Chapter 295| Chapter 296| Chapter 297
Chapter 295: Be Brave
“No… I can’t do this.” How was she supposed to fly this massive machine?
Xiao Xiao popped his head out from behind her. “Sister! I can do it! I’ll teach you!”
Pei Xiqing looked at him in surprise. “You learned how to fly it already?”
“Of course!” Xiao Xiao puffed out his chest confidently. “I’ve memorized everything!”
Duan Xiaolin adjusted his cuffs. “He learns quickly, but he lacks patience.”
Xiao Xiao pouted. “I am very patient… Mr. Pei, please don’t talk nonsense. I am taking this very, very seriously.”
Pei Xiqing turned back to Duan Xiaolin. “You want Xiao Xiao and me to monitor the aircraft from here?”
“If anything happens, communicate directly with me,” Duan Xiaolin instructed. “The aircraft is on autopilot. You just need to help me monitor the status of the other ships in the fleet and report any anomalies immediately.”
“Okay, I understand.”
Duan Xiaolin threw on his heavy tactical coat and lightly tapped Xiao Xiao’s forehead. “Don’t mess around with the controls unless it’s a critical emergency.”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Pei!” Xiao Xiao promised eagerly. “With me here, the aircraft will be completely safe! And I’ll protect my sister, too!”
Pei Xiqing smiled. “Who needs your protection?”
“Let me go check the situation outside,” Duan Xiaolin said. “Don’t panic, and don’t act rashly.”
“I won’t.” She reached out, gently straightening his collar. “It’s freezing out there. Make sure you’re bundled up so you don’t catch a cold.”
“Mhm.”
The man stationed a few Shadow operatives in the cockpit to guard them before opening the external hatch.
The freezing wind and frost howling outside were so violent that it was almost impossible to stand upright. Pei Xiqing instinctively raised a hand to shield her face from the biting chill.
Through the swirling blizzard, she couldn’t make out the exact exterior structure of the aircraft, but there appeared to be a smaller fighter jet docked just outside. In a flash, Duan Xiaolin boarded it and disappeared into the whiteout conditions.
As the hatch sealed shut, Pei Xiqing turned back to the consoles. “Alright, let’s go check on the other aircraft.”
“Go, go, go! Let’s fight!” Xiao Xiao cheered, pumping his fists.
Pei Xiqing raised an eyebrow. “Are you that excited?”
“Of course! My dream is to become a great general who leads thousands of soldiers into battle! General Ling Lang is my ultimate idol!”
“Have you ever met him?” she asked, genuinely curious.
Xiao Xiao’s excitement faltered slightly. “…Not yet. But if I can survive all this, I’ll definitely meet him someday.”
As he spoke, the boy’s bright expression dimmed. His voice dropped to a whisper. “But I don’t know if I’ll actually live to see that day… There are just so many monsters out there…”
“We will absolutely survive, and you will get to meet him.” Pei Xiqing’s tone was unwavering and firm.
Xiao Xiao looked up, his eyes shining again. “Okay! Then let me teach you how to read these screens!”
Fortunately, there weren’t many winged parasites swarming their specific aircraft. Through the monitors, she could see that the windshields of the other transports were completely plastered with the thick, corrosive mucus spat by the creatures. It wasn’t structurally damaging right away, but it severely hindered visibility and was sickening to look at.
Pei Xiqing carefully analyzed the flight paths of the fleet on the main screen, listening intently as Xiao Xiao guided her through the interface. She honestly hadn’t expected the boy to have absorbed so much technical knowledge in such a short period of time. He basically knew the function of every single button and control panel.
She looked at him with a warm smile. “Keep this up, Xiao Xiao, okay? Never be afraid to ask questions, and don’t hesitate to seek advice when you want to learn something new. You are definitely going to become a very powerful person when you grow up.”
“Can I be as awesome as Mr. Pei?”
“Maybe even better,” she teased gently.
The two of them monitored the situation in the cockpit for over an hour. Pei Xiqing had undeniably been a little confused by the complex readouts at first, but with Xiao Xiao chattering in her ear, she quickly got the hang of it.
“I get it now,” she said, nodding at the radar. “I can actually read this. You’re a great teacher, Xiao Xiao.”
“Of course I am,” Xiao Xiao boasted proudly.
Pei Xiqing pointed to a flashing red dot on the upper quadrant of the screen. “Who is piloting this ship? Their engines are overloaded; they need rescue as soon as possible.”
“I’ll send the coordinates to Mr. Pei right away!” Xiao Xiao said, fingers flying across the keyboard.
