The Japanese Junior Officer stared coldly at the lakeshore. He barked orders for the two brought light machine guns to be set up in interlocking crossfire. Simultaneously, he commanded ten soldiers to circle around to the opposite side of the lake. Like this, Third Master Dong became a rat trapped in a jar.

　　Company Commander Zhou Cheng raced forward with his eighty soldiers at a furious pace. Within an hour, they reached the base of the slope. To his profound shock, he could see in the distance a twenty-man Japanese devil squad standing by the lake, intently observing something.

　　The realization struck him immediately: Their sniper must be cornered in the lake by the devils. He also clearly saw ten devil soldiers racing along the lake's edge, heading towards the opposite shore – undeniable proof the sniper was hiding in the water.

　　Zhou Cheng understood there could be not a shred of hesitation. Delay meant their entire desperate rescue dash would be wasted. Instantly assessing the devil movements, he made his decision: Take out the troops attempting the flanking maneuver first. The other half of his force would loop around behind the main group of devils. They’d trap them in a brutal pincer maneuver – wrap the whole lot in a tight net.

　　The Japanese Junior Officer saw the situation turn abruptly. Utterly shocked, he could no longer spare a thought for the Chinian sniper hiding underwater. Right now, he faced a sudden assault from a full Chinian army company behind him – and their numbers vastly outnumbered his own. This fight was lost before the first shot was fired.

　　The ten devil soldiers trying to reach the far side of the lake were blocked. The soldiers setting up the light machine guns and the Junior Officer himself had to swing their weapons around to fire on the rapidly closing Chinese troops. The trapped ten devil soldiers flattened themselves and returned fire – their backsides now facing the lake, towards Third Master Dong in the water.

　　Third Master Dong had braced himself to meet the ancestors of the Dong family. Then he saw Nationalist troops materializing behind the devils.

　　Instantly, he roared with fierce joy: "Fuck your ancestors, you little devils! My luck holds! My luck fucking holds!"

　　His surge of wild excitement quickly dimmed. He saw combat erupting on both shores of the lake, yet he remained helplessly weaponless. He couldn't bear to discard his sniper rifle, even empty of bullets. He clung to it tightly, his body still submerged in the cold water.

　　Third Master Dong snapped his gaze left, then right.

　　His decision was instant: work his way along the lake's right flank, get ashore, then slip low along the shoreline to link up with his Nationalist brothers. Once there, he’d scrounge some ammo from them. If only I had bullets right goddamn now! I'd send every one of these little devils straight to hell with a single shot! He ground out the thought as he clawed his way towards the shoreline.

　　Decision settled, Dong Sanshao moved. He followed his plan precisely.

　　Company Commander Zhou watched from the opposite lakeshore. He saw Dong Sanshao shifting towards the right flank. Instantly, Zhou grasped his intent. From the thirty soldiers pinning down the ten devils, Zhou pulled ten men. He sent them running towards the right to intercept and cover Dong Sanshao.

　　Dong Sanshao kept low, scrabbling along the lake's base. One devil soldier spotted his movement. The soldier raised his Arisaka rifle and fired.

　　The bullet seared past Dong Sanshao's scalp. His face blanched white with terror. He snatched up a stone from a rut in the ground. He seized that critical instant as the devil soldier worked the rifle bolt – and hurled it.

　　The devil soldier never fired a second shot. Dong Sanshao’s stone struck his head with brutal force. It hit dead center on the crown. The skull dented inward, then cracked open. Zhou Cheng witnessed this and couldn't help a surge of fierce admiration. That kind of skill is no small thing! He thought silently.

　　The ten soldiers Zhou dispatched quickly formed a protective ring around Dong Sanshao.

　　Devil soldiers on the higher ground swung their rifles towards them and opened fire. Fierce return fire erupted instantly from the Chinese troops executing the pincer attack. Three of the ten soldiers shielding Dong Sanshao were hit. They made the ultimate sacrifice.

　　Dong Sanshao roared in fury. He lunged, grabbed a rifle from one fallen comrade. He didn't even bring it to his shoulder to aim. He just raised the weapon and fired point-blank.

　　One devil soldier's head snapped violently back as the bullet tore through his skull.

　　Dong Sanshao roared at the other soldiers, “Feed me bullets, goddammit!”

