Shoot-A Convenience Store Was Just Right

Three days later, the children of Class 78 welcomed the second major lesson in Knight Combat Techniques.

--For Shao Jinghao, this interval was far too long.

In the eyes of many teachers and students, Gunsmith seemed to be a well-known talent in the railway system, but Xiao Hao didn't care much about the nameless reputation, for a simple reason - his teacher wouldn't let him chase girls.

He thought the gunsmith was utterly despicable. Other teachers would never have bothered with such a thing. After all, the underworld was sparsely populated, and according to Russian marriage law, a girl could marry at sixteen if she became pregnant, provided her guardian agreed.

Now that the teacher has intervened, for the sake of sixteen credits, the female classmate who was originally a sweet girl next door has almost overnight turned into a Puritan.

That girl's Miller mimicry was spot-on; she imitated all the attack postures perfectly.

"Hey, what's the point of this school if there aren't any girls to pick up!"

Xiao Hao sighed, rolled over on his soft bed in the dormitory, saw the alarm clock for 6:35 in the morning, and finally, full of resentment, crawled to the Big Baker Stadium for the second period of the Cavaliers' combat skills class.

These past two days, the other teachers have been teaching humanities subjects related to psionic powers. The gunsmith said that knightly combat techniques inevitably involve falls and injuries, but he didn't ask the students to do anything in the first lesson. I suppose that was just bluffing.

Xiao Hao was thinking about this when he realized that time was running out, so he decided not to wear protective gear, but instead put on a thick cotton-padded coat and headed to the grassland.

Even from across the 200-meter-long circular track, Hao Bro sensed something was wrong.

--Because a building has been added to the football pitch, specifically a bungalow made of plywood.

It was called a house, but it had no roof and was an extremely rudimentary training ground.

It resembles a department store, covering an area of about a thousand square meters, filled inside and out with shelves and various goods, and displaying all kinds of gel mannequins.

The other students had already started running laps to warm up when Teacher Meteor called out enthusiastically to Xiao Hao from afar.

"Hao Bro! Keep up with the group!"

"Oh oh oh oh oh!" Xiao Hao quickly loosened up and joined the long line to do warm-up exercises.

Assistant instructor Meteor blew his whistle and gently pushed Xiao Hao to the inner circle.

Xiao Hao asked, "Teaching assistant, where's the gunsmith teacher?"

Meteor: "He's preparing teaching materials."

Xiao Hao: "What are we teaching? There's so much stuff."

Meteor: "The Six Arts of a Gentleman—Archery."

Xiao Hao: "Huh? I thought it was a home economics class."

Meteor: "Hey kid, did you forget to wear protective gear?"

Xiao Hao: "I haven't forgotten."

Meteor: "Was that an accident, or did it on purpose?"

Although reluctant, Hao Bro wasn't afraid at all.

"--It was intentional. I overslept. The gunsmith teacher told us to meet at seven, but I didn't get up until 6:35. That's too cruel for a thirteen-year-old."

Meteor laughed heartily, "It's alright!"

"Um..." Xiao Hao, still shaken by the gunsmith teacher's punch in the last class, asked anxiously, "Won't the teacher blame me?"

Meteor continued laughing, "No way!"

Hearing the teaching assistant answer in a simple and honest tone, Xiao Hao felt relieved.

He got down to business. "If I understand correctly, this 'shooting' refers to shooting lessons, right? I can understand the gunsmith instructor using wooden planks to make the shooting range, but why are there so many shelves, and why are there so many products on them? What does that mean?"

Meteor: "Balason has a gun ban, schools don't teach firearms, and what you can learn from armed employees, gunsmiths won't teach. And for now, gunsmiths can't teach the special skills you can't learn from armed employees."

Xiao Hao immediately asked, "If you can't even touch the gun, what's the point of shooting?"

Meteor smiled mysteriously, "You'll find out soon enough."

Xiao Hao, suspicious and distrustful, ran while looking at the group of buildings in the center of the lawn—it looked like a supermarket or department store, with shelves and counters fully stocked with furniture, chairs, office supplies, bedding, cooking utensils, kitchen and bathroom supplies, snacks, fruits, fresh produce, and more. Even the cash registers were set up.

In addition, there are two alley entrances, one for entry only and one for exit, and the other for connection with recessed areas, second-floor rooms, balconies, and electrical and water pipelines.

"What kind of large-scale scenario-based murder mystery is this?" Xiao Hao muttered to himself as he finished his morning exercise routine with the group.

He felt relaxed and his cheeks were warm when he saw the gunsmith teacher come out of the main entrance of the shopping mall, greet the students, linger on Xiao Hao's clothes for a second longer, but didn't say anything.

