First Battlefield Commander! - Chapter 10
Chapter 10: Sniping
The next day at five in the morning, the instructors came to rouse everyone again. As expected, the day's activity was individual combat exercises.
They began with drawing lots to assign numbers to all participants. Lian Sheng barely managed to draw a number in the first half - 281. Zheng Lei and Shen Yu got middle-range numbers, while Meng Jiangwu was unlucky, drawing a number beyond 700.
Although they were already third-year students who had participated in two previous exercises, the instructors still painstakingly reiterated the rules each time. There were always disobedient students, and even one could be disastrous.
Instructor Fu barked: "Under no circumstances are you allowed to remove your protective gear during the activity. Let me repeat - absolutely no removing bulletproof gear on the mountain!"
"Each person still gets ten bullets. Anyone who exhausts their ammunition without resupplying within half an hour will be eliminated. Those hit in vital areas with their signal lights extinguished will also be eliminated. All eliminated members must remain where they are!" Instructor Fu continued, "If you're 'dead,' then properly play the role of a corpse. Wait for instructions - an instructor will come to escort you out. No moving, no speaking, no giving hints to others. Any behavior affecting others' performance will result in point deductions, with severe cases leading to disqualification! Understood?!"
The students stood at attention: "Understood!"
Instructor Fu pointed to the supply station: "Students numbered 1 to 200, go collect your equipment now. The last thirty should start preparing!"
Many were already there changing gear and preparing to ascend the mountain.
The activity would take place above the halfway point of the mountain.
To prevent overcrowding that might hinder students' freedom of movement, the first 200 would ascend at the start. As participants were eliminated, those further down the list would replace them until all had participated. The activity would end when fewer than fifty participants remained on the mountain.
The early climbers clearly had advantages - choosing sniper positions, competing for supplies, and simply having more time.
Lian Sheng asked: "What's the maximum time one can stay?"
If she could last until the end, her position in the 200s would be a significant advantage.
Meng Jiangwu said: "The signal lights' batteries only last twenty-four hours. So you'd be forced to withdraw when they die anyway."
Lian Sheng: "I see." That was still quite long.
"...What are you thinking? There are supply crates on the mountain but no toilets. And by the time you get there, even if you know where supplies are, you might not be able to retrieve them." Meng Jiangwu added, "Most people reach their limit after a few hours. Biological needs will urge you to finish quickly."
Lian Sheng: "..."
Lian Sheng decided she should use the bathroom now.
Those not preparing trained near the camp for an hour and a half, followed by a thirty-minute meal break.
The competition progressed faster than Lian Sheng expected. Perhaps because positioning was most fiercely contested at the start. By the time she returned from eating, about fifty had already been eliminated, and it was her turn to prepare.
Meng Jiangwu accompanied her to select weapons.
When they reached the front of the supply line, Meng Jiangwu asked: "Are you taking a pistol again?"
Lian Sheng: "Which weapon has the longest range, highest accuracy, and greatest lethality?"
Meng Jiangwu thought and said: "A sniper rifle?"
Lian Sheng immediately said: "I'll take a sniper rifle."
Meng Jiangwu: "..."
The administrator handed Lian Sheng a sniper rifle. As she took it, a vein bulged on her forehead - it was longer, larger, and heavier than she'd imagined. Highly inconvenient to carry.
Meng Jiangwu said helplessly: "Do you even know how to use it? Don't joke around. Just return it and stick to being a revolver gunslinger."
The administrator looked up and said: "In this terrain, sniping and ambushing are indeed suitable, especially for early participants. Most importantly, it should match your plan."
Meaning he approved of Lian Sheng's choice.
Lian Sheng asked: "How do I use it?"
The administrator gave her a strange look, bent down to rummage, and pulled out an instruction manual, tossing it to Lian Sheng: "Page 36, tutorial."
To think there were students who didn't even know how to use a gun?
