Chapter 253: Special Baptism Method
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Hurry up, the first place gets rewarded with a rocket launcher, and the last two will be disqualified!”
In the shooting range, gunfire didn’t immediately break out after the fourth Company arrived.
After the ammunition was unloaded, it had to be reloaded.
The veterans refused to reload, so all the new recruits took up the task.
As Wu Jianfeng put it, this was also part of the training.
A soldier couldn’t just shoot accurately. No matter how precise their marksmanship, if they didn’t know how to reload quickly, they’d run out of bullets on the battlefield. While they slowly reloaded, the enemy could close in and point a gun at their head.
Hence, rapid reloading was also a crucial skill.
Wang Ye understood the importance of this, but he felt a bit uneasy.
That’s because there were other voices coming from the sidelines.
“Hey, you new recruit, be careful when reloading. You can’t do it with your eyes closed.”
“After loading, always check the magazine. If the bullets aren’t seated properly, it’ll affect your supply of ammunition.”
“Hurry up! Look at the others; they already have three magazines loaded. You haven’t even finished your second one. Why are you so slow? You’re not even this slow when you’re eating!”
The veterans were behaving much like they did during the foxhole digging. They only watched on the side while barking instructions.
Wang Ye was aware that this was part of the learning process.
Except for Zhou Qi, who would occasionally glance over at Wang Ye, the other veterans from Class Eight dared not approach him.
The primary reason was that Wang Ye’s display of vengeance earlier had made them slightly apprehensive.
This guy was a force to be reckoned with. If they attracted his attention and annoyed him, he might find a reason to deal with them later.
Moreover, the veterans of the 4th Company were knowledgeable about shooting.
The 40 points Wang Ye’s recruit had scored in the previous assessments didn’t reflect his true skills.
This was deliberately done to deceive the company commander.
Rumor had it that this guy’s first four shots in the previous assessment had nearly hit the target.
What if he suddenly challenged you to a shooting competition, just like how he had dealt with the first-class soldier earlier?
Refusing wasn’t an option. Look at the first-class soldier who had just eaten the worms. If you declined, not only would you feel embarrassed, but you’d also have to consume nine more worms.
And if you didn’t decline, were you just waiting to be humiliated?
Plus, it wouldn’t end with just humiliation.
The veteran who lost to the recruit in the shooting competition wouldn’t be able to live it down. He’d likely be assigned an extra burden during the return trip, and Wu Jianfeng had conveniently found his conscience today by not letting him carry two ammunition crates.
“Done!”
Suddenly, Wang Ye shouted.
In the competition, each person had to wager ten rifle magazines. The first person to bet would claim first place.
His physical abilities exceeded those of ordinary individuals, and his limbs, including his fingers, had received subtle enhancements.
Consequently, he moved swiftly.
While others were still wagering on the eighth magazine, he remained silent. He had already wagered all ten.
“Outstanding!” Wu Jianfeng grinned and looked over.
Then, he loudly declared, “Wang Ye will be rewarded with an additional rocket launcher later!”
After that, he shouted once more, “Hurry up! Move faster! The second-place sniper rifle gets two additional rounds!”
Wu Jianfeng continued to incentivize them, offering a reward for second place.
Immediately, those who had been momentarily distracted by Wang Ye’s shout refocused on loading their ammunition.
As for Wang Ye, he didn’t get a break either.
At this moment, Li Bing brought over a drum.
“Come on, Wang Ye, I’ll show you how to load a drum magazine!”
Loading a drum was slightly more complex than loading a standard magazine. It involved opening the drum from the side and then inserting the rounds.
After Li Bing’s instruction, Wang Ye took rounds from a nearby ammunition box and followed the steps to load the drum.
Hmm… These were the same rounds he had earlier loaded into the rifle magazines.
Class Nine used machine guns, and they used the same rounds as the Type 95 rifles. Even the appearance of the weapons was quite similar at first glance.
Furthermore, Class Nine utilized a machine gun, so they could use the Type 95 rifle’s magazines.
Today, Wang Ye was using a drum, but he didn’t intend for everyone to use it for machine gun fire later.
The drum was primarily for training. Wang Ye would load it first and practice, and once the rounds were expended, he would remove them for the next recruit to practice with.
