Roger left for a moment and then returned.
"The commander has agreed. However, to verify the stability of your Gun Technique, you'll have to undergo an assessment. Come with me now!"
Lin Xinghai's face lit up when he heard this. He joined the others who had been called, disembarking from the Armored Vehicle and walking over to the two Mechas.
While Roger had gone to request instructions, everyone else had found out what was happening. As a result, Lin Xinghai was now undoubtedly the center of attention.
Even the perpetually cold and indifferent deputy commander, Shen Han, now looked at Lin Xinghai with a clear hint of curiosity in his eyes.
"Ah Hai, Roger tells me your Gun Technique has improved by leaps and bounds. The next wave of Zombies is almost here, so show us what you can do. Let's all see it," Fang Tianhe said enthusiastically.
Of course, enthusiasm was one thing, but the necessary test couldn't be skipped. After all, this was a matter of responsibility to everyone.
Lin Xinghai, of course, had no objections.
The convoy was currently stopped very close to the city center, so a large number of Zombies were converging on their position.
Although they had just killed a batch, a steady stream of Zombies was still gathering.
Lin Xinghai glanced over and saw eight more Zombies charging from the right. Without wasting words, he raised his gun and took aim.
Once the Zombies were within 50 meters, he decisively opened fire.
At this range, his probability of scoring a headshot with a single bullet was as high as 90%.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Lin Xinghai fired eight consecutive shots. His luck was pretty good—every single one was a headshot.
Thanks to this incredibly fast kill rate, not a single one of the eight Zombies managed to get near the convoy. The closest one died more than 10 meters away.
Even though everyone had mentally prepared themselves, they were still stunned by the scene.
"Hahaha, excellent! It looks like our Mercenary Corps has really found a hidden gem! We might actually have a Divine Sharpshooter on our hands," Fang Tianhe was the first to recover, laughing heartily.
As for the others, once they slowly accepted this reality, their faces also broke into joyful expressions.
In the Shelter, only those ranked in the top 10 for Gun Technique could be called a Divine Sharpshooter.
If a Mercenary Corps had a Divine Sharpshooter among its ranks, its reputation would undoubtedly soar, attracting more promising new recruits.
Besides, a Divine Sharpshooter was inherently a symbol of immense combat power.
As long as they had good Firearms, the impact they could have was immeasurable.
Shen Han was the only one present whose face showed a faint, barely perceptible trace of worry.
"Ah Hai, your Gun Technique is excellent, but your personal combat strength is still too low. So, when we enter the city center later, you'll stay inside the off-road vehicle. Your top priority is to protect yourself," Fang Tianhe said seriously after he finished laughing.
Lin Xinghai's smile instantly froze. 'What the hell? They want me to stay in the vehicle again? What happened to going into the city center on foot?'
Seeing the change in Lin Xinghai's expression, Roger, who was standing nearby, thought he was just surprised and confused. He couldn't help but laugh. "What do you think? Pretty surprising, right? You probably thought these two multi-function off-road vehicles were completely redundant, didn't you?"
Lin Xinghai nodded. 'The multi-function off-road vehicles don't have the Defense Power of the Armored Vehicle, and they even need protection. We would have been better off just taking the two Electromagnetic Railguns off them and mounting them on the Armored Vehicle instead.'
"That's because they haven't had a chance to show their true value until now."
"They're called off-road vehicles for a reason. Their most outstanding feature is, of course, their off-road capability. In a place like the city center, where there are barely any roads left, only these multi-function off-road vehicles can get through."
"We'll be relying on these two to transport that ton of Energy Ore!" Roger said, patting the off-road vehicle beside him.
"How is that possible?" Lin Xinghai was skeptical. "Forget about the ordinary obstacles on the roads, but what about the collapsed skyscrapers? Don't tell me they can jump over them?"
"Heh! You guessed it. They actually can jump over them," Roger said.
Lin Xinghai was speechless.
Seeing the look on Lin Xinghai's face—a mixture of complete disbelief and a hint of self-doubt—Roger couldn't help but burst out laughing.
He had finally managed to get one over on him.
"Xiaoyang, switch to off-road mode," Roger said, tapping on the vehicle's window.
"You got it!" Qin Yang replied.
Then, Lin Xinghai watched as the chassis of the multi-function off-road vehicle began to rise.
Between the chassis and the wheels was a device similar to a lifting frame, which raised the chassis a full meter off the ground before stopping.
"This type of multi-function off-road vehicle uses a new retractable chassis. Paired with a pneumatic system, it allows the vehicle to perform a 'high jump,' leaping up to five meters in the air."
"Combined with its excellent stability and jet systems, it can even do a 360-degree spin in mid-air," Roger explained.
Right on cue, Qin Yang demonstrated. Lin Xinghai saw the multi-function off-road vehicle in front of him suddenly dip down, then instantly rebound with a push from the pneumatic system, launching the entire vehicle into the air.
At that moment, the holes on the side of the vehicle, which he had always assumed were just for decoration, shot out jets of white gas.
Although the kinetic energy produced by these jets wasn't enormous, it was enough to let the vehicle complete a 360-degree spin in the air.
As Lin Xinghai watched the off-road vehicle land, its pneumatic system perfectly absorbing the impact and coming to a steady stop right in front of him, his heart sank.
'Why was I so eager to go into the city center in the first place?' Lin Xinghai began to doubt himself.
But no one was paying attention to what he was thinking. After finishing his explanation, Roger ushered him into the off-road vehicle and repeatedly warned him not to get out under any circumstances.
As for the others, under Fang Tianhe's direction, they methodically checked their equipment and restocked their ammunition.
After a three-minute rest, the group set off once more.
Sitting inside the off-road vehicle, Lin Xinghai felt like he had lost his purpose. He just sat there numbly, feeling the vehicle rise and fall, even bouncing forward, like a roller coaster.
What he didn't know was that, at that very moment, Shen Han and Fang Tianhe were talking on the private comms channel of the two Mechas.
Shen Han: "What are your plans for Lin Xinghai?"
Fang Tianhe: "A talent this outstanding? We nurture him with everything we've got, of course! Why, do you have a different opinion?"
Shen Han: "It's precisely because he's so outstanding that I'm worried. Someone like him is bound to grow into a powerhouse sooner or later. The probability of him being willing to stay with our Mercenary Corps then is just too low."
Fang Tianhe: "That's not a big deal. People have their own ambitions; it's understandable if he chooses a bigger stage. Besides, if we truly cultivate a powerful expert, we can consider it a contribution to humanity."
Shen Han: "You're certainly magnanimous. I'm just concerned about the Mercenary Corps' resources."
Fang Tianhe: "Haha! If I weren't like this, you might not have stayed back then either, right?"
Shen Han said nothing more, but a faint smile appeared on his face.