I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 267

Chapter 267: Today, Will You Accept Defeat Without a Fight, or Will You Conquer New Horizons?

 

Gabriel’s situation was within my expectations.

 

I’m not the kind of avid esports enthusiast myself. Like most people, I play games for leisure. However, even players like me who are not particularly passionate about esports have spent hundreds of hours battling alongside Jiang Wei and Pipi in APEX Legends. Consequently, I have a general understanding of some firearm data in the game.

 

Unlike games like PUBG, where players have very little health and no concept of armor, APEX Legends introduces the concept of armor alongside health points for characters. Wearing armor is almost equivalent to having a second life, making it nearly impossible to be instantly killed even at very close range.

 

In my previous experiences with games like PUBG and CS:GO, my typical experience was, “Wow! There’s someone! What’s happening? Oh no, I’ve been taken out!” However, when playing APEX Legends, my experience shifts to, “Wow! There’s someone! Bang bang bang… They’re accurate with their shots. Help me, I’m low on health and need to take cover. Teammates, can you provide some cover fire? I’m using a med kit.”

 

In more technical terms, APEX Legends has a longer Time To Kill (TTK), meaning the time it takes to complete a kill is longer compared to most other games.

 

Games with a long time to kill (TTK) can provide a good gaming experience even for beginners. When getting hit, players can feel that they are being attacked, rather than thinking “How did I die?” “Who shot me?” “Why is the damage so high?” and then giving up on the game.

 

However, even in a game like APEX, where the TTK is long, there are situations where players get instantly killed. Sometimes it’s because the enemy is exceptionally lucky, getting multiple headshots in a row, leaving you with no time to react before dying. Other times, it might be a sniper rifle landing a headshot from a long distance, or in the most extreme cases… cheating.

 

So, identifying cheating in APEX is relatively straightforward. Most players who have experience with the game develop a “sixth sense” for detecting cheats. If someone can instantly kill one person, it’s suspicious, but it could be luck or skill, so it’s best not to jump to conclusions.

 

If they kill two, and their bullets seem to follow players, it’s likely cheating, but still not certain. Maybe they’re just exceptionally lucky and skilled. But if they manage to kill three, then it’s almost certainly cheating.

 

However, if it’s confirmed that someone isn’t using cheats, and yet they repeatedly pull off instant kills in front of everyone’s eyes, what’s going on? It can only mean that their marksmanship is “godlike.” So, I can empathize with Mr. Li Shaobing’s current feelings.

 

If I hadn’t been in front of my computer in my own room at the time, watching as Gabriel effortlessly eliminated opponent after opponent with her rapid gunfire and ultimately emerged victorious, I might have actually believed she was using some strange software.

 

“It’s impossible… it can’t be. She’s just a woman, a girl, why…”

 

Li Shaobing, who had been killed three times in a row, sat dumbfounded in front of his computer, staring blankly at his game character, muttering to himself incessantly, his gaze somewhat vacant. Because his armor was shattered and his health was at its lowest, his computer screen had turned slightly red. I noticed that his breathing had become noticeably heavier.

 

“That feeling just now… it felt like cheating.”

 

“But that computer can’t have cheats, and Su Yunjin wouldn’t bring in a girl who cheats to play against me…”

 

“So how did she do it? I wasn’t just standing still either. Could there really be a girl who can control recoil and aim so perfectly…”

 

Li Shaobing’s expression of “worldview collapse” made me want to laugh for some reason, but to maintain my image, I instinctively covered my mouth with my hand.

 

Shooting games are like this. The crosshair may be triangular or square. All you have to do is move the mouse over the character when you see them in the game, aim at them, and then press the fire button.

 

Some guns have high damage and high recoil. Even if you aim at someone with your mouse, the bullets will scatter and it’s not easy to hit. Some guns have low damage and low recoil, making it easier to hit the target when aiming, and what “game masters” need to do is control the recoil of the gun barrel.

 

By controlling the mouse according to the feedback from the eyes, they move along with the enemy, achieving “following the gun” and “suppressing the gun,” thereby increasing the hit rate of bullets.

 

Most people who have played FPS games to some extent have a certain “cheat intuition.” When an ordinary person shoots at you, bullets will scatter, and hitting a character will produce a blood effect, or various feedback will come through the headphones.

At this time, we know we’ve been hit. The feeling of “continuous hits” and “occasional hits” is definitely different. If it’s a continuous “rat-a-tat” and your health bar instantly bottoms out, then most people will have a “cheat intuition.”

 

“No, although it’s almost impossible, I need to confirm…”

 

After a moment of silence in front of the computer, Li Shaobing stood up from his chair and immediately turned to Su Yunjin.

