Chapter 176:I Don’t Want the Third-Class Merit! (1)
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Bang! Bang!”
The sound of an 81-bar gunshot was faint, not clearly audible.
But to the recruits, it was the most impressive sound.
He gazed at his comrades in the first squad, who lay on the firing range and squeezed off shots.
Among the line of soldiers, others seemed inexplicably thrilled.
“This recoil isn’t as bad as it seems. I’ll definitely get the hang of it soon. Five shots, fifty rings!”
“I can’t make out the results. How are they doing?”
“I’m not sure, but it should be alright. I saw some movement on every target!”
The formation could no longer remain silent.
Though the senior officers maintained formation, they stood tall and peered at the targets.
Yet, with the naked eye, the results were impossible to discern.
Furthermore, they stood over a hundred meters away.
Even with Wang Ye’s eyesight, which was 1.1 times that of an average person, the situation remained unchanged.
However, Wang Ye wasn’t in the mood to observe right now.
His mind wandered, contemplating whether he should accumulate more points.
Two days ago, during the Chinese New Year holiday, Wang Ye had requested Ye Sanshi to work overtime for two hours, practicing with a firearm.
This was to advance his skill level to level 3.
Presently, he had indeed attained a level three proficiency, yet it wasn’t the pinnacle. Room for improvement remained.
But Wang Ye hesitated.
He no longer desired this third-class merit.
Prior to Wu Jianfeng’s remarks, Wang Ye had steadfastly pursued the goal of achieving a third-class merit in marksmanship.
He had even prepared himself mentally to expend the two saved skill points today.
However, now, he found himself reluctant to utilize them.
Indeed, Wu Jianfeng had successfully coaxed the regiment commander into a promise.
Based on the current scenario, securing a perfect score would ensure that even if he had two third-class merits, the third one wouldn’t slip away.
Yet, Wang Ye’s desire for a third-class merit had waned. Wu Jianfeng might be left serving as a company commander until he transitioned to a different role.
Granted, perhaps the regiment commander was magnanimous and had taken a liking to Wu Jianfeng, in which case he wouldn’t mind.
However, Wang Ye wasn’t privy to Wu Jianfeng’s rapport with the regiment commander.
He genuinely remained uncertain about their regiment commander’s personality.
“Brother Wang, what’s on your mind?”
Suddenly, a hand tapped Wang Ye’s shoulder.
He turned to see Liang Fan.
“Nothing much, just pondering some theoretical knowledge. Gotta avoid saying anything incorrect later!” Wang Ye responded casually.
Certainly, Wang Ye’s explanation wasn’t entirely untrue.
Today’s marksmanship practice was just one aspect; a sequence of procedures preceded the practice itself.
Over there, a table was set up. A few class monitors occupied the rear seats. They were due to undergo a theoretical examination on firearms and shooting techniques.
Only by acing the questions could one proceed to the shooting range.
Naturally, this wasn’t particularly challenging. The content was merely some basic knowledge that everyone had long committed to memory.
At this juncture, Class One was engaged in shooting exercises, while Class Two moved over to tackle the questions. Yet, they completed the task with remarkable speed.
“Target status report!”
When the gunfire subsided, Wu Jianfeng’s voice projected from the walkie-talkie.
In response, a voice emerged from the device.
“Target number one, on the mark, 21 points.”
“Target number two, four shots on target, totaling twenty-nine points.”
“No. 3.”
“Target number seven…”
Through the walkie-talkie, the voice recited. Suddenly, there was a pause. In the ensuing second, a distinctly jubilant tone was evident. “Target number seven, eight shots on target, tallying sixty-one points.”
In this instant, the recruits who were all ears were taken aback to some extent, but Wu Jianfeng remained unruffled. “Fuck!”
He cursed, then cast his gaze toward the firing range.
His attention rested upon the individual occupying the seventh seat.
He didn’t rush to reprimand; he first confirmed the information and picked up the walkie-talkie. “Is target number eight clear?”
“Yes, sir!”
Through the walkie-talkie, a voice promptly pronounced the recruit in the eighth position a failure.
In this moment, Wu Jianfeng lifted his head and fixed his gaze upon the recruit in the eighth seat. Simultaneously, the recruit too exhibited a state of intense apprehension.
Swoosh!
Wu Jianfeng took a deep breath.
He refrained from berating anyone or launching a physical reprimand.
The regiment commander and the chief of staff were present. The regiment was actively cultivating disciplined soldiers. Civility was the aim.
“Qiu Yaping, are you visually impaired?
Where exactly were you aiming? Is that your designated target?
Fuck you!” Wu Jianfeng wrestled with his emotions, but the class monitor, who doubled as the platoon leader, couldn’t contain himself.
His expression contorted into a scowl as he advanced toward the soldier, a spray of spittle accompanying his words.
However, he recognized the limitations of the situation. With the regiment commander and chief of staff observing, although he felt embarrassed, he abstained from further action.
“Target number nine…”
The voice over the walkie-talkie droned on.
Following the report of the last two targets, the outcomes for all ten participants were revealed.
None of them achieved a perfect score, not even reaching 45. The highest score was 44.
Of course, this calculation excluded the seventh target.
His remarkable 61 points necessitated a closer inspection of the target’s positioning.
The situation was dissected meticulously.
“Listen up, all of you! Exercise caution. Prior to engaging, ensure you’ve accurately identified your designated target. Let’s not allow such a mistake to recur!”
Wu Jianfeng remained stationed there, vociferously addressing the formation.
He was already exercising restraint over his temper.
Shortly after Wu Jianfeng’s admonishment, Class 2 took their places on the shooting range.
Simultaneously, behind them, Classes 3 and 4 also underwent the theoretical evaluation. It was now Wang Ye’s turn.
“What’s the effective range of the Type 81 Rifle?”
“What are the weight and dimensions of the 81-barreled gun?”
The assessment was straightforward. Each individual was posed with three uncomplicated questions and expected to provide the answers. Upon completion of the assessment, Wang Ye and the others returned to their respective positions.
“Target number one…”
“Target number two…”
The second phase of target reports commenced. The highest score reached 48 points, the lowest stood at 21 points, and there was another instance of 45 points. Most notably, no one from Class 2 misfired onto the wrong target. This score undeniably darkened the expression of the first platoon leader even further..