“Wait, no. Look at this route.” Pei Xiqing’s gaze locked onto the projected flight path. A subtle warning indicator made her expression turn completely serious. “The situation up ahead isn’t right.”
“What’s wrong? Why doesn’t it look any different to me?” Xiao Xiao leaned in, scratching his head. Then, his eyes widened. “Wait! No! There’s a… a…”
“You see it too,” Pei Xiqing said grimly. “There’s a trap zone ahead of us.”
“Right!” Xiao Xiao nodded vigorously. “Yes! That’s exactly what I was looking at!”
“We can’t fly through there.”
A massive thunderstorm zone was brewing dead ahead. It might not be visually obvious from the outside yet, but piecing together the data—the sudden, massive influx of flying parasites pouring from that exact direction, combined with the subtle atmospheric anomalies on the radar—made it glaringly obvious. Behind the seemingly calm stormfront lay a terrifying, lethal electromagnetic thunderstorm.
“Send out a fleet-wide broadcast. Warn everyone,” Pei Xiqing ordered.
Xiao Xiao immediately tapped the screen, transmitting the emergency alert to all aircraft.
Meanwhile, Pei Xiqing opened a direct comms channel to Duan Xiaolin. He answered quickly, the sounds of combat echoing faintly in the background. She relayed her findings and suggested a course of action.
Clutching the communicator, Pei Xiqing stared out at the vast, chaotic airspace ahead of them. Suddenly, a heavy wave of hesitation washed over her.
“What’s wrong?” Duan Xiaolin’s voice crackled over the line.
Her voice dropped, laced with uncertainty. “Brother Duan, I don’t know… if this is the right call. I’m terrified that I might delay the evacuation or lead everyone into worse danger…”
This decision concerned the lives of thousands of people across hundreds of aircraft. Even if her preliminary judgment felt right, she had never commanded a fleet before. If she was wrong, the consequences would be catastrophic.
She let out a shaky sigh. “Brother Duan, could you double-check the data on your end? I just… I don’t fully trust myself with this.”
“Alright. Send the detailed telemetry over to me, and I’ll take a closer look.”
“Mhm.”
A few agonizing seconds passed before his voice returned. “Your assessment is absolutely correct. Make the call boldly. Even if you make a mistake, I am right here to back you up.”
“Okay.” Pei Xiqing took a deep breath, her posture straightening. “I’ll do my best.”
A low, charming chuckle echoed through the communicator. Pei Xiqing felt a slight flush of embarrassment. “What are you laughing at?”
“It is completely normal to make mistakes in judgment. Even I can’t guarantee my decisions will be one hundred percent correct every single time. Don’t be afraid.”
“I understand.”
“I’m going to hang up now; I’m in a bit of a sticky situation on this end. But I’ll be keeping a close eye on your progress.”
“Be careful,” she urged.
As the comms clicked off, Pei Xiqing’s racing heart finally settled.
She turned to look at Xiao Xiao, who was still anxiously hovering over the console. “Alright, Xiao Xiao. The next command depends entirely on the two of us. Are you confident?”
“Yes! No problem! We’ve got this.” Xiao Xiao clenched his fists and rubbed his hands together, fired up and ready to go.
Pei Xiqing leaned over the main control panel, maximizing the aircraft’s advanced detection array. The sensors finally pierced the camouflage, revealing the terrifyingly violent lightning storm raging in the sector directly ahead.
“Stop,” she commanded. “Issue an order for the fleet to halt their advance.”
“But it feels like those monsters are closing in on us,” Xiao Xiao said, his voice laced with worry.
“We’ll take a detour,” Pei Xiqing decided, her eyes scanning the tactical map. “Order the fleet to bank east. We’ll make a wide circle to completely bypass the anomaly ahead. Have the aircraft that are still in optimal condition take the vanguard, and ensure the damaged transports follow safely in the rear.”
Xiao Xiao studied the projected detour path, biting his lip. “Even if we skirt the edges, the outer fringe of the storm will still cause heavy turbulence. The most heavily damaged ships look like they can’t… withstand that kind of stress. What should we do about them?”
Pei Xiqing’s gaze hardened with resolve. “Then we’ll take the lead.”
Chapter 296: Who Is Up There
Xiao Xiao grabbed Xiao Yu’s hand and immediately tried to hand her over to Shadow. “Master Shadow, please take my little sister to another aircraft. The rest of you should evacuate as soon as possible.”
