The sight of Qin Fen’s provocatively excited demeanor made Radam and his group burn with hatred! They could all see that this young man, using an antique mobile phone, possessed a mind anything but rigid or dated.

Normally, when Radam’s group encountered others challenging them at paintball, they would deliberately feign weakness to let their opponents enjoy a sense of superiority before the fight, only to crush them once combat began, giving them a taste of the fall from heaven to hell.

Playing the fool to lure challengers into a trap was what they did most often. They lived for the look of utter disbelief on their opponents’ faces afterward; only such a scene brought them satisfaction.

If Qin Fen had employed the 'playing the fool' tactic, Radam was confident he could see through the performance and smoothly declare they wouldn't bother competing.

Instead, Qin Fen bypassed that method entirely, adopting an aggressive, challenging posture right in front of Song Jia and the other girls.

Lure, or coerce.

Two different approaches, and Radam knew clearly that in this situation, the latter was far more effective—it was the method that sealed off every avenue of retreat for the opponent.

Qin Fen took the cash he had just won and tucked back into his wallet. He smiled at Radam’s group. Since you want to use me as a stepping stone, you should have the awareness that stepping stones are meant to be walked upon.

Qin Fen was no fool; having studied psychology under Squad Leader Hao, he could naturally sense the hostility emanating from Radam and the others, and he saw no reason to be polite in return.

Even in the presence of Lin Liqiang and Inzaro Ta, Qin Fen didn't feel he was inferior to them, let alone in front of Radam and these men.

Radam’s group exchanged swift glances. Being seasoned veterans, they immediately understood that backing out now was impossible.

At the same time, they all glimpsed a sliver of hopeful information in their companions' eyes: perhaps Qin Fen’s aerial combat skills weren't as formidable as his ground warfare prowess.

Gaining confirmation from his peers, their uneasy hearts gradually settled. They had all played aerial combat simulations before, and some had even piloted genuine space fighters. Compared to this seemingly poor young man, they should still hold some advantage.

“Since everyone is so keen, follow me!” Lin Liqiang took the lead. “On the way here, I spotted an ultra-modern internet café. We can go there.”

Inzaro Ta reached out and patted Qin Fen’s shoulder, his eyes full of support.

Aerial combat? Xue Tian was somewhat surprised. How could Qin Fen, who exhibited the qualities of a special forces soldier in ground combat, also be a top-tier ace in the skies?

Song Jia was equally curious. After not seeing him for a while, the mystery surrounding Qin Fen hadn't diminished; if anything, it had deepened.

“Sky Combat Net, meet in Air Zone Eleven. My name is Feng Qi Yun Yong,” Radam declared, then immediately donned his headset and entered the combat network.

Qin Fen hesitated slightly, then turned to Lin Liqiang. “Can I borrow your account?”

“Mine?” Lin Liqiang blinked in surprise. Without questioning why, he promptly handed over his login ID and password.

The ID 'Thirty-Six Hours' had gained a small reputation by now, and Qin Fen preferred not to expose himself.

If revealing his identity meant making money, then exposure would be welcome. However, Qin Fen was self-aware enough to know that having beaten so many players in the battle net and even charged them for it, he had made quite a few enemies. If his true identity was revealed, who knew how many people would show up demanding a real-life PK.

In the battle net, he could use the system’s help to easily decline challenges.

In reality? If someone truly wanted a fight, it would be hard to stop them; the only recourse would be combat.

Given the notoriety of 'Thirty-Six Hours,' Qin Fen estimated the queue of challengers would stretch from the basic training camp all the way into the sea.

He quickly accessed the specific sector of the Sky Combat Net, the Air Combat Zone. Qin Fen expertly selected his Ghost fighter. Although the simulation fidelity here wasn't as intense as in a physical simulator room, it was still realistic enough that he wouldn't feel any discomfort.

He called out for Radam and instantly received a relayed message: I paid to open a temporary private star sector. Enter the Tian Heng simulation zone.

Qin Fen navigated the system with practiced ease and soon entered as well.

Inzaro Ta and the others had already logged in with their own IDs and entered spectator mode.

“You’re using Young Master Lin’s ID?” Besides Radam, the others were as astonished as he had been initially, none having expected Lin Liqiang to lend his ID to someone else.

“Old Qin, fight well!” Lin Liqiang, who had somehow procured another ID, shouted excitedly over the comm channel.

Qin Fen rapidly reviewed Radam’s group’s aerial combat data. Thorough preparation was necessary before any engagement, as even an idiot enemy could sometimes create an unexpected miracle!

When matters involved money, Qin Fen was always exceptionally cautious.

No Ace Pilot qualification? Qin Fen paused for a moment, then chuckled. The 'Wimpy Scourge Air Combat Team' led by the ‘Waste Captain’ was notorious for being a source of trouble.

Furthermore, it was a strange unit that only recruited pilots who were Aces and only engaged other Ace combat teams.

