Chapter 36: A Calm Mind Makes a Steady Hand!

"Su Yang, come here!"

Vulture brought "Dog-Head" Old Gao to the shooting range and summoned Su Yang, who was waiting for his turn to train.

"Sir, trainee Su Yang reporting!"

Su Yang didn't know why Vulture was calling him, but a soldier obeys orders, so he jogged over.

"Come, let me introduce you. This is Captain Gao from our Langya Special Operations Brigade. You said you weren't interested in being a sniper and wanted to lead a charge, but if you don't have the skills to lead, you won't be able to command respect," Vulture said with a hint of mischief.

"Report, I understand. That is why I have been training—to become the strongest one of all!" Su Yang replied without so much as blinking.

"The strongest one? Look at that, Wild Wolf, doesn't this kid have guts?" Vulture chuckled, turning to look at Old Gao.

Gao Dazhuang was intrigued by Su Yang's words. He scrutinized him carefully, and seeing the confidence in the soldier's eyes, he feigned disdain and said, "Talk is cheap. Whether you have the guts or not is proven by your actions."

"See that? Su Yang, Captain Gao seems to look down on you. Don't you want to show him a thing or two so he knows that the soldiers in my training unit have plenty of guts?" Vulture added, fanning the flames.

Su Yang knew exactly who "Dog-Head" Old Gao was, and he saw right through the act he and Vulture were putting on. They were trying to provoke him. However, Su Yang was more than willing to take the bait.

"Report, I have no problem with that. Please give the order, sir!" Su Yang stood at attention and shouted.

Gao Dazhuang smiled and said, "Then how about rapid-fire movement drills? What do you think, Vulture? The private here won't have an issue, right?"

Vulture looked displeased. "What's the point of rapid-fire movement drills? Su Yang is the best shot in our training unit. How about this, Su Yang? You've been practicing hitting glass bottles lately—why don't you use those today? Let Captain Gao see the fruits of your training."

"Yes, sir! I'll shoot the bottles!" Su Yang didn't flinch at the increased difficulty.

"Squad Leader Xiao Fei, help me find some bottles!"

Once granted permission, Su Yang asked Xiao Fei, the leader of the Ninth Squad, to find some empty bottles.

Watching Su Yang walk away, Old Gao asked Vulture, "Shooting bottles? Did you teach them that?"

Vulture scratched his head and shook it. "No, the kid practiced that on his own."

"That's interesting. Given the amount of live-fire training they have, if he can actually do it, he’s definitely got talent!"

Old Gao wasn't particularly curious about the bottle shooting itself, as he knew Vulture; if Vulture suggested it, it meant this private could certainly pull it off. He was simply curious to see just how good the kid was.

"Got the bottles!" Xiao Fei ran over, panting as he held a crate of empty bottles. He glanced at Old Gao, then whispered to Su Yang, "Su Yang, are you sure about this? If you miss, you'll be embarrassing yourself in front of the officers."

Xiao Fei knew Su Yang performed well in training, but no one could guarantee a perfect hit on moving targets.

"Let's do it, Squad Leader. I'm ready!" Su Yang didn't respond with words; instead, he took his stance.

"Alright, good luck, Su Yang. I'm throwing!" Seeing Su Yang's resolve, Xiao Fei understood his intent. He pulled out a beer bottle, cheered him on, and prepared to throw.

Su Yang shouldered his Type 95 assault rifle, chambered a round, and focused entirely on the task.

"Ready! Go!"

As Xiao Fei shouted, he tossed the bottle into the air. Su Yang fired instantly.

"Bang!" The bottle shattered in mid-air.

"Well done!" the trainees roared. They were Su Yang's rivals, but with outsiders present, they didn't hesitate to cheer him on.

"Again!" Su Yang called out.

He had been practicing his draw speed and accuracy every day in private, so a single bottle was no problem for him.

"Here it comes!" Xiao Fei launched another one into the air.

"Bang!" The bottle shattered again.

"Well done!"

Su Yang steeled himself and shouted to Xiao Fei, "Squad Leader, throw two at once! Faster!"

"Got it!"

Xiao Fei quickly grabbed two bottles, threw them together, and immediately followed with two more.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang!"

Su Yang braced the rifle against his shoulder, twisted his body with fluid speed, and pulled the trigger in rapid succession. Four shots rang out in an instant, and the beer bottles shattered in the air one after another.

"Well done!"

"Damn, that’s insane, Su Yang!" Zhong Huatao, one of the trainees, roared in disbelief.

"Clap, clap, clap!"

The trainees erupted into even more enthusiastic and prolonged applause. They had seen Su Yang hit bottles before, which was why their initial applause had been lukewarm, but now they were stunned. It was the first time they had seen someone hit four bottles in a row without pause.

Vulture was surprised, but he quickly composed himself. He glanced at Gao Dazhuang and, seeing the solemn expression on his face, couldn't help but smile.

"How about it, Wild Wolf? I told you this kid was good!"

Gao Dazhuang kept his eyes fixed on Su Yang and said, "Are you sure this kid is a private? He doesn't look like he was raised in the military."

"I've checked his file. His parents are both teachers—proper, ordinary people. As for anything else, I don't know. Since you're accompanying the leaders on their inspection of the grassroots companies, you'll probably visit the Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company. You can ask Old Miao," Vulture replied, shaking his head.

Su Yang silently cleared his weapon and returned to the two officers. "Please provide your critique, sirs!"

Old Gao smiled and clapped his hands. "Not bad. Very impressive."

He stepped up to Su Yang, took his hand, and noticed the calluses on his palms. He nodded, looked Su Yang in the eye, and asked, "Tell me, how did you train for this?"

A smile tugged at the corner of Su Yang's mouth. "Report: A calm heart leads to a steady hand, and accuracy follows naturally."

"A calm heart leads to a steady hand?"

Old Gao paused, repeating the words. He stared at Su Yang for a long moment before saying, "Vulture was right. You're a fine seed. I hope to see you at Langya one day!"

Su Yang stood at attention. "Report: I will be there!"

"Good! I'll be waiting for you!"

Old Gao nodded, looking pleased, and turned to leave the range.

"Old Pang, get everyone back to training!" Vulture grinned at Su Yang, shouted a command to the squad leader, and followed Old Gao.

"Wild Wolf, don't you want to see what else this kid can do?" Vulture asked, catching up to him with a chuckle.

Hearing this, Old Gao stopped and glanced back at Su Yang, who had already resumed his training. He replied lightly, "No need. If a private has this kind of mindset, the rest of his skills won't be lacking either—even if they're slightly off, they won't be far off."