The next evening, Luo Tian drove Bai Cheng to the mixed martial arts gym run by his colleague’s younger brother. As soon as they walked in, the receptionist stood up and greeted Luo Tian, “Captain Luo, you’re here!”
“Yep. Brought a friend today to check it out,” Luo Tian said, then turned to Bai Cheng, “I come here often, so I’m pretty familiar with everyone.”
Bai Cheng followed Luo Tian inside, noticing that it was quite a large gym. There were two floors—the first was the fitness area, while the second was for combat training and changing rooms. Before long, a muscular young man in tight workout gear approached them.
“Brother Luo, you’re here!” He noticed Bai Cheng and asked, “Who’s this? Sister-in-law?”
Before Bai Cheng could deny it, Luo Tian quickly explained, “No, just a friend. Her last name is Bai.”
The young man looked apologetic, “Sorry about that, Miss Bai. It’s just that Brother Luo has never brought a girl here before. I just assumed. My bad! I’m Ling Xiang, good friends with Brother Luo.”
“No worries,” Bai Cheng replied with a smile.
“Brother Luo, is Miss Bai here to work out today?” Ling Xiang asked.
“Yeah, she wants to get in shape, so I brought her to check out the gym,” Luo Tian explained.
“Miss Bai, do you have any prior fitness experience?” Ling Xiang asked.
“No, not really,” Bai Cheng replied.
“In that case, we can start slowly, build up your stamina first, then move on to strength training. We’ve got plenty of trainers here, and many of Brother Luo’s colleagues from the police station come here to train. Since you’re a beginner, I can introduce you to one of our female trainers.”
Bai Cheng followed Ling Xiang around the gym, taking a quick tour. She then asked, “Isn’t there a shooting range too?”
“Yep, the shooting range requires more space, so it’s in a separate building nearby. We can swing by and take a look if you want,” Ling Xiang suggested.
“Let’s go. Since you’re so eager to learn shooting, might as well take a look,” Luo Tian said.
Ling Xiang drove them over to the shooting range. On the way, he said, “Miss Bai seems quite gentle. I didn’t expect you’d be interested in shooting.”
Bai Cheng replied, “It’s not that I’m particularly interested. I just had a dangerous encounter before, so I thought learning more self-defense skills might be useful.”
“If that’s the case, you could just train at the mixed martial arts gym. Learning how to shoot doesn’t really help with everyday self-defense,” Ling Xiang commented.
“I know. I’m just personally curious about it,” Bai Cheng explained.
“Well, alright then. But Miss Bai, shooting isn’t a typical hobby, and guns aren’t toys. You’ve got to be extra careful. I’ll introduce you to an experienced coach…”
Before Ling Xiang could finish, Luo Tian cut in, “I’ll teach her how to shoot.”
“Well, that’s even better! Everyone knows Brother Luo’s marksmanship is the best in the entire force. No coach can beat him,” Ling Xiang said, but then, remembering Luo Tian’s traumatic incident, he quickly fell silent.
Both Luo Tian and Bai Cheng looked out the window, and the car fell quiet.
A while later, they arrived at the shooting range. It was quite large, divided into outdoor and indoor shooting lanes, with coaches in black uniforms and khaki vests guiding members.
“The shooting range closes at 10 PM, but the fitness gym is open 24/7, and you can scan a QR code to enter anytime. Miss Bai, since Brother Luo is personally teaching you how to shoot, will he also train you at the gym?” Ling Xiang asked.
Before Bai Cheng could answer, Luo Tian replied, “I’ve still got work at the station. I’ll only teach her shooting; the rest can be handled by other trainers.”
“No problem, Brother Luo. I’ll assign Miss Bai a female coach for the gym,” Ling Xiang said.
“Thanks, Little Ling,” Luo Tian said, patting Ling Xiang on the shoulder.
“No worries, Brother Luo. You’re friends with my brother, so that makes you like my brother too. No need to be so polite.”
After checking out the facilities, Bai Cheng signed up for classes. She scheduled fitness training three times a week and arranged to practice shooting with Luo Tian every other day.
