Chapter 221: How Could It Be That He Was Acquainted With Her, Gu Qingjiu?

Gu Qingjiu almost dropped everything she had to run away.

Although her statement was outrageous for He Niancheng, at least she finally cleared a question she had always wanted to ask.

He Niancheng did not explain further but from his massive reaction, her speculations must have been wrong.

Since rumors might start, she had to end it.

Seeing that there was still time, Gu Qingjiu used her cell phone that she had retrieved from Chen Haoyang to call her older brother on her way back.

Usually, around that time, Gu Qingmo would be taking his afternoon nap but Gu Qingjiu quickly heard his crisp voice from the other end. "Hello, Qingjiu? It's not the weekend today, but you can call me?"

His tone still sounded cheerful, so he probably had no idea about what had happened between Gu Qingjiu and the Yu family.

After all, since he was in the capital city, such news wouldn't affect him yet.

"I'm entering the advanced training camp today, but let's talk about that later. Older brother, I have to clear something up."

Hearing Gu Qingjiu's serious tone, Gu Qingmo felt puzzled. "Clear up? What do you need to clear up?"

Did Qingjiu have anything to tell him?

"That is... I misunderstood. The Chief Instructor doesn't actually swing that way..."

"..."

A strange silence dragged on from the other end of the call.

Gu Qingmo asked, "How did you know?"

Gu Qingjiu sighed. "I asked him just now. From the looks of it, he looked like he wanted to kill me."

"Hahahahahahaha!!"

Gu Qingmo's loud laughter could be heard. "Okay, I get it Qingjiu. I got you. You have a bright future, a talent!"

The sound of Gu Qingmo's laughter only made Gu Qingjiu feel more sorry for He Niancheng.

Why did her mind swerve to that idea in the first place?

"Okay, okay. I get it." Gu Qingmo forced his laughter down. "I still have something on. Tell me more about the advanced training camp when you call during the weekend. Train hard. I have to hang up first."

"Sure."

After hanging up, Gu Qingjiu could finally heave a breath of relief.

She didn't know what overcame her for her to brashly ask such a question.

It was as if something was subconsciously pushing her to ask.

At that moment, she simply asked without a single thought about the consequences.

This change seemed to have occurred the moment she saw He Niancheng at the Yu family.

When she was at the Yu family, her heart felt pressed and heavy.

But the moment she saw He Niancheng, all other emotions seemed to become unimportant as they all turned into excitement and hope.

Why did she feel hopeful when she saw the Chief Instructor?

She couldn't quite understand the feelings that brewed deep inside her.

It was something that had never happened to her before.

As if it was a completely new feeling.

But she could frankly admit the notion that she felt downcasted after knowing that she wouldn't be able to see the Chief Instructor on a frequent basis once she entered the advanced training camp.

Downcasted?

Thinking about that, the smile on Gu Qingjiu's face froze.

The cheerful steps as she walked towards Chen Haoyang's office slowed down.

Downcasted. Why would she feel that way?

It wasn't an emotion she should be feeling.

She thought back to her previous lifetime. It was dark beyond measure—that dreadful energy shadowed her entire existence.

However, He Niancheng was an existence as blinding as the sun.

He was an existence high above and so incredibly noble—an entirely different existence when compared to Gu Qingjiu.

So how did a person who was like a god, get acquainted with her, Gu Qingjiu?

Chapter 222: Entering the Advanced Training Camp

After realizing the advancement of her psychological changes, Gu Qingjiu felt stressed.

She feared that if she allowed her continued interaction with the Chief Instructor to bloom even more, she might start to think about impossible scenarios.

Entering the advanced training camp was a perfect chance for herself to calm down.

Because of her previous life, if anything sparked between her and He Niancheng, she would feel inferior and might attempt to run away.

Upon entering Chen Haoyang's office, she had already regained her usual calm self.

The smile she wore exuded confidence as if she didn't enter a bout of panic earlier on. Gu Qingjiu was a completely different person.

The person who came to fetch her was a fellow female comrade from the advanced training camp.

She was not much older, around twenty-three to twenty-four old. Her appearance spoke of her youth, and she exuded a harmonious aura.