 

“You didn’t conspire with them to play a trick on me, did you? Is there something wrong with this computer?”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

Su Yunjin was a bit embarrassed. “Are you implying my people are cheating?”

 

“Did you see her actions just now?”

 

Li Shaobing pointed to the bewildered Gabriel on the other side. “How did she kill me?”

 

“I watched the final round.”

 

Su Yunjin nodded, “Extremely accurate, like locking onto a target.”

 

“So you’re sure you didn’t conspire with these people to fool me? It’s not cheating?”

 

“What are you talking about!”

 

Su Yunjin also sounded a bit angry, “This project is endorsed by the country… uh, specially approved by Tongmeng Net. It’s my family’s business! I brought you here to test whether this girl is suitable for playing esports games. Are you joking about this?”

 

“Sorry.”

 

Perhaps feeling he went a bit too far, Li Shaobing apologized, then turned to Gabriel, “May I ask your name, miss?”

 

“Huh? Oh, I… I’m Gabriel.”

 

Gabriel followed the script we had agreed upon earlier and said, “I’m from the US, just got my green card here.”

 

“Huh? Aren’t you playing cosplay like them?”

Li Shaobing scrutinized the golden shoulder-length hair behind Gabriel. “Are you really from Europe or America?”

 

“Sort of.”

 

“How did you manage to defeat me just now?”

 

Li Shaobing bent down behind Gabriel, “Even cheats aren’t this outrageous. You hardly missed a shot, and you hit me in the head at least three times.”

 

“Because the R301 rifle has very low recoil, and there were no obstacles between you and me.”

 

Gabriel spoke frankly, “A person has a total of 100 health points. Considering the firing rate of the R301, if you didn’t miss a shot, the time your body was exposed just now was enough to kill.”

 

“So, my problem lies here.”

 

Li Shaobing frowned, “A distance of 50 meters isn’t far, but it’s definitely not close either. Even for a moving target, it’s difficult for a professional player to guarantee not missing a shot.”

 

Gabriel shook her head, “I don’t know what a professional player is, but I can choose the trajectory with the highest probability of not missing.”

 

“You can choose the trajectory?”

 

Li Shaobing was stunned for a moment, “Try shooting at me here and see, at the dummy in front.”

 

Pointing to the farthest dummy on the computer screen, Li Shaobing looked skeptical, “You said you aimed at my head every time. Alright, aim at me once and let’s see.”

 

Gabriel turned the camera towards it, “This one?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Bang—”

“Bang—”

“Bang—”

 

It was clear to see that nearly half of Gabriel’s burst of bullets hit the dummy’s head. Despite missing one shot, she still took down the completely still dummy in an instant.

 

“Hiss—”

 

Seeing this scene, Li Shaobing sucked in a sharp breath, “Is this aimbot?”

 

Gabriel wore an innocent expression, “What do you mean?”

 

“Sorry, can I try?”

 

Under Gabriel’s curious gaze, Li Shaobing took her keyboard and mouse, then aimed at the dummy that had just been knocked down but had now respawned. He pressed the fire key—

 

“Bang—, Bang—, Bang—, Bang—, Bang—, Bang—, Bang—, Bang—, Bang—, Bang—, Bang—, Bang—, Bang—, Bang—, Bang—, Bang—, Bang—, Bang—”

 

This time, although the dummy was quickly knocked down again, it was evident that the speed of knocking it down was much slower than before Gabriel’s turn.

 

With doubt in his mind, Li Shaobing minimized the game screen, opened the task manager, and checked the background processes.

 

“No extra programs, she did indeed control the recoil manually, but… it’s impossible…”

 

Li Shaobing’s puzzled expression was palpable. He remained silent in front of the computer for a moment, then stood up and said to Su Yunjin, “Can I switch positions with this young lady?”

 

“Why?”

 

Although Su Yunjin seemed puzzled, I could already sense a hint of excitement in his tone as he said, “Are you suspecting the young lady of using cheats?”

 

It was only natural. Su Yunjin’s task today was to assess whether Gabriel had gaming talent. When Gabriel entered the room earlier, he had already shown a surprised expression, clearly very satisfied with Gabriel’s appearance. Now, seeing his “professional player” friend being defeated, it indicated that Gabriel’s skill level far exceeded expectations. It would be unnatural not to be happy.

 

“Let’s switch positions.”

 

Probably feeling quite humble after being defeated three times in front of so many people, Li Shaobing suggested, “I’ll use her computer, and she can use mine. Let’s have three more rounds, there’s something I want to confirm.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Su Yunjin didn’t seem to mind and just gave me a meaningful look.

