Chapter 58
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Chapter 58: Line Up and Face Off
Splash!
The unexpected voice echoed like a splash of water into a pot of boiling oil.
“What? How could Da Li lose? Both he and the newcomer hit ten rings! There must be some mistake! It’s clearly a tie! Where did you see Da Li lose?” Voices of rebuttal immediately erupted in chaos.
“Look at the target paper, and you’ll understand,” the person who had suddenly jumped in insisted.
“Target paper? What’s so interesting about that?” The target papers returned from the automated equipment were being passed around, seemingly trying to find evidence of Da Li’s loss.
Suddenly, gasps of disbelief arose, followed by a series of gasps from those around.
Though no one spoke, Da Li felt something was wrong; someone had discovered the reason for his loss.
“What’s going on? This Old Hen really can turn into a duck?!” Da Li skeptically grabbed the target papers that others were comparing.
Each target paper, valued at five yuan, clearly displayed the shooting results of Lin Mo and Da Li’s recent firing.
“Look at the bullet holes!” someone quietly reminded Da Li and those still confused.
“Oh my!” Someone finally exclaimed.
Hearing this, Da Li stared at the target papers in his hand, snatched the ones from others to double-check, glancing left and right and finally realizing the truth. “What the…” Da Li muttered, his eyes growing wide.
“I lost!” Da Li completely lost his temper, the target papers clearly showing two entirely different styles of bullet holes. Lin Mo’s target paper had three circular holes that intersected evenly; each paper was exactly the same. Meanwhile, Da Li’s target showed a chaotic explosion of bullet holes in the center. Though all were within the 10-ring bullseye, the arrangements were irregular and distinct.
Everyone present were experienced gun enthusiasts; they all knew that hitting the bullseye wasn’t difficult, but achieving the precise, identical bullet holes like Lin Mo did required terrifying skill and control. After the first shot, the rifle’s muzzle would shift due to recoil and gunfire, making it hard to predict where subsequent shots would land. Yet Lin Mo managed to automatically regain his aim and replicate the miracle—his performance was almost superhuman.
However, if someone claimed that leaving just one bullet hole in the bullseye was truly impressive, that would only apply to single shots taken with careful aim. Achieving this with three-round bursts would take an event akin to a miracle.
The crowd gazed at Lin Mo with an involuntary hint of admiration. Their hit rates may have been the same, but his control of power stood evidently apart.
“I lost; here’s five hundred bucks for you!” Da Li, showing remarkable integrity, pulled out five crisp red bills from his pocket and stuffed them into Lin Mo’s pocket.
“Thanks!” Lin Mo, who had just been reimbursed by Gold Coin for a laptop and was in a tight spot financially, politely refused the money. He handed the rifle back to Da Li, saying, "This gun is really nice. Let’s train together more often!" With a swift motion of his wrist, Gold Coin’s pleased whisper echoed in his mind: “Exploration complete.” While no one was watching, it had soaked through this rifle from top to bottom, meaning Lin Mo could anytime transform into a similar weapon as long as he had ammunition.
This was truly remarkable for the army, but it had little significance for Lin Mo’s air force identity; after all, could a fighter pilot really take a gun to the battlefield?
“Which unit are you from? Your shooting skills are incredible?!” Da Li puzzled over which military might train someone so adept.
“I…” Lin Mo was about to respond when he heard a sharp, prolonged whistle. A booming voice called out, “Everyone, fall in!”
“Quick, go! Go!” Da Li’s expression changed as he hurriedly laid the gun back on the table and urgently said to Lin Mo, “Hurry to gather! If we’re even a second late, Feng will get us!”
Hearing the whistle and shouting, everyone immediately dispersed like scared birds, except for the logistics personnel. The remainder swiftly gathered at the small training center square, forming into neat lines.
As a newcomer, Lin Mo was unsure how to line up. He saw Old Hu, who was already in formation, signaling him toward a small group of just twenty people. Lin Mo nodded and quickly moved over.
Discipline—the core principle of a soldier—is paramount. Once the assembly command sounded, regardless of how busy one might be or what pressing matters awaited, everyone must halt and regroup first.
“Captain Lin, welcome to our air crew! I’m the air crew leader, Pan Rongyong.” A middle-aged man in his forties, of average height and a weathered face, saluted Lin Mo with a welcoming smile. His countryman face showed the signs of age, with a long scar running from the corner of his mouth to his eye, the result of a long life filled with challenges. He wore a faded training uniform, and this was Lin Mo’s future squad leader.
Leader Pan clearly recognized Lin Mo, gesturing for him to come over. “Come, stand here with me.”
