Chapter Twenty-Four: Military Training—The Shooting Prodigy (Part One)

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of Hong Kong's return, Guyue has specially released three chapters in one go today. I hope all of you will continue to support this book. If you have votes, please vote; if you don't, please click to add to your collection. I am deeply grateful.

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In the blink of an eye, the entire morning had slipped away in training. Since Liu Fan had defeated the instructor Xing Yong, as per their previous agreement, he no longer had to participate in the exercises. Yet as captain, he was still required to lead the team out every morning. With nothing else to occupy him, Liu Fan found himself somewhat bored.

After lunch, Liu Fan began to wander idly around the military camp. Apart from certain sensitive and restricted areas, he strolled about, passing through many places. The entire camp was vast, set halfway up the mountainside, its back pressed against the endless, mist-shrouded Cloud Veil Range—a natural geographical advantage, easy to defend and hard to attack. In ancient times, it too would have been a vital military stronghold.

As he walked, many people greeted Liu Fan—whether they knew him or not, they treated him as one of their own. What Liu Fan did not realize was that ever since he had defeated the top three elite soldiers in the army, he had become a celebrity in the ranks. Strength was respected above all else in the army—if you had what it took, you would win others’ esteem.

Moreover, there was General Sun Jianguo’s order—this was his first step in drawing Liu Fan in: to let him feel the camaraderie of military life, to help him blend in, so that emotional bonds would make him stay.

“Bang, bang, bang…” Unwittingly, Liu Fan had wandered over to the shooting range. Since this area wasn’t open to students, he only glanced over before intending to leave. After all, what man didn’t enjoy guns?

“Hey, isn’t this Master Liu?” At that moment, Battalion Commander Cao Wei, who was overseeing the shooting drills, spotted Liu Fan lingering by the range. He immediately knew the gunfire had piqued Liu Fan’s interest and hurried over, saying, “Where are you off to? Why not come inside and shoot a few rounds?”

Cao Wei was a shrewd man—by the age of thirty he was already a battalion commander, with much room yet to rise. Ever since receiving the general’s orders, he had been paying attention. Anyone whom Sun Jianguo called a grandmaster of martial arts could hardly be lacking in skill. If he handled this matter well, he was sure to gain from it.

“Master? When did I become a master?” Liu Fan muttered to himself upon hearing the title.

“Oh, forgive me, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Cao Wei, a battalion commander in the S Special Forces Unit of the East China Military District. Everyone knows you defeated Yongzi this morning. Our general even said you have the bearing of a grandmaster in martial arts—hence the title.” Cao Wei was a natural at making friends, quick-witted and attentive. He immediately saw Liu Fan’s confusion and hurried to explain.

“Oh, I’m not worthy of being called a master. I just have a bit of interest in martial arts. Just call me Liu Fan; otherwise, it feels awkward,” Liu Fan replied modestly, surprised that he had caught the attention of senior officers.

“Though the shooting range isn’t open to students, it isn’t a military secret either. And we soldiers have always admired the strong. Come on, since you’re here, let me play the host. Let’s shoot a few rounds together.”

Cao Wei truly lived up to his reputation for shrewdness. In no time at all, he was calling Liu Fan “brother,” and without waiting for agreement, dragged him into the shooting range.

Once inside, Liu Fan saw that every firing lane was occupied, the air resounding with shots. Staff members noticed Cao Wei and Liu Fan walking in, arms around each other’s shoulders, and glanced over curiously. Although Liu Fan was now famous throughout the military district, few had actually seen him in person.

Cao Wei quickly introduced him to the others. “Everyone, come meet our guest. This is the expert who defeated Yongzi this morning. I’m sure you all know his name already, so I won’t repeat it. He’s here today to learn how to shoot.”

“Wow, so you’re the expert! I didn’t expect you to be this young.”

“Yeah, I wonder how he trained to such a level.”

“Is it really true? I’d like to spar with him sometime.”

Upon hearing the introduction, everyone became animated. Although many had heard about the morning’s duel, few had witnessed it themselves. Some of the more skeptical were even itching to challenge Liu Fan.

“Come, let me show you how to use a gun.” Cao Wei understood that these proud special forces soldiers would not easily accept Liu Fan unless they saw his abilities with their own eyes. But Cao Wei didn’t mind and patiently began teaching Liu Fan how to handle a firearm.

“This is a Type 92 pistol, 9mm caliber, muzzle velocity 300 meters per second, magazine capacity 10 rounds, effective range 200 meters, total weight one kilogram. It’s a domestically developed automatic pistol.” (The above statistics are entirely made up; please don’t mind.) As he explained, Cao Wei swiftly disassembled the pistol into its component parts in less than fifteen seconds, then quickly reassembled it, the entire process smooth and efficient.

Liu Fan watched in astonishment. For someone who had never handled a gun before, it was incredible. Yet after his initial surprise, Liu Fan quickly committed the process to memory.

Seeing Liu Fan’s amazement, Cao Wei felt a small surge of pride. He then loaded a magazine, gripped the pistol with both hands, and fired ten shots in quick succession. The electronic target showed a score of 95 out of 100—a very solid performance. Cao Wei was satisfied with his usual standard.

“Your turn,” he said with a smile, tossing the pistol to Liu Fan.

Liu Fan had watched Cao Wei’s demonstration closely. With his almost otherworldly abilities, learning came effortlessly. Without a word, he took the pistol, stepped up to the firing line, and, holding it in one hand, aimed forward. He squeezed the trigger; a shot rang out.

The screen showed a score of 4—off the mark. Liu Fan, however, was unfazed. He adjusted his aim, calmed his breath, and fired again—this time hitting an 8.

After that, it was as if Liu Fan had found the knack. He fired eight more shots in quick succession, the bangs echoing through the range. The screen finally displayed his ten-shot total: 92.

Yet Liu Fan still seemed dissatisfied. He turned to Cao Wei and asked, “Commander Cao, can I have ten more rounds? That was too few—it’s not enough to really enjoy it.”

“Oh, oh, what?” At first, seeing Liu Fan shooting one-handed, Cao Wei had wanted to remind him. But then Liu Fan’s first attempt hit the target, which was already impressive for a complete novice. When Liu Fan’s second shot scored even higher and then the next eight all hit the bullseye, Cao Wei was shaken to his core; he was so stunned he barely heard Liu Fan’s question.

“You… you really have never fired a gun before?” Cao Wei asked urgently, finally snapping out of his shock.

“Yes,” Liu Fan replied calmly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Now Cao Wei was truly floored. His mind raced: “Good heavens, what a talent! No wonder the general values him so highly.” He looked at Liu Fan with an intensity that bordered on fervor.

“Um… Commander Cao, I already have a girlfriend. I’m not interested in men, so…” Liu Fan felt a chill as Cao Wei’s burning gaze stayed fixed on him and spoke up timidly.

Cao Wei snapped to his senses, realizing his eagerness had been misinterpreted, and bellowed, “You’re the one from Brokeback Mountain! The whole air force is full of your kind!”

At this, Liu Fan finally relaxed, patting his chest and muttering, “Thank goodness.”

He then remembered his earlier request. “By the way, Commander Cao, those ten rounds just weren’t enough—could I have a few more to practice with?”

“No problem, you can shoot as much as you like.” Though he said this aloud, inside he was gloating, “If I keep this talent here, I’ll have plenty of credit to claim with the general. Then I’ll have all the bullets I want. Heh heh.”

“Zhu, go get ten more boxes of ammo.” To win Liu Fan over, Cao Wei spared no expense—ten boxes at once, five hundred rounds in total.