281: Do I lack shooting talent? (4k)

Jiang Yan followed behind, his steps as light as if he were treading on clouds. He had long forgotten about the global trip and the internship, his mind filled only with the excitement of finally holding a real gun.

He imagined himself raising the gun and aiming at the bullseye, secretly striking a pose, and simulating the gunshot: "Bang! Hit!"

The two walked to the elevator entrance, where Alfred was already waiting. Seeing them, he bowed and greeted them: "Boss, Mr. Jiang Yan, the restaurant is ready."

Jiang Chen nodded, his tone calm but carrying an undeniable aura: "Let's go."

As his voice fell, he was the first to step into the elevator.

The metal door slowly closed, isolating the silence of the corridor. Jiang Chen turned his head to look at Alfred beside him and instructed, "After we finish eating, prepare the shooting range. I want to try it out."

"Yes, Boss." Alfred immediately bowed in response, respectful and efficient. "The shooting range is always on standby. I will notify the staff to conduct a final inspection now."

Jiang Yan stood behind the two, his already barely contained excitement instantly ignited. His eyes shone as if holding stars, and he couldn't help but lean forward and press with questions: "Mr. Alfred, is the recoil of a real gun very strong? Since this is my first time holding one, will I be able to control it? Also, what kind of firearms do you have here? Are they like the Desert Eagle from the movies, or the assault rifles used by the military?"

After throwing out the string of questions, Jiang Yan's cheeks were flushed with excitement, and his hands instinctively clenched into fists.

Alfred maintained a polite smile and responded patiently: "Please rest assured, Mr. Jiang Yan, even if this is your first time, we have the most professional instructors providing guidance throughout. They will start by teaching basic grip posture and breathing control to ensure your safety and experience."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Jiang Yan's expectant face, and added, "As for the firearm models, you don't need to worry. From classic pistols and rifles to niche sniper rifles and submachine guns, and even custom models for special forces around the world—any model you can name, we have in stock here. You can tell me anytime which one you'd like to try."

The elevator descended smoothly. Jiang Yan's heart was pounding as he listened, and he immediately began rapidly selecting the firearms he wanted to try in his mind, unable to hide the smile on his lips.

With a soft 'ding,' the elevator arrived at the restaurant floor.

The metal door slowly opened, and warm yellow light, carrying the aroma of food, wafted toward them. Exquisite meals were already set at the end of the long table, and the silver cutlery reflected a cold luster under the lights.

Jiang Chen stepped out of the elevator first, his pace steady. Jiang Yan followed closely, his steps filled with a joyful bounce. His mind was still entirely focused on the various firearms Alfred had mentioned, and even the lobster and truffles on the dining table failed to capture his attention immediately.

Jiang Yan was distracted during the meal. He forked a piece of steak, chewed it twice, and put it down, unable to resist looking at Jiang Chen: "Brother, when are we going to the shooting range? How about we leave right after this bite?"

Jiang Chen looked up at him, his gaze holding a hint of helpless indulgence: "What's the rush? Finish your meal first." He cut a piece of foie gras and placed it on Jiang Yan's plate. "You need energy to hold a gun; otherwise, the recoil might knock you over later."

"No way!" Jiang Yan retorted stubbornly, but still obediently put the foie gras into his mouth, chewing a little faster.

"I just checked. The Desert Eagle does have strong recoil, but I have good physical fitness, so I can definitely handle it!"

Jiang Chen didn't reply, only allowing a faint, imperceptible smile to curve his lips.

Alfred stood nearby and added appropriately, "Mr. Jiang Yan, the shooting range is ready, and the instructor is waiting. As soon as the two of you finish your meal, we can head over anytime."

These words acted like an adrenaline shot for Jiang Yan. He quickly finished the food on his plate, put down his knife and fork, and urged, "Brother, I'm done! Let's go, let's go!"

Jiang Chen slowly wiped the corners of his mouth, stood up, and said, "Let's go."

The two followed Alfred through a long corridor. Black and white photos of various firearms—from classic rifles of World War II to modern smart weapons—hung on the walls on both sides. Jiang Yan's eyes were wide with fascination, and he couldn't help but trace the images with his finger, muttering:

"M416, AWM, Glock 19... They actually have these too!"

Turning a corner, a heavy alloy door appeared before them. Alfred pressed the fingerprint scanner beside the door. With a 'beep,' the door slowly slid open to reveal the spacious shooting range inside.

The floor was covered with anti-slip rubber mats, and in the distance, targets were set up in layers, arranged sequentially from 10 meters to 100 meters. Several instructors wearing black training uniforms were waiting nearby. Seeing them enter, they immediately nodded respectfully.

