Chapter 15: Invitation
“Not bad, your shooting talent is the best I’ve ever seen, even Hunter Falcon is not as good as you.”
In the evening, Chang Ning, who had completed the mission, handed the target paper to Squad Leader Old Ma.
The target paper was scattered with dense bullet holes, and Old Ma carefully counted and found there were sixty or seventy.
Although this hit rate was ordinary, don’t forget that today was Chang Ning’s first time touching a sniper rifle, and Squad Leader Old Ma hadn’t taught him carefully yet.
Having a 60-70% hit rate right from the start, if that’s not exceptional talent, what is?
“Hunter Falcon?”
The speaker had no particular intention, but the listener took it to heart. Thinking that Squad Leader Old Ma and Miao Lian were old comrades, and Miao Lian had been in the predecessor of Wolf Fang, doesn’t this mean Squad Leader Old Ma also knows Wolf Fang.
In Wolf Fang, the one codenamed Hunter Falcon who was also a sniper was probably only He Weidong, He Chenguang’s dad.
From what Squad Leader Old Ma said, it seems he had also taught He Weidong.
Chang Ning thought for a moment and understood. It’s now 2006, the plot of Sharp Blade Unsheathed hasn’t started yet, He Weidong hasn’t gotten his box lunch yet.
‘Does this mean I have a chance to save him?’
In the original plot, He Weidong’s sacrifice was quite regrettable; he wasn’t unskilled but was implicated, very unlucky!
“Kid, what are you thinking about!”
Squad Leader Old Ma saw Chang Ning zoning out and was a bit angry.
“Sorry, Squad Leader, I zoned out just now.”
He was kindly analyzing and teaching him skills, but he wasn’t listening properly; putting himself in his shoes, it was indeed upsetting.
Chang Ning admitted his mistake and sincerely apologized immediately.
“Forget it, this is my notebook from a few years ago, I’m giving it to you.”
Squad Leader Old Ma pulled out a yellowish-brown notebook about three fingers wide from the bottom of the drawer; the edges of the notebook were somewhat damaged, looking like it had some years on it.
“I can’t take this, Squad Leader, you should just explain it to me. I guarantee I won’t zone out again.”
Seeing the Squad Leader touching the notebook with eyes full of reminiscence, Chang Ning understood in his heart that this notebook had special meaning to the Squad Leader. Even if the contents were what he urgently needed now, he couldn’t take it away.
“Take it if I’m giving it to you, why are you being so wishy-washy! Besides, this thing is useless sitting by me, better to give it to you.
Now you need it more than I do!”
Without giving him a chance to refuse, Squad Leader Old Ma shoved the notebook into Chang Ning’s hands.
“Thank you, Squad Leader, I’ll take good care of this notebook.”
“What nonsense! You learning the stuff in it is the greatest return to me, I don’t need you to cherish it.”
Chang Ning’s words warmed Old Ma’s heart. The notebook had special meaning to him, and he did feel a bit reluctant, but helping someone else was also making good use of it.
Seeing the Squad Leader had no further instructions, Chang Ning carefully put the notebook in his own cabinet before walking out of the dormitory.
Taking advantage of the nearly one hour before lights out, he had to go find Platoon Leader Chen Guotao.
Chang Ning had stir-fried tomatoes and eggs on his mind, so he ran very fast.
At this time, the Platoon Leader should still be at the training ground. Chang Ning remembered Chen Guotao had ankylosing spondylitis, so this time he had to persuade the Platoon Leader.
Worst case, use Miao Lian to threaten him; such an excellent soldier shouldn’t end up in a wheelchair, he should be commanding the military unit on the battlefield!
The barracks area at night was exceptionally quiet, sentries patrolling outside, occasionally shining flashlights around. Further away at the training ground, there were faint sounds of someone kicking a sandbag.
Training this late at night, in the entire Night Tiger, besides Chang Ning, there was only Chen Guotao.
Chang Ning followed the sound to approach Chen Guotao; on the way, bored Xi Wa was on duty tonight.
“Password!”
Chang Ning replied: “Iceberg! Reply?”
“Grassland!”
While rubbing his ears, facing the blinding light, Chang Ning half-squinted and saw it was Xi Wa.
“Xi Wa, you’re standing guard today?”
“Yeah, lights out soon, what are you doing not sleeping?”
“Don’t mention it, fired too many shots today, tinnitus.
I can’t sleep.”
Hearing this, Xi Wa thought it was perfect; he also had shooting training today: “My ears are ringing too.”
“We’ll chat another day, I have business with the Platoon Leader.”
“Okay, I’m off.”
Chen Xiwa saw Chang Ning had business and left; he still had to stand guard.
After parting, Chang Ning went to the sandbag where Chen Guotao was practicing leg techniques and just quietly watched him strike the sandbag again and again without speaking.
The attack power of legs is indeed higher than fists; the sandbag swung high from one kick by Chen Guotao. If using fists, the effect wouldn’t be this obvious.
“Kid, you looking for me for something?”
Chen Guotao had noticed Chang Ning as soon as he appeared. He heard Chang Ning trained as hard as him; he hadn’t met him before, but today he just thought Chang Ning was training and didn’t pay attention.
Unexpectedly, the kid didn’t leave. Fine if he didn’t leave, there were many sandbags here, and Chen Guotao wasn’t the domineering type.
But Chang Ning neither trained nor hit the sandbag, just watched him from the side, which finally made Chen Guotao unable to hold back.
“Yes, I have a question to ask, but it’s not urgent, Platoon Leader. We’ll talk after you’re done training.”
“Forget it, you staring at me from the side, I can’t focus.
Spill it, what’s up?”
Chen Guotao led Chang Ning to the edge of the flower bed and sat down on his buttocks. Sweat steamed on his face, his short sleeves soaked.
“Recently I learned a dish, but no matter how I adjust, I can’t get that familiar taste.”
After hearing Chang Ning’s description, Chen Guotao thought for a moment, organized his words, and told him his analysis.
“Though I don’t know what dish you learned, I believe you’ve tried all other methods, since there are only a few ways counting back and forth.
My analysis is that familiar taste can only be made by specific people, because the key isn’t in the dish.”
At this point, Chang Ning got it: “You mean, the most important thing is the emotion contained in this dish!”
“Right, that’s what I mean.”
False transmission fills volumes of books, true transmission is one sentence.
Whether it’s a book or something else, the truly useful parts are few; it depends on whether you can extract them.
“Thank you, Platoon Leader, I’m heading back to rest.”
After saying that, Chang Ning started to leave; though he didn’t participate in physical fitness training today, staying mentally focused the whole time was tiring.
“Wait, don’t go yet, I have something to ask you.”
Seeing Chang Ning about to leave, Chen Guotao quickly called him back. He happened to have something for him; Miao Lian had specifically instructed when going to the military region for a meeting today.
“Platoon Leader, go ahead.”
Chang Ning had just stood up, but hearing Chen Guotao, he sat back down beside him.
“Actually, it’s nothing major.”
‘Nonsense, if it were major, you shouldn’t tell me anyway!’
Chen Guotao’s opening words made Chang Ning inwardly complain.
“Today Miao Lian told me to transfer you back, what do you think?”
Entering the new century, the military unit is also reforming, and work must consider the soldiers’ feelings. As a graduate of the command and combat academy, Chen Guotao also had to keep up with the reform wave.
“I have no objections, I obey orders!”
If told a day earlier, Chang Ning wouldn’t have been happy, but just today he got the true teachings from Squad Leader Old Ma, so now he really had no objections.
Pretty busy this week, starting next week two updates daily