The masked operative stood absolutely motionless, making no move to take the child. He coldly refused. “We aren’t going anywhere. If you want to leave, take her with you.”
“Sister Pei was the one who told you to take my sister away!” Xiao Xiao retorted defensively. “She wants you to leave first! I’m staying right here with Sister Pei, and she explicitly said you don’t need to worry about us!”
Shadow replied flatly, “If those were Miss Pei’s exact words, then it makes it even harder for us to obey.”
“It’s not safe here! We’re telling you this for your own good!”
“We will not retreat unless Miss Pei comes with us. Otherwise, forget it.”
“But—”
“Xiao Xiao.”
The boy wanted to argue further, but he was interrupted by Pei Xiqing stepping up behind him. He turned around. “Sister Pei.”
The aircraft was shuddering so violently that it was difficult to even walk straight. She carefully made her way over, hugging Xiao Yu and offering a few soft words of comfort.
Xiao Yu’s forehead felt burning hot again. The sudden change in altitude combined with the intense stress was clearly taking its toll. The little girl’s face was deathly pale, and her condition was visibly deteriorating.
Pei Xiqing gently handed the child over to the operative. “Please take her to the adjacent aircraft. I’ve already contacted the medical staff on board; they will be waiting to receive her.”
Shadow accepted the child, carefully supporting her against his shoulder. “What about you?”
“I’m staying here.”
“No.”
“It will be fine,” she assured him firmly. “Brother Duan specifically said that this situation should be handled according to my instructions. My orders are for you to take Xiao Yu to get treated.”
“The Chief Judge ordered us to guarantee your safety,” Shadow argued. “If we leave you behind like this, we cannot fulfill that duty.”
“Then leave two operatives behind to help, and the rest of you will escort Xiao Yu to the other transport,” Pei Xiqing compromised. “We need two people who know how to manually pilot this craft.”
“Understood.” Shadow finally relented, carrying Xiao Yu away toward the docking airlock.
Pei Xiqing waited until the transfer to the adjacent aircraft was complete before turning to Xiao Xiao. “They should be secure now. Once we’re ready, we’re going to head straight into the storm zone.”
“Got it!” Xiao Xiao replied, eager to prove himself.
The aircraft’s engines roared as it began to accelerate rapidly.
The sheer force of the turbulent airflow was actually grinding against the supposedly indestructible outer hull of the aircraft. Transports of this era were built tough enough to rival the world’s most powerful military weapons, yet this storm was visibly damaging the plating. It was clear that the magnetic field anomaly ahead was incredibly lethal.
“Keep going,” Pei Xiqing ordered.
Xiao Xiao was highly motivated. “Go, go, go!”
Pei Xiqing turned her head to look at him. “Aren’t you afraid at all?”
“What’s there to be afraid of?!” Xiao Xiao shouted over the roaring engines. “If I were a coward, I never would have made it to headquarters in the first place, and I never would have met you, Sister Pei! And I definitely wouldn’t have learned how to fly such an awesome armored ship under Mr. Pei’s guidance!”
He was incredibly satisfied just to have made it this far. “It’s okay, Sister! Even if we charge straight into the front lines and die, I won’t have a single regret!”
Pei Xiqing’s gaze softened. “I promise I won’t let you die.”
Xiao Xiao focused entirely on piloting. He gripped the throttle, gritted his teeth, and pushed it to the max. “Alright! Let’s do this!”
The aircraft shot forward at top speed, diving directly into the heart of the thunderstorm’s magnetic field.
Meanwhile, down below, the main vanguard forces battling the parasites and zombies on the grounded ships noticed the lone aircraft streaking across the sky right toward the anomaly. An ability user spotted the strange maneuver and immediately hurried over to report to their commanding officer on the outer deck.
The white-haired youth ruthlessly drove his dagger deep into the skull of a massive parasite. When he yanked the blade free, dead larvae and toxic mucus spilled onto the metal deck.
He raised his eyes. A streak of fresh blood painted the skin beneath his right eye, and crimson splatters stained his stark white hair. His gaze radiated a fierce, terrifyingly pure murderous intent.
Another parasite lunged at him in a desperate final attack, but he effortlessly crushed its skull under his heavy combat boot.
“Trash,” Ling Lang spat.
He kicked the twitching corpse away and cast a cold, disdainful glance at the endless swarm still trying to scale the hull. “A bunch of brainless pests. You really aren’t afraid of dying.”
He kicked a few more mangled bodies over the edge. “Get off my ship.”
