Chapter 102: The Organization

I want to thank all my brothers for their generous tips; you are the old and new friends who have always strongly supported me. If you enjoy this book, I hope you will consider subscribing to the official version. I, Banxian, am truly grateful.

Sandra carried a shotgun on his back and a machete at his waist—a sharp, curved blade he had traded from an Arab for a bottle of whiskey. With that, he plunged into the forest.

He encountered a pack of wolves the moment he entered.

The pack had a new alpha, and in the forest where glowing eyes flickered everywhere, Sandra began to regret his decision as the sky grew dark.

The fight was brutal, and Sandra was undeniably tough. He shot and killed two wolves, but before he could even turn the gun, another lunged and pinned him to the ground. His shotgun fell away in the darkness. He drew his machete, parrying the encroaching pack, his body covered in bite wounds.

Just as he was succumbing to despair, a row of searchlights cut through the dark, followed by a volley of gunfire. The pack retreated. Night was no time to hunt wolves; they knew the darkness far better than humans did.

"Ambulance! Ambulance!" someone shouted.

Sandra opened his eyes, dazed and seeing only red, yet he recognized a familiar face. He struggled to speak: "Qiu, I killed four wolves. Two with the gun, two with the blade..."

"I know. I'll tell those bastards," Qiu Fengyu nodded.

"Thank you..." With that, he was loaded into the ambulance. As it sped away, Qiu Fengyu looked at Sheriff Coffin standing nearby. Almost the entire police department had shown up this time.

"Thanks for coming along," Sheriff Coffin said, looking at him. "Were you hunting with Ryoko Yonekura?"

What kind of logic was that? Her train of thought jumped too quickly. Qiu Fengyu stared at her.

"Yes, is there a problem with that?"

"No, just asking," the Sheriff replied, eyeing him. "Your face... did a woman scratch you?" She had instantly identified the marks of fingernails.

Qiu Fengyu chuckled sheepishly, "That girl likes to scratch when she gets excited!"

Sheriff Coffin fell silent, saying nothing for a long while. Finally, she couldn't help but ask, "Do you like that... Japanese girl?" She paused in the middle of the question.

"No, you know my principles." Qiu Fengyu began to earnestly lecture the Sheriff on his so-called principles. To put it plainly, it was just about physical intimacy—purely casual flings. Once it was over, they would go their separate ways, owing nothing to each other, with no emotional investment involved.

After listening, the Sheriff only said one thing: "Qiu... you are a complete bastard." She turned around, not even bothering to look at him again, and drove off in her patrol car.

Sandra’s ordeal became a joke in the town of Abilene. Of course, he had kept his word and won the bet, so while winning a few thousand dollars was a good thing, his hospital bills cost even more. He had no health insurance, so after a short stay, he was kicked out.

In reality, the town hospital had pulled a trick: they modified his medical records to show his wounds were "healed" so they could discharge him. This is common in the United States. Those without insurance often cannot even enter a hospital; the staff rarely lets them in.

Regardless of Sandra’s fate, the hunt had helped Qiu Fengyu understand the rules of hunting in America. With Thanksgiving approaching, he began preparing for his first formal, large-scale American holiday.

Elisa and Qiu Fengyu didn't video call as often anymore, likely because she was under the pressure of graduation and was busy searching for internships.

In the evening, Qiu Fengyu went to the bar as usual. He had made quite a name for himself in town. He had truly earned the respect of the local cowboys, and as he walked in, he could feel the warmth and enthusiasm people showed him.

"Hey, Qiu! To you!" someone sitting at a table raised a beer bottle, calling out loudly.

Qiu Fengyu raised his small glass, acknowledging them with a shot of vodka.

"Qiu, you've made it impossible for us to hunt!" someone joked.

"Then you'll have to ask that pack of wolves when they plan to leave. That's when your closed season will end," Qiu Fengyu retorted.

"It’s hard to imagine..." Breckenridge said to Qiu with a smile. "A stranger like you, blending into this town and earning their respect in just a few months—that’s something we haven't seen in years. On that account, you’re quite remarkable!"

"If you bought me a drink, I’d think I was pretty remarkable too. At least I’d have earned your respect, wouldn't I?" Qiu Fengyu raised his glass and grinned.

"No problem, this one's on me," Breckenridge laughed.

After downing the drink, Qiu Fengyu pointed to his glass for a refill and asked, "Jeremy Cox... what kind of man is he? Have you heard of him?"