As Meng Jiangwu tried to persuade her otherwise, a loudspeaker announced: "Attention: Today's training has begun. All personnel not in preparation must immediately return to their assigned squads!"
Instructor Fu was already waiting in position, the squad mostly formed. Not daring to delay, Meng Jiangwu could only jog over.
Lian Sheng stood to the side, skimmed the tutorial, grasped the essentials, returned it, changed into her gear, and lined up at the mountain's base.
This equipment set was more complete than last time, including a pair of glasses supposedly capable of trajectory analysis and night vision - practically a gunfight cheat device. Though they worked intermittently, with range varying unpredictably, requiring intuitive use.
She didn't wait long before an instructor led them up the mountain.
After half an hour at the mountainside, her signal light activated, officially starting the timer. Lian Sheng shouldered her rifle and began ascending.
Meng Jiangwu had been wrong about one thing.
While ammunition was the most useful item in supply crates, knowing crate locations' greatest advantage wasn't for personal use.
Those who knew about the marker signs - while not numerous - certainly weren't few either. And these were mostly veterans.
When seeing such a marker, you couldn't know whether its position was genuine, nor whether you were the only one who'd spotted it.
How many people like herself had moved markers? How many would remain expressionless upon finding one?
Different choices determined the next day's combat style.
The only certainty was that the first wave held clear advantages. They could retrieve supplies they'd previously scouted, then place the boxes in more visible locations. Even if the marked spot was wrong, no ambush would yet be set there. They could even reverse roles for counterattacks.
For early positioners, where were the best ambush points? Naturally, these supply drop locations.
Whether the positions Lian Sheng saw yesterday were real or fake, people would go there to snipe.
This was the markers' true purpose. Poor users were mantises; skilled users became orioles. And she would be the final hunter.
Number 281 wasn't in the first wave, but still decent.
Lian Sheng recalled yesterday's map, filtering the marked locations she'd seen. She settled on one whose authenticity she couldn't determine and headed there.
The spot met criteria and was highly visible. Anyone coming uphill would find an ideal ambush point to the upper left of the drop zone. She could countersnipe from the lower left.
Remembering no hiding spots near the lower left meant Lian Sheng would need distance - hence her sniper rifle choice.
To avoid mishaps, Lian Sheng began crawling through grass a hundred meters out.
Upon reaching her chosen position, she set up and aimed.
Perhaps luck was with her - within five minutes, two males approached cautiously from behind trees.
Their slow pace meant thorough observation, leading them to discover the supply crate hidden under weeds in a depression.
One rubbed his eyes in disbelief: "Hey? A supply crate! Haha, this luck is insane!"
His wary companion said: "Be careful."
"Out of ammo anyway - dead sooner or later," the optimistic one said. "I'll grab it; cover me."
With an accurate partner, this could work - after one ambush shot, the partner could retaliate based on the bullet's origin. Trading one for one when already out of ammo was worthwhile.
With trajectory analysis support, given quick enough reactions and good enough aim, it was feasible.
However. Lian Sheng adjusted her scope to observe the speaker. His unsteady grip suggested insufficient skill.
The boy cautiously surveyed his surroundings before crouching to reach for the crate. Nothing unusual occurred even as he lifted it.
Lian Sheng didn't know if anyone actually lay in ambush. She suspected so - the spot was too obvious. With over two hundred participants, surely someone had noticed? But she couldn't be certain.
Lian Sheng began counting down. If no shot came from ahead, she'd eliminate this lucky young man herself.
As the boy tested the crate's weight, confirming it was freshly stocked, and excitedly turned toward his companion, a dull pain struck his back.
Realizing he'd been ambushed, he dramatically cried out and fell, deliberately flinging the crate toward his friend.
What a quick-witted youth.
Simultaneously with the ambusher's shot, Lian Sheng swiftly adjusted aim and fired toward the bullet's origin.
