BXBX NOVEL Chapter 258 - 258: Sniper Shooting
Regiment headquarters, in the office of the Company Commander of the Police Investigation Company.
As Wang Ye adjusted his position to take aim with his sniper rifle, the company commander of the police reconnaissance company sat sternly behind his desk. He was once again revising the training plan that the entire company had already gone through multiple times.
He had no other choice.
Recent events had been rather embarrassing!
It was one thing if the scout platoon had been less competent before. However, after a change in platoon leadership, the training program had been readjusted. Yet, despite these efforts, the Public Order Squad had failed to outperform even a new recruit, causing quite a commotion within the company.
During this period, the Chief of Staff hadn’t shown the slightest hint of a smile.
The situation was dire, and so the company’s training plan needed to be bolstered in every possible way.
There was no alternative. In peacetime, there were no military accomplishments to wash away one’s shame. If he wanted to change the perception of his unit, it had to be done through rigorous training.
“Ding, ding, ding!”
The sudden ringing of the phone on his desk interrupted his writing.
He glanced at the phone and rubbed his face with his hands, attempting to soften his expression, which had grown stiff from lack of smiles.
After two or three seconds, he answered the phone with a smile.
“Hello, is this the old class monitor?”
The phone number was quite familiar to him, given his position as the captain of the police investigation company. However, the real reason he remembered it so well was that the person on the other end of the line held great importance to him.
This individual was the squad leader of the new company and also the squad leader of the lower company.
“Company Commander Fu, it’s me.”
A cheerful voice greeted him from the other end.
“Hey, class monitor, I’ve told you not to call me ‘company commander’!” Fu Wei responded with a smile, his previous somber mood dissipating.
“Rules are rules. You called me ‘old class monitor,’ but 1 didn’t object, did I? We all refer to each other by our names. Why be so uptight?”
The voice on the other end might have been somewhat brusque, but Fu Wei simply smiled and concurred.
After some casual conversation, he finally turned to the purpose of the call.
“Old class monitor, there’s no break during this period. When there’s some time off, 1’11 bring over some wine to your place!”
“Sure, that sounds good. But I didn’t call you today just to chat,” the old class monitor on the other end of the line shifted to a more serious tone.
Old class monitor, is something the matter?” Fu Wei asked, his smile fading.
“Well, it’s not a major issue, actually. It’s just that a couple of days ago, you talked to me about that recruit who filed a group report. Do you still recall his name?”
“Wang Ye!”
Fu Wei’s smile vanished the moment the other party mentioned this name. Of course, since they were speaking over the phone, the old class monitor couldn’t see his expression.
“Yes, it’s him. Today, the 4th Company also came for target practice.
This guy was absolutely unbelievable.
He fired 19 shots with a Type 95 rifle at the 100-meter target, and not a single shot missed.”
“Hmm?” Fu Wei was taken aback, then furrowed his brow. “Old Class Monitor, are you pulling my leg?”
“Are you serious? I know you’ve been dealing with that deserter, so why would 1 call you now just to joke around?”
“Really?” Fu Wei stood up, his voice still tinged with skepticism.
The claim did sound quite preposterous.
Nineteen consecutive shots, twice, without missing a single target. He couldn’t fathom it. In his reconnaissance platoon, there might be someone who got lucky occasionally, hitting the target with more than ten shots.
But firing 19 rounds without missing twice in a row? It seemed utterly impossible.
“That’s right! 1 witnessed it with my own eyes just now. Currently, this young soldier is being observed by the commander of the fourth company.” The voice on the other end of the line affirmed. After a brief pause, they continued, “I know you’re going through a tough time. 1 genuinely believe this soldier has exceptional potential. Furthermore, it seems like a waste to keep him in an ordinary unit.
1 thought 1 should inform you. If possible, you should put in more effort. With such a remarkable soldier, you might have a bit of respite this year!”
The words from the other side instantly transformed Commander Fu, who had been initially astounded, into someone filled with bitterness.
“Old Class Monitor… Sigh, this matter… Well, let me be frank with you,” Fu Wei said with a bitter smile.
The individual on the other end of the line, the old class monitor, was actually stationed at the shooting range.
Initially, he had been a veteran scout in the reconnaissance platoon, but due to an injury, he was reassigned to guard the shooting range.
In fact, just the day before yesterday, the police detective company had visited the shooting range to lead the recruits in target practice. However, he hadn’t informed the old squad leader much about Wang Ye. He had only mentioned that he wanted Wang Ye no matter what, and the higher-ups were hesitant to intervene.
But now, with this call, he had no choice but to explain the situation.
The old class monitor was also taken aback.
He mainly stayed within the confines of the shooting range and didn’t venture out much. The information he gathered came primarily from the veterans of various companies who visited the shooting range. However, his interactions with them were limited, and he remained unaware of many concealed details.
He truly hadn’t expected such a fierce competition for this particular recruit.
The regiment’s chief of staff had already gotten involved, and even the regiment commander was in the mix. The division headquarters’ chief of staff had personally flown in to scout this talent.
This recruit was truly extraordinary…
“Sigh, what a waste of such a promising talent!” The old class monitor sighed on the phone.
Fu Wei remained silent, but deep down, he was equally disheartened.
Having an exceptional soldier right before his eyes yet unable to secure him – how could he not feel frustrated?
After chatting for a while longer, he ended the call. The more he pondered the situation, the more uneasy he became.
It primarily stemmed from the current state of the police investigation company. He genuinely needed a soldier like Wang Ye to boost morale and ignite the spark in others.
He contemplated what he had been doing during this period.
