Naval sergeant owes his gun expertise to years of hard work and observation

From a poor rural boy to a walking encyclopedia of naval artillery, Ma Shaoli, a first-class sergeant aboard a frigate in the People's Liberation Army Navy, has devoted 27 years to mastering his craft, embodying the modern soldier's excellence and dedication.

When a sudden alarm shattered the calm at sea, Ma sprang into action. Onboard the warship, he rushed to his battle station, swiftly carrying out the steps to aim, lock, and fire. In an instant, flames burst from the barrel as shells thundered forward, striking their targets with accuracy.

"I don't have any special talent. Just years of hard work," Ma said. In July, he was honored as one of the 12 "most beautiful revolutionary soldiers of the new era".

Ma's path to mastering the main gun was not smooth. When Ma first joined the Navy as an 18-year-old, he was assigned as an anti-aircraft machine gunner on a missile frigate, missing out on the main gun position he truly desired. But his fascination with the main gun never faded. While excelling at his assigned duties, he quietly observed and studied the main gun crew at work.

"Why does the main gun crew often choose to operate manually instead of using electric firing?" he once asked after detailed observation. The main gun squad leader's reply was blunt: electric systems break down more frequently.

Ma realized that crews had developed the habit of relying on manual firing to avoid malfunctions, which, however, was at the cost of range and precision.

"Equipment is like a baby that can't talk. You have to care for it and learn its language," Ma said.