 

“Gabriel, come over to this computer.”

 

I ran to Li Shaobing’s previous spot. “Let’s switch positions.”

 

“Mm.”

 

Gabriel got up, walked over, sat down, picked up the keyboard and mouse, and moved them around a bit, seemingly getting used to the new setup.

However, since the computers and chairs here were all uniform, both the one Li Shaobing tested and the others around, theoretically having the same performance and appearance, Gabriel quickly relaxed and turned to me and Yin Xiamo with a “ready to go” expression.

 

“Haha, buddy, you might as well give up.”

 

Fei Luo laughed happily on the side.

 

“In terms of body control accuracy and brain processing power, you can’t possibly match her.”

 

“Body control accuracy?”

 

Li Shaobing seemed puzzled by what Fei Luo was saying, but he took the keyboard and mouse and started firing away at the nearby dummy.

 

“The feel hasn’t changed, and the firearms are fine… There’s no reason…”

 

From Li Shaobing’s gradually confused heartbeat and rising body temperature, I could tell—he was getting flustered.

 

“Let’s go three more rounds, but this time, we’ll switch to a different gun, the VK Parallel Rifle.”

 

After trying out the gun a few times, Li Shaobing picked up the “VK Parallel Rifle,” put on armor and a helmet. “Same rules as before, 50 meters apart, with room to maneuver. Whoever goes down first loses this time.”

 

Gabriel nodded. “Are there any restrictions?”

 

“No restrictions, you can use whatever you want.”

 

Gabriel decisively switched her character to the “Robot.”

 

“The robot has a large body size.”

 

On Li Shaobing’s side, he changed to the relatively petite “Wraith” character.

 

“Alright, I’ll start us off with a three, two, one… go!”

 

“Bang—”

 

As Li Shaobing’s voice fell, both sides began a fierce exchange of fire. The VK Parallel Rifle, known for its “great power but also great recoil like a mule,” wasn’t as stable as the R301 used by both earlier.

 

However, through the lens on Gabriel’s side, I could still see that the moment she exposed herself, her gun seemed to “lock” onto Li Shaobing’s head like a magnet, and then the bullets gushed out, instantly breaking through his armor.

 

Although Li Shaobing retaliated, pouring damage at Gabriel during the time she scoped and fired, as a mere mortal, even a professional player would find it hard to guarantee no missed shots at this distance. Watching his armor shatter instantly while Gabriel only suffered minor damage, Li Shaobing promptly took cover behind the barrier.

 

Gabriel seemed to anticipate where Li Shaobing would dodge, as the robot’s Q ability, the grappling hook, swiftly shot out, executing a massive leap in the air, and in the moment of landing, found Li Shaobing behind cover. Once again, her rifle’s sight locked onto his head—

 

“Bang—”

 

Gabriel completed another kill on Li Shaobing!

 

“You… ”

 

As I looked up, I saw Li Shaobing’s face pale, unsure of what to say.

 

At this moment, several computer screen testers behind us applauded.

 

“Amazing!”

 

“Her marksmanship and agility are simply beyond what a normal human could achieve.”

 

Li Shaobing’s hand was visibly trembling, his pupils even slightly dilated, incredulously jumping over the computer screen, staring at Gabriel.

 

“Were you ever a professional player somewhere? Or did you often play this kind of game since childhood?”

 

“Nope,” Gabriel replied casually.

 

Fei Luo joked, “Little Gabriel comes from a relatively impoverished place where there isn’t even a computer. Strictly speaking, this is her first time using this thing after coming to this country, and then she got hooked right away.”

 

“Her marksmanship is just too scary.”

 

After a few seconds of silence upon resurrection, Li Shaobing controlled his character to move towards the sniper rifle area.

 

“Alright, second round, this time we’ll use sniper rifles.”

 

“Both of us will use sniper rifles, in an open area, no cover.”

 

“Got it.”

 

Gabriel also didn’t hesitate, picking up the most powerful sniper rifle in the game besides the airdrop weapons.

 

“The distance is 100 meters.”

 

The two backed off to a distance of 100 meters.

 

“Begin!”

 

“Bang—”

 

Almost as soon as Li Shaobing’s voice fell, Gabriel raised the sniper rifle. Then, without any sight, she moved the barrel of the gun to the small point in front of Li Shaobing’s head and fired.

 

The bullet from the sniper rifle whistled through the air and hit Li Shaobing’s head.

 

“What!”

 

Li Shaobing shook from side to side and fired the first shot—

 

Missed.

