Chapter 19

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Isamotni lifted her right hand, her left hand supporting her right forearm, and fired eight shots in succession at the target. After the last shot, a pre-prepared spare magazine was quickly loaded, and with two more shots, Isamotni stepped down. The entire process took fifteen seconds...

Let the final results determine the winner! It didn't take long to fire all ten bullets. As Isamotni walked up to Shcherbakov, the other soldiers had also completed their shooting.

"Report the scores!" As soon as the results were visible, Shcherbakov immediately picked up a megaphone and shouted. The targets were ordinary shooting targets, except they were painted with black human figures, with the head positioned at the center of the target. Hitting the center of the forehead was a perfect ten.

"Major Isamotni, 97 points!" Hearing the score, Lukani couldn't hide her excitement and high-fived Isamotni in celebration.

"Lieutenant Akash of the 80th Airborne Division, 92 points!"

"Lieutenant Alamo of the Dzerzhinsky Special Operations Division, 94 points!"

"Captain Boris of the Fifth Directorate's Security Battalion, 93 points!"

"Lieutenant Minder of the GRU Training Battalion, 94 points!"

As the scores were announced one by one, Isamotni's smile became even more enchanting, like a fully bloomed rose, radiating an astonishing charm.

"Call me Instructor Isamotni from now on! I didn't expect anyone to score over 95. I was even thinking of going easy on you, but even waterproofing couldn't stop your poor skills!" Isamotni smiled sweetly, belittling the elite soldiers from various units.

Unlike last time, Isamotni's taunts did not provoke any rebuttals. After all, she had undeniably outgunned the military's elite. The truth was simple: in any field, the victor had the right to boast, and the losers should keep quiet. The winner should naturally be the one to brag.

"Instructor Isamotni..." Hearing the elites concede, Isamotni's smile grew even brighter, and her ponytail seemed to perk up...

"Do you want to learn? I'll teach you!" Isamotni put on a modest act, encouraging the elite soldiers from various units. After all, she was still a young girl, nearly ten years younger than Shcherbakov. Sometimes, when she got carried away, she would display a childish demeanor.

Shcherbakov walked up to Isamotni, comforted the soldiers to prevent his secretary from getting too cocky. Once the atmosphere calmed down, he pulled Isamotni aside and said, "I didn't expect you to beat these military marksmen. They've been handling guns for years, and this time it was really tough..."

"Tough!" Isamotni muttered to herself, almost as if confessing, "I spent twelve years in Gats, learning various infiltration and social skills. For these soldiers, with their logistical support, they can keep firing bullets. For me, twelve years of hard training could only earn me one shot, with no second chance. Of course, they are not my match..."

"It's all in the past!" Shcherbakov wanted to hug the girl who had been selected from a young age, but he restrained himself in this setting. Intelligence agents and soldiers operate in completely different fields. Isamotni was right; in critical missions, agents often rely on a single shot to decide their fate, with no second chance.

Some agents might never have the opportunity to fire that shot, but that is based on them not being discovered. Don't overlook all the preparation they put into that single shot just because it wasn't fired.

Hearing Isamotni's reflective words, Shcherbakov had a strong feeling that this girl, who had trained for twelve years, was meant to win and was more deserving of this victory than anyone else.

"Director, the Kuybyshev Ministry of Internal Affairs has received a call from our headquarters!" Lukani, who had just left, returned and informed Shcherbakov of this news.

Shcherbakov took the telegram, his brows furrowed, but his mind was clear. "First order: Notify headquarters to immediately seal the news and announce it as a routine accidental discharge. Seal the news to prevent it from spreading! Second order: Immediately send a telegram to the Border Guard and General Igor of the Caucasus region's internal forces to seal the borders with Turkey and Iran. Ensure the suspects do not escape! Then report the incident to Chairman Serov. The definition of this incident will be up to Chairman Serov..."

After giving the orders, he told Lukani to send the telegrams quickly, then stood there, frowning, as the relaxed life he had just enjoyed was abruptly interrupted.

"Director, what's wrong?" Shcherbakov's reaction dampened Isamotni's excitement. Compared to winning the shooting competition, she cared more about Shcherbakov's mood.

"Personnel from the Transcaucasian Military District's headquarters were shot, but they didn't die. The two suspects have fled!" Shcherbakov said in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"An incident like this in the military district undoubtedly means the commander is responsible. This is a sign of dissatisfaction with central orders!" Isamotni's voice turned cold. "We must remember this. This is the first time our headquarters has been attacked by Red Army soldiers. What was the cause?"

"The cause is that our intelligence officers discovered two platoon leaders privately reading Turkish underground publications, issued a warning, and planned to report them, leading to an order for their discharge from the military!" Shcherbakov recounted everything he had seen, though he was not on the scene and could not confirm the truth of the matter.

"Director, this cannot be left unresolved. The Transcaucasian Military District must pay the price!" Isamotni insisted.

"First, we need to investigate the truth. If the report is accurate, I will not hesitate! Even if it means facing General Galitsky, I am not afraid!" Shcherbakov promised, emphasizing each word. The military must prohibit the spread of enemy underground publications; there is no question about that. Shcherbakov did not think it was excessive to discharge Red Army officers for this reason; being discharged for reading enemy underground publications was already lenient.

Shcherbakov didn't expect to be in conflict with the Red Army so soon. This would only deepen the impression the old men in the Ministry of Defense had of him. Being in the position of the military management headquarters meant that to prevent the old men from harboring resentment, he had to transform the Red Army into a fully compliant force, not the unruly one it was now!