Please pull the trigger for this world one more time.

"Good morning, young masters."

Good morning, Lao Liu.

Mo Zian stood at the gate and pointed to a group of people carrying luggage and bundles behind him. "These are all my men. They came from Tianhe Port and are unfamiliar with this place. Especially look, there are many apprentices here. Old Liu, please take good care of them."

"Okay, don't worry."

"Okay, then I'll trouble you."

As he spoke, Mo Zian handed Old Liu two oil paper packages tied with thin straw ropes. "We bought some glutinous rice balls from Shunxinzhai. Although they won't spoil if left outside at this time of year, there are still a few too many. If you don't mind, you can take them back for the children to enjoy during the Lantern Festival."

"Oh! Hehe, how could I possibly dislike it? Thank you, young master!" The man seemed very happy and accepted the glutinous rice balls with both hands.

Mo Zian led a group of people straight to their dormitory.

After a quick settling-in, Mo Zian said to one of the oldest-looking young men, "Third brother, you're in charge of these people now. If you have any problems, you can come directly to me or Dafu. It doesn't matter whether you come to either of us."

A young man wrapped in an old cotton-padded coat nodded. Although he was called Lao San, it wasn't because he was the third child in his family, but because his surname was Shan and his name was Shan Hao.

The sound of "San" in Tianhe Port is very similar to "San" in Chinese, so over time it has become known as "Lao San" (Old Third).

"Don't worry, young master. Brother Chen Xing gave me and Hulu some instructions before he came out."

Another young man, who looked quite robust and somewhat sullen, nodded in agreement.

"Okay." Mo Zian looked at the thick hemp rope tied around the waist of the person opposite him because the cotton coat had no buttons. "Hurry up and take everyone to get a set of clothes. They are all uniform work clothes. Third brother, you are already a worker who can handle things. When you are done, go straight to your work station to report. I also suggest that you take the training course that has been arranged for you."

"Alright, young master."

......

"Is everything settled?"

Inside the factory, Li Xinhuo stood beside the locomotive production line, inspecting the area, and said to Mo Zian, "Isn't Dafu going to show up?"

"She was afraid of making things difficult for me, so she didn't come," Mo Zian replied. "Besides, she went to the mountains with Xiao Yezi for a winter hunt, and her master's wife went with them."

"Winter hunting? At this time?" Li Xinhuo asked, "Isn't Xiaoyezi too young?"

"Master's wife said she wants to hunt some game so that Dafu can taste some real mountain delicacies during the Lantern Festival," Mo Zian replied. "With Dafu's abilities, she can easily take care of Xiaoyezi. Our family can't really raise a pampered young lady. Besides, Master's wife also wants to take this opportunity to give Dafu some pointers."

"Really?" Li Xinhuo was a little surprised, then said with a hint of envy, "Aunt Ye doesn't often give advice to people."

"Yes, it seems that Master's wife approves of her and likes her very much." Mo Zian then said in a half-joking tone, "Maybe it's because of the seafood meal during the New Year that she finally won him over."

"Hahahaha..." Li Xinhuo laughed along, "Old Bi, you're really kidding. In previous years, the seafood shipped here at this time of year was ridiculously expensive. This time, it's truly a feast!"

"Xinhuo, I heard you're leaving right after the Lantern Festival? Are you in such a hurry?" Mo Zian asked.

"Yes." Li Xinhuo sighed softly, "The Ministry of Works has almost given a death order to open up the road to Weiyuan as soon as possible."

"I understand." Mo Zian nodded. "Only when the railway is open can large quantities of goods and people flow around, and only then can the empire's control over that area be truly secure."

"Who says otherwise? I've heard that the entire area is in a state of security concern." Li Xinhuo shrugged.

Just then, Li Yuanxing came downstairs with a book in his hand and walked up to the two of them.

"After I finish my studies in Lu Yue, I will return to the Holy Light Dynasty to continue my studies."

Li Yuanxing subconsciously adjusted his monocle. "My father recommended that I go to the university in Cuifei City. I will study there for a few years."

"Are you coming back for the Chinese New Year too?" Mo Zian asked.

"Yes, that should be it." Li Yuanxing seemed very expectant. "My etheric shaping skills have hit a bottleneck. Shaping will be my main focus there."

......

On the other side, on the outskirts of Mangshan.

"Don't rush, you must stay calm when shooting." Han Dafu exhaled a puff of white breath and lowered his voice, saying, "Follow my instructions, align the three points in a straight line, and make sure you calculate the target accurately."

Gui Haiye, standing to the side, tightened her grip on the crossbow handle, took a deep breath, and pulled the trigger.

A mechanical transmission sound accompanied by a whooshing sound.

A horned goat in the distance lunged forward a few steps, then its steps quickly faltered, and after swaying for a couple of steps, it collapsed to the ground.

"Yes! I hit it!" Gui Haiye jumped up, holding a crossbow with an ethereal design.

