Sniper (Part 2)

After speaking, he picked up the AWM sniper rifle, skillfully secured it onto the tripod, and then lay prone on the ground. He pulled a piece of black cloth over himself, concealing his form within the darkness. It had to be said, this improvised concealment was quite effective.

"What are you doing over here? Go find somewhere to hide!"

Seeing Qian Qianqian actually running over foolishly while clutching a bundle of Blue Cloth, Zeng Fei hissed in a low voice, showing no signs of chivalry.

"Oh..." Qian Qianqian's eyes reddened. She looked around, then hurriedly hid beneath the water tower on the rooftop, curling up until her body was tucked away in the shadows.

"What should I do... kill... or not kill?"

Regardless of whatever military experience Zeng Fei possessed, and regardless of the teachings and training he had received from his father, none of that could change the fact that he was merely an eighteen-year-old boy.

The sky of eighteen is a clear, sunny morning, filled with white clouds and birds in flight, unconstrained and free. But now, his sky was one of dark nights, black clouds, and cold winds. What he held in his hands was not a pen, but cold metal.

Even if he were bold and firm of mind, at this moment, he was still at a loss.

Watching the two fully armed figures—one black, one white—appear in his scope, Zeng Fei suddenly felt dizzy, and the index finger resting on the trigger went rigid! For a sniper, this was the most amateurish and fatal of mistakes.

With his eye pressed to the scope and his finger on the trigger, the fear in Zeng Fei's heart began to sprout like a virus.

"No! Don't let your mind wander! Calm down. Zeng Fei, you have to calm down. You are a soldier! Stay calm! This isn't killing people; it's just hitting a target with a bullet... not killing, not killing! Execute the mission... execute your mission!"

"Besides, they aren't human... they're just dummies created by the Headmaster... I'm killing monsters, that's right, I'm killing monsters!"

"You are a qualified soldier, and now, a sniper. You cannot be defeated by the fear in your heart... you cannot!"

Hoo... hah... hoo... hah...

Despite his constant self-suggestion, beads of cold sweat continued to seep from Zeng Fei's forehead, and his slightly chubby body, wrapped beneath the black cloth, could not stop trembling.

Woof—woof—woof—!

A strange and mournful barking sound suddenly erupted, radiating from the empty, eerie intersection and echoing repeatedly.

The black man in the scope suddenly let out a shout and began to run.

Less than twenty meters away from him lay the center of the intersection. There, Yin Kuang, Li Shuangmu, and Wang Ning were lying in three hidden spots, playing dead.

A black dog, having emerged from who knows where, scrambled on all fours, racing rapidly toward the center of the intersection—where the corpse of Mike, the blind man with a bullet hole through his brow, lay.

The dog ran in front, and the black man chased from behind. The distance between them and the intersection was shrinking rapidly.

The camouflage of Li Shuangmu and his companions might have been useful against ordinary people, but against battle-hardened elites, it was clearly insufficient. Once the black man got close, he would likely discover the anomaly immediately. Then, the bullets from his gun would pour down upon the three of them.

Undoubtedly, facing two or more fully armed elite soldiers, Li Shuangmu and the others might be turned into sieves by a rain of bullets before they even had a chance to retaliate.

Therefore, no matter what, they could not let them get close to the street corner! They had to be intercepted before reaching the junction; that way, Li Shuangmu and the others could rely on the overturned cars on the road as cover to engage in a firefight with the Umbrella Corporation personnel—though this was still dangerous, there was at least hope. Once they got into close quarters, it would be certain death!

Clearly, following the original plan was no longer possible. Who could have expected they would be facing an Umbrella Corporation task force?

"No! Absolutely cannot let them get close to the street corner! Cannot let my teammates fall into danger!"

Gradually, Zeng Fei's gaze sharpened, and his brows knitted tightly together.

He held his breath.

"My bullet, fly..."

Zeng Fei suddenly bit down hard on his lower lip; the sharp, intense pain instantly plunged him into a state of unprecedented calm.

He pulled the trigger!

Bang—!!

"Damn it!"

