50s: Starting with a storage ring

Chapter 329 Old Lancaster's Love Memories

Of course, you can't assume the Rifle Association is a shill for weapons manufacturers just because they oppose gun control.

Conversely, weapons manufacturers often need governments to impose limited restrictions on gun ownership at certain times in order to adjust their production lines or increase sales of more profitable gun models.

For example, if a state does not allow the possession of automatic firearms, then the sales of semi-automatic firearms in that state will surge.

However, strict bans like those in Washington, D.C., would be opposed by weapons manufacturers and the Rifle Association.

After learning that this was the headquarters of the New York National Rifle Association, Sun Zhiwei understood why it was set up like a military base.

He was right; this was not an ordinary farm. Part of it was a shooting range and training ground.

Calling it a military base is a bit of an exaggeration, but it's more like a militia training camp.

Lancaster Sr. was the president of the New York Rifle Association, whose headquarters are now located in Fairfax, Virginia.

However, as the birthplace and largest branch of the Rifle Association, New York also holds a pivotal position within the association.

On the way, old Lancaster casually talked about his little grandson.

“When Xiao Milan came to see me last time, we talked for a long time, which has never happened before.”

"When I asked him why he had changed so much, he said it was because of your advice and help."

"James, thank you."

"I only have one grandson. I don't ask him to achieve anything great. I'll be very happy as long as he can live a peaceful and happy life."

“In the past, Xiao Milan didn’t understand me and always wanted to make his own way in the world. This time, he was able to realize his mistake because of you.”

"You can't say that. Lieutenant Milan is actually very talented, but he's just a bit young and lacks life experience."

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with him venturing out on his own. Young people are often impetuous and reckless. They should do things that young people should do, regardless of whether they are right or wrong.”

"The setbacks they experience in their youth will become precious diamonds in their lives and nourishment for their growth."

Old Lancaster listened to Sun Zhiwei's words with surprise. These insights were indeed valuable and even inspiring to him.

This would be a good mentor and friend to Milan, which made him even more interested in Sun Zhiwei.

The two chatted briefly in the car, and soon the car arrived at a villa, which was old Lancaster's home.

“Mr. James, this is my home. Let’s go in and have a drink and have a good chat.”

"Alright, since I'm here, I'll follow your arrangements."

The two entered the house, and a kind old woman, hearing the commotion, came out from her room upstairs and looked down at the two people walking into the living room below.

Old Lancaster looked up and introduced the old woman, "Tina, this is James, little Milan's friend."

"Hello, Mrs. Lancaster." Sun Zhiwei bowed slightly in greeting, showing respect for elders—it's a fine tradition of ours.

"Hello, James." The old lady was in good spirits and health; while she might not walk with the speed of a whirlwind, she had no problem living a normal life.

Sun Zhiwei looked at the two of them and thought they didn't seem like they had just recovered from a serious illness, but he just kept it in mind and didn't ask any more questions.

After saying goodbye, the old lady went back to her room and went about her own business.

Sun Zhiwei followed old Lancaster to a corner of the living room, where there was a bar, a wine cabinet, and three bar stools. The wine cabinet was filled with all kinds of wine.

Old Lancaster sat on a high stool, opened a bottle of whiskey, poured half a glass for himself and Sun Zhiwei, and the two began to drink and chat. Foreigners are so different from people in China; they drink in the dead of winter without any food. Back home, they'd at least have a plate of peanuts.

There's no other way but to do as the Romans do.

He could only put the box containing the testing tools aside, loosen his tie, and sit on a high stool to drink along with them.

The old man was a talkative fellow. The purpose of inviting him here was to appraise the spoils of war he had acquired during his time in the military.

So the conversation revolved around his past military service.

This old man has a rich military background. He joined the army before he was 20 years old and experienced the European War, the Pacific Island War, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

He participated in almost all of the major battles fought by the M Army after World War II, and was fortunate enough to escape serious injury, eventually rising to the rank of colonel.

After retiring, he donated his farm in New York and became the chapter president of the New York Rifle Association.

Sun Zhiwei expressed doubt about the last matter.

According to him, the year he became the branch president coincided with the period of New York City's great expansion, when real estate developers must have been expanding into the vicinity of the farm.

This old guy must have been unable to withstand the pressure at the time, so he simply affiliated the farm with the Rifle Association and became the branch president.

With such a powerful backer, all the pressure he faced was easily resolved.

After all, the Rifle Association has always been very powerful and controls resources in both the legitimate and underworld sectors. Capitalists are also afraid of the equalizer.

This is probably the truth of the matter, but Sun Zhiwei didn't intend to delve into it further; he just took it as a joke.

However, it was precisely because he remained injury-free before retiring and rose through the ranks that he was able to bring back a considerable amount of spoils.

The two hit it off, because Sun Zhiwei always managed to tickle his funny bone on various battlefields. After they became familiar with each other, they started calling each other by nicknames.

Sun Zhiwei called him Som, while old Lancaster called him Jim.

“Som, judging from your experience, it’s not surprising that you can acquire antiques from Europe, small towns, and even Southeast Asia.”

"But where did the Chinese statue you gave to Milan come from? I'm a little puzzled about that."

"Ha, speaking of which, that's an interesting story."

"I got that from my childhood. Back when I was stationed in Tokyo, I met a beautiful girl named Mamiko."

"Those years were one of the best times of my life; I met my love."

As old Lancaster spoke, he became lost in his memories.

“I remember I always gave her enough money for living expenses, but her family seemed to be quite large, and she still couldn’t get enough to eat at home after she left the base.”

Sun Zhiwei wanted to laugh when he heard this. What a load of rubbish about love. Girls who can get into the M Army base are no ordinary people.

He remembered that back then, in order to raise foreign exchange, the higher-ups at Xiao Ri Zi sent tens of thousands of beautiful and gentle girls to serve the group of American soldiers.

Every time those girls left the base, they had to hand over all their US dollars, but they could only receive basic living supplies, so the fact that they weren't eating well definitely wasn't because their families were large.

Looking at old Lancaster, who was lost in fond memories, he couldn't bear to reveal the cruel truth.

(End of this chapter)