Capítulo 16: Chapter 16: Waiting for Rabbits by Guarding a Stump

Upon spotting the target, both individuals were thrilled. They each raised their sniper rifles and began observing through the sniper scopes. Luo Zheng did not recognize them and saw a group of Westerners, among whom there was an Eastern man, around fifty years old, looking like a school professor. He couldn't help but feel puzzled as he lowered his rifle and looked toward Lan Xue, asking, "Is it them?"

"No doubt about it," Lan Xue said, her face ashen, her eyes filled with towering hatred.

Luo Zheng became alarmed and curious as to why Lan Xue hated them so much, but without asking further, he said, "What do we do next? Is the Eastern man their leader?"

"Remember, that Eastern man is a traitor. It's best if we capture him alive, otherwise, he must be killed," Lan Xue said through clenched teeth, her aura of murderous intent growing even denser. She set down her sniper rifle, turned her head towards Luo Zheng, and instructed seriously, "If I die, you must kill that Eastern man, understand?"

"Can you tell me why?" Luo Zheng asked in surprise.

"Traitor, carrying national strategic level secrets, must be killed," Lan Xue said coldly, her expression icy as if frozen by severe cold, devoid of any emotion. After loading her bullet, she continued, "Remember this place. We'll split up and flank, fight independently. If we get separated, meet back here."

"Roger that," Luo Zheng burst with the will to fight, readily agreeing. Thinking of his brothers' vengeance, he no longer hesitated and decisively headed to one side, his steps firm and powerful.

"Remember, stay alive," Lan Xue suddenly said.

Luo Zheng paused midstride, turned his head, and saw a hint of something different in Lan Xue's icy eyes, clearly concern. Feeling moved, he nodded firmly and said, "Stay alive." With that, he walked off to the side.

For a new soldier, combat and killing can be tense and frightening experiences, and many are even too afraid to face them. But Luo Zheng's mind was filled with hatred, and after having faced several life-threatening situations and even having killed a man in a chaotic shootout, he had no negative emotions. He quickly found a seemingly solid large tree on higher ground, with many other trees in front for cover, which according to Lan Xue, was a terrain not easily targeted by the enemy.

One side of the tree was on lower terrain, forming a natural trench. Luo Zheng quickly lay down, lifted his rifle coldly, and through the sniper scope, he rapidly searched for his target. He soon had a clear view of the enemy, but the distance was too far for him to determine accurately. He could only make an approximate estimate and frantically recalled the shooting skills Lan Xue had taught him.

Under normal circumstances, the trajectory of a bullet is parabolic. A pistol bullet generates a noticeable deviation at 15 meters, and for a rifle, it's around 70 meters. Depending on the distance, the bullet might hit any point along the vertical line of the crosshair. Being a sniper is not about simply lining up the enemy with the crosshair, as the sniper scope is not a guide but a reference tool. To accurately hit a target, a sniper must be able to estimate the target's distance correctly.

Besides distance, factors like wind speed, visibility, light refraction, and the magnification and lens quality of an optical sniper scope, all affect the accuracy of sniping. Luo Zheng learned a lot of related knowledge from Lan Xue, but he lacked hands-on experience. It was his first time handling a sniper rifle, and he had never fired a single bullet, so he had no confidence at all.

After aiming for a while, Luo Zheng still couldn't be sure he could hit the target. Suddenly, he remembered Lan Xue's advice to act as a "dirt sprayer" if he indeed felt unsure, to just let go of all hesitation. When playing a "dirt sprayer", he would carefully aim; within a hundred meters, Luo Zheng could hit wherever he pointed. This time, however, the enemy was over a kilometer away, and the lead needed for his own bullets was different.

Luo Zheng thought it over and roughly judged the shooting position based on factors like wind and light. He tried to get a feel for it, but still had no confidence. He shifted a bit more, still no confidence, and then a bit more.

After making adjustments more than ten times, Luo Zheng still felt unsure. Suddenly, he heard a gunshot. His heart leaped, and he reflexively pulled the trigger. Through the sniper scope, he could see the scene of the sniper bullet roaring out, which was shocking and astonishing. Soon after, Luo Zheng saw someone get blown away, a spurt of blood gushing from their chest.

Luo Zheng guessed that the shot just now had been fired by Lan Xue. Looking more carefully, he spotted someone with their head blown apart. The others dodged rapidly and all concealed themselves in the woods, disappearing from view. Luo Zheng knew the element of surprise was lost, and what followed would be a desperate fight. Fortunately, his shot had hit someone by accident, so even in death, he had someone to cushion the fall.

The enemy was extremely strong. Approaching carelessly would be suicide. Luo Zheng decided to stay hidden and not move, looking around for better sniping positions. Convincing himself, he abandoned the thought of moving; although this was contrary to sniping common sense, this location was most likely to be discovered.

Before long, Luo Zheng heard gunshots from the opposite side again, knowing that Lan Xue was engaging with the enemy. Hiding here made him feel a bit cowardly. After some thought, Luo Zheng decided to stay put and wait for a chance, playing "guard and wait for the rabbit." Given the enemy's capability, it seemed impossible for them not to discover this position. Waiting at ease, if he could kill another enemy, it would be perfect.

Suddenly, Luo Zheng spotted a Black Shadow in the woods ahead. He quickly searched with his sniper scope, but the trace was gone. He was startled to realize he had underestimated these people's speed. He became very alert and soon noticed the enemy had closed in, and their rapid advance had slowed down.

Luo Zheng wanted to aim and shoot, but found the enemy's movement was too quick. Their landing points were always blocked by trees, completely obscuring them from sight. Then he remembered Lan Xue's theory about how three trees could form a blind spot. He noticed that after every move, the enemy's hiding spot was always behind three or more trees that blocked Luo Zheng's line of sight, making it impossible to take an effective aim, leaving him to watch helplessly as the enemy approached.

"I must think of something," Luo Zheng thought to himself, leaning against a large tree, and began to observe his surroundings. Normally, the best option in such a situation would be to change to a new sniping position. However, moving now could easily expose him. Luo Zheng, acknowledging his inferior speed and skills compared to the enemy, didn't dare take the risk. He didn't even dare to breathe heavily, nor to harbor any intent to kill. The intent to kill could make one emit a killing aura, and these enemies were very sensitive to that, which could expose him.

Recalling Lan Xue's teachings, Luo Zheng forced himself to stay calm, relaxing his body more and more. He started to focus on sensing the target's speed, distance, and approximate location. He adopted his family's Breathing Skill, breathing in and out slowly, evenly, and prolongedly. He cleared his mind of everything and kept telling himself that he had only one chance to fire.

After a while, Luo Zheng began to hear the faint, nearly undetectable sound of leaves breaking. The footsteps grew closer. He was well aware of the enemy's capabilities. To dodge, aim, and pull the trigger would take at least one second. Lan Xue had said that one second was enough time for an expert to do a lot, and it was simply impossible to hit them.

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