Who doesn’t like having a sharpshooter by their side?
For a combat team leader, who could refuse having a sharpshooter under their command?
As long as you had a special skill, fitting into the group was just that simple.
Sholokhov made no effort to hide his enthusiasm and favoritism, and this gave Gao Fei a sense of importance and satisfaction he had never felt before.
Growing up, Gao Fei had never received such treatment; the word “genius” had never had any connection to him.
But now, Gao Fei knew he might actually be a shooting genius.
With just two shots, he had made Sholokhov admit he had been wrong. This meant Gao Fei had accomplished something most veterans could not.
If this wasn’t genius, what was?
Only, Gao Fei also knew that even if he was a genius, he was not yet a true sharpshooter.
Having talent was one thing; talent only meant he had the potential to become a sharpshooter, not that Gao Fei already was one.
Sharpshooters were made by feeding them bullets. Gao Fei still had a long way to go, so what he had told Sholokhov was the truth—he really did not want to leave.
He did not know what made a good commander, but Gao Fei felt Sholokhov was a decent man.
The machine gunner, Glazsky, did not talk much, but he was also a decent man.
Then there was Samir. So far, Samir had done everything a comrade could do. He spoke up for Gao Fei, helped him out of tight spots. Although Gao Fei had never expressed any gratitude to Samir, he truly regarded Samir as a comrade.
There were only four people in this position, and three of them were rare, good people. So how could Gao Fei possibly leave this position?
If he actually reported sharpshooting as his specialty, he would very likely be transferred away from this position. Just for a few hundred extra euros a month—only an idiot would do that.
So, after unabashedly taking the cigarette Sholokhov offered, Gao Fei equally unabashedly let Sholokhov light it for him.
Even though Russian cigarettes were harsh, even though smoking two in a row irritated his throat, how could Gao Fei refuse the acknowledgment of a veteran and combat team leader?
Having a lit cigarette made chatting much more comfortable.
“Sir, how did you tell the drone in the sky was an artillery reconnaissance drone?”
Gao Fei asked the question weighing on his mind—this was something he, as a military enthusiast, could not ignore.
Sholokhov replied dismissively, “You just look and see, that’s how.”
“How? Why can you tell at a glance?”
Sholokhov was the perfect example of someone who knew that it worked without knowing why it worked. At Gao Fei’s question, he began scratching his head in frustration.
“Why we can tell, well… Glazsky, how do you tell an artillery recon drone apart?”
Sholokhov decisively turned to his comrade for help.
Glazsky thought for a moment and said, “Because in the Ukrainian artillery units at full strength, unmanned reconnaissance aircraft are part of the combat system. They have a complete data transmission system. Their artillery recon drones are fixed-wing drones that must be launched from a rail. Launch and recovery are both very troublesome. They are already quite outdated now, but the data can be directly transmitted to their computers to quickly calculate impact point data, so they will not replace this type of drone. Thus, when we see this kind of drone, we know artillery fire is coming.”
Glazsky had not given him a direct answer, but Gao Fei already understood.
The Ukrainian artillery recon drones were relics of a bygone era, but because they were part of the artillery system, they could not be replaced, nor would they be replaced. In that case, artillery recon drones really were easy to identify.
It was nothing worth mentioning once explained, but Sholokhov’s eye was the survival experience of a veteran. Gao Fei was the exact opposite—he knew the “why” but not the “that.” Even if Gao Fei saw a drone fly overhead, he definitely would not recognize it.
“So that’s how it is, Sir. Your experience really shows.”
Gao Fei offered a sincere bit of flattery, then, adhering to the principle of leaving no one out, he called toward Glazsky’s position, “Glazsky, you really know a lot.”
Before calling Glazsky’s name, Gao Fei had briefly hesitated over how to address him. Calling him brother did not seem right. Calling him “veteran” did not seem right either. And Glazsky was not his superior, so calling him “Sir” was not appropriate. He might as well just use his name.
Glazsky seemed to appreciate it too. He chuckled and said, “Learned it back in the army.”
