Chapter 159: Stable!!

Ten rings is ten rings—there's no such thing as "nine point five"! You're just…

Gangzi's face looked like he'd swallowed a fly—disgusted beyond words.

"Fine, fine, ten rings it is—better than nine point five, right?"

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Before the target, Gangzi hurried to stop Zhang Su from pulling out the crossbow bolt lodged in the ten-ring.

"I'm pulling it out—otherwise, if I hit the bullseye again, this bolt'll block it. Besides, I'm reclaiming these bolts…"

Zhang Su stared at Gangzi, puzzled.

"Hit it again…" Gangzi felt a wave of nausea: "Alright, pull it. Take this one too—cheap bastard."

He turned, yanked the bolt from Xiao Liu's target, and shoved it into Zhang Su's hands. Since the man mentioned reclaiming them, he didn't argue further.

By the time they returned to the shooting range, Xiao Liu was ready—more focused than before. He was already half a ring behind; the outcome was no longer in his hands. He couldn't afford a single mistake, and he had to pray the other side missed—or he'd lose for sure.

Whoosh. Thwack.

Zhang Su pointed at the target. "If I hadn't pulled that bolt out, wouldn't it have destroyed my bolt just now? And two at once!"

Shhh!

He pulled the trigger—the bolt shot out, thwack! Right in the bullseye!

"Good!"

He calmed his mind, took a deep breath, raised his arm, aimed, and fired.

Twenty-nine point five is high—but if the other side doesn't miss, it's useless!

"Got it!" Zhang Su pulled out his radio. "Bozi, Bozi—we're negotiating. Plan delayed by twenty minutes. Plan delayed by twenty minutes. Acknowledge!"

It was Xiao Liu's turn again. His psychological pressure was immense; Wu Daqiang used his military methods to ease his nerves.

"Hit!"

After the cheers, everyone fell silent. They'd almost forgotten—the decisive factor hadn't been on their side since the first round ended. All eyes turned to Tan Huajun.

"Big Brother Zhang, heh… the pressure's killing me." Tan Huajun gave a "I'm suffering" smile.

"What?"

Zhang Su shrugged. "What pressure? It's just like sneaking bread—easy. Just do it. We've got eight minutes left—if Bozi bursts in, we're done!"

"Right! Brother Zhang, why the hell didn't you tell them to stop the operation? Hurry!"

Shhh! Thwack!

"Look!"

The bolt flew out. The men on Lao Li's side laughed happily—the bolt had struck the bullseye, embedded in the ten-ring.

Lao Bing's mental toughness was impressive—he held firm under pressure. Though not dead center, ten rings was ten rings, no doubt about it.

"Hah!"

Gangzi's face flushed red. He stormed toward the target without even arguing with Zhang Su.

Wu Daqiang and the others muttered a quiet cheer—keeping voices low had become second nature to them all.

Lao Li, hearing Zhang Su's words, panicked instantly, even swore. He'd completely forgotten about this deal—or maybe he never truly believed Zhang Su would go through with it…

"Bring back my bolts, thanks!" Zhang Su didn't bother moving—he stayed at the shooting range.

Tan Huajun remained calm, picked up the crossbow, nocked the bolt, aimed, and pulled the trigger…

"Received!"

The instant reply made Lao Li's group tense—the other side was always monitoring the radio. They meant business.

"Alright, relax—we're good for our word. Lao Tan, go ahead."

Zhang Su raised his hand, signaling Tan Huajun to shoot.

Tan Huajun nodded, said nothing more, lifted the crossbow, tilted his head slightly, and pulled the trigger—casually, as if it were nothing.

Shhh! Thwack!

All eyes turned to the target. The silence was absolute—because no one could hear Xiao Liu's heart shatter.

"Good. Didn't let us down. Big Brother Zhang, here's your crossbow."

Tan Huajun patted his chest, returned the crossbow to Zhang Su, and reclaimed his own. His round face beamed with relief.

On Zhang Su's side, faces lit up with quiet joy—guns! Actual guns! The very thing they'd dreamed of—now in hand!

"Damn it! How could this happen!"

Xiao Liu stomped his foot in furious resentment, his face twisted with disbelief.

"Just half a ring short. You lost because you weren't familiar with the weapon. If it were a rifle, you'd have crushed it. Lucky for her—accept the loss!"

Wu Daqiang comforted him.

"Lucky? Let me tell you—twenty-nine point five was Lao Bing's limit. Thirty is the target's limit—not Tan Sister's! Hmph!"

Zheng Xinyu seized the chance to snap back at Wu Daqiang: "Why does losing come with excuses, but winning is just luck? What kind of insane logic is that?"

"Tan Sister's raw skill is insane—I admire you so much!"

Qi Xiaoshuai, the new delivery guy, kept praising her, thumbs-upping repeatedly—genuinely awed.

"Alright, alright. Winners know how to stay humble."

Zhang Su slung the crossbow over his shoulder and looked at Lao Li's constipated face. "Let's go—no more wasting time. But I'll say this: Lao Li, you had foresight. Good thing you didn't bet. Right?"

"Did you cheat?"

Lao Li frowned at Zhang Su, then glanced at Tan Huajun, whose face now radiated relief.

"Saying that undermines your dignity. The event was your choice, the weapon was your choice, the field was yours. We shared one crossbow. How did I cheat? Did I use auto-lock?"

Zhang Su gave Lao Li a sharp side-eye—thinking: Yeah, exactly—auto-lock.

Lao Li and the soldiers exchanged glances. They couldn't find a single flaw. It was flawless.

No words left. They honored the deal.

The group entered the barracks. Seeing the mountain of weapons and the thick smell of oil, they were ecstatic.

"No anti-tank rockets left?"

Zhang Su walked around the barracks, then looked toward another room. "Are you hiding more stuff somewhere else?"

Xiao Liu gritted his teeth. "If I'd known you'd come, I'd have hidden it all!"

"Really gone…" Wu Daqiang shook his head. "In peacetime, military arsenals don't hold much. We used all Shijifa."

"What about individual radar, night vision goggles—those high-tech items?"

"See that storage room over there? Individual radar's inside. Go dig around—you might find some fragments." Gangzi pointed out the window.

Zhang Su pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright. Let's move the gear…"

At his order, everyone began dividing the supplies.

Watching box after box carried away, the soldiers felt their hearts ache.

Lao Li's group didn't want to help—but feared being robbed on the side. They gritted their teeth and reluctantly lent a hand.

Soon, forty-one Type 95 automatic rifles, each with five magazines, plus eighty-two grenades and thirty thousand rounds, neatly packed in wooden crates, were stacked against the wall where they'd climbed in.

During the move, Zhang Su found other useful items: infantry helmets, tactical belts, gloves, first-aid kits, and more.

But no matter how much he pleaded, he got only a few things—even offering food in exchange was flatly refused.

But it didn't matter. When Zhang Su saw Pang Dakun busily working in the corner, he knew this was settled.

(End of Chapter)