Chapter 118: Learn From Experience, Watch Out Next Life
Chi Qian happily hugged the sparkling stones and stuffed them into her backpack.
Hmm?
What did she just see?
The golden beetles she had pried off the castle’s spire, and the whistle given to her by the golden noodle—they were still there.
They hadn’t turned to sand!
If there was ever an example of “a blessing in disguise,” this was it.
Chi Qian suddenly felt the sky was bluer, the sand brighter—she was back in business!!
Chi Fengxiao glanced at the sky. “It’s getting dark. We need to find a place to camp for the night, and then—”
“Grrr~”
Chi Qian’s stomach played the Empty City stratagem.
Chi Fengxiao’s lips twitched. “Then dinner first.”
“We won’t be joining you.” After staying quiet for a long while, Gu Hua finally spoke with a smile. “We plan to travel through the night while it’s cooler, to reach the safe house sooner.”
Ling Qian: “You all can waste time if you like.”
Chi Fengxiao: speechless.
Who even asked them?
Gu Hua turned to the Xia sisters. “Do you want to come with us?”
Xia Xinyue glanced at Chi Fengxiao. As much as she wanted to stay, she knew hanging around him would only make him dislike her more.
And with her trump cards already gone, the only way to marry into the Chi family and rise above others… was that method.
“Alright,” Xia Xinyue agreed.
“Sister Baihua, you already know where the safe house is?” Xia Zhenzhen asked.
Gu Hua nodded. “Yes, I’ve basically confirmed it. Traveling at night might be tough, but it’s better than dawdling around hoping for luck.”
That was a thinly veiled jab at Chi Qian, implying she’d gotten this far purely on luck.
Hands in her pockets, Chi Qian drawled, “Some people want luck, but can’t even find it.”
Gu Hua smiled. “True, which is why we’ll rely on the oldest method—our own ability—to win first place.”
Xia Zhenzhen immediately chimed in: “Sister Baihua, I believe in you!”
Gu Hua’s independent, determined attitude helped patch up her shaky reputation a little.
[Is she taking another detour now?]
[Heard green tea can be used as a foot soak to cure athlete’s foot—she really is multi-talented]
[Don’t be too harsh. How do you know her choice is wrong before results are in? Just because your fave is lazy doesn’t mean you can’t respect Baihua for being hardworking!]
[Go Baihua! You don’t need luck—you can beat them with your own skills!]
With that, Gu Hua and her group set off.
Once they were far enough away, she explained: “The reason I said all that was because I saw the golden castle appear again—in the other direction.”
Xia Zhenzhen’s face lit up. “So we’re treasure hunting?”
“Exactly. And the golden castle appeared near the safe house too.”
She’d spent two Favor Points to buy this intel from the system.
No way it could be wrong.
Ling Qian smiled indulgently. “Baihua’s really clever. Good thing we didn’t just let them reap the benefit.”
Gu Hua bit her lip shyly.
Her fans in the livestream were ecstatic, spamming 666 and trashing Chi Qian in comparison.
Golden castle?
As if Chi Qian’s team were the only ones who could get in.
But in truth, nobody really cared where Gu Hua went.
Chi Qian wrangled a few ostriches, and her team found a good campsite before nightfall to settle down for dinner.
The snacks Lena had given them were plentiful, including a few packs of instant noodles. They cooked them in a little iron pot, cracked in a couple of desert eggs, and tossed in the dried vegetable packets.
The aroma spread quickly—so good it made people dizzy.
The camp was filled with the sound of slurping noodles.
Their relaxed enjoyment stood in sharp contrast to Gu Hua’s forced hard work.
Gu Hua’s fans gloated, convinced she would soon leave Chi Qian’s team in the dust.
—
The next morning—
Chi Qian’s group set off again.
After walking a long while, they spotted a helicopter up ahead.
Its design was different from Chi Yanliu’s flashy private helicopter, and it bore no markings.
“Which unlucky guy’s chopper broke down this time?” Chi Fengxiao rapped on the window. “No one inside either.”
Chi Qian looked around. “Anyone got a coin?”
“Would a commemorative coin work?” Luo Zichuan asked.
“Sure.” Chi Qian took the coin and tapped gently on the helicopter’s shell.
Chi Fengxiao frowned. “Baby Qian, what are you doing?”
“Most of a helicopter’s blades are made of composite materials. If they’re damaged, gaps form inside the structure,” Chi Qian explained. “I’m checking where the fault is, to see if I can fix it.”
Luo Zichuan followed up: “Because when the inside is damaged, tapping the surface with a coin makes a dull sound. But not everyone can tell—only a highly experienced professional could do that…”
Luo Fan cut him off and asked Chi Fengxiao: “How old did you say your Qian is this year?”
Chi Fengxiao paused. “…Fifteen, I guess.”
Luo Fan: “?”
So this is what big companies mean when they say they’re looking for 23-year-olds with 30 years of work experience?
Shen Jiashu whispered: “Daddy, when I grow up, can I be as smart and amazing as the princess?”
Shen Jing: “Of course you can, son.”
“Daddy, then can I experience it in advance?”
“How do you mean, experience it in advance?”
“Call me ‘little princess.’”
“……”
Inside the helicopter, Chi Qian found the toolbox, pulled on a pair of gloves, and started repairing it with her bare hands.
[?? Qian really going for it? Is she planning to fly this chopper away?]
[Okay, I’m not a hater, but… can her legs even reach the pedals?]
[That’s not the point. Why are Movie Emperor Chi and the others just letting her mess around? Has she even flown before?]
[Bring in another Argentavis—still wouldn’t be able to catch her if she insists on courting death, lol]
Luckily, the helicopter wasn’t too badly damaged—just a few small issues—so it didn’t take much time.
Chi Qian slid into the right-hand pilot seat. Left hand on the collective, right hand on the cyclic, she started testing the controls.
Chi Fengxiao sat in the co-pilot’s seat, his face full of worry. “Baby Qian, maybe Uncle should do it instead? I’ve played around with helicopters a couple times before.”
Granted, he got too busy later and forgot most of it.
But somehow letting Qian fly felt way riskier.
“Don’t be scared, Uncle,” Chi Qian reassured him. “Even if something goes wrong, it’s fine.”
“What, we got parachutes or some safety guarantee?”
“Not really. But if we die, at least we’ll learn from the experience and be more careful next life.”
Chi Fengxiao: “……”
Listen to this girl!!
He quietly made the sign of the cross. May the heavens protect them.
Fortunately, the helicopter made a full circle without issue. Chi Qian landed it, picked up the others, and slowly lifted off again.
[Qian… wait, you’re telling me this girl is only 15??]
[At 15 I was still stressing over whether to add an egg or a sausage to my jianbing.]
[At 15 I was wondering whether I’d get into Tsinghua or just end up selling sweet potatoes.]
[Fun fact: Chairman Chi often takes a helicopter to the office rooftop for convenience.]
[Where are all the haters calling her a poser? Didn’t you sound real loud just a moment ago?]
“Princess, you’re amazing! You’re incredible! I’ll smash my head against a wall for you!!” little Shen Jiashu cheered, plastered to the window.
Luo Fan gave a thumbs-up. “Impressive. I’m this old and this is my first time in a helicopter.”
Luo Zichuan pushed up his glasses. “Same here.”
Shen Jing smiled too. “Qian, when did you learn to fly a helicopter?”
Chi Qian: “I didn’t.”