The quick-witted youth's companion proved unworthy of his performance - hearing only two shots and seeing nothing, he assumed the sniper had fired twice. Startled, he jumped back trembling, let alone seeking revenge or retrieving the crate, and simply fled downhill.
Since uphill seemed more dangerous, he descended - delivering himself to Lian Sheng.
Lian Sheng readjusted and pulled the trigger.
Meanwhile, downhill...
After much pleading from students, Instructor Fu led them behind the scoring display, where he lingered.
Having students train nearby, he paced to the computer to check results.
The screen only showed participants' names.
Instructor Fu quickly scanned it, sighing deeply at familiar names all showing zero kills in the tally.
They were command students after all - best not expect too much.
As he turned to leave, the recorder exclaimed while drinking: "Wow—! Fastest double kill."
Instructor Fu whirled to look.
Lian Sheng's name topped the list, her kill count showing "2" barely thirty minutes after her mountain ascent began.
"Wow—!"
Exclamations surrounded them.
Meng Jiangwu, having quietly approached, forced a laugh: "What incredible luck..."
Then the number jumped to "3."
The crowd's exhaled amazement became inhaled shock, necks craning.
A massacre! What was happening?!
Someone whispered: "One more?"
As if answering, it instantly became "4."
Silence fell. Then everyone erupted.
"...Is this machine broken? Is it voice-activated or something?"
"Are people lining up to get shot? How? This has to be cheating!"
The recorder quietly radioed the monitoring room. After confirmation, he nodded: "Legitimate."
Expressions varied wildly.
Legitimate my ass! That makes it even more illegitimate!
The number finally stabilized, but eyes kept drifting to her name.
What sorcery was this?
Lian Sheng's third kill was accidental - the first "corpse" wasn't quite dead.
Initially thinking himself eliminated, he'd lain still awaiting extraction. Noticing no movement, he checked his signal light - not off, but red.
Wounded, not fatally. Hey! He was alive!
Excited, he planned to counterambush when approached. Waiting yielded nothing, so he peeked - only to catch two headshots.
The "corpse" froze: "..."
Lian Sheng also startled.
Wary of others nearby, she'd remained still until the corpse moved.
She'd guessed he might be feigning death.
She truly hadn't expected the unknown shooter earlier to miss a fatal shot at such close range.
Simultaneous with her shots came fire from her far left.
This area was truly a spider's web.
Without thinking, Lian Sheng fired toward the suspicious position. Reloading, she adjusted slightly and fired again. For safety, she shot four times total.
Her opponent fired and reloaded faster. Two bullets came her way, both missing.
Then clearly, someone shouted: "Holy shit!"
The instructor's voice came through the radio coldly: "Corpse talking. Minus one point."
Corpse Four: "..."
Corpse One still proudly held his head up, looking around confused.
Lian Sheng emerged, gesturing downward to the comrade who'd sacrificed himself and revealed three big fish: "Corpse, put your head down."
The guy nearly cried. This wasn't fair.
Now everything was confirmed.
Lian Sheng collected their guns and ammo.
Approaching the skilled shooter, she picked up his rifle.
Indeed another sniper rifle.
Corpse Four suddenly looked up and rapid-fired: "I know talking loses points but I must say! I was here before you! I didn't see your first shot's position but had your second located! My view was blocked so I couldn't tell your firing posture! Given two more shots I'd have hit you! But—"
He inhaled mournfully: "I ran out of ammo!"
Lian Sheng: "..."
Tearfully, he said: "Farewell!"
The radio: "Minus two points."
Corpse Four: "..."
Checking his magazine confirmed emptiness, so Lian Sheng returned the gun and left.
The supply crate held four ammo types totaling fifteen rounds. Combined with remnants from the four, usable or not, she had twenty-nine total.
The rifle was too heavy to carry extras, so she took an additional assault rifle for backup, all the ammunition, and moved to the next position.
So big brain 😆😆
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