Chen Haoyang introduced Qu Yingying to Gu Qingjiu, saying that she would be in charge of helping Gu Qingjiu at the advanced training camp for a period of time.

After bidding farewell to Chen Haoyang, Gu Qingjiu picked up her things and left with Qu Yingying.

On the way, Qu Yingying took the initiative to help Gu Qingjiu carry her smaller baggage.

She was natural and her actions did not seem excessive. She then explained things to take note of in the advanced training camp.

Other than the change in title, location, and training methods, the advanced training camp was not far from different from the new recruits' training camp.

However, since the advanced training camp was within the military zone, the buildings there were taller than those at the new recruits' training camp. Some of the training would be conducted indoors as well.

When Qu Yingying was almost done explaining, Gu Qingjiu asked, "Elder sister Yingying, was I assigned to the same class as you?"

Qu Yingying smiled upon hearing that. "Nope, you're not. You're considered as a new recruit so you'll start practicing from the lower classes, but I guess you're pretty lucky. There is a newly assigned instructor who just arrived, and usually, the new instructors are less strict as compared to the older ones."

Gu Qingjiu nodded in understanding. She had just heard about such news from the Chief Instructor.

Gu Qingjiu was not much concerned about this newly assigned instructor.

The new instructor was probably not a person like He Niancheng. Else, the camp would probably implode.

"Last month, my dormitory mate received a newcomer as well. I think she's from your class and her name's Xie Ya. Do you know her?"

Qu Yingying asked her all of a sudden.

Gu Qingjiu wasn't bothered by Xie Ya, so the corners of her lips slightly curled up before she shook her head. "I know her, but we're not close."

"Oh."

Qu Yingying nodded in realization and did not probe any further.

She brought Gu Qingjiu to the dormitory.

Gu Qingjiu's new room had an occupied bed while the other two were empty.

Qu Yingying explained, "You're from classes 1-5, but their dormitory is currently full so you're moved to class 6's dormitory for now. Two of them just left, so there's only 1 person staying here."

"Mm, this is fine. I don't mind."

It would be better if there were lesser roommates.

After she had placed her luggage down, Qu Yingying brought her to other key places.

Since she had just arrived, she didn't have to participate in that day's training. But it was only proper for her to still report to her instructor.

But coincidentally, since Gu Qingjiu's instructor was going to change soon, for now, there was no need to report.

Chapter 223: Another Dormitory Where She Would Encounter Trouble Again

Qu Yingying left after explaining things and that was when Gu Qingjiu started getting busy in the dormitory.

With regards to the difference between the new recruits' training camp and advanced training camp...

It was the loud sound of gunshots ringing in the air that was different. She could even hear them clearly from where she was.

At the new recruits' training camp, Gu Qingjiu could hear gunshots sounds, but they were extremely soft.

Unlike now, the sound of gunshots didn't seem to stop.

A gun was something Gu Qingjiu always wanted to hold.

She wanted to experience accurately shooting a target.

New recruits did not have that chance, but upon entry to the advanced training camp, it was a compulsory lesson for them.

Hence, Gu Qingjiu was looking forward to the different training segments of the advanced training camp.

In the afternoon, Gu Qingjiu did not go to the canteen and opted to eat some tidbits instead.

But then, someone from the outside pushed the dorm door open.

In came a beautiful girl.

She had to admit that the girl looked as beautiful as she did.

The only difference was that she was slightly tanned.

The kind with a healthy glow to it.

Coupled with a soldier's might, it added some heroic colors to her appearance.

And that made her look quite charismatic.

The only thing was that she looked a little cold.

As compared to a naturally cold personality like Gu Qingjiu's, she appeared to be cut off from everyone.

She had looked at Gu Qingjiu and paused for a moment before sitting on her own bed as if nothing happened.

She had no intention of greeting Gu Qingjiu.

Naturally, the bed which Gu Qingjiu chose was the one opposite hers. Being unclear about her dorm mate's temperament, she would definitely not sleep on the same side as her.

Even if the other person seemed to be ignoring her, Gu Qingjiu took the initiative to wave. "Hello."

The girl opposite to her did not even make a sound of acknowledgment.

Gu Qingjiu didn't mind.

