This time their trip was to first settle on a residence, then handle Qi Ao's transfer.
Between cities, although there were patrol teams clearing the wilderness, the level of danger was still considerable.
Monsters changing trajectories and derailments of high-speed trains were common occurrences, so airplanes became the best choice for long-distance travel between cities.
With the aid of strengthened paranormals on the materials side, they were not only more durable and lightweight, but costs had also decreased significantly.
An airplane equipped with an aircraft gun, paired with a paranormal capable of flight to respond to emergencies, was sufficient to deal with monster attacks.
It was precisely because it was dangerous to leave the city that the mobility of the urban population was not high.
Not to mention foreigners and other such rare commodities.
Not every country could maintain at least the semblance of social stability like Dragon Country.
With the invisible gun barrels, some countries and regions split up even before the monsters made a move.
There were even many areas that worshipped monsters, pleading with offerings for the monsters’ protection.
Some monsters that could not break through in Dragon Country would choose to leave for other areas to seek opportunities.
So don't say that Qi Ao looked like he had never seen the world, neither had Qi Yuan.
Qi’s mother, on the other hand, remained very calm, leading them through the boarding process.
With not many people, they quickly passed security and entered the waiting area.
Security could be said to be rather cursory.
What you brought didn't matter, whether you were who you claimed to be didn't matter either, what mattered was whether your mental state was sound.
The staff asked them a few simple questions then let them through.
Qi Yuan thought about it briefly and understood - paranormal abilities were bizarre, preventing bombs and knives could only help so much.
Things would still happen if they were meant to happen.
It was better to check their mental state - as long as they didn't intend on taking others down with them, the airline would try their best to accommodate any requests.
As for requests they couldn't accommodate...
Sorry, the families could take a look at the disclaimers themselves.
They rested in the waiting area for about half an hour when the screen and broadcasts announced their flight would soon be arriving.
The little brother had been antsy for a while, even his mother couldn't stand him and shooed him away to entertain himself.
Hearing that the plane was about to arrive, Qi Ao cheered excitedly, dragging them to hurry up and board.
The streamlined fuselage slowly slid along the tracks, coming to a stop at the boarding gate.
A passageway leading directly into the plane was set up at the gate, they handed their tickets to the staff, who tore off the stubs and gave them back.
In the passageway leading to the plane, Qi Yuan saw a familiar figure.
Lv Cheng had a bag slung over one shoulder, his thumbs flying rapidly across the screen on his phone, seeming to have sent something. He kicked the phone back into his pocket.
The instant he sent it out, Qi Yuan’s phone dinged with a message notification.
Qi Yuan took out his phone for a look - sure enough, it was a message from Lv Cheng.
【Lv Cheng: Brother Yuan, I’m going back to Shen City for my finals, give me a call when you get to Shen City and I’ll show you around】
Only then did Qi Yuan remember that Lv Cheng was a university student.
So you still have final exams huh?
He lowered his head to type a reply.
【Qi Yuan: I’m on the same flight as you】
Lv Cheng in front received the message and looked up, quickly spotting Qi Yuan waving at him.
He covered the distance in a few quick strides.
“Auntie, I’m Qi Yuan’s friend Lv Cheng. I was just thinking, to give birth to such a handsome son, his mother must be exceptionally beautiful. Now that I see you, indeed a refined and elegant lady.”
Qi’s mother was amused by his flattering words, covering her mouth as she laughed lightly.
“What a smooth talker this young man is.”
Lv Cheng had a way with charming elders that put Qi’s mother completely at ease.
Qi’s mother forgot about even her two sons, following Lv Cheng as he walked ahead.
The two brothers Qi Ao and Qi Yuan stared at each other, nonplussed.
Qi Ao was young and forgetful. Although he had stubbornly pestered Qi Yuan with annoyance for a while, he’d forgotten all about it since the day he forgot.
By the time plane boarding finished, it slowly moved into position then accelerated down the runway, taking off smoothly.
With phones switched off, Qi Yuan leaned back idly in his seat.
His little brother was quietly plastered against the window watching the clouds.
Although he was a bit rowdy, he didn't make too much of a racket.
At the very least, his mother wouldn't have allowed it.
Just as the somewhat drowsy Qi Yuan was about to grab a nap, the plane erupted into an uproar.
“Robbery! Cooperate and hand over anything valuable on you, and we’ll leave.”
A few burly men wearing masks stood up, blocking the doorway, casually grabbing a running child as a hostage.
The paranormals outside the blocked doorway didn’t dare make a move, hovering outside, though their expressions showed clear nonchalance borne from familiarity.
One of the robbers pointed his knife at the crowd, “Paranormals and associates of paranormals don’t need to hand anything over, others obediently hand over your valuables, if you have nothing then transfer 5,000 into the account.”
Lv Cheng raised a brow, seemed they followed the rules.
He clicked his ballpoint pen back into place without doing anything further.
While these robbers were certainly detestable, everything depended on contrast.
Capturing them now might be momentarily satisfying, but ordinary folk would bear the consequences afterwards.
With petty theft not incurring heavy sentences, they’d be out soon and even more ruthless in bleeding people dry if they felt the risks had increased.
Since that was the case, might as well let them off this time. At the very least, some robbers would help take care of particularly cruel and wicked criminals they came across.
However...
Lv Cheng looked towards Qi Yuan’s direction.
He was worried Qi Yuan would choose to serve justice as the young master, after all, the upper crust likely wouldn’t tolerate even a speck of dirt, ignorant of how the average person made compromises.
In reality, Lv Cheng worried too much. While Qi Yuan indeed didn’t understand the unspoken rules since it was his first time on a plane, he had his system to guide him.
So not only did Qi Yuan understand, he understood even more.
Like...
That lady seated at the very back who acted afraid but was actually surveilling the entire scene;
The air steward glancing inside who was the insider for this group of robbers;
The paranormal outside who had no intention of taking action at all;
And also,
Another group of robbers...
To have two groups target the same flight, talk about terrible luck.
The good news was that the two groups of robbers didn't belong to the same gang. The other group was about to take action.
The burly robber holding a knife to intimidate the passengers earlier carried a snakeskin bag, holding the round mouth open for the passengers to throw valuables in.
He also wore a QR code for transfers around his neck.
The burly robber approached a whiskered, burly man. Shaking his empty snakeskin bag, it seemed this was not someone easy to push around. Reminding aloud: “If you’re paranormal, then your license will do or just show your powers.”
The bearded burly man swiped at his nose then abruptly threw a punch at the robber.
The punch solidly smashed into the robber’s face, knocking off his mask and breaking his nose askew.
The burly robber tumbled and rolled on the floor a few times before climbing to his feet to spit out the teeth that had fallen out of his mouth.
“Fuck your grandmother, I’m going to mess you up today.”