Chapter 0008: Shock

After a short while, the Qing soldiers in front reported to General Nie Shicheng and others: "Returning to the Commander, Leader Li fired a total of 10 shots, each bullet hitting the target perfectly"

Li Gang gave Zhang Yi a cold smile and said, "Kid, don't say that I am bullying you; today, I will let you strike first"

Zhang Yi, standing to the side, smiled and said: "My lord, the competition is merely a game among brothers, why take it so seriously?"

Zhang Yi took out three copper coins from his pocket, smiled slightly at Li Gang, and with his left hand, tossed the three coins into the sky, rolling and tracing a beautiful arc.

Li Gang shouted angrily: "How to gamble?"

Li Gang angrily said: "You speak so lightly; as long as you relinquish the position of the new military commander and hand over those two pistols from the military gate to me, I will no longer compete with you!"

Thinking of this, Li Gang laughed heartily and said: "Thank you for your great favor, ha ha, these two fellows are finally going to fall into my hands, ha ha"

The Qing soldiers hurried down to prepare, and in an instant, the moving target was set up.

Nie Shicheng, suppressing the shock in his heart, said: "Alright, since Zhang Yi has emerged victorious, I will temporarily appoint Zhang Yi as the new camp commander, concurrently serving as the chief instructor of our Eighth Battalion, overseeing all matters related to the selection and training of the new camp. Should there be any needs, no battalion or department shall contravene this order; those who violate it will be dealt with according to military law! As for the position, I will naturally report to General Ye and Minister Li."

Zhang Yi still wore a faint smile on his face and replied, "My lord, I would not dare to take the lead. It is still you who should go first, and I shall follow behind."

Before long, the bodyguards returned with Nie Shicheng's twin pistols and magazines. Li Gang, Zhang Yi, and Nie Shicheng arrived at the shooting range, where the targets had already been set up not far away. Li Gang and Zhang Yi each inspected the firearms and ammunition, then took their positions about one hundred meters from the targets.

Li Gang's veins bulged high on his forehead as he shouted, "Don't just stand there, change the moving target for me! Let's compete again!"

Nie Shicheng nodded slightly; Li Gang's marksmanship is second to none in the military, so such achievements are not surprising

All the leaders bowed and said: "Yes, we will obey the order"

Nie Shicheng let out a helpless bitter laugh, knowing that Li Gang had a rough and bold temperament, and never held back in his speech. He deliberately snorted coldly and said: "You little brat, wait until you defeat Zhang Yi before saying such things."

Zhang Yi's expression showed no signs of change as Li Gang shouted towards the distance: "Begin!"

The personal guard of the attendant responded and went back to the command tent to retrieve the firearms

Zhang Yi looked at Nie Shicheng, who nodded in response

Zhang Yi was not in a hurry; with a flick of his right hand, as the gunfire erupted, three copper coins were struck by bullets and fell to the ground

Zhang Yi felt a jolt in his heart, realizing that Li Gang had already revealed his true capabilities in the competition. It was not that he was incapable of handling artillery; there was no military equipment in this world that he could not manipulate. However, the artillery exercises were too loud and might not be appropriate at this time

Everyone beside the picture book gasped in astonishment, as all ten shots hit the bullseye. While some among them could achieve this, it was likely difficult for anyone to do so with the same swiftness and precision as Zhang Yi

Nie Shicheng looked at Zhang Yi, who remained silent. With a casual motion, Zhang Yi drew his gun and fired at the target, shooting ten rounds in quick succession. Although Zhang Yi's current skills could not be considered top-tier, in terms of marksmanship, he was likely unmatched in the world. After all, he was a top special forces soldier from a later era, and his shooting speed surpassed even Li Gang.

Li Gang said with a voice full of resentment: "Military gate, what should we do? We have yet to determine a winner between the two of us"

Li Gang's face turned ashen; first, he had failed to defeat Zhang Yi, and second, it seemed that these two handguns would be difficult to obtain. Li Gang shouted angrily: "You little brat, if you have the ability, I wonder if you have learned how to handle a cannon? Shall we continue our competition then?"

The colleagues who came along all cheered. Li Gang turned around with a serious expression and said, "Kid, it's your turn now. I hope you won't let me down!"

At this moment, the entire venue was silent. If it could be understood that Li Gang, having served in the military for nearly twenty years, possessed such marksmanship, then what could be said about this newcomer who had only been in the army for half a year yet displayed such extraordinary shooting skills? Were these seasoned soldiers still allowed to live? Even Nie Shicheng was utterly astonished

Zhang Yi smiled faintly and said, "If Commander Li feels that the competition is not thrilling enough, I can accompany Commander Li for another round."

