Chapter 111: Giving a Gift

"Enough, buddy. We’ve got about as much as we can carry. Time to head back," Qiu Fengyu said to Tim. Both of them were dragging small carts toward their car.

"Black Friday—too many people. I hate it!" Tim shook his head. "I’ve had the experience, but I still don’t like it, especially when I’m dragged along by my parents. It’s better when I’m with you."

"You’re lucky."

"Lucky? Hey, Boss, we’re talking about my parents here."

"That’s why you’re lucky. At the very least, you had parents fifteen years ago. As for me... I never knew who my parents were from the moment I was born. So... I’ve always lived in a world of one. That’s why I say you’re lucky," Qiu Fengyu said to him very seriously. "Stop wallowing in self-pity all day."

"I wasn’t... I’m sorry, Boss. I didn’t know you went through that. You never talk about it. That’s really a shame, Boss..." Tim said to him.

"Nothing to be ashamed of. I feel fine... Don’t look at me like that, I’m serious. I feel fine." Qiu Fengyu patted Tim’s head. "Even though I let my mind wander when I’m alone sometimes... I’m good."

"Me too!" Tim chuckled. "Because I’m with you."

"Haha. Stop the flattery, it’s disgusting. I like girls," Qiu Fengyu laughed. He threw their haul into the car, backed out of the garage, and prepared to head home.

Just as the car pulled out, they heard police sirens approaching from the town. Qiu Fengyu pulled to the side to let the police cruisers speed past.

"Every day, someone is out there doing something to annoy the cops," Tim complained. "They can never catch those bastards effectively. It keeps us in a constant state of danger."

"Would you go and help those police officers?"

"I don’t know. Maybe, maybe not. Who knows? I’d judge based on the situation at the time. I wouldn’t do anything reckless. That’s what you taught me—only when I’m in an advantageous position and won’t get myself into trouble would I consider it." Tim glanced at Qiu Fengyu. "Does that satisfy you?"

"It’s good that you remember what I said. Don't be reckless." Qiu Fengyu nodded. They continued on their way, but shortly after leaving town, a car suddenly swerved out onto the road. Several police cars were in hot pursuit, racing toward them with wailing sirens.

"Oh, damn it!" Qiu Fengyu quickly jerked the steering wheel, executing a drift to pull a U-turn. They narrowly missed the escaping vehicle, and the police cars roared past them in pursuit.

"Did we provoke those idiots? Why do we always run into them!" Tim threw his hands up and shouted.

"So... do we continue, or wait for things to wrap up? I mean, until the person being chased is shot or arrested by the police..." Tim looked at Qiu Fengyu.

"Are we going to stop because of this?" Qiu Fengyu chuckled, turned the car back around, and continued driving.

Less than five miles later, they saw a shootout ahead. The road was already blocked, so they pulled over to wait. The gunfire was intense, and more police from the perimeter were rushing to reinforce the scene.

A helicopter flew overhead. Qiu Fengyu remained parked on the side of the road, where a long line of cars had already formed. Everyone coming down this highway was stuck.

"I see this in movies all the time. Today, I finally see it for real." Tim craned his neck to look ahead, grinning. "I don’t think they’ll last much longer."

"How can you tell?" Qiu Fengyu looked at him.

"Listen to the gunfire. The guns those guys are using sound different from the police-issued weapons." Tim tilted his head, listening, and laughed. "They’re done for."

Sure enough, before long, the shooting stopped. A heavy-duty tow truck moved in to push the riddled, bullet-ridden car to the side, clearing the road so the scene could be processed.

Because of the chase and shootout, they were delayed for over an hour. When Qiu Fengyu finally got back on the road, police were still waving traffic through. As they passed the ill-fated car, they could still see oil and blood stains on the asphalt. The car sat crookedly on the shoulder, still emitting a wisp of blue smoke.

"If you were in a situation like that, how would you escape?" Qiu Fengyu asked while driving. "If you ever seek revenge, you’ll have to think about these things."

"I don’t know. Just rely on driving skills. And, of course, precise counter-attacks. If there’s a helicopter involved, the chances of escape aren’t very high, especially in such an open area." Tim thought for a moment, then shook his head and looked at Qiu Fengyu. "What about you? What would you do?"

Qiu Fengyu laughed. "If it were me, I would never let myself get into such a position. Only a fool would end up in a trap like that. So... that wouldn’t be my choice."

