[Smile Count: 9/10]
Jiang Beicheng hadn't been intimate with a girl outdoors in a long time.
The freshness and excitement made him feel physically and mentally delighted.
There's an old saying: "A celestial beauty is no match for something fresh."
Li Xingying, with her fair, cool-toned skin paired with a camisole and stockings, was not only "fresh" but also quite "ethereal."
She pulled Jiang Beicheng back from the numbness of his countless encounters with women.
He was very satisfied with his performance tonight and equally pleased with Li Xingying's cooperation.
His smile count had already reached nine, with just one more needed to increase his living allowance quota.
Before returning to China, this task would be easy to complete.
This month's 10 million was nearly depleted because too much of his business investment fund had been spent on purchasing commercial properties, forcing him to use his personal living allowance to cover the funding gap for Beicheng Restaurant.
Before going abroad, Jiang Beicheng had transferred 5 million to the account of Beicheng Restaurant Catering Co., Ltd. for renovations and operations.
The cost of round-trip private jet charters was just over 2 million, daily expenses came close to 1 million, and now he had promised Li Xingying 2 million to support her career.
Jiang Beicheng had some expectations for Li Xingying, or rather, he had a bit of a "godfather" mentality.
He saw her as a work of art he was shaping.
Every step of progress she made, every leap in her career, gave Jiang Beicheng a sense of accomplishment.
As for how much effort he would invest in her or how long his interest would last, he wasn't sure, nor was it entirely up to him.
A smart and outstanding woman always finds a way to keep you captivated.
Little Miss Li needed to put in her own effort too.
…
After driving around New Zealand's South Island, Jiang Beicheng took Li Xingying from Christchurch back to Queenstown.
For the last two days, they had free time.
Li Xingying wanted to visit Milford Sound to see the fjord landscape, something not found back home.
The experience at such scenic spots depended heavily on the weather.
Jiang Beicheng wasn't particularly interested, but his old friend Wu Keqing was enthusiastic and took the initiative to invite Li Xingying along.
He covered the costs, and for a one-day round trip costing 2,000 NZD—around 8,000 to 9,000 RMB—he booked a travel agency for them online.
The South Island is a world-renowned haven for outdoor sports: skiing, skydiving, bungee jumping… Every year, it attracts countless tourists from around the globe to revel in these activities. Back when Jiang Beicheng was in university, he loved these kinds of adventures.
After entering the workforce, his favorite sport became shooting.
He loved playing with guns.
The last time he was in New Zealand, he met a Mongolian hunter who had immigrated there. The hunter took him into the virgin forest for a ten-day hunt, yielding a rich haul: sika deer, wild boars, rabbits, and pheasants… all carted back in the end.
The ten-day hunting service cost a hefty 200,000 NZD.
Though expensive, it was thrilling for Jiang Beicheng. At the time, wilderness survival shows were all the rage, and that kind of wilderness hunting lifestyle was addictive.
The game could be taken home, but Jiang Beicheng didn't take any, as it couldn't be brought back to China. He only took the antlers of a sika deer, which are said to have aphrodisiac and blood-nourishing properties.
Wild game was undoubtedly of much higher quality than farmed.
Autumn was also the season for harvesting antlers.
Jiang Beicheng planned to spend these two days shooting guns and bringing back some antlers to give as gifts.
The last time, Shen, the head of Nanfeng Ventures, had helped resolve Li Xingying's contract issue, and Jiang Beicheng still owed him a favor.
He also needed to prepare some gifts for the Hai Lin couple back home.
He drove straight to the Real Gun Shooting Club, where the Mongolian hunter, Morigen, was one of the shareholders. His hunting grounds were adjacent to the club.
Before heading over, Jiang Beicheng sent him a message.
Morigen was waiting at the club's entrance to greet him.
"Hey! Brother Jiang, long time no see!" Morigen gave Jiang Beicheng a warm hug.
"Old buddy, everything going well?" Jiang Beicheng asked.
