Please pull the trigger for this world one more time.

Early morning, Tianhegang Station.

"Passengers, we have arrived at our final destination – Tianhe Port East Station. Please take your belongings and disembark in an orderly manner. Do not linger in the carriages..."

The station administrator's announcement, delivered through the platform's loudspeakers, came through in a local accent. Mo Zian and Han Dafu, carrying their luggage, stepped off the platform.

What appeared before me was a very wide station square, with a very tall, huge square clock tower made of red bricks in the center of the square.

The clock tower has a huge clock face on each of its four sides – it is one of the iconic buildings of Tianhe Port, the square clock tower.

Looking at the time on the clock tower, it was just past 6:00 AM.

Winter nights are long, so at this time of year, the entire city is still shrouded in the lingering darkness. However, incongruous with this darkness, the train station is already bustling with people.

The two men, dressed in black woolen military coats, stood out in the crowd.

A neatly dressed man approached the two men, his hands tucked into the sleeves of his cotton coat: "Sirs, where are you two headed? Qingwa Street, Riverside Street, Rongfa Street, or Horse Ranch Street?"

Han Dafu glanced at it and said, "Let's go to Qitiaoshi."

"...Huh?" The man paused, looking incredulous. "Don't kid me, okay?"

Mo Zian asked with some curiosity, "Master, you seem to know where we're going?"

"Oh, I didn't know where you two went."

The man waved his hand and explained, "But I've been working at the station for six or seven years. You two are wearing peaked caps, so you must be officers."

And look at your woolen overcoat with a shawl and those tall leather boots—you're definitely not an ordinary officer."

The man looked around and continued, "Don't blame me for talking too much. This train is from the capital. You two are so young, I'll take a guess, you're from the capital's military academy, right?"

If I guess right, you two will chuckle; if I guess wrong, you can just pretend I farted.

"No. 2 Zhenwu Road, Weirong Street," Han Dafu said casually, referring to a place.

"Deputy...Deputy Commander's Office?" The man was somewhat stunned.

"Master, is there some difficulty you're facing?" Mo Zian asked gently.

"No, no!" The man quickly gestured for them to get in the car.

Following the direction the man pointed, Mo Zian discovered that the so-called vehicle was not a horse-drawn carriage, but an etheric vehicle—a luxurious mode of passenger transport that was absolutely unheard of even in Guangwu City, the capital.

Mo Zian discovered that there was a whole row of Ether cars parked here, and this man was the driver of one of them.

The driver clearly inherited the characteristics of people from Tianhe Port, and was very talkative, so we chatted about a lot of random things along the way.

"Master, are you saying this car isn't yours?" Mo Zian asked.

"Hey, if we could afford one of these, we wouldn't be running a taxi business," the man chuckled. "These cars belong to car rental companies. We rent them and pay them a monthly fee each season."

"Are the car dealerships not selling any cars anymore?" Mo Zian continued to ask.

"It's not that we're not selling anymore, it's just that we can't sell many," the driver said with a touch of melancholy. "In the end, how many people can afford to maintain an Ether car? The price of Ether on the market right now is like having a firecracker stuck in your back."

"It's only in the last couple of years that the 'Ether Jar' has been miniaturized, enough to burn a car; otherwise, we'd still have to take a horse-drawn carriage."

"I heard there's a new car that runs on gasoline. Wouldn't that be more economical?" Mo Zian asked.

"Hey! Young man, you really know a lot! No wonder you're a talented person from the capital."

The driver subconsciously offered a compliment, then said with some excitement, "I've saved up a little money in the last two years, and I'm just waiting for the gasoline-powered cars to come out so I can buy one myself. A very ordinary Dong Sheng brand gasoline car, guess what? I estimate it'll only cost 700 silver dollars."

"That's definitely a good deal," Mo Zian said earnestly. "Your rent for several years would probably be around that amount."

"Hey, you'd better say so."

……

The ether car drove smoothly, and after about 45 minutes, it stopped in front of an imposing gate guarded by soldiers.

The fare was about 80 yuan, twice as expensive as a horse-drawn carriage. Mo Zian gave the driver a one-silver-dollar banknote and didn't ask for change.

The guards at the door clearly recognized Han Dafu and saluted her, saying, "Hello, Miss Gan."

"Is Brother Qian here?" Han Dafu asked.

"Yes, the deputy commander hasn't gone to the main camp yet today." The guard nodded, opened the door, and said, "Please come in."

