Chapter 608 - 400: Landing (Part 2)

Chapter 608: Chapter 400: Landing (Part 2)

From a distance.

A silver-gray Gulfstream G650 gleamed coldly through a curtain of snow.

The jet’s stairs were already lowered. A uniformed flight attendant, Mova, stood smiling by the stairs, awaiting Feng Shan’s arrival.

As soon as they saw each other, Mova’s face broke into a familiar smile.

"It’s been a while, Mr. Feng. It’s a great honor to be serving you again."

"The honor is mine." Feng Shan nodded slightly, then turned to Nash and Yves, who had come to see him off. "Well, I’m boarding."

"Have a safe trip, Boss," Yves said, stepping forward for a hug.

Nash, however, still wore that wooden expression, his lips pressed tightly together, though his eyes flashed with a hint of reluctance.

Feng Shan naturally understood what he was thinking. The young man was sulking because he wasn’t being taken back to China this time.

He sighed softly, stepped forward, and hugged the big kid who was like a brother to him. Patting his back, he said in a heartfelt tone,

"Don’t be upset. I’ll bring you back a gift. While I’m away from the camp, you need to keep an eye on things, especially Liu Lan and Fiona. Don’t let them cause any trouble. I mentioned to Zicao that she should invite the teacher to the Crown Territory. You keep an eye on that, and contact me immediately if anything comes up."

Nash’s body tensed slightly before slowly relaxing.

"Okay."

Standing at the bottom of the stairs, Feng Shan smiled gently and gave Old Tom one last wave.

Old Tom, his round body bundled in a heavy down jacket, waved his hands vigorously and shouted, "Safe travels! Don’t forget to have a drink with me when you get back!"

Feng Shan took a deep breath of the frigid air, then turned and led Xiaohua and the other two up the stairs.

An air of luxury washed over him as he stepped into the cabin, and the familiar furnishings came into view.

Not much had changed since the last time he flew, but a few Chinese-style decorations had been added.

Chinese calligraphy and paintings hung in the cabin, and a blue-and-white porcelain vase stood in a corner, all exuding a traditional Chinese charm.

Feng Shan mused to himself.

’It looks like Jeff really put a lot of thought into currying favor with me.’

"Mr. Feng, shall we depart now?" Mova’s voice was soft and respectful. Knowing Feng Shan disliked noise, the flight was staffed with only one attendant, making the quiet cabin feel even more spacious and comfortable.

Feng Shan sat in a reclining chair and gazed out the enormous window. Yves and Nash were still standing quietly in the same spot, their figures looking somewhat frail in the wind and snow.

They would only leave after watching him take off.

Their silent vigil sent a current of warmth through his heart.

"Let’s go," Feng Shan said softly, his voice tinged with anticipation for his homeland.

"Of course. The plane is about to take off. Please fasten your seatbelts." Mova smiled and turned to look inside the cabin.

At that moment, Xiaohua, Hu Zi, and Black Hide were still excitedly darting around the cabin, touching this and looking at that, curious about everything around them.

"You three, settle down! Didn’t you hear we’re about to take off?" Feng Shan raised his voice and shouted at them.

Only then did the three of them settle down, obediently sinking into their seats, though their faces still showed that their excitement hadn’t quite faded.

Mova walked over and patiently helped them fasten their seatbelts. "There might be some turbulence during takeoff," she said gently, "so please don’t move around. Once we’re cruising smoothly, you’ll be free to move about."

As the roar of the engines grew louder, the plane slowly taxied toward the runway.

Feng Shan could feel the vibration under the fuselage—the prelude to takeoff.

The scenery outside flew past like a stream of light. The tarmac and the terminal building rapidly receded from view, left far behind.

With a powerful push back into his seat, his body jolted. The *Petroleum* shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, breaking free from the ground and soaring toward the heavens.

Looking out the window.

The ground gradually shrank, and snow-covered Fairbanks transformed into an exquisite scroll painting unfurling beneath them.

The plane climbed higher and higher.

Eventually, it blended into the sky, gradually disappearing over the horizon.

Fairbanks and Hai City are separated by a distance of 8,000 kilometers. The Gulfstream G650 has a maximum range of 13,000 kilometers, more than enough to cover the long journey and eliminate the hassle of a connecting flight.

It cruised smoothly at Mach 0.85. At that speed, the entire flight to Hai City would only take nine hours.

