Courtyard House: The Road to an Industrial Power

The research institute's live-fire range was temporarily sealed off. At the target position 1500 meters away, a 15mm thick steel plate was firmly fixed to the support, and behind the steel plate were three layers of red bricks.

This was a test that Lin Weidong deliberately increased in difficulty, to verify both the armor-piercing capability and the secondary lethality of the bullet.

The area around the firing range was packed with people. Su Zhenbang stood at the front with the leaders and key personnel of the research institute, followed closely by Su Wanqing, Chen Bin, Li Yichuan, and others.

Those researchers who had previously questioned Lin Weidong also craned their necks, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

Zhang Qishan made a special trip from the western suburbs base, clutching his recording tablet, afraid of missing any data.

"Attention all units, final test begins!" the on-site commander shouted, raising a signal flag.

Lin Weidong said he would personally conduct the test.

Lin Weidong, dressed in camouflage training uniform, knelt on one knee, placed his anti-materiel sniper rifle on a bipod, pressed his cheek against the stock, and aimed his right eye at the 8x scope.

Inside the scope, the steel plate target 1500 meters away was instantly zoomed in, and the laser rangefinder automatically displayed a distance of 1502 meters.

The crosshair is firmly locked onto the center of the steel plate.

He took a deep breath, put his finger on the trigger, and the entire firing range fell silent instantly, with only the whistling of the wind blowing across the range.

"Bang!"

A thunderous roar suddenly rang out, and a pale blue flame shot out from the muzzle. The powerful recoil made Lin Weidong's shoulder sag slightly.

The bullet, carrying immense force, whistled through the air, leaving an almost invisible trail as it hurtled towards the target.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the target in the distance, not daring to even blink.

Just two seconds later, a crisp "clang" was heard from afar, followed by the muffled sound of red bricks collapsing.

"Hit!" someone couldn't help but exclaim.

The commander immediately led technicians to the target location for inspection. A few minutes later, an excited shout came over the radio:

"Report! Steel plate completely penetrated! Three layers of red brick completely pierced, bullet embedded in the rear buffer wall! Armor penetration capability meets requirements!"

The firing range instantly erupted in cheers!

"My God! It really penetrated! 1500 meters away, 15mm steel plate!" The researcher who had previously questioned the claim was utterly shocked.

"This power is like a cannon!"

Zhang Qishan's hand gripping the recording tablet trembled slightly, his face beaming with excitement: "The energy density is completely up to standard, the initial velocity is definitely over 900 m/s! The combination of this propellant and the bullet is perfect!"

Su Zhenbang laughed heartily, patting Lin Weidong on the shoulder: "Weidong! Well done! This gun is a success!"

The researchers who had previously discussed the matter privately now gathered around to offer their praise.

"Team Leader Lin is amazing! That technique is absolutely incredible!"

"We were blind to its true value before. If this gun were equipped to the troops, our soldiers' combat effectiveness would double!"

Chen Bin stood in the crowd, looking at the sniper rifle that was still emitting a faint blue smoke. There was no jealousy in his eyes, only pure admiration and excitement.

Lin Weidong put down his rifle, a smile appearing on his face. His gaze swept across the crowd, but paused slightly when it landed on Li Yichuan.

Li Yichuan was also clapping, a shy smile on his face, but a subtle, complex emotion seemed to be hidden deep in his eyes, flashing by in an instant.

"It's not over yet." Lin Weidong suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but it instantly silenced the noisy shooting range.

He gestured to his assistant to push over a metal box, which, when opened, contained a grenade launcher kit.

Includes a short barrel, grenade magazine, and adapter rail.

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, Lin Weidong quickly disassembled the long barrel of the sniper rifle and replaced it with a short barrel. The entire process took less than half a minute, and a sniper rifle was transformed into a crudely designed grenade launcher.

"This is..." Su Zhenbang's eyes lit up.

"Grenade launcher kit, compatible with 35mm armor-piercing grenades."

Lin Weidong picked up a silver-white grenade, loaded it into the magazine, and said, "Test again. Target: simulated armored vehicle target 200 meters away."

The firing range immediately adjusted the target position, and a retired old armored vehicle was pushed to a position 200 meters away.

Lin Weidong set up his weapon again, locked the scope onto the engine compartment of the armored vehicle, and gently pulled the trigger.

"boom!"

The grenade whistled out and hit the armored vehicle precisely. After a loud explosion, a large hole was blown open in the engine compartment, flames shot into the sky, and thick smoke billowed out.

"The armor penetration thickness exceeds 80mm!" The technician's shout rang out again, pushing the atmosphere at the firing range to a climax, with applause and exclamations rising and falling.

Su Zhenbang was so excited that his face turned red. He immediately told his secretary, "Draft a report and submit it to the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense!"

Just as everyone was immersed in the joy of success, an unexpected event occurred.

Lin Weidong's brain was frantically screaming that there was a deadly crisis, and he quickly rolled forward.

"Bang!"

A crisp gunshot rang out from the woods outside the shooting range. The bullet grazed Lin Weidong's ear, struck the wall behind him, and exploded into a cloud of debris.

The security personnel reacted immediately, instantly shielding Su Zhenbang, Lin Weidong, and others behind them, while simultaneously drawing their pistols and setting up a perimeter towards the woods.

The crowd immediately descended into chaos; some people crouched down in panic, while others ran toward the safe zone.

Lin Weidong's face darkened, and he instantly gripped the grenade launcher in his hand, looking towards the woods.

This gunshot was definitely not from an ordinary standard weapon; the sound was deep and extremely penetrating, clearly from a high-precision sniper rifle!

"Protect everyone, seal off the firing range!"

Lin Weidong shouted to the security personnel around him, while quickly determining the source of the ballistic trajectory.

The bullet came from the poplar bushes to the northwest, at least 800 meters away!

He abruptly raised his anti-materiel sniper rifle, quickly switched back to sniper mode, and locked the scope onto the poplar bushes.

Through the 8x scope, a dark figure was rapidly retreating, dressed in blue overalls and holding an unfamiliar sniper rifle.

"Trying to run?" Lin Weidong's eyes narrowed, and he pulled the trigger.

"Bang!"

Another roar, and the bullet hurtled through the air as it hurtled towards the shadowy figure.

But the other party reacted extremely quickly, suddenly falling to the ground. The bullet pierced his arm, severing it instantly.

The bullets, still powerful, struck the tree trunk, sending splinters flying.

The shadowy figure dropped his gun, took the opportunity to roll behind another tree, and disappeared into the depths of the woods.

Security personnel immediately split up to pursue the suspects, and sentries around the shooting range quickly surrounded them, but in the end they only found a gun and a severed arm in the woods.

Zhang Qishan, with a solemn expression, handed the sniper rifle to Lin Weidong: "This is the latest sniper rifle from abroad, not our domestic standard equipment."

"The Southern secret service's top assassin."

"They failed to kidnap my mother, and now they're trying to assassinate me. They seem really desperate."