The sky collapsed, and in the blink of an eye, I found myself transported to Nanluoguxiang.

The car drove on for a while longer, and the woods on both sides of the road gradually became deeper.

Li Kaixin, sitting in the back of the car, glanced at the outside environment and changed the subject:

"By the way, Jianming, what made you decide to go hunting this time?"

The embarrassment on Liu Jianming's face disappeared, and he became serious:

"This is what happiness is!"

He sighed and slowly began to explain:

"We've been on duty for several nights in a row these past few days, but the food at the station hasn't been good enough. I was thinking of taking advantage of these two days off to go into the mountains and get some wild game to improve everyone's meals."

After hearing this, Li Kaixin felt even more puzzled.

Yesterday morning, the police station confiscated all the goods on Liu Jianming's two carts, several hundred chickens, ducks and rabbits. Surely he wouldn't be short of meat.

Just then, a policeman named Sun Erqiang, standing nearby, spoke up indignantly:

"Comrade Kaixin, actually our station did seize a batch of meat, but I don't know what got into the higher-ups, they took it all away early yesterday morning, leaving us not a single piece."

"Erqiang, stop talking. It's not your place to discuss decisions made above," Liu Jianming interrupted him in a deep voice.

Upon hearing this, Sun Erqiang reluctantly shut his mouth, though a hint of resentment still lingered on his face.

However, the doubts in Li Kaixin's mind were finally resolved.

Looking at Sun Erqiang's aggrieved expression, he smiled and said:

"Brother Sun, don't look so sad. I'll hunt a few wild boars for you when we go into the mountains later, so you won't lack meat for the next few days."

"Comrade Li, are you really that good at hunting?" Sun Erqiang was still somewhat skeptical.

"Of course!" Liu Jianming replied, a smile involuntarily creeping onto his face.

"My childhood friend witnessed Kaixin's hunting skills firsthand. He single-handedly took down more than a dozen wild boars."

"A dozen or so?"

Sun Erqiang's eyes widened immediately. "Brother Liu, if this is true, Comrade Li's skills are probably even better than the best soldiers in the army."

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Jianming couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Brother Liu, what are you laughing at? Am I wrong?" Sun Erqiang looked at him with a puzzled expression.

The other two police officers in the carriage, Wang Yang and Wu Datong, also looked over curiously when they saw this.

"Erqiang, you're right."

Liu Jianming barely managed to suppress a laugh and patted Sun Erqiang on the shoulder: "But, speaking of which, Kaixin is quite the king of soldiers."

"Brother Liu, what do you mean by that?" Sun Erqiang was even more confused.

"Erqiang, since you asked, let me give you a proper reintroduction."

As Liu Jianming spoke, he raised his hand and put it on Li Kaixin's shoulder. "Comrade Li Kaixin, a specially appointed technical instructor of the Sijiucheng Military Region, enjoys the treatment of a regimental-level cadre."

"What? A technical instructor in the military region, and a regimental-level officer at that?"

Sun Erqiang was so shocked he couldn't close his mouth. After a long pause, he looked at Li Kaixin and asked, "Comrade Kaixin, aren't you a truck driver?"

"Brother Sun, I am indeed the driver. The position in the military region is just a nominal one, not worth mentioning."

Li Kaixin spoke in a flat tone, as if she weren't talking about herself.

"Goodness, this is nothing?"

Sun Erqiang clicked his tongue and looked Li Kaixin up and down again: "Then I'll have to change how I address you from now on, I'll call you Leader Li."

Wu Datong and Wang Yang, who were standing next to Li Kaixin, also became more reserved in their gazes.

Seeing this, Li Kaixin quickly waved his hand:

"No, no, no, we're friends, don't do these fancy things."

Yes, Erqiang!

Liu Jianming echoed, "Just treat each other the way you normally would. I'm just saying this so you have a general idea."

"Besides, look at me, when have I ever treated him like a stranger?"

After saying that, she casually put her arm around Li Kaixin's arm.

Sun Erqiang was a straightforward man; upon seeing this, he grinned.

"Alright then, I'll still call you Comrade Happy. But we're counting on you for today's hunt."

"Brother Sun, just you wait and see!"

Wu Datong and Wang Yang exchanged a glance, and the restraint in their eyes gradually dissipated.

Just then, the car slowly came to a stop.

Chen Kun, who was in the driver's seat, jumped out of the car and shouted to the back, "Brothers, we've arrived!"

In the back of the car, Li Kaixin was the first to get off. After landing, he habitually glanced around at the surrounding woods.

It's alright, though not as good as the forest behind Lijia Village, but judging from the surrounding environment, there should be quite a lot of prey.

Liu Jianming, Sun Erqiang, and the other two stayed in the car and inspected the weapons and equipment they had brought.

Once everything was ready, Liu Jianming jumped out of the car with two guns and went straight to Zhou Anran:

"Anran, this gun is better, you can take it."

As he spoke, he handed over one of the newer Type 54 pistols.

"Thank you, Captain Liu." Zhou Anran took the gun somewhat embarrassedly, her voice much gentler than usual.

However, what the two did not notice was that Chen Kun, Sun Erqiang, and the others were all exchanging glances and making faces behind them.

Even Li Kaixin, who was observing the surroundings, turned her gaze away and quietly walked to Chen Kun's side.

Liu Jianming coughed lightly and then tentatively asked, "Um, An Ran, you didn't hear what was said in the car just now, did you?"

"I...I didn't..." Zhou Anran's face also turned red.

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Kun shouted from behind, "Brother Liu, Comrade Zhou's face was completely red in the car just now, he must have heard everything!"

"Yeah, yeah! Don't be a coward, Brother Liu!" Sun Erqiang chimed in, slapping the truck bed with his hand.

Wang Yang and Wu Datong, who were standing nearby, were also yelling loudly.

"You, you all..."

Liu Jianming turned around abruptly and caught sight of Li Kaixin. He quickly changed the subject: "Kaixin, let's... let's go hunting first, so as not to delay our business."

Li Kaixin didn't move, crossed his arms and shook his head: "Brother Jianming, the hunting isn't urgent, you should take care of your personal matters first."

He wouldn't let this opportunity slip by, and it was he who instigated Wang Yang, Wu Datong, and the others.

"Kaixin, how come even you..."

Seeing this, Zhou Anran on the other side didn't want to embarrass Liu Jianming any further.

So she bit her lip and almost yelled, "Liu Jianming, I like you! What do you mean by this?!"

Liu Jianming, who didn't know what to do, froze on the spot after hearing this, and even Chen Kun and the others looked at her in surprise.