She only did her part as a new member of the room to greet, and basically, that was all.

They each sat on their own side and did not converse at all.

Even if they were in the same room, they seemed to reside in two different worlds.

It was Gu Qingjiu's phone that time after time broke the silence in the room.

Without knowing how long had passed, footsteps were heard from outside all of a sudden, along with the sounds of girls laughing.

'Peng!'

Suddenly, someone kicked the door open.

The dormitory door, which was not locked, crashed loudly against the wall.

And it scared the wits out of Gu Qingjiu.

The laws of the army were clear and strict. Everything should be done with consideration. Hence, it had been a long time since Gu Qingjiu heard such a loud sound.

To have made a loud noise at such a place, if it wasn't an accident, then even the word 'arrogant' wouldn't suffice to describe.

The dormitory's door crashed loudly against the wall, and the old door creaked as if it was crying pitifully.

Outside stood five to six girls with arrogant expressions.

Initially, their gaze was locked onto the girl opposite of Gu Qingjiu, but when they saw her, they raised their brows in curiosity. "Oh, a newcomer?"

The person who spoke stood at the front. Her face was small—probably one of the legendary people who had faces as small as a palm—but her facial features were nothing special. It wasn't too bad per se, but that haughty and overbearing look made her look big.

She had a proud and arrogant air to her. One look and Gu Qingjiu could tell that she was the 'boss' who was used to being served.

Gu Qingjiu looked at her and she frowned lightly.

She was so unlucky. Was she assigned to another dormitory where she would run into trouble again?

Chapter 224: Oppressed

Gu Qingjiu did not answer.

The girl who walked in looked at Gu Qingjiu and arrogantly tilted her chin up. "Hey, what's your name?"

The tone she had used sounded like she was barking out an order.

Gu Qingjiu didn't really feel like replying to that.

Because it was impolite.

With Gu Qingjiu's silence, the girl opposite her stood up and walked out.

And her action attracted everyone's attention

The girl who was asking for Gu Qingjiu's name immediately went forward to block her. "Leaving? Where do you think you're going?"

The girl who was stopped remained silent.

Her aura was still icy cold and had no changes to it.

All of a sudden, that small faced girl shoved her.

But the girl she shoved remained unmoving.

Small-faced girl's expression hardened. "What are you being stubborn about? Qi Xiaoran, Older brother Anyi is my sworn brother. Him liking you is giving you face, but for you to reject him meant that you do not appreciate his kindness. You really think that with the army laws, I wouldn't dare to beat you up?"

So, this roommate of hers was called Qi Xiaoran.

Gu Qingjiu thought to herself.

Although this small faced girl's actions seemed overboard, it didn't affect her from watching this show.

It was her reasoning that was a little unbelievable.

If someone likes you, you have to accept it? And if you won't, it means you're ungrateful?

What incredible reasoning!

Qi Xiaoran continued to remain silent.

She was like a wooden log. No matter what rude things the small faced girl said, she treated them like air.

But as Gu Qingjiu stood there, she thought that this Xiaoran was even thicker than a wood.

At the very least, it was the small faced girl's attitude that Gu Qingjiu couldn't stand watching.

"Are you mute or something? You're pretending to not hear me when I talk to you? Who are you trying to scare?"

As she spoke, the small face girl pointed her short but thin finger at Qi Xiaoran's forehead.

But before her finger could even touch Qi Xiaoran's forehead, Qi Xiaoran's hand had already gripped the girl's wrist.

A slapping sound resounded in the air; even Gu Qingjiu could hear it. Qi Xiaoran probably used quite a lot of strength.

The small faced girl was probably hurting from how Xiaoran grabbed her. Her face twisted. "Qi Xiaoran, are you crazy? Let me go! Let me go or I will settle you!!"

Even at that stage, she was still spouting vicious words.

Her friends who stood next to her started panicking. In an instant, they all rushed up to hold Qi Xiaoran down.

Some of them had their arms around Qi Xiaoran's neck while the others tried to pull Qi Xiaoran away from the other girl.

"Qi Xiaoran, let go of He Qiu. Quick!!"

"Qi Xiaoran, we will report to the instructor and say that you hit her!!"

