It was not a good thing in Captain Sobel's eyes that Parks and Winters had made such a splash during the competition.
He could always find ways to torment them, for instance, by assigning Winters as his Executive Officer, making him circle the kitchen and latrines all day, giving him no opportunity to interact with the brothers of Easy Company.
Even for Parks, he could find methods; for example, when Parks was instructing that platoon that day, he would significantly increase their training load, hoping that the brothers in Easy Company would resent Parks.
However, Parks's training results were undeniable, so the brothers of Easy Company did not complain about Parks; instead, they became even closer, which Captain Sobel had not anticipated.
As the physical fitness of the Easy Company brothers rapidly improved under Parks's training, the basic training subjects for Easy Company were strengthened.
Because Colonel Sink's requirements were very high, he demanded that every member of Easy Company master their respective skills in using mortars, machine guns, rifles, communication liaison, and battlefield first aid.
Every soldier could do any work in the platoon, or at least cope with it.
Every soldier understood the responsibilities of a Corporal and a Sergeant and could substitute when necessary.
Because of this, Parks's work gradually became easier, and for Easy Company, the improvement in physical fitness indicated that future physical training would only be supplementary, while other subjects would become the main training items.
As the physical training items gradually decreased, Winters was also "released" from the kitchen and latrines by Parks, because Winters had to personally participate in these newly added subjects, and this was also a new test for him.
"I can't believe Captain Sobel threw you into the kitchen for over two months." Nixon said when he saw Winters in the barracks, raising the bottle of wine in his hand, "Want a drink? Even if it's to celebrate your 'release from prison'."
"A glass of water, Nick!" Winters smiled, "Haven't I gotten out? Only God knows what Captain Sobel will make me do next.
But I'm not worried at all now; after all, no Executive Officer has ever worked in a kitchen forever."
Nixon laughed heartily: "You really are optimistic.
But Colonel Sink has been a bit less optimistic lately."
"About the training?"
"Yes, Colonel Sink is determined to have the entire regiment implement Parks's training methods, you know, Easy Company now is definitely much stronger than two months ago, Colonel Sink couldn't help but be tempted." Nixon sighed and shook his head.
Winters paused, then looked at Nixon: "I know what Colonel Sink is bothered about; it must be that Parks's training method hasn't been approved by the higher-ups."
"How did you know?" Nixon looked at Winters strangely, "I just heard this news from Battalion HQ."
"Nothing to be surprised about." Winters said, "Colonel Sink is an optimist, but he completely ignores how much red tape those bureaucrats above put up when trying to do something serious."
Nixon nodded: "The higher-ups told Colonel Sink that although there were some results, the training method had not passed expert evaluation, lacked scientific basis, and the time was too short, and no one could assess what potential problems might arise in the future, so it was temporarily suspended."
"Suspended?" Winters gave a self-deprecating laugh, "I'm afraid it's a permanent suspension.
It seems Staff Sergeant Parks is going to be out of a job."
"Right! And don't forget you; you were the instigator!" Then he raised his wine bottle, "A toast to the unemployed!" Saying that, he poured a glass of wine, tilted his head back, and drank it all.
This news quickly spread throughout the regiment.
Of course, the brothers of Easy Company were the most concerned about this matter.
Winters even suspected whether Captain Sobel had released him from his duties because he knew about this.
But the officers and soldiers of Easy Company seemed a bit agitated.
"God knows what Colonel Sink is thinking; our training results are already visible, are they all blind? Why stop this training method?" White was complaining in the barracks.
This outcome was not unexpected for Parks; Colonel Sink was indeed too optimistic at the time.
In the United States, they emphasize scientific basis and verification; ancient Chinese techniques were incomprehensible to them, like witchcraft.
General Lee would not allow an immature training method to appear in the 101st Airborne Division, thereby disrupting his overall plan.
To put it bluntly, he wouldn't let Colonel Sink act recklessly.
"Poor Colonel Sink!" Christenson sighed from the side.
