Chapter 134: Alice North

Chapter 134: Chapter 134: Alice North

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"You’re welcome!" Ye Xing said with a shrug.

The airport was huge, a vast, flat expanse dotted with parked airplanes.

After three or five minutes, the shuttle bus finally pulled up to one of the planes.

Passengers began to disembark and board the plane.

Guided by the flight attendants and security guards, the crowd of passengers made their way onto the aircraft. Ye Xing, a small bag slung over his back, boarded with the crowd, his head down as he looked at his phone.

Inside the cabin were rows upon rows of seats. Passengers filed in and found their assigned places in an orderly fashion. Ye Xing located his own seat and settled in.

To his right sat an elderly woman with white hair. To his left was a middle-aged man who, dressed like a professional, was engrossed in a newspaper.

"Young man, is this your first time flying?" the elderly woman beside him asked.

"Uh, I guess... it is!" Ye Xing paused for a moment. He thought about it. ’Damn, this really is my first time on a plane.’ He’d gone to elementary and middle school in Bilin Village, high school in Luoxian County, and then got into Fushan University in Fu City. In all his years, he had never once left his home province. He had spent his entire twenty-odd years in Fujian Province. He’d barely even ridden a train, let alone flown in a plane.

"It’s my first time flying, too," the elderly woman said. "I get motion sickness so easily, it’s awful. I have no idea what a plane will be like. To be honest, I’m terrified!"

"Planes are supposed to be pretty smooth, I think," Ye Xing said reassuringly. "I’ve never flown before, but friends have told me they only shake a little during takeoff. After that, it’s fine. Nothing to worry about."

Motion sickness was truly awful. Ye Xing remembered trips to Luoxian County as a child. Back then, the road from Bilin Village hadn’t been paved yet; it was just a bumpy, pothole-ridden mountain path. He’d get carsick and throw up all over the place. The memory alone was nauseating. As he got older and rode in cars more often, he gradually got used to it and the motion sickness went away.

As they were speaking, a middle-aged woman came down the aisle.

"Excuse me, young man," the woman said, looking at Ye Xing with a pleading expression. "Would you mind switching seats with me? My mother is elderly, and it’s her first time flying. I’m worried she’ll get dizzy or feel unwell, so I need to be near her to take care of her. Could you please help us out?"

"Yeah, sure, no problem," Ye Xing said with a nod.

"Oh, that’s wonderful! Thank you, young man!" the woman said, her face lighting up. "Thank you so, so much! My seat is the middle one in row six."

"Got it." Ye Xing grabbed his bag, left his seat, and made his way toward row six.

When he got to row six, Ye Xing couldn’t help but stop and stare for a second. There, in the window seat, sat a stunning blonde, blue-eyed Western woman with a fantastic figure.

"Hi there! Are you sitting here?" the woman asked, greeting Ye Xing.

"I am. The woman who was in this seat just switched with me. What a coincidence, we’re sitting together again," Ye Xing said with a small smile. He moved past her into the row and sat down in the middle seat.

"Hmm, I guess it must be fate," the woman said, her manner open and friendly. "We should probably introduce ourselves. I’m Alice North. And you are?"

Ye Xing nodded. "I’m Ye Xing."

"Ye Xing, right?" Alice North said, her lovely eyes fixed on him. "I wanted to thank you. That bus earlier was so crowded. If it weren’t for you, my wallet probably would have been stolen."

"You’re welcome," Ye Xing said.

Waiting for takeoff was a bit boring. Ye Xing pulled out his phone, swiped the screen, and started reading a web novel.

He was about two or three Chapters in when an announcement suddenly came over the overhead speaker—

"Dear passengers, please note: The plane is about to take off. Please turn off your electronic devices, such as your cell phones, and fasten your seatbelt. Ladies and gentlemen, attention, please. The plane is taking off. Please shut off your cellphones, and make sure that the safety belt is in place."

’Huh? We’re taking off already? Damn it, I just got to a good Chapter.’ Ye Xing thought, a little bummed out. ’Ah, well. I’ll just have to read it later.’ He had no choice but to turn off his phone.

Electronic devices could interfere with the plane’s signals, especially during takeoff. For the safety of everyone on board, phones, computers, and other electronics were not allowed.

The plane began to move, accelerating rapidly down the runway. Its speed increased, faster and faster, until it reached a critical point.

WHOOSH! The entire plane lifted off the ground, climbing higher and higher into the sky.

Inside the cabin, Ye Xing felt a jolt of turbulence as the fuselage tilted sharply upward. He experienced a strange sensation, a mix of weightlessness and heavy pressure.

’So this is what takeoff feels like!’ Filled with curiosity, Ye Xing couldn’t help but lean over to the window to look down.

Below, the airport buildings shrank rapidly. As the plane continued its ascent, the people on the ground turned into tiny black specks, no bigger than ants.

"Ye Xing, is this your first time flying?" Alice North asked.

"Yeah, how could you tell?"

"Pfft!" Alice stifled a giggle behind her hand. "I could just tell from the look on your face!"

"Uh, do I look like a total country bumpkin?" Ye Xing asked, embarrassed.

"Not at all," Alice laughed. "I was the same way my first time. It’s mostly just curiosity. The plane is going to climb even higher. When we get into the clouds, the view will be even more beautiful."

"Oh, I’m really looking forward to it, then," Ye Xing said, his eyes full of anticipation. "I’ve only ever seen it on TV. I’m sure it’s totally different in person." The airplane seats were narrow, and with them sitting so close, Ye Xing’s arm was pressed against Alice’s. A faint, pleasant fragrance from her hair drifted to his nose.

"By the way, Ye Xing, where in New York are you headed?" Alice asked. "If we’re going to the same place, we should just split a cab."

"I think it’s somewhere near Zanming Road in Bronkson," Ye Xing said.

"What? You’re going to Zanming Road, too? That’s great!" Alice’s eyes lit up with joy and excitement. "I get it! You must be going to see the underground fights, right? Those fighters are so fierce, so incredible! Tonight is the Demon King Competition. Dozens of top-tier fighters are going to battle it out to crown the new Demon King of the underground circuit. I came all the way from China just to see it!"

"Demon King Competition?" Ye Xing paused, looking confused. "Uh, I think you’ve misunderstood. I don’t know anything about a Demon King Competition. I’m just going to New York to meet a business associate."

(Three Chapters tomorrow—morning, noon, and night!)