What shocked Jiang Yan the most were the rows of gun racks against the wall. The dark gun bodies gleamed with a cold, hard metallic luster. Pistols, rifles, sniper rifles, and submachine guns were neatly arranged, hundreds of them packed together, each radiating a deadly allure.

Jiang Yan instantly forgot to breathe, his eyes wide and round, his feet seemingly nailed to the spot. After a long moment, he finally managed to gasp, "Holy crap... this is too cool!"

Jiang Chen's gaze swept across the room. He wasn't surprised by the scene before him; after all, this was Flame Peak's main base.

So, he merely gave a slight nod: "Hmm, not bad."

Jiang Chen turned to Jiang Yan. Seeing that the young man was eager to rush straight to the gun racks, a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes. "Pick one you like, and let the instructor familiarize you with it."

"Got it!" Jiang Yan replied like an arrow, practically bouncing as he rushed to the gun racks. His fingers gently stroked the cold metal bodies of the guns, his eyes burning with fiery intensity.

He first picked up a Desert Eagle. Its heavy weight made his wrist sink slightly, and the texture of the gun body pressed into his palm with a genuine metallic feel, making his heart pound uncontrollably.

"This is the one!" Jiang Yan raised the Desert Eagle, turned to the instructor beside him, his voice barely concealing his excitement. "Instructor, can I try it right now?"

The instructor was a typical burly white man, tall like a moving iron tower, broad-shouldered and thick-backed, with a stern and resolute face, his features marked by the sharpness of long-term gun handling.

Hearing this, he glanced down at the heavy Desert Eagle in Jiang Yan's hand, then looked up at Jiang Yan's slightly immature face. He frowned almost imperceptibly, then subtly turned his head, his gaze directed toward Alfred standing nearby, carrying a hint of seeking assistance.

Alfred was extremely sharp and instantly understood the instructor's concerns.

He quickly stepped forward, maintaining a polite smile. His tone was gentle but carried undeniable professionalism: "Mr. Jiang Yan, you may not know that the Desert Eagle has a .50 caliber, making its power comparable to a 'heavy cannon' among pistols. The recoil is astonishing. Even seasoned shooters need to concentrate fully to control it, and it is simply too dangerous for a beginner."

As he spoke, he took a sleek, all-black pistol from the gun rack and handed it to Jiang Yan, continuing, "You should start with a small-caliber, low-recoil firearm to gradually get used to the feel. For example, this Glock 17, with its 9mm caliber, is extremely stable and is the top choice for military, police, and shooting enthusiasts worldwide as an entry-level gun. It allows you to experience the fun of shooting while maximizing safety, making it very suitable for you now."

Jiang Yan stared at the Glock 17 handed to him by Alfred, then looked back at the visually striking Desert Eagle on the rack, a hint of reluctance on his face: "But... the Desert Eagle looks so powerful! Won't the Glock be a bit too 'gentle'?"

For him, firearms represented violence.

The white instructor spoke up appropriately, his voice deep and strong, carrying a trace of stiff Chinese: "Sir, safety first. Uncontrolled recoil can not only injure your wrist but also affect your shooting judgment. You must build a solid foundation when starting out."

He reached out and gently tapped the body of the Glock 17. "This gun has high accuracy and is easy to control. It won't be too late to try the Desert Eagle once you can consistently hit the 20-meter bullseye."

Alfred also chimed in: "The instructor is right, Mr. Jiang Yan. The joy of shooting is not about the firearm's power, but the sense of achievement from precise control. Please use the Glock to get a feel for it first. We will fully cooperate if you wish to challenge any other firearm later."

Jiang Chen had already taken a sleek HK416 rifle from the gun rack. He efficiently checked the gun body and loaded the magazine. Seeing that Jiang Yan was still struggling with his choice of firearm, he slowly walked over.

He raised his hand and lightly tapped the back of Jiang Yan's head with a bent finger, his tone carrying a hint of exasperated indulgence: "Do you think you're playing CrossFire? The recoil of that Desert Eagle could knock your slender arms and legs flat on the ground. Do you really think you're a ten-year veteran? If you lose control and accidentally hurt yourself, you'll be crying."

Having his little scheme exposed by his own brother, Jiang Yan rubbed the back of his head, the reluctance on his face fading slightly.

He glanced at the cold-gleaming rifle in Jiang Chen's hand, then looked at the serious expressions of everyone in front of him, and finally relented: "Alright, alright, I'll listen to you guys."

With that, he reached out and took the Glock 17 from Alfred. The weight in his hand was significantly lighter than the Desert Eagle. The gun body had smooth lines, fitting snugly and comfortably in his palm.