　　Some of these men were three-year veterans, seasoned fighters. Yet they froze momentarily, stunned by Dong Sanshao’s shout. They couldn't place who this crack shot in front of them even was. But the situation was desperate. Twenty soldiers on shore hadn’t managed to wipe out ten devil soldiers. Utter fucking disgrace.

　　Dong Sanshao’s marksmanship left the soldiers gaping. So they fed him bullets, letting him take aim at the devils on shore. In under three minutes, every devil soldier lying prone on the bank was dead. One shot. One kill. Afterwards, seven veterans shielded him safely back to Company Commander Zhou Cheng.

　　Zhou Cheng looked him over. “Which allied unit are you from?”

　　Dong Sanshao glanced at the rank insignia on Zhou’s shoulder, instantly snapping to attention with a sharp salute. “Reporting, Sir! I’ve forgotten which allied unit I belong to.”

　　Across the lake – back on the shore where Dong Sanshao had hidden in the water – fifty soldiers were still battling the ten devil troops led by the Japanese Junior Officer. Even after Dong Sanshao reached safety with Zhou Cheng, they still hadn’t wiped them out. Worse, they’d suffered over ten casualties. Zhou Cheng seethed.

　　Dong Sanshao saw it too. “Sir,” he said, “Get me two ammo bearers. I’m heading for that rise on the left to pick ’em off!” Zhou Cheng wouldn’t dream of refusing. So Dong Sanshao, flanked by two veterans, sprinted toward the high ground on the left flank.

　　Roughly three minutes later, Dong Sanshao and the two veterans belly-crawled onto the ridge. Dong Sanshao took the rifle from the soldier on his right. First, he drew a bead on the Japanese Junior Officer. Then he squeezed the trigger.

　　The Junior Officer was shrieking himself raw, trying to direct his men’s breakout. Right at the peak of his yell, Dong Sanshao’s bullet tore clean through his open mouth. Instantly silenced, the Junior Officer collapsed dead.

　　Zhou Cheng watched dumbfounded from the lakeshore. Dong Sanshao emptied that rifle, tossed it aside to his right, and snatched the rifle off the soldier to his left without pause. He leveled it at the distant devil soldiers.

　　One shot. One dead devil.

　　In under five minutes, all ten devil soldiers pinned down on the lake shore lay dead by his hand.

　　The battle ended swiftly. Having witnessed Dong Sanshao's actions firsthand, Zhou Cheng fully grasped the immense value and significance of their desperate rescue mission. This man wasn't just a marksman. He was an extraordinary marksman.

　　Once the troops regrouped, Zhou Cheng looked Dong Sanshao over. "Are you returning to your own unit? Or will you join ours?"

　　Dong Sanshao asked, "Is this the road to Hukou?"

　　Zhou Cheng replied, "This is Liusiqiao. Past Liusiqiao is Hukou. We're the defenders of Liusiqiao – the 460th Regiment, 77th Division."

　　Dong Sanshao let out an "Oh," then said, "Alright then. I’ll come with you to your unit first. After that, I’ll head to Hukou to find my Young Master and the others."

　　Zhou Cheng stared at him in astonishment. "You’re not a soldier? How do you have a sniper rifle like that? And why would your Young Master be in Hukou?"

　　Dong Sanshao was momentarily thrown by this barrage of questions. After a pause, he answered, "That’s what I was wondering! How did you know I was here? And who sent you to get me?"

　　Zhou Cheng was stumped by the return volley. Finally, he pressed, "First, tell me – are you actually a soldier?"

　　Dong Sanshao insisted, "’Course I am! I enlisted a month ago at the barracks on Luojia Mountain in Wuhan. Later, on the road to De’an, our battalion got ambushed by devils near Madang River. My Battalion Commander, plus an entire veteran company, a whole new recruit company… over two hundred men died! Only my Young Master, me, and uh… one old-timer, Zhang Facai, made it out!"

　　Zhou Cheng continued, "Then do you remember your unit’s designation?"

　　Dong Sanshao had no idea what a 'unit designation' was. He shook his head, baffled. "What’s a unit designation?"

　　Zhou Cheng understood now. The man before him was a greenhorn rookie. He chuckled. "Our unit designation is the 460th Regiment, 77th Division. That’s what it means."

