In the dim theater, a performance was underway on stage, with the audience consisting of children, elementary school students. The children were quiet, attentively watching the show when suddenly, the stage curtain caught fire. The fire spread quickly, engulfing the entire stage as the children hurriedly descended.

Li Haojun quickly turned back and shouted to the children in the front rows, "First and second rows, stand up, move back, quickly, don't crowd, don't crowd, hurry!" The students in the last row opened the door, holding it open, ensuring everyone's safety. Li Haojun stood by the aisle seats, watching as the evacuation of the first and second rows proceeded smoothly. He urgently shouted, "Third and fourth rows, stand up, third and fourth rows, stand up, let's go, evacuate quickly."

Meanwhile, the fire had spread to the ceiling of the theater, thick smoke and intense heat rolling in behind.

"Fifth and sixth rows, evacuate quickly, hurry!" The children, obedient and compliant, began to evacuate, but the fire was spreading rapidly, and the smoke and heat were becoming increasingly oppressive. Li Haojun looked at the remaining children to be evacuated and started feeling uneasy.

"Seventh, eighth, ninth rows, evacuate, quickly, hurry!" By now, the smoke had filled the space above, and the heat seemed to scorch their hair and backs.

"Bend down and run, bend down," amidst the orange flames and thick smoke, Li Haojun realized with urgency that time might be running out. Suddenly, he opened his eyes—it was just a dream. He shook himself back to reality, the dream vivid in his mind, wondering why he had such a dream.

Li Haojun got up and found Tan Wenjing still asleep. He went to her room, where she lay in the same position as yesterday morning. Li Haojun sat gently beside her, caressing her body. Seeing her still asleep, he decided not to disturb her and quietly left.

Tan Wenjing lay silently, slowly opening her eyes. In fact, she had been awake, waiting for Li Haojun to wake her up as he did yesterday morning. She understood her man well—the more he cared, the more concerned he was about her past. Last night's boldness might not have strengthened their relationship; it could have caused hurt. As a woman, she understood the difference between love and lust. She had intended to be intimate with him this morning, but he had left on his own.

Tan Wenjing got up, wearing her pajamas, and left the bedroom, finding Li Haojun sitting by the computer in the living room. Barefoot, she walked over and squatted beside his chair, placing her hands on his thighs, looking up at him and saying, "Stop overthinking, there's nothing between me and John."

Li Haojun lowered his gaze to her charming face, filled with pity, and reached out to pull her up, helping her to sit on his lap. Gently caressing her body, he said, "Don't worry, I love you."

Tan Wenjing hugged his neck, pressing her face against his, "Long ago, I tried to live an ordinary life, get married, have children, and live like that forever. But the marriage failed quickly; I underestimated the difficulty of being with someone else. As I wandered in the world, I realized I couldn't find you again."

As she spoke, tears rolled down Tan Wenjing's cheeks, dripping onto Li Haojun's body. He quickly turned to wipe away her tears, saying, "Don't cry, I'm here, and we'll never be apart again."

"Mm," Tan Wenjing sniffled, looking at Li Haojun, still teary-eyed. "The person I was with in the past, I didn't love him. My past self is long gone. Don't despise the person I am now."

Li Haojun gently wiped away her tears, kissed her lips, and then hugged her, whispering in her ear, "I won't despise you. How could I? You're so wonderful; I cherish you too much. Occasionally, my mind may wander, but don't worry, I won't lose my way; I'll always remember the path to you."

After a while of intimacy, Tan Wenjing glanced at the computer screen and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Just checking the news and catching up on major events that happened in the past," Li Haojun replied, with a self-deprecating smile.

"Oh, I'll make breakfast then," Tan Wenjing said, sliding off Li Haojun's lap and heading to the kitchen, a smile playing on her lips because her familiar man had returned.

Li Haojun also put down what he was doing, hugging her waist like a shadow, and following her closely to the kitchen. Both of them moved in sync, with Tan Wenjing occasionally glancing back at Li Haojun with a playful smile.

At the breakfast table, Tan Wenjing pushed her disheveled hair aside, dressed in cool pajamas, and sat cross-legged opposite, her face adorned with a sweet expression.

"Last time, I asked you a question, and you didn't answer," Li Haojun asked as he ate.

"What's that?" Tan Wenjing's voice was crisp.

"I asked if we had a gun. I think... it's good to have one, especially in America," Li Haojun replied.