 

At the same time, Gabriel finished reloading her sniper rifle, fired for the second time—

 

“Bang—”

Headshot!

 

“……”

 

The Li Shaobing on the computer side took his hands off the keyboard.

 

“Okay, I really concede.”

 

“I originally wanted to test your close-quarters combat skills with a shotgun, but now it seems… it doesn’t matter if I test it or not.”

 

Li Shaobing stood up from his seat, speaking with a somewhat low voice. He walked over to Su Yunjin’s side and patted his shoulder.

 

“Brother Ji, you’re amazing. Finding such a talent. I concede.”

 

“What’s wrong? It’s the first time I’ve seen you so downcast.”

 

Su Yunjin wore a smug expression. “Really? Brother, are you feeling defeated?”

 

Just because you lost to a girl in a solo target range, there’s no need to be like this, right?

 

“You also play this game, can’t you see?”

Li Shaobing glared at Su Yunjin.

 

“Is the issue just losing to a girl in a solo? It’s obvious that the other girl completely overwhelms me in both skill and marksmanship. The gap between us is like that between bronze and predator. I was completely rubbed into the ground by her…”

 

Getting worked up, Li Shaobing even raised his fists. “I felt like an AI…”

 

“Pfft…”

Su Yunjin couldn’t help but laugh.

 

“What are you laughing at?”

 

“I remembered something happy.”

 

Su Yunjin suppressed a laugh.

 

“You… Even though the gap between you and other girls is like that between a human and an AI, look at it positively. At least you have a goal now, right? As… um, the 27th-ranked Predator boss nationwide, your skills and marksmanship had already reached a bottleneck. Then the other girl came along to prove that you still have room for improvement. That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

 

“You just had to roast me.”

Li Shaobing punched Su Yunjin directly in the chest.

 

“Do you guys sell alcohol here?”

 

“Why are you asking that? Which café sells alcohol?”

 

“I know you guys are going to start selling alcohol here. Stop beating around the bush. Give me a bottle of strong stuff. I can’t take it anymore. I’ve been defeated, really. Today, I just want to sleep it off.”

 

Su Yunjin thought for a moment. “Do you want vodka?”

 

“That’ll do. Where is it?”

 

“You go out and head to the opposite side, where the console section is. Inside is the café manager, Ouyang Xue. You should know her too. Just ask her if she has vodka, and she’ll take you there.”

 

Su Yunjin continued with a suppressed laugh. “Also, if you want to drink, go to the second floor. Stay away from those customers who are drinking milk tea. Remember to go home and sleep at noon…”

 

“You talk too much. Worried I’ll go crazy with alcohol?”

 

Li Shaobing punched Su Yunjin again and left the room.

 

“Hahaha…”

 

As soon as Li Shaobing left, Su Yunjin couldn’t help but burst into laughter, holding his stomach. But then, perhaps hearing something, his laughter abruptly stopped—Li Shaobing came back.

 

“Sir, do you need anything else?”

Su Yunjin, instantly returning to his usual demeanor, stared blankly at Li Shaobing at the door.

 

Li Shaobing, on the other hand, gave him a complicated look, then walked past him and approached the computer desk. He unplugged a portable hard drive and left the room again.

 

“Hahaha…”

 

Su Yunjin exaggeratedly burst into laughter again, patting his thigh as he laughed.

 

“I’ve never seen someone… take a hit like that… before. He used to be so arrogant, thinking he could beat me at games because he was a pro player. Now, he’s learned his lesson… Hahaha…”

 

“Nuo’er… Nuo’er, you did a great job, hahaha…”

 

I felt a bit embarrassed seeing Su Yunjin lose his composure like this for the first time.

 

“Didn’t you say he’s your senior?”

 

“Just because he’s a senior doesn’t mean I can’t tease him a bit more, haha… I can’t take it anymore…”

 

While laughing, Su Yunjin walked behind Gabriel’s chair, propping himself up on the back of it. After laughing for a while, he finally calmed down a bit.

 

“Feels like it’s been ages since I’ve been so… so undignified.”

 

“You still have dignity?”

 

I remembered the times when I played games with Pipi, Jiang Wei and the others. “If Sister Ouyang didn’t say you were our general manager, I would have thought you were some young master experiencing life!”

 

“I’m innocent, I’m just following orders from the headquarters.”

 

Su Yunjin wiped away tears from the corners of his eyes. “Let’s not dwell on that. Seeing Li Shaobing like that, Nuo’er, your friend from abroad is really impressive. I feel like he’s about to cry.”

 

“So, does she pass?”

 

“What about the reward we agreed on earlier?”

