The Last Commander of the Red Alert

As the 6th ranked god-level player in the Red Alert World, Phoenix Dance focused on the opening moves of the two players below as soon as she entered.

At first glance, she perceived the male player's intentions. Astonishingly, he was attempting a rogue move, aiming to directly contest the opponent.

Usually, few players would choose this tactic due to its inherent risks.

Shaking her head, her attention shifted to the other side, observing Su Chen's gameplay.

Su Chen played steadily, choosing a strategic location to establish his base, setting up an ore refinery, sending out miners to gather ore, accumulating his gold resources, and advancing step by step.

This method was the typical approach most Commanders used. Yet, each player had their distinct style, with varying focus areas.

For instance, some players might favor a tank army, obsessively producing tanks while ignoring other weapons. Others might be inclined towards Air Force units, fully investing in their creation.

However, in Su Chen's strategy, Phoenix Dance discerned one key principle: balance!

He methodically advanced, whether it was infantry soldiers, tank units, or even the Air Force. If the male opponent failed to locate Su Chen's base before the first tank was produced, the game's outcome was sealed.

Phoenix Dance noted the male player's strategy wasn't aimless exploration; he was zeroing in on specific spots. Given his pace, within ten minutes, he'd probably locate Su Chen's base.

By then, Su Chen might not have even constructed his first tank.

"It seems he's destined to lose," Phoenix Dance murmured, shaking her head. Having glimpsed the opening moves, she felt she could predict the outcome. She simply left the gaming room.

Phoenix Dance's departure didn’t affect Su Chen. But the male player felt slighted; he'd hoped to showcase his prowess before this goddess-level expert.

As predicted, in less than ten minutes, his soldiers spotted Su Chen's base from afar.

"Ha! I knew it! Su City isn't that large; I was bound to find him. Let's see... he's just finished building his war factory. His first tank hasn't been constructed, and there seems to be no activity in his barracks. Perhaps he’s running low on gold?"

The male player wasn't a fool. If he were, he wouldn't be ranked within the top ten thousand.

The initial funds each game provided were just enough for building basic structures. Especially after erecting barracks and a war factory, the remaining gold could only afford a basic tank or perhaps four soldiers.

Su Chen's silent barracks suggested he wasn’t producing soldiers. Meanwhile, noises emanated from his war factory, indicating he was opting to construct a tank.

"Rookies will be rookies. Typically, soldiers are more useful in the early game. A single basic tank isn't that significant. And..." the male smirked, "building a tank takes quite a bit of time."

If he destroyed Su Chen's base before the tank was ready, victory would be his.

However, something puzzled him. He only saw two of the opponent's tanks. Where were the soldiers?

He subconsciously assumed that Su Chen, the rookie, had dispatched all his soldiers, leaving just two tanks for defense—a common novice mistake.

"I guess it's time to teach this newbie a lesson," the male sneered, leading his soldier tanks in a swift charge.

Su Chen's base was located on the outskirts of Su City, meaning the vicinity was mostly open ground.

Emerging from within Su City, the male player had to navigate through towering buildings to reach the city's perimeter. If his forces closed in, Su Chen's defeat was imminent.

In this game, soldiers’ firearms could inflict substantial damage to tanks. Eight soldiers, along with two tanks focusing their firepower on a single target, would annihilate a tank.

Seated atop his tank, the male player vividly envisioned his imminent victory. Yet, before his troops could leave Su City's boundaries, a sudden burst of gunfire echoed.

"Where's that gunfire coming from?" he exclaimed in alarm. He soon discerned the source—gunfire from a nearby skyscraper targeting his troops.

In the few seconds of his stunned silence, one of his soldiers was gunned down, while the rest suffered varying degrees of damage.

"Fight back! Counter-attack!" he roared, diving into the safety of his tank. If a Commander died in this game, it spelled the end.

The sudden gunfire flustered him. He quickly realized that Su Chen must have positioned his soldiers inside the building, laying an ambush.

Such tactics weren’t uncommon. Many Commanders employed them, but only in urban map settings. Open terrains didn't offer buildings for cover.

Such a frequent tactic had been overlooked by the male player. Or rather, Su Chen deliberately made him overlook it.

From the outset, Su Chen portrayed himself as a rookie, deceiving his opponent, causing him to be carelessly overconfident.

Su Chen had anticipated two possible opening strategies from the male player: either a standard base-building approach with mutual combat or a direct assault with the initial troops without base construction.

After analyzing, Su Chen felt the latter was more probable. Hence, he stationed his remaining soldiers in a building, lying in wait for the opponent's approach.

Regardless, even if he had misjudged, he could still proceed with his base building without impediment.

Once soldiers entered a building, the entire structure became a fortified position. The enemy would have to destroy the entire building before causing harm to the soldiers within.

Moreover, occupying a building slightly enhanced the soldiers’ firepower. Having an elevated position delivered a devastating blow to the male player.

Filled with regret, he considered retreating from the building's firing range. However, the cunning Su Chen had allowed him to progress a certain distance before opening fire. Retreating now meant a brief surrender, risking his tanks and soldiers getting decimated.

Without his soldier tanks, the death of the Commander would result in a game loss.

"Attack! Give it all you've got!" he bellowed, mistakenly believing his shouts would boost his side's offense.

Alas, his cries were in vain. The skirmish lasted under three minutes. All his soldiers were killed, one tank destroyed, and the other severely damaged, smoke billowing from it. (To be continued...)

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