We promised to develop a game called Candy Crush, what the hell is the Third Reich?

Chapter 137 [Battle for Central Station] Fang Ming: Building battles are too difficult, let's fight in the streets (6.2k combined)

Due to the high intensity of the battlefield, it only took an afternoon.

The number of player posts on the Polaris forum skyrocketed, all of them stunned by the intensity of the Battle of Stalingrad.

These players also discovered that it wasn't that they were too bad.

Instead, even the empires and Soviet soldiers on the original 'Earth' were no different from them, basically just filling in the gaps in their lives.

They won't live much longer than them, maybe just a few seconds longer.

Meanwhile, many videos are circulating online and are constantly being updated.

Some players even restarted the game 11 times in just three hours, creating a compilation of their deaths. None of them intentionally tried to die; they were desperately trying to survive, but they simply couldn't.

Opinions on this level of combat are mixed among players.

However, the military forces of the various federations took notice of this and began sending troops to try to fight the soldiers on 'Earth', but due to the intensity of the battle, none of them broadcast the battle live.

After all, just watching the video tells you how difficult this battle is.

If we go live and get wiped out, it will be a disgrace to our entire federation. Let's practice first and then see if we should go live.

And on the Polestar side.

Zhao Ming, on the other hand, had been keeping a close eye on the backend data.

Aside from a slight fluctuation in the first hour, the number of online players in the [Stalingrad Battle] battlefield stabilized afterward.

Death did not deter the players from their enthusiasm; on the contrary, it made them even more determined.

Because the Battle of Stalingrad lasted a long time, Zhao Ming created different key areas according to the months.

The game is currently set for July.

Players who do not choose to challenge the Order of Stalingrad will mostly be assigned to front-line troops, and from a global perspective, they will be assigned to various locations to compete for positions with Imperial soldiers.

Despite many players complaining, including one who died 11 times in three hours.

But little did they know that the hellish difficulty that Blue Star players talked about was only the initial stage.

The brutality of the battlefield gradually escalated in the following stages.

That's why Zhao Ming spent the whole afternoon monitoring the data. He was only relieved after seeing that the Blue Star players had adapted; otherwise, he would have had to lower the difficulty a bit.

The key focus in July is the all-out battle.

Some players will be assigned to the 'Dzerzhinsky Tractor Plant', also known as the Stalingrad Tractor Plant.

As the largest tractor factory in the Soviet Union, it was urgently converted into a military factory after the outbreak of war, producing T-34 tanks under the relentless bombing of the Reich.

When time was of the essence, newly assembled T-34 tanks were driven directly to the battlefield, unpainted and ready to be destroyed or scrapped along with Imperial armor, leaving soldiers with less than 24 hours to survive.

Even these newly assembled tanks often have a lifespan of less than 24 hours.

Even under such circumstances, this largest tractor factory in the Soviet Union held on for several months, producing more than 200 tanks in a single month despite 60% of the factory being destroyed by bombing.

Here, players from Earth can experience the will of the Soviet people.

Use these to attract players and let them experience something new.

Then, starting in August, they slowly began to spread out the large pit that had been dug.

In August, players will be deployed to the South Railway Station to experience the initial station battles.

The intensity at this point was only slightly greater than that of a full-scale war.

In September, the battle for Mamayev Kurgan began due to the changing situation. More than 100,000 people died in this small hill with an altitude of 102 meters and an area of ​​less than 2 square kilometers.

More than 2000 casualties were reported in a single day, and an entire division was wiped out in three days.

After a player dies, they will be rejoined by their team or by a team that comes to their aid.

October will be the full-fledged battle for the station.

Within a single day, it changed hands multiple times, pushing the limits of human flesh and blood.

The Battle of Pavlov Building in November
After the entire Battle of Stalingrad is completed, the number of player deaths will be tallied, and perhaps then we'll know how many lives we have before we can shout "War!" again.

I observed for an afternoon.

After seeing that the data in the game's backend had stabilized, Zhao Ming pressed a button on the desktop.

In the open space of the office building ahead, projections of virtual globes began to appear.