 

Entities like Gabriel are no longer measured by a graphics card and a few thousand yuan bonuses in the eyes of “capitalists”, the two are simply not on the same level.

 

Now that the café is preparing to build an underground floor and has already coordinated with the development team of “Age of Aquarius,” importing so many high-end computers and organizing everything so meticulously, they are already at the point where they “have to let go of the arrow.”

 

If I can’t find the female anchor with “strong skills and good looks” that Su Yunjin mentioned, they’ll have to draw a full-time anchor from Tongmeng Net to help out, and typically, such female anchors demand starting salaries in the tens of thousands per month.

 

Even without this proposal, Tongmeng Net specifically spends money to find girls who are both good-looking and computer-savvy, similar to “talent scouts.” The training costs are also an endless pit. If the girl is clever and understands showmanship, then the live broadcast will be easier, and the process will be smoother.

 

However, if the anchor they train lacks technical skills or has low emotional intelligence and often disrupts the flow, it will be a headache for the café, leading to various criticisms. This is a gamble.

 

Especially considering that this project also involves a series of constructions in the future commercial street and the “Mianyun District,” Su Yunjin will definitely choose the best option. It’s best if it’s someone we know, someone we can trust, so if any issues arise, they can be negotiated. Most importantly, I suspect Su Yunjin has already figured out that I may have potential in this regard.

 

After all… the several star maids in the café right now were all brought by me.

 

“No problem at all, Ouyang’s previous negotiations will all be fulfilled, and I’ll try to negotiate with headquarters to get you more things.”

 

Su Yunjin looked confident. “You can rest assured, Nuo’er, Xiamo.”

 

“Speaking of which… uh, Gabriel? Miss Gabriel, right?”

 

With that, Su Yunjin bent down. “Can you tell me how you did those moves just now?”

 

“Just now?”

Gabriel turned around, looking somewhat puzzled. “What do you mean?”

 

“It’s the effect that’s like locking on.”

 

As an APEX player, Su Yunjin was probably very curious about Gabriel’s performance just now. At this moment, he completely lacked his usual “young master’s calm” demeanor, his tone was very low.

 

“Have you been practicing shooting all this time?”

 

“You can understand it as her ability to control her body far surpasses ordinary people.”

 

Yin Xiamo, who was standing behind me, chimed in, “The kind of talent that could be showcased on the Talent Show.”

 

“Talent?”

Su Yunjin still seemed puzzled. “What exactly does that look like?”

 

“Let me show you.”

 

Yin Xiamo walked over, took the mouse from Gabriel’s hand, closed the game, and then opened the system’s built-in “Paint” software. Then she randomly selected a brush, clicked a red dot in the middle of the white canvas, and then moved the mouse away.

 

“Here, Gabriel, you take it.”

 

After handing the mouse back to Gabriel, Yin Xiamo gestured for Su Yunjin to look at the desktop.

 

“That red dot, Gabriel. I’ll count to three, and you move the mouse to the red dot and then away again, repeating three times. Each time, it must be in the same area, with no deviation in a single pixel.”

 

“Three, two, one, first time.”

 

Gabriel moved the mouse back precisely to the red dot, with the mouse moving in a straight line throughout, smoothly, without any corrective actions.

 

“Move away.”

 

“Three, two, one, second time.”

 

The mouse on the computer moved away again and then returned to the red dot.

 

“Three, two, one, third time.”

 

Gabriel controlled the mouse to move away again, and in the blink of an eye, it returned to the red dot.

 

This scene left Su Yunjin dumbfounded.

 

“If you still don’t understand… Gabriel, draw three straight lines here, requiring pure straightness, and all three lines must be completely parallel.”

 

“Okay.”

At Yin Xiamo’s command, Gabriel controlled the mouse to use the red brush on the canvas from left to right —

 

“Uh…”

Perhaps it was her first time using drawing software, and Gabriel was a bit uncomfortable. The brush started out slightly curved.

 

Yin Xiamo then said, “Try again, make the other two lines the same as this one.”

 

“Okay.”

Gabriel pulled the mouse back and drew the second line.

 

This time, it was identical to the first red line, even perfectly replicating the curvature caused by initial discomfort.

 

Then, after finishing the second line, Gabriel slowly moved the mouse down, probably searching for a position, and based on the distance between the second and first lines, drew a third red line identical to the others.

 

“That’s it.”

 

Pointing to the three seemingly duplicated red lines on the computer screen, Yin Xiamo turned to Su Yunjin.

 

“This is Miss Angel’s level of precision in controlling her body.”

 

“……”

 

……