Chapter 64 Surviving the Calamity: She couldn't completely agree with his ideas.
Shu Qing's hand trembled. A dozen or so people around her cast pitying glances at her, but she didn't even dare to look at the caller ID, let alone pay attention to the stares of those around her.
The ringtone only lasted two or three seconds before it went off. Only then did she glance at her phone screen, her fingers trembling.
It was Jiu Su who called her. A second later, he sent her two words: "Safe."
A few seconds later, another voice message came in. Shu Qing held it to her ear, and Jiu Su's gentle voice told her, "We found the airline staff. They contacted the flight your aunt and uncle were on. It had already taken off normally when the fire happened. They are all on the plane and safe. Just wait for them to pick you up. Don't be afraid."
Shu Qing's whole body went limp, and she slid from her seat to the floor. She sat there, oblivious to the dirt on the floor or who was watching her, burying her face in her hands and crying as if she had just survived a disaster.
She cried for a while, then wiped her face, got up, and went to share the information with the other anxious people nearby.
“This is the flight number,” she showed people a screenshot of her ticket purchase, “I’ve already contacted my boyfriend, and it took off safely!”
Some of her relatives and friends were on the same flight. Upon hearing this, they felt as if they had survived a disaster. They leaned against the wall, panting heavily, and after a long while, they repeatedly said, "Thank you, thank you."
Someone pushed their way in front of her, waving a plane ticket and shouting, "Girl, please, could you ask your boyfriend to check this flight for you?"
"How's this one?" someone asked desperately. "It's scheduled to take off at 6:30 PM... Is there still any hope?"
"Can you find out what's going on at the airport?"
...
Chaos erupted as everyone cried out and asked questions. Shu Qing had some definite news, so the crowd immediately gathered around her. A little while later, another person also received the news, and people surged over like a tidal wave.
Many people at the airport, though not directly involved, watched these desperate people with sympathy. Those who could help inquire called for others to do so, while those without connections quietly comforted those around them and silently searched for relevant information online.
A fire may not seem like a big deal; to a potentially out-of-control, highly advanced supernatural being, it might just be a spark, a casual trip, or a chance encounter.
However, it can shatter the peaceful lives of many, destroy the dreams of many, and end the rest of the lives of many, whether they are struggling in the mud or have a promising future.
In this light, we see how fragile, insignificant, and vulnerable humans are.
Shu Qing sat back down uncomfortably, staring blankly for a while before finally having the energy to reply to the messages she had just received on her phone.
This accident was clearly caused by a high-level supernatural being going out of control, and the Superpower Management Bureau was among the first to know. She told Jiu Su about picking up her parents, and Jin Wanli probably knows too. If Jin Wanli knows... then the group of people who are usually close to them will probably all know as well.
Sure enough, Xie Heng's message to her was: "I heard from Wanli that your parents are at the airport now. What's their flight number? I'm in the capital right now, on my way to the airport to handle the aftermath of the abnormal biological outburst. Maybe I can ask them about the situation for you. Don't panic."
Shu Qing thanked him for his concern and told him, "I already know, my parents are fine. Professor Xie, please be careful too."
Then look at Jin Wanli's statement, which is much more straightforward: "If no one has notified you that something is wrong, then nothing is wrong! Just wait patiently, my brother is calling Director Yang to call for reinforcements, we'll have news soon!"
Okay then, while comforting her, Shu Qing also subtly helped Jiu Su gain some goodwill. She laughed and replied, "Received the message, thank you. It really is true that having connections in high places makes things much easier!"
Several familiar human and monster friends sent her messages of comfort, and Shu Qing thanked them one by one. Qi Yun and Tu Nan were unaware that she had brought her parents to H City, but they saw the rapidly rising trending topic #CapitalAirportExplosion# on social media and, remembering that her hometown was in the capital, made a special trip to inquire about her situation.
Shu Qing recounted the whole story in their small group chat. Her two best friends were terrified and felt the same way. The three of them then comforted each other in turn.
Finally, she returned to Jiu Su's chat box, sent him a smiley face, and said, "You're welcome. So many people messaged me, especially Jin Wanli, that big mouthpiece. How did you tell him?"
“He’s sitting next to me,” Jiu Su replied helplessly after a while, “I can’t help but let him see me.”
Are you still experiencing airsickness?
"I was startled just now and didn't pay attention. But I'm still a little shaken."
Shu Qing was amused by him again. She checked the time and realized that more than an hour had passed. Her parents' flight was still more than half an hour away from landing, and Jiu Su was on the Super Management Bureau's special plane, so it would probably be even faster. She comforted her, saying, "You should be landing soon. You won't feel uncomfortable anymore once you land. Close your eyes and rest for a bit."