The room became a mess in an instance. Gu Qingjiu watched as Qi Xiaoran's body trembled a little to shake the people off of her.

Among the people that got shook away was He Qiu, the one who Qi Xiaoran grasped on.

Qi Xiaoran ran out after shaking them off of her. Seeing that, He Qiu immediately called her lackeys to chase after her.

After the rampant trampling, the room suddenly became silent.

From the start to the end, Gu Qingjiu simply watched as the drama unfolded, her lips curled up into a faint smile.

Although it was none of her business, her dorm mate's trouble could easily drag her in.

Gu Qingjiu was not afraid of trouble, but she didn't want to attract trouble needlessly as well.

The few girls who were in front of her didn't look like girls to be trifled with either.

It seemed as if the advanced training camp was not what she imagined it to be—to be filled with elite students.

The different sides of humans would still show themselves at such a place.

If not, she wouldn't have witnessed whatever just conspired.

Chapter 225: Gun Practice, Dazzling Others (1)

Evening rolled around. Gu Qingjiu was about to sleep, but Qi Xiaoran still wasn't back.

She thought that Qi Xiaoran went somewhere else and wouldn't spend the night in their room.

But just when Gu Qingjiu was already sound asleep, she heard soft knocks on the door

'Thud, thud, thud.'

Perhaps because it was already late in the night and their door was made out of metal, the knocks were soft as if the one knocking was afraid to disturb others.

Upon hearing it, Gu Qingjiu groggily crawled out of her bed to open the door.

It was simply three knocks.

Gu Qingjiu switched on the lights. When she opened the door, all she saw was Qi Xiaoran's silhouette that was slowly moving away.

Probably realizing that the door was already open, Qi Xiaoran immediately turned and saw Gu Qingjiu.

Gu Qingjiu's eyes were still blurry. She rubbed at her neck. "I thought you weren't coming back."

Even though the military had a rule which didn't allow soldiers to go out, Gu Qingjiu wouldn't care about where Qi Xiaoran exactly went.

She went back into the room and Qi Xiaoran followed in from behind.

Gu Qingjiu didn't see Qi Xiaoran's shocked gaze as she stared at Gu Qingjiu's back.

When Gu Qingjiu turned around, Qi Xiaoran had already regained her usual cold self and silently climbed into her bed.

Gu Qingjiu was not expecting Qi Xiaoran to express her gratitude or anything. So she switched off the light and went back to sleep.

But when she was about to fall into her slumber, it felt like she heard a soft voice say, "Thanks."

And she seemed to have replied 'you're welcome' to it.

...

Daybreak. It was Gu Qingjiu's first time reporting at the advanced training camp.

She did not belong in the same class as Qi Xiaoran, and the girl had already disappeared early in the morning.

Qu Yingying had informed Gu Qingjiu of class five's gathering details beforehand, so Gu Qingjiu went down right after she had washed up.

To the gathering location of class five.

When she arrived, the class had almost finished gathering.

All squads had their instructors in front of them, but with the exception of class five.

When she joined her class, everyone shot her a strange look.

It was only when class five's representative drew close to her to ask what business Gu Qingjiu had that she got slotted within the crowd.

Without the instructor around, the class's representative was in charge of its members' training.

Their class representative was a guy with a huge figure, and he exuded an air of justice.

"Our new instructor has something today, so he will only attend to us later. We will continue from yesterday's lesson, twenty-meter pistol training."

Who would have thought that her first training would be the one she was anticipating for the most.

Guns!

Her eyes twinkled, causing her original cool expression to appear young and adorable.

And such action automatically caused male soldiers around her to stare at her.

Some of the female soldiers from her class looked at her with envy while others couldn't be bothered.

With a call from the class's representative, everyone marched towards the shooting range for pistol training.

It was a wide and empty open-air field and at that moment, only class five were present.

Gu Qingjiu could see several targets at the front of the field, but it was a little far...

They arrived at the place where the pistols were stored.

The guns used for training were all real, but the bullets were blanks.

It was only used for target practice and never for anything else.

Before practice, everyone had to check their own guns to prevent accidents from happening.