Zhao Ming has already completed all the battles on Earth in 1942, including the Battle of Kursk in 1943, the largest tank battle in Earth's history.

Based on the current in-game time flow, it would take at least two more months in reality to reach that timeline, so there's no rush to work on the [World War II series] right now.

Zhao Ming was looking at a series of virtual Earths.

I raised my hand and pointed slightly to the left front, then opened the [China Series] Earth.

Similarly, based on different dynasties, several virtual Earth projections appeared in front of Zhao Ming. After scanning through each dynasty, they finally locked onto the [Three Kingdoms Earth] projection.

Preparing materials for the next update of the "Chinese History Series".

Zhao Ming's gaze swept across the map of [Three Kingdoms Earth], and finally clicked on a certain spot to bring up a list of all the characters in that faction, and then began to edit it.

The pit was dug.

[Shu Kingdom General: Zhang Fei]

[Origin: A native of Zhuojun, Youzhou, known as the "Fierce Tiger of Yan" and "A match for ten thousand men."]

[Early achievements: Followed Liu Bei in suppressing the Yellow Turban Rebellion, fought against Lü Bu in the Battle of Xuzhou, and became famous throughout the land for his eighteen-foot spear.]

[Peak Achievement: At Changban Slope, he led 20 cavalry to cover the rear at the broken bridge, roaring fiercely from the water to intimidate Cao Cao's army, causing thousands of Cao Cao's soldiers to dare not approach.]

【.】

[Hidden General: Xing Daorong]

[Origin: A native of Lingling, Jingzhou, and a military officer under Liu Du, the governor of Lingling.]

Early achievements:

[Peak performance: When faced with Zhuge Liang's offer of surrender, he angrily rebuked him, "The Battle of Red Cliffs was Zhou Yu's scheme, what business is it of yours!" He then charged at Zhuge Liang with his axe, cursing Shu general Zhang Fei as "just a butcher from Zhuojun, a nobody with an undeserved reputation."]

【.】

the other side.

It was just getting dark in the Great Xia Federation, while it was almost dawn in the Antarctic Star Federation.

Thanks to the Federation's promotion, World War II: Rise of Empires has gradually become popular in the Antarctic Federation over the past month, although it is still not as popular as games from the Antarctic Federation's home country.

Due to its heavy industry, the Antarctic Federation is strong in both its military and gaming sectors.

Both sides pay more attention to armor. The military is famous for its armored forces, and there are also many armored games in the civilian world. Mechs are quite popular.

World War II: Rise of Empires has something to do with armor, and although the tanks and other armor in the game are quite outdated, its raw and wild feel has attracted many players.

at this time.

Yuanxing Live Streaming Platform, the largest live streaming platform in the Antarctic Star Federation.

It was the middle of the night, just before dawn, but the live stream of a father and son was still very popular, with jokes constantly floating in the chat.

During the live stream.

Theodore, a young graduate of the Federal University, was forcing his eyelids open to thank the viewers for their donations during the live stream:
"Thank you, 'Count', for the asteroid. Hmm, which one is it now?"

"Let me see, this is already the 5th tank that Dad and his team have built in the game today."

"Oh, this is terrible."

Do you know what the struggle of a retired old man is?

"That's absolutely insane."

The live stream was filled with joking comments. Many viewers from the Antarctic Federation were watching from Theodore's perspective as his father led Soviet workers to build tanks.

The exciting atmosphere makes it hard to stop watching, just like watching people handcraft various mechanical parts on the Federal Xunyin platform.
What's different is that this is a mechanically-operated and hand-operated T-34, which looks more interesting.

The only one who is being tormented is Theodore, who didn't follow his father's advice to study mechanics because he wasn't interested in them, and even hated them when he was a child. Now, he's doing this for the sake of popularity.
I could only do the live stream with tears in my eyes; I was completely exhausted.

He was originally a new streamer who started streaming because he saw that "World War II: Rise of Empires" was very popular. After playing a few rounds of the game...

I was randomly assigned to a place called the 'Dzerzhinsky Tractor Factory'.

I already hated machinery, but when I saw the various parts manufacturing tasks assigned to me, my head was spinning. So I simply dragged my dad, Charlie, a retired senior armor repairman, into the game.

