Chapter 101: Boss

Chapter 101: Chapter 101: Boss

[Hugh and Jay Monroe, these two big bosses, there’s no way Renee Morgan can compare to them, but damn, her brain works fast.]

[Tsk, don’t forget who Hugh and Jay Monroe actually are. Don’t go saying Jay Monroe let Renee Morgan scoop up six kills by luck. If Jay Monroe hadn’t coordinated, would Renee have gotten away from Hugh unscathed? All those little clever tricks Renee pulled—if not for Jay Monroe’s teamwork, she’d have been knocked out surrounded by Hugh.]

[Yeah, seriously. Everyone’s out there mindlessly hyping up Renee Morgan, makes me sick.]

[Renee Morgan grabbed two points and people are hyping her up like this. If she got first on the leaderboard, would they have to crowdfund a Times Square billboard to celebrate, just to match her superstar status?]

[LMAO! Renee Morgan’s stans are still crowdfunding her basic living expenses—how are they supposed to afford a billboard?]

[...]

Jay Monroe and Renee Morgan only stopped to rest after retreating to a safe area.

Jay Monroe was in first place for now, his smile practically splitting his face as he glanced at Renee, his eyes warming up: "Hey, Renee, your brain’s working overtime, huh?"

Chat room viewers: [...]

No one knows whose face that comment just slapped.

They refuse to admit Renee Morgan’s got brains, but Jay Monroe himself just said she does.

Renee Morgan pulled out her water bottle and took a sip, hearing gunshots in her headset, turned to Jay Monroe: "Let’s go back up Squad 3’s assault team."

The assault troops are the most numerous on the team, Team Blue had split into several groups, left some in the building to defend against the enemy, the rest headed out.

Just in that little time, fighting had already broken out over there. Team Red’s assault squad charged in and snagged 5 points. Squad 3’s assault team was at a disadvantage, and Squad 2 was rushing in to help.

Jay Monroe was still holding first place and had no intention of letting anyone sneak past him, so he immediately took out his comm device to connect with the commander and requested to assist.

The commander said: "You two don’t need to go, just hold the jungle route and watch for Team Red’s main force crossing the line."

Jay Monroe clipped the comm back to his belt and shrugged at Renee Morgan.

Renee Morgan knew orders are orders, so she didn’t argue.

Seabrook is on the water route, the jungle’s on land—looks like the commander’s already set everything up. All that’s left is for them to hold the land route.

The two found a spot and crouched down.

Renee Morgan watched the route, Jay Monroe sprawled out next to her, lazily shut his eyes.

Summer sun blazing, heat’s enough to make anyone sleepy.

But Renee Morgan was wide awake; all those gunshots ringing out in her headset sounded like eardrums about to explode—it was clear that firefight was intense.

After Team Red’s assault squad racked up 5 kills at the start, all the follow-up kill reports came from Team Blue—and from the same name, every time.

"Team Blue assault Dane, gets a point."

"Team Blue assault Dane, +1."

"Team Blue assault Dane, +1."

"..."

"Team Blue assault Dane, +1, total score 12."

Lying there drowsing, Jay Monroe was suddenly jolted upright by that score.

"Renee Morgan, wait—who... just scored twelve kills?" Jay Monroe looked stunned, like he’d just sat up on his deathbed.

Renee Morgan had the game-mechanic voice ringing in her head, blurted out: "It’s our Team Blue’s... Big Boss?"

Jay Monroe: "..."

"Renee Morgan, seriously? Some guy racks up points and you start calling him ’Big Boss’?" Jay Monroe was looking icy, thoroughly annoyed.

Renee Morgan realized the guy’s got a strong competitive streak—Jay Monroe getting knocked out of first, obviously he won’t take it well.

She kept quiet.

Then Jay Monroe suddenly changed expression: "Wait, the ’Big Boss’ you just mentioned—is it THAT big boss?"

Renee Morgan: "Our Team Blue’s... Big Boss?"

Who ELSE would it be?

Jay Monroe: "...This name sounds really familiar to me."

Renee Morgan: "Really? I thought it sounded familiar too."

Suddenly Jay Monroe perked up, staring at her: "You know that Dane guy too?"

Renee Morgan, a bit embarrassed: "There’s a lot of... big bosses living downstairs in our neighborhood."

Jay Monroe: "..." Screw that brainpower comment—he’s taking it back.

Renee Morgan saw his serious expression and couldn’t help but ask: "You know this Big Boss?"

She had no idea why anyone would use a name like that, only thing she could figure was the guy must be pretty old.

Jay Monroe and Hugh are both top-tier players, and knowing another assault beast isn’t exactly strange.

Jay Monroe shook his head; when the commander was calling names that day, he’d heard the name, but didn’t pay much attention.

Now that he saw just how monstrous this assault player was, he realized it fit someone he’d heard about in F State—a guy everyone knows of, but no one’s actually met.

Only he didn’t use this name in the community; he went by the code name—Honey Badger.

You know the saying: F State’s chaos or no chaos, depends on Honey Badger.

Anyone bold enough to use that handle in F State has got to be nuts.

Honey Badger’s got a huge rep in F State, but almost no one knows his real name; Jay Monroe only heard it once from Hugh, then promptly forgot it.

Who’d have thought they’d run into him in the base league?

I mean, come on—someone as notorious as Honey Badger, why’s he eyeing the measly base league prize money?

Jay Monroe was totally baffled.

Renee Morgan listened to the info coming through her headset, jaw dropped: "This Big Boss is insane! I heard he’s the assault guy from Squad 2 who went to help and wiped out the other team all by himself?"

The Team Red squad fighting Team Blue just now only had 12 people; Dane got all 12 kills himself—a complete solo team wipe.

With skills like that, no wonder he’s got that ’Madman’ rep for an assault player.

Jay Monroe saw her starry-eyed look and smirked: "Well, yeah, dude’s basically playing pro league."

"Pro league?" Renee Morgan blinked, confused.

Jay Monroe made a finger-gun gesture to his forehead, ’bang!’—"It’s literally his pro job, get it?"

This bunch of newbies could never hold a candle to pros.

Renee Morgan tilted her head—is it what she thinks?

Jay Monroe nodded. Yup, exactly what you’re thinking.

Renee Morgan’s skeptical look: "How’d you know?"

Jay Monroe: "!!!"

Thankfully, Renee Morgan was clever enough not to dig any deeper.

Jay Monroe secretly breathed easier.

He had no clue this tournament, thanks to Renee Morgan and crew joining in, was now being streamed globally.

Nor that his and Hugh’s identities had already been doxxed by internet sleuths.

Seeing Renee Morgan turn to scout the route, Jay Monroe sidled over: "Hey, Renee Morgan, I was just joking earlier..."

Renee Morgan flashed a fake little smile: "I know."

Jay Monroe: "..."

What the hell are these two talking about?

And, what does she even know?

He’s not like Honey Badger, okay? He really is a good guy.