Brittany Scott noticed the tension suddenly escalating and felt that since everyone works in the same field and runs into each other frequently, there's no need to make things so awkward. She spoke up, "Everyone, shut up."
Steven Davis turned his head to look at Brittany and said, "I said I would be your Flower Protector. You can refuse my affection, but you can't refuse everything I do for you because it's all voluntary."
Brittany didn't know what to say.
Steven Davis turned to me and said, "When it comes to strength, you're definitely not as good as me. In terms of combat, as a district police officer, you're definitely not my match. Even in overall abilities, I can totally outclass you. So, to prevent you from feeling unconvinced if you lose, let's compete in something simpler that we are all proficient in, basic skills."
I: "What?"
Steven Davis enunciated each word, "Gun assembly!"
He took out his firearm from his waist and said, "As police officers, gun assembly is a basic skill every officer must have. The gun is an extension of oneself, and what we want to compare is who understands it better."
This left me in an awkward position because my gun permit hadn't been issued yet.
"I don't have a gun," I admitted.
"Then let's not compete," Brittany Scott said. "He rarely carries a gun, and in terms of proficiency, he is definitely not as good as you, Steven Davis, so don't make a big deal out of nothing."
After saying that, Brittany Scott prepared to pull me away.
Steven Davis knew he couldn't argue with Brittany, but he still couldn't help but sneer at me, "Then stay behind a woman all the time. If you, Brittany, like this kind of man, I have nothing to say. He's utterly useless, no wonder he's just a local community cop, not at our level."
Brittany Scott frowned, "Steven Davis, stop speaking sarcastically. Aren't we all police officers? What's the difference?"
I didn't want to cause trouble, preferring to avoid disputes, but that didn't mean I wouldn't retaliate when insulted so blatantly. Otherwise, I wouldn't be the tough guy who came out of the military. Though my abilities had been significantly reduced by that damned genetic drug, my C Level comprehensive skills were still more than enough to handle this D Level Steven Davis.
I turned around fully and got close to Steven Davis, both of them tall and confronting each other as equals. I didn't back down at all and said, "I've always wanted to see what a SWAT officer is capable of. Play whatever you want; if you're afraid to play, you're a coward!"
Facing him, Steven Davis touched foreheads and sneered, "Then come with me."
"Tobby Curry, don't be impulsive. At the core, SWAT and us are still different," Brittany Scott said.
I ignored her and followed Steven Davis directly into their Criminal Police building, heading straight to the indoor gymnasium where all the athletic and combat equipment, including a ring and a shooting room, were fully equipped.
The two arrived at a table where Steven Davis took the practice shooting handgun from a colleague and slid it across to me. They both began disassembling the handgun, including the bullets. Then Steven Davis said, "Once I say 'start,' we'll see who assembles the handgun the fastest, then turns to shoot all the bullets into that 30-meter target. This way, we're not only comparing gun assembly speed but also marksmanship."
Brittany Scott: "That's unfair. Steven Davis, you're SWAT and have the conditions to practice often, but Tobby Curry doesn't have that advantage."
"He's the one who said whoever's afraid to play is a coward," Steven Davis snorted, looking at me.
I looked at Steven Davis and calmly said, "If I lose, you only need an apology from me to Brittany Scott?"
Steven Davis: "No, plus one more thing, stay away from my Brittany Scott."
I: "What if you lose?"
Steven Davis scoffed, "You think I would lose? Do you want to ask around here about my capabilities?"
I: "What if you lose? I seem to be at a loss whether I win or lose because you don't have anything I want."
Steven Davis fiercely said, "If I lose, I'll fucking be your grandson."
I smiled slightly, "Then shall we begin?"
Nearby, two of Steven Davis's colleagues started the countdown, "3...2...1!"
At the word 'one,' I grabbed the disassembled gun parts with both hands. Steven Davis, holding one part in each hand, assembled the barrel onto the gun body within 2 seconds. My movements weren't fast, but the strange thing was that in one assembly step, I picked up at least three parts with my big hands and perfectly assembled them with both hands in just 2 seconds. In the same time, I was three steps ahead of Steven Davis!
This move caused Steven Davis's pupils to dilate as his hands instinctively sped up. However, his mind couldn't keep up with his hand movements, so there were noticeable lags.
After I smoothly assembled the next three parts with one swift move, I flicked the six bullets into the magazine with my thumb, locked the clip, and turned to fire all six shots directly at the target 30 meters away in a fluid motion, all with one hand!
Whether his aim was accurate or not, just based on his gun assembly speed, he was impressively fast. By the time he finished firing six bullets, Steven Davis had just finished assembling his gun and turned to shoot at the target.
After firing six shots, Steven Davis's face was burning with embarrassment. Even without looking at the target's accuracy, he had already lost in gun assembly, and it wasn't even close. Tobby Curry's expert handling had slapped him in the face without mercy.
His expression was very awkward as he hoped his shooting accuracy could at least redeem some of his dignity.
He turned to glance at Tobby Curry and saw him light a cigarette, sitting down silently after tossing the gun onto the table.
Brittany Scott ran over, tore down the target center, and jogged back.
"You do have some skill in gun assembly, but I couldn't help but mock your shooting technique. Avoiding recoil can affect accuracy; it's typically better to hold the gun with both hands level with your shoulders to maintain precision. I saw you fired six consecutive shots with one hand, clearly trying to imitate movie heroes," Steven Davis scoffed.
I said nothing, quietly smoking.
With the target in hand, Brittany Scott awkwardly looked at Steven Davis, hesitant to speak.
"You still don't know my abilities? Just say it," Steven Davis said indifferently.
Brittany Scott showed him the target score sheet, "You hit one shot in the 5-point red area, three shots in the 3-point blue area, and two shots in the 2-point green area, totaling 18 points."
The target was roughly the size of a 20cm diameter disc, and hitting a 20cm diameter area from 30 meters away, not to mention the red zone, was an impressive feat. For Steven Davis, it was something to boast about as it showed he could shoot someone square in the head from 30 meters away, given the target was about the size of an adult human head.