Chapter 721-730

Chapter 721: Trust Only Your Intuition


"S.H.I.T!"


They knew they had to be calm, but the shot still stunned some players.


Under such intensive attacks, the opponent still dared to venture out and shoot?


The main point was that she got her target.


With a second, he took to reload.


For professional sharpshooters like them, reloading was simply a matter of seconds.


But it was this one second that eliminated him.


There was a momentary pause in the sound of gunfire all around.


After dropping to the ground, Gu Qingjiu quickly hid behind the branches. The bland report of the international judging panel came from the ear mic.


"Congratulations on gaining three points. The China team's total points are currently eight points, ranking second. You are ranked second on the individual scoreboard."


Three points.


The shot seemed to have hit an important part.


After all, it was too dark. Gu Qingjiu could only sense the person's position but could not see the person's figure.


That meant that the distance should not be too far.


And the moment the international team announced the results, another country would receive a notification that their points had dropped.


At that instance, Gu Qingjiu heard the subtle inhalation of someone who probably found it unacceptable...


Bang!


"Oh, F.U.C.K!"


Thank you, international team!


Gu Qingjiu did not resolve the situation easily.


Her nerves were tensed, and her concentration was at its peak.


Under the adrenaline boost, they could surpass human limits.


The sound of inhalation, so slight in this not-so-quiet atmosphere, was almost inaudible.


But Gu Qingjiu heard it.


A talent like this was not something everyone possessed.


Even amongst these professional sharpshooters, not all of them had such tide-turning capabilities.


It was why it was no wonder the person cursed out when he got shot.


He hadn't even thought about it.


"Congratulations on gaining one point, the China team ranks first with nine points, and you rank first on the individual scoreboard."


First place!


Even if she was Gu Qingjiu, her heart still stirred with excitement as she became number one again.


The other competitors seemed to have received the notice, hiding warily and not daring to make a sound.


They didn't know how many genius sharpshooters were hiding around.


They were all not people to be trifled with. Other than an insane talent, who else could sense their hiding spot?


However, they anticipated wrongly. Not moving was a more significant mistake.


When Gu Qingjiu was under fire earlier on, she definitely couldn't retaliate much.


But now that everyone was silent, her perverted senses played an important role.


She had once been in this situation. It was when she took part in a shooting competition during her freshman year in school.


The quiet forest, the ones hiding in the shadows, they all seemed to have nowhere to hide.


Those students cannot compare to these world-class sharpshooters, but in terms of hiding their breaths, Gu Qingjiu could concentrate on it.


There was still a vague feeling of people around.


But she couldn't shoot brashly. This group of people had reflexes that allowed them to dodge at the mere sound of a gunshot, so only when she could commit to something out of their expectations...


Could she shoot with certainty?


And once the first shot was out, there would not be such a wonderful opportunity again.


The other players would attack.


On the left side in front of her...


She was like a predating leopard. No matter how well the prey was hidden, there was a special way to determine their location based on their breathing.


Right there. There should be a person lying down.


Just like her...


Gu Qingjiu only had a vague feeling, and she hesitated for a moment.


But Elder Gong's words before the competition suddenly flashed in her mind.


"Only trust your intuition, do not care about the rest."


Chapter 722: Someone Is Throwing the Game!


As her thoughts reached this point, Gu Qingjiu came to a decision.


She would take a gamble!


In any case, there was this one chance, and it wasn't as if she couldn't dodge it.


Having made up her mind, Gu Qingjiu focused her gaze and concentration, sensing that location all around.


Of course, she didn't lower her guard for other spots.


She gently pressed her thumb upon the trigger...


And then...


She abruptly pulled the trigger!


So what if that person heard the sound? She was gambling on the fact that the other party wouldn't be able to guess who the bullet was aiming for!


Bang!


At that instant, the bullet flew towards the participant who Gu Qingjiu guessed must be lying on their stomach. The person was indeed startled.


And by the time a certain bullet flew towards them, it was already too late for them to try to dodge it.


Pfft!


"Ouch!"


It appeared to be a painful hit, for that participant held a hand to their head and cried out loud.


To ensure exactness in the competition, all the participants wore protective gear to protect their eyes.


After all, this type of bullet could cause damage to their eyes, the most fragile part of the body. If one were hit on a clothed spot, it would cause momentary numbness, but it would still be a tad painful if it hit one on bare skin.


"Wah!!"


