Chapter 270: All the Wounds Are on Sensitive Spots
A straight-line distance of more than eight hundred meters would definitely require more than eight hundred meters of actual running, but with Tang Qiqi and Lao Yi covering from another direction, Zhang Yang's speed increased significantly. After more than twenty minutes, he arrived at Pan Ningning's location. During this time, Lao Yi and Tang Qiqi had fired a total of four shots, which was very rare for a sniper.
Generally speaking, after firing a single shot, a sniper will relocate regardless of whether the target is dead, in order to avoid counter-sniping or encirclement. However, to cover Zhang Yang, Tang Qiqi and Lao Yi kept moving back and forth on the road at the extreme range of the SVD, drawing the enemy's fire.
Sure enough, the enemy's attention was successfully drawn by them, and the sniper even retaliated twice. Fortunately, after Zhang Yang contacted Lao Yi, he learned that neither he nor Tang Qiqi was injured. What worried Zhang Yang, however, was that the enemy's two counterattacks were getting closer and closer to where Pan Ningning was hiding, the latest one already within three hundred meters.
This situation left Zhang Yang both relieved and worried. Relieved because the enemy was slowly approaching Pan Ningning's hiding place, likely because she wasn't dead and the sniper wanted to confirm; worried because if the sniper reached her and she was injured, escorting her down the mountain or rescuing her would be extremely difficult.
Not far away was a protruding rock covered in moss, and behind it was a dense forest. According to the Anti-Sniper Acoustic Detection System's earlier analysis and the coordinates Pan Ningning reported herself, this should be where she set up her ambush.
Zhang Yang lowered his head and sniffed.
As expected, there was a faint trace of gunpowder in the air. Looking carefully through the scope, he noticed a smooth indentation on the protruding part of the rock, with the moss shaved off as if something had scraped it.
That rock blended into the dense forest behind it, which could serve as cover for a sniper to relocate. The moss and rock also acted as natural concealment for a sniper.
Judging from the rock's position, it provided a clear view of everything below. It was a perfect sniping spot.
But a perfect spot…
In the eyes of a professional sniper, it was also an easy target for counter-sniping. But Pan Ningning was a professional shooter.
She likely didn't expect the enemy to also have a sniper, which forced her into this position. Or more accurately, she probably found this spot temporarily while covering Zhang Yang.
Zhang Yang checked the time. It had been nearly half an hour since the enemy fired that shot, and he had lost contact with Pan Ningning for almost half an hour as well. Even if she had only been wounded, the blood loss alone without treatment…
Would likely cause her to go into shock, or even die.
He couldn't delay any longer!
But if he climbed up the rock, he would expose himself, becoming an easy target for the enemy sniper.
He didn't bother thinking further. Saving a life was like fighting a fire—every second mattered.
He crouched low, adjusted the SSG69 on his back, took a deep breath, then dashed out from the bushes and leapt up, grabbing onto the rock and climbing rapidly.
Then he rolled!
"Bang!" Just as his body hit the ground, a bullet grazed the spot where he had grabbed earlier, striking the rock and showering him in stone fragments.
Zhang Yang couldn't look closely. His hand landed on slippery moss, causing him to slip again, sliding straight down behind the rock and falling into what seemed like a trench-like depression.
As soon as he hit the ground, his hand brushed against something soft, and he felt something hard—sharp like a dagger—pressed against his waist. Thankfully he wore a thick bulletproof vest; otherwise, he might've been stabbed clean through.
Zhang Yang quickly turned over. From the corner of his eye he saw Pan Ningning dressed in grass-green camouflage, curled up with her graceful figure, lying behind him while holding a cold, gleaming military dagger.
Her beautiful eyes showed despair, but when she saw Zhang Yang, they instantly widened in astonishment. Her pale cherry lips tightened, her delicate nose wrinkled, and pain showed on her face. "You… why would you come here?"
Only then did Zhang Yang notice the shocking trail of blood smeared down the rock wall he had rolled from, leading straight to where Pan Ningning lay. Beneath her right collarbone, near her proud curves, was a patch of vivid red. Her grass-green uniform was soaked with blood, and the same side of her right thigh near her lower abdomen was also dark red, though bandaged.
No wonder she couldn't move—she was severely injured. It looked like she had taken a bullet to the thigh and another near the chest, both extremely sensitive areas. But hadn't he only heard one gunshot?
How did she end up with two wounds? If those bastards were snipers, they were unbelievably shameless.
Zhang Yang didn't have time to ask. He leaned closer and asked urgently, "Don't talk yet. Can you walk? How many injuries do you have?"