Chapter 226: Gun Practice, Dazzling Others (2)

"Since our training has progressed up to this lesson, you need to catch up with the class's pace."

Class five's Drill Sergeant was Ying Huan, and he was the one who explained the rules of gun practice to Gu Qingjiu.

Class five's current progress was a twenty-meters fixed target.

Although Gu Qingjiu was new, she wouldn't receive any special treatment. Ying Huan told her that she would be starting with the twenty-meters training like the rest.

Upon hearing that, Gu Qingjiu nodded. "I understand, Drill Sergeant."

She did not voice out any objections.

Her calm front made people think that she had received formal training before.

Hence, she appeared confident.

Gu Qingjiu's answer caused people to look at her.

Many of them heard the Drill Sergeant's words.

Meanwhile, the girls had the natural instinct to discriminate against the recently arrived Gu Qingjiu.

They were all gleeful inside when they heard that Gu Qingjiu wouldn't receive any special treatment.

And they were all waiting to see how this newcomer was going to get out of such an embarrassing situation.

For the male recruits, they sympathized with Gu Qingjiu.

Ying Huan looked shocked when he heard Gu Qingjiu's crisp answer. "You've received gun training before?"

Gu Qingjiu shook her head. "No, this is my first time."

It was even her first time seeing it, so why was she so confident to participate in their training?

The female recruits who were glad that Gu Qingjiu received no special treatment felt even more disgusted with her once again.

Since she hadn't tried it before, why was she speaking so arrogantly?

Was she trying to look cool!?

With that one statement, Gu Qingjiu was already labeled with the word 'pretentious.'

But for her, since the Drill Sergeant had already said that, she knew she had no other choice but to accept.

What else was she supposed to do? Ask the Drill Sergeant to take it easy on her?

Hearing that, Ying Huan felt that the twenty-meters training was too harsh for her. He changed his mind. "If that's the case, you'll practice on a ten-meter target since it's your first time. If you hit the fifth inner circle, I will consider it a pass."

The moment Ying Huan said that, the people around them had a change of expression.

Didn't he just say that there would be no special treatments? Why did he change his mind now?

But for a person like Gu Qingjiu, someone who had never held a gun in her life, to hit the fifth inner circle of a ten-meter target within an hour was close to an impossible feat. It was the reason why they did not voice their opinions despite being unhappy.

Furthermore, since Ying Huan was a Drill Sergeant, he did have the deciding power for some things.

Gu Qingjiu's eyebrows rose slightly at Ying Huan's change of instructions, but she did not reveal any other expression.

In fact, Gu Qingjiu had no idea how she should perform.

It was indeed her first time touching a gun.

After the change in training plans, Ying Huan asked someone to move her target so she could practice at the side.

She could tell that the drill sergeant held no ill intentions against her, only wanting her to catch up with the class's progress as soon as possible.

Whether Gu Qingjiu could catch up was all on her.

Her gaze turned slowly towards the rack where all the training guns were stored.

Excitement swelled from within.

Although it was termed a training gun, it was still a real gun.

The feeling of shooting and hitting her target rushed at her, pumping adrenaline through her veins.

She watched many dramas in the past. The feeling of hitting a target that was thousands of meters away was too exhilarating.

Even if she had never experienced it, Gu Qingjiu could imagine how satisfying it would feel.

It must be a joy!

Chapter 227: Gun Practice, Dazzling Others (3)

(The gun names in this novel, with the exception of a few, were named randomly. If one cannot be searched on, it is highly likely that it was randomly named. Even if it coincidentally bears the same name with a real gun, we highly suggest not to compare its authenticity.)

There were two types of training guns.

One was the most commonly seen one in the camp, the representative of all pistols, M-75.

The other was a rifle, Flying Flower HN-9.

M-75 had medium recoil and was one of the less deadly types. New recruits usually used it in their initial phases of training.

The Flying Flower HN-9 was a rifle, with above average power and a high recoil. Soldiers stationed at guard posts were usually armed with this gun.

Almost everyone would have to train with these two basic models of gun sooner or later.

Recruits of advanced training camp, however, start their pistol training earlier than others.

The training guns were almost all the same.

They were all armed with dummy rounds or rubber bullets.