This sound came from all the officials present who were still awake.


It was already incredible enough for her to obtain four points consecutively.


And now, to think she took down five points?


Five points!


It was a rare feat in international competitions.


At present, Cruff was the only one who had achieved such a feat.


This young lass from China, who was taking part for the first time, actually took down five points!


On the points scoreboard, the China team which Gu Qingjiu belonged to had already gone up to the first place. Now, in mere moments, the disparity between first place and second place widened considerably.


With 14 points, China ranked first, and in terms of individual scores, Gu Qingjiu was also ranked first.


Ranked at second was, of course, the US team, with nine points.


It was that one point that Gu Qingjiu obtained the second time that allowed China to overtake them.


But this time, with the significant disparity in scores between them now, even if Cruff wished to overtake them, it wouldn't be easy.


If he couldn't eliminate Gu Qingjiu, then it was clear that unless he got a five-points, it wasn't easy for him to close up the difference with Gu Qingjiu attacking other players simultaneously.


The officials felt it unbelievable how Gu Qingjiu determined this player's location with several players present in that area.


Most importantly, they knew sharpshooters had incredible response abilities, so it was indeed not too easy for her to hit her target with the sharpshooter standing upright.


The player lying on their stomach was indeed the best choice.


But how did Gu Qingjiu realize the player was lying on their stomach?


They saw that when Gu Qingjiu came to the center; she was always under attack and didn't have any time for observation. Furthermore, that player was some distance away from her, so how could she possibly discover that?


"Damn, damn, damn, damn!"


Nian Chusheng was so agitated that he didn't know what to say. He hurriedly said to the official next to him, "Quick, quick, quick! Call Chairman Song!"


The official was a tad hesitant. "Chairman Song is sleeping."


"Sleeping? How could he sleep with such a situation happening right now? Quick, wake him up and ask him to come over. I'm sure there will be fascinating action later! It's not over yet!"


Seeing Nian Chusheng so agitated, the official had no choice but to call Chairman Song.


Nian Chusheng glanced at Helian Niancheng, who was in front and didn't seem worked up seeing Gu Qingjiu obtain such high marks.


No idea if it was because he wasn't Chinese or because he felt it was normal?


Tsk!


But just then, something even more stunning happened.


The China team and US team suddenly shot up five points each.


The China team now had 19 points, while the US team now had 14 points!


They showed the points in real-time. Even if two players were eliminated simultaneously, the points would jump by one point, three points, and one point. For the score to jump by five points all at once, it went to show that they obtained five points at one go.


Gu Qingjiu had gone into hiding after obtaining those five points earlier, and they could see that there was no action from her on-screen. So, she didn't win these five points.


Where did the five points for the US team and China team come from?


Also, since when was it so easy to get five points?


It was already unbelievable enough for one five-points to be obtained in a single game, okay!


Coach, I want to snitch! Someone is throwing the game!


Chapter 723: Old Enemy Cruff


It was undeniable that the increase in points only belonged to the other team members of these two countries.


Thankfully the screen showed the images in real-time, so very quickly, the reason was found and revealed on the screen.


It was indeed Yin Ruoyi and Cruff who had obtained those points.


No idea if it was a coincidence or if these two were old enemies.


At night, these two people and teammates bumped into each other!


It was at a spot near the center point, some distance opposite Gu Qingjiu.


At the time, they had heard the sounds of crossfire taking place beside. Due to the fast and frequent fire shots, neither chose to go near abruptly, even if it was Cruff and Yin Ruoyi.


Yin Ruoyi ran into his teammate, and unexpectedly Cruff ran into his teammate as well.


Because...


Although there wasn't any way to distinguish during the competition, there was another way to determine.


That was, if you shot your teammate, your teammate wouldn't be eliminated.


Instantly one would know if the other party was their own teammate or not.


It was under such circumstances that Yin Ruoyi shot his teammate from China. And when no announcement of elimination was made, both parties understood each other's identities.


After which, they speedily got near. And it was at this time that Cruff suddenly jumped out.


It wasn't an exciting match, but the aim was scary.


A bullet hit the Chinese teammate in his heart as he moved closer to Yin Ruoyi and suffered the bitter fate of elimination.


With his lightning reflexes, Yin Ruoyi speedily attacked Cruff.


Although Cruff tried to dodge it, they had no idea if it was because his US teammate was unlucky. That fellow happened to be some distance right behind Cruff.


