A commotion broke out among the crowd; no one had high expectations for Gojo Satoru.
"Quiet," Tequila commanded, and silence instantly fell.
Gojo Satoru lightly touched the trigger with his finger, feeling the subtle tension, then adjusted his grip to the most comfortable position he remembered.
However, Tequila noticed a crucial detail.
"What, you're not using a scope?"
"No need," Gojo Satoru replied while aiming at the target. To the others, it sounded as if he had given up and was merely going through the motions.
Everyone was a bit surprised, including Kurosawa Jin.
"You…" Before Kurosawa Jin could finish, a crisp gunshot rang out, the bullet slicing through the air.
The onlookers hadn't even had time to blink when the distant bullseye trembled subtly, indicating an extremely precise hit.
"400 yards! Bullseye!" the verifier shouted.
Gojo Satoru didn't hesitate; his body and the firearm seemed to have become one.
After he aimed again, the bullet whistled out, almost perfectly overlapping the trajectory of the previous shot, again hitting the bullseye.
Everyone was dumbfounded, and time seemed to freeze at that moment.
"Not just close combat, but his sniping is monstrously good.""Damn it… where did this guy even come from?""This is terrifying…""He didn't even use a scope, are you kidding me?!""I've been practicing for two years and my maximum is only a little over 200 yards; God is so unfair."
Tequila clapped his hands.
"Very good."
A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He recalled Vermouth's mysterious whisper:
"The Boss said that child will be the biggest surprise you've ever seen."
It was true. Indeed…
In less than fifteen minutes, five identical bullet holes were tightly grouped on the bullseye.
The members' emotions shifted from shock to awe, and then from awe to numbness. Comparing oneself to others truly makes one die of anger…
Gojo Satoru nonchalantly said, "How was it?"
Kurosawa Jin's emotions were complex. He knew that the outcome of this competition had been decided. He even vaguely sensed that Gojo Satoru hadn't given his all.
Despite his reluctance, he looked directly at Gojo Satoru and admitted, "You won again."
He looked calm, but a certain fiery glow flickered in his eyes.
"But this is only temporary," Kurosawa Jin said with conviction. "You are strong, but I will work hard to become stronger than you."
"Ha, full of spirit, aren't we?"
Gojo Satoru grinned and replied, "Alright, I'll be waiting."
Before Kurosawa Jin could speak, he added, "Although that's impossible; a small fry should know his place."
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.
"He… he called Kurosawa a small fry.""How terrifying…""Didn't they say they had a good relationship?""If I had said that, I'd probably be decapitated right now.""So it's true, Kurosawa didn't even make a move."
Kurosawa Jin clenched his fists. Damn it, why does he feel like he's getting used to this brat's taunts… Absolutely not.
"Just you wait. When I reach a level stronger than you, I'll make you wear a sign around your neck that says 'I am a small fry' for the rest of your life… No, what am I thinking, maybe I should just shoot him directly."
"Your competition was excellent. Although Kurosawa lost, it also proved his strength. And on this island, that is the most important thing," Tequila said slowly, his hawk-like gaze sweeping over everyone.
Those he looked at fearfully lowered their heads.
"You know what happens to those without strength in the upcoming elimination round. Remember—do not be complacent."
He sternly lectured everyone, then encouraged them to work hard so they could catch the Boss's eye in the future and become the young generation that shines for the organization, before finally dismissing them to leave on their own.
However, Tequila's attitude towards Kurosawa Jin and Gojo Satoru was much kinder. He even gave them two additional prizes to encourage them to keep up the good work.
"This is…""A Beretta 92FS?"
Gojo Satoru looked at the familiar-looking compact pistol in his hand and immediately thought of Kurosawa Jin's—no, Gin's—favorite gun. Was it this model?
It was entirely black, very light, with a good grip, and extremely portable. The pistol's lines were smooth, without excessive decoration, both exquisite and classic.
"No, it's a Beretta Pico."
Kurosawa Jin gave him a look as if he were an idiot and said, "The Beretta 92FS is generally sized for adults; it's not suitable for us yet. This Beretta Pico is a mini semi-automatic model, more than enough for self-defense if you hide it on your person."
His fluent explanation showed he was already well-informed.
"Oh, is that so? That's the first time I've heard you say such a long sentence.""Tsk, to be defeated by someone like you who knows nothing about guns, it's really…"
Kurosawa Jin received a MAD DOG PANTHER, a deadly dagger commonly used by mercenaries, known for its excellent blade toughness and elegant aura.
Although he appeared nonchalant, Gojo Satoru caught an unhidden flicker of admiration in his eyes when he looked at the Beretta, but Kurosawa Jin quickly forced himself to look away and walked towards the indoor training facility. He planned to add two more hours to his training.
"Hey, Kurosawa!"
Then he heard the annoying, impossibly strong guy speak.
"I say, do you really like this gun?"
The blond youth paused, then stubbornly said, "There's nothing special about it; it's not as convenient as a dagger, who would like it?"
"Please, you couldn't help but look at it three times just now.""Coincidentally, I also think a dagger is better, how about we swap?"
Gojo Satoru leaned in, his big, sparkling eyes making it hard to refuse, each word eroding Kurosawa Jin's mental defenses:
"Guns are such a hassle to use; if the ammo runs out, aren't they just scrap metal? As for me, I prefer close-quarters combat with a dagger."
"…""What do you say?""…I don't care."
By the time Kurosawa Jin's mind cleared, he was already the new owner of the Beretta.
Seeing Gojo Satoru's fingers deftly twirling the dagger, the MAD DOG PANTHER seemed to come alive in his hand, so precisely handled that one couldn't help but think he could easily master anything.
Kurosawa Jin wasn't a fool. As a prize for the winner, the Beretta was clearly more valuable and useful than the dagger. Moreover, it was under the watchful eye of the instructor, and perhaps even the Boss himself… Gojo Satoru couldn't have failed to notice that. Yet, he so easily exchanged it with him.
Kurosawa Jin was reluctant to admit that the other person might have genuinely seen his fondness for the gun and thus gave it to him. This made him feel a sense of unease.
Perhaps it was because Gojo Satoru seemed to have lived a privileged life before and had no concept of money? But at the same time, there was a strange feeling in his heart that no one had ever touched before. Perhaps this arrogant and rude brat wasn't as annoying as he seemed on the surface. He was barely tolerable.
"[Impression value from character Kurosawa Jin increased by 500 points, judged as: Friendly.]"
The system message popped into Gojo Satoru's mind. Well, that's a good haul. He hadn't even expected to gain impression points; he had clearly overestimated the difficulty of conquering little Gin.
"Hey, Gojo, want to train together?"
The question came out without warning.
"Hmm?" the white-haired youth said in surprise, "You're actually inviting me?"
"…If you don't want to, then don't.""Of course I'll go! Why wouldn't I?"
At this moment, Gojo Satoru's face no longer held its usual arrogant expression, finally revealing a few genuine smiles befitting his age.
"Then let's go."
For some reason, Kurosawa Jin also seemed a little happy. Until Gojo Satoru's next sentence:
"If I don't go, how can I see your pathetic state when you're utterly defeated by me again… Hey, don't hit me!"
A familiar scene played out once more.