Chapter 48

(Listen (Thank you to sidneyliu for the tip))

After a few busy days, everything was finally done. The fertilizer plant had resumed normal operations, and the cow manure and earthworms had been transported there.

However, Blake kept complaining that the earthworms' droppings were too few, not enough for his needs.

Liu Yunxuan then contacted several small ranches and purchased their cow manure.

In the evening, while resting, Liu Yunxuan saw Rodriguez sitting on the porch, polishing a silver revolver.

"Hey, Rodriguez, is this your gun?" It was the first time Liu Yunxuan had observed a real gun so closely.

"Yes, boss, this is my favorite," Rodriguez said with a shy smile.

"Can I take a look?" Liu Yunxuan asked.

Without answering, Rodriguez handed the revolver directly to Liu Yunxuan.

Liu Yunxuan caressed the metal body of the gun, mimicking the actions he had seen on TV.

"Boss, if you like guns so much, why don't you buy one from a gun store?" Rodriguez asked, puzzled by Liu Yunxuan's enthusiasm.

Liu Yunxuan slapped his forehead and said, "Right, now that I'm in America, I can legally buy a gun." His mind was still stuck in the domestic mindset, and he hadn't even thought about it.

"Come on, let's go to the gun store in town to buy a gun." With that, he pulled Rodriguez and drove straight to the gun store in town.

Upon arriving at the gun store, Liu Yunxuan was immediately attracted by the various guns hanging on the wall.

"Hi, I'm Tom. Young man, is there anything you'd like to buy?" Tom, the gun store owner, said from behind the counter. He had seen many people like this, who stared at the guns on the wall as soon as they entered.

"Hello, Tom, I'd like to buy a gun," Liu Yunxuan replied.

"Sir, please show me your gun permit," Tom said. Although gun control in Texas was very relaxed, checking the gun permit was a necessary step when purchasing a gun. If a serious crime occurred due to a gun sold from his store, his license could be revoked.

"Uh, I haven't processed it yet. Can you handle it here? I have permanent residency in the U.S.," Liu Yunxuan said, a bit embarrassed. He had rushed over in a hurry and only now remembered he hadn't processed it.

"Of course, no problem. Give me your SSN number, and I'll make a call," Tom said.

Liu Yunxuan took out his Social Security card, and Tom called the FBI for a background check. After about ten minutes, a fax came through. Tom looked at it and said, "No problem, young man. Do you have a photo? If not, I can take one for you."

Liu Yunxuan shook his head to indicate no, and followed Tom to a room inside the store, which was a dedicated photo studio. After taking the photo, the printing took a while.

"Young man, can I call you Liu or Andy?" Tom asked.

"Either is fine."

"Alright, Andy, you can go pick out a gun. By the time you're done, I'll have your gun permit ready," Tom said.

"Boss, you can choose a hunting rifle and a revolver. These are essential for cowboys," Rodriguez suggested, seeing his boss staring at the gun rack, unsure of what to choose.

After selecting for a while, Liu Yunxuan chose a Remington 700 rifle. According to the description, it could be equipped with various scopes, the stock could be replaced, the magazine capacity was 5 rounds, and the bullet caliber was 7.62mm. The price was not too expensive, around $1,000. He then selected some accessories and headed to the revolver counter.

There were many revolvers, in various styles and models, with long and short barrels.

In the end, he chose the Smith & Wesson M686 revolver, which used .38 caliber bullets. It had a black handle and a shiny silver body.

The price was as high as $800, almost matching the price of his rifle. But since he really liked it, he didn't hesitate to buy it.

"Boss, this model is great, a classic. The price is not too high," Rodriguez said. When he bought his gun, he had also liked this one, but the price was too high for him to afford.

"Here, this is your gun permit. Keep it with you to avoid any trouble when using the gun," Tom said, handing Liu Yunxuan his gun permit. He then asked, "How about it, have you chosen your guns? You can try them out at the shooting range in the back."

Liu Yunxuan followed Tom into the shooting range at the back of the gun store. Wow, the area was really large.

"Andy, since it's your first time buying a gun from me, I'll give you 20 rounds of ammunition for each gun," Tom said, handing over 40 loose training rounds.

With Rodriguez's help, Liu Yunxuan loaded the rifle with bullets.

Rodriguez fired a test shot, adjusted the scope, fired another shot, and then made further adjustments before handing the gun to Liu Yunxuan, saying, "Boss, it's all set. When shooting, make sure to firmly press the stock against your shoulder to avoid injuring yourself."

Liu Yunxuan took the gun and went to the 400-meter target position. Lying down, he adjusted his breathing and looked through the scope. When the crosshairs locked onto the bullseye, he fired decisively.

"Not bad, boss, 6.5 points," Rodriguez said, looking through a telescope.

Liu Yunxuan was not very satisfied. He had aimed very accurately and thought he would at least get 9 points, but only got a little over 6. There must have been a slight shake when he fired.

Liu Yunxuan learned from his experience and focused all his attention this time.

Not bad, 8 points this time, an improvement. Continue.

"Andy, you're a natural marksman," Tom said, looking at Liu Yunxuan's target sheet and giving him a thumbs up after he finished the remaining rounds.

Indeed, the results got better. Three shots were 8 points, the rest were 9 or 10 points, with two hitting the bullseye.

Next, he went to the pistol range, which was a 10-meter target. Similarly, except for the initial few inexperienced shots, Liu Yunxuan's subsequent performance was excellent.

Even so, Liu Yunxuan still felt his performance was a bit lacking, not doing justice to his eyesight.

Liu Yunxuan bought some more ammunition and also bought some for Rodriguez, and they played with the guns.

After having his fill, he took his two guns and 1,000 rounds of ammunition each to the counter to pay.

The total was $2,610, but Tom rounded it down to $2,600, saying it was a discount for his first purchase.

By the time they returned to the ranch, it was almost evening. Garcia was also very envious of Liu Yunxuan's revolver.

"Boss, can I try this beautiful treasure sometime?" Garcia asked hopefully.

"Of course, just be sure to be careful. I don't want any trouble," Liu Yunxuan said.

"Definitely, I never load the gun when I borrow it," Garcia promised. In the U.S., it is actually required to separate the gun and ammunition when not in use. But in the eyes of a cowboy in the American West, this was nonsense. What's the point of carrying a gun if it's not loaded? Are you still a cowboy then?

"Of course, Rodriguez, you can use it too. I still have plenty of ammunition," Liu Yunxuan said, noticing Rodriguez's envy and smiling at him.

"Thank you, boss. You need a holster. If you're not in a hurry, I can make one for you," Rodriguez said excitedly.

"You can make one by hand?" Liu Yunxuan was surprised to hear that Rodriguez could make a holster.

"Boss, this is a skill passed down in Rodriguez's family. Not just holsters, but also boots, saddles, and other cowboy equipment," Garcia explained to Liu Yunxuan.

"Oh, I didn't expect our Rodriguez to be so talented," Liu Yunxuan praised.

"It's nothing, boss. Cowboy traditions are declining now. They've been taken over by big brands," Rodriguez said sadly.

"Don't worry, think positively. It's not that your skills are bad, it's that they don't appreciate them. If you have time, collect some leather and see what you can make," Liu Yunxuan comforted Rodriguez.

"Sure, boss, no problem," Rodriguez said excitedly. Rodriguez was not good at socializing but was passionate about making these small items.

(End of AD)

(End of AD)