After entering the gate, behind the screen wall is a front yard that resembles a garden, where a chubby-faced little boy is practicing martial arts with an instructor.

"Hey, Auntie's back!" The little boy ignored his tutor and ran over.

"Dingzi, did you miss me?" Han Dafu picked up the little boy and pinched his chubby cheeks.

"Yes! I want to! But Auntie, you never come."

The little boy peeked out from behind Mo Zi'an, looking at him. "Who's this big older brother?"

"Oh, this older brother?" Han Dafu looked at Mo Zian with a mischievous grin. "From now on, you'll call him Brother Bi..."

"Oh, Brother Bi!"

That day was another peaceful morning in Tianhe Port, but Mo Zian not only changed his surname, but also automatically lowered his generation.

After returning the little boy to the instructor, whose face had darkened, Mo Zian followed Han Dafu directly to the study.

The house has a unique structure, allowing one to bypass the interior and enter the study directly from the outside by walking up a flight of stairs.

Inside the study, Guo Shouyi, the deputy commander of Tianhe Port, who had just finished breakfast, was drinking flower tea and reading the newspaper.

"Oh? My sworn sister, you're back."

Guo Shouyi seemed pleased to see Han Dafu enter, then looked at Mo Zian behind him, his gaze lingering on the latter for a moment, "Aren't you going to introduce this handsome young man to me?"

After briefly introducing Mo Zian's identity to Guo Shouyi, Mo Zian gave Guo Shouyi a proper military salute.

"Hello, Deputy Commander Guo, this is Warrant Officer Mo Zian, taking the liberty of visiting you."

"Hello." Guo Shouyi nodded slightly.

At this moment, Han Dafu took out two exquisite gift boxes and handed them to Guo Shouyi.

"Wow! My sworn sister even bought me something?" Guo Shouyi happily accepted the gift box.

"It's for you and your sister-in-law," Han Dafu explained.

"Good, good! Your sister-in-law went out shopping early this morning with the servants, she should be back soon." Guo Shouyi put the gift box aside. "What's up, little sister, just got back?"

Han Dafu briefly explained their trip, which also served as an explanation of the main reason why Mo Zian accompanied them.

"I see."

Guo Shouyi said with some emotion, "How did we get Tianhe Port? Back in the old days, didn't we get it by risking our lives on whaling ships?"

So many children lost their parents because of this, then the boys grew up and went on the ships, and the girls were forced into prostitution... This is a good thing! No matter what, at least they have a safe place to go.

After that, Guo Shouyi looked Mo Zian in the eye for the first time and said quite seriously, "You've put your heart into this, young man."

"You flatter me. My master is from Tianhe Port. His surname is Guihai."

Mo Zian didn't make grand promises, but instead said very honestly, "It was my master who reminded me, and as you know, our factory is different from others, and we really do urgently need reliable people."

"Oh! Guihai... I understand now." Guo Shouyi had a look of sudden realization on his face.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Mo Zian excused himself, got up to say goodbye, exchanged a few polite words with Guo Shouyi, and left the deputy commander's residence.

After Mo Zian left, only Han Dafu and Guo Shouyi remained in the study.

At this moment, Guo Shouyi, like a deflated balloon, sat down in the chair in a rather unladylike manner, then took out a bag of sunflower seeds from the drawer and began to crack them open.

"Oh, the outsiders are finally gone."

Guo Shouyi complained, "Hey girl, you didn't even say hello. It's all thanks to my superior skills that I sensed the presence of two people beforehand."

Han Dafu, seemingly used to it, ignored Guo Shouyi's complaints and instead asked, "Is my sister-in-law still not up...?"

"Is that even a question? Of course!"

Guo Shouyi brought the gift box he was holding to his face. "May I open it and take a look?"

Before Han Dafu could answer, Guo Shouyi had already opened both gift boxes completely.

Inside lay two exquisite silver ether handguns, each gift box also contained two spare magazines, some auxiliary tools, and an instruction manual.

"United Eight Directions - Mo Clan Brand [Silver Blade - Mo Dao] Ether Pistol..."

After briefly glancing at the instruction manual, Guo Shouyi noticed an inscription on the back of the handle: "In ancient times, the Mo Dao (陌刀) was used to slay bandits."

As if sensing something, he picked up another identical pistol, with another line of words engraved in the same spot—"Now we have a weapon to protect the country and be loyal."

