0037 Going to Korea Together

The first shot from Hou Rui pierced through Da Hai’s trousers, leaving a bullet hole dangerously close to his groin. The second grazed his waist, scoring a mark on his belt. The third bullet passed through the fabric under Da Hai’s left armpit—just a single inch higher to the left and it would have mercilessly punctured his heart. The fourth skimmed his neck, carving a shallow groove in the skin above his carotid artery. As a finale, Hou Rui’s fifth shot deftly knocked off the earring from Da Hai’s right earlobe.

Silence reigned in the shooting range after the five shots. Everyone stared in shock at Hou Rui; to the uninitiated, it seemed as if all his shots had struck Da Hai, tantamount to murder. The young women, pale with fright, collapsed to the floor. Yet the true experts, like Sister Hong, remained spellbound by Hou Rui’s display of marksmanship.

As Hou Rui turned to leave, Da Hai, stunned, finally squeezed the trigger of his AK-47. But he had been so rattled by the near-misses, by Death’s fleeting touch, that his shots were wild and unfocused. His vacant, terrified eyes followed Hou Rui’s back as his legs buckled, sending him sprawling to the ground. A sharp, acrid smell soon rose from where he sat.

Watching Hou Rui’s calm demeanor, the seasoned shooters—Sister Hong and the emergency team leader among them—appreciated just how much skill those rapid shots had contained. In a typical gunfight, the quicker man holds the advantage, but with increased speed comes greater shake in body, wrist, and muzzle, making precise shooting ever harder. To fire five shots in two seconds, each grazing Da Hai’s body without killing him, was not mere marksmanship—it was the work of an elite special forces operative.

“Hey, what’s your name?” the crew-cut man finally asked, unable to contain himself.

“It doesn’t matter; we won’t meet again,” Hou Rui replied, shaking his head as he walked out of Range Three.

Back in the changing room, Hou Rui quickly swapped into civilian clothes and told Qiangzi what had happened, then left Mingri Shooting Range before Qiangzi could reply. At the bus stop, he took out his phone and sent Jin Shanshan a WeChat message: “Got off work early. Free tonight? Let’s catch Now You See Me 2.”

Soon, Jin Shanshan replied, “Not tonight, too sudden. I have class. Enjoy your day off—go wander the city! And no chatting up other girls.”

Hou Rui smiled, pocketed his phone, and, just as Jin Shanshan suggested, began strolling through the city.

Freed from his part-time job at the shooting range, Hou Rui felt a weight lifted; he now had more time to spend sweetly with Jin Shanshan. But their bliss lasted less than a week before Xiao Lin disrupted it. Learning that Hou Rui was now free, Xiao Lin took him straight to the driving school’s mountain of junk cars.

“Learning to drive isn’t enough. You need to understand the mechanics and principles of cars. Starting today, you’ll strip parts from these wrecks and assemble a car yourself,” Xiao Lin said, yawning, the dark circles under his eyes hinting at another sleepless night.

“Build one myself? Are you sure it’s possible to piece together a whole car from this heap?”

“Not really.”

“Then why have me do this pointless task?”

“Whether or not you finish, you’ll deepen your understanding of cars and their inner workings. All benefit, no harm.” With that, Xiao Lin left Hou Rui alone among the scrap.

And so, in the days that followed, Hou Rui spent his time in classes by day, piecing together cars by night, and only squeezed in dates with Jin Shanshan when he could. In the midst of this hectic, sweet routine, someone Hou Rui had been trying to forget resurfaced unexpectedly.

It was a Saturday afternoon. Having just mastered emergency recovery from a supersonic fighter jet stall, Hou Rui, in high spirits, was enjoying coffee with Jin Shanshan when a familiar figure entered the café. From the first time he’d met Old Xiao, Hou Rui had known this was a man at the cutting edge of style. But now, seeing him again, Hou Rui felt he couldn’t keep pace with his evolving taste. Xiao had transformed from a fashionable local to an international trendsetter.

He entered the café in a wine-red biker jacket, a floral scarf draped around his neck, and his short hair not only dyed white but styled straight up, like a cover model from an overseas magazine.

