Siheyuan (courtyard house): My father, Li Yunlong!

He rubbed his hands together, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"Zhenhua, this... The commander is going to a meeting at headquarters today, so it's fine if he doesn't need a car. But this car is assigned to the commander, and if you drive it out... what if it gets damaged or bumped? What will happen to the commander..."

"Oh, Brother Chen, don't worry!"

Li Zhenhua put his arm around Xiao Chen's shoulder.

"Don't you know my driving skills? I'm a steady driver! I'll just take you for a drive in the suburbs to get some fresh air, and I'll make sure I'm back in perfect condition before dinner. If my dad asks, just say I borrowed it for a blind date, and he won't have a word to say!"

Xiao Chen was amused by Li Zhenhua, and knew that he couldn't stop the kid from making a decision, especially since the reason was so "sufficient"—a blind date.

He shook his head helplessly, took out his car keys and handed them over, giving repeated instructions.

"Be extremely careful! This car is valuable, and so are you. Don't cause any trouble!"

"Don't worry!"

Li Zhenhua took the keys, patted Xiao Chen on the chest, and turned to get into the gleaming black Volga sedan.

With practiced ease, Li Zhenhua started the car, feeling the composure of this "high-end vehicle" of the era, and began to make plans.

Hunting is a great way to roast and eat any wild game you catch on the spot.

With a thought, the portable barbecue grill, a large bag of smokeless charcoal, various barbecue sauces, cumin chili powder, and even several sets of stainless steel barbecue skewers and tongs that he had ordered from Pinduoduo Mall appeared silently in the corner of the trunk.

The preparations were quite thorough.

As agreed, Li Zhenhua drove to a fork in the road in the city.

From a distance, he saw two figures dressed in neat casual clothes and carrying military green satchels standing by the roadside.

One of them was naturally Lin Taotao, who was tall and slender, and she was smiling and talking to the person next to her.

However, when Li Zhenhua saw the person next to Lin Taotao, he almost slammed on the brakes, his heart skipped a beat.

Good guy!

Is that still a human being?

The woman was at least 1.85 meters tall, with broad shoulders and a thick back. Her arms were almost thicker than Li Zhenhua's thighs. She was wearing a faded old military uniform jacket, which was still bulging out of her muscles.

Standing there, he looked like half an iron tower, exuding a fierce aura.

But what she has is a round, baby-faced girl with fair skin, big, round eyes, and rosy lips. She even looks a little... cute?

This extreme contrast left even the well-informed Li Zhenhua momentarily stunned.

This combination is too weird, it's like a beauty and... uh, a muscular Barbie?

He composed himself, slowly drove the car in front of the two women, and honked the horn.

"Beep beep—"

The loud horn sound startled the two people who were chatting.

Lin Taotao turned her head and saw the Volga sedan parked in front of her. She was stunned for a moment, and then saw Li Zhenhua in the driver's seat through the car window. Her beautiful eyes widened instantly, and her mouth opened slightly in surprise.

"Li Zhenhua? You... how did you drive here?"

Lin Taotao walked a few steps to the car and knocked on the window in disbelief.

These days, bicycles are in high demand, and cars are even rarer, especially Volga cars like this, which are clearly official vehicles for cadres.

Li Zhenhua rolled down the car window, a smug smile on his face, and raised an eyebrow at Lin Taotao.

"How about it, Captain Lin? Is this enough to take you hunting? We can't exactly let your delicate young lady walk into the mountains, can we?"

"Get lost! Who's being coy!"

Lin Taotao spat, but wasn't surprised that Li Zhenhua was driving a car.

Given her family's financial situation, she had ridden in such cars many times before.

At this moment, the "muscle Barbie" also walked over, and the ground seemed to tremble slightly as she walked.

She looked at the car curiously, then at Li Zhenhua. Her voice was surprisingly clear and bright, with a touch of naivety.

"Tao Tao, is this your boyfriend? He drove here, that's impressive!"

Lin Taotao blushed and quickly introduced herself.

"What nonsense are you talking about! This is my colleague, Li Zhenhua. Li Zhenhua, this is my best friend, you can just call her Dafeng. She used to train in throwing at the military sports team, she's incredibly strong!"

A burly girl with a baby face named Dafeng grinned at Li Zhenhua, revealing two small tiger teeth, and stretched out her large, fan-like hand.

"Hello, Comrade Li! Your car is really awesome!"

Li Zhenhua smiled and reached out to shake her hand, only to feel that her hand was like an iron clamp, containing terrifying power. He secretly added some force to avoid showing his fear.

"Hello, Comrade Dafeng. Don't be shy, get in the car, let's go!"

Lin Taotao and Dafeng sat in the back seat on either side of the Volga sedan, which made them feel very comfortable due to its spacious interior.

As soon as the car door closed, Li Zhenhua skillfully shifted gears and started the car, glancing at the two men in the rearview mirror and casually asking a question.

"Which mountain are we heading to? You two... you're coming hunting with me empty-handed? Like shooting birds with slingshots?"

His tone was somewhat teasing as his gaze swept over the two men's empty hands.

Upon hearing this, Lin Taotao chuckled, leaned forward slightly, and explained.

"Originally, Dafeng and I planned to go by bicycle. It's in the mountains near Laojuntun in the west of the city, not far. We used to go there often. As for the gear..."

As she spoke, she nudged Da Feng beside her with her elbow.

"Look, with this guy here, how could we forget our 'firewood stick'?"

A simple yet slightly smug smile appeared on Da Feng's baby face as she replied in a clear voice.

"Yes, Comrade Li, don't worry, everything is arranged. Let's go to the livestock market area outside Xizhimen first; everything is prepared there."

She gave me a specific address.

Li Zhenhua's heart skipped a beat. The livestock market outside Xizhimen was a mixed bag, but there were also some courtyards that were not open to the public. It seemed that Da Feng's connections were indeed extraordinary.

Without making a sound, he turned the steering wheel and drove the car out of the city.

"Okay, I'll do as you say."

The car drove for about half an hour and arrived at the place Da Feng had mentioned.

It was a rather ordinary-looking courtyard, but a sharp-looking young man in an old military uniform, without collar insignia or cap badge, was guarding the entrance.

Upon seeing Da Feng get out of the car, the young man immediately straightened his back and greeted her respectfully.

"Miss! Everything is ready!"

Da Feng nodded, hummed in agreement, and led Li Zhenhua and Lin Taotao into the courtyard.

A middle-aged man was already inside, and he greeted them with great respect, even a hint of ingratiation.

"Miss, everything you ordered has been checked and is shiny and ready to use."

As he spoke, he led them to a stone table to the side.

Three long spears were neatly arranged on the table.

It wasn't a standard military rifle, but a well-maintained double-barreled shotgun with a shiny wooden stock and a bluish barrel. Several boxes of bright yellow bullets were placed next to it.

Li Zhenhua knew his stuff; these hunting rifles were clearly high-quality items, and their meticulous care suggested they were not something an ordinary person could possess.