Chapter Fifty-Six: The First Experience

As it turned out, Corfin was right—no matter how hard Qiufeng Yu tried, even selling forty bowls of noodles a day, business was still booming. Without a reservation, it was first come, first served. Still, many people left empty-handed and grumbled at Qiufeng Yu.

The television was broadcasting the news, but no one cared; those dining on noodles were all engrossed in discussions about the upcoming “Ironman Cowboy” bull-riding competition, the yearly highlight of the small town.

“Hey, Qiu, did you sign up?” someone shouted from the dining area toward the kitchen, where Qiufeng Yu was busy.

“Of course. But… are you betting on me to win?” Qiufeng Yu wiped his hands, stepped out, and grinned at them. “I’ve already registered with Christopher.”

“Haha, that’s the spirit! That’s what makes you a real Abilene cowboy,” someone hollered, “Welcome aboard… the new cowboy of Abilene!”

“Are you guys sure you only need to stay on the bull for eight seconds?” Qiufeng Yu asked incredulously.

At that, everyone in the restaurant turned to stare at him. There was a moment of awkward glances exchanged. What kind of question was that? Qiufeng Yu was stumped by their reaction.

“Or… is it longer? That’s just what I heard…”

A great roar of laughter erupted in the restaurant, some people slapping the tables so hard they shook.

“Hey, fellas, if you break the tables, you’ll be fined ten times the cost,” Qiufeng Yu quipped to the table-pounders.

They froze and glanced at each other, “Never heard of that rule in this place.”

“Well, now you have, haven’t you?”

That quieted them down immediately.

“Have you ever ridden a bull?” someone asked. “One of those wild, crazy bulls. If you have, forget I asked.”

“No, never. This afternoon, I plan to visit Britt and see if he’s got a suitable bull…”

“No way, man, his bulls are nothing like the ones in the competition. Since you’re entering, let me give you some advice: no one has ever lasted eight seconds on a bull. Not here, not anywhere in the world. That record hasn’t been broken.”

Qiufeng Yu rubbed his nose. “Alright, eight seconds—it’s a magical number. So… how do I ride one of those mad bulls before the competition?”

“You could take a knife to your bull’s rump—then you’ll see what a wild bull really is!” someone cackled.

“Great idea, fantastic!” Qiufeng Yu decided not to banter further.

He’d already made up his mind: that afternoon, he would talk to Britt. Maybe buy one of his bulls, just to see what it really took to control a berserk animal.

“Boss, I’m rooting for you.” Back in the kitchen, Davies sidled up with a grin. “Honestly, it’s simple. I join every year…”

“What’s the longest you’ve stayed on a bull?”

“Uh… okay, truthfully, six seconds…”

“Six seconds? Impressive. You get to clean the windows as your reward…”

“Alright, boss, I confess—it was five seconds… four seconds… Fine, stop looking at me like that. The truth is just two seconds. Yes, two seconds, and I was thrown off—one of those seconds was spent flying through the air before I hit the ground… You can’t control a beast like that.”

“It’s just a bull, Davies…”

“Sure, but a mad bull is crazier than any wild beast!” Davies snorted. “My goal this year is four seconds. I’ll win! Four seconds—most people don’t even reach that.”

Qiufeng Yu put two bowls of noodles on a tray and shook his head.

“Get back to work.”

Davies shrugged and hurried out with the noodles.

After the last bowl was sold, Qiufeng Yu emerged again, exchanging a few words with the remaining patrons. His eyes drifted to the television, still tuned to the news.

“…Senator Corey Newsome, facing charges, saw no immediate action from the court after three days of debate. The court will announce a verdict at a later date, but from the current proceedings, Corey Newsome’s chances of acquittal are rising. The key evidence, deemed most crucial by the prosecution, vanished before the trial began, and even with key witnesses, it’s unlikely a conviction can be secured…”

Qiufeng Yu watched the news quietly, said nothing, and began tidying the shop.

If critical evidence could vanish under federal protection, it spoke volumes about the power and reach of that bastard. The protection of witness April was turning into a bad joke.

That afternoon, he went to Britt’s house and explained his intentions. Britt was delighted—not just him, but Elizabeth and their children too, eager to watch Qiufeng Yu ride a bull.

Qiufeng Yu suddenly felt he’d made a mistake coming—both kids were home from school, and it seemed they were there just to watch him make a fool of himself.

“We don’t have competition bulls here. Those are the same breed as Spanish fighting bulls—purebred, wild North African bulls, vicious to the core. You’ve seen how Spanish matadors can barely stay on their backs. But you can start with something easier… I’ve got a few ill-tempered ones you could try,” Britt explained, clearly knowledgeable.

“Alright, I guess I’ll play matador for a day,” Qiufeng Yu said solemnly. “Should I bring a red cape?”

“Haha—no, we’re not matadors. We just ride the bull, though it’s dangerous enough as it is.” Britt laughed. “But you’ve never ridden before? I can teach you—the technique is simple…”

Indeed, the technique was simple enough to explain—Britt took less than two minutes to go over it. But truly mastering it took Qiufeng Yu the entire afternoon.

With a heavy thud, dust flew up as he crashed to the ground.

“Damn!” Qiufeng Yu finally couldn’t help but curse. He’d lost count of how many times he’d been thrown off. Climbing to his feet, somewhat disheveled, he shrugged at the two kids who were doubled over with laughter. Now he understood why they’d insisted on watching—this was the best entertainment their routine lives could offer.

“This time I’ll make it, little buddy. Don’t look at me like that—I won’t fall again!” Qiufeng Yu pointed at Danny, nodding emphatically, then strode over to the restless bull.

“I believe in you, Qiu!” little Nicole beamed at him.

“I believe in you, too. You’re already better than Britt was his first time. No one does well on their first try…” Elizabeth reassured him.

“Alright, everyone, just wait and see!” Qiufeng Yu gave a mock military salute. Just then, he spotted Tim, already home from school.

The rascal was grinning at him.

“You’ll do it, I know you will, boss!” Tim shouted.

“You should call me Uncle Qiu,” Qiufeng Yu replied, and swung himself onto the bull’s back.

Once mounted, the bull was surprisingly calm. Qiufeng Yu sat securely and laughed at the others, “I told you, I’d do it—look at me, everyone—oh my god, damn it—Britt, what did you do… you must have done something—”

“Nothing at all, just gave the bull a little prick on the rear!” Britt grinned mischievously.

The bull truly went wild. Britt and his family quickly took cover, as did Tim, and they all watched Qiufeng Yu bouncing violently, as if he were riding stormy waves, in danger of being thrown at any moment.

“Is he going to be alright?” Tim asked Britt, a bit worried.

“Don’t worry. If he falls and the bull keeps rampaging, I’ll put it down.” Britt fetched a hunting rifle from his truck.

Alright then—since safety wasn’t a major concern, why not enjoy watching the usually cool Qiufeng Yu in such a sorry state? The small crowd settled in to see how long he’d last.

Finally, as the bull bled out, Qiufeng Yu lay sprawled atop its back, drenched in sweat and utterly drained—but he’d stunned everyone: he hadn’t been thrown off.

“I told you… I’d win!” Qiufeng Yu said to the gathering crowd, then collapsed, rolling limply off the bull and hitting the ground with a thud.