Even though he was quite some distance away, Yin Ruoyi's shot missed Cruff but directly hit that US teammate who was stealthily hiding behind.


He was struck in the forehead and, likewise, suffered the bitter fate of being eliminated.


This US teammate was probably cussing in his heart.


Both Cruff and Yin Ruoyi were shocked to see that the latter managed to hit someone.


Following that, both parties speedily retreated.


It was, after all, dark at night. Even Cruff couldn't be sure no accidents would occur under such circumstances.


The China teammate signaled a hand gesture to Yin Ruoyi. Seeing that the other party wasn't Gu Qingjiu, Yin Ruoyi even heaved a sigh of relief.


He felt that nothing must happen to Gu Qingjiu in this match.


Unbeknownst to him, Cruff was also feeling incredibly gloomy at the moment.


He had no idea that the eliminated player was someone from his team until this point because that person didn't have any individual points. Hence there was no change to the US team's points.


He only knew that the international judge panel notified them that the US team was still ranked second.


Second!


This result made Cruff's countenance turn extremely dark.


To think that after he single-handedly obtained five points, his team still ranked second.


Fourteen points. Then who was ranked first?


Could it be the China team?


Then how many points difference was there between their teams exactly?


He had an indistinct bad premonition, yet there was no room for him to think too much about this under such circumstances.


He mustn't lose this competition. Winning was the only acceptable outcome for him.


After all, this was going to be his last match.


He must have a perfect result before retiring, after which he would enter the world-class coaching profession with no blemish in his track record.


How glamorous would his future be?


But once he lost...


No, that was impossible!


Cruff snuffed out this thought.


The only uncertain factor in this competition was not knowing which country an eliminated player came from unless it was during the daytime when they had excellent vision.


Also, the players had no idea which countries were ranked above theirs.


Hence the battle was full of changes.


But Cruff could sense that the person he encountered earlier was Yin Ruoyi.


That little rascal who very nearly won in the previous competition.


Hmph.


In the dark darkness, Cruff's lips arched in a cold smirk.


Chapter 724: Competition Discussions


The one just now was Cruff.


Yin Ruoyi had an inexplicable intuition about it.


He didn't expect to meet each other this soon.


However, when he heard they remained in the first place, Yin Ruoyi was slightly excited.


It wasn't like last time when Cruff oppressed them from the start until the end.


At least for now, they were in first place.


On the other hand, Cruff must be feeling furious.


Gu Qingjiu's strength was really not a hoax.


He just didn't know where his other two teammates were.


If they met, they could do some cooperative maneuvers.


For now, he had to be careful and protect himself.


On Gu Qingjiu's side, the smell of gunpowder was still strong on-site.


There were at least several sharpshooters hidden around, and everyone did not make any bold moves at the moment.


Gu Qingjiu took out several competitors from different countries, which probably caused the remaining people to become wary of her.


And Gu Qingjiu also tried to break through to the edge.


The center point was not safe, and there were still wild animals lurking nearby.


It was difficult to tell if their gunfire provoked these beasts. If they attacked her, it would not be a laughing matter.


*


When Chairman Song came, the broadcast was already focused on some other competitors exchanging fire.


He was clad in a suit, looking like he came in a hurry.


After reaching, Chairman Song saw the points on the big screen. He let out a sound of amazement and patted Nian Chusheng's shoulder. "Old Nian, what is the situation now?"


Nian Chusheng turned back to look at him. "You just arrived? The exciting parts are all over! Gu Qingjiu and Yin Ruoyi's performance this year are incredible!"


Upon hearing that, Chairman Song immediately sat down. "Tell me more. I just went back to sleep for a while, and the point gap became this outrageous. What, was Cruff eliminated by Yin Ruoyi or Gu Qingjiu?"


"If we really eliminated America, would we still be in second place? But we lost a person. Only Gu Qingjiu and Yin Ruoyi are left on the field. I'm telling you, just before you came, the part in which Gu Qingjiu scored five points was simply amazing. It was like being against a battalion and still retrieving the enemy leader's head!"


As Nian Chusheng recapped, he slapped his thighs in excitement. "This girl only had a few years of training, and she is already so strong. She will become greater in the future!"


Hearing him say that piqued Chairman Song's interest, and he felt a sudden regret. "I should have known not to go back to sleep and stay to watch for the night. I'm going to replay that video endlessly when I get back. By the way, what about Yin Ruoyi?"


