Chapter 35: Shock
“Brothers, if we can’t even make it through this challenge, how can we call ourselves snipers?”
“We didn’t join the army to be pampered officers, to live in peace and comfort!”
“We’ll eat!”
Bo Dehai steadied himself, rallying the others with encouragement.
Without hesitation, he walked over to the table, picked up a rat, pinched its hind legs, and tore it in half. Its entrails spilled messily onto the ground.
“Keep your eyes open!” Gu Jianfeng said to Bo Dehai.
Bo Dehai forced his eyes open, glanced at the rat in his hand, and suppressed the urge to vomit before taking a bite.
“Slow down, watch out for the bones!”
“Why are you so reckless!” Gu Jianfeng shook his head, exasperated.
The pungent, nauseating stench finally overcame Bo Dehai’s self-control. He squatted to the side and began to retch.
“Not bad, someone’s taken the lead!”
“And the rest of you? Will you leave, or give it a try?”
Gu Jianfeng addressed the seven remaining men.
They hesitated for a moment, then exchanged glances, determination settling in their eyes as they stepped toward the table.
The writhing insects, the sluggish water snakes, the foul-smelling rats—every instinct screamed at them to stay away.
“Eat!”
All seven picked up something from the table and slowly brought it to their mouths.
The sound of retching echoed one after another.
These were things they would normally recoil from, things they’d never imagined putting in their mouths, yet now they forced them down.
An hour later, they sat on the ground, utterly spent, their faces pale as if recovering from a grave illness.
“Look at you, what a sorry bunch! Stand up straight!”
Gu Jianfeng’s voice rang out suddenly.
Only then did the eight realize Gu Jianfeng was still beside them. They’d been so absorbed in their ordeal, they’d forgotten his presence.
Startled, they scrambled to their feet, standing in a line—though their legs were shaky, and their formation was a sorry sight.
“I have some bad news for you,” Gu Jianfeng said gravely.
Everyone tensed, anxiety rising in their hearts.
“Congratulations—you’ve made it through Hell Week!” Gu Jianfeng’s expression softened, and he addressed them warmly.
They looked at one another in disbelief.
A moment later, a thunderous cheer erupted. They hugged each other in celebration.
Tears glimmered in Bo Dehai’s eyes.
Though this wasn’t the selection training for Sirius, he knew from the commander that Gu Jianfeng before him was from Sirius. In a sense, he had passed the Sirius selection.
“But don’t be too quick to celebrate!”
“Passing my selection isn’t necessarily good news!”
“In fact, it may be the beginning of the hardest days of your military lives!”
“The stronger you become, the greater your responsibility!”
“You eight—henceforth, you are the seed candidates. I will train you in every aspect of sniping!”
“If you dedicate yourselves, I’ll turn every one of you into elite snipers!”
“Are you ready?”
Gu Jianfeng’s voice rose as he addressed them.
“Always ready!”
“Always ready!”
“Always ready!”
None of them had ever imagined they would one day stand at the summit, looking down upon their peers.
Whenever anyone asked about the source of their extraordinary achievements, their eyes would flash with deep reverence, and they would answer respectfully, “Because we are the Eight Devils, trained by the Judge.”
The Judge decides life and death;
The Eight Devils, even ghosts fear to meet.
“Next, I’ll be going to the theater’s military dog skills competition, so I won’t have time to train you myself. Here is the training schedule I’ve arranged for you. Go back and practice according to it!”
“When I return from the competition, there will be an assessment. If any of you fail, you’ll answer to me!”
Gu Jianfeng looked at them all.
“Sir, I have a request!” Leng Feng spoke up, seeing that Gu Jianfeng was in a good mood.
“Let’s hear it,” Gu Jianfeng replied coolly.
“Sir, I’ve always wanted to know what level of skill a top sniper has. Could you give us a demonstration?”
“So you’re putting me on the spot, are you?”
“Do the rest of you want to see?”
“We…”
Before anyone could answer, someone next to them kicked him back into line.
They had learned—when in doubt, say nothing.
“Fine, I’m in a good mood today. Bo Dehai, fetch the Type 88 sniper rifle and bring a scope as well,” Gu Jianfeng instructed.
“Yes, sir!” Bo Dehai responded and dashed off to the armory.
Soon, he returned with the Type 88 sniper rifle and a scope.
“The Type 88 sniper rifle, 5.8mm caliber, shares ammunition with the Type 95 rifle, bullpup design, total weight 4.1kg, length 920mm, barrel length 620mm, 10-round magazine, effective range 800 meters,” Gu Jianfeng explained, pointing to the rifle in Bo Dehai’s hands.
“See that willow tree in the distance? There’s a ribbon caught on it, blown there by the wind. I’ll hit it with a single shot—do you believe me?” Gu Jianfeng pointed toward a willow tree far away.
Following his gesture, the others squinted into the distance. They could just make out the shape of the tree, but its branches were a blur—never mind spotting any ribbon.
Gu Jianfeng took the sniper rifle from Bo Dehai and signaled him with a glance.
Bo Dehai raised the scope for a closer look. Sure enough, a ribbon fluttered in the breeze atop the willow.
“Sir, that’s got to be at least fifteen hundred meters away!” Bo Dehai exclaimed in disbelief.
“Keep your eyes on it,” Gu Jianfeng said with a smile.
Bo Dehai fixed his gaze on the ribbon through the scope, not daring to blink.
Gu Jianfeng raised the rifle, took aim, and fired.
The whole process took just a second—one smooth, seamless motion.
“So, what happened?” Leng Feng couldn’t help but ask when he saw Bo Dehai standing stunned.
“Sir—reporting in—the target… was hit!” Bo Dehai stammered, swallowing hard.
“Go bring the ribbon here,” Gu Jianfeng said, smiling lightly.
“Yes, sir!” Bo Dehai replied.
As he handed the ribbon to Gu Jianfeng, his hands trembled uncontrollably.
There was a small, clean hole in the ribbon, impossible to miss.
Gu Jianfeng took it and held it up before everyone.