Chapter 12: The Bear’s Innate Talent

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Hou Yong was the first to step forward, following Li Haibo’s instructions. He gripped the gun tightly with both hands, doing his best to mimic the correct stance. At the sound of the shot, his body involuntarily trembled slightly as the bullet flew toward the target. Although Hou Yong tried to remain calm and fired repeatedly, every bullet landed to the left of the mark. He looked at the target and helplessly curled his lips, filled with frustration.

Next was Yang Chun. Excitedly grabbing the gun, he immediately forgot the key points Li Haibo had just emphasized due to his overexcitement. After several shots rang out, to everyone’s shock, every bullet missed the target entirely. Yang Chun’s face instantly flushed deep red, his eyes full of embarrassment and disappointment. He stood there, unsure of what to do.

Finally, it was Xiong Kui’s turn. After listening carefully to Li Haibo’s explanation, he calmly stepped forward with a straight posture and a steady, resolute gaze. Without haste, he picked up the gun and applied the techniques he had learned, skillfully adjusting his stance. His movements flowed seamlessly. “Bang! Bang! Bang!” The sharp, clear shots rang out consecutively, and the bullets flew like precise arrows straight into the bullseye.

The officers nearby were stunned by such impressive shooting and couldn’t help but burst into applause. Even Li Haibo showed a look of admiration, silently praising the young man’s talent. It was his first time shooting, yet his accuracy nearly matched that of an old veteran like himself.

Old Tong, the shooting range supervisor, walked over and gave a thumbs-up upon seeing Xiong Kui’s results. “This kid’s amazing—a born sharpshooter!” Upon hearing this, Xiong Kui’s pride surged instantly, and he swaggered around the range, boastfully proclaiming, “I told you I could do it! Who else has this kind of talent? These eyes were made for aiming, and my hands are as steady as Mount Tai. With my marksmanship, I’m not just a big name in our small precinct—I’d be a force to reckon with in the entire Shanghai police force.”

As he spoke, he exaggerated his shooting gestures, drawing the attention of everyone around. Seeing Xiong Kui’s outstanding performance, Li Haibo didn’t hesitate to hand over his own ten bullets to him, patting his shoulder. “Xiong Blind Bear, don’t get cocky. Practice more and really get a feel for the gun.”

Xiong Kui grinned as he took the bullets. “Brother Bo, just watch me!” he said, raising his gun to continue practicing. His movements became more proficient, and each shot drew cheers from the surrounding officers.

Feeling it wasn’t enough, Li Haibo spent money to buy ten rifle rounds and said to Xiong Kui, “Try this long gun. Let’s see if you can handle it.” After some guidance from Li Haibo, Xiong Kui quickly found his rhythm. Although the rifle had stronger recoil and was harder to operate, his natural talent and the experience he had just gained helped him gradually get the hang of it.

Though his scores didn’t meet the sharpshooter standard compared to pistol shooting, his bullet grouping was still fairly concentrated, clearly showing his impressive potential. After firing those ten rifle bullets, Xiong Kui gained a new understanding of his own abilities.

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He set the gun down and approached Li Haibo, tempering his earlier arrogance. “Brother Bo, I owe you today. Without you, I wouldn’t have discovered this talent. You’ve been in the army a long time; you have to teach me more from now on.”

Li Haibo smiled and nodded. “Sure, we’re brothers. As long as you’re willing to learn, I’ll teach you everything I know.”

Xiong Kui quickly expressed his gratitude, and the other officers gathered around, praising his performance.

The next day, Xiong Kui’s reputation as a sharpshooter spread throughout the Zhabei precinct. Meanwhile, Hou Yong’s “good citizen” certification service officially opened.

...

The days passed quietly, like flowing water. A week slipped by in the blink of an eye.

“Uncle Ma! One order of wontons, please!”

“Alright! Little Bo, just a moment!”

Soon, a young man carrying wontons came over. “Brother Bo, here are your wontons!”

“Oh, Little Ma, when did you get back?”

“Been back for several days!” Little Ma’s full name was Ma Quanyi, the only son of Old Ma, and he had served in the army around the same time as Li Haibo.

“Why haven’t I seen you around these days?”

“I was helping some fellow townsmen send money home to their families, and also delivered compensation to some brothers who died in battle. Just finished yesterday!”

“Are you going back to the army?”

“No, there’s no point. It’s better to stay home and take care of my family. I can also help my brothers look after their families.”

“Aren’t you artillery? You must have gotten a decent salary!”

“Artillery? There’s no artillery anymore!”

“What are your plans then?”

“I don’t have any special skills, just this strength. I’m thinking of pulling a rickshaw to earn a living. But I don’t have a good citizen certificate yet. I wanted to ask Brother Bo if you could help.”

“Sure! Let’s head to the precinct together in a bit.”

“Thanks, Brother Bo!”

...

Work, learning Japanese, collecting guns.

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Taking Ma Quanyi to the archives room to get his good citizen certificate, the head of the archives recognized him as one of their own and was very accommodating. After checking his previous household records, the certificate was issued on the spot, with Li Haibo listed as the guarantor. Of course, they also gave the chief two silver dollars as a customary fee—standard price, no extra charge.

Looking at the boxes full of blank good citizen certificates and empty files, Li Haibo had a new idea stirring in his mind.

After parting with Little Ma, Li Haibo continued his usual patrol with a few disreputable comrades.

When they reached the small park, they noticed a crowd gathered around a street vendor from a distance.

“Come and see, come and see! Guess the number of melon seeds—odd or even! Test your luck and skill! Guess right and win money! Bet any amount, and get paid the same! A little gambling for fun, big betting for fortune!” a man wearing a shabby top hat shouted loudly.

“Haha! I guessed it again! Pay me quickly! Today’s really my lucky day!” a young man in the crowd cheered, waving his arms excitedly.

“Hey, this brother guessed right again! Luck unbeatable! A man’s word is his bond—bet any amount, and get paid the same! Here’s your money, take it!” The shabby top hat counted out several paper bills and pushed them over.

“Come on, keep betting! Guess the number of melon seeds—odd or even. Bet any amount, get paid the same!”

Xiong Kui and his companions exchanged glances, then, carrying their guns on their backs, walked over.

Xiong Kui pulled out his police baton and shouted, “Move along, move along! What are you all doing gathered here? Country bumpkins who’ve never seen the world?”

Hou Yong grabbed the hair of the young man who had won money. “Hey! Don’t run! Come squat down with us!”

“I... I don’t know him!”

Hou Yong kicked out, “Nonsense! You’re lying! You’re a plant, all of you in cahoots. Get down!”

Yang Chun looked down on them from above. “What’s going on here?”

The shabby top hat pulled out a cigarette, nodding and bowing. “Boss is smoking; we brothers just trying to make a living!”

Yang Chun cursed, “Nonsense! You’re running a street scam, committing fraud. Do you know fraud? You’ll go to jail for that!”

...

Li Haibo stood on the side silently, watching the show unfold. Suddenly, he caught sight of Zhou Zhenguo not far away, winking at him repeatedly.