"Then what is your choice?"

"I would lose them in the city." Qiu Fengyu glanced at Tim. "Remember, if you’re being chased by a large force of police, never let yourself get pushed into an open area like this. In the city, you have a chance to shake them off."

"Got it!" Tim was smart; as soon as Qiu Fengyu said it, he knew exactly what to do.

They saw three men being zipped into body bags and loaded into a vehicle. Neither of them spoke much on the way home. Tim had been on two missions with Qiu Fengyu before and had killed before, but long-range sniping was a different experience from witnessing this up close.

It was past five in the afternoon by the time they returned to Abilene. Qiu Fengyu carried the items inside and started preparing dinner; they had brought back plenty of supplies. Tim helped sort the items.

Most of the things were bought by Qiu Fengyu. Tim hadn’t bought much, save for a crossbow. He had been envious of Ryoko’s crossbow, especially after learning how many wolves she had taken down with it, and he had finally gotten one of his own. It was exquisite and powerful—no worse than Ryoko’s.

Qiu Fengyu made steaks, typical Texan style, with a bit of a kick. They ate quickly, and then Tim headed over to Brett’s house, though he was reluctant to leave the crossbow behind at Qiu Fengyu’s place. It didn’t feel right to bring it to Brett’s.

After dinner, Qiu Fengyu cleaned up a bit and started going door-to-door to deliver gifts. The people in the small town were friendly, and he felt he should show his appreciation, especially to the Brett family, who had been genuinely kind to him.

He carried a cloth bag filled with gifts to Brett’s house. He took a deep breath, but before he could knock, the door opened. Danny and Nicole came flying out, tackling him. Qiu Fengyu picked up Nicole and kissed her cheek. "I brought you a gift. You too, Danny. Don’t rush."

He pulled something resembling wings from the bag. He unfolded them and strapped them onto Nicole’s back. With a sudden *whoosh*, a pair of massive wings snapped open. The little girl shrieked with delight.

"Try this." Qiu Fengyu showed her how to pull on the two supports strapped to her chest. The wings began to flap on their own, lifting Nicole just an inch off the ground so she could land safely.

Even so, it was enough to make her ecstatic. She ran around the yard, flapping her wings and jumping. "I can fly! Am I a fairy? I can fly!"

"So... what about mine?" Danny looked at Qiu Fengyu urgently, licking his lips. Clearly, his sister’s gift had made him restless.

"This... a remote-controlled helicopter. You can give it a try!" Qiu Fengyu pulled out a large box.

"Whoa... my God, I’ve dreamed of having one of these!" Danny shouted in surprise, tearing into the box immediately.

Brett walked over, shaking his head with a smile. "I don’t know what to say, Qiu. Thank you."

Elizabeth and Tim came over, and after exchanging thanks, Qiu Fengyu said his goodbyes and headed to the Yonekura family’s place. He was there to deliver gifts to Ryoko and her little girl.

He had bought the same set of wings for the Yonekura girl—he couldn’t be bothered to overthink gifts for children, so he went with the easiest option. Whether the two little girls would fight over having identical toys later wasn’t his concern.

Sure enough, the Yonekura girl was overjoyed, running all over the yard. After Mr. and Mrs. Yonekura thanked him, Qiu Fengyu pulled Ryoko aside. "I bought you a gift, too."

Ryoko smiled. "You wouldn’t have done that before."

"And you wouldn’t have thought about sleeping with me before?" Qiu Fengyu countered.

"Jerk!" Ryoko blushed and muttered under her breath.

"A bracelet." Qiu Fengyu handed her the gift, not bothering with mystery. "Actually... I don’t know how to pick gifts for women. The clerk recommended it, so I bought it. But I did tell her it was for a girl."

"Get out of here, stop saying stupid things," Ryoko scolded, though she looked down and smiled.

"I’m off. I still have more gifts to deliver."

"To who else?" Ryoko looked up, glaring at him.

"Officer Coffin. She’s my friend." Qiu Fengyu smiled and patted her shoulder. "See ya, Happy Thanksgiving!" With that unconventional farewell, he turned and walked away.

"What a jerk!" Ryoko huffed, intending to throw the bracelet away, but hesitated. After a moment of indecision, she put it on her wrist.

Qiu Fengyu headed straight for the police station, knowing that Officer Coffin would likely still be on duty.