Lying in the shadow of an overturned bus, Li Shuangmu was burning with anxiety. "What the hell is that kid Zeng Fei doing? Why hasn't he fired yet? Once those people get close, even if we have guns, they're wearing body armor. If we don't hit them in the head, we can't do anything to them! Not to mention, Yin Kuang and Wang Ning have never even touched a gun; how could they possibly hit a headshot? We're dead, we're dead. I don't fear god-like opponents, I fear pig-like teammates. He's really going to get us killed this time."

"However... even if I'm in a desperate situation, I, Li Shuangmu, am not one to give up so easily... So what if they're special forces elites? Hmph! How many special forces elites have already fallen by my hand? Today, even if I'm destined to lose 10 years of my lifespan, I'll take a few down with me. I just wonder how many Study Points I get for killing an elite soldier..."

Slowly, Li Shuangmu reached his hand into his coat...

In an overturned car not far away, Yin Kuang was hiding and playing dead. From his vantage point, he could also see the rooftop across the way, and he naturally realized that the enemies they were about to face were the Umbrella Corporation security team. Although he was nervous and afraid, he also felt a faint sense of excitement—perhaps if he had known the true strength of the Umbrella Corporation security team, he wouldn't have been excited, but in reality, he was truly excited at this moment.

Even though he knew he was currently a "dead man," he couldn't help but stick out his tongue and lick his dry lips. He didn't know why he did it; perhaps he was thirsty. In his hand, he gripped the Type 54 pistol equipped with a silencer. He hadn't eaten pork, but he had certainly seen pigs run. Although he had never used a gun, he had watched so many movies and TV shows that he had learned a thing or two, even if he had never put it into practice.

Now, with a gun in hand, he suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of security. Thinking that he might soon have the chance to experience what firing a gun was like, he found himself impatient!

"Woof woof—woof—"

The barking continued, growing closer and closer.

"Hey! You damn dog, stop right there! Shit, shit, if you don't stop, I'll blow your dog head off with one shot!"

An abrupt voice rang out. Although there was still some distance, it was definitely not far, and the gap was closing rapidly.

Yin Kuang suddenly took a deep, involuntary breath, his heart pounding so violently it felt as if it might burst from his chest.

"They're here... what do I do? Shoot, or..."

Never mind that the previous plan had lost its utility; even if there had been a plan, Yin Kuang had forgotten it entirely by now. The speed of his blood flow had increased sharply, his head was congested, and he retained only the most basic cognitive abilities. Any tactical plan had long been thrown to the back of his mind.

"Shoot! Kill him! As soon as he gets close, I'll shoot!" Yin Kuang tightened his grip on the pistol. "If I don't kill him, he'll definitely kill me! Kill... kill a person... no, not a person! This is just a game, a game designed by the Headmaster. I'm just killing monsters. For Study Points, for the Comprehensive Evaluation..."

The black man still chasing the black dog had no idea he was being targeted by three gun barrels. He continued to chase the dog, full of rage, his mouth spewing a constant stream of curses. Beyond English, he even threw in French, German, Egyptian, and even the Chinese "damn it." It was hard to tell that this black man, who possessed the "Chatterbox" skill, had such an extraordinary talent for languages.

"Hey! Rona, stop!"

William's sense of unease grew increasingly intense. Seeing Rona, the black man, about to dash out of the street, he couldn't help but shout, "The boss is already on his way, you stop right there!"

"Fast-Runner Rona doesn't care about your threats. Watch me grab that dog and give him a good beating, just sit back and enjoy the show..." Suddenly, Rona's wide-open mouth froze.

Because he had just felt a bone-chilling cold... that was the shadow of death.

"Oh... sh—"

BANG!

SPLAT!

Rona's head suddenly exploded, scattering red and white matter in all directions like a bursting firework, eerie yet brilliant. In the final moment of his life, this black man left behind a beautiful scene...

"Rona!!"

William's eyes bulged with rage, and he let out a sorrowful roar like a wounded lion.

The next moment, with two soft thwips, two bullets suddenly flew out from the shadows, streaking toward William.

However, even though William was plunged into immense grief over the death of his teammate, his long career as a mercenary had forged his body into a formidable weapon! Almost instinctively, he dove forward!

He succeeded.

He successfully dodged the bullet aimed at his head.

Yet, the other bullet, which should have missed, struck his arm in a bizarre and coincidental turn of events due to his forward dive. A flower of blood bloomed at his right elbow.

His gun hand was ruined!