There is absolutely no room for negotiation.
Su Wei gritted his teeth, stopped looking at the fleeing figure, quickly put away his gun, turned around and climbed into the passenger seat.
"Bang!"
The car door had barely closed, and before Su Wei could even fasten his seatbelt, Black slammed on the gas.
The engine roared, but the tracked vehicle didn't catch up; instead, it shifted into reverse.
The vehicle shook violently, and using its thick front as cover, it quickly retreated into a snowdrift to the side and rear.
This is a blind spot for shooting.
Only then did Black release his grip on the steering wheel.
Su Wei noticed that Black's calloused hands were trembling slightly.
It wasn't because of the cold, but because of anger.
Black turned his head.
Those deep-set eyes were fixed on Su Wei, filled with rage.
Do you want to die?
Black's voice was very soft, but the words seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.
"I..."
Su Wei opened his mouth, but his throat was dry.
Why did you get out of the car? Why were you standing on the exposed snow?
Black interrupted him, his tone aggressive.
"I saw that deer..." Su Wei pointed out the window, his voice slightly weak, "I wanted to check on its injuries, and then..."
"And then you just stood there like a target, holding the gun?"
Black raised his voice, spitting almost onto Su Wei's face, and pointed at the grove of trees, his finger trembling.
"Those are poachers, Su Wei!"
"It's not a pheasant, it's not a rabbit, and it's not one of those paper targets you shot at at the shooting club!"
"Those are scumbags who wield heavy rifles, are blinded by rage, and are willing to trample on law and morality for money!"
The old hunter's chest heaved violently.
Do you know what those two hundred meters just now meant?
"That means he could blow your head off with a single shot if he wanted to!"
"You think this is a game? You can just reload and start over if you die?"
"Or do you really think that having that damn hunter's license makes you invincible?"
Chapter 84 Awe of the Wilderness, Su Wei's Self-Reflection (Bonus Chapter)
Su Wei fell silent.
The air inside the carriage seemed to freeze, with only the hum of the heater audible.
Every word Black said was like a whip lashing his face, burning with pain.
Su Wei's back was already covered in a layer of cold sweat, which soaked through her underwear.
For a brief moment, he was indeed blinded by anger.
In his subconscious, this was still a "hunt" with rules.
He is a hunter, possesses a system, and has all the advantages.
His sense of superiority as a time traveler made him ignore the most basic facts.
This is reality, a place without rules to protect you.
The other side was also carrying real guns and live ammunition.
If that poacher hadn't run away, but instead, in that split second of hesitation, coldly pulled the trigger...
Su Wei glanced subconsciously at the winter coat she was wearing.
This thin layer of fabric couldn't stop the blizzard, much less a single rifle bullet.
If that were the case, even if he wasn't hit in a vital spot, just breaking a leg would result in hypothermia and death in this freezing weather.
This is completely different from his previous living environment.
Even after being transported here, his concepts of "gunfights" and "being killed" remained at the level of movies and games.
Lack of reverence.
A lack of even the most basic vigilance towards their own kind.
He seemed to have forgotten that this was America.
He lacks the most basic respect and awareness of safety.
"Sorry."
After a long while, Su Wei took a deep breath.
He lowered his head, his hands gripping the cold gun barrel, his knuckles turning white from the force.
There was no explanation.
A mistake is a mistake.
In the wilderness, any arrogance and recklessness comes at a price, and this time, luckily, the price was just a scolding.
Next time might be my fate.
Black looked at Su Wei's lowered head.
His young face was filled with regret and lingering fear, but not with arrogance.
This child may be naive, but he is not stupid.
The old hunter's anger subsided slightly, replaced by weariness.
He pulled a flattened cigarette from his shirt pocket, put it in his mouth, and fumbled for a lighter for a while, but his hand was shaking so much that he couldn't light it.
He simply gave up and just chewed the bitter cigarette butt vigorously.
"You're a born hunter, Su Wei. I admit it."
Black's voice returned to its usual cold and hard tone, but his speaking speed slowed down considerably.
"Your tracking skills, your marksmanship, even your intuition about the location of your prey, all amaze me. At this age, few people can do it better than you."
"But..."
Black paused, turned to look at the vast snowfield outside the window, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
"You're too 'clean'."
"There's no murderous intent in your eyes, only curiosity. That's a good thing in the city, but here, it's a weakness."
"Here, the most dangerous thing is never a bear weighing several hundred kilograms or a pack of wolves."
"It's a person."
Animals kill to eat meat or to protect their young; it's instinct, and there are traceable reasons behind it.
"But people kill people..."
Black sneered, bit off the cigarette butt from his mouth, and spat it onto the floor mat.
"No reason is needed. It could be for money, to cover up a crime, or just because you were in his way, or he's in a bad mood today."
Never turn your back to a stranger, and never expose yourself to anyone's gun when you are unsure of your safety.
"No matter what gun you're holding, no matter how strong you think you are."
This is the first lesson.
Black turned his head and looked at Su Wei.
"It's also the only rule that will allow you to live a long life."
Su Wei raised his head.
He looked at his weathered face and stern eyes, and nodded solemnly.
"I understand, teacher."
That "teacher" was called out very sincerely.
He knew that the reason Black was so angry just now, even risking reversing the car, was because of this.
It was to save him.
This seemingly cold-hearted old man was using the harshest and most brutal methods to forcefully instill in him the survival experience he had gained over decades of living on the brink of death.
"Alright."
Black awkwardly avoided Su Wei's gaze.