At first, Xiaohua, Hu Zi, and Black Hide were filled with a sense of novelty about everything in the cabin.

They touched this and looked at that, chattering excitedly.

Before long, however, this novelty began to fade.

Neither the luxurious furnishings inside the cabin nor the unchanging blue sky and white clouds outside could hold their interest any longer.

The three of them lay back in the spacious, comfortable aviation seats, utterly bored.

Their eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

Soon, they drifted off to sleep, their steady breathing echoing softly in the quiet cabin.

Seeing their sleeping faces, the corners of Feng Shan’s mouth couldn’t help but lift into a slight smile, and a sense of peace and reassurance washed over him.

He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, but his thoughts drifted far away.

Hai City, the place where he was born and raised, the place that held countless memories, was now getting closer and closer.

Inside the cabin, soft light bathed everyone, creating a tranquil atmosphere.

Feng Shan, Xiaohua, Hu Zi, and Black Hide were gathered around a table, enthusiastically playing a game of "Run Fast."

As soon as the game began, the atmosphere grew lively, filled with the constant sounds of calling out bids and arguing.

Time slipped by unnoticed. The nine-hour flight had turned everyone’s initial excitement into a bit of weariness.

Mova emerged gracefully from the crew cabin, her steps so light they made almost no sound.

When she saw Feng Shan’s face covered in paper strips, making him look like a painted clown, the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but twitch upward. Suppressing a smile, she gave an elegant little bow and said softly,

"Mr. Feng, we have entered Hai City airspace. We will be landing at Hai City International Airport in another 15 minutes. I was wondering if you have someone meeting you? If not, I can arrange for a car in advance."

Feng Shan, who was staring at his cards, heard Mova’s words and subconsciously brushed aside the paper strips on his face. He shot a glare at Xiaohua, who was secretly cheating by swapping her cards, and said irritably,

"We’re done. We’re about to land, and you’re still cheating at ’Run Fast.’ I can’t even be bothered to call you out on it."

With that, he tossed his hand onto the table, ripped the paper strips off his face, and returned to his seat, carefully picking up the fast-asleep Coca-Cola.

Coca-Cola was woken by the sudden movement and gave a lazy stretch.

It squinted at Feng Shan, nuzzled against his chest, and then curled up in his arms to go back to sleep.

Feng Shan gently stroked Coca-Cola’s head, his eyes full of affection.

His gaze passed through the window to the familiar yet strange sky outside.

The sky was as sapphire-blue as a gemstone, pure and vast, a stark contrast to Hai City below.

Looking down on the city from high above, the dense network of roads resembled the crisscrossing lines on a palm, weaving together the city’s arteries.

The streets and buildings that were once so familiar now seemed somewhat foreign to his eyes.

He had only been gone for half a year, but the city seemed to have undergone many quiet changes. New skyscrapers had shot up from the ground, and the roads appeared even wider.

As the iconic architecture of Hai City International Airport gradually came into view,

the Gulfstream G650 began to slowly decrease its altitude.

The fuselage tilted slightly, and Feng Shan could feel the plane adjusting its attitude in preparation for landing.

Finally, the plane touched down smoothly on the designated runway. The tires shrieked as they met the ground, and the fuselage gave a slight shudder.

Feng Shan let out a long breath, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him—the joy of returning home and the anticipation of the unknown.

He turned to look at Xiaohua, Hu Zi, and Black Hide beside him.

Their faces were also alight with excitement, their eyes shining, as if they couldn’t wait to set foot on their home soil.

Inside the airport terminal, bustling travelers hurried on their way. When the stunningly beautiful Gulfstream G650 slowly taxied onto the apron, everyone’s attention was instantly captured.

For a moment, a chorus of envious whispers arose.

A fashionably dressed woman with exquisite makeup, her eyes flashing with delight, tightly gripped her husband’s arm. She pointed excitedly at the *Petroleum* and said in a coquettish voice,

"Darling, that plane is so beautiful! Let’s take that one later!"

The man froze for a second, an awkward look on his face. He gently patted his wife’s hand and explained helplessly, "Honey, don’t even think about it. That’s a private jet."

To completely shatter her unrealistic fantasy, the man paused for a moment before adding,

"That jet alone is worth 500 million. You think just anyone can fly on it?"

...