Drill Sergeant Ying Huan found a girl who looked more rational to teach Gu Qingjiu the basics of guns.

He probably felt the weird animosity amongst the girls.

The girl who received the drill sergeant's instructions took her job seriously as she explained the basics to Gu Qingjiu.

"We train with pistols. Other than knowing how to shoot, you need to know how to assemble the gun. Else, you won't know how to use the clip when all you've used all your bullets up."

The girl explained as she held an M-75 in her hands to demonstrate how to use it. Her fingers were so nimble that the gun looked like an obedient child in her hands. It disassembled quite easily.

Within a short while, the girl had split the pistol into portions, even the bullets were removed.

Her nimble motions confused Gu Qingjiu but she couldn't look away.

Seeing Gu Qingjiu's interested and impressed expression, the girl smiled. "With regards to knowledge about the assembly and dismantling of guns, we will get individual lessons for it. I've been here for a year. All these are not anything much, just basics."

Gu Qingjiu looked up and smiled.

In a blink of an eye, the girl reassembled the gun again.

"I'm just doing a demonstration because an instructor will teach you the basics instead. You don't have to be anxious. For now, you need to learn how to shoot."

"You heard the drill sergeant. You have to hit the fifth circle on a ten meter target. You can use your eyes to estimate the distance. Please don't think that this is like those dramas 6n TV where everyone is an insanely good shooter."

"In fact, even if it was only a few meters, there are only a few who can hit vital spots. Take the bullseye for example, we have people who have trained for a year but still cannot hit the bullseye of an unmoving target which is just ten meters away. The worst one can miss eight out of ten times. What's more to say when they change into moving targets."

Upon hearing that, it startled Gu Qingjiu. "One year?"

A year didn't guarantee that one could accurately hit the bullseye.

The harsh truth of the training shocked her.

"Because not everyone is a sharpshooter." She smiled. "Besides, our training module is different from our comrades from the sniper division. We have other aspects to train, but shooting is not our focal point.

"As with many other abilities, shooting is only reliant on two things. One is talent and the other is the willingness to work hard. Hence why I said to not believe what dramas show you."

Chapter 228: Gun Practice, Dazzling Others (4)

"Okay, here you go."

She passed the gun to Gu Qingjiu. "I will teach you how to check the magazine, pull the trigger and the gun itself. Anything that is slightly off will affect the power of the gun."

Gu Qingjiu received the gun with slightly trembling fingers.

The gun was still a little warm at the spot where she had placed her hand, but it was cool everywhere else.

The sensation was a first for Gu Qingjiu.

'Bang!!!'

'Bang!!!'

'Bang!!!'

...

The people at the side were already practicing, and gunshot sounds filled the air. With how loud the gunshots were, it made the girl to look up.

After she had turned to face Gu Qinjiu again, she realized that the latter was still looking at the pistol in her hand, seemingly unaffected by the loud gunshots.

Gu Qingjiu raised her head and revealed an amicable smile. "I think I get it already. May I know what your name is?"

The girl smiled back, revealing her two canines. "My name is Tang Yuyu. Yu as in the character for fish. You can just call me Yuyu."

"Okay. Thank you, Yuyu."

Gu Qingjiu took in her friendly advice.

The two flashed an understanding smile at each other. Under Tang Yuyu's guidance, Gu Qingjiu walked to the ten meter fixed target which the drill sergeant had arranged for her.

This was Gu Qingjiu's first time seeing the fixed target.

What should she say? It was slightly smaller than she had imagined.

It caused Gu Qingjiu's heart to tremble a little.

She could see the circle at the center of the target with her naked eyes. At a ten meters distance, it was only as big as her fingernail.

But when she was close enough, the target appeared much bigger. From a distance, it was almost torturous for nearsighted people.

"There are ten zones on the target. The highest point is the center dot. The ninth circle on the target gives ten points. Drill Sergeant said that it would be enough as long as you can hit the fifth circle. Don't be anxious. Just aim to hit the target."

One statement from Tang Yuyu and Gu Qingjiu didn't know whether she should laugh or cry.

To just hit the target...

If Gu Qingjiu hadn't seen the target, she might have thought that the other party was belittling her, but after she had seen it...

