Lei Kuan's words immediately dampened the previously high-spirited atmosphere.
In an instant, tension rose...
"Last place... Zhang Long, 60 rings, eliminated!"
"Second to last... Wang Cuifen, 61 rings, eliminated!"
...
With Lei Kuan's emotionless voice, each name he read out was crossed out.
The frenzied atmosphere at the shooting range, which had just been boiling over from a perfect score of 100 rings, was instantly drenched in ice water, and a bone-chilling cold rose from the soles of everyone's feet.
The soldier whose name was called, Zhang Long, was a dark-skinned, sturdy-looking young man from the countryside.
The moment he heard his name called, all the color drained from his face. He collapsed to the ground as if his bones had been removed, his eyes vacant, repeatedly muttering, "My parents sold their only ox to send me here… How am I going to explain this to them…"
He didn't cry, but his desperate look was more heartbreaking than any loud sobbing.
The female soldier named Wang Cuifen completely broke down, covering her face and letting out a heart-wrenching cry:
"No! Instructor! Give me another chance! Please! I promise I'll do better next time! I can't leave!"
However, only two instructors came over and dragged her out of the line. The harsh reality served as a wake-up call to every trainee who still harbored any illusions.
The list was read out one by one, and every time a name that wasn't theirs was read, a quiet, suppressed sigh of relief rose from the crowd.
When Lei Kuan read out the ninth name from the bottom...
"Ninth from the bottom... Chen Hong, 68 rings, eliminated!"
Chen Xiaocao's heart nearly jumped out of her throat. She knew her score was poor, only 69 points.
She gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force, her palms covered in sticky, cold sweat.
Oh no... Will I be next?
Her mind went blank, with only that one sentence echoing in her head. Her shooting score was only one ring higher than the ninth-place finisher who had just been eliminated.
She could almost see herself being eliminated, leaving dejectedly with her luggage.
How could she face her parents who sent her to the army, hoping she would make something of herself? Her father, who had been a barefoot doctor all his life, had the greatest wish that she could wear this military uniform and become a respected military doctor, instead of being looked down upon like him.
Fear spread throughout her body, making her almost forget to breathe.
Just then, a hand waved in front of her, summoning her god who had drifted away for miles.
Chen Xiaocao came to her senses and met Su An's calm and gentle eyes, which seemed to say: Don't be afraid.
Wang Xiaoya, who was watching her with concern, took Chen Xiaocao's hand and comforted her, "Our Xiaocao will definitely not be eliminated!"
A warm current flowed from her palm, miraculously calming Chen Xiaocao's inner tension.
She took a deep breath and forced herself to stand up straight.
Lei Kuan's gaze lingered on the list for a moment before he announced the name of the last person eliminated.
"Tenth from the bottom... Wang Jiahao, 68 rings, eliminated!"
It wasn't her.
Chen Xiaocao's legs went weak and she almost collapsed to the ground, but fortunately, Wang Xiaoya and Su Tang supported her from the left and right.
That was close!
The immense relief of surviving the ordeal left her covered in a cold sweat, feeling as if she had just been pulled out of the water.
She looked at Su An, her eyes filled with gratitude and lingering fear. She also realized how weak she was in shooting and resolved to work even harder to improve her skills in firearms.
Ten people were eliminated this time: three female soldiers and seven male soldiers, leaving only ninety people on the field: seventeen female soldiers and seventy-three male soldiers.
After announcing the eliminated contestants, Lei Kuan's voice rang out again: "Now announcing the winners! The top five!"
"First place, Su An!"
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