I want my dad to give me some advice, and also to ease the tension in our somewhat strained father-son relationship.

This guidance turned out to be quite significant.

Charlie, the father of the protagonist, was immediately drawn to the bustling atmosphere of the Dzerzhinsky Tractor Factory after entering the game. He reminisced about his youth and forgot to give him any pointers, joining the ranks of Soviet workers.

Ironically, the stamina consumed in the game has little impact on reality.

Moreover, the perception level can be adjusted. After Charlie lowered his perception of fatigue, he immediately fell into workaholic mode.

Furthermore, leveraging his technical knowledge as a 'Senior Armor Repair Technician' on Earth, he overcame several difficult problems.

This made the 'Dzerzhinsky Tractor Factory' in this instance produce tanks much faster than in other instances. Theodore was completely dumbfounded watching his father, who was engrossed in his work.

The strained relationship stemmed from my father's workaholic nature when he was young.

I thought I could use the opportunity of pointing out the problem to ease the tension.

As a result, Dad went into workaholic mode again, which made Theodore both angry and helpless. He could only vent online, and it went viral in one night. Dad had been working for almost 6 hours.

Many viewers watched the live stream for six hours straight.

Theodore didn't understand what was so interesting about the clanging and banging and the mechanical sounds, but the hype was definitely high.

For the money, let's broadcast it.
Theodore rubbed his face, got up to get a glass of ice water, drank it down, and then let out a long sigh of relief.

"No, I need to buy some nutrient solution tomorrow."

"We can't hold on like this."

Who knows how a retired old man can stay up so long? It's been 6 hours already. He'd usually be asleep by this time if he stayed up all night. He went back into the game.

Theodore witnessed firsthand the creation of a tank under his father's guidance, and gifts flooded the live stream. Theodore smiled broadly.
"Thank you 'Leon' for the small meteorite, thank you."

Just as he was thanking her with a big smile, he suddenly heard his father Charlie's voice in his ear:
"Theodore! Theodore!"

The voice was loud, and the people around looked at him with surprise. Theodore quickly ran over and whispered:

My in-game identity is Arjo.

Charlie waved his hand:

"That doesn't matter."

"Quickly, move this tank away, don't take up space."

Theodore's face fell in surprise:
Why would I drive it?

"Where are the soldiers?"

Old Charlie's eyes swept around:

"That's why we're letting you take it, because we can't find it. Don't delay the next tank from leaving the factory."

Theodore's lips twitched, and the live stream chat erupted in cheers. He could only helplessly say:

"Okay, where to?"

Old Charlie began by saying:
"Whatever, go wherever others go."

"Hurry up!"

He then turned and left to join the manufacture of a new tank.

Theodore looked at the tank in front of him, which didn't even have any paint and still smelled of the stench of welding. He had no choice but to crawl inside.

Fortunately, the system provides prompts, so even one person can drive it.

Following the system's prompts, Theodore successfully drove the newly produced T-34 out of the factory. Although it was slow, it drove smoothly out of the factory area. Since he wasn't very familiar with the game yet, he could only ask the viewers in the live stream for help.

"Uh, we've opened it, but where do we go next?"

soon.

Guided by many viewers in the live stream, Theodore rampaged through the city of Stalingrad.

"Damn it, where am I?"

Is that a train station ahead?

"There are so many gunshots! I don't have a loader or a gunner."

"No, I have to go back."

The roar of bombers swept across the sky, and a series of small black dots landed. Theodore, inside the tank, was completely unaware, preparing to turn back and call a few more men over.
"I can't fight alone, and I don't think I brought any shells."

"Absolutely necessary"

Boom boom boom boom——! ! !
The scene was clearly dark.

This T-34 tank, which had been manufactured less than half an hour prior, was rendered unusable. (From a distance.)

On the ruins of high-rise buildings near Central Station.

Mo Xiaomo lay on the ruins, staring in disbelief as the brand-new tank turned into a fireball.

"Ah this."

After struggling for a long time, I only managed to utter one sentence:
"It feels a bit wasteful."

The tank looked brand new, without even any paint, and it was just gone.

