He was so persuasive that he actually practiced extraordinary

“Zhang Beixing, I admit you have a point,” Luo Xing said. “A direct assault with only two pirates left would indeed pose a great threat to the hostages. But with the sea wind so strong right now, the optimal firing time is only three seconds. Are you really going to fire from both sides from the same position?

Luo Xing was filled with doubts about Zhang Beixing's plan. Observer Li Dong's calculations were basically consistent with He Chenguang's: the optimal firing window was only three seconds when the helicopter reached directly in front of the cockpit. After three seconds, the merchant ship would crash straight into the helicopter!

Moreover, after the first shot, the possibility of a desperate counterattack by the pirates must be considered. Zhang Beixing had to fire from the same position, hitting three targets consecutively – an operation of unimaginable difficulty!
Luo Xing was very confident in his sniping skills; in the entire Jiaolong Commando Unit, only Gu Shun could rival him. Even so, he wasn't certain he could complete such a mission. Hearing Zhang Beixing's confident suggestion, he couldn't help but frown.

With three snipers present, sniping the target is indeed a safer option than a direct assault. But the question remains: can Zhang Beixing's sniping skills truly reach such a level of mastery?
After a brief silence, Zhang Beixing replied succinctly: "No problem, leave it to me. That's all."

Sensing the confidence in Zhang Beixing's tone, Yang Rui pondered for a moment and then proposed a compromise: "Okay, let's double-insurance. The instant you both fire your first shots, I'll lead the team to break the deadlock, coordinating with Captain Zhang's third shot, how about that? Over."

“Okay!” Zhang Beixing replied.

Yang Rui pressed further, "Luo Xing, do you have a problem?"

"Report, nothing!" Luo Xing responded immediately. "Sniping is expected to begin in ten seconds. Seabird One, can you coordinate?"

The pilot of Seabird One gave a thumbs-up to indicate that he was ready.

Zhang Beixing looked at Song Kaifei with a serious expression. Song Kaifei smiled easily: "Captain, you don't trust me with me here? Our 'Special Grade' title is something that ordinary naval pilots can't compare to!"

Zhang Beixing nodded slightly: "Okay, level the helicopter later. No matter what happens, there must be no shaking. Otherwise, I'll twist your head off."

Song Kaifei shivered and shouted, "I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"

The merchant ship continued to accelerate, speeding towards the border. In mid-air, two armed helicopters rapidly approached, their rotors tearing through the air.

"Wind direction northwest, wind speed 20.8, data stable, firing is possible!" Li Dong's observation report came through everyone's radio headsets.

10、9、8、7、6、5、4、3……

2...

1!

The ten-second countdown passed in the blink of an eye. Both armed helicopters accelerated suddenly and flew to the front of the merchant ship's bridge.

With a series of smooth maneuvers, Song Kaifei precisely hovered the helicopter at the optimal firing position of 150 meters, without missing a beat, leaving even the pilot of the Seabird No. 1 momentarily stunned.

The Seabird 1, which was closer in position, maintained its horizontal hovering. In the optical sight, the red crosshairs slowly shifted.

The next moment, He Chenguang and Luo Xing pulled the trigger almost simultaneously!

"Bang! Bang!"

The sounds of two sniper shots overlapped, and the bullets cut through the swirling air currents in the sea breeze as they hurtled toward the glass wall of the cockpit!
"Pfft! Pfft!"

The merchant ship's bridge window shattered with a crack, sending shards flying. The hostages, their hands pressed against the windshield, instinctively flinched away.

"Whoosh!"

With a sharp whistling sound, the pirates on the left and right sides of the cockpit fell to the ground, their heads bursting with blood and brains splattering everywhere.

The last pirate was terrified. After looking around in a panic, he hurriedly raised the rifle in his hand.

"boom!"

At the same time, the ship's hatch was blown up!

"Squat down! Everyone squat down!" the commando shouted to the hostages in Chinese.

Yang Rui led his team to break down the door, and the panicked pirates hurriedly turned their guns around, ready to fire.

The optimal shooting time is down to the second.

"Give it your all!" Song Kaifei roared, doing everything he could to keep the helicopter hovering stably.

At the critical moment, Zhang Beixing, who had remained calm as ever, finally pulled the trigger!

Inside the cockpit, the menacing pirate wielding an AK-47 suddenly turned around, pointing the gun directly at Yang Rui, who was charging at the front. At this distance, even if Yang Rui fired and killed the pirate, the pirate's bullets would simultaneously rain down on him.

Yang Rui's expression changed drastically—this was a suicide mission!