"Ruoyi's performance was not without its excitement as well. When he traded lives with Cruff, it was pretty thrilling too."


"What trading lives whatsoever. I have told you to play less of your mobile games. You're already of this age, and people are still scolding and calling you an elementary school student. Do you think I do not know about this?"


Nian Chusheng flushed. "Why are you dragging that in? To even bring my matters into this situation. Please pay attention to the competition, okay?"


Chairman Song let out a laugh, then glanced at the points. "Now that the score gap has pulled apart, it brings my expectations up."


Nian Chusheng sighed. "Whose isn't? Now the flames of hope ignited in my heart. There's hope!"


The score meant they had a chance.


At this moment, Nian Chusheng saw that Helian Niancheng, who had been watching through the night, finally stood up.


The tall, indifferent person walked past them with no forms of acknowledgment.


No one took it to heart.


The young man couldn't stay up any longer.


Chapter 725: Should Opt For the Safer Method


On-site, Gu Qingjiu retreated out of the center point.


Not to say that she left the place entirely. She was just observing from nearby.


According to their prior arrangement, her score should have pulled away from the others, and it should remain stable for a while.


But stability was never what Gu Qingjiu was after.


She recalled Chairman Song asking her if she would continue her pursuit of victory if she had the opportunity to do so.


Gu Qingjiu now had an obvious answer.


Of course, she would!


The best offense was defense.


It wasn't like she didn't have this ability.


Pulling the score apart was the surest way to go.


But she couldn't be impulsive either.


The competition at the center of the field was very intense. A minute of inattentiveness would lead to a gun battle.


But in fact, the bullets were governed strictly on the international field.


Bullets were generally enough for the sharpshooters.


Generally, they were given five magazines, each with eight bullets, making it a total of forty bullets.


Most importantly, these all belonged under the category of snatches.


In other words, if you had the ability, it was possible to eliminate everyone.


But there was another clause. If one eliminated another, they would get half the points of that person. If the player eliminated was one with a high score, it would be free points!


Similarly, at the early stage, having a high score means nothing because there are many people, and you wouldn't be able to differentiate the people who had high scores for a while.


But that would become blatantly obvious later on as the number of people decreases. The points would accumulate, and people with low scores would inevitably launch their counterattack.


Just like the last international battlefield.


However, the only benefit of the forest biome would shine after the competition. If they ran faraway, others wouldn't be able to find them...


Unless the person were from a small country, people like Gu Qingjiu and Cruff would run instead of attacking others.


That would be an opportunity for others.


Gu Qingjiu loitered around the center point, making Chairman Song, who watched the scene, become anxious.


"I think Gu Qingjiu should find a place to hide. After all, she has the highest points in the entire competition. Generally , the total points of international competition rarely exceeds thirty. If that's the case, Gu Qingjiu can choose the most conservative way to play."


She already had nineteen points. If she eliminated a few others later on, it would exceed thirty—guaranteed a spot in the top three.


That was Chairman Song's consideration.


Although he still held the hope of taking the first place, he hoped that Gu Qingjiu could choose to retreat.


Like he once said.


Nian Chusheng clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Look at this girl's personality. There's no way she would find a place to hide. That's not her style at all. Besides, of all the people groomed by Elder Gong, have you ever seen a wimp amongst them?"


"This is not a matter about being a wimp or not!"


Chairman Song pointed at Nian Chusheng, expecting better from him. "This is why I always interfere with you soldiers. This is a strategy, a strategy! If a moment of retreat can be exchanged for victory, why not?"


"In the end, you just don't believe in Qingjiu and Yin Ruoyi." Nian Chusheng hit the nail on the head. "What if the two of them eliminated others to the end? Maybe Cruff will be eliminated by Gu Qingjiu as well."


Chairman Song sighed. "Fine, I will not argue with you."


He was not like Nian Chusheng, who had more radical ideas.


He was more inclined towards the conservative ways. Honestly, he didn't think Gu Qingjiu and Yin Ruoyi would get much higher scores.


Halfway through the competition, players tend to hide, and nearer to the end, those with low scores would launch a counterattack.


That will be the time when things would get dangerous for Gu Qingjiu.


Chapter 726: Raining


Except for the battle that broke out at the very beginning...


Gu Qingjiu rested on a tree some distance away from the central valley area.


She was lucky that apart from bumping into some small animals; she didn't encounter any fierce beasts and pythons.


