of overusing special abilities; his powers could heal injuries but not illnesses.
Frost could only stare helplessly at the adventurers' antics, unable to voice his frustration. Returning to the radio, he called again for air support, no longer even mentioning the special operations squad.
Despite the adventurers' delays, the tide of battle had begun to lean irreversibly towards the British paratroopers, no longer swayed by their will. The adventurers might slack off, but Shen Yi couldn't - he couldn't watch the soldiers of the 2nd Airborne Battalion die. Morally, they were comrades; practically, they were both a source of bloody points and combat strength, worth preserving.
Reduced casualties emboldened the already elite 2nd Airborne, enhancing their combat effectiveness.
The adventurers never felt more frustrated by their allies' strength.
After a day of fighting, the German soldiers retreated en masse. By noon of the third day, the 2nd Airborne had completely controlled the bridge, but faced a reinforced concrete bunker and an armored vehicle near the bridgehead.
Captain Frost, unwilling to repeat the costly assaults used to take down a similar bunker previously, approached Shen Yi: "My friend, see that bunker? I need your tank-busting weapon to help me destroy it!"
Shen Yi replied, "Sorry, I can't agree to your request." "Why not?" "I'm running low on ammo; I need to conserve it," Shen Yi answered. "But once we take that bunker, the bridge is ours! Then we just clear the remnants on the other side and wait for the main force," Frost exclaimed, unable to understand Shen Yi's reluctance and subterfuge. He thought he was unseen? "I don't think so," Shen Yi responded. Frost would never believe that Montgomery's ground forces would never reach Arnhem, meaning the 2nd Airborne couldn't expect reinforcements.
Frost earnestly said to Shen Yi, "I know you still hope I delay taking the bridge, but as a soldier, obeying orders is our duty, and dying in battle our honor. We don't fear the enemy's strength or possible death. Whatever obstacle lies ahead, we will muster the courage to crush it!"
"You know how many of my men died in these two days? Over forty. They could have lived if you and your partners had truly fought. But they had no complaints, for killing or being killed by the enemy is our duty."
Pointing to the distant bunker, Frost continued, "Now, I can order an assault on that bunker, and I'm sure we'll take it, but many will die. You can't stop my attack, but you can reduce my soldiers' deaths. I await your decision."
Frost's words were sincere, serious, and steadfast.
Shen Yi gazed at Frost, seeing his unwavering resolve. A true warrior. A soldier who cared for his men and was loyal to his duty. He couldn't delay forever.
After a moment, Shen Yi said, "My companions and I are very tired. We've been fighting non-stop and need sleep." "Take that bunker, and you can sleep as much as you want." "I fear we won't have time to sleep then. Frost, give me one more day. Tomorrow I promise to take that bunker for you. This is my final condition! Just one day!"
Frost looked deeply at Shen Yi and finally nodded, "Alright, I agree to your condition. But tomorrow, you and your partners must help us take that bunker."
Successfully buying one more day, Shen Yi ordered, "Ceasefire, everyone sleep on the spot!"
Despite confusion among the 2nd Airborne soldiers at the abrupt halt in their advance, they obeyed.
Shen Yi sighed, never imagining his first command after gaining authority over the 2nd Airborne would be to order everyone to sleep.
On the fourth day, at dawn, Shen Yi summoned an adventurer with blink boots, whispered a plan, and also called several paratroopers. Pointing at the bunker, they understood.
Moments later, the paratroopers crawled towards the bridge to distract the Germans. The bunker and the remaining armored vehicle unleashed a barrage. The soldiers quickly lay down, rolling back to cover. Meanwhile, the adventurer with the blink boots teleported above the bunker, unleashing a fire dragon from his flamethrower, filling the bunker with terrified screams from the German soldiers.
He then tossed a grenade into the nearby armored vehicle. With a loud explosion, both the vehicle and the bunker fell silent.
German soldiers emerged with hands behind their heads, and the paratroopers rushed forward, eliminating them.
The last stronghold, which should have cost dozens of lives, was easily conquered.
Shen Yi told Frost, "Congratulations, Colonel, the bridge is entirely ours now."
But his face showed no triumph.