"Poor Staff Sergeant Parks!" Moore also sighed, mimicking Christenson, then made a face at Parks.
Parks chuckled: "This isn't a bad thing at all; we've all mastered this method now, there's nothing to be discouraged about.
The most important thing now is to handle those new training subjects well; you know, Captain Sobel isn't that easy to deal with, and I didn't have much hope for you at first."
"Come on, Parks!" Cobb shouted from the side, "We know you're great at physical training, and we all admire you, but if you want to be the best at those other subjects too, it definitely won't be that easy."
"Then let's wait and see, Cobb!" Parks chuckled, "Want to make a bet? Tomorrow our platoon has rifle shooting training, let's make a big bet, fifty dollars, that I can beat you!"
This clearly stumped Cobb; Parks was not someone who could be judged by normal standards.
He was just a little jealous earlier; if he were to really bet, he had no confidence at all, and fifty dollars was a lot, it was his month's salary.
Seeing Cobb hesitate, the others in the barracks started to jeer: "Oh, come on, Cobb, show some courage, don't let Parks talk trash."
In the end, Cobb did not agree, despite the jeering, he still backed down: "I won't fall for your tricks.
Parks is a lion, who among you dares to bet with a lion? No, I don't want to make a fool of myself."
Yes, Cobb began to feel fortunate about his decision just one day later.
"Fire!" Following the instructor's command, the Second Platoon, lying on the ground, fired their m1 garands in one go.
A "ding!" sound, the empty clip ejected, making a pleasant sound.
"Shit!" At this moment, the instructor suddenly yelled at a brother, "You—what's your name? soldier!"
"Roy Cobb, Sergeant!" Cobb stood up dejectedly.
"Are your eyes in your ass? Look at your shooting, eight rounds in one clip, where did you hit?" The NCO instructor was very angry; Cobb only had four rounds on target, and his score was indeed a bit unbearable.
At this moment, the First Sergeant walked up to Parks: "Sergeant, what's your name?"
Parks stood up: "Reese Parks!"
"Excellent! Keep it up!" The First Sergeant patted Parks on the shoulder, then asked curiously, "Are you the Parks who invented the physical training method?"
"Yes!" Parks nodded.
This time the NCO said nothing more.
He just had someone bring over the target in front of Parks; the target was already unrecognizable, with a large hole in the center.
"Look, gentlemen, this is shooting!" The NCO shouted loudly, addressing the brothers of the Second Platoon, "When you go to the battlefield, either you kill the Germans, or the Germans kill you."
This indeed shocked the brothers of the Second Platoon.
Looking at the large hole in the center, it was clear that all eight bullets had passed through the exact center of the target, which was an astonishing feat for these rookies who had just started shooting.
"Keep up the good work!" The NCO instructor nodded at Parks.
As soon as the training ended, Cobb eagerly expressed his opinion, looking very proud: "See? Fortunately, I had foresight; Parks simply cannot be described as human."
White rolled his eyes at him: "Cobb, you should be glad you saved a month's salary."
Clearly, this training session once again showcased another of Parks's abilities.
"I heard that Shifty of the First Platoon is also pretty good with a gun, hey, Parks, why don't you compete with him.
I bet you can definitely beat him." Cobb shouted at this moment.
This clearly attracted all the brothers of the Second Platoon.
"Go for it, Parks!" Guarnere was very interested, "I bet on you to win! Fifty dollars."
"Hey, hey, count me in, I'll bet fifty dollars too!" Heffron also squeezed over at this moment, looking at Parks with hopeful eyes.
Parks shook his head: "No, I won't actively challenge my brothers to a competition." Parks clearly refused, because no matter the outcome, those involved in the competition would have some burden, which was not good for either of them.
Clearly, the people of the Second Platoon were very disappointed.
But this disappointment did not last long.
Because the brothers of the First Platoon also knew that Parks's shooting was excellent, and they had Shifty, so clearly, they also wanted to make a bet.