Pan Ningning frowned, licking her dry white cherry lips, giving him a 'are you an idiot?' look. She shook her head speechlessly. "Left hand tendon injury, right arm dislocated, left calf bone fractured…" Then she glanced at her right thigh—no need for further explanation.
Zhang Yang wasn't an idiot either. He had seen most of her wounds. Aside from the dislocation and the fractures, he still needed to confirm everything, otherwise moving her might worsen her injuries. He also had to make sure she remained conscious, or he'd need another plan.
After confirming the injury spots and that she was still lucid, Zhang Yang let out a breath. Her injuries were severe but not fatal.
The priority was to stop the bleeding. Otherwise, if she went into shock from blood loss, she would die even without the enemy sniper firing again.
Her thigh wound was roughly bandaged and had stopped bleeding, so he didn't need to touch it for now.
But the gunshot wound below her collarbone, near her full, proud peak, was still slowly seeping blood…
The situation was urgent. Zhang Yang couldn't fully treat her now, but he had to stop the bleeding. Unfortunately, he hadn't brought the medical kit.
Pan Ningning noticed his eyes wandering. She frowned, glanced sideways, and said, "I brought… a medical kit. But it fell earlier. Should be on the left side."
Zhang Yang turned and looked. Sure enough, at the base of the rock lay a bloodstained, military-green square medical kit.
He nodded. "I'll fix your right arm first…"
Pan Ningning looked at him with a gaze that said, 'You sure you can do it?'
Zhang Yang simply smiled. He had just spent three system points to learn battlefield first aid.
Though inexperienced, he understood the essentials—reducing dislocations, bandaging, stopping bleeding, using slings.
Zhang Yang gently held her right hand. Perhaps due to years of handling guns…
Her hand wasn't soft like Lulu's, and likely from blood loss, it felt cold to the touch.
Pan Ningning's fair neck trembled lightly, her eyebrows tightening slightly, as if uncomfortable being touched by a man. But when she saw Zhang Yang's serious and competent movements…
Her expression quickly shifted to surprise.
With a soft pop, Zhang Yang steadied the joint, massaged gently, then seized the right moment and pulled sharply. Pan Ningning's brows tightened instantly, but Zhang Yang had already reset her dislocated arm and gently massaged before releasing it.
"Try moving it."
"When did you learn that?" After moving slightly, Pan Ningning immediately confirmed the result. This guy really had some skill.
"I'll explain later. I'm getting the medical kit to stop your bleeding."
"No!" As soon as she could move her right arm, Pan Ningning drew a pistol from her waist, stared toward the visible forest, and said quietly, "There's more than one enemy, and they are professional snipers. You won't stand a chance."
She had another concern—her wound was just above her right breast. If bandaged, that area would definitely be exposed to him. But that was merely a concern, not the main issue.
Zhang Yang didn't know what she was thinking. He checked her line of sight—it was the only angle from which the enemy could attack. Her professionalism was clear.
With her covering him, Zhang Yang felt more at ease. He knew the sniper must have been watching this spot closely the moment he climbed up. They were just waiting for him to show his head.
And the enemy had every reason to be confident. Since Zhang Yang was here, he had to rescue her. That meant either climbing out of the trench or sliding down the smooth slope near the medical kit.
Zhang Yang hesitated briefly, then used his phone to get the enemy's last firing position. According to the system, the enemy was now between 180 and 200 meters away—well within SVD range.
Zhang Yang thought for a moment and immediately called Lao Yi.
Seeing him make a call, Pan Ningning's face darkened. She frowned and said, "Give me the phone! I know there's a stationed unit nearby. With a helicopter, they can arrive in about three hours."
"Three hours? Your blood would be gone by then." Zhang Yang glanced at the phone—he had already connected with Lao Yi.
"Boss! You okay?"
"I'm fine!" Zhang Yang looked at the trembling Pan Ningning beside him and exhaled. "Lao Yi, calculate the wind speed… When I count to three, have Tang Qiqi fire directly at the marked target position!"
"Distance is 722 meters. Even without considering other factors… the SVD's effective range…"
"Doesn't matter. I believe Tang Qiqi can do it." Zhang Yang looked at Pan Ningning again. Though her right hand could move, her body was visibly trembling. He knew this was the onset of shock from blood loss…
He couldn't wait any longer!
Staring at the dark mass of forest ahead, his eyes filled with murderous rage—'You sons of bitches… even if I burn through all eighty-two hard-earned system points today, I'll slaughter every last one of you.'