Screeching—
After Captain McMillan introduced the scene, the screen went black for a moment before focusing on close-ups of the surrounding buildings.
A Ferris wheel, abandoned for who knows how long, once carried laughter and joy.
Rows upon rows of tall buildings stood shoulder to shoulder, their walls stripped bare to reveal rusty steel bars within, an aura of desolation emanating from them.
The gray, hazy sky shifted, and time sped by.
Dozens of hours passed in the blink of an eye, the scene finally freezing at a dark window opening on the top floor of a hotel.
WHOOSH ROAR!!
WHOOSH—
The fierce winds honed the spirit.
Two heads, specially concealed, appeared ghost-like in the frame, giving the audience a horror-movie vibe that made them exclaim, "Can't stand it!"
"What a feeling this scene evokes!"
"Whether it's the music or the color palette, it's a work of art!"
"I have a premonition that this level will also go down in history, following [Karma's Due]!"
"Let's be bolder!"
"Two old schemers!"
"Huh? Where did that come from?"
Some might not know what an m82 is, but its other, more familiar name is known to everyone—the Barrett.
Thanks to the popularity of CCf, players were already well-acquainted with the classic look of the Barrett.
Even with the push from Tencent, many were as familiar with the Barrett family as if they were counting their own fingers.
Barrett-Dragon, Annihilator, Aurora, Phoenix, Sakura Pink... countless money-grabbing skins appeared before players at regular intervals.
Getting sidetracked...
Returning to the game, Captain McMillan's voice rang out: "Lieutenant Price, it seems we're about to have a close encounter. The enemy transport vehicles have entered the firing range."
Before Price was a photo of Zakhaev's head, with a classic, original-skin Barrett next to it.
The piercing sound of the wind could be heard, the details so well done it felt as if one were there.
"This guy's got some serious grit!"
"This is thrilling!"
Liu Pei Qie's eyes widened at the sight of the Barrett. Upon receiving the captain's command to aim, he eagerly leaned into the scope.
The eight-times magnification clearly displayed the scenery hundreds of meters below in Liu Pei Qie's eyes.
"The wind direction is a bit troublesome. You can calculate wind compensation, or wait for the wind to die down, but he might leave before then. You decide."
Captain McMillan entrusted this difficult task to the still-a-lieutenant Price. Liu Pei Qie immediately straightened his body, his expression serious, and said, "I will certainly not fail in my duty."
WHOOSH—
WHOOSH—
As he aimed quietly, Price's long, drawn-out breathing could be heard clearly.
As the scope zoomed in slowly, a green jeep drove into view. The two parties seemed to be engaged in some kind of transaction.
In the upper left corner of the scope were some parameters:
Target: Imran Zakhaev
Target Distance: 896.7 meters
Bullet Time of Flight: 1.05 seconds
Beside him, Captain McMillan continued his guidance: "Remember what I taught you. When calculating the trajectory, consider humidity and wind speed. At this distance, you'll also need to factor in the Coriolis effect."
At this moment,
An enthusiastic viewer in the bullet comments provided a note:
"Coriolis effect: Can be simply understood as the deflection due to Earth's rotation."
Liu Pei Qie, watching on screen, felt his head spin. He chuckled wryly, "I'm not a professional sniper, how would I know about humidity and wind speed? It's all by feel."
"And that Coriolis effect thing, it's making my head explode."
"Target acquired!"
Although he claimed to be overwhelmed and incapable, the moment the bald Zakhaev, carrying a large leather suitcase, entered the frame, Liu Pei Qie's demeanor shifted instantly, his voice gaining a considerable amount of firmness.
He stared intently at the scope on the screen, his mouse movements constantly adjusting to keep the crosshairs centered on Zakhaev's head.
"Okay... wait for my signal."
Captain McMillan: "Target... confirmed. Features match Imran Zakhaev."
"Steady... watch that flag over there, watch for any changes in wind direction and speed."
WHOOSH—
Liu Pei Qie tried his best to adjust his breathing to match Price's, while his peripheral vision kept him subtly adjusting the angle based on the flag's swaying direction.
Unfortunately, the wind was too strong at this moment, causing the flag to swing left and right.
However, his patience was immense. Focused on the task, his mind was clear, and his concentration reached an unprecedented level.
Almost there...
Just as Liu Pei Qie felt that moment approaching, a patrolling helicopter suddenly appeared in front of the scope.
Damn it!
Liu Pei Qie, whose nerves were already at a high tension, felt an urge to curse upon seeing this, but he suppressed it, knowing he couldn't afford to be distracted now.
"Ah... where did this guy come from..."
Captain McMillan also hadn't anticipated such an unexpected situation, but he was experienced and quickly offered reassurance: "Be patient, friend. Wait for the best opening."
A few seconds later, the patrolling helicopter turned and headed for another area for reconnaissance.
The crosshairs once again locked onto Zakhaev's head as he conducted his transaction. The two parties' negotiation did not seem particularly pleasant, as Zakhaev was gesturing emphatically to the other person.
It's worth noting that the flag next to them was swaying with less amplitude.
At the same time, Captain McMillan's reminder came through: "Now! Fire!"
Upon hearing the command, Liu Pei Qie decisively pulled the trigger.
BANG—!!
The roar of the Barrett echoed through the empty buildings, crisp and resonant.
In his sight, Zakhaev's arm instantly exploded, sending him flying several meters back before crashing heavily onto the snow.
"Target eliminated. I saw his arm get blown off. Well done, Lieutenant." Captain McMillan praised, as the heads-up display in the upper left corner lit up with [Mission Objective Complete].
The surrounding guards immediately drew their weapons and formed a protective cordon around Zakhaev. It was then that Liu Pei Qie spotted a familiar face among Zakhaev's numerous guards—Makarov.
Not Kamarov, but Makarov, the culprit responsible for the tragedy in "Call of Duty."
"You're going down!"
Liu Pei Qie, blinded by rage, aimed at Makarov and decisively pulled the trigger again.
BANG—!!
Unfortunately, this shot was off target due to the lack of wind compensation.
Clearly, this level did not have the future-altering setting of "Titanfall." Zakhaev did not die and would face Price again fifteen years later.
Makarov was also very much alive.
Just as Liu Pei Qie was about to fire again, the patrolling helicopter from earlier appeared in the frame, its trajectory guided by the gunfire to their location.
"Damn it! They've found us! Take down that helicopter and buy us some time!"
Hearing the captain's command, Liu Pei Qie held nothing back.
BANG—!
Aiming at the helicopter's cockpit, he shot it down with one bullet!
"Good shot, Lieutenant! Hurry, they're coming to search for us!"
BANG—!
After firing one last shot of catharsis, the great escape began.
......