Chapter 151 - Chapter 151: Third Platoon Leader, Good Man!
Chapter 151: Third Platoon Leader, Good Man!
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Keep one feet on the ground at all times. The target is in front of you. Don’t throw it sideways!”
Wang Ye picked up the grenade and moved to the side of the third platoon leader. The third platoon leader gave these instructions.
“Yes, sir!
Wang Ye nodded in acknowledgment.
“Alright, you can start!”
“Yes, sir!”
Wang Ye responded once again. He placed two out of the three grenades under his feet.
He held onto the remaining one in his hand.
Wang Ye leaned back, raising the grenade with his right hand to its maximum position.
“Hah!”
With a subdued roar, Wang Ye propelled the grenade in his hand forward.
At this moment, everyone in the recruit company was fixated on Wang Ye, and their eyes followed the trajectory of the thrown grenade.
After all, Wang Ye’s current reputation was undoubtedly the highest among the recruits.
Of course, even if Wang Ye wasn’t famous in camp, if anyone threw a grenade now, everyone would still pay attention.
The grenade left his hand and traced a circular path through the air.
After Wang Ye released it, he stood up and looked on.
“Bang!”
With a soft sound, the grenade landed on the ground.
“Uh…”
To be frank, Wang Ye felt a slight sense of disappointment upon seeing where it landed.
Because it had fallen just short of forty meters.
Of course, this outcome was actually commendable. It was already the fifth round of the competition, and so far, not many participants had exceeded the 40-meter mark.
However, this fell a bit short of Wang Ye’s expectations.
He had assumed that without exerting himself beyond measure, he could reach 45 meters, given his current physical fitness.
But now, it seemed insufficient.
Even if he attempted it again to become more accustomed, Wang Ye estimated that the chances of reaching 45 meters would be slim.
After all, he truly gave it his all this time.
“Not bad, you’ve surpassed 40 meters. Keep practicing and become familiar with it. Strive to exceed 45 meters on your second attempt!” The third platoon leader stated with a smile.
After saying that, he didn’t wait for Wang Ye’s response and added, “I’ve always used you as a benchmark to motivate the recruits in my Eighth Squad and
Third Platoon. You need to put in the effort. Aim for at least forty-five meters.”
The third platoon leader chuckled as he spoke.
He wasn’t Ye Sanshi, and he didn’t care if you were stressed or not.
He merely wanted to motivate and ignite their spirits, for that was his objective for the day.
He wasn’t well-acquainted with the rest, and their performances were rather lackluster. He didn’t find it worth his effort to encourage them unless they were hovering near the passing threshold or the 10-meter mark, like Liang Fan.
So, he decided to take the initiative and introduce an incentive.
However, he was familiar with Wang Ye.
Wang Ye gazed at him, ready to modestly deflect the topic with a laugh.
Suddenly, a message materialized in his mind.
[Mission Reminder: Shatter doubt, establish an unassailable standard, clinch the top spot in grenade throwing. Reward: 1 skill point.]
This abrupt mission information left Wang Ye momentarily stupefied.
In truth, the notion of using some skill points for such a reward had indeed crossed Wang Ye’s mind.
Yet, it had remained a fleeting thought.
After all, he had just two points left.
In contrast to the negligible rewards that could get him into the military academy, he found the third-tier merits from marksmanship more appealing.
Currently, even though he had elevated his aiming to level two, he might even ascend to level three before the shooting event commenced.
However, when the target practice would take place was still unknown to Wang Ye. Furthermore, the opportunities for him to practice his aim were dwindling. He worried he might not manage to attain level 3 by the time the target practice arrived.
Even if he managed to reach level three, if that wasn’t the pinnacle of the aiming skill, then as a precaution, he would certainly need a slight enhancement.
Given that Wang Ye, who had never encountered live ammunition shooting, was devoid of experience and additional skill points for boosting his abilities, his first shot’s success hinged solely on his vision and aiming finesse.
Should he hit the bullseye on his initial attempt, he would undoubtedly allocate a point to his marksmanship skill for insurance.
Hence, Wang Ye had to preserve those two precious skill points.
However, he had not anticipated the Third Platoon Leader to assign such a mission at this pivotal juncture.
Indeed, Wang Ye believed this mission to have been dispatched by the third platoon leader.
“Well done!” Internally heaved a sigh of approval, a smile crept onto Wang Ye’s countenance.
Locking eyes with the third platoon leader, Wang Ye directly expressed, “Platoon leader, I’m up for the challenge!”
Bending down to retrieve the grenade, his thoughts simultaneously set a plan in motion.
The two remaining skill points promptly dwindled to one.
Given that a mission to regain his HP skill points already existed, how could Wang Ye hesitate any longer?
In an instant, a stream of grenade throwing experience and skills surged into his mind through the system, seamlessly received and absorbed by Wang Ye.
Not only did he acquire knowledge and expertise, but he also sensed a warm energy coursing through his body, flowing from his mind to his wrists.
Swiftly checking his basic attributes, Wang Ye observed a 0.05-point augmentation in his strength, now reaching 1.2 points. Apart from that, no other changes manifested.
“Hu!” Wang Ye inhaled deeply, suppressing the pleasing sensations induced by his enhanced physique.
Gripping the second grenade, Wang Ye stood erect.
