Playing the Foolish Beauty in a Deadly Game - Chapter 19
Entering a horror game was already absurd enough, and becoming a child… wasn’t entirely impossible either. At that moment, the plane’s announcement system crackled with a brief message about the impending landing. Unlike the captain’s usual long-winded speeches, the man in the black suit’s words were concise. Yet, those few short sentences were enough to send chills down the spines of those who understood.
“There are obstacles on the runway; we cannot land. Prepare for an emergency landing.”
“The landing site will be Chernobyl Avenue. Brace for impact.”
Passengers and players scrambled back to their seats, their hands trembling as they fastened their seatbelts. Everyone knew what an air crash was, but none had ever experienced one. Someone tried to comfort the others: “It’s okay. We’re not just plummeting down. This is land; we’ll be fine.”
A careless mistake could still lead to a catastrophic crash, even on land. The brown-haired man muttered, “Didn’t that guy in black say he could fly the plane? What’s there to be nervous about?”
The flight attendant player, due to her identity card, knew more and explained: “Runways are quite specialized. Large aircraft have very high requirements for landing sites, including the flatness of the surface, the solidity of the foundation, and the hardness of the ground.”
“If something goes wrong, the plane could catch fire during the landing roll, and if it explodes…” The flight attendant stopped herself, not wanting to cause more panic among the other passengers, even though she herself was terrified. After all, she wasn’t a real flight attendant and hadn’t undergone professional training.
The flight attendant player stopped talking to the brown-haired man and addressed everyone: “Everyone, please calm down and listen to me.”
“Please remove any items made of nylon, velvet, or silk-blend materials. These materials have very low ignition points.”
“Also, everyone must prepare for impact. Passengers facing the front of the plane should fasten their seatbelts and shoulder straps, ensuring the seatbelt is low on the hips and not twisted or folded.”
“Pull your legs back as far as possible, within the vertical line of your knees, and lean your head forward, as close to your knees as you can…”
Everyone followed the instructions, even the rebellious brown-haired man, who valued his life despite his complaints. His legs were shaking, and he struggled to fasten his seatbelt properly, his face pale but putting on a brave front.
Yan Ting helped Lin Qiao adjust his posture, his fingers slipping under the edge of Lin Qiao’s white socks. Lin Qiao cautiously asked, “Is this nylon? Do I need to take it off?”
Yan Ting shook his head, but his fingers slowly pushed something into Lin Qiao’s mid-length white socks, under the cover of his palm. It was cold and smooth, like a chip or a small card a few centimeters in size. Lin Qiao’s sensitive calf muscles couldn’t help but shiver. He asked in confusion, “What is it?”
“Something good,” Yan Ting replied, pulling his fingers out. The delicate and smooth texture of his fingertips made him unconsciously rub them together. Lin Qiao pretended not to notice, secretly feeling Yan Ting’s pectoral muscles while Yan Ting pinched his calf. Well, that evens out. But this guy really pinched hard; his grip was too strong. Lin Qiao winced but didn’t dare make too much noise.
Yan Ting had a serpentine beauty, handsome yet gloomy. He looked a bit mischievous, not in a vicious way, but rather as someone with a lot on his mind. So far, Lin Qiao hadn’t figured out Yan Ting, or rather, they both sensed something off about each other but tacitly chose not to reveal it.
The plane began to descend sharply and started to jolt continuously. The loud noises and sudden changes in air pressure made Lin Qiao very uncomfortable. So he closed his eyes, listening to the screams around him: “Ah? There’s black smoke outside the cabin!”
“Will the plane explode? Will we be blown to pieces?”
The immense inertia soon silenced everyone. No one wanted to land, but there was no other choice. First, everyone needed supplies, and second, fuel was essential, especially since the plane couldn’t refuel mid-flight.
Quiet curses and prayers still filled the air, and occasional screams from passengers when the turbulence was too severe. Lin Qiao’s eardrums also began to hurt, but he could sense that the plane had landed. The sound of friction with the ground was audible inside the cabin.
“Thank God, we’ve landed. Why hasn’t it stopped yet?”
“Please don’t hit anything. Please don’t explode.”
The roar of impact was accompanied by the sound of glass shattering and walls collapsing, and everyone’s hearts were in their throats. It wasn’t until the plane slowly came to a stop that the man in the black suit emerged from the cockpit and announced over the PA: “We’ve landed safely. We need to send someone to check the damage to the plane. There’s a gas station on the next street.”
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and then burst into cheers. Although the plane had hit something, it was just an ordinary store. The landing site wasn’t in the city center, but the nearby area was quite bustling, which meant there would be plenty of supplies.
Yan Ting unbuckled his seatbelt and told everyone to stay calm and quiet. The joyous expressions faded as everyone realized they needed to be quiet, especially since there might be black graffiti outside. Previously, passengers had been willing to fight the shadows, but ever since they learned that the shadows could infect humans, they had become more cautious.
When Yan Ting made arrangements, he didn’t command the passengers but first had the men in black suits check the plane. There was no major damage; the black smoke was just from the friction. Then Yan Ting prepared to disembark, but Lin Qiao stopped him: “Sir, your injuries… you need to rest properly.”
Yan Ting was organizing his firearms and handed Lin Qiao a few: “You stay on the plane and don’t run around.”
Since Lin Qiao was seated, Yan Ting knelt down and, without hesitation, grasped Lin Qiao’s calf and lifted it. Lin Qiao let out a cry and fell backward, then propped himself up with his elbows. Yan Ting continued to lift Lin Qiao’s leg higher, his gaze deep as he stared at Lin Qiao: “Do you understand?”
“I-I do,” Lin Qiao replied, wincing uncomfortably. He knew Yan Ting was reminding him to hide what was in his sock.
The passengers and players glanced over but quickly lost interest, except for the doctor player, who commented, “That must hurt.”
The brown-haired man was discussing something with his minions and sneered, “Who cares if he’s in pain? Only the rich know how to have fun. That little delicate thing is quite soft and tender. I bet he could bend even further.”
The doctor player ignored him, and the female internet celebrity didn’t engage either. The bodyguard player’s face darkened: “Stop the damn nonsense and figure out how to find a computer and a wireless network.”
The brown-haired man, after being scolded, sneered back, “Why should I?”
Bodyguard Zhong Minglang said, “Anna has a hacker identity card. Don’t you want clues to pass the game? And what’s your identity card?”
The brown-haired man’s face initially showed defiance, but upon hearing “identity card,” his expression changed slightly. After being pressed a few more times, he admitted, “Chef. I’m just a cook.”
The players let it go, thinking that since the food in the scenario had mutated, perhaps the brown-haired man’s chef identity card hinted at that.
Besides Lin Qiao, who stayed on the plane, a few others with ample supplies also refused to disembark. Everyone turned off the plane’s lights and hid in the cabin. They didn’t know if this would work, but staying behind wasn’t safe either; they would still have to guard the plane.
Lin Qiao took out what was in his sock when no one was looking. It was a card with a chip. The system’s tone, flat and emotionless, stated: [Bunker Key, a pass card for the post-apocalyptic shelter.]
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