Gu Qingjiu knew that Tang Yuyu was just being frank.

It was her first time using a gun. With that as her target, it would be good as long as she could hit!

As expected, the dramas were all a lie.

As Gu Qingjiu held the gun in her hands, Tang Yuyu instructed her about the correct shooting posture.

"Remember, the notch of the gun and the target should form a straight line. You can try aiming by narrowing your eyes. That way, it improves your sight. But then again, be aware that it might affect your accuracy. It's up to your own estimations."

At the side, Ying Huan and many others were observing Gu Qingjiu in silence.

Frankly, asking her to hit the ten meter target at first try was making things difficult for her.

Training at the advanced training camp began from five meters.

But Gu Qingjiu did not know that.

With that, there were many people who were waiting to laugh at her.

Perhaps, not hitting the target for her first time was not embarrassing, but in front of these vultures, not hitting was shameful.

They would definitely not recall what it was like during their first lessons.

With Tang Yuyu's guidance, Gu Qingjiu was about to embark on the first shot of her entire life.

Her eyes were half-lidded. Her focus was on the red dot on the target, but it looked like it was moving...

Was it because of her sight...

Although she felt like she wasn't doing it in the right condition, no matter what, Gu Qingjiu had to take this shot.

Until she checked and adjusted her aim, she heard Tang Yuyu patiently say, "It's around there. Shift your elbow a little..."

'Bang!!!'

Chapter 229: Dazzling Others, Newly Arrived Instructor (5)

'Bang!!!'

The sound of this particular gunshot seemed to have attracted everyone's attention.

But Gu Qingjiu's ten-meter target remained clear of any shots.

With a 'shreek' sound, a bullet quickly lodged at the outer rim of a twenty-meter target beside hers.

The female recruit paused for a while before she ran to her target to check. She then contemptuously said, "Wow, not bad, she hit the outer circle of my target!"

'Scoff!'

The field erupted in laughter.

Although the guys sympathized with Gu Qingjiu, with the majority of the female recruits laughing, their shoulders started scrunching up in laughter as well.

Such a scene would embarrass anyone.

The sound of mocking laughter surrounded Gu Qingjiu.

But Tang Yuyu did not laugh. She wanted to say that it was no big deal to not hit the target, but everyone's laughter around her annoyed her.

What was with these people? So what if she didn't hit the target?

They started off the same, so what were they laughing about?

Drill Sergeant Ying Huan frowned as well, but there was nothing he could do to stop them.

He barked out, "That's enough. What's so funny about not hitting her first round? Huang Zhi, your first shot hit a target that was three people away. Your target that time was only five meters away and you still have the cheek to laugh at others."

Huang Zhi, who the drill sergeant had pointed out, was a female recruit who stood beside Gu Qingjiu. She was also the first person to snicker.

After she had heard that, her smile stiffened.

Burning hot embarrassment flushed across her face. She was no longer smiling and instead throwing a furious glare at Gu Qingjiu.

The laughter gradually died down when they heard the Drill Sergeant's reprimand.

They shrugged and started practicing.

Even under the jeers of her peers, Gu Qingjiu remained as calm as ever.

Her face did not reveal any traces of discomfort and she stretched her wrist.

It was her first shot and with that one shot, the recoil of the gun still left a little numbness on her palm.

Tang Yuyu patted her shoulders as she comforted. "No worries, you continue. Shooting is all about practice. I will practice on my own for now. If you need any help, just come and find me."

Gu Qingjiu nodded her head lightly. "Okay, I will Yuyu. Thank you."

Tang Yuyu revealed her canines. "You're welcome!"

After speaking, she went to her own target to practice.

They did the target shooting in turns, one after another. Fortunately for Gu Qingjiu, nobody wanted to wait for her to finish her ten-meter target.

After Tang Yuyu left, Gu Qingjiu had relaxed a bit before she continued to practice.

She had a feeling—a feeling for shooting.

She didn't think she was bad at it just because she missed the first shot.

With the gun in her hand, she felt like it had a distinctly different feel to it.

But the gun she was holding didn't quite feel like it melded well with her. It didn't feel right.

'No rush. Just take my time.'

