Chapter 43: The Bucking Horse

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Imitating someone else's gun assembly moves—how could that be possible?!

Upon hearing Fang Yuhua's words, Chen and He found it utterly unbelievable.

Yang Tang, however, remained indifferent. He simply said, "Think whatever you like. But Fang Yuhua, are you still going to compete? Surely the first round doesn't have a complete time limit, right? If neither competitor finishes assembling three guns, how are the points calculated?"

"Hmph, I want to see if you can keep up with my moves!" With that, Fang Yuhua steeled herself, unleashing her fastest gun-assembling speed to start assembling the semi-automatic sniper rifle.

Her technique of grabbing parts was dazzling—like a scene from a film. Her delicate hands moved so quickly that they even left afterimages. At least, that was how it appeared to Chen Jin and He Jianni who watched from the sidelines.

Yet Yang Tang's eagle eyes remained unmoved. To him, Fang Yuhua's assembly was like a slow-motion replay. With his rapid memory, slightly enhanced intellect, and hands quicker than Fang Yuhua's, he managed to mimic her moves and assemble the gun. His motions were neither flashy nor graceful, yet his assembly speed nearly matched hers.

Fortunately, Fang Yuhua was fully focused, giving her all to assemble the guns, leaving her no energy to observe Yang Tang. Otherwise, she would surely have been stunned.

"Click!"

"Snap!"

"Clack!"

Just then, Yang Tang's calm voice rose, "Semi-automatic sniper rifle assembled!"

Fang Yuhua, just about to insert the magazine, trembled and looked sharply at Yang Tang, only to see him holding a complete sniper rifle. "Impossible!"

Yang Tang sneered, "Fang Yuhua, if I win, it's impossible. If you win, it's only right, isn't it?"

"In any case, I don't believe it—clack!" Fang Yuhua was about to explode with anger. She slammed the magazine in and marched over, holding her sniper rifle, "I demand to inspect your gun!"

"And if I refuse?" Yang Tang, holding his own rifle, raised an eyebrow.

Fang Yuhua, as stubborn as Yang Tang, responded by aiming her gun at him, "Go on, refuse if you dare!" She even flicked off the safety.

"Oh, so that's where the safety is!" Yang Tang feigned enlightenment and flicked the safety off himself. The familiar sense of clarity washed over him.

He had entered shooting posture.

Based on the weapon's power, range correction coefficient: 2.6.

Seeing Yang Tang's annoying smirk, Fang Yuhua couldn't help but rebuke him, "Why are you grinning like that? Anyway, I want to inspect your gun!"

Yang Tang coldly eyed Fang Yuhua, aiming his rifle at her as well, "Go ahead and try!"

"Ah ah ah ah ah!" Seeing the confrontation, Chen Jin rushed over to mediate, "Miss Fang, you've already won this round, but the points must be calculated proportionally."

Fang Yuhua's eyes brightened, "Alright, Chen Jin, you calculate our scores for this round!"

Chen Jin was caught between refusing and accepting, looking helplessly at Yang Tang.

"If Deputy Manager Chen acts as referee, I have no objection," Yang Tang said generously.

"Good, it's settled then," Fang Yuhua declared, sealing Yang Tang's words.

After inspecting both guns, Chen Jin confirmed that Yang Tang had indeed assembled the semi-automatic rifle and sniper rifle, while Fang Yuhua had completed all three guns. "First round: Fang Yuhua, six points; Yang Tang, four points!"

Hearing the result, Fang Yuhua snorted in displeasure but didn't distrust Chen Jin. Meanwhile, she secretly grew cautious—this Yang Tang was far from the incompetent person Ni Ni described. Was he truly unable to assemble guns, or just pretending?

Before the thought fully formed, Yang Tang pulled Chen Jin over to his table, "Since Manager Chen knows guns, could you help me assemble this pistol?"

Fang Yuhua nearly fainted at the scene. Chen Jin, dragged along, was dumbfounded, "Mr. Yang, are you joking?"

"Joking? I'm really incapable of assembling guns." With the first round scores already tallied, Yang Tang had no fear in admitting it.

"Then how did you assemble those two guns?"

"Fang Yuhua was right—I just followed her choice of parts and assembled the guns," Yang Tang replied.

"What?!"

Still on the terrace, though the tables had now been moved to opposite sides.

"For the second round, we'll shoot clay targets. This round is worth twenty points!" Fang Yuhua announced, "Each person gets one hundred targets, each worth ten points. Shooting time is three hundred seconds; over time means defeat. For every second saved, you gain an extra point. The final score is split proportionally!"

"Can I use any of my three guns?" Yang Tang asked.

"Of course!" Fang Yuhua feigned generosity, "And I'll give you the choice—who goes first?"

"I'll go first!" Yang Tang said, undaunted.

