He was so persuasive that he actually practiced extraordinary

The team members nodded and began to organize their equipment. Li Erniu wiped his rifle while muttering to himself, "If they dare to provoke me again, I'll show them what I'm capable of."

Xu Tianlong opened his tablet, connected to the warship's internal network, and began searching for information about the escort fleet and the Sea Serpent Commando: "I checked, and this 'Yuanyang' is my country's most advanced missile destroyer, equipped with the latest air defense and anti-ship missile systems, making it very powerful. The Sea Serpent Commando has sent twelve people this time, all of whom are elites in their team. Among them, the sniper Luo Xing is said to be very skilled, having won a prize in an international sniper competition."

"An international sniper competition?" He Chenguang's eyes lit up. "That's perfect. I want to see just how good his sniping skills really are."

Seeing He Chenguang's excited expression, Zhang Beixing couldn't help but remind him, "Don't be careless. People who can win rankings in international competitions are definitely not weak. Moreover, the sniping environment at sea is different from that on land. You need to get used to it in advance to avoid making mistakes."

“I know, Captain.” He Chenguang nodded. “I’ve already adjusted the parameters of the sniper rifle. When I have time tomorrow, I’ll go to the deck and test fire a few rounds to get a feel for it.”

……

At 7 p.m., Zhang Beixing and the members of the Red Cell team arrived at the command room on time. The command room was brightly lit, and a large screen on the wall displayed a map of the Red Sea, marked with several red dots, clearly indicating areas where pirates might appear. Zhou Haijun, the commander of the escort fleet, stood in front of the screen, looking at the map with a serious expression.

Yang Rui and the members of the Sea Serpent Commando Team had already arrived. They were sitting on the left side of the command room. When they saw Zhang Beixing and the others come in, they only glanced at them indifferently and did not get up to greet them.

Zhang Beixing didn't mind and led his team to sit down on the right side of the command room. Captain Zhou Haijun turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, and said in a serious tone: "According to the latest intelligence, Somali pirates have hijacked one of our merchant ships, the 'Peace,' and are currently heading towards the northern Red Sea, attempting to transfer the merchant ship to their base. Our mission is to rescue the crew and reclaim the ship before they reach their base."

He pointed to a red dot on the screen: "'Peace' is currently located here, about 200 nautical miles from their base. According to our calculations, they should arrive at their base around 8 a.m. tomorrow. So we must catch up with them before 6 a.m. tomorrow and launch a rescue operation."

"Captain Zhou, how many men do the pirates have? What's their equipment like?" Zhang Beixing suddenly asked.

Captain Zhou glanced at him and replied, "According to intelligence, there are about fifty pirates, equipped with AK47 assault rifles, rocket launchers, and heavy machine guns, as well as three speedboats, making them highly mobile. Moreover, they have planted explosives on the merchant ship, which could be detonated if something goes wrong, endangering the lives of the crew."

"Fifty men? And heavy weapons and explosives?" Song Kaifei couldn't help but gasp. "This mission is too dangerous! We only have twenty-odd people, how are we going to fight them?"

"That's why the army and navy need to join forces." Captain Zhou said firmly, "The Red Cell Team is good at land operations and close-range raids, while the Sea Serpent Commando is good at maritime operations and underwater infiltration. The two sides need to cooperate with each other, complement each other's strengths and weaknesses, in order to complete this mission."

Yang Rui spoke up at this moment, his tone tinged with disdain: "Captain Zhou, I don't think it's necessary to involve the Red Cell Team in the main rescue operation. They've never carried out a mission at sea before, they're not familiar with the marine environment, and they might very well hold us back. It would be better to let them handle the outer perimeter security, and let our Sea Serpent Commando Team carry out the rescue operation."

As soon as he finished speaking, the members of the Sea Serpent Commando team chimed in: "That's right, how could army soldiers possibly understand naval warfare? Don't let them lose their lives and then we have to come and save them."

"I doubt they can even swim. If they fall into the sea, we'll have to fish them out."

The members of the Red Cell Team were immediately enraged. Li Erniu stood up abruptly, pointed at the members of the Sea Serpent Commando Team, and roared, "What nonsense are you talking about? Our Red Cell Team is the elite of the Wolf Fang Special Operations Brigade. What dangerous missions haven't we carried out? Don't think you're so great just because you have some skills at sea. If it really comes down to it, you might not be our match!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Luo Xing sneered, stood up and walked to Li Erniu. "Then how about we have a sniping contest? The loser will be in charge of perimeter security, how about it?"

