Chapter Ninety-Seven: Going Hunting

Thank you for the generous reward, and thanks to all the brothers for their likes!

In truth, those two scoundrels’ deaths had nothing whatsoever to do with Qiu Fengyu, yet the police’s final conclusion was oddly peculiar: suicide. Those two would commit suicide? The thought alone was absurd.

“All right, Chief Coffin, I have no interest in those two. And... the Cobra is a thing of the past—both for me and for you.” Qiu Fengyu raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

Chief Coffin’s mood was sour; she paused silently before nodding. “Yes, they’re no longer our concern.” With that, she quickened her pace, running ahead of Qiu Fengyu.

After their run, Tim joined them, whispering to Qiu Fengyu, “Take me with you tomorrow, okay?”

“Take you where?”

“Boss, come on, let me tag along, I want to see for myself. I overheard Britt’s call with you. I eavesdropped.”

“Hunting?”

“Yeah, to be honest, I’ve never done it. There’s a first time for everything.” Tim’s tone was almost pleading.

“No, don’t even think about it—you have school tomorrow.” Qiu Fengyu refused without hesitation.

“Boss...”

“Shut up, or you’re out right now!” Qiu Fengyu snorted.

Tim instantly fell silent; he didn’t dare say another word. After all, when the boss got mad, the consequences were dire—at the very least, training would be hell.

That afternoon, at Britt’s request, Qiu Fengyu and Britt went to Paso City to handle the hunting quota permits. They could have applied online, but for speed’s sake, they went in person.

The process was swift; they received the permits by that very afternoon.

Early the next morning, Qiu Fengyu decided the noodle shop would remain closed today. He slept in, but before he even got out of bed, someone was pounding on the door downstairs.

Lazily, he went to open it and saw Ryoko Mikura standing at the threshold. The girl was clad in tight leather, a finely crafted crossbow slung across her back, along with a box of bolts.

What was this trend? Do all women love tight leather and leather pants? And once she donned this outfit, her figure was stunning—far hotter than Cynthia, the biker girl in leather from last time. It was uncanny. Usually, she kept a low profile, but it seemed she’d been hiding her best assets.

Qiu Fengyu stared at her and pointed.

“Have you never seen a woman carrying a crossbow to hunt?” Ryoko Mikura smiled smugly at his reaction. “Now you have.”

“No, what I meant was, do all women like wearing leather to hunt?”

“Should I wear a miniskirt instead?”

Ryoko Mikura didn’t waste words. She strode in, set her crossbow and arrows on the table. “I haven’t had breakfast yet.”

“Let’s have dumplings—I froze some in the fridge, still good,” Qiu Fengyu said, heading to the kitchen. At that moment, another person entered, carrying two rifles.

One was a ******** Qiu Fengyu recognized; the other was unmistakably a Remington 700 single-barrel hunting rifle, likely the five-round magazine version, fitted with a scope.

“Ah-ha—I know this one’s for me, isn’t it?” Qiu Fengyu moved to take the Remington, but Britt clung to it stubbornly.

“Forget it, this one’s mine. I promised you the ******** yesterday.”

“All right, all right—the double-barrel isn’t bad either.” Qiu Fengyu took it, fiddling with it for a while. It felt good; Britt kept it well-maintained.

Ryoko Mikura scoffed, “Using this for hunting is the real thrill.” She waved her crossbow. “By the way, why didn’t you tell me Britt was coming too?”

Britt shrugged, glancing at Qiu Fengyu.

“Actually... it shouldn’t be a problem—unless you wanted to go hunting with me alone. Would that be a date, if it was just us?” Qiu Fengyu looked at Ryoko Mikura.

She shot him a middle finger.

The dumplings were ready, and the three sat down to eat. Britt was voracious; Ryoko Mikura ate elegantly but was just as swift.

After eating their fill, they began packing the truck. Britt’s pickup was loaded with tents, grills, spices, assorted knives, hats, mosquito veils, insect repellent, waterproof boots, and everything needed for changing into proper gear at the destination. The place Britt was taking Qiu Fengyu was far from here. Before climbing into the truck, Qiu Fengyu brought along three first aid kits—better to be prepared.

Thus, the three set off. Britt drove, Qiu Fengyu took the passenger seat, and Ryoko Mikura sat quietly in the back, alongside her crossbow and bolts, as well as the two hunting rifles.

According to their declared target animals, aside from wild boar, there were North American gray wolves and deer. Quail hunting was also permitted, but best done with a shotgun. Their permit even allowed them to hunt a wild bull.

Qiu Fengyu had hunted before, and quite a lot, which was part of the appeal. In Ukraine, survival in the wild often depended on hunting, but those times were random, not meticulously planned like this.

Ryoko Mikura enjoyed hunting too, mainly to keep her observational skills and keen senses from dulling amidst leisurely living.

The truck sped down the desolate Texas highways.

“I’ve heard there are two types of hunting grounds. Which are you taking us to?” After a long silence, Ryoko Mikura addressed Britt, who was driving.

“Two types of hunting grounds?”

Qiu Fengyu was unfamiliar with such things in America, so he just looked at Ryoko Mikura, mouth agape.

“Well, I looked it up online last night. One type is private, set up for tourists, with professional guides and animals bred for the purpose—essentially designed for the entertainment of visitors. The other is wild hunting, pure and simple, where luck determines everything.”

Britt burst out laughing. “You’re absolutely right—that’s exactly how it works in America.”

“So... the question is, which do we choose?” Qiu Fengyu glanced at Britt. “Don’t tell me you’re taking us to a private hunting ground.”

“Have you ever seen a Texas cowboy playing games in a private hunting ground?” Britt laughed as if he'd heard the funniest joke. “No, no, folks, we’re going for the real thrill.”

“I like thrills!”

Ryoko Mikura fell silent in the back.

The rest of the journey, Britt boasted endlessly about his hunting experience. Honestly, he was a seasoned hunter, full of expertise, and Qiu Fengyu listened—there was no harm in learning. Ryoko Mikura occasionally chimed in.

After four hours, they turned onto a side road flanked by forest, resembling a national park. The truck rolled down the narrow path for over an hour at a slow pace; the deeper they went, the narrower the road became. Eventually, Britt parked at the edge of the track.

All three got out. Ryoko Mikura carried the group’s weapons. Qiu Fengyu and Britt shouldered the tent and equipment, heading into the forest. The terrain wasn’t steep, but the trees were immense, giving the impression of a primeval forest.

Britt, familiar with the area, quickly found a flat spot beside a creek, making water easy to fetch. They pitched the tent.

After a short rest, Britt called Qiu Fengyu and Ryoko Mikura to ready their weapons and venture deeper into the woods.

“Remember, folks, don’t go too far—stay within two miles of the tent. There may be other hunters here, so stay alert, or we might end up as targets ourselves,” Britt muttered, lowering his voice.

Not that Qiu Fengyu needed the warning—he was well-versed in wild hunts, not just hunting beasts, but hunting his enemies as well.