She comforted herself. Her heart which was pumping hard calmed down once again.

But when she was only at her third shot, someone had stopped her.

In the second shot, her bullet went through the center of the two targets, approximately the distance between her and the next recruit.

Her third shot brushed past the side of her own target.

Each shot was nearing her target. Gu Qingjiu felt satisfied with that, but before she could bask in that feeling, a voice rang from behind her.

"Why is there someone from Class five who is still practicing with a ten-meter target? The information submitted to me is not truthful. What's wrong with this?"

Chapter 230: Dazzling Others, She Shall Practice With the Twenty Meter Target (6)

That voice caught everyone's attention in an instant.

Gu Qingjiu's heart had trembled even before she turned around.

A man clad in an officers' uniform walked in.

He looked around thirty-years-old and stood at a height of 1.8 meters.

He had strong facial features with some stubble growing on the side of his face, extenuating his manly features.

A good-looking instructor once again!

The female recruits were all inwardly cheering.

The male recruits, on the other hand, wanted to cry.

But the moment they saw the badge on him. Wow, he was a five-star officer!

With that rank, even company commanders had to greet him. He seemed to be the rumored camp instructor who had been transferred to the advanced training camp.

As expected, once he walked over, he greeted the unit in front of him. "I am instructor Mu Nanji, here to report!"

According to military rules, no matter what rank a person held, as long as it was a new place, they would have to report to its people.

When He Niancheng first arrived, he did it as well.

Ying Huan quickly returned the greeting, "Good afternoon, Instructor Mu! I am the Drill Sergeant of the fifth unit, Ying Huan!"

Everyone greeted him together. "Good afternoon, Instructor Mu!"

"Mm."

Mu Nanji lightly nodded before pointing at Gu Qingjiu. "What's with her?"

Seeing herself at the end of his finger, Gu Qingjiu felt uneasiness growing in her heart.

Just when Ying Huan was about to answer, Mu Nanji continued, "I saw the two shots you made and none of them hit the target. How long have you trained for you to still be at this level?"

Mu Nanji appeared extremely displeased with Gu Qingjiu's performance.

He had his arms behind his back, looking ever ready to reprimand Gu Qingjiu.

Ying Huan quickly added, "Instructor Mu, her name is Gu Qingjiu, and she recently transferred over from the new recruits' training camp. It's her first time using a gun, and those were her first three shots."

"..."

Mu Nanji felt a little uncomfortable.

For a new instructor to have made a wrong judgment right from the start... He originally wanted to show his influence.

But in front of so many people, could he afford to lose face?

He suddenly puffed up, and he said, "So what if that was your first time? We have so many trainees, but we have to accommodate this one person's lack of skills? Your target shooting practical exam will be next month and it won't be easy for anyone. Let her start from twenty meters straightaway!"

Silence enveloped the training field.

If she couldn't even hit the ten meters target, twenty meters was worse.

But then again, even if the new instructor was a strict one and that he had shoved a hard task to everyone, the female soldiers were laughing more at Gu Qingjiu's predicament.

'Serves you right. You were acting strong earlier on, but now you can't even act.'

A new instructor just arrived, and it had already beaten Gu Qingjiu back to her original state.

Ying Huan looked at Gu Qingjiu in pity and could only nod in reply. "I understand, Instructor Mu."

After he had spoken, he instructed someone to move Gu Qingjiu's target to twenty meters away.

Mu Nanji felt that he looked suave doing it.

Once he felt cool enough, he should show some brownie points. He then faced Gu Qingjiu and said, "Since it's your first time and it's a twenty-meter target, I won't limit your training time. I'll give you three days' time and you'll have this target all to yourself for the entire duration until team training is over."

The issue was never the limit to practice. Some people practiced for over a year and still had no results. What was more to say about Gu Qingjiu, who recently just joined?

Even three months might not be enough.

Since they rotated the target practice amongst trainees, Mu Nanji's words meant that Gu Qingjiu could have the target all for herself without being changed out.

It didn't seem like an advantage at all in the eyes of others. They all snickered inwardly at Gu Qingjiu's predicament.

In the training field, Gu Qingjiu nodded calmly. "I understand, Instructor Mu."