Besides the female competitor initially, no other people were seen to have met with this problem.


Dawn gradually arrived. Gu Qingjiu hid under a thick foliage of a tree branch.


Her eyes were wide open as she looked out.


Suddenly, a wild monkey popped out with a swish.


Gu Qingjiu and the monkey stared at each other.


The monkey was a small one, staring at Gu Qingjiu with round wide eyes, a hand holding onto the tree branch while standing on the trunk.


"Rumble..."


Suddenly, the weather, which had been quite good, seemed to be covered with dark clouds.


There was a disturbing sound coming from the clouds.


The little monkey squeaked a few times before disappearing behind the branches in two or three hops.


It was going to rain!


Just as this thought flashed across Gu Qingjiu's mind, a 'crash—boom!' accompanied it.


A sky shaking with thunder.


The rain poured down!


The tropical rainforest climate is usually rainy and humid.


But it was rare for the weather to become worse as such.


Gu Qingjiu frowned and quickly jumped down from the tree.


She could stand the dark, but not the thunderstorm.


The sound of rain was unceasing, accompanied by the roars of thunder.


No matter who, this weather condition would affect their visibility and auditory judgment.


Sharpshooters would choose to retreat.


When Gu Qingjiu was around there last night, there was a cave. She was planning to return to that place to hide from the rain.


Since she couldn't shower for three days, this rain in this humid climate would cost her life.


The clothes on her were not waterproof either.


She hurried over. Fortunately, the branches over her head with lush foliage provided her with some form of shelter.


It was just not as comfortable as being in the cave.


As Gu Qingjiu dashed, she suddenly saw a rapid shadow dashing towards her.


So fast that it was only seconds later that Gu Qingjiu could see that it was a tiger behind the screen of rain!


Her expression changed, but she did not lose her composure.


She did not slow down in her footsteps and even sped up into a faster sprint.


The tiger was fast. In the blink of an eye, it was already close to Gu Qingjiu.


It opened its enormous mouth; one could see the razor-sharp fangs with traces of saliva!


Gu Qingjiu glared fiercely at it. Using her strength to jump higher than the pouncing tiger, she stepped directly on top of its head and used the momentum to jump over it!


—Splat!


She landed in the mud. Gu Qingjiu didn't even pause for a moment before sprinting forward.


The tiger was confused for a moment after Gu Qingjiu had stepped on the top of its head, and it fell flat onto the ground.


After getting back up, it looked at Gu Qingjiu. It hesitated a little, eventually deciding to not chase after her, and ran back to the central valley.


Gu Qingjiu did not turn back, nor did she hear any sound of pursuit behind.


Inwardly, she was relieved because she was running at a fast speed. She headed back to yesterday's location.


But before she arrived, Gu Qingjiu saw a blurred black figure at the cave from afar.


It was a person!


She stopped instantly and crouched.


With a gun in her hand, she shot in that direction.


Bang!


Bang! Bang!


Two shots, the opponent on the other side quickly fired in Gu Qingjiu's direction.


Bullets flew over her head, and the other party dodged in an instance as well.


However, Gu Qingjiu shot twice.


What was unthinkable was Gu Qingjiu's ability to hit moving targets with little thought.


Shot at the same time, but the angle allowed her to hit the target.


Oof!


Chapter 727: Things She Wanted To Eat


"Congratulations on earning one point and getting half of that player's points, two points. The total points gained are three. Currently, China ranks first at twenty-two points, and you rank first on the individual scoreboard!"


The international panel's voice sounded by her ears, signalling the victor of this battle.


The other party stood there as he stared for a long time before reluctantly leaving.


They left a backpack behind.


Gu Qingjiu exhaled lightly. This was her first time getting someone else's points from elimination.


Meaning that the person she eliminated had four points.


The accumulated points would add up to a frightening figure.


Especially for the three of them, she, Yin Ruoyi and Cruff. The points gained from any of their elimination were probably enough to help a country jump to the first place.


Of course, the strongest possibility was that they would eliminate each other.


Gu Qingjiu now knew that Yin Ruoyi's points were not low. When there were changes to their points, Gu Qingjiu guessed that Yin Ruoyi earned those additional five points.


The person eliminated just now seemed a little dissatisfied.


On the international battlefield, there seemed to be an unwritten rule.


No, it should be said that all sharpshooter's held a sort of arrogance.


Under normal circumstances, they would only shoot once when they just had a single prey.


Not twice or more.


