Chapter 32: Chasing Down to Serve a Grand Imperial Feast

Snipers play a critical role in any urban combat or international conflict. Unlike infantry or airborne units, they do not launch attacks or engage in direct combat under the enemy's nose. However, whenever they strike, they take down the enemy's leadership.

Before crossing over, Qi Tian had read a report about an elite military sniper who, from a hidden position, took out the leader of an invading terrorist group with a single shot. With that one action, he single-handedly suppressed the entire momentum of the enemy's assault.

Now, the chance to become a sniper was laid out before him. It would be impossible for Qi Tian not to be tempted.

Taking a deep breath, Qi Tian nodded firmly at Xu Guoqing. He picked up the brand-new Type 95 assault rifle before him, assumed a prone position, and aimed at the bullseye five hundred meters away. Unlike the training rifles used at the two-hundred-meter mark, the rifling and chamber of this Type 95 were in peak condition. There was no need to account for wear and tear; once the wind direction was gauged, Qi Tian could pull the trigger.

"Bang!"

As the shot rang out, Xu Guoqing quickly raised his binoculars to look into the distance. Under his own eyes, Qi Tian fired repeatedly, emptying the magazine again. This time, the bullet holes in the red center of the wooden target were even smaller than those from the two-hundred-meter mark.

"The distance has increased, yet the precision has only improved. Ten rounds, every single one a bullseye. Well done, kid, that was beautiful!" Xu Guoqing could no longer suppress his excitement and shouted out loud.

Before the echoes died down, he didn't even give Qi Tian time to reload or reset his weapon. He pulled Qi Tian past the 800-meter mark and brought him to the very back of the range, the 1,200-meter point, which was the most difficult.

At that moment, the veteran who had gone to request the high-precision sniper rifle came running back with a black case.

"Company Commander, this is the best high-precision sniper rifle in the Iron Fist Regiment's logistics depot—a T5000 from Russia. It comes with twenty rounds of matching ammunition. The logistics chief said each round costs one hundred and thirty yuan. This is all you get today, and if you think it's too little, he says you can go talk to him yourself!"

"That's enough! Qi Tian, take the rifle." Xu Guoqing smiled, nodded to the veteran, and turned to command Qi Tian.

Hearing this, Qi Tian stepped forward and took the black case from the veteran with one hand. However, he had clearly underestimated the weight of the rifle and the fifty rounds of ammunition. As the case reached his hand, his arm dipped significantly.

"This high-precision rifle weighs 8.5 kilograms on its own, not to mention the twenty specialized rounds inside. Including the case, it’s at least fifty pounds. Don't try to be a hero; if you drop it and break it, you won't be able to afford the compensation!"

"Yes, Company Commander," Qi Tian replied. He held the black case with both hands and stood at the shooting position.

He opened the case to reveal an all-black "big toy" with a material that felt excellent to the touch. Qi Tian didn't know what the T5000 was made of, but he noticed that the rifle didn't reflect any light under the sun. It was clearly designed to protect the sniper’s concealment, ensuring that the sun wouldn't reveal his position during an operation. This further proved the rifle’s value—it was likely worth well into the six-figure range.

"Hoo..."

Qi Tian nimbly chambered a round, exhaled, and assumed a prone position to aim at the target 1,200 meters away. The shooting distance had more than doubled, and it would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous. Yet, beyond the tension, the emotion stirring within him was unparalleled excitement.

A high-precision rifle worth hundreds of thousands, with each round costing over a hundred yuan—who wouldn't love such a prize?

He quickly adjusted the scope. Instead of rushing to fire, he waited for a gust of wind to pass before pulling the trigger. At this ultra-long range, the binoculars in Xu Guoqing’s hands were no longer of much use. He had to rely on the veteran stationed at the 1,200-meter mark to report the results via walkie-talkie.

"First shot, nine rings, just above the bullseye—infinitely close to a ten!"

"Stay back, let him keep shooting!" Xu Guoqing ordered the veteran on the radio, then stood beside Qi Tian and said, "Kid, relax. The effective range of this rifle is 1,300 meters, with a maximum range of 1,500. You don't need any adjustment for a 1,200-meter target. Again!"

"Bang!"

As Xu Guoqing finished speaking, Qi Tian pulled the trigger again, firing the second high-precision round. This time, the radio crackled with an exclamation from the veteran at the target:

"Beautiful! A direct hit right in the center of the bullseye! Old Xu, which superior department sent a marksman to visit our regiment? That is some incredible shooting!"

"Old Guo, set up the remote-controlled moving target. Speed from two to ten, increasing gradually."

Xu Guoqing didn't answer the veteran's question but told him to swap the static wooden target for a moving one. A moving target at 1,200 meters! Xu Guoqing had already made up his mind: for the rest of this training session, if Qi Tian could land hits on a moving target, he would put everything he had into developing him into an elite sniper.

It wasn't for any other reason than the fact that, in these last thirty minutes, the shock Qi Tian had given him was simply too great. Although Xu Guoqing had been prepared for the fact that this recruit was extraordinary and might perform well in shooting, he hadn't expected Qi Tian to be *this* outstanding.

Two shots at 1,200 meters, both hits, both dead-on bullseyes. Such shooting talent could no longer be described by the word "monstrous," which he had used earlier. This was a case of heaven itself feeding him, and it was serving up a full imperial feast!

Five minutes later, the veteran replaced the target with a remote-controlled moving one. It moved irregularly across the open ground 1,200 meters away, shifting up and down, left and right. This was Qi Tian's first time shooting at a moving target. He didn't rush, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Xu Guoqing stayed silent, waiting beside him.

After some time, Qi Tian suddenly pulled the trigger, and the moving target 1,200 meters away was pierced clean through!

A second brand-new wooden target appeared. This time, the speed of the target was clearly a notch faster than before.

"Old Xu, still a ten-ring hit. Now I'm increasing the speed to three, and the target size has been reduced. Tell him to get ready. This is where his true talent is tested. I’ve seen too many good prospects fail at this level three speed. I heard Little Zhao say you’re training a recruit for sniping. If he can land this shot, then you, my friend, have just cultivated an eagle-eyed sharpshooter for our Iron Fist Regiment!"

The "Little Zhao" the veteran mentioned was the man who had gone to the logistics department for Xu Guoqing. Clearly, he had run over to the registration post to observe Qi Tian's shooting more closely and had relayed the situation.

Xu Guoqing was about to respond when a gunshot suddenly erupted before him. This time, Qi Tian had taken nearly twice as long to aim as he had before. And before Xu Guoqing could speak, a gasp came through the walkie-talkie:

"Oh, damn it all..."