The excitement in Jiang Yan's eyes didn't fade. He took several photos of the muzzle and the gun body, and even deliberately took a selfie with the gun racks in the background, muttering, "I'll take pictures first and post them on my Moments so they can see what a real armory looks like."

After taking the photos, he carefully put his phone back into his pocket, looked up at the white instructor, his eyes full of anticipation: "Instructor, can we start now? I'm ready!"

Seeing this, the instructor nodded, stepped forward, and began detailed guidance: "First, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, center of gravity lowered. Grip the pistol grip tightly with your dominant hand, keeping your index finger naturally resting outside the trigger guard. Your non-dominant hand wraps around the dominant hand, with thumbs parallel to each other. This maximizes stability..."

The instructor's fingertips landed on Jiang Yan's wrist and shoulder, gently adjusting his posture: "Keep your arms slightly bent, not completely straight. Relax your shoulders, don't shrug—yes, just like that. Let the gun body and your arms form a natural force transmission."

Jiang Yan learned with exceptional focus, adjusting his movements step by step according to the instructions. The thin layer of sweat in his palm made the body of the Glock 17 feel even colder.

He squinted his right eye, his left eye fixed on the sight, trying to align the notch, the sight, and the bullseye 10 meters away into a straight line. But the gun body kept trembling slightly, making him feel impatient.

"Slow your breathing, don't hold your breath," the instructor's steady voice sounded in his ear. "Inhale for two seconds, hold for one second, and gently squeeze the trigger—remember, squeeze gently, don't yank."

Jiang Yan took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling slowly. Once his heartbeat stabilized, his fingertip slowly applied force, gently pressing the trigger toward the bullseye.

"Bang!"

The crisp gunshot echoed in the range. The recoil was much gentler than expected; his arm only vibrated slightly and didn't lose control. Jiang Yan immediately looked up at the target paper, where a faint bullet hole appeared in the seven-ring area on the left side. Although it didn't hit the bullseye, it was accurately within the effective range.

"I hit it! I really hit it!" Jiang Yan excitedly gripped the gun body, turning to Jiang Chen, his tone full of the desire for praise. "Brother, look! Seven rings!"

Jiang Chen was aiming his HK416 rifle at a target 50 meters away. Hearing this, he glanced sideways at Jiang Yan's target paper, a slight smile curving his lips, but his tone remained calm: "Not bad, better than randomly shooting. But the muzzle is two centimeters too far left. Even out your grip strength a little more, and the sight will be steadier."

As he spoke, he raised his hand, aimed at his own target paper, and repeatedly squeezed the trigger with his fingertip.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three shots fired consecutively, the sounds sharp and decisive, without any hesitation.

Jiang Chen's movement in lowering the gun was smooth and fluid. When he looked up at the target paper, he deliberately raised an eyebrow, his calm expression suggesting "standard procedure."

But after waiting for a long time, the Scoring Device didn't even give a ten-ring prompt, let alone any sound at all; it was silent as if asleep.

"Hmm?" The calmness on Jiang Chen's face froze for a moment. He leaned forward slightly, his eyes showing confusion. "No score reported?"

Jiang Yan leaned over to watch the fun, squinting and looking for a long time, then suddenly burst out laughing: "Brother! Did you shoot crookedly into the next lane? Your target paper is completely clean; there's not even a single spark mark on it!"

The white instructor quickly picked up the binoculars to check, then added, stifling a laugh: "Mr. Jiang Chen, you... missed the target with all three shots. The bullets hit the protective wall next to the target paper."

As soon as this was said, Jiang Chen's mouth twitched violently.

He had clearly aimed steadily just now, and his breathing and trigger squeeze rhythm were perfect. How could he have missed everything?

Remembering how he had just lectured Jiang Yan like a "Shooting Master," the current embarrassment was enough to carve out a three-bedroom apartment.

Jiang Yan laughed so hard he couldn't straighten up, slapping his thigh and teasing: "Hahaha, Brother! Did you play too much CrossFire with a no-recoil cheat, and now that you don't have cheats in real life, you're exposed? You were lecturing me about playing CrossFire, but your missing rate is worse than mine!"

Jiang Chen glared at him, his ears secretly turning red, but he insisted stubbornly: "It was a complete accident. The wind interfered with the trajectory."

Saying this, he re-shouldered the HK416, his eyes ten times more serious than before, his fingers tightly gripping the trigger guard. "Watch closely. This time, I'll show you what precise targeting is."

But when he pulled the trigger again, the Scoring Device remained silent, and the distant target paper was still undisturbed.

Jiang Yan laughed even harder: "Brother! Did the wind blow the bullets away again? Why don't you stick to practicing with the Glock with me? Don't make things difficult for yourself with a rifle!"

Jiang Chen thought to himself: Do I not have talent for shooting?