"Class begins."

The Iron Knight was like a timpani in the assistant instructor's hands, and the large bronze gong rang out once more.

Xue Ming changed into loose, casual clothes today, still with her approachable demeanor. She first apologized to the children.

"I'm sorry, this preparation took a long time. As you can see, the teaching equipment is in the buildings behind us. Procuring and deploying these things took us a lot of effort."

"Today's lesson topic is [archery], one of the Six Arts of the Gentleman -- you might be wondering, since my name is Gunsmith, why don't I give you a gun to practice shooting?"

"The reason is simple. Not to mention the mortal world, even in the underworld, the control of firearms and ammunition is very strict. In the process of self-defense, we rarely have the opportunity to obtain firearms immediately in the event of violence."

"The first part of this lesson is teaching you to identify common projectiles in daily life, including projectile firepower that can be used for self-defense."

Xue Ming waved to the students, showing them the department store behind him.

"This is your ammunition depot."

Upon hearing this, laughter and playful noises erupted from the students' ranks, as if they hadn't taken the gunsmith's words to heart. Perhaps Xue Ming's serious yet nonsensical words and actions lacked persuasiveness.

Xue Ming: "Shao Jinghao."

Xiao Hao immediately stepped forward. "I'm here!"

Xue Ming: "Why don't you give everyone a demonstration?"

"I didn't make fun of you!" Xiao Hao cried out in frustration. "I didn't say a word! I believe you! Gunsmith teacher! I believe you!"

Xue Ming: "But you're not wearing protective gear."

"I overslept this morning, I'm sorry teacher." Xiao Hao apologized repeatedly, "I'm sorry, I'll definitely remember next time! I'll definitely remember!"

Xue Ming quickly grabbed Xiao Hao's arm, afraid of letting go of this excellent example. "No, no, no, I didn't mean to blame you—I just wanted everyone to see if these things on the shelves could hurt you, and it just so happens that you weren't wearing protective gear, which is a great thing."

"Huh?" Xiao Hao frowned and looked at Assistant Instructor Meteor: "Didn't you say that Instructor Gunsmith wouldn't cause me any trouble?"

Meteor was hiding to one side, fiddling with a small coal stove, cooking White Lady's specialties for Hao Bro, and didn't respond. Her expression was like that of an old witch preparing a poisoned apple for Snow White, dark, twisted, and tinged with smugness.

Before Hao Bro could ask for help, Xue Ming him toward the entrance to the cashier.

"When we can't find suitable weapons, we need to have an eye for finding them, because being armed has an absolute advantage over being empty-handed—supermarkets usually have many small items at their outlets to help customers get rid of the small change on their bills."

As the students followed behind their gunsmith teacher, they listened to him talk about common shopping habits in daily life, and they all nodded in agreement, recognizing that these were realities that happened all the time.

Xue Ming took a windproof lighter from the cashier shelf, grabbed a box of chewing gum, and went straight to the daily necessities counter.

"Alcohol is present in shampoos, fragrances, and perfumes. Mosquito repellent sprays and spirits over 55% ABV at liquor counters can all be turned into flamethrowers, like this--"

He held a fire source and various fuel spray cans, giving the students a fireworks display and spewing out wine to perform dragon breath magic.

Hao Bro felt something was wrong. A wave of heat hit him, and his body tensed up, but he was unharmed.

He opened his eyes and saw the gunsmith manipulating the flames spewing from his throat and tongue, forming a thick python over a hundred centimeters long, which almost roasted the gel dummy into a pulp.

"Some counters sell spray paint." Xue Ming tossed aside the arson tool and gave the students a brief note. "It will have some poisonous properties, but generally speaking, as long as you can ignite the fire, the outer flame can generate a temperature of over 500 degrees Celsius, enough to melt the enemy's eyes, burn off his hair and eyebrows, temporarily blind him, and cause him to lose his will to fight."

Then Xiao Hao was taken to the fresh produce counter.

When Xue Ming, the offal vendor, returned to the slaughterhouse, it was like coming home.

He fiddled with various knives and talked to the students.

"If we can get our hands on a sharp weapon and are certain there's more than one knife in the area, we must not immediately engage in hand-to-hand combat with the assailant."

Beside the raw meat cutting board, Xue Ming picked out several flat-headed kitchen knives.

"A flat-headed knife like this, which has been stained with animal fat for a long time, should be thrown as a projectile. Its handle is mostly made of polymer or wood and does not have a rope-wrapped handle, making it easy to slip. Even if it misses the enemy, if the enemy uses it as a weapon, it will disable the opponent's ability to stab or cut. The killing efficiency of a cleaver and a sharp knife is very different."

