He walked over and sat down next to Buddy, then said to Emily Harris, “I heard from Buddy that you’re going to lead us in an elite raid. Thanks in advance.”

Emily Harris shook her head. “This is a transaction, no need to thank me. Besides, I don’t even know if I can get you through the raid. I can only say I’ll do my best.”

Buddy laughed heartily. “Emily, you’re so strong, you’ll definitely make it.”

Emily Harris shot Buddy a glance and corrected him in a flat tone, “First of all, my name is not Emily, please call me Emily Harris. Second, I’m telling the truth. My current skills aren’t enough to solo an elite-level raid. I’m not even confident about the lower tier of elite. Failing is perfectly normal.”

“How could it be just one person? Aren’t the two of us here too?” Buddy chuckled awkwardly.

“In an elite raid, your combat power can be ignored.” Emily Harris said seriously.

Buddy gave an embarrassed smile. He was used to being looked down on, so he didn’t mind, but he glanced at Brian Bolton out of concern, afraid he’d be upset, since he knew Brian Bolton was the type to bristle at any slight.

Fortunately, Brian Bolton showed no unusual reaction. Only then did Buddy say, “It’s fine, it’s fine. Friendship first, competition second. It doesn’t matter if we lose.”

Unexpectedly, Emily Harris’s face immediately turned cold. “David Carter, do you want to win, or are you just playing around? If you’re just playing, you can find anyone to lead you, there’s no need to ask me!”

A bead of cold sweat appeared on Buddy’s forehead. He had no idea how to deal with Emily Harris, and knew he’d said something wrong, but didn’t know what it was.

Seeing Buddy’s face turn red from being stumped, Brian Bolton couldn’t stand it and spoke up, “Of course we want to win, and win perfectly!”

After all, Emily Harris was just a young girl, just a bit too serious, a little too obsessed with winning and losing in “Hero.” It was understandable.

But to his surprise, Emily Harris overturned Brian Bolton’s impression of her in the very next second.

She shook her head. “No, the outcome of a battle is uncontrollable. We can only strive for victory, but if you deliberately pursue a perfect win, you might miss the real opportunity. I know you two are both newbies. Just do your best later.”

Hearing this, Brian Bolton was suddenly moved. The reasoning wasn’t deep, but it wasn’t something a high school girl would usually say. This Emily Harris was not simple.

Brian Bolton recalled everything about Emily Harris from his previous life, and suddenly realized that all his information about her was vague. He only seemed to remember her from high school. After graduation, where did she go? What job did she do? He knew nothing at all.

It was as if she had vanished into thin air.

“What a strange girl.” Brian Bolton smiled, but he wasn’t planning to dig deeper. Everyone has secrets. If fate allows, he’ll find out in the future.

The claypot duck rice was brought over. Emily Harris began to eat quietly. Buddy tried to start a conversation, but she just gave him a bland look, and he immediately shut up. After a few tries, the three of them simply ate in silence.

Brian Bolton was quite used to this. In his previous life on the battlefield, he’d long since developed the habit of “no talking while eating, no chatting before sleep.” It wasn’t about rules, but because the battlefield situation changed in an instant, time was precious, and talking would distract attention and slow down eating.

Two minutes later, “ding~” “ding~”—two sounds, and Brian Bolton and Emily Harris put down their chopsticks almost at the same time. The bowls in front of them were already empty, as clean as if they’d been washed.

On the battlefield, food was precious. Waste was shameful.

A look of curiosity finally appeared in Emily Harris’s eyes. She glanced at Brian Bolton, and Brian Bolton gave a slight smile. He guessed this girl must also come from a military family, otherwise she wouldn’t have such a strong military aura.

Buddy, however, had only eaten half. He hurriedly shoveled a few more mouthfuls of rice, quickly paid the bill, and then called out, “Let’s go, let’s go, to the game center.”

The three of them got up and headed to the game center. As usual, the place was packed, and the giant holographic screen in the lobby was still playing highlight reels.

After a few steps, Emily Harris suddenly let out an “Eh?” and looked up at the holographic screen.

Chapter 008 Elite Raid

Game Center.

“What is it?” Buddy was always watching Emily Harris’s reactions.

Emily Harris didn’t answer, her eyes still fixed on the holographic screen. Buddy and Brian Bolton also looked up.

Buddy took one look and immediately shouted, “Whoa, what a domineering kick! That gun-drawing momentum—there are such experts out there!”

Brian Bolton saw it too. It was already close to 6 p.m., more than two hours since he’d completed the raid. The video now playing on the holographic screen was actually the two tactical maneuvers he’d performed earlier.

Before, these two maneuvers had rotated with other highlights, but now, all the others were gone. Only his two maneuvers were being replayed over and over, with many key moments shown in slow-motion close-ups.

In “Hero,” most highlight maneuvers were just flashy tricks, rarely able to withstand the scrutiny of real combat. Brian Bolton’s maneuvers were fundamentally different.

His maneuvers prioritized real combat, yet naturally displayed a kind of breathtaking brilliance.