blueteamnovel Chapter 11 - A Hundred Paces, A Perfect Shot—Marksmanship Beyond Human Limits
Chapter 11 - A Hundred Paces, A Perfect Shot—Marksmanship Beyond Human Limits
Chapter Eleven: A Hundred Paces, A Perfect Shot—Marksmanship Beyond Human Limits
The gunfire had ceased, leaving only the lingering scent of gunpowder hanging in the cold morning air.
“Unload!” came the sharp command from the supervising officers.
In perfect synchrony, the recruits moved. Magazines were ejected, chambers checked, bolts pulled back with a crisp metallic snap—an effortless sequence drilled into them through weeks of repetition.
“On your feet!”
A chorus of boots snapped together as the recruits rose in unison, standing at attention.
“Report the targets!”
The range officers, stationed at the distant shooting boards, began calling out the results.
“Target One—seventy-eight points!”
“Target Two—sixty-nine points!”
“Target Three—missed entirely!”
Laughter rippled through the recruits. A clean miss. Ten rounds fired, not a single one hitting the target—that took a special kind of “talent.” All eyes turned toward the unfortunate soldier standing at position three, who rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
“Target Four—eighty-one points.”
Chen Xiwa grinned, puffing up slightly. That was a solid score. He shot a glance at Zhuang Yan and Lin Yi, eager to see how they had performed.
“Target Five—seventy-one points!”
“Target Six—ninety-nine points!”
A murmur spread through the ranks. Ninety-nine was exceptional. Chen Xiwa’s jaw slackened as he turned to Zhuang Yan, who was licking his lips, smugness evident in his expression.
“That’s insane! Did you train for this?”
Zhuang Yan chuckled. “Used to be on my school’s shooting team.”
Chen Xiwa nodded in understanding. “Figures. That explains it!”
BANG!
The shot rang out, echoing across the field. The tiny coin vanished from the target board. A heartbeat later, the recruits erupted into cheers and applause. “Beautiful shot!” “That was insane!” Zhuang Yan grinned victoriously, wiping a sheen of sweat from his brow. But Zheng Sanpao remained unimpressed.
“Not bad,” he said coolly, stepping forward. “But nothing special. Get up.”
Zhuang Yan stood, his breath still heavy from concentration.
Now, all eyes turned to Lin Yi. The atmosphere shifted. Even the veteran soldiers leaned forward slightly. Unlike Zhuang Yan, Lin Yi showed no sign of tension. He didn’t even glance at the sniper rifle on the ground. Instead, he lifted his chin toward a nearby range officer.
“Pass me a QBZ-95.”
A murmur ran through the soldiers. That was an assault rifle. Not a sniper rifle. The supervising officer hesitated and looked toward Zheng Sanpao for confirmation.
“Give it to him,” the sergeant said, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
The rifle was handed over. Lin Yi loaded a fresh magazine, and chambered a round. He didn’t lie down; he didn’t crouch; he didn’t even take aim properly. He simply raised the gun from a standing position and fired.
BANG!
One sharp, clean shot.
Silence.
Every head snapped toward the target. The second coin was gone. Not hit—obliterated. For several long seconds, no one spoke.
Then, a sharp, collective inhale rippled through the soldiers. This wasn’t just skilled marksmanship. This was something beyond comprehension. Zhuang Yan stood frozen. He had needed a sniper rifle, a scope, and perfect concentration to hit the first coin. Lin Yi had done it with a standard-issue assault rifle, in a split-second, while standing upright. This wasn’t human.
On the distant hillside, Battalion Commander Miao Yidao watched through his binoculars, his usually composed expression showing a rare flicker of disbelief. Beside him, Lieutenant Chen Guotao exhaled sharply.
“Commander... that’s not normal,” he muttered. Miao Yidao’s fingers tightened around the binoculars.
“I know,” he said.
A slow smile spread across his lips.
“This kid is the real deal.”