I Pick Up Talents on the Interstellar Battlefield Chapter 4: Earth Dragon Team

Da-da-da

A group of soldiers dashed nearby, their eyes brimming with awe and curiosity as they stared at Qin Tian.

"Officer Raymond, is he from the newest clone batch? His marksmanship is unreal."

Raymond kept a stern face, replying in a grave tone:

"No clone nonsense—he’s your fellow soldier."

Picking up on the scolding in Raymond’s voice, the soldiers quickly apologized:

"Sorry, Officer Raymond, and you too, brother—we didn’t mean it."

Qin Tian stayed stone-faced, holding onto the aloof, detached vibe of a clone, yet this only made the soldiers more uncomfortable, drawing awkward grins from them.

Right then, a buzz-cut soldier piped up:

"Officer, let him join our company. We desperately need a sharpshooter."

"Steel Company needs a sharpshooter too," countered another, jumping right in to vie for him. "Officer, we took the heaviest hits this past half-month—put him with us."

"Officer, we need manpower too."

"We need him as well."

Chaos erupted instantly, soldiers yelling with flushed faces and bulging necks in a heated scramble.

Who wouldn’t crave a sharpshooter?

Amid the battlefield’s thunderous gunfire, one precise shot from a sharpshooter could shift the momentum or clinch victory.

Raymond got the soldiers’ hunger for a sharpshooter, but deep down, he’d already decided Qin Tian’s squad.

"Quiet down."

He lifted his hand, declaring firmly, "He’s heading to the special forces team."

Special Forces Team

The soldiers traded looks before letting out resigned sighs.

True enough, unlike massive assaults amid hails of bullets and shells, the special forces team’s style better suited a sharpshooter to shine, offering greater security.

"Officer, which special forces team are you assigning him to?"

Raymond: "Earth Dragon Team."

At that name, silence fell over the soldiers—they knew it was the perfect fit.

Earth Dragon Team~

Qin Tian murmured the name inwardly, a spark of anticipation flickering in his gaze.

...

Southeast corner of the military camp

Within the prefab building, two men and one woman sat quietly at the table, all bearing wounds. The woman’s eyes were puffy, fresh from tears.

"Huang Xun’s death is on me."

Voice raspy, face etched with remorse, Qin Dadi declared, "I shouldn’t have grabbed that mission—then Huang Xun would still be alive."

"Captain Qin, blame doesn’t lie with you."

The young man next to him in black special ops gear comforted, "Nobody saw Tier Four Spiritualists battling in that mine."

"Huang Xun took that hit for me."

The woman choked out, "A quicker reaction from me, and he wouldn’t have jumped in front. Fool—he was such a fool. I’m a Superpower User; my body’s tougher than his. I could’ve survived that blow."

Qin Dadi let out a heavy sigh. Unlike them, Huang Xun was a veteran soldier, over ten years in, battle-hardened beyond count, so shielding comrades was pure instinct.

"Captain Qin, any other family for Huang Xun?" The woman dabbed her tears, inquiring.

Qin Dadi shook his head. "He said his parents passed young, so he enlisted early and lost touch with kin after."

She bit her lip fiercely, nearly drawing blood—Huang Xun died for her, yet she could offer nothing back, a crushing helplessness gnawing at her soul.

Knock knock knock

Suddenly, knocks echoed at the door.

Qin Dadi steadied himself, rose, and swung it open. Surprise lit his features at the visitor.

"Raymond, what brings you here?"

The legendary Lei Laohu Raymond, top drill instructor for all fresh recruits in the army.

Yet Raymond rarely crossed paths with Earth Dragon Team—mere handful of meetings—so Qin Dadi puzzled over his arrival.

"What, not rolling out the welcome?"

Raymond grinned, peeking inside at the tear-streaked eyes, solidifying his choice.

Perfect squad for rookies.

"Who’d dare snub you, Lei Laohu."

Qin Dadi moved aside. "Come on in."

"Not entering."

Raymond dismissed with a wave, then shifted to unveil Qin Tian behind:

"Came to deliver this recruit to your Earth Dragon Team."

"What?"

Fury crossed Qin Dadi’s face as he snapped:

"Raymond, dumping this trash on us? You think Earth Dragon Team’s a landfill?"

In camp, branch uniforms varied subtly.

Qin Tian’s black garb and chest code marked him as latest clone batch—battlefield fodder by reputation.

Raymond knew Qin Dadi’s bluntness, especially raw after Huang Xun’s fall, so he skipped the fight:

"This recruit nailed the Spirit Bird shooting test at 94. Reject him, and I’ll ship him elsewhere."

He scored 94 on the Spirit Bird test?!

"Hold up."

Qin Dadi clutched Raymond’s arm as he turned, doubt creasing his brow. "Raymond, you serious? A brand-new clone acing Spirit Bird?"

Raymond replied evenly, "Think I’ve got time to fool around?"

Qin Dadi’s expression stiffened; with war looming, Raymond’s burdens outstripped theirs. No way he’d detour here for laughs.

"A clone passed Spirit Bird?"

The young man and woman emerged together, gaping at Qin Tian in shock.

Huang Xun often boasted of Spirit Bird—brutal test, rare passers in the forces, scores over 90 his alone.

He’d beam with rare pride recounting it.

Never dreamed this clone matched it, scoring 94—just shy of Huang Xun’s mark.

"Captain Qin, meant to repay you a sharpshooter, but if unwanted, he goes elsewhere."

Raymond pivoted, but Qin Dadi yanked him back with a sheepish grin:

"Raymond, Brother Lei, my bad earlier. Thanks for looking out for Earth Dragon Team—I owe you a drink post-war."

"Zhao Zhao, Yun Long, get our new teammate in here."

The pair shared a look, hurried to Qin Tian, grabbing his arms to guide him inside.

Qin Tian yielded without fuss, trailing like a marionette.

"Hah~"

Raymond gave a cool snort, spun on his heel, waved, and said:

"Sharpshooter’s yours now. Guard him tight."

Catching the command beneath Raymond’s words, Qin Dadi dropped his gaze, resolve blazing in his eyes.

"Raymond, don’t worry—I won’t let Huang Xun’s fate repeat."

"Never!"