That was the pride they held as sharpshooters.


On televisions, that sort of one-shot—one kill—was always featured as well.


To fire several shots in a row and miss was considered embarrassing.


Only in a situation similar to last night's attack on Gu Qingjiu would people shoot several times based on their gut instincts.


The man was probably a little surprised that Gu Qingjiu fired two shots.


Not that Gu Qingjiu cared.


No one told her about this unwritten rule. Subconsciously, she treated it as if she was practising on a moving target.


She was at the point of her training, where she could turn on all the circular moving targets and moving targets in the training room and keep shooting at all of them.


Yin Ruoyi always said that it looked like she was doing acrobatics.


Meanwhile, Yin Ruo Yi preferred to practice with only one target.


The time that Gu Qingjiu spent practising was too short compared to those sharpshooters who have been trained since young.


A mere four years.


She relied on her exceptional talent.


Braving the rain, Gu Qingjiu moved forward and soon arrived at the cave.


The person who got eliminated left behind his food and bullets.


Gu Qingjiu kept the things.


She consumed quite a lot today, so this was just in time to replenish, with a little extra.


It affected nothing much.


She felt a little hungry.


Gu Qingjiu unpacked a packet of ration biscuits and ate it.


Frankly, the taste of it was not very nice.


A bit of sweetness accompanied the usual bitter taste of the ration.


Her only consolation was that the water was at least capable of replenishing her strength like a small bottle of milk.


She would just have to make do with the taste.


The rations for these few days were at least able to ensure that the sharpshooters had sufficient nutrition and cope with their hunger issues.


No matter how bad it tasted, they could only endure.


As she ate, she couldn't help but think back about the lobster she ate just a day before.


For the sake of their health, they ate the five-spiced one rather than the spicy one.


But compared to this, it was a delicacy.


The more she thought about it, the more the food in her mouth tasted like wax.


Gu Qingjiu finished eating a biscuit but did not eat for another second. Instead, she stared out at the pouring rain.


Once she gets back, she will eat them all—the garlic ones, five-spiced ones, and even the spicy ones.


And also eat all the delicious food around the capital to make up for her hard work.


Chapter 728: The Pressures of the Shooting Association


This heavy downpour continued relentlessly.


From the dawn of the day, until that afternoon.


This resulted in the remaining sharpshooters finding a spot in the forest and not daring to abruptly take action.


These delicate sharpshooters shared common thinking.


Their clothes were wet from the rain, and they couldn't change out of them. Add to the fact that the weather was hot, it gave off a particular odor.


Moreover, if they accidentally caught the flu, it was akin to seeking death.


Even if their immune systems were strong, nobody had the confidence to face up against nature.


Hence they decided on inaction.


Moreover, they knew very well that such torrential rains would pose even more significant an obstruction to them and that it was instead an advantage to a minority of the players.


It would be good if they weren't discovered; it would be like courting death if they walked out.


It was especially so if they were to run into wild animals with tendencies to get into a bad mood on such rainy days.


Hence the afternoon passed peacefully, a rare happening during the competition.


The people viewing the match found it arduous too.


At noon, more than half the officials left. Looking at this weather, nobody knew for how much longer it was going to rain.


The players on the screen weren't moving, and even though the audience felt anxious, there was no way they could urge them otherwise.


Chairman Song stroked his nose, then made a violent sneeze.


"Ah-choo!"


A patrolling guard sharply caught that and swiftly handed him a tissue. Nian Chusheng, who had rested the entire morning and had just woken up, gazed at him in surprise. "Chairman Song, you caught the flu?"


Chairman Song nodded. "I'm guessing it's due to the rapid change in weather. It's not like you don't know how hot it is back at home right now. When we came here, it was cold. Add to the fact that it's raining today. Hence, I caught the flu. Aye, I'm getting on in age and can't endure such things as well anymore."


Though Nian Chusheng begged to disagree, he said with a smile nonetheless, "You're still young. If you say you're old, what are those people who stand by their duties in their sixties or seventies to say?"


"Stop teasing me." Chairman Song chuckled, then let out a sigh. "Old Nian, I'm going to tell you something. But you mustn't tell anyone."


It was just the two of them and the patrolling guard in the vicinity. Patrolling guards were tight-lipped, so they naturally wouldn't divulge what they heard. Chairman Song wasn't afraid of that.


Nian Chusheng frowned slightly. He could guess what it was. Still, he asked this, "Chairman Song, what's the matter?"