“Let’s have a competition!” He Chenguang immediately stood up and walked to Li Erniu’s side. “I’ll compete with you. If I lose, the Red Cell Team will volunteer to take charge of the perimeter security; if you lose, the Sea Serpent Commando Team will have to follow our orders.”

Luo Xing's eyes turned cold: "Fine, it's a deal! We'll have the competition on the deck at five o'clock tomorrow morning. Whoever doesn't come is a coward!"

“No problem!” He Chenguang returned his gaze without backing down.

Zhang Beixing did not stop the two from competing. He knew that this was the first contest between the Red Cell Team and the Sea Serpent Commando Team, and they had to win. Only by winning could they make the Sea Serpent Commando Team take them seriously and cooperate smoothly in the following missions.

Captain Zhou Haijun sighed helplessly as he watched the two sides escalating into a tense standoff: "Alright, stop arguing. If you want to compete, then compete, but you must stop short of causing trouble and damaging your relationship. Tomorrow's rescue mission is crucial, and you both must work together. If personal grudges affect the mission, I won't let you off the hook!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, but the atmosphere in the command room remained tense. The contest between the Red Cell Team and the Sea Serpent Commando had begun from this moment on.

……

Back in the lounge, Li Erniu was still angry about what happened during the day: "Captain, did you see how arrogant they were? Especially that Luo Xing, he actually dared to provoke He Chenguang. Tomorrow, we must make sure He Chenguang teaches him a lesson!"

He Chenguang gripped the sniper rifle in his hand, his eyes resolute: "Don't worry, I won't let everyone down. I've already studied the techniques of sniping at sea, and I'm sure I can beat him tomorrow."

Zhang Beixing patted He Chenguang on the shoulder: "Don't put too much pressure on yourself, just perform normally. It's okay if you lose, we still have a chance to prove ourselves in the mission." He paused, then added, "But I believe in you, you can definitely win."

Xu Tianlong, sitting in front of the computer, suddenly spoke up: "Captain, I've discovered something strange. According to satellite monitoring, an unidentified warship has been loitering near the pirate stronghold, and its movements are very stealthy, seemingly deliberately avoiding our radar detection." "An unidentified warship?" Zhang Beixing frowned. "Could it be the pirates' backer?"

“Very likely.” Xu Tianlong nodded. “I checked the ship’s external features and found that it looks very similar to the US Navy’s ‘Freedom’ frigate. However, we need to confirm whether it is the same or not.”

"Country M?" A hint of seriousness flashed in Zhang Beixing's eyes. "Why are they here? Do they want to interfere in this pirate incident?"

"It's hard to say." Xu Tianlong shook his head. "The United States has always had a military presence in the Red Sea region. Their sudden appearance near the pirate stronghold is definitely not simple. Our rescue mission tomorrow may encounter unexpected trouble."

Zhang Bei walked to the window, looking at the dark sea outside, a sense of unease rising in his heart. He had initially thought it would be a simple rescue mission, but it turned out to involve a US warship, making the situation far more complicated than he had imagined.

"No matter what trouble we encounter, we must complete the mission." Zhang Beixing turned around, looking at his team members with a determined gaze. "He Chenguang must win the competition tomorrow morning. Only by winning can we gain the trust of the Sea Serpent Commando and cooperate better in the following missions. As for that warship of unknown nationality, we must also be prepared. In the event of a conflict, we must react immediately."

The team members nodded in unison, their eyes filled with determination. They knew that the coming day would be a tough battle, and they were ready.

……

At five o'clock the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, a number of people had already gathered on the deck. Members of the Red Cell Team and the Sea Serpent Commando stood on either side of the deck, while Captain Zhou and several officers from the warship stood in the middle, serving as referees for the competition.

Luo Xing held a CS/LR4 high-precision sniper rifle in his hand. The gun was jet black, gleaming coldly in the morning light. He walked to the firing position at the edge of the deck, skillfully inspecting the weapon, his eyes full of confidence.

He Chenguang also took his sniper rifle to the firing position. His rifle was a modified Type 88 sniper rifle. Although it was not as expensive as the CS/LR4, in his hands it displayed a power far exceeding that of an ordinary sniper rifle.

"The rules of the competition are simple. Five target positions have been set up on the deck, each one hundred meters away from the firing point. The target paper is moving. Whoever hits all the target paper in the shortest time wins," Captain Zhou announced loudly. "Now, the competition begins!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Luo Xing immediately raised his sniper rifle and aimed at the first target. A shot rang out, and the bullet instantly hit the bullseye. Immediately afterward, he quickly adjusted the muzzle, aimed at the second target, and another shot rang out, hitting the bullseye once more.

