American variety show: Sniper Elite

Chapter 104 New Toy

Matilda always managed to easily break Beta's proud composure.

This precocious girl, spoiled by John, Leon, and him, had long since developed a fearless nature. The mischievous little girl always left him helpless; if it were an adult, Beta would have already silenced them with his fists.

But all his usual forceful methods failed him when facing Matilda. She possessed a sharp mind beyond her years, yet retained a childlike willfulness. This contradictory quality meant that Beta could neither coax her like a child nor intimidate her like an adult.

The traffic moved slowly, but Beta had more important things to deal with: a modified gun that needed testing, and a dangerous mission that had to be completed.

As for Matilda, everything will have to wait until he finishes his business.
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Beta parked the car at the edge of a deserted clearing in the woods.

Far from the hustle and bustle of the city, this place is deserted, with not even a trace of passing vehicles. The scorching sun bakes this wasteland, and on the withered branches, a few birds droop their heads to avoid the heat, while occasionally a few flying insects lazily hover over the tips of the withered grass.

Putting on sunglasses, Beta opened the trunk and took out a weapon disguised as an elbow crutches. After looking around to make sure there was nothing unusual, he took out a black metal box next to the spare tire.

The box contains neatly arranged specially made .244 caliber bullets, each a work of art created through ballistics.

The stern-designed bullet effectively reduces wake turbulence and velocity decay; the re-weighted lead core and copper jacket are perfectly balanced, ensuring the center of gravity coincides with the geometric center; the added weight of the copper-nickel alloy improves wind resistance while maintaining muzzle velocity. The propellant is calculated and perfectly matched to the barrel length, ensuring that every shot delivers peak performance.

Beta took out a bullet and examined it against the sunlight; the bullet tip gleamed with a bronze luster under the blazing sun.

Beta put the bullets back in the metal box, took a case of red aluminum cans of cola from the trunk, and casually placed the whole case of drinks on the scorching ground.

Beta pressed the metal button on his elbow, and with a crisp "click," the connection between the scope and the silencer unlocked. He flicked his wrist, and the two parts separated with a creaking sound from the threads.

When he removed the anti-slip grip, the rubber made a slight sticking sound. The trigger assembly, like a key, fit perfectly into its slot. Finally, he screwed the suppressor onto the muzzle; the sound of the metal threads grinding together was particularly clear in the silent wilderness.

"Kacha——"

As the metal tube was pulled open, the matte black barrel was fully exposed to the sunlight, its inner coating exuding an industrial aesthetic. This perfect mechanical device made Beta's breathing become lighter.

Beta took a special bullet from the metal box.

The bullet made a scraping sound as it slid into the chamber, and with a crisp "click" of metal engaging, the bolt locked into place perfectly.

Beta braced the modified weapon firmly against his shoulder socket, feeling a slight coolness emanating from the metal tube of his elbow.

Through the scope, the heat distorted distant objects into shimmering phantoms, the crosshairs trembling slightly in the rising steam. This weapon, lacking a safety, required careful handling. Beta's index finger rested lightly on the curved trigger; muscle memory already allowed him to anticipate the impending recoil.

He slowly exhaled the air from his lungs, and the scorching, desolate air immediately filled his nostrils. At that moment, all his senses were heightened; he could almost hear the sound of his blood rushing through his veins. He couldn't wait to hear the first deadly roar from this killing machine.

"Snapped!"

The silenced gunshots echoed dully through the woods, like a tree trunk snapping suddenly. Birds perched in the shade were startled, their wings rustling against the leaves in a cacophony of motion, black silhouettes frantically streaking across the sky. Beta remained in his firing position, his eyes barely registering through the high-powered scope as the first bullet missed perfectly. It grazed the trunk of the tree he'd aimed at and disappeared into the distant wilderness.

Surprisingly, a childlike smile appeared on the professional assassin's face. Like a boy who had received a new toy, he lovingly stroked every part of the weapon.

A few seconds later, after taking a deep breath and calming herself down, Beta got back into the zone.

He raised his gun again and aimed at the burl on the distant tree trunk, gripping the non-slip grip tightly with his right hand and gently turning the adjustment knob on the scope with his left, correcting it by 0.5 mils.

With a "click," the bolt was pulled back, and the second specially made bullet slid into the chamber.

As the buttstock pressed against the shoulder again, a red diamond-shaped pre-aiming frame appeared in the scope.

Beta's breathing gradually became long and even, and the aiming reticle slowly shrank in rhythm with his heartbeat, gradually changing from the size of a coin to a pinpoint of light.

The heat of the wilderness seemed to freeze at that moment, and the whole world was left with only that slightly trembling red dot of light and the resistance of the trigger at the fingertip.

"Snapped!"

A second muffled gunshot shattered the silence.

The bullet tore an invisible trail through the air, and almost the instant the shot rang out, a burl on a distant tree trunk burst open into a flower of wood chips. The flying wood chips formed a thin mist in the sunlight and slowly drifted away.

Beta maintained his shooting posture, his right eye fixed on the scope, his left eye slightly narrowed. A satisfied smile spread across his lips.

He slowly lowered his weapon and gazed at the tree in the distance that he had identified as his target.

Beta took the rangefinder binoculars from the trunk. The green numbers in the binoculars fluctuated with the slight tremor of his arm. Finally, the number stabilized at 982 meters.

This modified weapon, equipped with specially made ammunition, although its initial projectile velocity is estimated to be in the range of 980-1030 m/s, slightly lower than the theoretical limit of 1060 m/s for lightweight projectiles, exhibits unique advantages in ultra-long-range precision shooting.

Thanks to its superior velocity retention, the heavy warhead maintains a near-perfect velocity decay curve during flight. Unlike the "cliff-like drop" common in ordinary munitions, this specially designed warhead, like an experienced marathon runner, can travel a kilometer with a stable and sustained attitude, ultimately hitting the target accurately.

This is exactly what Beta needs. Hitting the entire head and hitting an ear are two completely different levels of difficulty. The former can be accomplished with the help of a diamond-shaped aiming frame, while the latter requires almost divine luck.

Beta knew very well what challenges he would face in that decisive shot five days later.

When the crosshairs locked onto the old man with the cornrow-like hair and bulbous nose, whether the bullet would ultimately pierce his earlobe or his forehead was beyond the realm of pure technology.

But in any case, when that moment comes, he must pull the trigger without hesitation.

(End of this chapter)