STG 42
Chapter 42: How’s My Talent?
“It smells so good…” Lin Qiye, aching all over, staggered out of the training room. The aroma wafting from the activity room reignited a spark in his otherwise lifeless eyes.
Wen Qimo’s lips curled into a faint smile. “It seems the beating you took this morning wasn’t in vain…”
Lin Qiye walked straight into the activity room. As soon as he pushed the door open, four pairs of resentful eyes instantly locked onto him.
“…” Lin Qiye sensed the tense atmosphere. “What’s… wrong?”
“Nothing. Sit down and eat,” Chen Muye said, glancing at him calmly.
“Okay.”
Once Lin Qiye sat down, Hong Ying stared pitifully at Chen Muye, her eyes pleading.
“Let’s eat,” Chen Muye finally said, the words everyone had been waiting for.
The group immediately dug in like wolves who hadn’t eaten for days, their eyes gleaming with hunger.
“Sis Hong Ying, is the Night Watchmen’s food always this good?” Lin Qiye asked softly, eyeing the lavish spread on the table.
Hong Ying replied irritably, “I don’t want to talk to you right now.”
After a moment, she added, “I’ll talk to you after I finish eating!”
Lin Qiye: “…”
“Lin Qiye.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Did you learn anything from today’s training?”
“Yes, I learned a lot.”
“Good.” Chen Muye nodded, then paused. “Does it hurt?”
“…A little.”
“Xiao Nan, treat his injuries later.”
Si Xiaonan pouted but obediently nodded. “Okay.”
Chen Muye thought for a moment and added, “No need to fully heal him. Just make sure he can still take a beating tomorrow.”
Lin Qiye: “…”
Clack!
Two pairs of chopsticks collided in the bone broth, producing a soft sound.
Hong Ying and Wu Xiangnan were locked in a stalemate, both gripping the same piece of meat, neither willing to yield.
Their eyes met, sparks practically flying between them.
“Wu Xiangnan, I saw that piece of meat first,” Hong Ying glared.
Wu Xiangnan replied calmly, “I picked it up first.”
“Let go.”
“No.”
“Let go!”
“No!”
Sizzle…
The tension between them intensified.
Just then, Leng Xuan, who had been quietly eating with minimal presence, stared at the piece of meat, reached to his waist, and…
Pulled out an MP5 submachine gun.
He placed it on the table.
“Both of you, let go,” he said calmly.
Hong Ying: “…”
Wu Xiangnan: “…”
Leng Xuan naturally picked up the largest piece of meat with his chopsticks, hesitated for a moment, and then placed it in Lin Qiye’s bowl.
“Newbie, eat more. We’ll practice shooting later.”
Leng Xuan holstered his submachine gun and spoke coldly.
“Ah? Oh… okay.” Lin Qiye was momentarily stunned, then stared blankly at Leng Xuan, who had already buried himself in his meal.
Good grief,
Now this is what you call “ruthless and sparing with words”!
“Leng Xuan, try not to draw your gun at the dinner table next time,” Chen Muye reminded him.
“If it accidentally goes off… this meal would be wasted.”
Leng Xuan nodded. “Okay.”
Hong Ying and Wu Xiangnan exchanged a glance and obediently returned to their meals.
Once Lin Qiye had finished every last bite in his bowl, Leng Xuan stood up and walked over to him.
“Full?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go. Shooting practice.”
“Okay!”
As the two disappeared down the hallway, Wen Qimo sighed and turned to Si Xiaonan.
“Xiao Nan.”
“What?”
“Your status as the group’s favorite has been replaced.”
Si Xiaonan: 😤 (￣へ￣)
……
“Guns are firearms, the crystallization of human wisdom.”
In the shooting range, Leng Xuan stood before a wall neatly lined with various firearms, his expression impassive.
“Against high-level mythical creatures, their effectiveness is minimal, but for lower-level mythical creatures, guns are often more effective than cold weapons.”
“Especially for newcomers who lack strong close-combat skills, learning to use firearms is essential.”
Leng Xuan took a pistol from the wall and handed it to Lin Qiye.
