Chapter 6: 10 Rings? No, 100 Rings!
Chang Ning was a man of action; as soon as he had an idea, he wanted to implement it immediately. Sure enough, after just being inspired by Xiao Zhuang, he hurriedly went to Lao Pao to borrow a book.
“Squad Leader, do you have any books about firearms? I’d like to borrow one.”
Lao Pao was completely stunned by Chang Ning’s sudden question.
“Borrow a book?”
This kid Chang Ning was the most diligent person in their squad and even the entire New Recruit Company. According to his observations, Chang Ning wished he could squeeze out time from eating to train. How could he suddenly come over to borrow a book from him?
However, Lao Pao was very supportive of this. Even iron-clad people couldn’t keep going non-stop; the problem was that Chang Ning just wouldn’t listen to advice.
Therefore, it was something worth celebrating that Chang Ning could relax, especially since he was studying books rather than fooling around.
“I want to read books about firearms, preferably more professional ones, but our squad doesn’t have any such books.”
Chang Ning sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. He wasn’t used to asking others for help. But the squad only had novels and magazines, no professional books he needed, so he had to turn to Lao Pao.
“Alright, I’ll give it to you during rest time tonight.”
Over the past year, Lao Pao had been self-studying high school chemistry and engineer demolition knowledge. He didn’t have professional firearm books, so with some time left, he needed to go borrow from Platoon Leader Chen Guotao.
He was a top graduate from the Army Command College; he must have the books Chang Ning needed. This was the first time a comrade in the squad needed the Old Squad Leader’s help, and he couldn’t drop the ball.
That night, Chang Ning got the book as wished and eagerly started reading.
The book he was reading was a reference book analyzing the pros and cons of various firearms with specific data. It included famous domestic and international firearms, and the first page was the renowned AK47.
A person who graduated successfully from a prestigious institution at eighteen couldn’t possibly lack any learning ability. In the barracks, he might not beat others in fights, but in terms of learning ability, Chang Ning was confident he could hold his own.
At least in the New Recruit Company, he had no rivals, except for Xiao Zhuang, the seventeen-year-old Directing Department university student.
Beside him, Chen Xiwa put down the Huaxia King of Soldiers in his hand and stared at Chang Ning in astonishment.
“Xiao Zhuang, do you university students all read books like this?”
This wasn’t reading; it was scanning! One, two, three… ten—Chang Ning finished a page in ten seconds. That was a professional book with complex data and theories; you couldn’t understand it without careful reading.
Chen Xiwa immediately felt that university students were terrifying. No wonder they could get into university; just this reading speed deserved a thumbs up.
“Don’t misunderstand university students. At least my reading speed isn’t as fast as Chang Ning’s.”
Question: What is it like to have a genius friend who is also more diligent than you?
Xiao Zhuang really didn’t know what to say. Now, he could only match Chang Ning in marksmanship.
His once-proud physical fitness was no longer impressive. If they raced five kilometers now, Xiao Zhuang was sure Chang Ning could lap him as many times as he wanted; it was that dominant.
Moreover, he had a premonition that Chang Ning’s marksmanship would soon become terrifyingly accurate.
Xiao Zhuang looked at the earnestly reading Chang Ning, and such a strange thought bubbled up in his mind.
……
Time quietly slipped away like flowing sand between his fingers, and in the blink of an eye, Chang Ning had stayed in the New Recruit Company until winter.
December 28, 2005, goose-feather-like heavy snow fluttered down from the sky. If one had to describe it, it would be: “Like willow catkins rising with the wind.”
So what if the weather was bad? In Lao Pao’s words, even if it was raining, hailing, or knives falling now, training would continue without his permission.
That’s right, Lao Pao was that ruthless, that inhumane.
Chang Ning stood by the window, looking through the glass at the heavy snow falling under the dim yellow streetlights, feeling an inexplicable different sentiment in his heart.
It was as if there should be a girl under the streetlight at this moment, smiling sweetly, standing gracefully.
Unfortunately, this was a barracks where soldiers served for three years and even a sow could rival Diaochan.
The snoring in the dormitory still rose and fell continuously. The training tasks arranged by Lao Pao every day were much more than other squads, and everyone was exhausted physically and mentally. Under such conditions, even those who didn’t snore learned to snore.
The barracks reveille was still right on time. Chang Ning quickly fastened his military belt, straightened his uniform, and ran outside the dormitory to quietly wait for his comrades.
“Get up, quick!”
Lao Pao’s urging voice came first from the dormitory, followed by various complaints, because in the rush, someone always put on the wrong clothes.
“Xi Wa, you’re wearing my clothes!”
This was Xiao Zhuang’s voice; Chang Ning heard it clearly.
When Lao Pao, dressed and braving the heavy snow, ran out, he saw Chang Ning standing in the snow like a tall, straight poplar tree.
A flash of surprise in his eyes—Chang Ning had never gotten up this early before—but Lao Pao didn’t say anything.
“What are you dawdling for? Everyone, hurry up!”
The new recruits lined up under Lao Pao’s urging. Everyone looked at Lao Pao’s expressionless face, waiting for him to spew venom.
But this time, everyone was disappointed. Lao Pao broke his usual pattern and said nothing, just had everyone run five kilometers to warm up first.