The surrounding parasites, seemingly sensing his terrifying aura, didn’t dare approach him directly. They thrashed in the dark water for a moment before scurrying off to find another angle of attack.
A soldier carefully navigated the sea of corpses to reach him. “Major General! The Franlun evacuation fleet has encountered a massive thunderstorm ahead. It looks like they are preparing to take a detour. However, just a moment ago, one of their aircraft broke formation and rushed directly into the storm’s core.”
Ling Lang tilted his head up. Heavy snow was plummeting from the sky, the large flakes catching in his hair and blending seamlessly into the pale strands. The blizzard was so dense it severely obscured his vision.
Pulling his military cap down tightly against the gale, he squinted. High above, he could just make out the silhouette of an aircraft diving headlong into the deadly anomaly.
He immediately barked an order. “Contact Franlun. Confirm whether that aircraft is damaged or if its navigation systems have been compromised by a parasite.”
“Yes, sir!”
A few seconds later, the soldier returned and relayed a whispered report into his ear.
Ling Lang holstered his weapon, his expression turning deathly grim as he strode into the command cabin. “Patch me through to the Chief Judge.”
Two seconds later, the secure comms connected.
The man’s steady, unshakeable voice echoed through the speaker. “Ling Lang.”
“Brother, what the hell is the situation with that rogue aircraft?” Ling Lang demanded. “Even my forces don’t dare approach that storm sector. The magnetic field will tear any ship to pieces. Is there anyone actually on board?!”
“There is,” Duan Xiaolin replied evenly.
“Who? Is it a squad from Franlun? Tell them to eject immediately! I can deploy a rapid salvage team to pull them out of the fallout zone before it’s too late.”
Silence hung over the line for two agonizing seconds. “The people on board will not eject.”
“Why not?!”
“Because Pei Xiqing is up there.”
Ling Lang’s entire body went rigid. “What?!” His brows slammed together in a fierce scowl. “Why the hell is she in that ship?! I’m going up there to save her right now.”
“And how exactly do you plan to save her?” Duan Xiaolin asked coolly.
“I’ll take a specialized fighter jet and fly up to intercept her,” Ling Lang fired back. “I’ll breach the hull and pull her out before that craft fully enters the storm’s center.”
With that, he spun around, rushing toward the hangar.
“Stand down,” Duan Xiaolin commanded.
Ling Lang halted in his tracks. “Why?!”
“Your vanguard forces need you down there. The surface battle requires a commanding officer to maintain the line.”
“Brother! She is up there!” Ling Lang roared, standing completely stiff on the deck, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. “That anomaly is a total death zone. Nothing makes it out of there alive!”
“I know.”
“If you knew, then why did you let her go in the first place?! And now you’re trying to stop me from saving her?!” Ling Lang’s voice cracked with furious disbelief. “Brother, you know exactly how lethal that magnetic field is—even better than I do!”
Chapter 297: Believe in Her
“Because I believe in her.”
“But…” Ling Lang opened his mouth, speechless for a moment. “Believe in her?”
“Since she has chosen to take this step, try to trust her judgment.” The man’s voice was steady and low, though the background audio was laced with the snarling roars of aquatic parasites and the sharp cracks of gunfire.
The situation on Duan Xiaolin’s end was clearly dire as well. Fighting a swarm of flying abominations thousands of feet in the air tested the absolute limits of every operative.
Ling Lang covered his face with his hand, leaning heavily against the bulkhead of his ship as he forced himself to calm down.
He was silent for several long seconds before speaking again. “Brother… I want to believe it, but I’m afraid I can’t bear the consequences if she’s wrong… I’m sorry. I was impulsive just now.”
He needed to remain calm. His brother was already dealing with an incredibly difficult situation up there; Ling Lang shouldn’t be adding to his burden by panicking. He felt a sharp pang of regret for lashing out.
His voice dropped lower, thick with suppressed emotion. “I will hold the ground forces together here and escort the vanguard to safety. But once this engagement is over… if she hasn’t returned, I am going into that storm to find her.”
The man didn’t answer.
The communication link was severed.
High above the storm clouds, San She hung suspended in mid-air from a heavily reinforced tether. He looked across the dizzying drop at the man on the adjacent aircraft, who was also gripping a safety line with one hand while effortlessly shooting down flying parasites with the other.
San She knew perfectly well that once the immediate swarm was dealt with, Brother Duan would immediately plunge into the thunderstorm zone ahead to go after Pei Xiqing.