The first real gun Bai Cheng held was a small-caliber .22 pistol. When she received it from Luo Tian, she felt the weight in her palm, and for a moment, she was stunned, staring at the gun resting in her hand.
“Scared?” Luo Tian asked.
Bai Cheng shook her head, “I just felt its power. I can’t wait to try shooting it.”
Luo Tian chuckled, “Good, as long as you’re not scared. Come, I’ll teach you how to hold it.”
Following Luo Tian’s instructions, Bai Cheng pulled her wrist inward, her right hand gripping the rounded handle, her left hand wrapping around her right hand to support the gun, forming a two-handed hold. Her grip was a bit off, with her right hand too high and her left hand gripping too far back. Luo Tian stood beside her, adjusting her right hand down and pushing her left hand forward.
“Remember this feeling,” Luo Tian said. “Grip is very important. If you don’t hold the gun properly, you’ll never shoot accurately.”
Bai Cheng nodded.
“The second step is positioning. Don’t lock your arms straight; find a balance where your hands don’t shake,” Luo Tian continued.
Bai Cheng adjusted her shoulders as he instructed.
Luo Tian raised Bai Cheng’s forearm slightly, “Your forearm is a bit low, but not bad, no shaking. Remember, lock your wrist, use your forearm for stability, and don’t let the barrel wander.”
Luo Tian’s tone had a rare seriousness, a strictness that made Bai Cheng feel for the first time the pressure of his position as the captain of the narcotics division.
Bai Cheng’s arms started to ache, and she felt her hands trembling slightly. Luo Tian noticed it too.
“Lower your arms. Now, let’s work on your stance.”
Relieved, Bai Cheng lowered her hands, only for Luo Tian’s voice to sound again in her ear.
“Feet shoulder-width apart, lean forward slightly.”
Noticing that Bai Cheng’s shoulders were a bit tense, Luo Tian gently placed his hands on her shoulders, “Don’t be nervous, relax your shoulders.”
Bai Cheng loosened up a bit, her shoulders relaxing slightly.
Luo Tian continued, “When drawing the gun, focus your eyes on the front sight, use your peripheral vision for the target, and then align the rear sight with the front. Once everything’s in line, then you shoot. Check if your eyes, rear sight, and front sight are forming a straight line.”
Bai Cheng closed her left eye slightly, adjusting the alignment.
“I’ve got it,” she said.
“Good. Now let’s learn trigger control.”
“While holding the gun, use your index finger to feel the trigger. Some prefer the pad of the finger, others use the joint. It’s up to your preference. Try feeling it first.”
Bai Cheng gently pressed the trigger with her fingertip, slowly applying pressure. But before she was ready, the trigger was fully depressed, and the bullet was fired. The recoil of the small-caliber pistol wasn’t strong, but it was enough to startle the unprepared Bai Cheng. Her wrist went numb, and she dropped the gun. She let out a scream and instinctively leaned back, crashing into Luo Tian’s chest. She held her right hand, her head resting against Luo Tian’s neck, and her body trembled slightly.
“And you said you weren’t scared,” Luo Tian teased, lifting Bai Cheng’s hand, “How’s your hand?”
Bai Cheng shook her hand, “Just a bit numb.”
“Training ends here for today. Have a seat.”
Bai Cheng sat down on the foam bench in the shooting range, and Luo Tian sat beside her.
Luo Tian took Bai Cheng’s right hand in his and began massaging it.
“My fault. I should’ve warned you in advance,” Luo Tian said as he massaged her palm.
“It’s not your fault. I was too eager and pressed the trigger too hard. I should’ve followed your advice and felt it out patiently.”
“Next time, don’t be so reckless.”
“I won’t be. And even if I mess up again, it’s just a numb hand, not even painful. No need to worry.”
“Don’t underestimate the recoil. This was just a small-caliber training gun. If you were holding something with stronger recoil, or in a real fight, a small mistake could lead to bigger injuries. Bai Cheng, this is a gun, not a toy.”
“I understand, Luo Tian. I’ll be more careful next time. I’m a bit tired now, can you take me home?”
Luo Tian nodded, released her hand, and took her home.