Drum magazines were generally looked down upon by those in grassroots military units. They only existed because high ammunition capacity was a critical factor for machine gun suppression in the army.
But in reality, he rarely used a drum during practice.
Of course, it was a different story during actual missions.
Ten minutes later, the others finished loading their magazines and began attempting to load their drum magazines.
“Alright, Zheng Ke!” Wu Jianfeng called out.
“Here!” The deputy company commander responded and approached the recruits.
“Soldiers, fall in!”
Not everyone gathered, only the privates.
Although Wang Ye and the others were unsure why the private soldiers were separated from them, they quickly formed up and stood with the recruits from the other squads according to their height.
“Attention!”
“At ease!”
Zheng Ke promptly organized the formation and then led them away without saying a word.
Wu Jianfeng was watching as well, and Wang Ye noticed the smirks on the faces of the other veterans beside him. Some were even pointing at him…
At the same time, Wang Ye also saw a first-class soldier from another squad quickly form up behind him with a grin and then follow along.
“Where are we going?”
“Aren’t we going to shoot? You went through all the trouble to load the magazines, and now that you’re done, you’re just having us watch?”
“Why are you leading us toward the targets? Are you making us the targets?”
As they moved forward, someone from behind couldn’t help but mutter because Zheng Ke was leading the way.
Wang Ye was initially curious, but when he heard the last comment, he couldn’t resist rolling his eyes and turning to look behind him.
It turned out to be a recruit from Class Nine who had disembarked from the recruit company along with Wang Ye.
Wang Ye couldn’t help but smile and said, “Think about it yourself. Did you commit a crime that would make you a target?”
“Hehe, Brother Wang, I definitely haven’t. I’m a law-abiding, good young man!”
This guy was grinning and addressing Wang Ye as “Brother Wang.” In fact, it wasn’t just him. Even though they weren’t in the same class as Wang Ye, many soldiers his age still referred to him as “Brother Wang” when they encountered him.
Experts were respected wherever they went, even among fellow soldiers of the same age.
Soon, Zheng Ke led Wang Ye and the others to their destination.
They arrived at the side of the shooting range.
“Line up and enter!”
In that moment, Wang Ye recalled the scene he had witnessed when the soldiers were firing.
The Cruel Pit!
Yes, there was a large trench below these targets. Now, Zheng Ke was instructing everyone to enter the trench.
Were they supposed to guard this pit?
More importantly, did they really need this many people for it?
“Our fourth Company’s tradition is for the new recruits to squat in this target trench during target practice every year.”
As the new recruits entered, Zheng Ke followed suit. He stood beside them and declared, “By experiencing the sensation of bullets whizzing overhead and becoming familiar with it, you won’t fear the battlefield.”
He paused for a moment before continuing, “We’re in an era of peace, but we’re soldiers.
We don’t know when war will erupt.
Perhaps war won’t come until we retire, or maybe it will break out tomorrow, even the next second.
Once a war begins, we soldiers, especially those of the Ironbones Hero Regiment, will be the first to head to the front lines.”
With a serious expression and wide-open eyes, Zheng Ke addressed everyone, saying, “On the battlefield, it’s not just us firing at the enemy; the enemy will also be firing at us. Recruits who have never experienced bullets whizzing overhead, I dare say that if you find yourselves on the battlefield, your legs might be so weak that you can’t even stand up. That’s why this is your baptism!”
After Zheng Ke finished speaking, he paid no attention to the recruits whose faces had turned pale. Instead, he directed his gaze at the soldiers from various squads who were still outside and said, “Come in and have a good look at the new recruits!”
It was naturally impossible for him to oversee all the recruits by himself. Thus, he needed some assistance.
Of course, the main reason was to prevent some impulsive young soldiers from attempting to reach the targets during shooting practice later out of curiosity. These individuals were bursting with curiosity and wanted to get closer.
However, bullets had no regard for curiosity, and accidents had to be prevented.
Not only was this meant to prevent accidents, but it also served as an opportunity to teach the new recruits how to aim properly.
This time, there were veterans present to guide them. But next time, during shooting practice, only the recruits would be present in this area….