Meanwhile, at Emperor Penguin Group's Games Department, a loud crash echoed from the executive office. Xu Huan hurled his virtual helmet aside in shock and confusion, his face still displaying the panicked expression of someone who'd just been obliterated. "What the hell?!! Did they target me specifically?!" Once could be considered a coincidence, but twice? This was definitely personal targeting—they were treating him like shit! Damn!!! The more Xu Huan dwelled on being played like a clown by that Zhao Ming character, the more his rage intensified. Gritting his teeth, he summoned his secretary. "Take the remaining promotional funds and hire internet trolls to smear Polar Star Games Company. Claim that this game damages teenagers' physical and mental health! Get people to boycott them into oblivion!!!" Back in the game, Yu Feng and Fang Ming surfaced from the sea in quick succession, staring at the burning wreckage nearby with obvious terror. Struggling to swim closer together, Fang Ming couldn't suppress his paranoia. "This damn thing isn't targeting me specifically, is it? This is the second explosion already." Yu Feng, who had just reached Fang Ming's position, froze completely. Holy shit—it really did seem targeted! Both explosions had hit Fang Ming's landing craft! Could it be that when Fang Ming flamed Polar Star Games Company on live stream, the company's boss had seen it and was now holding a grudge?! Yu Feng subtly increased the distance between them. He wasn't about to get caught in collateral artillery strikes. "Let's swim quickly. This distance is pretty far." Yu Feng assessed the remaining distance to shore with obvious concern—wouldn't swimming that far completely exhaust him before the real fighting began? Yet drowning here would be utterly humiliating with several hundred thousand viewers watching the live stream. Yu Feng gritted his teeth and began swimming determinedly toward the beach. Fang Ming also grimaced at the distance, but seeing Yu Feng pulling ahead, he called out, "Hey! Wait for me!" and hurriedly pursued. Fortunately, they didn't have to swim far. A passing landing craft from the second wave threw out rescue ropes, allowing both streamers to grab hold and get hauled aboard with the reinforcement troops charging toward Omaha Beach. "Everyone prepare for landing, spread out as much as possible! See you on the beachhead! Go go go!!!" With the commander's battle cry, the ramp dropped. The soldiers in front charged toward the beach with desperate courage, only to collapse just as rapidly. Bullets erupted in crimson sprays, claiming lives with ruthless efficiency. Despite their mental preparation, witnessing this carnage again left both streamers completely stunned, their minds going blank. They mechanically followed the charge, all tactical planning forgotten in the face of overwhelming horror. Gunfire, smoke, corpses. Machine gun bullets from beach bunkers swept across like torrential rain. Allied bodies carpeted the ground while the shoreline ran crimson, the acrid smell of blood mingling with gunpowder smoke permeating everything. Yu Feng and Fang Ming crawled desperately across the sand, seeking shelter behind steel anti-tank obstacles. Bullets whizzed past their prone forms. A machine gun round struck an Allied soldier's skull directly. Half his head disintegrated, blood mist spraying across both streamers. Already chilled to the bone with fear, the sudden warmth of fresh blood on their faces created a shocking contrast that sent waves of terror through their minds. Fortunately, both quickly began psychological self-regulation: "This is a game, game... game... Right! This is a game!" That brief half-minute stretched like an eternity. The player count showed 【16/500】—none of their tactical arrangements had proven useful. The situation barely improved from the previous round, except their early explosion and rescue had landed them with the second wave, extending their survival slightly. Regaining their composure, both attempted tactical analysis. Observing the distant machine gun emplacement, Fang Ming fought to maintain calm. "Old Yu, can you take it out?" Yu Feng controlled his breathing, then suddenly pivoted to expose himself for a shot. Bang— The distant machine gun position jerked—he'd struck the gun mount. However, the imperial gunner immediately identified the attack source and swiveled the weapon toward their steel anti-tank obstacle shelter, unleashing a devastating return fire. Bullets hammered the steel obstacles, showering sparks in all directions. Despite constantly reminding themselves this was merely a game, both streamers remained pale-faced—the experience was genuinely terrifying. Fang Ming scanned their surroundings and his eyes suddenly brightened. "Smoke grenades?!" About a meter away, an Allied corpse bore two smoke grenades on its belt. Fang Ming studied the machine gun's firing pattern, then when the bullets swept toward Yu Feng's position, he darted out and snatched both grenades from the body before quickly retreating. The sweeping gunfire shredded the already-dead Allied soldier into fragments. But Fang Ming grinned with satisfaction. He pulled both pins simultaneously and hurled the grenades toward the beach machine gun positions. Hiss— White smoke began billowing from both devices. Fang Ming cautiously raised his head to observe, his expression beginning to show triumph, when the powerful sea wind instantly dispersed both smoke streams into uselessness. Question marks flooded Fang Ming's consciousness. This damn thing is supposed to be a smoke grenade? Bang! Fang Ming's head exploded instantly. The screen plunged into darkness while his final thoughts crystallized: What the hell?! Shooting through smoke?! No... these smoke grenades are useless too? Where's the smoke cover?!!! Reality-based smoke grenades had just delivered Fang Ming a harsh lesson in physics. Hiss. Witnessing Fang Ming's head get blown apart by machine gun fire, Yu Feng winced sympathetically. This was too damn terrifying. He absolutely had to lower the pain settings after this round. Controlling his breathing carefully, Yu Feng steeled himself, then suddenly rose and aimed at the machine gun position. Bang! One shot silenced the emplacement. But Yu Feng didn't dare celebrate—the previous round had taught him that replacement gunners appeared instantly. There was no time for hesitation. Yu Feng sprinted in a low crouch toward the defensive weak point Fang Ming had identified earlier. His observations confirmed that these positions had significantly reduced firepower density, improving survival odds. Exploiting this brief window, he reached the area and allowed himself a moment of relief. The defensive fire here was indeed less concentrated—it was encouraging news. A crisp metallic sound triggered beneath Yu Feng's boot. Terror flooded his features as realization dawned—but momentum had already carried his weight forward, lifting his foot from the pressure plate... Damn you, Fang Ming?! The tremendous explosion launched half of Yu Feng's body skyward. The revelation struck him mid-flight—the defenses were weak here because it was a minefield! Yu Feng crashed to the ground with only one leg intact, coughing up blood. Though not immediately fatal, death approached rapidly. His body could only struggle reflexively, producing ragged breathing sounds. Such a unique experience. Despite the agony, Yu Feng found himself marveling at the game's devastating realism. Just as this realization formed, Yu Feng's flailing arm contacted something else. The words “Game over” appeared on his screen. Meanwhile, as “World War II: Rise of Empire” achieved its official launch, despite the tragic scenes playing out across countless livestreams, the game's download numbers were climbing exponentially.