Chapter 341: Shepherd Must Die! (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

Chapter 341: Shepherd Must Die! (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

Just like Zhang Yi, countless players were filled with rage.

Compared to other games, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare perfectly integrated story, levels, and FPS gameplay, maintaining an impeccable rhythm.

Coupled with the game's highly intelligent AI performance, players were subtly immersed into the protagonist's role.

When the protagonist was surrounded by enemies, players felt anxious and tense.

At such moments, when teammates in the game came to the rescue, it deepened players’ impressions of these NPCs.

From the very beginning, the game continuously applied various psychological suggestions to the players.

For example, in the initial Team mission, players controlled Allen, a character who only survived three scenes.

They personally experienced the mission with Shepherd.

On the battlefield, Shepherd appeared exceptionally decisive and even saved Allen’s life.

Under these circumstances, players subconsciously perceived Shepherd as a reliable commander.

Subsequently, characters like Soap and Ghost gradually formed emotional connections with players, rather than being flat, one-dimensional NPCs.

They became real, flesh-and-blood comrades capable of stirring deep emotions.

Although during this time Shepherd did perform some actions that seemed slightly questionable,

thanks to Allen’s mission, no player ever doubted this character.

Until that revolver fired into Ghost’s and Roach’s chests.

Resentment, fury, despair, and suffering flooded every player’s heart.

Especially because the deeper their emotional bond with Ghost and Roach had been before, the more painful and furious they now felt.

In the end, when Roach reached out and grabbed Shepherd, that unspoken 'Why?' echoed the players’ own unresolved anguish.

On the other side, Price, who had escaped from the Afghan Scrapyard, provided all players with answers.

It turned out Shepherd had already conspired with Makarov.

Allen, the 141 operative who died without ever knowing how his undercover identity was exposed, had been betrayed by Shepherd.

Shepherd, the Lieutenant General of Task Force 141, Shadow Company, and the Marines, was the mastermind behind it all.

Allen was merely a pawn sacrificed by Shepherd to help Makarov ignite war.

Ghost and Roach were likewise his victims.

Both Task Force 141 and Makarov himself were merely tools in his hands.

This was a one-strike-two-birds plan.

He could eliminate Task Force 141 while simultaneously obtaining evidence of his collusion with Makarov.

That way, no one would ever know Shepherd was the true instigator of this war.

Eventually, when he ended the war, he would emerge as a genuine hero.

Given his current status and authority, he could become the most powerful man of all,

commanding absolute loyalty and obedience.

Every game must have an antagonist.

But Zhang Yi guaranteed he had never felt such anger before.

Even the deaths of Gaz and Griggs had brought him more sorrow than fury.

But now, everything was different.

Griggs and Gaz died heroically,

because they fell in battle.

But Ghost and Roach were different—one was the protagonist controlled by the player, the other a trusted comrade.

Yet in the end, both were betrayed by one of their own.

Undoubtedly, such an ending pushed the players’ rage level to its peak.

Including across various game forums, player outrage had already erupted.

Especially Shepherd’s past words, now dripping with irony.

'We would never target civilians'?

The one responsible for the Russian airport massacre wasn’t just Makarov—you, Shepherd, were equally to blame!

Every word he once spoke now reeked of bitter irony.

………………

And it wasn’t just the players who were angry—Soap and Price in the game were equally furious.

But they weren’t faring well either.

Task Force 141 now existed in name only. Wounded, unsupported, and falsely accused, Price and Soap had both become fugitives.

At this moment, Price made a mad decision—to assassinate Shepherd.

Though they didn’t know how to turn the situation around, nor were certain they could survive, they still resolved to carry out the assassination.

Not only for their own sake, but to avenge their fallen comrades.

And just as Shepherd once said:

'History is written by the victorious living.'

The slain side naturally leaves nothing behind.

So Price made a bold decision.

Adhering to the principle that 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend,' he sought out Makarov to learn Shepherd’s whereabouts.

Price believed Makarov would tell him.

Because at this very moment, Makarov’s situation wasn’t any better.

'Makarov, I know you can hear me. Tell me Shepherd’s location. We’ll clean up this mess. Otherwise, you won’t survive a week.' Price contacted Makarov through walkie-talkies belonging to Makarov’s men.

Makarov: 'What about you?'

Price: 'Have you heard the old saying? The enemy of my enemy is my friend.'

Makarov: 'Price, that saying has two sides. Shepherd is at H-B base. You should know where that is. See you in hell.'

Price: 'I look forward to it. If you get there first, say hello to Zakhaev for me.'

Both Makarov and Price understood that their cooperation was only temporary.

Later, with Nikolai’s help, Price and Soap managed to escape.

Now, they were going to eliminate the true mastermind: Shepherd!

No matter what, Shepherd must die!

'We only have one UMP. They have an army. We don’t even know if Makarov’s intel is accurate,' Soap said to Price aboard Price’s Gyrocopter.

'Price? Price?' Soap said, looking at Price sitting at the table.

'Normal people don’t wake up knowing they’re about to die.'

'But I don’t see it as a curse, but a luxury. Knowing your time is limited can be a kind of release.'

'Insufficient firepower, lack of manpower, no options left. It seems we can only take him down with us.'

'But this war-torn land will remember us because of this battle, because even knowing there’s no escape, we still walked resolutely down this one-way path.'

'We are like a fired bullet—moving forward without hesitation.'

'We are filled with righteous fury, our goal singular... We... must... kill him!' Price said, expressionless, as memories of Roach and Ghost flashed through his mind. Shepherd must die!

'I’ll pick you up at the extraction point in three hours,' Nikolai said, dropping Price and Soap off at the H-B base in Afghanistan.

But Price cleanly refused: 'No thanks, brother. This is a one-way trip.'

Nikolai: 'Then good luck, brother.'

(End of Chapter) <>