Abruptly, he grinned and turned his head, “Platoon leader, if I manage to exceed 50 meters, can we up the ante?”
Letting an opportunity slip by would be quite regrettable. Moreover, an additional 50 yuan worth of snacks wasn’t a significant concern. What mattered most was to revel in the moment and have some fun.
The third platoon leader visibly faltered. Wang Ye’s proposition caught him off guard.
After all, on his first attempt, he only fell short by forty meters. What was he boasting about?
Forty-five meters could be deemed a challenge…
“Haha, sure thing. If you can throw beyond fifty meters, 1 won’t just give you a hundred yuan. I’ll double the reward to two hundred yuan. You can splurge at the service center!”
The third platoon leader, skeptical of Wang Ye’s ability to reach fifty meters, chuckled and upped the ante.
In truth, the promised reward for a 45-meter throw was initially suggested by the company commander. The third platoon leader merely employed it as an encouragement tactic for the recruits.
However, the prospect of doubling the reward hadn’t crossed his mind.
For someone like Liang Fan, had he truly managed to break the 48-meter barrier, the company commander might have approved. Yet, with this sudden 150-yuan increase, Wang Ye had to actually reach that mark.
Whether the company commander would honor it was a separate matter…
At present, it was only ’09, equivalent to the year 10 in the Gregorian calendar. Even for a company commander, the salary wasn’t substantial at this juncture, and Wang Ye’s monthly stipend was a modest 340 yuan.
The two hundred yuan now at stake accounted for half of Wang Ye’s monthly allowance…
“Great!”
Drawing in a deep breath, Wang Ye launched into immediate preparation.
Retracing his steps to load the grenade, he leaned back and positioned his arm for optimal force application.
“Ha!
With a robust yell, he tapped into the freshly acquired skills and knowledge from his skill level-up, as well as the amplified wrist strength resulting from the enhancement.
“Hmm?”
The instant the grenade left his hand, the third platoon leader’s eyes widened.
In essence, the range a grenade could be hurled could be roughly ascertained by evaluating the speed of its departure and the arc it traced.
At that very moment, the third platoon leader cursed in his head.
As the third platoon leader’s inner stream of curses flowed, the grenade soared beyond the 50-meter demarcation and descended to the ground.
It wasn’t a mere 50 meters. Judging by the positioning, it had covered at least
51 or 52 meters.
“Fuck, Brother Wang, you’re amazing!”
“Haha, 50 meters! Brother Wang, you’re a legend!”
A chorus of cheers erupted from behind.
Class Five’s students, who had remained hushed till then, couldn’t contain themselves any longer.
This was in accordance with Ye Sanshi’s request. He didn’t want to disrupt his fellow recruits.
However, witnessing Wang Ye’s performance hit this milestone, how could they hold their jubilation in check?
In reality, Ye Sanshi sported a grin from ear to ear.
Almost out of habit, he stood on his tiptoes.
Feeling somewhat dissatisfied, he spotted a sandbag nearby and stepped onto it.
Not a single word left his lips, let alone directed at Wang Ye. Right then, he merely stood on the sandbag, observing the other four classes that had already yielded their turns, his smile unwavering.
At this juncture, the recruits from those four squads quivered…
This was beyond absurd. There was no way they could pass the 50 meters mark set.
Though today was undeniably sunny, the recruits of these four squads perceived a metaphorical cloud of gloom overhead.
Yet, it wasn’t just them. The remaining four squads of recruits awaiting their turns stood there in somber silence, refraining from uttering a word.
“Squad Leader Ye, what’s the victory lap for? We haven’t even gone up yet, and you’re already parading around like you’ve won!”
The leader of the seventh class directed this rebuke at Ye Sanshi.
Hmm… This time, Ye Sanshi’s grin expanded even further.
However, a moment later, the expressions on his class’s recruits shifted dramatically.
This wasn’t good.
Their class leader was on cloud nine.
If no one in their class could surpass Wang Ye’s feat, they would assuredly face consequences.
Their mouths brimmed with a bitter taste, yet they dared not speak out in view of their class leader’s euphoria.
No way. If they held back, they’d suffer a beating.
Should they voice their concern now, it would be mortifying. Their class monitor would likely turn hostile instantaneously. From this moment onward, until the conclusion of the new recruits’ training, their class leader would afford them no respite.
“Haha, 1 invite you to challenge and humiliate me!”
Ye Sanshi replied to the class 7 monitor with a chuckle.
His triumphant demeanor was entirely congruent with the seventh class leader’s observation.
Naturally, the recruits comprehended how daunting it was to cast a grenade beyond 50 meters.
Put it simply, Wang Ye’s performance had already outpaced Ye Sanshi’s expectations.
40 meters. Ye Sanshi had pondered it beforehand, and he believed that Wang Ye could only manage this distance at best.
However, the surprise Wang Ye delivered exceeded his anticipations.
“This kid, is he still holding back?
Why is it that he’s only this incredible when his performance would make a contribution to the squad or himself?”
Suddenly, this thought emerged in Ye Sanshi’s mind.
In reality, not only Ye Sanshi but also Wu Jianfeng, who had been silently observing from the sidelines, was stroking his chin and scrutinizing Wang Ye.
“This lad is truly cunning!”