"Fine, you go first!" Fang Yuhua smirked, as if waiting to watch him fail.

Chen Jin approached Yang Tang, clipped a pin-style communicator to his collar, "Hello, target center, sound check."

A reply came quickly, "Center received!"

"Alright, the line's open. You can instruct the center on the number of targets to release each time—one, two, three, up to eight!" Chen Jin explained, then leaned closer to Yang Tang's collar, "Center, test targets, five!"

In less than a second, five colorful clay targets soared from behind the hill opposite the terrace. They flew in no fixed direction or speed, some fast, some slow, yet even the slowest would fall or disappear within five seconds, becoming dead targets.

"Test completed. It's all set, brother. Just notify the center when you're ready, and call out the number of targets—they'll release them!"

"Thank you. I need three magazines for the semi-automatic rifle," Yang Tang said.

Chen Jin paused but said nothing, immediately radioing for the magazines. Soon, a man in black delivered them on an electric cart.

Seeing Yang Tang request magazines, Fang Yuhua couldn't help but mock, "Planning to use a semi-auto for clay targets? Well, I'll be watching!"

Yang Tang ignored her, loaded a magazine, awkwardly flipped the safety off, and fired two shots into the air, "Bang, bang!"

He Jianni flinched, while Fang Yuhua and Chen Jin exchanged perplexed glances—they truly didn't know what Yang Tang was up to.

"The bullet velocity's decent. Target center, I'm ready—three targets!"

Hearing the call, the center dutifully released three targets, but Fang Yuhua was nearly startled out of her skin, "Yang Tang, what are you—"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Red, green, and blue clay discs zipped out from behind the hill, flying flatly into the depths of the forest.

"Mode two," Yang Tang muttered, then pulled the trigger.

"Rat-tat-tat!"

A triple burst—each airborne target shattered. Fang Yuhua's protest died instantly.

He Jianni and Chen Jin stared in awe. Yang Tang called into the communicator again, "Four targets!"

Four targets flew out, scattering in all directions.

"Rat-tat-tat-tat!"

All four shattered in turn.

He Jianni couldn't help but applaud.

Fang Yuhua's bright eyes widened, nearly screaming, but she quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

"Five targets!"

Again, Yang Tang shot them all down.

"Eight targets!"

"Eight targets!"

"Eight targets!"

Fourteen rounds in total, eleven with eight targets each. Including magazine changes, the total time was exactly one hundred seconds!

The target center promptly reported Yang Tang's result, "One hundred targets, none missed. With two hundred seconds saved, your final score is twelve hundred points!"

A sharp intake of breath.

Hearing the result, Deputy Manager Chen Jin couldn't help but gasp. In his five years at the club, he'd never seen such a remarkable score in the second round.

Fang Yuhua was equally stunned, taking a long moment to recover before she angrily declared, "Yang Tang, I want to compete with you directly in the fourth round—winner takes all!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Tang suddenly lost all interest in continuing to tangle with Fang Yuhua. Before Chen Jin could intervene, Yang Tang had already unloaded his rifle and placed it on the table, turning to He Jianni, "I've had enough, Jianni, let's go."

Fang Yuhua shouted, "Yang Tang, you dare leave before finishing the competition?!"

Her imperious words triggered the dormant rogue side of "Uncle" Yang Tang, "Why wouldn't I dare? If I don't sell the software, what can you do—bite me?"

"You—you—"

"What about me? If you're so obsessed with winning, let's just say you won the second round, alright?"

Fang Yuhua felt Yang Tang was insulting her, so furious her words faltered, "I—I said I want to compete in the fourth round!"

Yang Tang sneered, "But I don't want to. Why should I?"

Fang Yuhua took a deep breath, striving for composure, and solemnly declared, "If you agree to compete in the fourth round and win, I'll transfer my lifetime medical insurance to you!"

Chen Jin and He Jianni's faces changed dramatically—they could hardly believe their ears.

Yet Yang Tang, fearless in his ignorance, asked, "Lifetime medical insurance—what kind of rubbish is that?"

"My lifetime medical insurance is designated by my father," Fang Yuhua explained. "This special benefit can be enjoyed by the Earl himself and one other person appointed by him. A Marquis may designate two, a Duke three. The Royal Academy's Hall of Divine Physicians administers this privilege directly!"

This explanation finally moved Yang Tang.

"Yang Tang, you care deeply for your mother, don't you? Wouldn't you want to transfer my unused special benefit to her?"

Yang Tang's expression changed slightly, silent in thought. He considered that those old experts in the Hall of Divine Physicians were indeed extraordinary—even mid-stage cancer could be cured, so he'd heard. Yet they couldn't raise the dead, so in matters like this, relying on others was less effective than relying on oneself.

As the thought crossed his mind, clarity surged within: Heart's desire, cure all ailments.

...