Breckenridge’s expression changed. He looked at Qiu with suspicion and hesitated for a long time before saying, "If you’ve offended him, I’m going to tell everyone I don't know you and have nothing to do with you."

"It’s not really an offense. You know, I killed an alpha wolf that this guy had been tracking all day. They had driven the pack our way, and we just happened to cross paths. You know the result—we won. Then they showed up, and he paid five thousand dollars to buy the wolf I killed."

Breckenridge stared at Qiu, stunned. He took a breath to steady himself and asked, "You're sure he just bought your kill and didn't say anything else?"

"Nothing else. Well, he did say if I ever go to Los Angeles, he’d buy me a drink. Said I was worth a drink. God knows... why would I look him up for a drink in L.A.? Other than his name, I don't even know what he does for a living."

"Let’s just put it this way: in Los Angeles, Jeremy Cox is king," Breckenridge said solemnly. He looked at Qiu with a grave expression. "If he said that to you, then... it’s your honor."

"The King of L.A.? Haha—Breckenridge, you’re exaggerating!" Qiu Fengyu shrugged dismissively.

"Not at all. He controls an empire." After saying this, Breckenridge fell silent. He wouldn't bring up Jeremy Cox again, seemingly wary of the subject. He looked at Qiu, refilled his glass, poured himself a beer, and toasted. They clinked glasses.

"Good luck, Qiu. It might be good luck, or it might be bad. Who knows!" He tilted his head back and finished his beer in one gulp.

It seemed this Jeremy Cox was a big deal.

However, who cared? Qiu Fengyu didn't. He figured he might never cross paths with the guy again. Who cared if he was a king or a devil?

After a few drinks, he was getting ready to leave when he saw Sandra walk in. Sandra spotted him immediately, strode over, and waved at Breckenridge: "Pour Qiu a drink. Buddy, I have to toast him."

Qiu Fengyu looked at the man, covered in bandages yet still bouncing around to get a drink. He was like a cockroach that couldn't be killed. He laughed, "You're allowed to drink?"

"Why not? When I was in Iraq, I had three bullet holes in me, but once I was bandaged up, I could still drink. It scared the hell out of the nurse," Sandra said with a grin. "There were female nurses at the field hospital, too. So... she fell in love with me. She liked a strong man like me."

The guy didn't have a shred of shame.

"Alright, thanks for the drink." Qiu Fengyu downed it. "I'm heading back!"

"Let me buy you another. Thanks, Qiu, you saved my life... I owe you!"

"Screw you—" Qiu Fengyu held up his middle finger without looking back as he walked out.

Back at the noodle shop, he grabbed two beers from the fridge and climbed up to the roof from the attic, only to find someone already sitting there drinking beer: Davis.

"Damn bastard, you actually found this good drinking spot too," Qiu Fengyu said as he climbed up and sat down next to Davis. The guy had already finished three beers.

He opened a bottle, handed one to Davis, took a long gulp himself, and let out a breath. "I'm going to Austin tomorrow to pick up some things for Thanksgiving. I'll have Elizabeth write me a shopping list; you know, I have no experience with this. How are you planning to spend it?"

"I never worry about that, Qiu. I still have my mom. I live with her and take care of her."

"You're shameless," Qiu Fengyu teased, knowing full well his mother took better care of him.

"I think so too!" Davis laughed, clinked his bottle against Qiu’s, and took a sip. "Actually... I joined up with you because I knew you were the one who took out those Russians. I just kept it to myself."

"I know!"

Davis laughed. "We both knew. Honestly, boss, you’re a good man. You never hold back against bastards, but you’re very kind to Siofra and David. That’s why I felt you were someone I could trust."

"Are you feeling emotional?"

"Maybe. I’ve been thinking: you, me, Tim, and the Japanese girl—why can't the four of us be a team? You’re the tactical leader, the girl is like you but she’s not experienced enough to lead yet. Tim can provide support, and I can handle all the high-tech obstacles..."

"An organization where we all meet up in prison ten years from now?" Qiu Fengyu couldn't help but laugh, patting Davis on the head. "Since you call me boss, let me tell you: we aren't becoming any organization. Don't dream."

"Alright, you’re the boss, you call the shots!"

Davis didn't seem discouraged; he knew he was fantasizing. Even though their last two collaborations had gone well, he realized his idea was a bit whimsical.