The bottom of the gun barrel is engraved with two small characters—Mo Shi.

Guo Shouyi had to admit that, as a soldier, he probably wouldn't even glance at any antiques or calligraphy he was given.

But just as a hero loves a sword, these two pistols were exactly what he wanted.

Looking at the two pistols in front of him, Guo Shouyi suddenly remembered the article published on the front page of the Imperial Daily a few days ago. It seemed to be called something like "United Eight Directions". Moreover, the article clearly stated that the predecessor of "United Eight Directions" was Shuofeng.

As for the name Shuofeng, if you have a daily need for weapons, it's highly unlikely that you haven't heard of it in the Guangwu Empire.

Guo Shouyi glanced at the brand name of the pistol—Mo Shi, not Shuo Feng—and then flipped through today's newspaper.

Sure enough, in a relatively far back position, Guo Shouyi found another GG that was exactly the same as the one from a few days ago.

"So many brands under your command?"

Guo Shouyi pondered the weight and significance of the words "Mo Clan" in his heart, pursed his lips, and said, "Sister, you didn't buy these two pistols, did you?"

"Yes, that's right," Han Dafu readily admitted.

"How about this, I'll give you some money later, and you can find a chance to give it to him."

Guo Shouyi frowned slightly. "The gift from my sister is naturally wonderful, but as for others... we can't be indebted to them for accepting their gifts."

"Hey, Brother Qian, you might have misunderstood," Han Dafu explained. "Half of this pistol was originally borrowed by me first."

"Oh?" Guo Shouyi was somewhat surprised.

"Old Bi made it very clear to me that this gift is for both of us, since it would be impolite for him to come empty-handed."

Han Dafu paused for a moment, "And actually, I didn't fully tell him the truth, I didn't tell him that my relationship with you, Brother Qian, is so close."

So he told me to send it out in my name. In his words: "A presentable gift that is neither tacky nor expensive is appropriate and doesn't lower your social standing."

"Alright then." Guo Shouyi nodded. "Heh... quite mature for his age. I bet that old bastard Shen Yi doesn't like looking at him, does he?"

"No, not really." Han Dafu was a little uncertain. "Lao Bi's overall training performance ranks very high. He is both a sniper and a mid-level weapons engineer. Shen Dabalai values ​​him quite a bit."

"Shen the Scarface... Hahahaha!" Guo Shouyi burst into laughter as if he had heard a particularly funny joke. "Oh dear, this is making my stomach hurt! Old Bi? Isn't his surname Mo?"

"It's just a nickname, nothing, don't worry about it," Han Dafu said somewhat guiltily.

"Okay, fine, whatever you call me, I understand."

Guo Shouyi's smile faded. "I know Shen Yi's temperament well. He's a straightforward person, a man of strong emotions, and he has a very sharp eye and high standards."

Then, looking at the pistol in front of him, he muttered to himself, "To be a mid-level weapons master at such a young age, giving him a badge is definitely not a bad deal."

Han Dafu hesitated before speaking, "Brother Qian, do you think we should find an opportunity to talk to him again about our relationship?"

"I don't think it's necessary," Guo Shouyi said firmly.

Why?

Guo Shouyi explained, "Because they probably already figured it out. If it were as you said, would the guards have let you in so easily?"

To put it another way, even if you came in, you wouldn't just swagger straight to the study; you should wait in the main hall.

Guo Shouyi said with a slightly serious expression, "You still have a long way to go in this regard. This young man is quite cunning. Let me give you a heads-up: you can't be too carefree when dealing with him."

Han Dafu opened his mouth, but only said, "Don't worry, Brother Qian."

Guo Shouyi glanced at Han Dafu and sighed, "Just know your limits. I know you're a stubborn girl and have your own ideas."

Actually, when you were eight years old, you had already kowtowed three times to our parents, but you insisted on staying in that big stone hall and living a hard life...

But it seems pretty good now. At least you've learned a lot of skills, so I won't interfere too much in your affairs. Just be careful in your own actions.

"Don't worry, don't worry."

Han Dafu nodded in agreement, taking the opportunity to stop the other person's nagging. Then, looking at the mountain of sunflower seed shells that had been piled up, he frowned and said, "Hey, Brother Qian, when did you start liking sunflower seeds so much?"

"Sigh..." Guo Shouyi sighed deeply, looking somewhat desolate and melancholy. "Your sister-in-law is pregnant with her second child, and she won't let me smoke anymore."