The members of the Sea Serpent Commando cheered, and a smile appeared on Yang Rui's face.

He Chenguang did not rush to fire, but first observed the direction and intensity of the sea breeze before raising his sniper rifle.

He Chenguang took a deep breath, his finger gripping the trigger. As the sea breeze brushed against his cheek, he keenly sensed the change in airflow and subtly adjusted the angle of the muzzle. "Bang!" The gunshot was a beat slower than Luo Xing's, but it hit the bullseye with equal precision, the bullet hole landing precisely on the red dot in the center of the target paper.

The deck fell silent instantly, the cheers of the Sea Serpent Commando abruptly ceasing. Luo Xing's eye twitched; he hadn't expected He Chenguang to be able to precisely control wind drift in the maritime environment. He quickly turned to the third target, tightening his fingers to increase the firing rhythm. Two shots rang out in quick succession, and bullet holes appeared on the target paper.

"Chenguang, don't let him disrupt your rhythm!" Zhang Beixing stood at the front of the group, his voice clearly reaching He Chenguang's ears. He Chenguang nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on the moving target, his breathing synchronized with the rise and fall of the waves. When the fourth target was at the optimal shooting angle, he decisively pulled the trigger. The sound of the bullet cutting through the air mingled with the sound of the waves, and a perfect bullet hole appeared in the center of the target once again.

By this time, Luo Xing had completed shooting at four targets, with only one moving target remaining. He glanced at He Chenguang out of the corner of his eye and saw that the other was still aiming, a disdainful smile curling at the corner of his mouth. But just as he was about to pull the trigger, a strong wind suddenly swept across the sea, causing the warship to rock slightly. Luo Xing's gun muzzle involuntarily shifted, and the bullet grazed the edge of the target paper, leaving only a shallow scratch.

"Missing!" Li Erniu shouted excitedly, and the members of the Red Cell team applauded. Luo Xing's face flushed instantly. He readjusted his breathing and aimed, but on his second shot, He Chenguang's gun fired first—the last red dot on the target was accurately hit, three seconds faster than Luo Xing's shot.

Captain Zhou Haijun stepped forward, picked up the binoculars to check the target paper, and announced loudly: "He Chenguang hit all five targets in one minute and five seconds; Luo Xing hit four targets in one minute and eight seconds. The Red Cell team wins this competition!"

The Red Cell team cheered. He Chenguang put down his sniper rifle, walked up to Luo Xing, and extended his hand: "Thank you for the favor." Luo Xing stared at his hand, his face ashen, but he didn't shake it. He turned around and walked quickly back to the Sea Serpent Commando team. Yang Rui watched this scene, his brows furrowing even more.

"Captain Yang, a bet's a bet." Zhang Bei walked up to Yang Rui, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority. "For the next rescue mission, the Red Cell team will be responsible for the frontal assault, while the Sea Serpent Commando will provide underwater infiltration support. Is that alright?"

Yang Rui gritted his teeth and finally nodded: "Okay, but if you make a mistake and delay the mission, I will report to headquarters."

"Don't worry, we won't let you down." After Zhang Beixing finished speaking, he turned around and gathered his team members to discuss the details of the mission. Xu Tianlong opened his tablet computer and pulled up the structural diagram of the "Peace" merchant ship: "According to intelligence, the 'Peace' is about 150 meters long and has three decks. The pirates are mainly concentrated in the middle and lower decks, and the crew members are imprisoned in the storage room on the top deck."

He Chenguang pointed to the structural diagram and added: "Erniu and I will launch a surprise attack from the left side of the deck to attract the pirates' attention; Tianlong will be responsible for cracking the ship's monitoring system and cutting off the pirates' communication with the outside world; Yanbing and Kaifei will flank from the right side and take control of the bridge; Captain, you will lead the rest of the men directly to the storage room to rescue the crew."

Zhang Beixing nodded: "This plan is feasible, but we need to be careful of the explosives the pirates have planted. Xu Tianlong, can you locate the explosives?"

“I’ll give it a try.” Xu Tianlong’s finger slid rapidly across the screen. “The merchant ship’s blueprints don’t indicate the location of the explosives, but I can detect metal reactions using satellite signals; that should give me a rough idea of ​​the area.” (End of Chapter)