"Thanks to you, all's good," Morigen replied, inviting him in. "Wanna warm up your hands first?"
"OK!"
Jiang Beicheng went to the fixed-target range to try out some automatic rifles and warm up.
New Zealand has strict gun control but doesn't ban guns, so the shooting club had an extensive variety of firearms.
AK74M, HK416… a whole lineup of internationally renowned automatic rifles was laid out for you to play with as you pleased.
Jiang Beicheng fired a few bursts to get back into the groove of shooting.
Then he tried an Olympic event—skeet shooting. Morigen didn't use a machine, personally throwing the clay pigeons for Jiang Beicheng.
Using an Italian-made shotgun, Jiang Beicheng got into the zone and hit eight shots in a row.
"Brother Jiang, you haven't lost your touch," Morigen praised. "Wanna try the Barrett?"
Jiang Beicheng gave a casual shrug and a smile.
Nothing was off-limits.
The range had a new addition: the Barrett M99. Compared to the well-known Barrett M82, the M99 sacrificed its magazine for single-shot firing to achieve higher precision.
It used the 12.7×99mm large-caliber Browning machine gun round.
For missions, it could also use the same caliber machine gun rounds if needed.
The M99 had a nickname: "Big Shot," known for headshots.
Its accuracy and power were immense.
When Jiang Beicheng tried shooting at an 800-meter fixed target, he missed his first two shots.
After a slight adjustment, his third shot hit the mark.
His fourth and fifth shots aimed at a 1,500-meter fixed target both missed.
Jiang Beicheng shook his shoulders and laughed, "800 meters is my limit."
He then paid for the bullets—one round cost 50 NZD, about 240 RMB. Five shots totaled 1,200, but Morigen gave him a friendly discount and charged only 1,000.
However, for today's hunting service fee of 899 NZD, Morigen didn't skimp a bit.
Jiang Beicheng didn't haggle over a few thousand yuan. The old hunter had his own rules, whether guiding others or hunting himself.
He picked up a Finnish-made Sako 90 hunting rifle from the armory, calibrated its accuracy at the range, and headed into the mountains with a hunting dog.
There was a good chance of encountering wild boars and sika deer.
In New Zealand, these herbivores were considered pests.
With no natural predators on this land, their populations grew rapidly.
The government didn't regulate hunting.
You could shoot as you pleased.
Right after entering the mountains, they encountered a wild boar. Jiang Beicheng missed his shot, and the boar bolted. When it stopped again, Morigen calmly took a shot, dropping it on the spot.
"As expected of a sharpshooter," Jiang Beicheng said with a laugh.
Morigen's name, in Mongolian, meant "divine archer."
The old hunter chuckled and patted the hunting dog's rear, sending it chasing forward.
They soon bagged some pheasants and rabbits, but Jiang Beicheng's main target today was sika deer.
After enjoying a roasted wild rabbit for lunch, they continued their search with Morigen.
The old hunter wasn't just experienced; his sense of smell was uncanny. He soon spotted a herd of deer in the bushes.
Jiang Beicheng followed the old hunter, stealthily moving forward to find a good shooting position. Two gunshots rang out almost simultaneously.
One deer dropped instantly, a clean headshot.
Another struggled and bolted, but Jiang Beicheng landed a follow-up shot, and it fell about twenty meters away.
The two exchanged a knowing smile.
"We've spooked the herd. We might need to climb a few more hills to find more," Morigen said.
Jiang Beicheng replied, "Old buddy, let's call it a day. I've satisfied my shooting itch. As usual, I'll just take the antlers, and you handle the meat."
He was very pleased with both the process and the results of today's hunt.
[Smile Count: 10/10]
[Completed the 10-smile accumulation task, living allowance amount increased…]
[Monthly living allowance will now provide 20 million]
[Accumulating smiles can further increase the living allowance amount, not limited to yourself—bringing joy and happiness to those close to you will also count]
[Smile Count: 0/100]