Mo Xiaomo shook her head:
"Pity."

The live stream chat was flooded with comments:

Indeed, that tank died a horrible death.

[100% Brand New, 100% Useless]

[That's a bit strange. Why isn't this tank following the main force? It's just wandering around here on its own.]

I don't know, maybe they're lost?

[These are probably newly manufactured tanks. Some were even driven directly to the battlefield by the workers because there weren't enough soldiers.]

Oh? I see. What a pity.

They were discussing in the live stream room, completely unaware that the streamer was also broadcasting live from the other side of Earth.

Mo Xiaomo was probably at the highest point of a building ruin, covered by a gray curtain that had been casually pulled over. Stalingrad in July was already getting hot, coupled with the continuous bombing.

The air was filled with the smell of scorched earth and gunpowder.

Yesterday's map was correct; her location is near the Central Station.

After looking at the map and listening to the explanations from other viewers that evening.

Mo Xiaomo also understood. This was Stalingrad, a vital transportation hub connecting the two cities separated by the Volga River. No wonder yesterday's battle was so fierce.

And the same is true today.

Once Mo Xiaomo stepped out of the building, she realized just how horrific the situation had become.

Stuka bombers kept attacking.

With no other option, Mo Xiaomo had to cover herself in a gray curtain, lie on the ruins, and secretly fire sniper shots with her rifle during the intense firefight.

boom!
One shot fired.

In the distant streets where battle raged, an Imperial soldier collapsed instantly, blood gushing from his neck.

Mo Xiaomo chuckled:
"I've won again! This is the third one already, and they still haven't noticed me."

It was the 18th bullet that hit the third target.

"Tell me, isn't it amazing?"

"Once I draw these gray curtains, I'm an absolute battlefield assassin."

The word 'hand' hadn't even been uttered yet.

Suddenly, someone grabbed Mo Xiaomo by the neck. The rope, made of some unknown material, combined with immense force, made Mo Xiaomo's eyes widen, and she could only make a faint sound.

"Uh-huh."

Click!

The crisp sound of bone cracking.

The screen went dark instantly.

Inside the live stream, Mo Xiaomo stood frozen in place, still in a daze.

"I'm gone?"

Apparently yes.

Mo Xiaomo grabbed her hair in frustration:

"Ugh, I didn't even get to see what it looks like!"

"No."

"Let's start another game. That guy shouldn't have gone far. I'll see if I can randomly drive back."

"I'm furious!!!"

Mo Xiaomo thought for a moment and clicked on [Battle of Stalingrad] to start the game again.

However.
The scene that came into view left me completely bewildered.

The heatwave, carrying the smells of diesel and gunpowder, swept across the entire steel plant area.

In the distance, giant chimneys billowed thick black smoke, and everywhere were massive steel supports, accompanied by an incessant roar—the roar of war machines operating at full capacity during the industrial age.

Looking up, I felt a sense of insignificance wash over me.

Workers, covered in oil stains, carried parts and assembled components, their voices mingling with the sounds of conversation and discussion.

The factory's loudspeakers played incessantly, and a hoarse yet resolute voice rang out:
"The enemy has already entered the city of Stalingrad, but we must not retreat."

"The empire's ambitions will not succeed."

In this environment, one is instantly drawn into the resonance.

Mo Xiaomo felt a chill run down her spine.
"This"

Looking up at the steel factory from Mo Xiaomo's perspective also shocked the viewers in the live stream. There are other live streams of this 'Dzerzhinsky Tractor Factory', but Mo Xiaomo's angle is just too good.

Panoramic view, atmosphere, plus noisy conversations and broadcasts.

It makes one feel somewhat dazed and immersed.

Sudden.

Someone nudged Mo Xiaomo from behind, and a female worker's voice rang out:
"What are you still doing?"

"Get to work!"

Mo Xiaomo turned around and looked.

The young female worker had already pushed a cart full of parts into the workshop.

Looking down at the parts at her feet and at the prompts, Mo Xiaomo finally realized what was happening. Somewhat bewildered, she carried a pile of steel pipes into the huge workshop.

Just entered the workshop.