“I’ll only teach you two things: shooting techniques and the principles of firearm mechanics. For someone not specializing in firearms, this will be enough.”
Lin Qiye nodded repeatedly.
“Now, take this gun and shoot at the target. Let me see your talent,” Leng Xuan pointed to a target not far away.
Lin Qiye nodded, picked up the pistol, and stood firmly at the shooting station.
He took a deep breath,
Imitated the movements he’d seen on TV,
Raised the gun,
Aimed,
And fired!
Bang—!
A gunshot rang out, and two faces instantly darkened.
He’d missed the target entirely…
Leng Xuan walked up to the target, double-checked for any bullet holes, and his expression turned grim. “You missed a 30-meter target? This…”
Lin Qiye set down the gun and coughed lightly. “So… how’s my talent?”
Leng Xuan glanced at him and closed his eyes in despair.
“You? You have zero talent.”
Lin Qiye: “…”
……
Returning to Hong Ying’s large villa, Lin Qiye collapsed onto the sofa, rubbing his tired eyes.
The day’s training had been a dual torment—both physical and mental. First, he’d been brutally beaten by the captain, then turned into a sieve by rubber bullets.
The evening firearms lesson, while not physically exhausting, had repeatedly crushed his self-esteem…
He truly had no talent for guns.
By the time he left the training room that night, Lin Qiye could clearly see that Leng Xuan was even more exhausted than he was. Worse, the light in Leng Xuan’s eyes had vanished.
In the end, Leng Xuan had tried to comfort him, saying that such performance wasn’t too outrageous for a beginner and encouraging him to keep working hard.
But as he spoke, it somehow turned into Lin Qiye comforting him.
“Don’t worry, I think my lack of talent is just temporary. With more practice, I’ll improve.”
“Have faith in me, and in yourself. You’re such a skilled shooter—there’s no way you can’t teach me.”
“It’s all about time… patience is key…”
“Look on the bright side—at least I can hit the target within 20 meters. There’s still hope for me!”
“…”
As Lin Qiye wallowed in gloom, a graceful figure quietly approached him.
“Qiyue, are you exhausted?” Hong Ying, wearing fluffy pajamas, handed him a cup of tea with a smile.
Lin Qiye forced a smile and accepted the tea. “Thank you.”
“Actually, it’s not too bad. Tiring, but fulfilling,” Lin Qiye took a sip of tea and glanced around. “Where’s Xiao Nan?”
“She seems a little upset that you’ve taken her spot as the group’s favorite. She went back to her room.”
“No wonder she kept pinching me during the treatment earlier. I thought it was part of the procedure,” Lin Qiye touched the bruises on his arm and suddenly understood.
Hong Ying burst into laughter.
“Actually, the captain is strict with everyone. When I first arrived, even though I’m a girl, he didn’t hold back at all. He beat me until I cried,” Hong Ying gazed out the window, a faint smile appearing on her face as she recalled the memory.
“That’s harsh.”
“No, it’s not harsh at all,” Hong Ying shook her head. “The decline in casualty rates among the Night Watchmen in Cangnan is largely thanks to the captain. Partly because of his own strength, but also because he takes responsibility for every team member.”
“The harder he hits you, the more you remember the pain and grow quickly.”
“He’d rather have his team resent him than see them die on the battlefield due to weakness… Do you understand?”
Lin Qiye fell silent for a long moment, recalling the intensity in Chen Muye’s eyes that morning. He slowly nodded.
“I understand.”
Hong Ying’s lips curled into a gentle smile. She ruffled Lin Qiye’s hair like an older sister and said softly, “Alright, if you’re tired, go rest early. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Lin Qiye bid Hong Ying goodnight and returned to his room. Dragging his exhausted body to bed, he lay there staring blankly at the empty ceiling.
After a while, he slowly climbed out of bed again…
Drew the straight sword from its sheath,
Gripped the blade in one hand and the sheath in the other,
Closed his eyes and recalled every move of Chen Muye’s sword techniques from that day,
And under the hazy moonlight,
Began swinging the sword,
Again and again!
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