Chapter Fifty-Six: Senior Sister Tong Weiguo

After giving instructions to Cao Da Wu, Chen Liang hurried off to work. If he wanted to get his hands on a gun, he’d have to find a way through his uncle.

“Uncle, have a cigarette!” Chen Liang bowed and scraped, producing a kerosene lighter he’d picked up in the northeast, and lit his uncle’s cigarette.

“Uncle, could you help me get two guns?” Lu Youwei was just enjoying his smoke when he nearly jumped at Chen Liang’s request, the ash falling onto his clothes.

“What do you want a gun for? You’re not planning to cause trouble again, are you?” Lu Youwei knew his nephew all too well. He was a firecracker—light the fuse and he’d explode in an instant!

This sudden request for guns genuinely startled him. He was afraid that this rascal was about to land himself in some major trouble again.

“Oh come on, Uncle! What are you thinking? I’m a married man now. I’m not looking for trouble. It’s just that Xiaoyu told me the other day that a pervert has been following her after work.”

“Uncle, you know how beautiful my wife is. When I’m around, it’s fine, but what about when I’m on a business trip and not by her side?”

“Uncle, I’m only asking for your help for her sake! Just get me two guns, please!”

Lu Youwei mulled it over, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. “Is that true? I’m warning you, brat, if you’re lying to me, I’ll break your legs!”

“It’s as true as gold! When Xiaoyu told me last night, I was so furious I wanted to catch the guy and shoot him myself!” Chen Liang’s words were full of grit and anger.

It was true—last night, while playing dress-up with Xiaoyu, she had casually mentioned that, on her way home from work recently, she kept feeling like someone was following her.

Xiaoyu herself hadn’t thought much of it, teasing that she probably missed him so much she was imagining things.

But Chen Liang was convinced it was real. After all, studies in later years showed that women’s sixth sense about being followed was almost never wrong.

Chen Liang was anxious—who had the gall to stalk his wife? It was like a death wish! Even if he hadn’t run into Cao Da Wu this morning, he’d still have come to his uncle for two guns to protect Xiaoyu.

“Uncle, please do me this favor. I promise I won’t cause any trouble!” Chen Liang buzzed around Lu Youwei like a persistent fly.

“Alright, alright, stop circling me. You’re making me dizzy!” Lu Youwei relented, thinking of his nephew’s wife—so beautiful, she could have been an imperial consort in ancient times.

In the end, Lu Youwei fetched two pistols from the armory and handed the brand-new M1910 to Chen Liang, warning him, “If you dare cause trouble, I’ll break your legs. You hear me?”

The M1910, officially called the Browning pistol, was commonly known here as the ‘Flower-Mouth Luzi.’

Chen Liang took the guns, toyed with them for a moment, then tucked them into his satchel. He stretched out his hand again, “Uncle, give me two boxes of bullets too. I’ll take Xiaoyu to the range to practice.”

“Here you go. And wait—I’ll write you a permit. You need to register these with the Public Security Bureau. Understand?” After handing over the bullets, Lu Youwei scribbled a letter of authorization and stamped it with his personal seal.

Lu Youwei was the very image of an old revolutionary and veteran. Back when he and his master were learning their trade, his master yearned to be an outlaw and ended up joining the underworld—but that’s another story. As for Uncle Lu, he was ambitious and joined the revolution. Over the years, he fought Japanese invaders, then the Nationalists, then bandits. When age caught up with him, he retired and was assigned as deputy director of security at Red Star Steel Mill.

His years of service had won him many friends among commanding officers and subordinates alike. When it came to the Public Security Bureau, Uncle Lu was untouchable.

“I got it, I got it. I’ll go right away!” Chen Liang grabbed the permit and dashed for the door, only to turn back at the threshold.

“Uncle, since we’re going to the range, could you get me a 56 semi-auto as well?” Chen Liang shamelessly made another request.

“No way! Don’t even think about it!” Uncle Lu refused outright. Rifles and pistols were worlds apart.

He could manage pistols, but a rifle was too dangerous, especially here in the capital, right under the emperor’s nose. Giving him a rifle would be madness!

“I won’t take any bullets, is that okay?” Chen Liang coaxed.

“Are you kidding me? Without bullets, what’s the point of testing a gun?” Lu Youwei kicked Chen Liang. Was the kid here just to annoy him?

“Uncle, I’ve got it all planned out. I’ll go to Senior Sister’s place to try out the rifle—she can teach Xiaoyu how to shoot. Isn’t that a good idea?”

“You’re going to see Weiguo? Doesn’t she have guns? Why do you have to bring one?”

“You know as well as I do, Uncle—in Senior Sister’s eyes, I’m just a kid. She has guns, but she might not let me use them. If I bring my own, at least she might give me some bullets. She can’t say no to that, right?”

Chen Liang’s logic was airtight, and he managed to wrangle a 56 semi-automatic rifle from Uncle Lu as well.

As he was leaving, Uncle Lu, still worried, gave him a few more instructions before finally letting him go.

Chen Liang wrapped the gun tightly in an old cloth, slung it over his shoulder, and headed to the library.

At the library gate, he was stopped by the security guard. In those days, anyone working as a library security guard was almost certainly a retired soldier—no one would believe otherwise.

Chen Liang knew the old man pretty well, but carrying a gun meant he’d be stopped and questioned, no matter how familiar they were.

“Hey, Uncle Li, you’ve got sharp eyes! I’m here to see my wife—we’re going to the shooting range for some practice.”

“Son, you could at least use a sack. Wrapping it in a rag and strolling in—are you looking down on us?”

“Alright, Uncle, do you have a sack? Give me one, will you?”

“Hah, I shouldn’t have said anything—now I have to supply you with a sack as well!”

The guard found a sack for Chen Liang, who put the gun inside and left it with the old man. Tossing him a pack of Red Tower cigarettes, he said, “Uncle, sorry to trouble you. I’ll just leave this here.”

After all, it was a library—bringing a gun inside, even just for a moment, wouldn’t look good.