Capítulo 5: Observer
Recalling the scene on the submarine, Qin Chuan began to believe that his current situation made more sense.
The so-called "golden submarine" wasn't transporting gold at all. Besides the fact that a submarine couldn't carry much gold, there was also the notion of a "comeback."
Anyone would know that the chances of Hitler making a comeback after his defeat were almost nonexistent. Even if there was an opportunity, gold would not be what could help him rise again.
Unless...
The submarine was transporting some sort of advanced technology capable of time travel. That would be a different story. It seemed Hitler had planned to use this technology to travel back in time and either try again or correct his mistakes. The terrifying part was that the technology actually worked, though Hitler hadn't had the chance to use it, and Qin Chuan ended up being the one who stumbled upon it.
And so, Qin Chuan found himself here...
"Friedrich!" The baker called out to Qin Chuan from a few meters away, "From today on, you'll be with Josef!"
He then turned to Josef and said, "Josef, take care of Friedrich. You know what to do!"
"Yes, Sergeant!" Josef straightened up and saluted the baker, then casually packed the last few items into his backpack, slung it over his shoulder, and adjusted the straps as he walked over to Qin Chuan. "So, you're my spotter now!"
"Spotter?" Qin Chuan was taken aback. It was only then that he noticed the scope mounted on Josef's rifle—Josef was a sniper.
Josef was a trained sniper, a graduate of the Berlin Sniper School, known by the nickname "Trigger." Soldiers on the battlefield often gave each other simple, easy-to-remember nicknames, so in combat, they wouldn't struggle to call out for someone they needed. A nickname like "Trigger" was more intuitive and easier to recall, especially when you needed sniper support.
The unit continued to snake its way through the desert like a long serpent. Occasionally, a few sidecars would pass by—they were the scouts, divided into groups to reconnoiter ahead and around the unit, ensuring they wouldn't be ambushed by the enemy.
This task was extremely dangerous. Just yesterday, the unit had been ambushed because an entire platoon of thirty scouts had been wiped out. The British clearly planned it that way from the start because it was the only way to ensure their ambush wouldn't be discovered in advance.
"You must help me identify valuable targets!" Trigger said as he walked alongside Qin Chuan, handing him a pair of binoculars. "This is your weapon!"
Qin Chuan froze for a moment as he took the binoculars, noticing they were still stained with dark red blood.
"Yes," Trigger said, "My last spotter was killed in the previous battle. A piece of shrapnel took off half of his head, but fortunately, the binoculars weren't damaged!"
Hearing this, Qin Chuan couldn't help but shudder. Trigger seemed more concerned about the binoculars than the gruesome death of his comrade, and now Qin Chuan was about to be the next one using them.
"Do you know how to identify targets?" Trigger asked with a stern expression.
"No, I don't," Qin Chuan replied.
"You need to find the most critical person in the battle! It doesn't necessarily have to be an officer; it should depend on the situation. Officers are often good targets, but in a small skirmish, their command might not be as important as that of a machine gunner, mortar operator, or even another spotter... Killing them could help us win faster and more effectively, understand?"
Trigger's explanation was brief, perhaps reflecting his personality, or maybe because he'd already explained this countless times to other spotters who'd worked with him.
"Understood," Qin Chuan replied, though he couldn't help but think that he might be better suited to his old job—transporting ammunition.
But Qin Chuan had no choice; he had to adapt to his new role.
Trigger seemed eager to impart all of his extensive sniper knowledge to Qin Chuan as quickly as possible, so he continued:
"After you fire, whether you hit the target or not, you must relocate. Staying in one place will only make you a target for the enemy!"
"If a target is running, you need to calculate the lead. That way, the bullet will hit him!"
"But how much lead should I give?" Qin Chuan asked.
"You should know that the lead will vary depending on the distance and the speed at which the enemy is running!"
"Oh!" Qin Chuan realized that this was indeed a technical job, and so far, he hadn't even fired a shot.
"You'll learn," Trigger said coldly, noticing Qin Chuan's overwhelmed expression.
Trigger's tone was so casual that Qin Chuan believed his words meant... if he didn't learn, he wouldn't live long.
Qin Chuan was well aware of this as well. War doesn't give you a second chance. One reason Trigger was so eager to "stuff" all this information into Qin Chuan was that time and opportunities were scarce in war. They couldn't afford to teach and train soldiers slowly, as they would in school.
After some thought, Qin Chuan decided to start by familiarizing himself with his equipment:
He was wearing the standard uniform of the German Army: a gray-green tunic, gray trousers, and black boots. The 5th Light Division had been hurriedly deployed to Africa, so they hadn't had time to switch to desert gear.
He also had a belt, a steel helmet, and a dog tag hanging from a chain around his neck. The dog tag was an oval piece of metal that could be split in half, with the soldier's information recorded on both halves. When a soldier was killed, a comrade would break off half of the tag to notify the family.
Qin Chuan hoped that this dog tag would never have to be used.
The collar of his uniform had a round dot insignia indicating Qin Chuan's low rank as a private. The uniform had two outer pockets, as well as an inner pocket designed for personal documents, where Friedrich's soldier's ID was kept.
The belt buckle was engraved with an eagle and the motto "Gott mit uns" (God with us). The belt also had six pouches for ammunition clips, each capable of holding ten rounds.
He also carried a spade, which was attached to the left rear of his belt. The spade was folded for convenience—clearly meant for digging fortifications.
On his back was a field pack for carrying food and other items. Attached to the pack were a canteen and a cup.
One piece of equipment in his pack made Qin Chuan uneasy: a gas mask set, complete with a mask and some tablets. This reminded him that chemical warfare, including gas attacks, was still a reality in World War II.
Qin Chuan wasn't unaware of these things; he'd studied them as historical facts. But now that he was living through it, the experience was completely different.
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