Chapter Twelve: Practicing with the Gun

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It’s over—really over. Her inability to shoot had been discovered by Captain Ji. After Ji Mingcheng left, Qiu Jiang’s eyes welled up with tears, feeling as if the sky had collapsed. Although she retained all her physical memories, no one can suddenly master a skill they were never proficient in. During police academy, her academic performance was good, her physical fitness decent, but shooting was her weakness. She had consistently failed in that area, ranking at the bottom after entering the academy.

Fortunately, not all police officers need exceptional marksmanship. Moreover, with fewer police academy graduates nowadays, as long as a student’s performance isn’t terrible, they can be assigned to some position. When she was first assigned, the school considered placing her in an administrative role, and initially, the police station did the same. However, with so many police stations in the city and a shortage of personnel, when Chen Da requested someone, there were few options left.

This was the main reason Chen Da was initially dissatisfied with the arrangement. Since the development zone’s construction began, a huge influx of people caused a sharp rise in cases, so he needed officers who could directly handle criminal investigations. Although clerical staff were also needed, that urgency was less pressing. So at this crucial moment, they assigned him a young woman, which led him to disregard her for over a month.

At first, she hadn’t encountered a situation requiring shooting, so she was unaware. But when she just wrestled a gun away from a fugitive, she realized she had no muscle memory at all. The urgent circumstances left her no time to process the shooting steps in her mind, so all she could do was threaten the fugitive. When she later learned the fugitive had accomplices hiding in the woods, she was unable to respond with gunfire in time. Luckily, Captain Ji arrived just then, saving her from becoming a live target.

She had intended to practice shooting once she identified this weakness, hoping to improve quickly and avoid causing trouble. But she never expected Captain Ji to be so perceptive, noticing it at a glance. No wonder he assessed her as “not too bad.” Perhaps that was even a kind kindness.

Her hopes of transferring to his team were likely dashed. Qiu Jiang’s eyes were brimming with tears, overwhelmed by disappointment.

“Jiang Jiang, what are you doing? Get in the car.” Since their department’s vehicle was parked in a remote corner on the mountain, both Qiu Jiang and Deng Xingwang had to ride with others to return. Unlike Qiu Jiang, Deng Xingwang had come in the city bureau’s car and was familiar with riding along, so after finishing his paperwork, he quickly hopped into the car chatting happily. Having just concluded an exhilarating conversation, he noticed Qiu Jiang standing there as if lost, and called out to her loudly.

When she didn’t move, he called again. “Come on, we’re leaving.”

“I’m coming,” Qiu Jiang replied listlessly as she got in, leaving Deng Xingwang puzzled and chattering nonstop.

“What’s wrong with you? Why do you look so down? Listen, you’re the big star of Anxi City Police Department now. Lots of colleagues were chatting about how you and Captain Ji caught five fugitives. Many call you the queen of the police force—you’re our role model! Haha, aren’t you happy?”

“But I’m not bad either! When my city bureau colleagues and I arrived, we immediately spotted two fugitives and chased after them. They ran fast, but—” He paused heavily, emphasizing the next line. “I was fearless, jumped out, and bam bam bam, shot one right in the leg, stopping his escape to the mountain. Am I impressive or what?”

Deng Xingwang was ecstatic, chuckling and rambling on. “Even though I’ve worked here a year, I mostly handle minor cases. This was the first time it got this exciting. You wouldn’t believe how my heart was pounding like I’d run ten kilometers.”

“Hey, how’s Captain Ji’s marksmanship? Everyone was raving about him, calling him a gun god. Too bad I didn’t see it. You did, right? How amazing was he?” Deng Xingwang asked.

“Captain Ji is very skilled.” It would not be an exaggeration to say he could shoot with unerring precision. In her past life, she had only seen such accuracy from her own mother, though with different weapons.

Thinking of her mother and Captain Ji’s marksmanship, then looking at herself, Qiu Jiang felt even more dejected.

Seeing her still listless and lacking spirit, even the usually oblivious Deng Xingwang noticed something was wrong. He leaned closer and whispered, “What’s wrong? Did you get scolded?”

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That wasn’t really a scolding, so how could it be?

Qiu Jiang shook her head.

Then he was at a loss. Normally, this should be a moment of pride for her; even he was thrilled after catching just one fugitive. Her reaction was unusually subdued.

Qiu Jiang frowned deeply, troubled as ever, but she wasn’t one to dwell on things. What if there was still a chance?

“Xingwang, can you teach me how to practice shooting?” Her watery eyes were full of pleading.

Deng Xingwang blushed, stammering, “S-sure, no problem.”

Her eyes brightened instantly, and she kept squeezing his hand, thanking him repeatedly. Deng Xingwang’s face flushed even more. “Y-you’re welcome.”

Finally, a smile appeared on her face. Her curved eyes were like a gentle fawn in the woods—moist and enchanting—which explained why Liao Jiajie and others secretly inquired about dating her.