"Parks, accept it, be a man!" soldier Albert Blithe of the First Platoon ran over, conveying the wishes of the First Platoon brothers, "Shifty has agreed, come on, just treat it as a game of darts!"
Parks looked at the brothers of the Second Platoon, found that they were also looking at him expectantly, and could only shrug: "Alright, I accept!"
The news of Parks and Shifty's shooting competition attracted all the brothers in E Company. Even Lieutenant Winters and Captain Sobel knew about it, but neither intended to stop it. Winters didn't intervene because this was the men's activity, entertainment during their downtime from training, and it didn't affect the unity among the brothers.
Captain Sobel, however, hoped that through this competition he could get E Company's brothers to be more dedicated to training, or perhaps he wanted to start a competitive atmosphere in E Company - though that was just his wishful thinking.
The shooting range was already crowded with people. Everyone was eagerly waiting to watch the two men compete.
"Shifty, whoever wins should buy the brothers a drink!" Parks joked. He knew that although this was a bet, if he crushed Shifty's confidence, it would definitely not be good for him on future battlefields.
"Of course!" Shifty smiled, somewhat bashfully. He had been pushed into this by the brothers from First Platoon, but since it was a bet, there was nothing to complain about - he'd just treat it like throwing darts. He consoled himself mentally, but his heart was beating a bit fast.
"Eight bullets!" Guarnere handed ammunition to both men.
"Do your best!" At this moment, the shooting instructor was also shouting at Parks from the sideline - he had also placed a bet. But from his experience, although Shifty was a good shot, he lacked experience compared to Parks, who was simply a natural-born killer - calm, decisive, drawing his gun without hesitation. Why pass up such a money-making betting opportunity?
Eight bullets, one target, no time limit, only one requirement: whoever could hit the bullseye and finish shooting first would win.
"Bang—" The shell casing spun rapidly through the air, then fell to the ground. Shifty was satisfied with his first shot - this shot was his confidence booster, hitting the bullseye. A slight smile played at the corner of his mouth.
"Wow!" Exclamations and applause erupted across the field.
Shifty didn't hesitate, raising his gun again for the second shot. Still hit the bullseye. Though there was a slight deviation, it already showed his excellent shooting standards.
"Oh— Shifty, that's great!" Most of those betting on Shifty were from First Platoon, and their cheers echoed across the field. With such good marksmanship, even the Second Platoon men felt uneasy, because they had basically all bet on Parks, and for $50 - a month's salary. What was worse, Parks hadn't even raised his gun yet.
"Parks, are you scared? Show some courage, don't let Shifty intimidate you - you can do it too!" Although Guarnere had always had confidence in Parks, the current situation made him restless, and he shouted out.
Shifty looked confidently at Parks and noticed he was smiling at him. But Parks' current state was definitely not fear - it was a confident smile.
"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"
Shot after shot, though with intervals, it was still done in one smooth motion. Four shots all hit the bullseye. The First Platoon brothers cheered - it looked like Shifty had basically won.
"Oh no!" White also got anxious and shouted, "Parks, hurry!"
Parks nodded at him, smiled slightly, then raised his gun.
The target was right in front of him, then quickly contracted in Parks' pupils before expanding infinitely. This was will-determined, just like the desperate fighting in the blood and fire of his previous life. The noisy sounds around him gradually disappeared from his ears, and the whole world contained only a gun, a target, and the bullet ready to fire in the chamber.
"Bang—"
Like a long-suppressed sound, the air was torn by the bullet, the crisp sound of the bullet flying out.
Eight bullets produced eight sharp whistling sounds.
"Ding—" The empty clip ejected, rolled in the air, then fell on the sandy ground of the training field.
Parks lowered his gun and smiled at Shifty.
"Wow—" Exclamations erupted across the field, followed by thunderous applause.
All eight bullets had passed through the bullseye, hitting the same spot, and from the first shot to the last took only 6 seconds - this was already the theoretical firing rate of the M1 Garand.
