Political Commissar Wang continued, "Tonight, I will have someone deliver your new ID, travel permit, and some emergency supplies. But you can't leave so soon. Your marksmanship isn't up to par yet; that's crucial for your self-preservation."

“I have approved it. For the next few days, you will practice shooting at the small shooting range behind the mountain every morning. It is a secluded place where you will not be disturbed. I will have the bullets delivered to you on time, so you can practice without worry.”

Xu Xinghe felt a surge of warmth in her heart and quickly thanked him, "Thank you for being so thoughtful, Political Commissar."

"And then there's Lin Hui." Political Commissar Wang's expression turned serious again. "Based on the current investigation results, she is most likely a dormant pawn planted by a spy organization. However, we don't have conclusive evidence yet, and the General Staff is still around. We can't act rashly, lest we alert them."

“I’ve already had someone watching her 24/7. Once you leave, if she makes any move, I’ll have her pinned down.”

Xu Xinghe nodded. "Thank you, Political Commissar."

“Your departure also needs a suitable excuse,” Political Commissar Wang said. “Just announce to the public that you are going back to your hometown to visit relatives. I will find a stand-in to impersonate you and buy a train ticket from our train station to Shanghai to create a public travel itinerary.”

"But you need to disguise yourself before you set off to your actual destination. Be careful on the way and don't let anyone watch you."

"I accept it all." Xu Xinghe nodded immediately without the slightest hesitation.

After a moment of silence, she seemed to remember something and looked up at Political Commissar Wang. "I have something I'd like to ask you. Could you please not tell Lian Xiao or Zhang Cishu about my trip to see Jiang Linchuan? I don't want them to worry about me, and I certainly don't want them to be in danger because of me."

Political Commissar Wang did not refuse. "Okay, I promise you, I won't tell anyone about this. We'll use the excuse we agreed on when we talk about it."

Xu Xinghe breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "Before I leave, I will prepare the prescription and core medicinal materials. You can come and pick them up. If anything unexpected happens to me this time, please..."

"Don't say such things!" Political Commissar Wang immediately interrupted her, his tone stern. "You won't be in any accidents. I believe in your abilities and intelligence. You are capable of protecting yourself. You will definitely come back safely and bring Jiang Linchuan back with you."

He patted Xu Xinghe on the shoulder, "Prepare well, practice your shooting seriously, I'll be waiting for news of your safe return."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Xu Xinghe watched Political Commissar Wang's retreating figure, her eyes welling up with tears again.

She took a deep breath and suppressed her emotions.

Over the next few days, she needed to make the most of her time to practice shooting and prepare for everything!

As dusk fell and the sky was just beginning to darken, a soft knock came from outside the courtyard gate.

Xu Xinghe got up and opened the door. A young, unfamiliar soldier stood outside, holding a manila envelope. He saluted and said, "Comrade Xu, this is something Political Commissar Wang asked me to give you."

Xu Xinghe took the envelope, thanked him, closed the door, and quickly went back inside to open and read it.

Inside was a brand-new identity document, with the name Su Xiao written on it, and her place of origin being a small village in a neighboring province.

There was also a letter of introduction stamped with the village committee's red seal, which read: "This is to inform you that Su Xiao, a villager of our village, is traveling to Qingzhou City to visit relatives. We request that all units along the way provide him with convenient passage."

Qingzhou is the city where Jiang Linchuan disappeared.

In addition, there were several nationally valid grain coupons, cloth coupons, and some cash.

Xu Xinghe meticulously inventoried all these items, silently memorizing all the information about the fake identity to ensure that no flaws would be revealed.

Then, with a flick of her finger, she stored the entire envelope, along with the documents inside, into her spatial storage for safekeeping.

Nothing was said that night.

The next morning, before dawn, Xu Xinghe had already gotten up.

After a quick wash, she took the shooting practice pass approved by Political Commissar Wang and headed straight for the small shooting range on the back hill.

The small shooting range was indeed remote, hidden deep in the mountains and forests, surrounded by dense trees, with only one path leading to it.

Several targets had already been set up at the firing range, and a Type 54 pistol and two boxes of ammunition were placed on a shelf next to it, which was obviously arranged in advance by Political Commissar Wang.

Xu Xinghe picked up the pistol, skillfully released the safety, loaded the magazine, and clicked to chamber a round.

Without Zhang Cishu by her side to guide her, she could only rely on yesterday's memory to adjust her posture and aim at the bullseye.

"Bang!"

Gunshots echoed through the mountains and forests, the bullets hitting the edge of the target and missing the bullseye.

Xu Xinghe frowned, shook his wrist, felt the vibration from the recoil, and aimed again.

She practiced firing shot after shot, the sound of gunfire rising and falling.

Her arm gradually ached, but thanks to the nourishment of the spiritual spring water, she wasn't worried about muscle strain. She focused on feeling the muzzle tremors and the force of the trigger, trying to transform the sensation into muscle memory.

Midway through the training, Xu Xinghe caught a glimpse of a person standing at the entrance of the shooting range out of the corner of her eye.

She instinctively gripped her pistol and turned to look. There stood a woman dressed in coarse cloth, her trousers stained with mud. She was about forty years old, with dark skin and rough hands. She looked like a peasant woman who worked in the fields year-round, so ordinary that she would not be noticed if thrown into a crowd.

Xu Xinghe frowned. This small shooting range was very remote, and no outsiders should have come here, let alone a woman who seemed to have no connection with the military.

But she didn't ask any more questions, just nodded in acknowledgment, and turned around to continue practicing her shooting.

After firing a few more shots, the woman suddenly stepped forward, her voice hoarse but powerful, "Girl, your grip on the gun is wrong, no wonder you can't hit the target."

Xu Xinghe was taken aback for a moment, then turned to look at her, "Auntie, you know how to shoot a gun?"

"I know a little bit." The woman smiled, stretched out her rough hand, and gently grasped Xu Xinghe's wrist holding the gun. "Look, your arm is too straight, and your shoulders are hunched. When the recoil comes, the muzzle will naturally veer off course. You should relax your shoulders, bend your arm slightly, and use the base of your thumb to hold the gun handle, so that the force can be transmitted from your arm to your waist. That way you can keep it steady."

She precisely adjusted Xu Xinghe's posture, and could even feel the calluses on her palms.

Xu Xinghe adjusted the gun according to her instructions and indeed felt that the muzzle was much more stable.

"Thank you." Xu Xinghe's doubts deepened. "Auntie, are you an instructor here? I've never heard of female instructors in the military before."

Upon hearing this, the woman laughed heartily, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes crinkling together with a touch of boldness. "I'm not an instructor, nor a soldier in the military. I'm just a farmer."

Her gaze drifted into the distance, as if recalling the past. "It's just that when I was young, I was caught up in a war. All the men in the village went to the front lines. In order to defend the village, we led all the women in the village to fight and drove away many enemies. Over time, shooting became an instinct."

As soon as she finished speaking, she took the pistol from Xu Xinghe's hand, checked it with practiced ease, then raised her hand, aimed, and pulled the trigger in one smooth motion.

"Bang!"

The gunshot rang out crisply, and the bullet struck the bullseye squarely, leaving a clear bullet hole.