He picked up the seemingly incredibly sharp fish knife.

"These long knives used for deboning and butchering seafood look impressive, but let me tell you, just throw them. Most of these tools are made of spring steel with excellent toughness, without any fine quenching. Their hardness is even lower than a rusty kitchen knife made of 45# carbon steel. Even if you miss, if the thugs pick them up and use them, you can run away immediately in that opening."

Finally, Xue Ming took a chef's knife from the kitchen and bathroom counter.

"This is the best weapon you can find in a department store. Apart from a fire axe, it's the most suitable for throwing, with the highest accuracy and lethality."

Carrying the knife, Xue Ming led Hao Bro to the stationery counter and pushed Hao Bro to stand in front of a vision test sheet.

"Don't move. I'll demonstrate to everyone how well this weapon's blade design and balance are."

Xiao Hao asked in surprise, "Huh? You're using me to test it?"

Xue Ming: "It's more effective because you're not wearing protective gear."

Xiao Hao: "Me, me, me, me!"

Xue Ming: "Are you scared?"

Xiao Hao stared at the sharp, gleaming knife in the teacher's hand, his eyes filled with panic. "Of course I'm scared!"

Xue Ming took an eye mask from the stationery counter and put it on Xiao Hao's head.

"Aren't you scared anymore?"

Xiao Hao cried out, "No, no, no, no! I'm even more scared! Teacher, please let me open my eyes!"

Xue Ming pursed her lips, her temper not in a good mood.

He removed the heated eye mask from Hao Bro and gently reminded him.

"I'm about to throw a knife at you, so don't move!"

Xiao Hao swallowed hard; he was about to be taken to the execution ground.

"OK."

Xue Ming's next words sent him to heaven.

"If you do that, add one point."

Xiao Hao: "Yes! Yes! I can do it!"

Daniel immediately said, "Teacher, I'll do it! I'll do it!"

Xiao Hao cursed, "Get lost! You shameless rich kid!"

"Aren't you scared now?" Xue Ming took a step back, distancing herself from Xiao Hao.

Xiao Hao: "I'm not afraid! I'm not afraid!"

Xue Ming put on the blindfold and picked up the chef's knife. "I'm a little scared, so I'm putting on the blindfold. You don't mind, do you?"

Xiao Hao's legs went weak, and he almost fainted on the spot. Daniel had originally come with great momentum to compete for credits, also backed down.

The teaching assistant, Meteor, straightened Hao Bro's body and bound it tightly with duct tape from the stationery counter to ensure the kid wouldn't move.

Xue Ming then spoke to the students.

"At this distance, the knife needs to fly two and a half circles before the blade can pierce the target. It requires repeated practice. Every throwing object, like an arrow, needs to rotate to maintain its flight posture. Whether it's a knife, an axe, or anything else, the same principle applies."

With a swift, sharp sound, the blade pierced the air and embedded itself in the plywood frame above Xiao Hao's head.

"From the moment the throw is released to the moment the projectile reaches its target, the distance of ten steps takes only a second. If we were facing an armed assailant, we would need immense courage and determination. Shao Jinghao did a great job; he did not panic or scream when faced with the threat of death, nor did he reveal his position."

Xiao Hao stared blankly, then honestly said, "I just didn't realize it, teacher."

Xue Ming took two boxes of pencils from the shelf.

"As you can see, the center of gravity of this chef's knife is in the middle of the blade, which allows it to maintain a very stable rotation. Even if I were blindfolded, I could hit the area above Xiao Hao's head—but with other projectiles, it might not be so easy."

After removing the pencil's outer packaging, Professor Xue Ming continued explaining many key points of materials science.

"Modern stationery factories have pencil-sharpening technology, so if you can find a pencil with a pointed tip that weighs sixteen grams, consider yourself lucky—graphite is hard enough to pierce most of the human body's muscle tissue."

He removed his blindfold, and a chilling murderous aura immediately emanated from him.

"It's too light, and the center of gravity is difficult to control. When practicing throwing thin sticks, you must keep your eyes open and lock onto the target's position."

One after another, bright yellow pencils shot out like arrows, aiming for Xiao Hao's armpits and groin. In just a few seconds, more than a dozen pencils appeared on Hao Bro's shoulders and around his body. They burrowed into the soft plywood, and many pencils bounced off and broke, turning into wood chips all over the ground.

Xue Ming: "Shao Jinghao, add one point."

Xiao Hao was almost in tears. He followed the gunsmith in silence, experiencing a spiritual journey.

At this moment, the students developed a strong interest in the items in the shipping container.

They may look strange, but in the hands of a gunsmith, they have astonishing destructive power.