He genuinely admired Pei Xiqing for taking such a massive risk alone. There were very few women—or men, for that matter—who possessed the sheer courage to charge headfirst into a lethal apocalyptic anomaly just to clear a path for others.
Deftly dispatching over a dozen parasites that tried to ambush him, San She climbed up his tether step by step. He hauled himself onto Duan Xiaolin’s aircraft, leaning over to carefully take the sick child from his arms. “Brother Duan, I’ll take her across.”
Duan Xiaolin unhooked the safety harness from his waist and stepped fully onto the open decking. He stood tall at the edge of the aircraft, his heavy tactical coat whipping violently in the gale-force winds.
The eyes behind his silver-rimmed glasses were deep and unreadable. “No.”
He looked at his most trusted operative. “You stay here and handle the fleet’s situation.”
Suddenly, a faint, pulsing green light began to emanate from Duan Xiaolin’s body.
San She’s expression instantly changed to one of sheer panic. “Brother Duan! Your superpower! Qiu Chao specifically warned you absolutely not to use it during this period!”
Duan Xiaolin casually adjusted his cuffs. His tall, straight figure exuded an incredibly calm, serious, and restrained temperament. Even as the fierce blizzard and howling winds threatened to tear them off the shaky hull, he stood as immovable as a mountain.
“The situation is critical,” he said simply. “Qiu Chao’s warnings can be set aside for now.”
“Brother Duan, no!” San She protested vehemently. “Let me go! I am here to serve you. I’ll go into the storm for you.”
The man refused without hesitation. “Anyone else who gets near that magnetic field will die.”
“But if you draw upon your supernatural abilities now, the viral resonance… your body won’t be able to handle—”
Duan Xiaolin tilted his head, giving the operative a chilling, absolute look of warning.
San She instantly fell silent, though his fists clenched in frustration. “Brother Duan…”
“I have made my decision. Do not attempt to persuade me otherwise.”
In the distance, the terrifying electric currents within the thunderstorm’s magnetic field began to sizzle and crackle ominously.
Without another word, Duan Xiaolin stepped into the cockpit of the adjacent fighter craft. In a matter of seconds, he accelerated away from the fleet, completely disappearing into the raging thunderstorm zone.
Hanging halfway out of the airlock with the child in his arms, San She stared deeply into the dark clouds where the aircraft had vanished, his eyes heavy with worry.
I just hope, he thought grimly, that there are enough parasites left in that storm for him to slaughter.
Meanwhile, Pei Xiqing and Xiao Xiao had successfully piloted their transport right to the fringes of the thunderstorm zone.
The moment they approached the perimeter, the aircraft was subjected to massive electromagnetic interference. The massive ship yawed violently, the navigation systems constantly short-circuiting. They lost signal with the rest of the fleet several times, completely disabling the autopilot.
Fortunately, Xiao Xiao was genuinely capable. The moment the autopilot was forced offline, he immediately took the yoke, manually flying the massive transport to keep it steady.
Taking the co-pilot seat, Pei Xiqing simultaneously triggered the emergency fuel expulsion sequence. The aircraft vented a specialized, highly conductive fuel mixture into the atmosphere just outside the storm’s core.
The chemical reaction formed a temporary, localized protective corridor—a safe path they had carved all the way from the rear. For a brief, crucial window, it isolated the lethal electric currents of the magnetic field.
Now that the “bridge” was built, the hundreds of refugee aircraft lagging behind—which had been wandering off course due to the interference—were gradually corralled into the safe channel and directed away from the anomaly’s lethal center. They had successfully built an invisible bridge to safety.
However, holding the corridor open required Pei Xiqing and Xiao Xiao to remain dangerously close to the storm’s edge.
Pei Xiqing felt a crushing weight in her chest, and her head spun dizzily from the electromagnetic radiation. Beside her, Xiao Xiao looked terrible, his face pale and sweating profusely, but he gritted his teeth and persevered, wrestling with the heavy flight controls.
“Tell the aircraft behind us to hurry up and cross!” the boy grunted, straining against the yoke. “We are sitting right on the edge of the thunderstorm’s center! This anomaly really is a massive trap. If we get sucked in any closer, we’re all doomed! Why have only a third of the ships made it through?! I really… I really don’t know how much longer I can hold on…”
He was just a thin, small child. The sheer physical strength required to manually fight the turbulence was already pushing him past his limits.
Before he could even finish his sentence, a violent surge of crackling electric current suddenly arched through the control panel. The shock violently threw Xiao Xiao backward out of his seat.