Dating?

The word made Deng Xingwang blush even harder, full of embarrassment.

Qiu Jiang, still reveling in the joy of having a colleague with excellent shooting skills to learn from, resolved to study her marksmanship diligently in the coming days. She hoped to show Captain Ji her progress, maybe then she’d have a chance.

With a new goal, her earlier discouragement and anxiety faded. She even chatted with Deng Xingwang about the recent events.

“When I heard there were fugitives in the woods, I was terrified. But Captain Ji suddenly appeared from the other side, firing four shots from over a hundred meters away. Every shot hit the fugitives’ hands.”

“Wow—”

“All hitting the wrist! That’s incredible.”

Anyone who had practiced shooting knew the difference between hitting a stationary target and a moving person. Even those who could score perfect tens on a range might miss when shooting at a moving target, especially aiming for specific body parts at such a distance.

“Man, Captain Ji is so cool. I want to be that good someday.”

Deng Xingwang, overwhelmed with admiration for Ji Mingcheng, was practically starstruck, acting like a superfan.

“No way, I have to practice harder too.” Earlier at Nanshan, he had been proud of his own shooting. After hearing her detailed account, his pride vanished, and he didn’t mention boasting anymore. After being handed over to the Anlu District Bureau by his city bureau colleagues, he immediately dragged Qiu Jiang to the shooting range.

According to him, it was a combined “practice and teach” session.

Qiu Jiang was initially hesitant to rush him, but the two quickly found common ground. So when Chen Da returned happily from the city bureau, no one could find the two of them.

“Where are those two?” Chen Da asked.

“Captain Chen, we were just about to ask you—our two champions?” someone replied.

“Hahaha, Captain Chen, Xingwang and Jiang Jiang really made our chief proud. Those two are amazing.”

Everyone was gleeful, but no one knew where the pair had gone.

Could they still be at the city bureau?

That seemed unlikely.

Chen Da remembered when he borrowed a car from the city bureau, a young man told him they had already been sent back. How come no one knew where they were now?

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Chen Da frowned and was about to head to the office to call the city bureau when two gatekeepers came by, directing delivery workers carrying water inside. As they entered, they happily praised the pair.

“Our two kids at the bureau are really hardworking. Just returned from a mission, and now they’re at the shooting range training. Captain Chen has really nurtured two promising talents.”

Chen Da changed direction mid-step and exited through the main door.

Unlike the city bureau’s towering building, the Anlu District substation was smaller and less grand. Though modest, it was well-equipped with all necessary facilities, including a shooting range.

Unlike the city bureau’s multi-story building, the substation was low-rise, so the shooting range, requiring a larger and safer space, had the privilege of occupying a long standalone single-story building.

Upon arrival, Chen Da heard intermittent gunfire inside. Even without seeing the details, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction, a smile involuntarily spreading across his face.

“You two are quite diligent,” Chen Da praised unusually upon entering, until he saw Qiu Jiang awkwardly holding a gun and Deng Xingwang crouched on the floor holding his head, and paused in surprise.

“Tired? If so, just take a break. Why the long faces?”

Seeing him, Qiu Jiang gave an embarrassed smile and shook her head. “Captain Chen, I’m not tired, it’s just…”

Chen Da waited for her to continue.

“I don’t know how to teach,” Deng Xingwang said pitifully, almost in tears.

He felt his own shooting was decent, but teaching was clearly a different matter. Without seeing the results, it was obvious Qiu Jiang’s scores would once again be in the low threes or fours.

Deng Xingwang doubted his teaching abilities.

“It’s not you, it’s me,” Qiu Jiang admitted gloomily, feeling hopeless about transferring to the city bureau, perhaps even unable to stay at the district bureau. She didn’t dare raise her head.

Seeing her downcast, Chen Da was speechless. “Is that all?”

Qiu Jiang looked up in confusion.

“No one becomes a sharpshooter overnight. Besides, I already suspected your shooting was weak. Just practice more. With this kind of thing, more practice means more skill.”

Chen Da didn’t make a big deal of it. Not all police officers were good shots, but they had to improve to go further.

Qiu Jiang blinked, hardly believing what she heard.

Chen Da scoffed lightly, unconcerned. “How old are you? You only spent two years at the academy. I think it’s impressive you had the guts to hold a gun and threaten someone. You probably weren’t trained for fieldwork before. For newbies, we’re willing to give time to grow. It’s no big deal.”

“Stop standing there dumbfounded. I came to discuss something with you two. Come over quickly and listen, don’t waste time.”

Qiu Jiang and Deng Xingwang hurried over, standing at attention as he briefly outlined the matter.

Both thought they misheard, but when they looked at each other, their shocked expressions matched perfectly. There was no way both were mistaken.

They burst out in joyful shouts.

“Really? We’re going to the city bureau???”