Chapter 51
Chapter 51 Episode 027 Stands Out
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6 min read
Inside the shooting range, male and female soldiers were neatly lined up. The men had lost face twice because of Flossie Wright and now bore a grudge against her. They were trying their hardest, striving for perfection in all their movements and marching in unison, making it difficult for anyone to pick faults.
𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚
The female soldiers, not wanting to be outdone, rejoiced that Flossie had regained some honour for them. Even with their smaller numbers, they displayed high spirits. They stood on the vast grassland like poles, their expressions serious and dignified, making accurate movements and showing no sign of inferiority when compared to the male soldiers.
Despite the gathering of hundreds of soldiers, the sprawling shooting range was silent except for the hollow wind. Soldiers in marine blue camouflage had added a unique charm to this empty world.
The instructor for the male soldiers walked back and forth before them with an expression of brisk anger, his oppressive aura terrifying the soldiers to the point that they dared not breathe heavily.
Finally, the instructor could no longer suppress his anger and started to roar at the male soldiers, "Look at yourselves, what a disgrace! Even an insignificant ten-kilometer run..."
Hearing his reprimands, the female soldiers were full of delight. If they hadn’t been standing at attention, they would have laughed heartily together in their arms.
It was so thrilling!
"It seems you are all motivated. Do you have confidence in your upcoming shooting drills?!"
Abram Phillips, unlike the instructor next door, had a confident expression on his face. Even with his stern appearance, everyone could see that he was in a good mood. After all, female soldiers always viewed themselves as disadvantaged. It was hard for them to outdo their male counterparts. But today, their reputation was restored not by any elite but by Flossie Wright, who they always labeled as "inferior." How could he not be pleased?
The female soldiers shouted in unison, their passionate cry overpowering the nearby instructor’s words.
"Your time as newcomers is coming to an end, and today will be your last shooting drill," Abram Phillips’s expression became serious, "If there are still unqualified members at this point, I assure you there will be consequences when you return!"
All the female soldiers stepped forward with energy and determination.
As soldiers are like running water in the strong-witted army, they finally got used to the lifestyle in the newcomer’s barracks. No one knew where they would be assigned next – whether their lives would be tough or relaxed. But one thing was for sure, this group of people would never gather together in the same place again.
Unlike male soldiers, female soldiers found it difficult to shine brightly in the forces. The future seemed more obscure to them. Guarding the country was much harder than they imagined, and if they were not capable enough, they would not even get the chance to defend their homeland. This made them more perplexed about their military journey ahead; in fact, they may even begin to cherish the land beneath their feet due to confusion and fear.
Abram Phillips brought up the subject to remind them. To his surprise, tears filled the eyes of many in response.
"Flossie." Perhaps influenced by the surrounding atmosphere, Janice Wood instinctively turned to look at Flossie and softly called her. But when she saw Flossie’s indifferent eyes, Lex was left speechless. A sudden feeling of loss overwhelmed her.
Since getting in touch with Flossie, Janice found herself more and more dependent on her. Even though people label Flossie as a "drag," people like her are easy to believe and rely on, thanks to her magnetic personality.
Moreover, in Janice’s opinion, while Flossie’s physical fitness might be lacking, she excels at many training objectives. Despite being lazy and casual, and just striving for the passing grade, she never cared much about grades and attention.
Janice was not assertive, an entirely different character to Flossie, whom she managed to become friends with. Naturally, the thought of their impending separation felt hard to bear.
"What is it?" Flossie looked at her with a raised eyebrow, showing a puzzled expression.
Janice hesitated at the question, then gathered her courage and asked, "Can we exchange contact information before we leave the newcomer’s barracks?"
Flossie lifted her eyelids lightly and nodded nonchalantly, "Sure."
After saying that, Flossie saw the surprise in Janice’s eyes. She paused for a moment before averting her gaze.
The instructor nearby, anticipating the triumphant female soldiers nearby, did not scold the male soldiers for long. After criticizing the proud male soldiers into embarrassment, he started to discuss the upcoming shooting drills, triggering their competitive spirit again.
Although there was no competition for shooting drills, having just been humiliated, the male soldiers seemed to have adrenaline injected into them, their fighting spirit fully ignited. They took a 50-ring shot as a qualification shot. Just two rounds in, even though it was a 100-meter prone position supported shooting drill, more than ten of them scored above 48 rings.
On the other hand, the female soldiers seemed a bit off their game. The highest score in two rounds was only 45 rings. Such a dismal performance led to an immediate drop in morale among the female soldiers.
Abram Phillips, who was just delighted, now looked disturbed, while the instructor who was previously furious now appeared gloating, wanting to show off his cherished soldiers to Abram Phillips.
"Albert Davis, Jocelyn Carrington, Becca Reyes, Janice Wood... Flossie Wright!" Abram Phillips called out each name, then swept his warning gaze over them, bearing his teeth as he commanded, "Step forward!"
All who were called stepped forward. They then lined up in front of guns and began targeting with great professionalism.
As the words echoed, continuous gunfire could be heard. Flossie Wright had just aimed her target. But before she pulled the trigger, she cast a hesitant glance at Abram Phillips, who seemed displeased. She hesitated for a moment, then gradually closed her right eye.
For the sake of their last shooting drill, she decided to make him happy...
With a faint smile on her lips, Flossie pressed the trigger gently. At a rapid speed within five seconds, all five bullets in the rifle had been fired.
The soldiers recording the results started to check the target sheet as per standard procedure after everyone had fired their shots. They were a bit surprised to see a few bullseyes initially. However, when they saw the last target sheet belonging to Flossie, they were shocked beyond words.
God, how is this possible?!
— End of Chapter 51 —