Chapter 38: The Ultimate Mind, An Outrageous Photographic Memory

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“Bang!”

Qi Tian’s shot did not keep Xu Guoqing waiting long.

After a month of practicing against moving targets, he had already perfected his ability to seize the precise moment to fire, even when the margin for error was almost imperceptible.

More than 1,400 meters away, the veteran retrieved the coin, secured another one in place, and began the second round of testing.

Shooting with such precision could never be judged on a single attempt. Multiple rounds were required to ensure that the subject’s marksmanship had been elevated to the level of hitting the mark every time.

“Bang, bang, bang!”

After the three shots, the veteran in charge of recording the results waved a small yellow flag.

It was the signal that the test had ended and the results were about to be announced.

“How did Qi Tian do in the extreme-distance shooting test?”

The moment he saw the veteran approaching, Xu Guoqing hurried forward to ask.

But the veteran was so excited that he could not speak. Trembling, he simply handed several fragments of metal into Xu Guoqing’s hands.

The instant Xu Guoqing saw them, he understood the veteran’s strange state.

Because he was experiencing the same sensation himself.

“Commander… Commander, Qi Tian hit every target in the 1,400-meter coin-shooting test!

“However, all four coins were shattered by the high-precision rounds. Just look at this…”

It was the first time Xu Guoqing had ever stammered in front of Li Yunfei.

The expressions of the officers around him became even more remarkable after hearing the report.

There was only one way to describe today’s assessment of Qi Tian: an eye-opening experience.

Not for any other reason, but because Qi Tian’s performance had been flawless so far, without a single weakness.

Most importantly, he had now completed four tests and broken the record in all four.

As for the fifth test—the military knowledge examination—could that possibly pose any difficulty for him?

They had witnessed Qi Tian’s photographic memory long ago!

“This is truly eye-opening! Today has really been an eye-opening experience!”

Li Yunfei slapped his thigh and said solemnly to Xu Guoqing, “Xiao Xu, go tell the comrades in the publicity department to immediately turn Qi Tian’s monthly assessment into a report for the military newspaper.

“Clear everything from the exhibition boards and replace it with today’s results.

“This time, our Iron Fist Regiment is going to make a fine showing before the entire 386th Brigade—and perhaps even the entire Southeast Military Region!”

After saying this, Li Yunfei glanced discreetly to one side.

Only after confirming that Leng Qiangguo had no objections did he wave at Xu Guoqing. “Go on! What are you waiting for?”

“Yes, sir!”

Xu Guoqing answered and immediately went to carry out the order.

As for Qi Tian’s fifth test, he understood that he was probably no longer going to be the examiner.

The commander, Li Yunfei, had sent him to the publicity department for a reason. He not only wanted Qi Tian’s astonishing assessment results announced to every soldier in the Iron Fist Regiment, but also intended to send Xu Guoqing away deliberately.

Clearly, he wanted to personally take part in Qi Tian’s final test.

The commander of a regiment personally examining a new recruit sounded far too extraordinary to say aloud, which was why Li Yunfei had made such an arrangement.

It gave him a perfectly reasonable opportunity to serve as Qi Tian’s examiner.

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“Qi Tian, beautifully done. Do you need to rest before we continue?”

After watching Qi Tian put away the T5000 high-precision sniper rifle, Li Yunfei rose and asked him directly.

Hearing this, Qi Tian shook his head without hesitation. “No need, Commander. I’m ready for the assessment at any time.”

“Excellent. Then let’s go to the conference room. I’ll be your examiner personally.”

Leng Qiangguo had clearly stated earlier that he had come only to observe Qi Tian’s genuine performance in the army and would not participate in any part of the assessment.

Therefore, Li Yunfei immediately announced that he would personally take the field and bring Qi Tian’s astonishing monthly assessment to its conclusion.

Such a thing was unprecedented not only in the Iron Fist Regiment, but in the armed forces as a whole.

It was already rare for a busy infantry regiment commander to take the time to observe new recruits during their monthly assessment.

As for personally participating in the examination of a new recruit, that had once been utterly unimaginable.

Yet Qi Tian had made it happen.

And Li Yunfei felt deeply honored by it.

…

Twenty minutes later, inside the highest-level conference room at the Iron Fist Regiment headquarters.

