"Now that you are aware of his unique characteristic, just pay closer attention to him. You'll soon realize that he's even more special than you know."
The call ended abruptly.
Shen Chengfeng put his cell phone down. He was even more special than he knew?
Late in the morning, the entire camp was engulfed in heat, and waves of hot air emanated from the ground.
Xiao Jing jogged over to the shooting range in a hurry and heard gunshots ring out fiercely from inside. Her courage suddenly hung by a thread, and she wondered if that was how heroes who realized they weren't ever going to be able to go home felt.
The soldiers in Regiment 525 were notorious for being hedonistic and spoiled good-for-nothings who only cared about when they could eat, when they could sleep, and when they could be released to go home. When it came to handling advanced equipment and firearms, they only knew how to fire them. As for whether or not the target could be hit depended on luck.
"Xiao Jing, you're up next." Mu Xichi casually held a small AK808 pistol out to her.
Xiao Jing observed Jiang Si, who was adjusting his gun next to her at that very moment. If her memory served her right, he was a major from Regiment 118. Regiment 118 was famous for their sharpshooters, and every officer hailing from there was adept at handling their guns.
The test that day was to determine their speed and accuracy in firing. They had five seconds to shoot ten bullets. Eighty was the passing mark, 100 was the mark for excellence, and 110 was the mark for distinction.
Xiao Jing felt a little discouraged. She couldn't guarantee that she'd be able to hit the target at all. During a combined gun training, Regiment 525 had shocked the entire military and gained a reputation by having every single participant fail.
Indeed, as with everything in life, some individuals gained fame and reputation through their achievements.
Others relied on being the butts of everyone else's jokes.
Xiao Jing rubbed her forehead subconsciously and took a deep breath. Then, she stretched her hand forward and shot towards the target confidently. The bullets flew out of the barrel like fireworks and bloomed beautifully on the target paper.
Mu Xichi narrowed his eyes and didn't make a sound.
Jiang Si glared at her without any expression on his face. He showed no gratitude for the three extra bullets that his comrade had generously added onto his target paper.
Xiao Jing placed her gun down in embarrassment.
The target paper approached them from a distance, and everybody awaited the final tally of their scores.
If it hadn't been for Xiao Jing's blind contribution, Jiang Si would have been named the top marksman based on his perfect score. However, because of the three extra bullets on his paper, he was disqualified along with Xiao Jing.
The drop from first place to last was too big a blow for Jiang Si to swallow, and he lost control of his temper. Flinging his shirt off, he grabbed Xiao Jing by her collar.
Xiao Jing's smile wobbled as she said, "If you have something to say, just say it nicely. The world is messy enough as it is. There's no need to get angry."
"I have nothing to f*cking say to you! Every one of us here came in based on our ability! Even if you're just here to while away your time, please don't destroy our hard work! Do you have any idea how much effort I put in and how hard I worked to get chosen?" Jiang Si glared at her unyieldingly.
Still dangling from his grip, Xiao Jing was finding it a little hard to breathe. She patted the back of his hand, but that only served to make him tighten his hold.
"Jiang Si, fighting is prohibited in the military camp." Mu Xichi broke Jiang Si's grip with one hand. Pushing Xiao Jing behind him to shield her with his body, Mu Xichi turned towards the enraged Jiang Si and said coldly, "Any breach of military rules will result in immediate expulsion."
Jiang Si checked himself immediately but continued to glare at Xiao Jing with eyes that were red with fury.
Xiao Jing suddenly had an ominous warning that Jiang Si would sneak into her room that night to straighten her out physically.
"As punishment, the person in last place will have to tidy up the shooting range and armory," Mu Xichi threw out casually.
Xiao Jing glared at Mu Xichi. He was doing that deliberately, wasn't he? He had to be doing it intentionally! He was deliberately leaving her alone with Jiang Si and allowing her to die at his hand!
Mu Xichi shrugged and ignored the fire in Xiao Jing's eyes as he left the shooting range without a care in the world.
"Don't worry. It was just a moment of impulse," Qin Yishan, who was also from Regiment 118, said to Xiao Jing as he patted her gently on her shoulder.
Xiao Jing's lips twitched uncontrollably, and she stole a glance at Jiang Si, who was still glaring at her with outright hostility. Witnessing the threat in Jiang Si's eyes, Xiao Jing had no other choice but to resign herself to the fact that she was going to meet her maker today.
Only the two of them were left in the sprawling gun range, and silence filled the air. It was so quiet that Xiao Jing could hear her heart beating in her chest.
Jiang Si casually picked up a pistol, and speaking as if he were reciting a monologue, he said, "This is an MT252, a lightweight pistol produced by M Nation in 2007. It has a range of 300 meters and is the weapon of choice for most novices."
Xiao Jing wondered if he was about to demonstrate his shooting ability with that gun.
"I'll give you a chance. I'll speed shoot, while you can take your time. If you're able to beat me, we'll let it go. If you lose, you'll have to let me beat you up. What do you say? That's reasonable, isn't it?"
"You're using your strength to compete against my weakness, and you say you're being reasonable?" Xiao Jing puffed her chest out as she retorted. Even if she could never defeat him in any aspect, she still wanted to experience the satisfaction of a verbal comeback.
"Fine. So pick something to compete in," Jiang Si placed the gun down solemnly. As a major, if he couldn't defeat a mere lieutenant at any event, he would never be able to gain a foothold in the Special Command Unit anyway.
"Okay. And you'll keep your word?" Xiao Jing offered her hand out.
Jiang Si shook her hand. "Without exception," he declared confidently.
Xiao Jing smiled. "Let's compete to see who's fairer."
Her pronouncement was met with a deathly silence.
Xiao Jing pushed a mirror over and placed it in front of them. Satisfied that both their faces would be able to fit into it at the same time, she said, "Come on! Lean your head over!"
"You tricked me!" Jiang Si growled between gritted teeth.
Xiao Jing shook her head. "You were the one who said I could choose what I wanted to compete in. You didn't say there were any parameters."
"Do you believe me when I say—"
"Well, it's not a big deal if a normal person goes back on his word. After all, to err is human. However, for a soldier, honor and integrity are everything, and his word should be unbreakable. He should never make empty promises unless the medals on his shoulders mean nothing to him."
"What a gift of the gab you have."
"I'm just speaking the truth. Major Jiang Si, do you intend to behave like an eight-year-old who changes his mind after making a promise? After all, only the promises of children don't count."
"There is no need for me to maintain any integrity in the face of someone who tricked me. There is no credibility to speak of for a silver-tongued devil like you." Jiang Si clenched his fists tightly.
"You're going to beat me up?" Xiao Jing looked at him. "Do you know I am?" she asked without blinking.
"I don't care who you are!" he replied through clenched teeth.
"I'm Xiao Jing, the fourth son of the Xiao family. My oldest brother is Xiao Yu. My second brother is Xiao Hong. My third brother is Xiao Zheng, and my younger brother is Xiao Ye."
Jiang Si was silent.
"The Xiao family is always united when it comes to dealing with our enemies. Are you sure you still want to beat me up?"