Even someone like Li Gang, who has always held a lofty opinion of himself, was utterly shocked, his face pale. If it had only been a single copper coin, he might have managed to cope, but it was three copper coins, struck in such a short time, and he found it impossible to achieve. He realized that today he had lost face, and it would be very difficult for him to regain it in this lifetime.

In 1889, the Mauser pistol was introduced in Germany, and its excellent performance quickly garnered the admiration of military circles worldwide, making it highly sought after. However, at that time, the Qing Dynasty had not yet begun to purchase them in bulk from Germany, and the high price of such firearms was beyond the financial means of the Qing court. Nie Shicheng exerted considerable effort to have someone procure two Mauser pistols from Germany, along with 1,000 rounds of ammunition. He regarded them as treasures and rarely displayed them. Today, due to their competition and in a moment of excitement, he instructed his bodyguards to bring out the guns and ammunition to enhance the occasion.

Zhao Shixiao gently walked up behind Li Gang, patted his shoulder, sighed, and said: "Brother, today we have fallen into the trap, let's admit it. It is still the military lord who has keen insight and recognizes talent."

The training ground was enveloped in silence

Li Gang raised his gun and shouted, "Start!" The Qing soldiers on the opposite side held up the moving target, swiftly shifting positions. This moving target had not yet become popular among the Qing army; it was merely something Li Gang used for practice when he had nothing else to do, and today it was just right for use. Li Gang took a deep breath, focused his mind, steadily raised his right arm, and quickly pulled the trigger. Bang, bang... another ten shots. Shortly after, a distant Qing soldier shouted, "Reporting to the commander, Leader Li still hits the bullseye with all ten shots, not a single miss!" Li Gang took a deep breath, focused his mind, steadily raised his right arm, and quickly pulled the trigger. Bang, bang... another ten shots. Shortly after, a distant Qing soldier shouted, "Reporting to the commander, Leader Li still hits the bullseye with all ten shots, not a single miss!"

After waiting for more than ten seconds, I finally heard the Qing soldier in front stammering, "Reporting to the Commander, Zhang Yi fired ten shots, hitting all ten, with each bullet striking the bullseye"

Li Gang's face instantly lit up with joy, his heart filled with delight. The important thing was not that these two handguns were rare, as he himself was also equipped with a handgun. The key point was that these were the beloved possessions of an adult, rarely shown to others. Today, taking advantage of the competition, they unexpectedly became a prize. Wasn't this indirectly a gift for him?

Nie Shicheng smiled at Li Gang and said: "Li Gang, I know that you have long coveted my two pistols and have been asking me for them. Today, I will grant you a stroke of fortune. Since I am pleased, I will present these two Mauser pistols as a prize for the contest between the two of you, along with the ammunition. Whoever can win will receive them. Whether you can obtain them depends on your skill."

"Everyone disperse, Zhang Yi, follow me back to the tent," Nie Shicheng said淡淡, and then strode away.

"Hiss," everyone was stunned. How is this even possible? That was a copper coin the size of a thumb, and it was moving at high speed in the air, instantly hit by three shots from Zhang Yi. Such marksmanship is unheard of!

Nie Shicheng turned to his attendant and said: "You go to the command tent and bring my Mauser pistol, and also bring two extra magazines of bullets."

Li Gang felt a surge of joy in his heart upon hearing this. He winked at Zhao Shixiao beside him, implying, "Brother, wait for me to avenge you!" Zhao Shixiao's face flushed, and he said nothing.

Nie Shicheng was aware of Li Gang's stubborn temperament; once he got angry, even nine oxen would be unable to pull him back. He felt somewhat troubled himself, realizing that had he known this would happen, he would not have agreed to their competition.

Zhang Yi looked up at Nie Shicheng, whose expression darkened as he angrily said: "Enough, the competition has nearly concluded. Li Gang, when will you change your temperament? If you wish to compete further, then do so when we are at war with Japan. The great enemy is before us, do you still have the interest to compete in artillery skills? Nonsense!"

Zhang Yi still drew his gun swiftly, fired, and holstered it in one seamless motion. After a short while, the Qing soldiers reported: "General, Zhang Yi has also hit the bullseye with all ten shots!"

Li Gang's face was devoid of color as he slowly nodded and said bitterly: "My lord, I am fully convinced. Regarding the matter of training the new army, I leave it entirely to your discretion, and I have no further complaints."

Li Gang curled his lips and said, "Alright, since you insist on this, if you lose, you can't blame me." After saying this, Li Gang held the gun with one hand, without bothering to aim, and fired directly. In an instant, ten bullets poured out, causing the target to rattle loudly. Once the ten bullets were fired, he lightly moved his right hand, creating a flourish with the gun, and threw a provocative glance at Zhang Yi. Zhang Yi smiled slightly, not taking it to heart.