Even relatively soft food-grade stainless steel kitchen utensils, such as spatulas and ladles, can be used to carve a piece of flesh off a gel dummy if the number of throws required is calculated accurately and the blades land precisely enough.

The gunsmith teacher led the students to the bedding section and then took off his hoodie.

"Students, many of you are of European descent, so you should be interested in chivalric romances. Many knights liked to wear loose robes—they looked very dashing, didn't they?"

Underneath the hoodie was a very cheap stainless steel cutting board.

"Loose clothing can conceal a lot of armor. You can buy a two-millimeter-thick stainless steel cutting board for six yuan at the supermarket. Stack several layers on it and it can stop a nine-millimeter pistol bullet. You just witnessed the power of various projectiles. Now I'm going to teach you how to defend against them."

Xue Ming searched the bedding section for a bamboo mat, cut the soft adhesive, and wrapped it around his arms and waist in less than a minute.

"This is the bamboo armor."

He then rolled the thick outer packaging bag around his right arm and tied it tightly with his shoelaces, all in less than thirty seconds.

"This is cloth armor."

I picked up the chef's knife again and used it to stab, cut, and chop at the simple armor, without causing any external injuries.

Testing was conducted using a gel dummy; even after the knife violently rammed into the armor, it was very difficult to pull out.

"A shooting range is too early for thirteen-year-olds; a supermarket or convenience store would be just right." Xue Ming led the students toward the hardware section. "Lastly, I'll introduce these tools; their destructive power is much greater."

Open the counter, and you'll see a variety of equipment on display.

"Screwdriver bits are mostly made of tungsten steel, titanium steel, and other ultra-high hardness materials. Following the method of using the projectiles just now, they can easily pierce the enemy's clothing. As long as the force is sufficient, they can be used as daggers to crack bones, pierce polymer gun receivers or pistol grips with lower hardness, puncture plastic magazines, and disrupt the feeding mechanism without much difficulty."

"The hammer's center of gravity is entirely forward; don't use it like a throwing weapon. To throw it, you need to point the nail-picking end forward—this requires a lot of practice."

"I would absolutely not recommend shovel-shaped or saw-shaped tools. These <Alien> weapons are completely unsuitable for throwing due to their significant wind resistance."

While the students were taking notes on the various projectiles that the gunsmith teacher was demonstrating, they were...

Director Simmons walked out of the student affairs office, puzzled and almost completely baffled by the events of the past two days.

A new shopping mall has been built at the Great Beck Stadium, the gunsmith said.

--Those are teaching materials for knightly combat techniques.

He simply couldn't understand why something like chewing gum could be used as teaching equipment for fitness and sports.

Are gunsmiths finding various excuses to squander Galahad's budget?

With a worried expression, Director Simmons strode towards the stadium, eager to see firsthand how the gunsmith was educating the children.

Just a few hundred steps away, when the director arrived at the grounds of the bungalow, he saw rows of gel mannequins lying haphazardly, most of them bearing horrific scars.

The equipment on the ground was mostly kitchen and bathroom supplies, and even some stationery pencils.

As he got closer, Director Simmons saw a little girl with murderous intent in her eyes, holding half a sharp pig bone in her hand, about to stab the bone spur into the skull of a dummy under the guidance of a gunsmith.

"This is a pig's foreleg bone. Be careful. Chewing gum will make you feel better. During World War II, American pilots often faced high-pressure combat environments and needed chewing gum. The same applies to you."

Xue Ming grasped the female student's hand, placed his Thumb on the moist, slippery cartilage of the joint, and aligned it with the bone suture of the skull.

"We don't need to grip the bone tightly, but its starting speed must be fast, like a hammer hitting a nail. The hammerhead doesn't bite the nail tightly, but strikes and moves away—add the power of your legs and waist, rotate your body to transmit the force, and try again."

"Hmm," the female student said, relaxing her muscles and calming her mind.

Simmons saw--

--The delicious ingredients used for making soup became deadly weapons; when they hit the dummy's skull, the pork bones almost shattered the dummy's crown.

Around them, about twenty classmates held all sorts of strange weapons, demonstrating different ways of holding arrows at different distances, followed by a series of sharp, whistling sounds.

A streak of light flashed across the tip of Director Simmons' nose.

--It was a copper-plated iron spoon that hit the dummy's eye socket.

"YEAH!" Xiao Hao was very quick to understand. He excitedly ran past Director Simmons and rushed towards the dummy to verify the results.

Teaching assistant Meteor chuckled and said, "Director, are you here to inspect our work? What instructions do you have?"

No, no.

Simmons circled around in place, needing to go back and calm down.