Chairman Song edged closer to him and covered his nose with a tissue before speaking. "Old Nian, this time after we return, I'm going to hand my resignation to the country."


Though Nian Chusheng had already guessed it, he couldn't help but feel pity. "Why? You're not even sixty yet. What's the hurry?"


Chairman Song shook his head. "Old Nian, although you're a commander in the army, you ought to know about my situation. It's not that I'm neglecting my responsibilities, but you see, ever since I took over after Sheng Ming retired, the results that I have achieved truly pale in comparison to Sheng Ming's."


It couldn't be said that this was all due to Chairman Song's bad luck, but he indeed wasn't too lucky.


After the ace sharpshooter, Sheng Ming, retired, Cruff from the US had constantly crushed China.


The results they achieved were indeed lackluster.


Subsequently, finally, a Yin Ruoyi emerged, but even then, they only managed to clinch second previously.


And it was precise because there were hopes of becoming the champion, that some of the old higher-ups had unrealistic fantasies.


They even resented Chairman Song for not leading their country's team to first place.


Of course, it wasn't that all the old higher-ups were like this. Such people were only in the minority, but they, after all, exist.


This resulted in tremendous pressure for Chairman Song all these years.


While the combat team achieved perfect results and Sheng Ming retirement, their country's combat team still achieved excellent results.


As for shooting, Chairman Song was powerless about this.


Chapter 729: Just Look At Whose Wife It Is


And it was precisely because of this, Chairman Song, who was in his early fifties, had a head full of white hair. He even appeared a tad older than Nian Chusheng who had yet to retire in the army, even though Nian Chusheng was a bit older than he was.


After all, by the time Gu Qingjiu appeared he was already over fifty, and at that moment, he was around 56 or 57.


There was fatigue written all over his face.


Nian Chusheng also knew that, and his heart ached seeing Chairman Song in this state. He patted the latter on his shoulders and no longer greeted him in a distant manner. "Old Song, take it easy. Even if you want to retire, you've got to give them a satisfactory reply before you retire. Some of the old higher-ups aren't as open-minded as the old leaders. Don't take it to heart."


Other than coming with Chairman Song to the international competitions together, Nian Chusheng wasn't on familiar terms with Chairman Song in private.


There were too many factions in politics, making for complicated relationships.


Such private ties were rare.


After all, since they had been acquainted for a few years now...


Nian Chusheng couldn't help but feel sympathy towards Chairman Song seeing him in such a situation.


Chairman Song let out a bitter chuckle. "Old Nian, I wish for that too. But this time, I don't have great confidence. Regardless of whether the outcome is good, I'm still going to retire. Even if I don't do it myself, the higher-ups in the association will probably urge me to retire."


Regardless of how high your office rank, so long as you're not standing at the peak...


And so long as you're not one of the older batches of higher-ups who helped build up the country in the early days...


Although these people might appear powerful on the surface, they were in fact pushovers in the eyes of others.


"How can you not feel confident seeing our score? Old Song, you're scared after being oppressed for so many years! Let me tell you, this time, not only do we have hope, we have rather high hopes."


The US team score was only 14 points, while the China team had 22 points.


In terms of individual scores, Gu Qingjiu's stood above the rest. If even then he still felt there was no hope, Nian Chusheng would then be the silly one.


It was indeed tempting looking at the points.


Chairman Song's gaze flickered as he looked, and a look of anticipation surfaced in his eyes.


"I only hope to be able to produce perfect results this time!"


If not, should they lose the competition and let Cruff win three times consecutive, he would become the butt of jokes.


"Surely we will."


Nian Chusheng patted his shoulders once more and reassured him.


Just then, two people entered the viewing area.


This time, Helian Niancheng was entering with someone.


Sometimes, Nian Chusheng couldn't help but sigh with emotion about how some people were born to be god's favored ones.


Regardless of how arrogant he was, everything went smoothly for him.


Because he had the capital.


He had heard of the reason behind Helian Niancheng's exile when he was in the Empire.


Although the reason was indeed not because of Helian Niancheng, his method of handling that matter felt like tyranny on a certain level.


He was too decisive in meting out the death punishment.


Moreover, that was his uncle's son.


But then again, this was other people's business, so Nian Chusheng wouldn't be a nosy-parker and say anything about this.


He watched as the duo entered, and when their gazes met, both parties gave a slight nod.