“Glazsky went to university. He knows quite a bit. Hmm, what unit did you serve in before?”
Sholokhov immediately steered the topic back to Gao Fei, but this was a question Gao Fei could not easily answer.
“I can only say the army, infantry. Everything else is classified, Sir. Better not ask.”
Gao Fei could have fabricated a unit designation, but he felt that was unwise. He ultimately decided to use “classified” as an excuse to completely shut down Sholokhov’s curiosity.
Sholokhov seemed a bit regretful. He scratched his head and said, “Alright, I won’t ask then. I see you’re quite unfamiliar with the AK-74, but also curious?”
“Of course. I’ve never used this rifle before, so I’m definitely unfamiliar and curious. Sir, you’ve fired many kinds of guns, right? Can you tell me about the AK-74’s characteristics?”
Gao Fei put on an earnest, eager-to-learn appearance, and Sholokhov ate it right up—because he had truly been a shooting instructor and a range safety officer before.
“Haha, you asked the right person. I used to be a shooting instructor in the army, and I’ve fired almost every small arm in the world. Mm, let me tell you about the AK-74’s characteristics.”
Sholokhov took on the air of someone who loved playing the teacher. Without hesitation, he said, “The AK-74’s greatest characteristic is its low recoil. The felt recoil is even slightly less than the M4’s, and its full-auto accuracy is higher. But in our trenches, in places with a lot of dirt, especially when it rains, if the rear sight gets rubbed against mud, the mud will clog the rear sight notch. You won’t be able to aim at all, and it is very hard to clean. You must pay attention to this. Pay very close attention!”
This kind of detail was something Gao Fei had never seen online. What Sholokhov was giving him were life-saving tips.
“There’s that too. I’ll remember it. I’ll definitely pay attention.”
Sholokhov nodded in satisfaction and continued, “The muzzle devices on the entire AK rifle family are very loud. Firing the 74 without hearing protection will really deafen you for a day. Especially when someone is firing right next to you, it is even more ear-splitting. So, it is best to have a pair of earplugs. If you don’t have earplugs, plugging your ears with toilet paper or something works too, so your hearing doesn’t get affected.”
Gao Fei exclaimed again, “There’s that too? I’m glad you told me. I need to find something to plug my ears.”
“I have noise-canceling earplugs. I’ll give you a pair. Next is the fourth point. After firing corrosive propellant rounds in an AK, you absolutely must clean the gun, otherwise the interior rusts very quickly. Especially once it gets cold, condensation forms inside. By the next morning, the bolt rusting solid is perfectly normal. That is fatal.”
Gao Fei had not specifically studied the AK-74 because he had not been very interested in this rifle. Relatively speaking, he was more familiar with the AK-47. So every point Sholokhov made was something he had not known before.
“Any other points?”
Sholokhov replied with particular satisfaction, “When maintaining your gun in a trench or muddy place, absolutely do not drop parts on the ground. Springs or parts dropped in mud are very hard to wipe clean. Unless you have a basin of clean water to wash them, never drop parts on the ground. Also, remember to engage the safety. The AK-74 has very poor sealing. If you don’t engage the safety and sand or water gets in, when the weather gets a bit cold the trigger group will really freeze up on you. In tropical climates, these are not problems, but here, on the East European Plain, you must pay attention to these things.”
Good to know. Gao Fei said sincerely, “Anything else?”
“Nothing else particularly worth noting. Mm, the 5.45 caliber lacks stopping power against protected targets. It cannot penetrate body armor, but that is not a problem you can solve by being careful. If you find the enemy are all wearing body armor, then switch to a different gun. Can you use a machine gun? I mean, can you use the PKM machine gun?”
“I know how to use one, but I’ve never actually used it.”
“Shall I grab one for you to try?”
“Sure.”
Sholokhov was enjoying teaching, and Gao Fei naturally agreed readily. But just then, Sholokhov’s radio crackled to life.
“Don’t move!”
Sholokhov, who had been about to get up, stopped. He shouted rapidly, “Everyone stay in the hole and don’t move. Another artillery barrage. Fuck, why won’t they stop shooting today?”