An even hotter wave swept over, and Mo Xiaomo lowered the steel pipe as instructed.

A powerful roar rang in my ears:

"Theodore! Theodore!!!"

Mo Xiaomo looked over and saw a middle-aged man with a full beard.

The young worker next to him ran over:
"Dad, my name is now Alex."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the bearded man:
"Alright, that's not important. Hurry up and drive this tank away!"

"Don't take up space!"

The young worker was on the verge of collapse:
"No way, I just died once."

"It doesn't always come back randomly."

Bang!
The middle-aged man with a full beard went up and kicked him:
"If you can buy yourself a few minutes, your sacrifice won't have been in vain."

"Don't let those imperial scum invade!"

The young worker looked utterly dejected.
"no?"

"Why are you getting so involved, Dad?"

Bang!
Another kick.

"Drive the tank away quickly!"

"Don't delay production!"

The young worker looked up at the sky in despair and let out a long howl, then nimbly climbed into the tank and started it up.

Mo Xiaomo watched with wide eyes from the side.

Is this a father and son playing video games together?

The viewers in the live stream were silent for a moment, and then the screen was filled with "6".

Goodness, this old man's tone is just like a typical Soviet uncle.

You guys are far from being truly 'immersive' games.

[This is hilarious! Look at that guy, he's about to have a breakdown.]

What is he doing in a moment?

[Hiss—, the way this tank is moving is so erratic.]

[Holy crap? So this guy was the one who destroyed that tank?]

Mo Xiaomo also found it interesting and asked her assistant in the live stream to edit together the footage of the tank being blown up and send it out.

of course.

The part where her throat is slit must be cut out.

That was so embarrassing.

Then Mo Xiaomo looked at the huge mechanical project, the roar of its operation never ceasing, and everyone was full of fighting spirit, even she was drawn into it.

Being a worker isn't so bad.

Joining the bustling tank production team, carrying piles of parts and quickly moving them around, watching the workers assemble them, many viewers were immediately drawn to the tank assembly process.

the other side.

Near the central station, Yu Feng, hidden inside a building, watched as an Imperial soldier picked up a gray curtain from the ruins outside and prepared to drape it over himself.

boom!
One shot fired.

As a top-notch sniper, Yu Feng naturally wouldn't miss his chance.

Even a rifle shot would kill instantly.

As the body of the Imperial soldier fell, Yu Feng shook his head. He had seen the Soviet soldier lying on the ruins earlier, but he hadn't expected that he would be killed so soon after he stopped looking.

"What a pity, that guy must be a new recruit."

As Yu Feng spoke, some viewers in the live stream were amused.

[Gray curtains? A corpse? Isn't that Mo Xiaomo?]

[Did you get randomly matched to a match?]

[Recorded! Recorded! You dare call yourself the top female streamer in the Tiansha gaming section, you're finished, Xiaofengzi.]

[Hahaha, I'm going to report her in Mo Xiaomo's live stream right now.]

Yu Feng's lips twitched as he watched the comments:

"What the hell?"

"Is that Xiao Mo?"

"And what do you mean 'greenhorn'? I only said 'new recruit,' okay?!"

"Don't overdo it!"

He had noticed it earlier, but only glanced at it a few times. The viewers in the live stream didn't pay attention either, until the gray curtain was recognized by the viewers, and Yu Feng realized that it was actually Mo Xiaomo.
But her skills... she's definitely a beginner!

Of course, Yu Feng couldn't say this during the live stream. He coughed twice and said with a serious expression:

"I have nothing to hide, you haters!"

"Hum-"

At that moment, Fang Ming sent a message from inside the room:
"This won't do; staying trapped in the building like this isn't a solution."

"Those who challenge the [Medal] will be reopened in the building."

"But how can we complete the Order of Stalingrad challenge under these circumstances?"

"Let's break out tonight and fight in the streets."

“I see there’s a lot of fighting at the Central Station next door, and there are Soviet troops there too. If we go out and get cover from those troops, and coordinate with them to fight in the streets, it should be better.”

Yu Feng glanced at the Central Station outside; it would be dark in a few hours.

(End of this chapter)