The moment he let go of the yoke, the aircraft began to dive. But in a flash, a Shadow operative lunged forward, taking over the controls.
“Miss Pei, please continue directing the fleet,” the operative grunted, wrestling the ship level. “I can hold the position.”
Several thick, blue veins popped out on the operative’s neck as he strained against the immense feedback pressure.
Pei Xiqing desperately broadcasted navigational corrections to the lagging aircraft behind them, guiding them through the corridor. They had to perfectly balance their own ship to keep the corridor open without getting completely sucked into the magnetic field themselves.
Glancing back at the operative, she said, “Just hold on a little longer. The entire fleet will be safely evacuated soon.”
“Understood.”
On the floor, Xiao Xiao was completely paralyzed by the electric shock. He lay on the metal deck, foaming at the mouth, his small body twitching continuously from the residual voltage.
Yet, he still tried to drag himself up. “Brother Shadow… press the red override button on the top panel…” he slurred out. “The aircraft has one final emergency response protocol… Mr. Pei told me… it can only be activated at the absolute most critical moment. Once pressed, it burns all the remaining fuel at once to create a massive repulsion wave.”
“Then we absolutely cannot press it right now,” Shadow replied through gritted teeth.
“I need to press it!” Xiao Xiao cried, spitting as his face twitched and twisted in pain, his body trembling uncontrollably. “The aircraft really… it can’t hold on much longer!”
Shadow frowned deeply. “We can’t. If we burn all our fuel now, we will have zero chance of escaping this gravity well. The moment the wave ends, we will be sucked straight into the core.”
Right now, they were only being affected by the peripheral electric currents and radiation. If they got sucked fully inside the anomaly, everyone on board would die instantly.
Xiao Xiao rolled around on the floor, disoriented and in agony from the shock. He wailed, hugging himself tightly.
The two Shadow operatives standing by looked equally grim. The residual current they were absorbing through the controls was terrifyingly strong. If an ordinary person touched the console right now, they would likely be electrocuted to death on the spot.
Through the blizzard outside, Pei Xiqing could see that several of the trailing aircraft were still being harassed by surviving parasites, causing them to constantly lose their route in the whiteout.
Ignoring her own dizziness, Pei Xiqing rapidly inputted the correct coordinates and vectors again and again, desperately trying to hail every single aircraft that had lost its signal.
She felt awful. Xiao Xiao had collapsed at her feet and was constantly crying out in pain, but she couldn’t stop. The lives of thousands of people depended entirely on the communications console in her hands.
“Repeat, please repeat. We are confirming and re-uploading the safe route trajectory.”
“This is transport H120. Signal received. Adjusting route to new coordinates. Clearing the anomaly trap zone ahead.”
“Fleet Vanguard is underway and securely on course.”
…
Pei Xiqing’s fingers flew across the screen, frantically processing the massive influx of data.
Over a dozen aircraft had completely lost contact due to the interference. If she hadn’t manually re-established their ping locations and guided them back, they would have been completely lost in the blizzard and buried by the snow after crashing.
One by one, the red dots of the lost aircraft finally flickered back to green on her radar.
She let out a massive sigh of relief.
She quickly knelt down to help Xiao Xiao up. “Burn the last of the fuel reserves! We have to ensure that everyone leaves this sector alive!”
Half of Xiao Xiao’s face was covered in a nasty electrical burn, and tears streamed uncontrollably from his eyes due to the pain.
Heartbroken, Pei Xiqing carefully wrapped a clean, dry towel around his face to soothe the burns. But she didn’t dare hold onto him for too long; his body was still highly conductive.
Xiao Xiao’s mouth twisted in pain. “Sister… I have to make it back alive. I promised… Mr. Pei…”
“Okay, save your strength, stop talking.” Pei Xiqing gently wiped the saliva from his chin. “I’ll go find some rubber insulators right now. I won’t let you get shocked again.”
“…No, don’t.” Xiao Xiao slumped weakly against her chest. “Sister, don’t run around… The spot where your feet are right now is grounded and safe. If you run around the cabin, you’ll step on a live wire and get burned to a crisp…”
“It’s okay. I’m not afraid,” she said softly.
“Sister…”
“It’s okay, it’s really okay…” Pei Xiqing kept taking deep, steadying breaths.
The ambient electric current inside the cockpit was becoming increasingly terrifying. She stood frozen in the grounded safe zone, not daring to reach out and touch the boy again for fear of passing a lethal shock.
Everywhere she looked, the air inside the cabin was filled with the terrifying, crackling arcs of black and purple lightning.
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