Having trained alongside the Waste Captain recently, his opponents had always been Ace-level pilots. Having grown accustomed to facing opponents whose baseline skill was Ace, facing a group where none of them even reached Ace level felt genuinely jarring.

Even so, Qin Fen seriously examined the aircraft selection made by everyone. These opponents weren't individually strong, but their choice of aircraft was very seasoned. Five fighters utilizing three different models, providing excellent firepower coverage across short, medium, and long ranges—a very solid foundation reminiscent of military aerial combat doctrine.

“All other personnel ready. Are you prepared?”

Qin Fen was momentarily stunned again. When receiving training from the Waste Captain, no one ever asked if you were ready. On several occasions during internal sparring sessions with the Scourge Team, before their planes had even taken off, they had been destroyed on the runway by teammates who never gave a notification that combat had commenced.

He selected ‘Ready,’ and the system’s synthesized voice echoed again: “Combat begins!”

Radam and his group quickly manipulated their controls with tension. In aerial combat, maintaining the initiative was a crucial element; anyone who had played an air combat game understood this.

“Sidewinder V Modified Missile. Lock and launch!”

Qin Fen didn't initiate his fighter’s takeoff sequence at all. His hands moved with blinding speed, executing professional maneuvers only an Ace Pilot could manage, locking onto all five of Radam’s fighters in an instant.

Several missiles, trailing piercing whistles and long white smoke plumes, cheerfully sped toward the aircraft of Radam’s group, which were just beginning to move off the ground.

Attacking before takeoff! No one had anticipated such a situation. Radam didn't even have time to curse Qin Fen as despicable and shameless; a flash of red light suddenly enveloped him, and he instantly found himself suspended in a massive furnace, accompanied by a deafening explosion.

The next instant, his vision went black, and a few golden letters materialized in his sight a second later: GAME

Radam’s companions shared the exact same fate.

Staring at the golden letters, Radam shook his head in disbelief. He hadn't been completely unfamiliar with the concept of attacking before takeoff, but the precision and speed required were monumental—something only an Ace Pilot could achieve.

He had consulted professionals about this and even practiced for days. He concluded that locking onto and hitting even one enemy before lift-off was practically impossible, and even if he succeeded, it would be pointless. By the time he destroyed one, the others would be airborne, leaving him sitting on the runway as a static target—at best, a one-for-one exchange.

“Just now... did Qin Fen take five in one go?”

Radam raised a hand to press his twitching eye. He had heard that even the most basic Ace Pilots couldn't perform such a feat. Was Qin Fen really an army man?

Lin Liqiang also stroked his chin in surprise. How long had it been since they last met? Qin Fen, who never touched battle net combat, had just executed a maneuver beyond the skill of an average Ace Pilot.

Inzaro Ta’s astonishment was no less than Lin Liqiang’s. Perhaps Qin Fen had experienced some unique opportunities in the military? Gold shines wherever it is placed.

Song Jia felt only happiness. Qin Fen was already full of secrets; a couple more peculiar ones wouldn't matter.

Xue Tian snapped his fingers lightly, murmuring to himself, “Air force, army, master of both? Excellent! This is the perfect partner for me when I become a mercenary!”

Xue Tian snapped his fingers lightly, murmuring to himself, “Air force, army, master of both? Excellent! This is the perfect partner for me when I become a mercenary!”

Qin Fen removed his headset. The faces of Radam’s group grew even uglier. They didn't even have the energy left to voice their condemnation of Qin Fen's shameless runway attack.

The gap between the two sides in that single exchange had been too immense. Everyone present was a minor expert; lodging a complaint now would only earn them more contempt.

Qin Fen, instead of collecting his winnings as usual, quickly moved to Lin Liqiang’s side. “They’re afraid of you, aren’t they?”

“A little afraid, yes,” Lin Liqiang admitted openly.

“Good. Tell them that what happened today regarding my aerial combat and the paintball challenge must not be leaked.”

“No problem, I’ll handle this matter for you splendidly.” Lin Liqiang puffed out his chest with authority, then added in a low voice, “Actually, even if I didn’t warn them, these guys wouldn’t spread it. They won’t talk about being wiped out by you twice in a row—that kind of shameful defeat—unless they plan to quit the circuit entirely.”

Qin Fen smiled, then proceeded to collect the gambling money he was owed.

In the span of a moment, two thousand dollars were in hand, and Qin Fen’s mouth nearly stretched to his ears. If the army assigned missions like this every day, life would be utterly perfect.

Lin Liqiang walked over to Radam’s small cluster with a mischievous grin. The five men instinctively stepped aside, leaving him space.

This friend of Qin Fen, who seemed to have such an excellent personality, was anything but a peace angel in the eyes of Radam’s group. If they could, they wouldn't even want Lin Liqiang near them; his reputation in this circle was hardly better than that of the detestable 'Thirty-Six Hours' online.