Chapter 31: The Eagle-Eyed Sniper-Você, um loirinho qualquer, como é que já abriu uma árvore genealógica só pra você?(Sundae de sorvete com enguia cozida)

"Standing posture? The difficulty of shooting like this is much higher than kneeling!"

As Old Hei spoke, a light breeze swept across the range, tilting the brim of his cap. However, he didn't have time to worry about such details; he hurriedly raised his binoculars, stood on tiptoe, and peered toward target number one.

"Three shots fired, two nines and one eight. Qi Tian, why are you getting worse? Was that last shot just a fluke?"

"No, it's because he didn't account for the wind direction. That gust of wind occurred almost simultaneously with his firing rhythm. Plus, the barrels of our training rifles are slightly worn and lacking in power, so his score this time..."

Xu Guoqing had intended to finish the sentence by saying it was unsatisfactory. But as the words reached his lips, he swallowed them back. A recruit who had never touched a gun before and only knew about it from military dramas was performing live-fire training for the first time. One ten, two nines, and one eight. Unsatisfactory? If Xu Guoqing said that now, it would undoubtedly put immense pressure on the other recruits. Not every recruit was a monster like Qi Tian, capable of withstanding such high pressure.

Realizing this, Xu Guoqing immediately shifted his tone: "Qi Tian, your understanding of shooting is quite solid. But you must also consider factors like weather, environment, and equipment. For instance, just now, there was a breeze, and you are using a practice rifle that has been fired countless times over the years. Although the soldiers maintain them, barrel wear is inevitable. Your front sight must be adjusted to compensate for the deviation. As for how much, that depends on how well you get to know your own assigned weapon in the future. Keep shooting until the magazine is empty!"

"Yes, sir."

Xu Guoqing's words not only answered the doubts in Old Hei's mind but also gave Qi Tian a deeper insight into shooting. Following the order, Qi Tian remained in a standing position, leaning in to aim at the target. The training rifle's magazine could hold thirty rounds, but Qi Tian had checked earlier and found only ten loaded. In other words, he had six shots left.

Glancing briefly at the fallen leaves nearby to gauge the wind speed and direction, Qi Tian made minor adjustments with his hands and pulled the trigger again at the bullseye of target number one. Six shots rang out in rapid succession. In less than three breaths, Qi Tian had emptied the magazine.

The recruits standing behind were just about to ask about the results when they heard the squad leader of the fifth squad swear: "Damn!"

"Squad leader, why are you cursing? Tell us, what's the score?"

"See for yourself!"

The expression on the fifth squad leader's face was impossible to read. He tossed the binoculars to his deputy and walked quickly to stand behind Qi Tian. He stared at him as if he were a monster, looking him up and down without saying a word.

"That's not right, squad leader. Why are there still only four bullet holes? What happened to the last six shots? Did he miss them all?" The deputy asked, frowning after peeking through the binoculars several times.

At this moment, Xu Guoqing spoke up: "Open your eyes and look closely! Isn't the hole at the bullseye much larger than a normal one? You fool!"

Hearing this, the deputy raised the binoculars again. After this look, it was as if he had realized something incredible. He mimicked the squad leader, staring at Qi Tian with wide eyes: "Holy hell, is this the strength of the Recruit King? Brothers, the last six shots were all perfect scores! It's just that because of the slight deviation, the bullets passed through the same hole, expanding it. Even so, the holes didn't exceed the red center. He's a genuine sharpshooter, no doubt about it!"

"What on earth is this kid made of? Sometimes I really suspect he's from some special forces unit, re-enlisting just to mess with us!" Following the deputy's words, the second squad leader chimed in with another curse.

Their words were like a bombshell, throwing all the recruits into an uproar. The once-quiet formation could no longer contain itself and became instantly boisterous. Everyone marveled at Qi Tian's terrifying marksmanship, their scalps tingling with awe.

"Quiet!" After a few moments, Xu Guoqing commanded sternly to restore order.

After speaking, he walked straight to Qi Tian, grabbed him without a word, and headed toward the mid-to-long-range firing points further back. As he walked, he ordered: "Squad leaders, continue the shooting training with your recruits. I will train Qi Tian personally. Also, go get me a high-precision sniper rifle! The best one available. Tell them it's for Xu Guoqing's personal training, urgent, move!"

When Xu Guoqing said this, the veteran soldiers immediately understood: he was truly planning to train Qi Tian as a sniper. A veteran responsible for record-keeping quickly set off, running excitedly toward logistics to apply for the high-precision rifle. He, too, was curious to see just how talented this Recruit King was.

As for the rest of the recruit company, they were now learning the key points and precautions of shooting under the guidance of their respective squad leaders. But all of it boiled down to the same principles Qi Tian had mentioned to Xu Guoqing earlier.

Zhang Meng and Jiang Chong were the quickest to pick it up; after finishing their lesson, they hurried to shooting points two and three. After exchanging a glance, they aimed at the bullseye simultaneously, hoping to replicate Qi Tian's feat. Unfortunately, their final scores were nowhere near his. After ten rounds, Zhang Meng only scored forty-eight, and Jiang Chong did slightly better with seventy. At this point, both realized exactly where the gap between them and Qi Tian lay.

"Zhang Meng, do you think if Brother Tian had learned about wind direction and equipment wear before shooting, he would have scored a hundred?"

"I think it's very likely. His score was already close to perfect as it was!" Zhang Meng replied with a bitter smile. He then removed the magazine, reloaded, and returned to the back of the line, giving up his spot to the next person.

By then, Qi Tian had already arrived at the five-hundred-meter mark with Xu Guoqing.

"The effective range of the Type 95 automatic rifle is 400 meters, and its maximum range is 600. This distance sits right between the two. Give it a try. You don't need to score as well as you did before; I'll even allow you to use the prone position. Give it your all and let me see your talent. If you produce results that satisfy me, I guarantee I will help you secure a spot as a sniper."

Xu Guoqing stepped forward to personally check the magazine and ammunition for Qi Tian. Once he was sure there were no issues, he handed the weapon over: "Qi Tian, you must understand how important a good sniper is to a company, or even a battalion. If you gain this status, I guarantee that no matter which unit you go to later, your superiors will treat you like a prize. Most importantly, training a sniper requires not just talent, but also enormous resources. To be honest, snipers are built on their own natural ability and fed with one high-precision bullet after another. Today, you have an opportunity—an opportunity to become a sniper and have the Iron Fist Regiment pour all its resources into you. Shoot well, don't let me down. After all these years of silence, the Iron Fist Regiment finally has a chance to produce an 'Eagle Eye' sniper!"