leonardwarren Chapter 39 Shooting Range Practice
Chapter 39 Shooting Range Practice
On Tuesday, Lucius arrived at the Splin Detective Agency at 8 a.m.
He didn't have to wait long before Charles and Eleanor emerged from a side door, one after the other. The three exchanged a few pleasantries and headed towards the Hull Police Station, which was two streets away.
In the early morning, Sprin Street was not yet bustling. A woman selling milk pushed her cart along the street, calling out her wares, while a steam tram made a low "whoosh" sound as it passed by in the distance.
Lucius walked beside Charles, with Eleanor a few steps ahead of them.
After walking half a block, Charles suddenly turned his head and said to Lucius in a casual tone:
"Isn't it strange? There are public carriages right by the roadside, so why are we walking to the Hull City Police Station?"
Lucius was taken aback by the question and tried to guess: "You specifically had me observe the surrounding environment to prepare for future overseas assignments?"
“No,” Charles suddenly laughed, “because Eleanor loves hiking, and I’m going to accompany her.”
"Uh..." Lucius swallowed the rest of his words, his mind shattering the serious and solemn image of Charles into pieces.
"Who asked you!"
The two continued walking when Lucius suddenly remembered something: "Mr. Charles, is there anything I should be aware of at Viscount Rhodes' dinner tomorrow night?"
Charles glanced at Lucius with surprise. "A viscount who has fallen on hard times and has to sell his possessions is not worth wasting time on if it weren't for this being the most recent public banquet on the social calendar."
“No,” Lucius laughed as well. “What I mean is, what do I need to be aware of? Professor Anthony Thorne will be attending this banquet. He gave me an invitation yesterday, inviting me to go and exchange ideas.”
Charles was pleased with Lucius's "counterattack," which was a humorous style he liked.
He was about to speak when Eleanor's voice came from around the corner, crisp and clear:
"Charles, if we're late, I won't mind digging a hole in your damn ass with my half-blade."
Charles remained calm, clearly unsurprised by Eleanor's "true nature," but his quickened pace betrayed his true feelings.
When Lucius caught up, Charles quickly offered his advice:
"Mr. Lucius, there's only one thing you need to pay attention to: your formal attire."
Although the coat you're wearing isn't damaged, years of washing have caused the cuffs and collar to fade noticeably.
No one would care about this at the school or the firm, but it would be a disastrous act at a noble banquet in the upper town.
If you don't want Professor Anthony constantly making things difficult for you at the banquet, you'd better go to the tailor shop this afternoon and buy a complete formal suit.
Lucius nodded and made a mental note of it.
The three continued walking and arrived at the Hull police station before 8:30.
This building is quite different from the apartment buildings around the street: it is tall, square, and has a stone police badge embedded above the main entrance.
Charles led Lucius into the police station lobby, walking down the corridor past office doors one after another.
He would pause briefly at each door he passed, nod to the person inside, and then introduce the corresponding person's name and position to Lucius.
These people recognized Charles and Eleanor, and some nodded in greeting to the new face following behind, while others merely glanced at him from behind their desks.
The three eventually stopped in front of the special cases handling office at the end of the corridor.
Charles placed his hand on the doorknob, turned to Lucius, and said:
"Lucius, you can't work with us on cases yet."
You can walk straight down the corridor, and the third room on the right is the underground shooting range. The captain has already given instructions; just tell the officer on duty your name.
Lucius nodded, then turned and walked down the corridor in the opposite direction.
At the end of the passageway was a downward stone staircase leading to an iron gate.
An elderly policeman who looked to be in his sixties was sitting in the guard room at the entrance. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and shouted in a loud voice.
"Stop! What are you doing!"
Lucius glanced at the old policeman's name tag: "Black Morris".
After standing at attention, he said briefly, "Officer Black, I'm Lucius Anderson, here to practice my shooting skills."
Upon hearing this, Blake glanced at Lucius and smiled, "Indeed, Felix has given the order. Come with me."
Lucius followed Blake into the underground shooting range, where the space was much larger than he had imagined.
The rectangular hall was divided into several independent shooting lanes by soundproof curtains, with a target paper standing at the end of each shooting lane.
Blake took out a black revolver and explained how to use it:
"For beginners, we recommend a two-handed grip: hold the handle as high as possible with your primary hand, with the base of your thumb against the back of the handle, and support the base of your primary hand with your secondary hand, with your four fingers hooked into the palm of your primary hand..."
As he spoke, he fired a shot forward.
"bump!"
Blake squinted at the target paper and reported the target:
"25 meters, 8 rings."
He didn't seem satisfied with the result, shook his head, and then gestured for Lucius to look at the 5-meter target on the left.
"This distance is perfect for beginners to practice at."
After finishing his sentence, Blake handed the revolver to Lucius, briefly telling him, "Remember to clean up the spent cartridges after you're done," and then walked out through the entrance.
"I can hit at least 10 meters," Lucius said, looking at the target right in front of him.
He imitated Blake's posture and fired a shot at the 10-meter target.
"10 meters, miss."
...Lucius thought Black was right, 5 meters was just right for a newcomer, and he fired again.
"5 meters, 4 rings."
"Every sharpshooter is trained."
Lucius reassured himself, readjusted his breathing, aimed again, and fired.
Gunshots rang out again and again in the underground shooting range as Lucius practiced repeatedly the postures taught by Blake.
Half an hour passed, and he fired about 20 bullets. His best score was only 3 consecutive shots that hit the 7 ring or higher.
Lucius paused to rest for a moment, flexing his aching wrists while frowning as he stared at the 5-meter target paper.
"Sigh!" He suddenly remembered something, his eyes lit up, and he held up a finger.
Lucius glanced around, and then sang softly from his lips in a melodious, rhythmic voice:
My heart is burning with anxiety and restlessness.
Love is like a gentle breeze, soothing my wounds.
After a short while, the soreness in my arm gradually disappeared, and my wrist felt light again.
This is one of the blessings of the apostles who served at the feast: healing.
Lucius did not stop, and continued reciting the blessing poem with focused concentration:
"Take your time, don't rush, don't be careless."
"In this moment, there is complete silence."
……
"bump!"
The spent cartridge fell to the ground, leaving a clean bullet hole in the center of the red bullseye on the target paper.
"25 meters, 10 rings."