The police detective company had been humiliated entirely. Other companies within the regiment were mocking them, claiming that the police detective company was essentially cultivating a group of bosses who always kept their heads high but faltered when it came to actual tasks.
He clenched his fists tightly, and the muscles in his face were visibly tense.
H
No!” He exclaimed, standing up abruptly a few seconds later.
He needed to devise a plan to address this situation. That’s what he thought, and it was what he intended to do.
He exited his office and immediately headed upstairs to find the Chief of Staff.
“Sniper 88, equipped with an adjustable-white scope.
The magnification ranges from three to nine times.
During shooting, it’s typically set at nine times magnification. For observation, a lower magnification is used to achieve a wider field of vision!”
At the shooting range, not far from the 100-meter rifle range, Wang Ye lay down once more.
This time, he held not a Type 95 sniper rifle but an 88 sniper rifle.
With his gaze fixed on the scope, Wang Ye listened attentively to Wu Jianfeng’s explanations and instructions.
“The vertical reticle you see in the scope is the aiming point.
The 100-meter and 200-meter ranges share this aiming point for direct shooting.” Wu Jianfeng paused briefly before continuing, “The following six are aiming points for distances ranging from 300 to 800 meters. The ones on both sides are for range estimation…”
While Wu Jianfeng was explaining, Wang Ye was simultaneously putting it into practice. He held the 88 sniper rifle, which had no magazine, and began to verify what Wu Jianfeng had elucidated in the distance.
This was Wang Ye’s first time handling a sniper rifle, and it was significantly different from a standard rifle.
In essence, it was a weapon designed for sniping, and one had to be well-versed in using the scope.
Wu Jianfeng had a plethora of specialized terms for this scope.
For instance, “secret positon”…
Or terms like “range and elevation correction.” In any case, Wang Ye was momentarily bewildered by the jargon.
However, Wang Ye had an exceptional memory; he could recall everything he didn’t understand.
“Forget it, let’s start shooting!”
Wu Jianfeng picked up a walkie-talkie and called out, “How much longer?”
A moment later, Zhou Qi’s voice came through the walkie-talkie, “Company commander, I’m on my way!”
The shooting range had not been used earlier in the day, so Zhou Qi had gone ahead to set up the target.
After another ten seconds, Zhou Qi’s voice echoed through the walkie-talkie. “Report, you’re clear to fire!”
“Roger!”
Wu Jianfeng acknowledged and then handed a magazine to Wang Ye.
“Let’s give it a try. However, the first step is to see if you can accurately gauge the distance to the target.”
“Understood, sir!”
Wang Ye accepted the magazine and loaded it swiftly. He didn’t chamber a round yet but instead used the scope to focus on the lone target standing upright at the shooting range’s far end.
The target was crystal clear through the scope.
The ten-ring at the center of the target seemed almost within arm’s reach.
Wang Ye applied the technique Wu Jianfeng had just explained to estimate the distance.
“Company commander, confirmed at 300 meters!”
Indeed, Wu Jianfeng had instructed Zhou Qi to place the target at 300 meters.
As Wu Jianfeng put it, a sniper rifle at nine times magnification could effectively shoot at a target 100 to 200 meters away with almost no need to account for bullet drop. It was essentially like using a rifle with a straight-line trajectory. Hence, there was little challenge at this range, and they commenced the practice at 300 meters.
“Fire!” “Yes!” Wu Jianfeng gave the order, and Wang Ye complied. He pulled the bolt, disengaged the safety, held his breath, and began aiming.
Nine times magnification. Despite the fact that the scope made even the slightest movement appear magnified and more pronounced, Wang Ye’s rifle shooting skills were at their pinnacle.
He employed proper rifle shooting techniques and aimed at the second arrow-shaped target within the scope.
“Bang!” Deliberate aim, unintended discharge.
The gunshot was significantly louder and crisper than that of the Type 95 rifle.
In the next moment, Wang Ye sensed a slight recoil in his body and, through the scope on his rifle, observed the target once more.
“Nine ring, not bad!”
Wu Jianfeng, who had been observing Wang Ye through binoculars while he was firing, promptly announced the result.
Wang Ye had also seen the outcome, of course.
He had been aiming for the bullseye.
However, the bullet had landed in the lower right section of the target, where the ninth ring overlapped with the eighth.
The deviation was substantial.
The chest target’s bullseye had a radius of approximately five centimeters, and the ninth ring had a radius of about ten centimeters.
In essence, Wang Ye’s shot had missed the mark by almost 15 centimeters.
At 300 meters, using a sniper rifle with a scope, this result was somewhat surprising.
To be honest, Wang Ye had mentally prepared himself for the first shot to veer off course.
After all, Wu Jianfeng had mentioned that external factors could already influence the bullet’s trajectory at 300 meters.
This shot had been more of an experiment. Wang Ye had not accounted for wind speed at all, solely relying on the reticle in the scope for his aim.
Nonetheless, it was still a sniper rifle. Even at 300 meters, there was such a substantial discrepancy in his aim according to the crosshair…
“Don’t just stand there. The fact that your first shot hit the target is a good sign,” Wu Jianfeng’s voice resounded in his ears once more.
It wasn’t merely a platitude. Considering this was Wang Ye’s inaugural experience with sniping, hitting the target at a distance of 300 meters was actually quite commendable.
After all, the Sniper 88, despite its name, didn’t boast exceptional precision. At
300 meters, the bullet spread could extend as far as the seventh ring.
When using a high-powered scope for aiming and firing, it was entirely normal for the bullet to miss the target if the rifle wasn’t held perfectly steady.
Given these circumstances, Wang Ye achieving a shot in the nine-ring on his first attempt wasn’t astounding, but it was by no means disappointing.