Chapter 132: Chapter 132: Ten Rings, Nine Rings
The weight of the semi-automatic rifle was indeed hefty, and they had been holding it up for two hours straight. Plus, the strong recoil when firing the gun was sure to cause swelling in the shoulders and arms.
Sheng Ning’s eyebrows were tightly furrowed as she gritted her teeth and toughed it out.
“Lower the muzzle a bit,” the very burly veteran behind her scolded without any niceties, “You’re supposed to be hitting targets, not shooting birds.”
“Hahaha…” Laughter erupted across the shooting range.
Sheng Ning’s face turned red, though it was unclear whether it was from the sun’s glare or the embarrassment of making a fool of herself in front of Xu Qigang.
“Shut up, all of you!” Chen Yingjie barked, his face stern with anger.
The place became so silent all of a sudden that even the sound of autumn leaves rustling could be heard.
“Continue!” Chen Yingjie nodded in satisfaction and turned back to the crowd of onlookers not too far away.
Xu Qigang serenely stood side by side with Kong Jie, his sharp eyes discreetly glancing at Chen Yingjie.
The latter guiltily looked down to escape his gaze before continuing to watch the big guy behind Sheng Ning.
Little bastard, why get so close for no reason?
“Liu Chun!” Xu Qigang called out.
“Tell Dai Bin he must keep his distance from the female comrades.”
“Yes!” Without another word, Liu Chun turned and ran to Dai Bin’s side, whispering Xu Qigang’s message to him.
Dai Bin’s face turned a sickly shade of green and white, which Xu Qigang could see clearly even from two hundred meters away.
“Old Xu, that’s not right of you!” Kong Jie, being burly, tall, and sunburnt, made Xu Qigang, who stood at one meter eighty-nine, look rather slender by comparison.
However, the tangible aura of lethality surrounding Xu Qigang was something even Kong Jie approached with caution.
“What are you doing in my War Wolf Rescue Team?” Xu Qigang retorted sharply, pushing Kong Jie’s objections back.
“Dammit, don’t you glare at me like that.” Kong Jie had a fiery temper that could ignite at the slightest provocation.
“Shut it! Otherwise, get back to your Third Rescue Team.” When it came to bullying, few could outdo him. Especially old friends like Kong Jie, whom Xu Qigang had personally taught to shoot and then later to fight on the Southern Border Battlefield.
This set the stage for Kong Jie’s woefully bullied fate.
With a mix of complex emotions, Dai Bin shouted, “Begin from you, Chen Huaying.” He had done his homework beforehand, knowing full well that Chen Huaying had been excellent at shooting since childhood.
“Yes! Instructor!” Chen Huaying briskly stood up, saluted Dai Bin and Xu Qigang’s group from afar, then dropped to the ground in a second, aiming and firing three bullets rapidly with a “bang bang.”
At a distance of seven hundred meters, the center of the target was called out by a scorer, “Bullseye, nine rings…” The scorer’s voice was filled with excitement.
The performance caused a significant stir on the field; the fact that a woman from the Song and Dance Troupe could achieve such results was astonishing.
People from the Provincial Rescue Center were gaping as well; many of them present couldn’t meet that standard.
Hai Shen glanced at Chen Yingjie, secretly envying him for having such an impressive sister, unlike his own family, where they only cared about keeping up appearances and buying pretty clothes.
“That’s amazing!” Sheng Ning raised her thumb in admiration.
Chen Yingjie cocked his chin up arrogantly and replied, “Piece of cake!”
Sheng Ning found herself liking Chen Yingjie more and more. Sometimes he reminded her of An’an, and she just couldn’t bring herself to dislike him.
“Next!” Dai Bin’s voice followed closely.
Sheng Ning swiftly stood up from the ground to salute, then turned to where the leaders were standing and quickly laid down, getting into the standard shooting position.
The crowd was taken aback by her actions; without saying anything else, just her standard movements and focused spirit were eye-catching. She didn’t seem at all like a female comrade.
“I know her, she’s the one who danced the ‘Butterfly Lovers’.” Many of the people from the Provincial Rescue Center who had attended the last gala remembered the woman who performed the “Butterfly Lovers” dance vividly.
Before the crowd had finished marveling, two gunshots rang out on the field with a “bang bang.”