When Ye Fei woke the next morning, memories of the previous night flooded his mind. Reflecting on his time with Liu Fengyi, he realized that although his connection to her was as deep as it was with Ye Ningshuang, there was something different about his excitement with her.
Perhaps it was because Liu Fengyi was the biological sister of the woman he revered. The way she shifted from resisting to enthusiastically participating in their intimate encounter made him wonder if she knew it was him all along. She hadn't mentioned it, perhaps preferring to keep that ambiguity for her peace of mind. If she didn't bring it up, he saw no reason to do so either.
Knowing he was leaving for the border with his aunt in two days, Ye Fei decided to skip school. After a reluctant goodbye from Ye Yunqi, he and Liu Junyi headed to the military camp where Ye Fei had spent a summer.
As they approached the familiar grounds, Ye Fei couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic. Though only a month had passed, he had undergone a drastic transformation. Just weeks ago, he was frail and barely able to walk long distances. Now, he felt stronger, more capable—even more so than the elite soldiers in his aunt's special forces unit.
"Captain!" Two men in their thirties, wearing lieutenant colonel insignias, greeted them as they entered the special operations compound. After saluting Liu Junyi, they turned to Ye Fei with friendly smiles. "Xiaoman, you're here too."
"Uncle Zhang, Uncle Li," Ye Fei greeted them with a grin. These two, Zhang Qiang and Li Yun, were squadron leaders in the special operations team. Along with Ye Fei's uncle Li Bin and another squadron leader, they were Liu Junyi's most trusted subordinates. During his time in the camp, Ye Fei had shared a dorm with Zhang Qiang and Li Yun, making him particularly close to them.
"Zhang Qiang, Li Yun, Comrade Ye Fei will be joining us on this operation. Please help him familiarize himself with the combat protocols and let him practice with the firearms." Liu Junyi's tone was now all business, shedding the light-hearted demeanor she had at home. Even the way she addressed Ye Fei had changed, as she fully embraced her role as commander.
"Yes, captain!" the two replied. Once Liu Junyi had left, they turned to Ye Fei with smiles. "Xiaoman, are you going to the border for some excitement?" Zhang Qiang teased.
"Yeah, my mother said I should experience more of the world, so she asked my aunt to bring me along," Ye Fei replied with a grin.
Zhang Qiang chuckled. "You're lucky to have that kind of connection. Plenty of our guys want in on this operation, but they don't have the pull."
Ye Fei couldn't help but ask, "Isn't this mission supposed to be dangerous? Why do so many want to go?"
Li Yun shrugged. "Danger's part of the job. We're soldiers, especially in special forces—fear isn't in our vocabulary. Besides, these are just terrorists; we can handle them."
"Yeah, just stick with Uncle Zhang, and I'll make sure nothing happens to you," Zhang Qiang added with a wink.
Ye Fei sighed inwardly. Like his aunt, it seemed Zhang Qiang and Li Yun weren't taking the situation seriously enough. He couldn't reveal his suspicions, as it might shake their confidence, but he resolved to protect these soldiers when the time came. After all, with only 50 from the Wanghai Special Forces heading out, he and his aunt should be able to look out for them.
Ye Fei smiled, raised his gun, and fired a single shot. The board lit up—ten rings.
Both men were surprised. "Nice shot! Try again!" Zhang Qiang encouraged.
Ye Fei decided to show a bit more. He fired off the rest of the rounds in quick succession, just as they had done earlier. His shooting speed matched theirs, but what truly stunned them was the result—twelve perfect shots, totaling 120 rings.
Zhang Qiang and Li Yun stared in disbelief. "How did you do that?" they asked in unison.
"Maybe I just have good eyesight," Ye Fei replied with a grin.
Zhang Qiang shook his head. "Good eyesight alone won't give you this level of accuracy. You've got serious skill. Looks like that family kung fu of yours is really something."
Ye Fei nodded thoughtfully. He had just realized the connection between his skills and the ability to see so clearly. It must be part of the barbarian training, the precision required for throwing weapons, though it hadn't been explicitly mentioned in the manuals. If he mastered this fully, his power would be formidable, rivaling his other abilities.
Next, Zhang Qiang and Li Yun suggested he try shooting moving targets. Despite missing his first two shots due to unfamiliarity, Ye Fei quickly adjusted. His following shots were all tens, with his speed nearly matching that of shooting stationary targets.
After witnessing his performance, Zhang Qiang and Li Yun were ecstatic. "Our special forces finally have a real sharpshooter! Let's see if those Beijing guys dare to brag now!" Li Yun exclaimed.
Ye Fei laughed. "What's the story with the Beijing guys?"
Zhang Qiang explained, "Half a year ago, a sharpshooter from the Beijing Special Forces beat us all in a competition. They were insufferably arrogant afterward. If not for the captain winning the close combat competition, we would have left humiliated. Now, with you, we can take them down in shooting too!"
Ye Fei smiled, realizing that this healthy rivalry was simply a way to boost morale. "If I meet that sharpshooter, I'll be sure to compete with him," he said.
Excited by Ye Fei's newfound marksmanship, Zhang Qiang and Li Yun suggested he stay at the camp for further training before their mission. Happy to continue honing his skills, Ye Fei agreed.
He called all the important people in his life to let them know, and reassuring Ye Ningshuang, Xiao Hanyue, Gu Yuxian and Xu Shuyun of his plans. Though they were reluctant to see him go, they understood. Even Xu Shuyun, who had been fragile recently, expressed her fondness for him and repeatedly warned him for to take care of himself well.