Lin Mo quickly returned the salute and stepped into formation, exchanging a few glances with the others as a form of greeting.
The scene divided into operational squads and various departments, each quickly organizing and reporting in. Within just fifteen seconds, everyone had assembled.
A dark-skinned man, built sturdily like a sculpture filled with iron, stood at the front of all the formations. His stern face regarded everyone, and he wore a green whistle around his neck—he had just issued the command to gather.
The air crew leader, Pan Rongyong, winked at Lin Mo, who nodded back. The soldier standing before everyone was none other than Colonel Feng Chenye, the commander of ‘Night.’
“Report! First squad assembled! Expected sixty-seven members, present sixty-six!”
“Second squad assembled! Expected fifty-five members, present fifty-five.”
“Third squad assembled! Expected sixty members, present fifty-one.”
“Fourth squad assembled! Expected forty members, present forty.”
“Fifth squad assembled! Expected fifty-one members, present fifty-one.”
“Equipment team has completed assembly! All present!”
“……”
The powerful reporting voices echoed across the wide training ground from various formations of different sizes.
Lin Mo saw Da Li and others he had met the previous night standing in the first squad, indicating they were also frontline combat troops. No wonder they handled guns and tactics so skillfully.
After all the leaders reported their assembly statuses, Colonel Feng Chenye, the commander of “Night,” slowly scanned everyone with a serious expression. His tone held no joy or sorrow, yet his words were exceptionally clear: “Today, I’ve gathered everyone here to announce the commendation from higher-ups for the fifth squad for successfully completing their combat mission. Last week, the fifth squad killed one hundred twenty-one terrorists and captured seven, with no casualties among themselves. Therefore, all members of the fifth squad are awarded a collective third-class merit.”
A wave of enthusiastic and synchronized applause erupted without anyone leading it.
Colonel Feng raised his hand, and the applause instantly ceased. He turned his gaze toward the aircrew group and called out loudly, “Captain Lin Mo, step forward!”
“Present!” Lin Mo instinctively took three steps forward. Since arriving in this world, the discipline of a soldier had been deeply ingrained in his very being.
“Welcome, Comrade Lin Mo, to ‘Night’! Starting today, he will be our fighter pilot, providing aerial reconnaissance and fire support for combat troops. Let’s welcome him!” Colonel Feng deliberately spoke in an encouraging tone.
Once again, applause rang out, this time accompanied by murmurs of confusion and disbelief. Many in the crowd looked as though their eyes were about to pop out.
“Da Li! What’s that expression on your face? Aren’t you welcoming the new comrade?!” Colonel Feng’s face immediately grew stern as he spotted Li Xiuwen, the machine gunner from the first squad, who had reacted the most.
“N-no!” Da Li shook his head vigorously, not daring to question the severity of Colonel Feng. He stuttered, “H-he shouldn’t be assigned to the ground troops?”
The others, especially those who had met Lin Mo the night before, wore expressions of understanding.
Given that power and marksmanship, shouldn’t he excel in ground combat? How could he suddenly become a fighter pilot, so far removed from ground operations? Was the air force now so powerful that they were taking over the army’s tasks? Was this really how they treated their comrades?
Colonel Feng’s expression hardened, indicating his irritation with Da Li’s disruption. “Didn’t you hear? Captain Lin Mo is a fighter pilot, a member of the aircrew!”
“But…” Seeing the colonel’s displeasure, Da Li swallowed his words and snapped to attention, saying, “Yes, sir!” He dared not speak further, but he was still confused. With superior marksmanship and strength, was he not supposed to be a trump card for ground combat? Why was he now becoming a member of the air force? Shaking his head secretly, he couldn’t make sense of it.
The authority of the commander of “Night” was beyond question.
It wasn’t just Da Li who was confused; others also filled with questions.
“Dismissed!” Colonel Feng finally glanced over everyone to conclude the assembly.
A rugged-looking, red-faced man strode up to Lin Mo, extended his hand, and greeted him with a smile, “Captain Lin, I am Huang De, the captain of the first squad. Welcome to our unit! I hope you’ll support us more in the future. You met my men Da Li and the others last night, right? Don’t mind them, they’re just a bunch of troublemakers! If you have time, get together with them.”
Da Li and the others at a distance gave thumbs up to Lin Mo, flashing cheerful gestures.
Despite Captain Huang’s rough appearance, he likely knew about Lin Mo’s capabilities from his men, which is why he came over to say hello. In grassroots combat units, strength determined status; mere connections wouldn’t compel respect.