The shooting instructor was timing - his mouth opened slightly as he drew in a sharp breath. What kind of monster was this? To have such shooting accuracy and speed. If he wasn't a freak, then he must have been learning to shoot since he was in his mother's womb. But he absolutely didn't know that Parks had actually been learning to shoot for many years in his previous life, and the firing speed of future weapons absolutely couldn't be compared to the M1.
"I lost!" Shifty didn't look dejected at all. "Against a monster like Parks, who could possibly compete? So..." Shifty shrugged.
"Oh— no way, Parks!" Compton Buck covered his face with his hands in frustration. "I thought that time you beat me at darts was just luck. You monster, you cost me another $50."
But although the First Platoon brothers complained, they accepted their losses gracefully and had to pay up.
"Sorry, I couldn't win!" Shifty felt a bit embarrassed.
Compton Buck patted his shoulder and laughed: "We know you did your best. Who knew Parks was a monster?" Laughter erupted around them.
Parks walked over and extended his hand to Shifty, and they shook hands: "Shifty, you're also the best shooter I've ever seen!" Parks meant this sincerely.
Shifty smiled bashfully: "You're better!"
"If you knew how many years I've been practicing shooting, you wouldn't be so surprised - it's nothing special!" Although Parks' words had some consoling elements, they were absolutely factual - the hell-like practice of his previous life had achieved his current results.
Parks' reputation as a marksman spread throughout the entire 506th Regiment after this competition. Besides the Second Platoon brothers making a killing from this, Parks was also unquestionably a big winner. Although the competition was held in E Company, because Parks' previous reputation for improving training methods had already made him famous in the 506th Regiment, many people from other companies besides E Company had participated in the betting, so Parks made a small fortune.
"This is yours, Parks!" Guarnere walked into the barracks holding a thick stack of bills.
"Oh— Parks, you make me jealous!" Cobb, who was polishing his boots nearby, exclaimed dramatically. That stack of bills looked like it should be over a thousand dollars.
"It is enviable indeed." White smiled, looking somewhat enviously, then said to Cobb, "Cobb, didn't you also win a hundred dollars? What's there to complain about? Enough for you to have some fun outside."
"That's because I had foresight!" Cobbdidn't feel embarrassed at all. "Good thing I didn't fall for your trick earlier. Have me compete with Parks? People would think I was crazy."
"How much?" Parks took the bills and asked.
"Five thousand dollars!" Guarnere smiled, then stuck out his tongue and licked his lips. "A fortune, isn't it?"
It really was a fortune - the several men in the barracks all drew in sharp breaths. You have to know their current monthly salary was only fifty dollars, which meant this was one hundred months of their salary - equivalent to more than eight years' total salary.
"You're rich!" Although Cobb had already said he wasn't jealous, this statement clearly had a sour tone - yes, it was maddening with envy.
"How is it so much?" Parks looked at Guarnere with some confusion.
"Hehe, you know, later almost all the brothers in the entire 506th Regiment got involved. They didn't know your ability - they just wanted to see that guy who wanted to improve training methods make a fool of himself." Guarnere smiled smugly. "What they didn't expect was that our Parks could surprise them at any time."
"Thank you!" Parks smiled, then asked a question.
"It's nothing, I won quite a bit too!" Guarnere chuckled.
"Brothers, this weekend, the beer at the town bar is on me!" Parks happily waved the bills in his hand.
"Great!" White jumped up and was about to hug Parks, but Parks dodged.
"Hey hey, White, I'm not a girl!" Parks laughed loudly. "Of course I can buy the beer, but finding girls isn't included, so you better bring your own wallet, or else you'll be stripped naked and thrown out!"
Bursts of laughter immediately filled the barracks.
The brothers of E Company were just this happy-go-lucky, even during such intense training, they always found their own fun. The officers including Winters, Sobel, and Horton all took notice of Parks.
A soldier who could not only improve training methods but was also a marksman was definitely the most valuable asset to the 506th Regiment. But Parks didn't care at all about what kind of impact that day's competition might have. That weekend, he and some brothers from E Company went to town - they wanted to relax, drink some beer, find some girls, and so on.