Taking Action

Exhausted from yesterday, I woke up early to update today—please vote for recommendations!

The impression left on Li Changjiang by that rebel tank was truly unforgettable. It remained vivid in his memory. Whenever he thought of its fearsome power, a chill ran down his spine.

When Li Changjiang uttered the word "tank," the Western man glanced at him with suspicion. Despite the language barrier, the pronunciation of "tank" was not so different between Chinese and English. To so swiftly recognize the sound of a tank was not something an ordinary person could do; Li Changjiang's reaction surprised him.

Crawling behind the others to the frontline position, Li Changjiang finally saw clearly that the man wielding the Barrett was a middle-aged fellow with a full beard.

"Hey, mate, how are you?"

"Hello." Li Changjiang responded politely, but his gaze fixated unrestrainedly on the Barrett rifle in the man's hands. This gun was truly exhilarating. Just the sight of its black metal casing was enough to make his heart race.

"Boss, their reinforcements are nearly here. What should we do?"

"Bob, you must blow up that fortification, or else we'll be stuck here."

"Lewis, you and Kim provide fire support. Tim, grab the package and drive out from the flank, quick!"

"But, boss, what about him?"

The Western man known as the leader turned and saw Li Changjiang still lying there; his face twitched. He had never cared much for Easterners, especially Vietnamese and Filipinos, but Li Changjiang was tall and robust, clearly from China or Korea.

Their squad already had a Korean named Kim, which was the main reason he was willing to risk saving Li Changjiang.

"Do you know how to shoot?"

Li Changjiang understood the question and nodded.

Immediately, the man handed him a rifle.

Li Changjiang did not hesitate. Though he didn’t know who these people were, the firepower of just five men was formidable—they were not to be trifled with. Moreover, their equipment was of a kind ordinary troops could never afford, nearly all unfamiliar to him, but Li Changjiang was no fool; regular soldiers wouldn't have such advanced gear.

"If you want to survive, stick with us. Got it?"

Li Changjiang nodded, then lay quietly without a word, raising his weapon to aim.

In his field of vision, the automatic scope locked onto targets. That deep-rooted feeling flooded back into his veins. He knew he belonged on the battlefield.

Bang!

Bang bang!

Thud thud thud!

A triple shot—at less than thirty meters, well within Li Changjiang's effective range. Three government soldiers fell, each struck squarely in the brow.

Upon witnessing this skill, the men beside him were momentarily stunned.

"Sharpshooter!"

"Boss, you found a gem."

The Western leader glanced at Li Changjiang, his expression flickering, a hint of hesitation in his eyes. He was clearly suspicious of Li Changjiang's identity.

"I’m Chinese. Whatever your aims, I have only one request: take me out. My father is in Benghazi. I must save him."

Bang bang!

After firing again, Li Changjiang coldly spoke in halting English.

"Our destination is also Benghazi. In that case, welcome to Eagle Lion Squad."

Strong individuals are always swiftly accepted, and Li Changjiang was no exception.

"That’s Bob."

"Lewis!"

"Kim and Tim."

"I’m their leader, Williams. You can call me William."

"Li Changjiang. You can call me Li."

Introductions were brief and efficient. With a basic understanding reached, hesitation vanished.

Bob immediately moved toward the fortification with explosives, Lewis and Kim provided covering fire, and Tim followed William, dragging along a man whose head was covered by a black cloth bag—their "package." Li Changjiang paid no mind to matters beyond himself, lying quietly beside the sniper Lewis. The rhythmic reports of his rifle marked each enemy's fall, making the bearded Lewis beside him uneasy.

"Li, your shooting is incredible! Are you a sharpshooter?"

"What’s a sharpshooter?" Li Changjiang asked calmly, hoping to learn more about snipers from Lewis.

"You don’t know what a sharpshooter is? You’re not a soldier?"

"No, I’m not a soldier."

Bang!

Bang bang!

As they spoke, Li Changjiang fired again, shell casings clinking as they dropped. He seemed to sink into a peculiar state—aim, shoot, re-aim, shoot again—until a thunderous explosion erupted.

"Boss, help me!"

"Bob’s been shot, hurry!"

By the light of the blast, Li Changjiang saw Bob—his thigh wounded. The explosion had not been from demolition but an actual bomb.

"We’re trapped," Lewis muttered anxiously.

Behind them lay Tripoli, Gaddafi’s stronghold. Every minute lost diminished their hopes of survival.

Dragged into this local war, Li Changjiang felt helpless.

As captain, Williams stepped forward to rescue Bob.

At that moment, enemy fire suddenly intensified, sensing these attackers were reaching their limit. Gaddafi’s troops grew ruthless.

Boom!

Another strike hit the wall, raising a cloud of dust. Even armor-piercing rounds couldn’t penetrate the thick structure.

Lewis cursed.

"Can I give it a try?" Li Changjiang hesitated briefly before asking Lewis.

"Let me try?"

His accent was distinctively Chinese, but Lewis understood.

He paused.

"Alright, let’s hope your magic can save us."

"I won’t gamble with my own life."

With that, Li Changjiang crawled over. The moment his hand touched the Barrett’s cold metal frame, a strange sensation seeped from his fingertips into his nerves. He knew it was just psychological sensitivity, nothing supernatural, but as he peered through the scope, the data on the display changed again.

In the effective range column, the number fifty flashed several times, then suddenly lit up bright.

Li Changjiang felt a surge of joy. His effective range had reached fifty meters. This time, he was confident.

Aim.

Target acquired.

Whizz!

The first shot missed.

He remained undaunted, found the point of impact, adjusted the scope, and reacquired the target.

This time, Li Changjiang held his breath, silently calculating distance and number of shots, while behind him, the clanking of tank tracks grew ever louder.

Their survival depended on this moment.

On the other side, Kim and Tim had already charged out with the package, willing to risk death for a chance.

Three, two, one—

Bang bang bang!

Three shots in succession, their rhythm a divine blessing. The bullets struck the same spot.

Splatter!

Blood sprayed out. The bullet pierced the wall, hitting the machine gunner square in the forehead. Three more shots followed, piercing another gunner between the eyes.

"Li, you’re amazing!"

"Run!"

Without hesitation, Li Changjiang grabbed his gun and charged forward. Behind him, the tank’s turret began to adjust.

Boom!