The reason Chang Ning got up early was that he was too excited to sleep. By a chance opportunity, he had seen Lao Pao’s training plan and knew there was shooting range training today. This time, he was sure to feel proud and elated and refresh the New Recruit Company’s record again.
Fifteen or sixteen days had passed since he borrowed the book last time. Just as he thought, reading books was useful, and it added quite a few experience points.
Over these dozen days, he trained during the day and read books in spare time at night. The Rifle Shooting experience bar had reached “90/100”.
But the remaining ten points wouldn’t budge no matter what Chang Ning tried. If the cap weren’t one hundred points, Chang Ning would have thought he had maxed out the experience points.
“Today we officially start shooting range training. I won’t say much more.
Just one sentence: I hope you can all bring out what I’ve taught you.”
Looking at the youthful faces before him, Lao Pao felt a surge of pride. He dared to pat his chest and say his soldiers were stronger than those in other squads!
Counting the heavy bullets lying in his palm, Chang Ning felt that Lao Pao was finally generous this time, giving each of them ten bullets.
Still prone position shooting—Lao Pao didn’t care if the ground was wet.
At this moment, Chang Ning lay motionless on the muddy ground. Even if the fabric on his front was completely soaked, he didn’t move.
At this moment, his eyes only had the target a hundred meters away. His brain frantically calculated based on surrounding wind, humidity, and other environmental factors.
The books he read before played a decisive role, allowing Chang Ning to use the formulas in the books to calculate the perfect shooting timing!
His index finger rested on the cold trigger, adjusting his breathing to block out external noise. It was as if the world only had Chang Ning himself, the gun in his hand, and the target; everything else disappeared.
A more fantastical explanation was that Chang Ning was now in a state of Man-Weapon Unity; a more scientific one was absolute focus.
He gently pulled the trigger, and the bullet spun toward the target at 920m/s.
This time, Chang Ning didn’t keep Lao Pao waiting—not even waiting at all. From the first shot, he didn’t pause; the single-shot mode almost turned into automatic firing.
“Hiss~”
Seeing Chang Ning’s irrational behavior, Lao Pao drew in a sharp breath.
What stimulation was this? Or did he not take this Old Squad Leader seriously, being so perfunctory?
‘Kid, just you wait! When your scores come out, see how I deal with you. Don’t think being physically strong makes you all that!’
“Report targets.”
Lao Pao patiently waited until the new recruits finished shooting, then picked up the walkie-talkie to have the comrade at the shooting range report the targets.
“Number One target 70 rings, Number Two target 75 rings, Number Three target 85 rings… Number Nine target… Number Nine target…”
“What’s with Number Nine target?”
A bad feeling rose in Lao Pao’s heart. Number Nine target was the one Chang Ning shot. Could this guy have hit full rings?
“Number Nine target ten rings!”
What!
Ten rings!
Everyone present looked at Chang Ning in surprise. If they didn’t know the shooting scores, and someone told them Chang Ning could hit ten rings with ten bullets, they wouldn’t believe it.
Have you seen Chang Ning who practiced load bearing rifle after physical fitness training, undeterred by wind or rain? Have you seen Chang Ning who read professional firearm books every night?
Who would believe such a person failed at the shooting range? But the fact was right in front of them; it couldn’t be that the comrade reporting targets was joking, right?
Facing the comrades’ complex gazes, Chang Ning showed no change in mentality or expression. He knew his score wasn’t just ten rings; he was strongly confident about that.
“Bring the target paper over for a look.”
Upon learning Chang Ning only hit ten rings, Lao Pao felt extremely complex inside. If it was true, Chang Ning had fallen from his pedestal.
It proved he wasn’t a pervert who excelled at everything. On the other hand, Lao Pao didn’t want Chang Ning to only hit ten rings.
A few minutes later, Lao Pao took the target paper and saw it was indeed ten rings. Now it was confirmed. He looked at Chang Ning with a complex expression.
Such a score was unfair for a soldier who trained diligently.
Lao Pao, who wanted to comfort Chang Ning, saw no dejection or angry negative emotions on Chang Ning’s face, which seemed very strange.
As far as he knew, Chang Ning was a proud person. Could a proud person accept his own failure?
‘Something’s off!’
Lao Pao felt this score was problematic and carefully examined the target paper in his hand.
“This is?”
The bullet hole on the target paper was obviously several times larger; it couldn’t be made by one bullet.
“Could it be…”
Yes, only this could explain why he was so calm knowing his shooting score.
It must be that Chang Ning hit the exact same spot with all ten bullets, and it was the ten ring—that fit his character.
Lao Pao guessed the result, but he didn’t want to announce the answer, and there was no time to specifically test Chang Ning’s marksmanship.
This was the military unit, not a place where you could do whatever you wanted. Chang Ning’s score could only be recorded as ten rings.
Moreover, there was still a problem youth in the squad who needed discipline; today’s shooting range was targeted at him.
“What’s this? Some people hit 95 rings and their tails are wagging to the sky?”
ps: Thanks to Silenti, Li Jia Ge Ge Zhen Shuai, and Feng Ju Xing Gui, the three reader masters, for the recommendation tickets.
ps: Dear reader masters, if you think this book is okay, please add it to your collection and cast a recommendation ticket. Thank you all!