It wasn’t just his eye-catching attire—on his arm was a mature woman with flowing straight hair and an air of alluring sophistication, making them the center of attention.

“Look, isn’t that the TV host?” Jin Shanshan exclaimed before Hou Rui could speak, nudging him excitedly. Her voice must have carried, for both Xiao and his companion turned their way, and in the next moment, the host Jin Shanshan had recognized approached their table with Xiao.

“Hey, Wild Dog, you’re here too,” Old Xiao greeted, making Hou Rui grit his teeth, but Jin Shanshan, curious, asked, “Wild Dog? Why do you have that nickname? Do you two know each other?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Hou Rui replied, his face falling.

“Haha, just kidding. Hou Rui is the son of an old friend. We’re used to messing around,” Xiao explained, sprawling into a seat. The elegant woman followed suit, and the two-person world Hou Rui shared with Jin Shanshan was instantly disrupted.

“Are you Sister Ye Xin from Channel Three?” Jin Shanshan quickly turned her attention to the woman.

“You know me?” the woman replied, her voice melodious.

“It really is you, Sister Ye Xin! I’m Jin Shanshan. I love your hosting style!” Jin Shanshan bubbled, immediately launching into lively conversation with her idol.

Meanwhile, Old Xiao gave Jin Shanshan a once-over, then deliberately said to Hou Rui, “So this is your girlfriend? She’s lovely! Tell me, how did you manage to win such a swan?”

“None of your business,” Hou Rui retorted, ignoring the provocation.

“I heard you’re learning to drive—what stage are you at?”

“Failed the first test.”

“You’re something else. If it’s not working out, just give up. I’ll sponsor you for an electric scooter—no license required.”

Just as Hou Rui was about to lose his patience, Ye Xin excused herself to the restroom, with Jin Shanshan eagerly trailing her, leaving Hou Rui and Old Xiao alone.

“You said not to meet unless necessary. Why show up now, and with a woman?” Hou Rui seized the moment to ask.

“Women? Don’t be naïve,” Old Xiao sneered. Suddenly, his phone vibrated on the table. He flipped it over, and Hou Rui, curious, glanced at the screen. To his surprise, Old Xiao’s WeChat interface turned red, and a table slid down rapidly, listing:

0001, Toronto, North America, 2, $25,000, 36
0002, Hamburg, Germany, 1, $50,000, 15
0003, Cadiz, Spain, 1, $15,000, 24
0004, Seoul, South Korea, 2, $25,000, 48

“What’s this?” Hou Rui asked, eyeing the dozen or so entries with cryptic codes.

“No need to rush. If you’re lucky, you’ll soon have the same access and receive these annoying things.” As he spoke, Old Xiao tapped the fourth entry—Seoul, South Korea—the list vanished, and WeChat reverted to its blue globe interface.

“Get ready. This weekend, you’re coming to South Korea with me,” Old Xiao announced, stretching casually.

“A mission?”

“What do you think?”

“But I don’t have a passport.”

“Hmph! Think about how you got your last ID. You’ll get a passport the same way.” Just as he finished, Ye Xin and Jin Shanshan returned. Old Xiao immediately became the picture of chivalry, pulling out a chair for Ye Xin. Hou Rui, brimming with questions, could only make small talk.

After half an hour, Old Xiao left with Ye Xin. Lacking interest in shopping, Hou Rui made an excuse to escort Jin Shanshan back to campus, then went to his usual forger’s den to collect a brand-new passport, under the name Tang Zhijia, a network engineer.

Hou Rui had always admired the organization’s efficiency, but even he was surprised that within two hours they’d produced a flawless passport. Was there anything the organization couldn’t handle?

In the following days, Hou Rui spent as much time as possible with Jin Shanshan. As the weekend approached, he told her he was heading to a scenic area for a photography competition, packed lightly, and went to Beijing International Airport.

Old Xiao arrived just before boarding, dragging a small, colorful suitcase. As he handed his ticket to the counter staff, Hou Rui grabbed his arm, whispering urgently, “Can I get through security?”

“What’s wrong?” Old Xiao feigned ignorance. Only when Hou Rui slapped the back of his own neck did Old Xiao finally understand.