Helian Niancheng and Huo Yingcheng sat down together, and Huo Yingcheng started chattering beside him. "Major-general, why did you think of asking me to come along this time?"


As he spoke, he then noticed the points situation.


He instantly let out a gasp. "Qingjiu is quite fierce!"


He had long felt that this lass was capable of great things. Now, looking at how the American ace sharpshooter Cruff was suppressed miserably, could it be that the China team would finally turn things around this time?


A calm reply from beside him succeeded in making Huo Yingcheng shut up. "Well, just look at whose wife it is."


Chapter 730: Sudden Accident—Yin Ruoyi Got Injured!


Huo Yingcheng felt that his major-general was puffed up with pride.


Ever since he got married to Gu Qingjiu, this person had become unbelievably swollen with pride.


What was even more incredible was that at present, other than his parents and a few others, there weren't many in the royal family who were aware that Helian Niancheng had gotten married.


They were under the impression that he was still in a stable dating relationship with Gu Qingjiu.


When this fellow would hold his wedding of the century in time to come, God only knew how many people's eyes would pop out in shock.


At that moment, heavy rains were pouring as seen on the screens.


Huo Yingcheng let out a soft task. "Looking at such a situation, none of the players had any intention to take action. Isn't it more suitable to move around undetected on a rainy day?"


"Are you going to take responsibility if they fall sick?"


Huo Yingcheng was speechless.


Oh right.


This wasn't some mission, but a competition.


Although not everyone had delicate bodies and would fall sick right after getting drenched in the rain...


No one could be sure it wouldn't happen to them.


Add to the fact that it was torrential rain and there were many poisonous bugs and snakes in tropical rainforests...


If one was unlucky and got into an accident, it would be a fatal blow in the competition.


They would then be reduced to easy targets.


It was understandable why these people chose not to take action.


"What is Qingjiu doing right now?"


Huo Yingcheng narrowed his eyes and tried his best to search for Gu Qingjiu in those small boxes on the screen.


Helian Niancheng replied calmly, "Lower-left corner."


Huo Yingcheng looked towards the lower-left corner and quickly spotted Gu Qingjiu.


Although it was pouring heavily, which obstructed the flight cameras' vision, Huo Yingcheng still managed to determine Qingjiu's position based on his intuition.


At the same moment, Gu Qingjiu was crazily missing her spicy lobster as she hid in the cave.


If the flight cameras could capture clearer images, they could capture her maniacally gulping down her saliva.


After eating biscuits for two consecutive days, she was sick of it. But then, she still had to eat them for quite some time.


The competition would end tomorrow, anyway.


She would be free from all this very soon.


Gu Qingjiu didn't dare to guarantee that she would obtain a certain number of points, but this being her first international match, she must make sure to make a good showing.


The rain gradually stopped.


After the rain stopped, there generally are no warm rays of sunshine after the rain in such a rainforest climate.


The rain just stopped, and that was all.


The air was still as moist.


The skies in the forest were also as dark as the evening in China.


Snakes, rats, and ants came out in dense clusters at such a time.


As these creatures couldn't look for food during the heavy downpour, they would immediately come out in search of food after it ended.


The sharpshooters were sufficiently confident in themselves but dared not recklessly take action when they didn't possess lethal firepower.


Especially considering most of those living creatures were venomous.


Even Cruff wouldn't go head-on against those wild animals.


However, even if they didn't seek other people, trouble would always have a way of finding them.


Especially those sharpshooters hiding on the trees.


Yin Ruoyi was hidden in a secluded spot.


It couldn't be considered very secluded though. After much difficulty, he finally found a forest path along a river.


At the time, he was walking over and planning to relieve himself.


He had no choice. One had to relieve themselves from time to time, right?


Moreover, with such a scene, the cameras would automatically avoid them.


As a sharpshooter, of course, he had sufficient alertness, but it was impossible to completely guard against all dangers.


Before he could even loosen his belt, Yin Ruoyi who was standing behind a large tree suddenly felt numbness on his back.


At the time he had speedily responded by turning around and whipping out his gun.


"Sss!"


However, a black, slim, and small figure abruptly leaped towards him.


Its speed exceeded humans several fold!


It directly took a bite on the back of Yin Ruoyi's left hand!


Yin Ruoyi felt numbness on his left hand, and his right hand quickly grabbed hold of this black slim snake's crucial part and, exerting his force, strangled this snake to death!

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