　　"Oh!" Dong Sanshao brightened, comprehension dawning. "Then I get it! My unit designation must be the 305th Regiment, 153rd Brigade, 51st Division, 74th Army! Right, Sir? That’s the designation?"

　　Zhou Cheng understood. This raw recruit was originally part of the 74th Army. The 74th Army's 51st and 58th Divisions were currently garrisoned in De'an. They fell under the 1st Army Corps operational unit within the 9th War Zone. The commander of the 1st Army Corps was General Xue Yue.

　　Zhou Cheng nodded. "Hmm, correct. That is the unit designation. Now, what about this Young Master? And how did you come by such an advanced sniper rifle?"

　　A flicker of impatience crossed Dong Sanshao's face. But the man was an officer; he couldn't exactly refuse. So he took a breath and repeated the story. Afterwards, he pressed, "Sir, this rifle's got no bullets. Can you scrounge me some? Without bullets, it's a bloody fire poker! Useless against devils!"

　　Zhou Cheng smiled slightly. "Then you come with me. See our Regimental Commander. He might actually have a way to get you those bullets."

　　Dong Sanshao brightened instantly, a grin spreading. "Alright then. I’ll follow your lead, Sir. Take me to see your Regimental Commander."

　　Knowing the kid was a greenhorn with little grasp of military protocol, Zhou Cheng added, "Remember to salute when you meet him. Understand?"

　　Dong Sanshao nodded firmly. "Understood. I'll salute your Regimental Commander proper. I owe him thanks for saving my hide! If your lot hadn't shown up to pull me out – especially with men dying to do it – I'd have been crow-food back there."

　　The unit moved at a rapid clip. A distance meant for an hour was devoured in roughly thirty minutes. Zhou Cheng brought Dong Sanshao before Regimental Commander Chen Ruqi. Before Zhou Cheng could even snap his arm up for a salute and battle report, Dong Sanshao surged forward. He marched right up to Chen Ruqi, snapped rigidly to attention, and threw up a sharp salute: "Reporting, Sir! Recruit Dong Sanshao reporting for duty!"

　　Zhou Cheng watched, resigned. He delivered his own salute. "Regiment Commander. Mission accomplished: retrieved friendly forces sniper. Three wounded. Five KIA. Report complete!"

　　Regimental Commander Chen Ruqi fixed Dong Sanshao with a penetrating stare, his face granite. "Which unit?" His voice was flat. "How did you wind up behind enemy lines? And did you personally eliminate those Japanese officers?"

　　Dong Sanshao met the stare blankly. "New recruit. Signed on last month. 305th Regiment, 153rd Brigade, 51st Division. Battalion Commander was Zhou Zhidao. Killed when the devils ambushed us near Madang River. Yeah. I took those devil officers down!"

　　Chen Ruqi reached out and took the sniper rifle from Dong Sanshao's grip. He examined it intently. "This sniper rifle. How was it acquired?"

　　The question instantly grated on Dong Sanshao's nerves. "I gave Lieutenant Zhou here the full rundown! Anyway, I didn't bloody steal it! Didn't mug no one for it! Got it clean!"

　　Chen Ruqi's expression tightened, anger sparking at the tone. But Zhou Cheng quickly stepped in. "Regiment Commander," he insisted, "this young man’s shooting is unmatched. Honestly. You won't find his like in our entire division – possibly the whole damned army! Fact is, he doesn't even need that sniper rifle. Hand him any ordinary piece from the boys, and he’ll hit whatever he damn well points at. Didn't see him miss once. I witnessed it."

　　Chen Ruqi understood the young man before him was a treasure. He shed his formality, a smile breaking through. "Good. From this moment, you stick with me. When the fighting kicks off, you follow my orders to take out devil officers. How's that sound?"

　　Dong Sanshao nodded promptly. "Yes, Regiment Commander. But this rifle's dry. When we got out of Pengze County, I only brought a hundred-odd rounds. Used every damn one killin' devils. Got nothin' left."

　　Chen Ruqi glanced at the weapon and barked an order to Zhou Cheng. "Head to Supply. Find this rifle's model. If it came outta the Pengze County armory, chances are we've got its ammo here too. Move!"

　　Zhou Cheng snapped a crisp salute, turned on his heel, and ran from the position.