“There’s no time to rest,” Jiu Su said. “The supernatural being suddenly went out of control, so many plans have to be adjusted, and we have to hold meetings on the plane.”
No wonder he's replying so slowly; it seems he's slacking off during the meeting.
"Okay," Shu Qing coaxed him, "be a good boy and do your work, don't be lazy, and pay attention in the meeting."
In the following half hour, nothing unexpected happened, except that people in various parts of the airport continued to receive calls announcing the death, and there was still crying.
When Shu Qing finally received Shu Tong and Zhao Yuqing, even the crying stopped. Only a few relatives of the victims, who had not yet been notified, watched the scene of joyful reunion after surviving the disaster and kept shedding tears.
“We had no idea,” Shu Tong told Shu Qing. “At that time, the plane had already climbed quite high. Later, we vaguely heard the flight attendants say that there was an incident at the airport, but we didn’t know that it caught fire just minutes after takeoff. It must have scared you.”
The two elderly people still maintain the traditional habit of turning off their phones when boarding the plane and turning them back on after landing. Although the accident has been trending on social media, they know nothing about it.
Shu Qing had completely calmed down by now and replied with a grin, "It's okay, Mom, do you still remember Xiao Hong? He's at the Supermarket Management Bureau now and helped contact the aviation department. I got the news quickly, so I wasn't too scared."
Shu Tong patted her back affectionately—even though she was the one who had escaped death, her first concern was whether her daughter had been frightened.
Zhao Yuqing then asked, "So, where did your little snake go?"
“Xiao Hong went to the capital with the people from the Supermarket Administration Bureau. She landed half an hour ago.” Shu Qing looked around and explained in a low voice, “This time… it’s the matter I was talking about. The situation is more serious than I initially thought. They are trying to find a solution.”
Shu Tong frowned upon hearing this. "Then what can we do? Does this mean there's more than one accident like this, and there might be more to come?"
Shu Qing shook her head with a worried expression.
After getting into her car, Shu Qing handed the steering wheel to Zhao Yuqing and sat in the passenger seat, opening the trending topics to continue searching for information.
Two hours have passed, and the number of casualties is still being tallied. The authorities issued a somber announcement, but dared not reveal that "this was caused by a supernatural being going out of control," only vaguely stating that "the cause of the accident is still under investigation."
Countless people below made guesses, some saying it was an indiscriminate attack, some saying it was revenge against society, some saying it was a hostile force... In short, all sorts of guesses were made, and some people guessed the correct answer. However, it was as insignificant as a drop of water flowing into the ocean.
As she scrolled down, most of the highly upvoted posts were photos or videos taken by passersby from various angles at the accident scene. The images showed thick smoke billowing into the sky, flames shooting into the air, and terrified screams in the background.
Ambulances came and went one after another, their sirens blaring through the sky. One victim after another was carried out of the scene; some were still able to move, struggling painfully on stretchers; others lay motionless, their faces unrecognizable, their fate unknown.
Although her family was safe, Shu Qing still felt a wave of fear – if the plane had taken off a few minutes later, her parents would have been among those being carried into the ambulance.
As she continued reading, she saw that the relatives and friends of the victims were probably stunned by this sudden disaster and had not yet recovered from the shock. The only people who spoke up were distant relatives such as "my classmate," "a friend of mine," and "my husband's cousin."
Then there are the comments from unrelated people, with large amounts of [prayer.jpg][candle.jpg] and phrases like "wishing for peace" appearing together, occupying the vast majority of the trending search terms.
Shu Qing sent a prayer emoji, staring blankly at her phone. The feeling of relief at surviving the ordeal receded like a tide, leaving her feeling unusually heavy-hearted.
This time, she almost became a "family member of the victims" instead of an "unrelated passerby".
If something really happens to her parents, she will hate herself for the rest of her life for buying those two plane tickets.
Even if she rationally knows that she wasn't the culprit, she will forever live in the shadow of having killed her parents.
She paused for a moment, then messaged Jiu Su, "How are things going with you guys? Any progress?"
After a long while, Jiu Su replied with a voice message: "Yes, we've roughly located the Firelight Rat's position. We'll confirm the plan in the final stages."
His tone was as cool and aloof as usual, but Shu Qing detected a hint of displeasure in it. She pressed him for an answer, asking, "What's wrong?"
“It’s nothing,” Jiu Su replied after a longer pause this time. “Yang Zheng wanted to reduce the risk and was preparing to directly deploy weapons to kill it. I felt something was amiss and wanted to try communicating with it first. I have already convinced him.”
Shu Qing: "..."
Her gaze fell on those tragic photos, and for the first time she realized that she might not be able to completely agree with Jiu Su's views.
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Author's Note: Sorry I was an hour late leaving home today [poor face]
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