C8 Smuggling Gang(1)

Under the guidance of your mentor, you've grasped the "Basic Culinary (G)" skill.

Basic Culinary (G): You can use ingredients to whip up simple dishes. Given your current skill level, keep your expectations in check. Proficiency: 0/100.

Achievement quest "Culinary Apprentice" unlocked: Successfully cook 0/10 servings of food. Reward: Basic Skill Advancement Potion.

Achievement quest "Run! Little One!" unlocked: Run 70/100 kilometers. Reward: Basic Skill Advancement Potion.

Achievement quest "I Am Not Weak!" unlocked: Reach a maximum stamina of 250 points. Reward: Basic Skill Advancement Potion.

Achievement quest "Reading a Hundred Scrolls" unlocked: Complete reading 0/100 books. Reward: Basic Skill Book.

After completing the monthly intensive training, Chen Ye returned to the checkpoint and sorted through the new notifications. Regrettably, time ran out before he could achieve "Deadshot," which would have earned him his first Basic Skill Book. Such a book could provide a significant boost, and he was eager to acquire his second Basic Skill Book.

After a few minutes of thought, Chen Ye decided to focus on "Basic Fitness (F)." In truth, if he wanted to reach the entry level more quickly, "Basic Steps (E)" would be the better choice, as he was close to maxing out his proficiency and had already made significant progress in its related achievement quest. With a bit of time set aside for training, he could complete it. However, "Basic Fitness (F)" was only halfway to full proficiency. Chen Ye recognized that using the Lightness Technique required stamina, and improving "Basic Fitness" would not only boost his stamina but also his health. In such perilous circumstances, nothing was more crucial than survival.

"Chen Ye, it's time to head out! Stay sharp!" Wang Jianguo called out suddenly.

[Main Mission 2: Smuggling Gang] — The smuggling rings have been increasingly brazen lately. Today, a shipment of contraband will pass through your inspection zone. Be vigilant! Remember, smugglers don't play by the rules.

"Here they come!" Chen Ye called back loudly, acknowledging both Wang Jianguo and Main Mission 2. He realized he wouldn't have much time to get used to things, yet he hadn't anticipated things would escalate so quickly—it had been just 48 hours since he arrived in this world.

The twelve members of our class were split into two groups. The class deputy led six to defend the east checkpoint, while Wang Jianguo took charge of the remaining six at the south checkpoint, where Chen Ye was stationed. Regrettably, Cheng Bin and Gong Dazhang were assigned to the east checkpoint. Aside from Wang Jianguo, Chen Ye was not well-acquainted with the other four in his group.

All were armed and ready, with Chen Ye discreetly disengaging his safety catch. Monitoring the stream of trucks undergoing inspection, Chen Ye grasped the challenge of the Main Mission: identifying contraband amidst the passing vehicles and managing the potential chaos that might ensue upon discovery.

After inspecting a truck loaded with fruit, the driver obsequiously offered a cigarette to Wang Jianguo, who accepted it and was about to wave the driver through. A sudden hunch struck Chen Ye, prompting him to interject, "Hold on! Let me take another look."

Climbing onto the cargo bed, Chen Ye surveyed the fruit baskets, which appeared unremarkable at first glance. Feigning clumsiness, he knocked over a basket from the inside, causing fruit to tumble out and reveal a suspicious package nestled at the bottom.

"What's this?" Wang Jianguo leaped onto the truck and sliced open the package with his dagger, uncovering boxes of tobacco. Two soldiers quickly aimed their weapons at the terrified driver, who threw up his hands and cried out, "It's a misunderstanding!" Wang Jianguo, however, was not in the mood for explanations. After contacting their team, they seized the three trucks, and the soldiers escorted both the vehicles and the driver to the inspection station.

Chen Ye noted a prompt in the second Main Mission to seize contraband, but he furrowed his brow, thinking to himself, "Not this batch! And now our fighting strength is diluted... I see the bigger picture now."

It dawned on Chen Ye that the real challenge of the second Main Mission lay in the combat readiness of the troops. He was acutely aware that a violent confrontation was inevitable. They had to ensure sufficient personnel to handle the situation while preventing too much contraband from slipping through the inspection. Failing to balance these priorities would undoubtedly lead to the mission's failure.

Ten minutes had passed, and the two soldiers tasked with escorting the contraband hadn't returned. Meanwhile, another truck rolled through for inspection. This time, Wang Jianguo took the initiative and discovered a hidden compartment beneath the driver's seat. Inside, he found ivory among other prohibited items. After calling for a soldier to take the goods away, only three soldiers, including Wang Jianguo and Chen Ye, remained at the checkpoint. Both Chen Ye and Wang Jianguo sensed the looming danger.

"I'll call headquarters and request immediate reinforcements. Keep your eyes peeled," Wang Jianguo instructed. But before he could finish, the distant rumble of approaching trucks interrupted him.

Soon, two large trucks entered the checkpoint. The driver appeared to be a plain and honest man, but his companion bore a scar across his face, with sunglasses obscuring much of his features.

"Boss, it's rice!" announced a soldier, inspecting a few bags.

Given the recent smuggling bust, Wang Jianguo was on high alert. He probed inside a rice bag, and Chen Ye noticed the scar-faced man's finger twitch. Before Chen Ye could shout a warning, a gunshot echoed, and the soldier inspecting the cargo fell. Instinctively, Wang Jianguo hit the deck. "Bang! Bang!" He narrowly avoided two more shots. Before he could rise from cover, the truck's door slammed shut with a clang.

Chills ran down Chen Ye's spine. These men were armed and intent on breaking through the checkpoint. As the soldier hit the ground, Chen Ye fired back in haste, striking the scar-faced man in the right leg without taking careful aim. Without pausing to assess the damage, Chen Ye scrambled to take cover behind a roadblock.

Using the shadows as cover, Chen Ye activated his "Stealth" ability, effectively vanishing from sight. The smugglers unleashed a barrage of bullets at the roadblock, pinning Chen Ye down. It took a full two minutes before the gunfire ceased.

"Damn it!" Chen Ye thought angrily. The smugglers' weaponry was clearly superior, equipped with Mauser submachine guns. Just four or five men could create a dense and deadly web of fire.

Chen Ye checked his health points; although he hadn't been hit directly, he was injured by shrapnel from the gunfire, leaving him with only 50 HP. Facing at least three fully capable criminals, Chen Ye had no choice but to activate his "lightness technique" and maneuver behind them.

Stealth (D): When you refrain from attacking, it becomes very difficult for the enemy to detect you.

Chen Ye crept beneath the enemy's truck, pulled out his Type 56 submachine gun, and shot at the calf of the nearest smuggler.

You inflicted 47 points of damage on the smuggler, with 11 points resulting from the "Swallow" effect. The stealth effect was then lifted.