"Jiang, you're finally here!"
Jiang Hai drove to the police training ground and arrived around 8:30 a.m. By then, a large crowd had already gathered. Mayor Wallis of Winthrop was present as well—this was the first official hunting group, after all, and he wanted to keep a close watch. Standing beside him were several men dressed in military-style uniforms.
"Hey, weren't we supposed to meet at nine?" Jiang Hai said with a grin as he parked and got out of the car. "You guys are really enthusiastic."
After greeting Mayor Wallis, his gaze fell on one of the uniformed men.
"Wait—didn't the state government say they were sending police? I don't remember anything about soldiers," Jiang Hai said, clearly puzzled.
"Yes, Mr. Jiang," the man replied with a smile. "I am a police officer. I just think this uniform is more suitable for training."
Jiang Hai froze for a moment.
The man's Mandarin was fluent—standard, even—far more polished than Jiang Hai's own, which still carried a faint Northeastern accent.
"You speak Chinese?" Jiang Hai asked instinctively as they shook hands.
"I do. My name is Rogar DeCarter," the man said. "I studied in China for four years, so I know a bit of Mandarin. My team and I will be responsible for training the tourists."
Jiang Hai nodded in acknowledgment.
"Could you explain the training plan in detail?" he asked as they walked toward the field.
"The current plan is a five-day mountain trip," Rogar explained calmly. "Day one will focus on firearm demonstrations and shooting instruction. Day two is basic physical training. Day three is forest survival and danger identification. We'll depart early on the fourth day, camp overnight, and begin our return at noon on the fifth day."
"Since this isn't training soldiers or police, the program is relatively simple."
Jiang Hai nodded in approval.
Allowing Chinese tourists to hunt in the U.S. was unprecedented, but organized hunting itself was nothing new. As long as security and diplomatic sensitivities were handled properly, the rest followed established procedures.
"Very good," Jiang Hai said. "Let's give it a try."
Three days of preparation would at least prevent these people from becoming completely helpless once they entered the mountains.
Rogar chuckled at Jiang Hai's approval and led him inside.
The moment Jiang Hai stepped onto the training ground, he was stunned.
He knew that around 3,800 tourists were currently staying in Winthrop. Given that no one had ever hunted here before, he'd expected maybe thirty or forty adventurous souls to sign up first.
Instead, there were at least three hundred Chinese tourists gathered on the field.
They stood in clusters, chatting animatedly. Some middle-aged men had even wandered off to the smoking area. Jiang Hai hadn't expected this many people to jump in without hesitation.
"So many?" he asked Mayor Wallis quietly, unease creeping into his voice.
"Yes. This many signed up on the first day—and all of them paid the full deposit," Wallis replied, his expression conflicted.
Happy, because it meant money. Worried, because managing a group this large would be a nightmare.
"There are too many people," Jiang Hai said decisively. "When we enter the mountains, we'll split into teams of twenty."
He abandoned his original plan immediately. Dividing routes and entry points would have to wait—there were still three days to adjust resources, but even so, the number of instructors sent by the state government was clearly insufficient.
"Hey—Jiang Hai's here!"
As Jiang Hai and his companions entered, murmurs rippled through the crowd. People nudged one another and pointed discreetly.
In Winthrop, it was almost impossible not to know Jiang Hai.
Everyone knew he was rich. Everyone knew he was powerful. And everyone knew he was absolutely not someone to provoke. His status here arguably surpassed even Mayor Wallis's.
"Do you think we'd get rich if we kidnapped him?" a young man joked quietly, laughing with his friends.
"I suggest you forget that idea," someone beside him sneered. "Look at the guy next to him. That's Bell-Lestat. Everyone in town knows him. Former Delta."
"So what if he's Delta?" the rich kid scoffed.
"So what?" the others echoed, staring at him like he was an idiot.
"Tch—"
Before he could say more, a hand suddenly patted his shoulder.
He turned around and found Jiang Hai standing behind him, wearing a faint, unreadable smile.
The young man's face went pale.
"Uh—haha… I was just joking, Brother Jiang," he said hurriedly. "Do you smoke?"
He pulled out a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes and offered one with both hands.
"Smoking is harmful to your health," Jiang Hai replied calmly. "And you need to assemble."
With that, he walked toward the center of the parade ground.
Ten minutes later, the rest of the participants trickled in, standing unevenly and clustering together. Even by the notoriously lax standards of American military discipline, this group was painfully sloppy.
"I'll begin," Rogar said.
Though mildly displeased, he didn't seem overly concerned. After exchanging a few words with Jiang Hai and Mayor Wallis, he stepped forward.
The moment the burly man appeared, the chatter died down.
"Hello, soldiers," Rogar announced in clear Mandarin. "My name is Rogar DeCat. For the next three days, I will be your instructor."
"I will teach you how to survive in the forest—what you can touch, and what you absolutely cannot. I will not teach you shooting posture. Because in your hands, a gun used incorrectly is more dangerous than no gun at all."
The crowd murmured, slightly confused by the fluent Mandarin—but at least they understood.
"Do we really need three days of training?" someone suddenly shouted. "Why not just give us rifles, send us into the mountains, let us shoot a bit, and come back? It's just hunting!"
For most people, hunting sounded exciting. Three days of structured training, however, was intolerable.
Rogar's expression hardened.
"Let me correct three things," he said coldly.
"First—you will not be issued M16s. You will use hunting rifles, shotguns, and bolt-action weapons."
"Second—if I sent you into the mountains right now, at least thirty percent of you would not come back alive."
"Third—from now on, when you speak, you will begin with: 'Reporting to the instructor.'"
"If anyone disagrees, you may still withdraw and receive a refund. Once training begins, only the deposit will be returned. All other fees will be forfeited."
Silence fell.
Some exchanged uneasy glances. Others grinned dismissively.
In their eyes, they had paid money. They were customers. Gods, even.
Did these people really think they could be trained?
Watching them, Jiang Hai let out a quiet sigh.
Had he really agreed to let these people into the mountains?
For such a small profit, risking Winthrop's reputation would be disastrous.
He glanced at Mayor Wallis, wondering whether canceling the hunt altogether might be wiser.
But Wallis only smiled calmly, his gaze fixed on Rogar DeCarter.
He believed the man would handle it.
After all, he'd heard plenty about Rogar's past.
(To be continued.)