Qi Tian stood at the front of the room, his expression solemn and his posture straight as a pine.

Below him sat a group of officers led by Li Yunfei, each holding a thick booklet and wearing a different expression.

“In the past, when new recruits took the military knowledge examination, we asked only the most basic questions.

“After all, they have not been in the army for long. Their awareness has not yet been properly developed, and their military knowledge remains shallow.

“These things take time to cultivate. Everything must proceed step by step.

“But you are different, Qi Tian. My minimum requirement for you is a perfect score.

“Furthermore, everything I ask from here on will concern the most obscure, least-noticed, and most difficult material to memorize. Are you prepared?”

After several breaths, Li Yunfei looked up at Qi Tian. His expression changed, and he asked in a solemn voice.

Qi Tian’s answer was still the five words most commonly heard in the army:

“Always ready!”

“Very good. I now declare that your final assessment begins!”

With that, Li Yunfei closed the booklet in his hands and said to Qi Tian, “Let us begin with the highest honor you have received so far.

“During the courage-training exercise, Lin Mang nearly lost his life beneath a Type 15 light tank because of psychological difficulties.

“At the critical moment, you stepped forward and rescued him, earning an individual third-class merit award.

“Now, tell us the specifications of the Type 15 light tank. Be precise. Every specification, without leaving out a single one.”

“The Type 15 light tank weighs thirty-five tons. Its hull is 7.5 meters long, 3.3 meters wide, and 2.5 meters high. Its overall length, including the gun barrel, is 9.2 meters. It carries no more than three crew members.

“The power unit is equipped with a 1,000-horsepower electronically controlled diesel engine, connected to a fully automatic hydro-mechanical transmission capable of pivot turns.

“Its maximum road speed is seventy kilometers per hour, its maximum off-road speed is fifty kilometers per hour, and its maximum range on a full tank is 450 kilometers.

“In terms of armament, the main gun is a 105-millimeter rifled cannon equipped with a new-generation bustle-mounted automatic loader and carrying approximately thirty-eight rounds.

“It can fire fin-stabilized discarding-sabot armor-piercing rounds, multipurpose shaped-charge rounds, high-explosive fragmentation shells, and gun-launched missiles.

“Its secondary weapons include one 7.62-millimeter machine gun, one 12.7-millimeter machine gun, and either a 30-millimeter or 40-millimeter automatic grenade launcher.

“Its maximum fording depth is no more than 1.1 meters. Its obstacle-crossing limit includes climbing a vertical wall 0.85 meters high and crossing a trench 2.5 meters wide. Report complete!”

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Qi Tian’s answer was swift and precise.

Not only had he omitted none of the figures, he had not gotten a single one wrong.

Even the order, pauses, and wording were exactly the same as those in the booklet. It was no different from watching him read directly from the page.

“Qi Tian, this… Your photographic memory is simply outrageous!”

Li Yunfei swallowed involuntarily, his face filled with delight.

“I’ve met people who claimed to have excellent memories, and even those who described themselves as having photographic memories.

“I have to admit, they could memorize things quickly.

“But none of them could recite the original text word for word the way you just did.

“Right now, I genuinely want to open your skull and see what’s inside—is it a brain or a computer chip?”

“If the commander wishes, I can recite the entire military knowledge encyclopedia in your hands and guarantee that not a single word will be wrong.”

Qi Tian had prepared long ago to astonish everyone present and break the record.

Nor was his bold declaration an exaggeration.

With the ability granted to him by the system, it was not merely one booklet he could memorize.

Even ten or a hundred booklets would pose no problem.

As long as Qi Tian looked through them once, he could recite them in their entirety without difficulty.

The moment he said this, Leng Qiangguo could no longer remain seated.

He set down the booklet in his hands, thought for a moment, and then called out to Li Yunfei.

“There is no point in continuing to question him from this encyclopedia. I believe what he says.

“Count this fifth test as another record broken, and report his result as reciting the entire text.

“But now, I want to test him on something new.

“For example, whether he can truly memorize an entire text after seeing it only once.

“Find me three sheets of white paper. I will fill them with irregular numbers.

“Qi Tian, I will give you ten minutes to memorize them.

“If your final accuracy exceeds eighty percent, I will give you an opportunity.

“An opportunity that other soldiers might struggle and toil for years to obtain, and still never receive.”