Chapter 324: Chapter 316: Sharpshooter
The soldier delivering the bullets also fell, and without a word, Zhang Jie took over and continued feeding bullets to Shangguan. Their coordination was incredibly seamless, without a single jam.
Tang Mianhua was constantly changing positions to cover for Shangguan and Zhang Jie, swiftly alternating between a submachine gun, hand grenades, and a rocket launcher, keeping the enemy guessing. This allowed Shangguan and Zhang Jie to fight more smoothly, eliminating numerous enemies. Seeing the ferocity of these girls, the other soldiers fought as if they were unafraid of death, sending the enemy scrambling in retreat. The enemy’s casualties were severe, and the battle came to halt.
Suddenly, the battlefield fell silent, as if the clamor of guns and cannons had never existed. Yet, the scent of gunpowder and blood in the air, along with the continuous moans of the soldiers, served as a stark reminder of the intense combat that had just taken place.
"Rest on the spot!"
Shangguan Qingchen ordered the company’s soldiers to take the opportunity to rest. He himself, took a pair of binoculars to observe the enemy camp. The Deputy Company Commander, speaking softly at his side, exclaimed, "Company Commander, you have to admit, those three girls are fierce!"
The Deputy Company Commander gave a thumbs up and praised, "We won’t even mention your sister, she’s a true warrior born from a military family. But, that delicate-looking girl is impressive too. Every shot hits its mark; she’s a real sharpshooter."
"Is she really that good?" Shangguan Qingchen was somewhat incredulous, as he had not been paying attention to that extent while preoccupied with the battle.
"Absolutely, when have I ever lied to you? Anyway, I think my own shooting skills don’t compare to that girl’s."
"Sharpshooter?"
Shangguan Qingchen pondered. While the Deputy Company Commander’s marksmanship might not be that of a sharpshooter, it wasn’t bad either. If even he was praising her, Feifei’s classmate surely had commendable abilities.
Shangguan Qingchen mused. In his spare time, he studied foreign military magazines. Although they were few, they had opened up a new world for him—a sharpshooter, a sniper?
He knew that in foreign armies, snipers served a special role. Multiple real cases had proven that an excellent sniper could have a tremendous impact on the war, sometimes even turning the tide of defeat into victory.
If his company had an outstanding sniper concealed in a hiding spot, taking out enemy fire points, would this battle still be so difficult?
Shangguan Qingchen’s eyes lit up, and he crawled over to Sisi, who was applying medicine to Tian Xinhua; his arm had been grazed by a bullet.
"Big Brother!"
Shangguan called out, shaking his hands continuously – they had gone numb from firing vigorously.
Shangguan Qingchen nodded and was holding a sniper rifle which was not commonly used within the company, mainly because no soldiers were sharpshooters with potential to be snipers. He also used it occasionally. Now it was the perfect chance to test if Feifei’s classmate truly had the skills.
"Give it a try, can you hit the soldier on the opposite side?"
Sisi’s eyes gleamed. She was familiar with this task—Luo Datou always had her practice with this rifle, equipped with a scope. Sniper rifles were her strongest forte, heh heh.
Sisi, grinning, took the rifle and told Shangguan, "Just wait and see, this is my specialty!"
The girl’s face was stained with alternating streaks of black and white, revealing a row of glistening teeth in a comical smile.
Sisi positioned the rifle, narrowed her eyes, and took aim at an enemy soldier lying across the way, his upper body exposed; it seemed he was smoking. She roughly calculated the wind direction and speed, hearing Luo Datou’s voice in her ear, "Stay calm, aim at the target, kill him!"
Stay calm! Sisi pursed her lips, emptied her mind, and the target in her sights became clearer and clearer, she could even see the black mole and sweat hairs on the dark-skinned soldier’s face.
This was the moment! Sisi decisively pressed the trigger, the bullet silently shot out, hitting the enemy’s heart, the soldier fell to the ground, and from the scope Shangguan Qing’s lips curled into a smile.
Sisi did not stop there; she playfully aimed at the enemy’s flagpole, firing a shot, breaking it. The flamboyantly fluttering national flag fell, causing chaos in the enemy camp, and everyone cheered joyously—what a slap in the face!
Tian Xinhua watched Sisi with amazement, as if for the first time realizing Ah Nan had such a calm, sharp, and cold-blooded side. In his memory, Sisi had always been a spoiled child, picky with food, loving to dress up, loving to enjoy... a precious darling.
Many people said Ah Nan had the air of a bourgeois young lady, but he didn’t mind. He was happy to spoil her, willing to spoil her for a lifetime, but it wasn’t until now that Tian Xinhua understood he had never really understood Ah Nan at all. No wonder the books always say women have dual facets; was this Ah Nan’s other side?
At the same time, Tian Xinhua was surprised, it was as if he had let go of something in his heart, feeling much more at ease. He had chosen this difficult path, the way ahead was bound to be full of thorns. He used to worry that Ah Nan was too delicate, and he could not always look after her, fearing that Ah Nan would get hurt, but now it seems he was overthinking; Ah Nan was not as weak as she appeared!
No wonder Ah Nan always said she didn’t need anyone’s protection. It seemed he and their master had underestimated Ah Nan!
"Sisi, you’re so awesome!" Zhang Jie gave a thumbs up to Sisi.
Sisi pursed her lips in a smile, blinked at her flirtatiously—where was the formidable presence from before?
Shangguan Qing was in a great mood and softly shared his plan, which was to have Sisi find a high vantage point for a hidden position, make a good camouflage, and silently eliminate enemy fire points.
Isn’t this the job of a sniper?
Sisi’s eyes sparkled, she hadn’t expected to become a sniper herself? She had seen a movie called "The Forty-First" about a Soviet female sniper, Maliutka, during World War II. Sisi thought it was so cool that there were female snipers in the world, and now she could do it too?
Without a second thought, Sisi eagerly nodded, her face bursting with excitement, "No problem, I’ll definitely take down more than Maliutka did."
Shangguan Qing had clearly seen the movie too; he smiled, "We shall see!"
The hiding point was chosen by Shangguan Qing; he instructed Sisi to lie down under this rock, covered with wild grass and tree leaves, looking like a wild person in the jungle.
"This is your solo position, no matter what happens below, it’s none of your concern. Without my orders, you stay put here, understand?"
"Understood!"
Sisi instinctively puffed out her chest and drew in her abdomen, standing at attention like she did during military training in her past life, loudly responding. Shangguan Qing nodded in satisfaction and left to direct the battle.
Tian Xinhua held Sisi tightly and said in a low voice, "Ah Nan, stay here until I come for you!"
Tian Xinhua was quite satisfied with placing Sisi in this hidden location, far safer than the chaotic battlefield below.
"Okay, I’ll shoot all those bad guys from here! Brother Xinhua, remember your promise to me!"
"Remember, not a hair on your head will be harmed!" Tian Xinhua kissed her fiercely until Sisi’s lips were red and swollen, then released her and resolutely walked away.