Chapter 126: Stealing an Airplane

By standard travel calculations, a Second-Tier ability user running from the Parliament Building to the Emerald District should have returned by now, even accounting for the interference of mutated animals. After all, he surely would have left the Emerald District before the nuclear launch; he couldn't possibly have remained there knowing a blast was imminent.

By this logic, he should have departed the Emerald District by 8:00 AM yesterday at the latest. The path from there to here follows the subway line, which is perfectly traversable underground. Councilor Huang, even while carrying the wounded, managed to circle the edge of the Emerald District and return via the Line 2 tunnel. Therefore, even by the most conservative estimate, 6:00 PM yesterday was the absolute limit.

According to the rules of the Wilderness, an ability user is considered missing if they do not return within the maximum expected time. If a missing status persists in the Wilderness for over eighteen hours, they are presumed dead.

"By definition, Nanhang New City is now part of the Wilderness. The Boss can be declared missing."

She kept her head down, her expression weary. "But I still don't believe anything has happened to him. He made it out of the Hive Laboratory, which was so dangerous. How could he just be gone?"

Chen Qian returned to the desk. She took out a small cosmetic bag she carried with her and stared into the mirror to trace her eyeliner and eyelashes. Inside the bag were several brushes of different sizes—larger ones for dusting powder onto her face, smaller ones for applying lipstick.

As a private secretary, maintaining a pleasant appearance to keep the boss in good spirits was part of the job. Those were Ji Cheng’s own words, and Chen Qian was executing them with great diligence, even if she did not know when he would return. To suit Ji Cheng’s tastes, she had observed carefully and sought advice from Luo Rao on multiple occasions. Her makeup was generally subtle now: simple eyeliner to make her eyes look more spirited, a light layer of foundation to keep her skin hydrated, and the bean-paste-colored lipstick that Ji Cheng preferred.

The makeup process was orderly and focused, as if she were performing some kind of prayer ritual. It was as if, as long as she dressed herself beautifully, Ji Cheng would return safely. The face in the mirror quickly masked its fatigue, appearing intellectual and elegant. Even if her beauty was not breathtaking, her every gesture remained full of charm.

But after a few seconds, Chen Qian’s face was once again clouded with worry. She suddenly realized that even if Ji Cheng was alive, he might currently be fighting a bloody battle, hovering on the edge of death, or perhaps trudging alone through sludge under a black rain. This thought filled her with immense guilt.

"Is the Boss rushing back? Or is he still locked in a life-or-death struggle with Yao Lun?"

"Is he getting rained on?"

"Is he tired and hungry?"

"The air out there is so suffocating..."

At that moment, Chen Qian could barely breathe.

***

Emerald District, an underground hangar.

The hangar was quite large, at least a thousand square meters. Various tools and devices were lined up against the walls, leaving a vast open space in the center to serve as a launch platform and runway. It felt remarkably spacious and bright. The bedrock had been hollowed out and reinforced with steel-reinforced concrete, similar to tunnel construction, but with higher structural requirements. Overhead, the thick arched ceiling—likely reinforced by the original owner, Yao Lun, as an aviation bunker—muted the sound of the rain far more effectively than the underground safe house.

The main runway was polished and maintained so cleanly that it faintly reflected the figures of those standing on it. The air carried the faint scent of heated beef.

Ji Cheng sat comfortably on the edge of the main runway, legs crossed, resting on an electric flatbed cart. The physical stamina he had exhausted earlier had largely recovered, leaving only a dull, tearing pain in his right thigh muscles. Keeping his leg propped up so the strained area remained suspended was undoubtedly more comfortable.

*Achoo!*

Ji Cheng, in the middle of eating a can of braised beef, suddenly sneezed four times in a row.

"What’s going on? Did I catch a cold in this heat despite my constitution?"

He pondered this for a long time before shrugging and turning his head to look at the 'Hunter' solo flight craft parked quietly nearby. This pitch-black aircraft was nineteen meters long and shaped like an unconventional, sharp rhomboid. Its outer armor defied aerodynamics, appearing as flat as a single steel plate milled by a machine tool, reflecting the metallic luster and the hangar lights with the sheen of a special coating. Its edges were razor-sharp, occasionally tracing fluid, textured red lines along the锋角 (blades). It was compact, strange, methodical, and filled with a sense of oppression.

After leaving Speaker Zhang’s house, seeing that he still had time, he had a sudden inspiration and ran to this underground hangar. To steal a plane!

"Although I didn't kill old Yao this time, the harvest is substantial enough. Getting this 'Hunter' craft makes it a small profit, not a loss."

Ji Cheng turned his gaze toward the center of the fuselage, where the hatch was located. Xia Na and An Chan were standing there, arguing with each other. He raised his voice and shouted:

"It’s been so long, haven't you even opened the door yet?"

Hearing Ji Cheng’s question, Xia Na turned and smiled, "I could have forced the door open from the start, but I had to perform a comprehensive check on the ship first. After all, I have to ensure that once the door is open, we can actually start it."

"Hmm, good. Very thoughtful." Ji Cheng popped a piece of beef into his mouth.

An Chan, looking cold, muttered to Xia Na, "You credit-stealing green tea, I was the one who suggested it!"

"An Chan is great, too. Keep it up."

Upon hearing Ji Cheng’s words, An Chan’s anger finally subsided into joy.

He tipped another large mouthful of braised beef into his mouth, chewing voraciously, devouring it as if he had refocused all his energy on the act of eating.

A few minutes later, the last piece of beef was in Ji Cheng’s stomach. He felt satisfied, warmth spreading from his throat to his stomach, and his pores seemed to open. Just as he was about to ask for progress, he heard a voice from the ship: "The inspection is complete, and the hatch is open. You may board."

"Good."

Ji Cheng stood up, exerted force with his hand to crush the empty can with a crunch, and tossed it aside, where it clattered against the wall.

***

6:00 AM, Gray Zone Guard Station.

The top floor of the operations conference room was filled with ability users, but no one spoke. On the projection in the center of the conference table, a vast ruin was displayed: destroyed turrets, burning positions, and sand soaked in black blood, looking as if a whole barrel of asphalt had been overturned. These were the images sent back from the western defense line by a reconnaissance drone.

After a long silence, Huang Long finally broke the tension.

"There is definitely no way to stay in the New City now. I observed the situation closely on the way back. Just in the areas I passed through, there were over a dozen nests built by mutated animals."

Mutated animals had taken root in the city?

Even though they had anticipated it, hearing the news still left everyone stunned.

"We should have listened to you back then."

Zhou Ze hung his head, his lips pale, his voice as weak as a mosquito's buzz. "If we had helped the western defense line withstand the pressure when we first entered the city, it would have been better."

"If the army there was still standing, at least there would be..."