"Young man, have you ridden in a car before?" the man in the back seat asked.
Only then did Li Long turn to look at the man behind him.
The man looked about thirty-five or thirty-six, with his hair parted to one side and a slightly long face. His eyes were small but bright, and his sideburns were neatly trimmed, giving him the look of an official. He wore a gray wool overcoat, with a padded leather hat beside him and leather gloves still on his hands. He looked quite smart.
"Yes." Li Long knew the man had picked up on the little details, so he said, "I spent three months at the Sugar Factory in Wu City and rode in one there. The factory sent a car to take us out on an errand, and I rode with my superior."
The middle-aged man and Li Xiangqian exchanged a glance. There was nothing amiss with that explanation. Both were probably curious about why Li Long no longer worked at the Sugar Factory, but since Li Long hadn't said, they could hardly ask.
Li Xiangqian said:
"Then lead the way. Let's try to get a Mongolian gazelle today. We're rather short on time."
"Safety first, though," the man beside him put in, then asked Li Long:
"Young comrade, do you know how to shoot?"
"Yes." Li Long merely nodded, keeping it brief.
"Good. We've brought several guns in the car. You can give them a try later." The man's tone was very friendly, making Li Long feel he was better than Li Xiangqian-approachable. That was how a leader ought to be.
He gave the driver directions and guided them to Red Mountain Mouth.
"We get out here and walk the rest of the way." Li Long turned around in the front