"Yeah, you've always been like this, always lacking a sense of security. Yes, we have one; it was yours before. Actually, it's relatively safe here. We're in a conservative area, far from the free zones of big cities, and the laws enforced in the counties in between don't allow for crimes like theft and robbery. So, the habitual offenders from the free zones can't come over here, and there are patrol cars and drones blocking those with criminal records. They have absolute freedom there, but they're not exempt from consequences. " Tan Wenjing casually explained the situation as she ate and drank.

"Yeah, but we still need a last line of defense. On one hand, there are petty thieves, and on the other hand, in case of planned attacks, we can't just sit and wait," Li Haojun added.

Tan Wenjing smiled as she looked at Li Haojun. She knew this man too well; she had heard him talk about survival logic countless times before, but she liked him this way.

"Everything's in the basement; I'll show you after breakfast," she said, finishing her meal and stirring the still-hot coffee with a spoon, waiting for Li Haojun.

Descending to the basement, the lighting was dim, with no windows or doors leading to the outside, giving it a gloomy atmosphere. On the right side of the stairs was a safe.

"Try it; it's a fingerprint lock," Tan Wenjing said, hugging herself and not advancing.

Li Haojun unlocked it, pulling open the heavy door inside, resembling a small armory with a variety of firearms. He turned back to Tan Wenjing in disbelief, asking, "Am I a secret agent too?"

Tan Wenjing still hugged herself, saying, "No, you just like it."

"Okay, it seems I'm quite wealthy," Li Haojun said, trying to make sense of it all. He closed the safe, escorted Tan Wenjing upstairs, and said, "It's

 a bit cold here; you don't have to stay with me."

"Okay, take care of yourself," Tan Wenjing replied.

Seeing Tan Wenjing off, Li Haojun began to immerse himself in admiring his collection. Inside the safe were various handguns, from Sig Sauer P228, used by federal agents, to Smith & Wesson USP .40, the Navy SEALs' bidding series, CZ75 compact, and more. Then there were pocket-sized concealed handguns, such as the Beretta .32, and even a short-barreled shotgun.

Li Haojun chuckled to himself, realizing it must have been quite a long project; it seemed Tan Wenjing's ten-year companion wasn't just talk.

As he looked further, he found Remington bolt-action rifles in NATO 7.62, SCAR in NATO 5.56, AK in Warsaw Pact 7.62, and Mosin-Nagant in Warsaw Pact 7.62, all using popular civilian ammunition. It seemed she just had a hobby, not chasing after extreme performance or being overly practical; Li Haojun analyzed her behavior and motives.

Though he had forgotten his past experiences of using and purchasing firearms, Li Haojun still picked them up one by one, testing their feel. Perhaps muscle memory? He tried gripping the handles, loading, unloading magazines, chambering rounds, and disengaging safeties, but he felt no familiarity. It seemed he was just an enthusiast, not a secret agent.

As he handled the firearms, Li Haojun noticed production numbers with years marked on them, indicating a continuous acquisition over a long period. It appeared he really liked them; there were new models every year.

Li Haojun selected two, locked the safe, and returned upstairs to the room. Holding the two guns, he couldn't help but wonder, "Do I really need this many?"

Looking for Tan Wenjing, who was braiding her hair while sitting in front of the dressing table, Li Haojun sat beside her, embracing her waist, admiring her handiwork. Tan Wenjing looked at him through the mirror, her eyes filled with sweetness.

"Did I buy all that equipment at once?" Li Haojun asked.

"No, why do you ask?" Tan Wenjing seemed surprised by the question.

"Why do I keep buying guns non-stop?" Li Haojun asked again.

"Who knows what's on your mind," Tan Wenjing pouted, pretending to be displeased.

"Sigh, am I still an employee of the company? Do I still have a salary?" Li Haojun asked.

"Yes, I've been keeping it for you," Tan Wenjing replied.

"Wife, can you give it back to me? I want to buy something," Li Haojun said, swaying Tan Wenjing's waist and blowing into her ear.

"Oh, so if it's money, I'm your wife, but if it's no money, you won't give me anything," Tan Wenjing exclaimed, pretending to be annoyed.

It was then that Li Haojun remembered something, and he asked tentatively, "Honestly, did I ever... ask you to marry me?"

Tan Wenjing's demeanor turned calm as she took Li Haojun's hand, softly saying, "No," then looking away. After a moment, she turned back to him, saying, "Wandering the world, isn't this good enough?" She stroked Li Haojun's hand, murmuring, "Why think so far ahead?" before gently nestling into his embrace.