But before the pirate could pull the trigger, a sniper bullet arrived in an instant! The bullet entered through the left ear and exited through the right, leaving a trail of bright red blood!
The powerful impact of the sniper bullets swayed the pirate's body, causing the gun to tilt and all the bullets fired due to inertia to hit the canopy, sending up a string of sparks.

Yang Rui wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, still shaken, and gave Zhang Beixing a thumbs-up through the scope.

"Check the hostages' safety!"

"Reporting, Captain, all hostages are safe!"

At this point, all fifteen hostages held by the pirates have been rescued.

The instant Zhang Beixing fired the shot, Song Kaifei quickly pulled up the helicopter and retreated diagonally backward, successfully avoiding a collision with the ship.

"Brother Beixing, that was great!" He Chenguang gave Zhang Beixing a thumbs up and praised him without reservation.

"They killed someone, we can't let him escape!" In an instant, a tense atmosphere that made everyone's hearts tighten suddenly enveloped the entire sea!

Luo Xing's exclamation came through the earpiece, and everyone's eyes turned to the sea.

Zhang Beixing stood by the helicopter door, the violent airflow churning above him, emitting a deafening roar. Looking down, he saw a black pirate taking advantage of the chaos of the fierce firefight to secretly launch a speedboat, which was now speeding towards Somali waters.

Once this pirate crosses the maritime border and enters Somali territorial waters, the Chinese military will lose its authority to apprehend him.

Meanwhile, the radio communication channels continuously carried the sounds of the Jiaolong Commando Team One and Two engaging in fierce firefights with pirates inside the ship's cabin, with gunfire, explosions, and commands all intertwined.

The tense and intense atmosphere was like a series of heavy hammer blows, striking everyone's hearts in a dense and fierce manner.

"Report! The engine control room equipment has been damaged by pirates, and the merchant ship is about to enter Somali waters!" Xu Hong, deputy captain of the Jiaolong Commando Team, shouted urgently into his headset.

"The only way now is for me to blow up the hydraulic press and force the ship to stop!"

Yang Rui's voice followed immediately: "Operation approved. Safety is paramount!"

At this moment, in the combat command room of the escort fleet's main ship, Captain Gao Yun also issued an order in a deep voice: "Xu Hong, if we cannot successfully destroy the hydraulic press to stop the ship, all personnel must abandon ship in five minutes! Remember, we cannot enter the territorial waters of other countries!"

"understand!"

The radio communication channel was a chaotic mess of static, wind noise, and the voices of various people.

As the speedboat receded further and further into the distance, Luo Xing shouted anxiously, "Captain, that pirate killed our Chinese citizens and is trying to escape! We can't let him get away with it!"

Yang Rui frowned in thought: "The speedboat is too fast. Can you intercept it before it enters Somali waters?" "I can try!"

Yang Rui fell into a long silence. The captain had just given a clear order not to enter another country's airspace, and if Luo Xing were to inadvertently cross the line now, the situation would become extremely complicated. He hesitated to make a decision.

Just then, Zhang Beixing's firm voice came through the earpiece: "Captain Yang, I support Luo Xing's view. Those who offend China, no matter how far away, will be punished! We must make these pirates understand that this is not just empty talk!"

Zhang Beixing's powerful words added a significant weight to the scales in Yang Rui's heart.

"Alright, Luo Xing, I approve your actions."

Luo Xing said to Zhang Beixing with a mixture of gratitude and reluctance, "Thank you."

"It's nothing, no need to be so polite. After all, I'm your superior." Zhang Beixing used that same tone that made people both laugh and cry, as always.

Luo Xing rolled his eyes. "So what if he's just a lieutenant? What's he so arrogant about? When I get back, I'll apply to military academy, and I'll be an officer after graduation. I'll scare you to death!"
Yang Rui pleaded, "Captain Zhang, I hope you can assist Luo Xing in completing the sniping mission!"

Zhang Beixing responded decisively: "No problem."

After saying this, Zhang Beixing immediately switched communication channels and contacted Li Erniu and Wang Yanbing.

"Speedboats, give chase! Be ready to board and arrest them at any time!"

"understand!"

On the turbulent surface of the Red Sea, a speedboat sped off at full speed toward the Somali waters.

Seabird 1 and the Red Cell Team's helicopters followed closely behind, their intentions clear—the pirates who had murdered Chinese citizens must not be allowed to escape easily.

The black pirate sped away in his speedboat, glancing back at the sky every now and then, his dark face filled with terror.

“Buzz buzz buzz…!”

The roar of speedboat engines filled the air. Near the maritime border, three pirate speedboats sped towards them.

Each speedboat carried seven or eight armed pirates who shouted and fired wildly at the helicopters in the sky.