Han Dafu walked up to the prey, looked at the horned goat that was still convulsing, and placed his palm on its forehead.

A sense of peace and tranquility arose.

Soon, the antlered deer stopped convulsing and stopped breathing.

"Well done, right on the neck, a penetrating wound." Han Dafu stood up and looked at Gui Haiye, who was skipping over.

"Hehehe... Sister Dafu taught me well."

Gui Haiye struggled to pull the crossbow bolt from the ground, but used too much force and fell flat on his backside. "Oops! I couldn't understand anything when my brother was teaching me."

"He's a sniper, completely on a different level than me," Han Dafu explained. "What I'll teach you is proper military shooting basics, simple to learn, and very solid."

At that moment, a ghostly figure appeared silently on the treetop in the distance. Han Dafu turned his head instantly and found the maple leaf standing quietly.

Maple Leaf seemed somewhat surprised, raising an eyebrow almost imperceptibly. With a few quick movements, he appeared before her and drew a short knife.

"Learn from me."

Han Dafu didn't hesitate and got right to it. She had learned how to handle prey at military school, but her skills were worlds apart from Feng Ye's.

Gui Haiye then drew his small knife, appearing somewhat hesitant.

"quick!"

Gui Haiye slowly squatted down and began to dismember the prey, just like Fengye. With the three of them working together, a horned deer was quickly dismembered.

Maple Leaf glanced at the sky and spoke softly.

"Set up camp."

......

The winter sun is lazy and goes to sleep early.

The earth was draped in the curtain of night, but the campfire in the campsite tore a warm enough opening through the curtain.

Chopped pieces of meat were roasting over the campfire, and Han Dafu was sprinkling salt on them. Once the salt grains melted in the oil, dinner was ready.

This was Gui Haiye's first time hunting. He was quite tired after a whole day of training, so he ate something and went into his tent early.

"I know you're special, girl."

Maple Leaf sat quietly by the campfire, the blazing fire reflected in her emotionless eyes. "You possess an extraordinary aura."

Han Dafu's body trembled slightly. He did not answer, but silently added firewood. But at that moment, his hair turned a mysterious silver-gray in an instant.

And in his pupils, it seemed as if he had contained the brilliance of stars.

"Are you really sure?" Maple Leaf continued calmly, "Following him this way might be a dead end."

Han Dafu stopped adding firewood and subconsciously glanced at the badge on his chest: "I've already thought it through. In the end, it'll probably be a terrible disease with terrible treatment anyway. He's the only chance he can see."

"You're very optimistic," Maple Leaf said calmly.

Han Dafu shook his head: "Not really."

"I'm looking forward to it. After all, we're in the same boat." Maple Leaf stood up, beckoned with her finger, "Come with me. You're not ready yet."

Han Dafu's hair and pupils suddenly returned to normal. After a moment of confusion, she stood up from the campfire and disappeared into the dark forest along with the maple leaves.

in the tent.

Gui Haiye, who seemed to be fast asleep, opened her eyes.

The little girl secretly took out a small, flat silver flask from her pocket, unscrewed the lid, and took a big gulp.

"what……"

Gui Haiye quickly covered her mouth, stopping the sound and the sweet aroma of rice wine and soda that almost spilled out.

......

a few days later.

"Let's go, old Bi."

Li Xinhuo, carrying his luggage, jumped off the back of Mo Zian's motorcycle. "You don't need to ride into the station."

"So early? I haven't even had time for breakfast yet," Mo Zian said, exhaling a puff of white breath.

"There's no other way. I have to take the train to Huaicheng first, then take a long horse-drawn carriage ride, and finally walk several miles of mountain road to get to the construction site."

Li Xinhu slung his luggage over his shoulder, then seemed to suddenly remember something, put the luggage on the ground, and pulled out a long, narrow box from it. "Here, take this. I was a little rushed, but I finally finished it."

Mo Zian took the box with a mixture of surprise and delight. After opening it, he found a gun barrel lying quietly inside—a fully silenced gun barrel and its design drawings.

"Thank you, Firewood." Mo Zian said very earnestly.

"Hey, why are we talking about this?"

Li Xinhuo slung his luggage back on his back. "I heard from my mother that you were a huge success in your military academy run. Your classmates come from all over the country, our motorcycles are selling like hotcakes, and with the orders from the Southeast Group Army, we're overflowing with orders. We're currently discussing setting up a new production line."

Li Xinhuo glanced at the large clock on the station wall. "Old Bi, I have to go now, the train is almost here."

"Okay, take care. Next New Year, I'll try to win a few more silver dollars from you," Mo Zian said with a smile.

"Haha, I'm afraid you don't have the ability. Let's go!"

Watching Li Xinhuo's figure disappear into the bustling crowd at the station, Mo Zian turned his motorcycle around and headed back.

The cold wind blowing in my face was as sharp as a knife, shattering all the body heat on my skin.

Mo Zian felt that the issue of motorcycle helmets needed to be addressed.