"This is a replica of a Mauser G98 bolt-action rifle," Shen Xingyue explained. "Our comrades overseas in Shabia actually paid a high price to a German collector for the design blueprints."
"Is this the 98k from the game?" I asked, not very knowledgeable about rifle history.
"No, no, that's a later rifle. This is, you can think of it as the 98k's grandfather, the first generation 98 rifle, much longer than the 98k," Shen Xingyue said.
It was indeed quite long, but length was a primary demand for underworld weapons. They hadn't entered the era of trench warfare yet and didn't need flexible, lightweight short weapons. Instead, they needed these long firearms to replace cold weapons, giving them an advantage in bayonet charges.
I tried to mimic the movements from the game, pulling back the bolt. It was smooth and quick.
"Be careful, it's loaded," Shen Xingyue warned.
"Where can I try it out?" I looked around, this place seemed unsuitable.
Shen Xingyue pointed downwards. "There's a shooting range, let's go."
The three of us took the elevator to the second basement level. The shooting range wasn't large, only a twenty-meter long corridor. But for a novice like me, it was far enough. After aiming, the target paper seemed to be a hundred meters away.
Shen Xingyue helped me brace the stock against my shoulder. I fired. The recoil wasn't as strong as I had imagined.
"We didn't load it with full power. There's no need. The effective range is set around five hundred meters, while the original rifle's is eight hundred meters," Shen Xingyue said.
"This is good, it's easier to handle," I said. I didn't understand why rifles initially had such a long range. Beyond eight hundred meters, you couldn't even see the target, let alone aim. And the underworld was always shrouded in thick fog, making long range even less useful.
"Can this… be produced in the underworld?" I asked.
"Doubtful," Shen Xingyue shook his head. "Their metalworking is still at the level of the Ming Dynasty. Just this barrel alone would likely be difficult to produce, and even if they could, it might not be up to standard. It would explode after a few shots."
Chu Qi nodded. "Indeed. Barrel manufacturing is the simplest, but it requires the highest level of craftsmanship. Their steel isn't up to standard."
"Then we'll have to send them over batch by batch, via the ghost messengers," I said. This wasn't a problem. There were quite a few ghost messengers in the Ghost Messenger's Office, and we could even use small carts. "What about production capacity? Can we guarantee a sufficient supply of ammunition?"
"No problem. As long as they pass the underworld's review, we can immediately start mass production. Producing seven to eight thousand per day is not an issue. Ammunition is even less of a concern. We can directly use the ammunition from our Yan Xia reserves, just adjusting the propellant. We have plenty, and we even hope you can consume a bit more to help us clear our inventory."
"...That would be great." I fired another shot. Indeed, bolt-action rifles were satisfying to use. A real man pulls the bolt!
As for accuracy, I had no idea. I fired two shots, and neither seemed to hit the target. Chu Qi couldn't watch any longer. She took the rifle from me and fired three shots in quick succession, all hitting the bullseye. Shen Xingyue pressed a button, and the target paper slowly floated over. Chu Qi's three shots were all tens, with one hole at the edge of the five-ring, which must have been from my shot. My first shot likely missed the target entirely.
"You try again. If you can't even practice properly, how can those ghosts learn to shoot!" Shen Xingyue frowned. "Besides, you have to go over there and be an instructor, teach them, right?"
Oh, right. I had to play this role, and it seemed only I could.
Shen Xingyue loaded five more bullets for me. Chu Qi taught me how to regulate my breathing, how to steady the rifle by supporting it, how to fix my elbow, and other details. I kept them all in mind. I took a deep breath. The muzzle rose with my breath. I slowly exhaled half of it. When the sight landed on the bullseye, I held my breath for a moment and fired. After firing, I didn't need to adjust. The muzzle would jump and then naturally fall back to the bullseye position, and I would fire again.
I fired five shots consecutively. When the target paper returned, this time it was much better: four eights and one ten.
But I immediately realized a problem. This "standard breathing method" wasn't suitable for the underworld, because the ghost soldiers didn't breathe...