Bullets struck the cover around the helicopter door, sending up blinding sparks. Luo Xing's spotter, Li Dong, was suppressed by the fire and dared not show his face.

Seeing this, Zhang Beixing immediately ordered: "Falcon, Longlong, don't hold back on ammunition. Those three pirate ships are yours to suppress them with all your might!"

"Yes!"

He Chenguang asked, "Brother Beixing, aren't you going to make a move?"

"No need," Zhang Beixing replied casually. "He's just a small-time pirate. That Luo Xing is quite capable; we can leave him to him. I have other things to take care of."

He Chenguang asked no more questions and, together with Xu Tianlong, raised their guns and launched a fierce barrage of fire at the speedboat on the sea. Bullets splashed up a series of water droplets around the speedboat.

A few seconds later, Luo Xing's sniper rifle fired!
A sniper bullet whistled from the barrel, striking the engine of the black pirate speedboat with pinpoint accuracy. The speedboat lost power instantly and slowly came to a stop on the sea, drifting aimlessly.

"Buffalo, flamingo, speed up, prepare to board the ship and capture people."

Li Erniu asked nervously, "Brother Beixing, I'm a little nervous. What if he resists?"

"Nonsense! If you dare to move, just shoot you dead!"

After succeeding, Luo Xing did not stop firing and continued to fire downwards in an attempt to suppress the pirates who came to reinforce him.

On the three speedboats, the pirates peered out and fired their guns, bullets flying everywhere.

"Whoosh!"

A rifle bullet hurtled toward Luo Xing.

Luo Xing couldn't dodge in time and could only watch helplessly as the bullet flew towards him.

Although Luo Xing is a troublemaker and not very popular, his strong insistence on pursuing the pirates undeniably makes him a qualified soldier—brave, fearless, and unafraid of sacrifice! His sniping skills are also quite outstanding. Although he is slightly inferior to Zhang Beixing, he is undoubtedly a brave guardian of the country's territorial security.

If such a person were to become useless, it would be a huge loss to the army.

Seeing this, Zhang Beixing, who was prepared, immediately pulled the trigger of his sniper rifle.

A dazzling flame burst from the black muzzle, and a bullet whistled out in a spiral, colliding precisely with the rifle bullet that was aimed at Luo Xing.

"——Bang!"

A crisp metallic clang rang out as Luo Xing watched in horror. The bullet, which was originally aimed at his chest, had been deflected!

The bullet flew past his cheek with lightning speed, like a golden thread, leaving a burning sensation!

Luo Xing slowly opened his eyes, and a bloody mark gradually appeared on his cheek. The pain instantly jolted him awake.

The next second, the pirate who fired the shot was killed by He Chenguang with a single shot.

After standing there in a daze for a long time, Luo Xing finally slowly came back to his senses.

He almost died! He just escaped death. If it weren't for Zhang Beixing's miraculous shot that saved him, he'd probably be...

Thinking of this, Luo Xing couldn't help but glance deeply at the Red Cell helicopter, then said somewhat embarrassedly into the headset, "Thank you, Captain Zhang... I admit I was wrong, you guys are indeed very strong. I'll do 1000 push-ups to apologize when I get back."

"Okay, I've written it down for you," Zhang Beixing said with a leisurely smile. "When the time comes, don't forget to call me over so I can count for you!"

Luo Xing let out an exaggerated "Ah!" with a bitter face, looking like he was about to cry but had no tears.

"No way! You want to count?" Luo Xing's wailing voice still echoed in the earphone, but the situation on the sea had changed in an instant.

Li Erniu and Wang Yanbing's speedboat cleaved through the waves like a sharp sword, leaving white streaks on the surging sea as it sped toward its target.

Seeing his speedboat's engine blown out, the black pirate could only drift slowly with the waves in despair. In a panic, he raised his rifle and aimed at the two men who were approaching.

Wang Yanbing was unable to serve as sniper due to injury, and this heavy responsibility fell on Li Erniu's shoulders. Although Li Erniu's marksmanship was not as refined as He Chenguang's and Wang Yanbing's, and significantly inferior to Zhang Beixing's, this did not mean that his shooting skills were weak. Every soldier in the Sharpshooter Fourth Company was a master marksman honed through countless trials!

Seeing the pirates raise their guns, the two quickly ducked, and a burst of bullets whizzed past their heads.

"Damn it, get him!" Wang Yanbing roared.

A few seconds later, the pirate rifle ran out of ammunition and the crew was frantically reloading. Taking advantage of this brief opening, Li Erniu reacted swiftly, his eye pressed against the scope, and fired a bullet with a "bang." (End of Chapter)