Sky-cracking Rider

"It's just for fun, no worries!"

Chen Fei was confident he could find the right person to take over the hot potato.

He calculated that his future father-in-law's company, the Northern Weapons Industry Group, was just the right candidate to take the blame.

There's always a way, just like the Henghai Tactical Weapons Group, which now, teary-eyed, had to bear the burden, after being thoroughly duped by Chen Xiao'er.

The "Flying Dragon" intercept type single soldier tactical armor appeared among the private military contractors, and the Blue Star Global United Defense Committee, having made connections, pretended not to see it.

The "neighbors" around the 911 Aircrew Base who had been beaten up not long ago had changed to a new contractor, and everyone was getting along even better, certainly not keen on stirring up trouble.

"You better take it easy, there's no rush to pay back the money you owe me."

Having taken over Chen Fei's debt from the Apocalypse Defense Group, Hanna Gagel, who had inherited the family business, really wasn't lacking that little bit of cash.

Fully aware that one can't twist an arm to twist a thigh, military contractors simply couldn't stand against the wealthy daddy of the Global United Defense Committee; Boss Hanna was still very worried that Chen Fei might accidentally cross the line and bring unnecessary trouble upon himself.

Don't really let someone take you away.

"Hmm! I need to clear the debt to have peace of mind!"

Despite seeming carefree, shouldering such a debt definitely meant there was pressure.

It wasn't until he had gathered enough money that Chen Fei truly shook off this burden.

He was very grateful to Boss Hanna for using her connections to catch the main culprits; he forced them to spit out what they had swallowed from the Chen Family.

"You ah..."

Hanna Gagel smiled and said no more.

The light aircraft received a signal from the International Public Airport's air traffic control center, began to slowly taxi to the runway in accordance with the departure sequence, and completed takeoff during the scheduled window of time.

-

In a small city in the western part of the Europa Continent, a family of three was crying and howling as police burst into their home and forcefully dragged them out, cuffing them.

Running off with money never ends well; once caught, they faced not only civil debt disputes but also a host of other charges. After serving time in the local jurisdiction, they were extradited back to their country of origin to continue serving time, pursued to the end, with three generations likely unable to rest easy, unless death cancels all debts.

Faced with a ruthless sovereign, the money stays, but the people are sent packing.

-

Hours later, the bleak landscape of the Xingdu Kush Mountain Area entered Chen Fei's view.

From the air, he could already roughly discern how far it was from the 911 Aircrew Base; the familiar mountain ranges, hills, and rivers were reassuring.

Here, there were no conniving "Water Bears" or "Sacred Advent," just cute mutants, those menacing creatures, which now seemed endearing.

Two "Big Mouth Monsters" roared past nearby, made a large circle, and came next to the light aircraft; the numbers painted on the aircraft's surface were 213 and 214, which, if he wasn't mistaken, were indeed his comrades from the "Genuine Fragrance" Combat Flight Squadron: "Fragrant Orchid" Carlos Silva Lane, "Oyster Sauce" Dalatu, "Dragon Artemisia" Salila, and "Braised Sauce" Jack Brown.

Especially "Braised Sauce," who must have finally escaped the wheelchair to return to duty.

In the corporate war at 911 Aircrew Base with the Merman Brothers Consortium, the "Genuine Fragrance" Combat Flight Squadron was not without injuries, having lost three comrades forever.

The "Big Mouth Monsters" escorted the light aircraft, gently swaying their wings as if greeting, providing an escort all the way.

Then two more "Big Mouth Monsters" flew over, numbered 215 and 216,

Finally came 211 and 212, Chekhov Big Bear and the deputy squadron leader "Devil Pepper" Irinei Rusios.

Six "Big Mouth Monsters" flanked the light aircraft on both wings, creating an impressive flight formation.

The "Genuine Fragrance" Combat Flight Squadron welcomed their comrade back in their own way.

The aircrew base nestled among mountains appeared in sight.

As the aircraft landed in succession, the light aircraft finally stabilized on the apron; the "Big Mouth Monster" pilots had already lined up to greet Chen Fei with fists and pats on the shoulder.

This was called a sense of ceremony; every comrade who had experienced life and death together was an indispensable part of the "Genuine Fragrance" squadron.

"No one has bullied you outside, right? If anyone dares to be foolish, just drop my name, Chekhov!"

Chekhov, rarely sober and not drunk, spoke nonsense in a clear-headed state.

Deputy squadron leader "Devil Pepper" pushed away the self-satisfied Big Bear with a playful eye roll, scolding, "Go! You big bear, take a look in the mirror. Who would dare to bully a 'Rookie'? It's already a blessing if the 'Rookie' doesn't bully others."

What utter truth!

Though the 911 Aircrew Base was located in the almost isolated Xingdu Kush Mountain Area, communications were not truly cut off from the world.

Chen Fei, bizarrely becoming the ferocious clan leader of the Neanderthal tribe, was news known worldwide; naturally, the people at 911 Aircrew Base were not ignorant of this.

"You've made a name for yourself, 'Rookie'!"

"Good to have you back, relax and ease up!"

"We missed you dearly!"

"The legacy of Old Barlut was given to you; you kept it too well hidden."

"Welcome back!"

The troublemaker from outside finally returned, and as colleagues of Chen Fei, they naturally shared in the glory.

Unfortunately, since the Aircrew Base was filled with their own people, bragging about it was limited to their own amusement.

"Chirp!"

Surrounded by a crowd, the Little Bird perched on Chen Fei's father's shoulder couldn't help but release a "Light Burst Flash."

The next second, it was chaos, as nearly everyone was caught directly in the flash, with no exceptions.

My eyes...

Good grief, the same old familiar sensation.

The pilots of "Genuine Fragrance" squadron crowded around Chen Fei as they entered Hangar No. 1, where the maintenance crew, not tending to the "Big Mouth Monster," were busy organizing the workspace under the lead of Big Brother Xiao.

Hearing the commotion, Big Brother Xiao turned his head and nodded at Chen Fei from a distance, then continued with his work.

The cool exterior but warm interior was typical of the maintenance chief, and everyone was used to it.

The Golden-Eyed Azure-Hearted Civet was curled up in a corner of the hangar, snoring loudly, clearly having stayed up all night playing video games again, sleeping during the day and awake at night, and just when it had officially started working for a month, it began to slack off.

Luckily, it wasn't needed on regular shifts, just that it didn't drop the ball at critical moments.

Groggily lifting its head, it perked up its ears and stared straight at Chen Fei, then rubbed its eyes like a cat washing its face.

"Mr. Chen, you knew to come back, huh!"

With a leap, it scampered to Chen Fei's feet, attempting to claw at his pant leg.

This heartless guy, who had lured it to this deserted mountain area, had disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"Chirp!~"

Instantly, the hangar lost all its color.

"My eyes!"
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Big Cat got a full blast at close range and rolled away, covering his eyes.

Little Bird, finding the Golden-Eyed Azure-Hearted Civet too close, rewarded it with a "Light Burst Flash."

Back in its familiar environment, the little guy couldn't help relapsing into old habits.

Despite the experience, some still unavoidably fell victim to collateral damage again.

After strolling around the hangar, Chen Fei took Little Bird back to the two-story cottage housing the Energy Tower, which was well cared for; the various plants inside the sunny greenhouse were still vigorous and lush, some even bearing fruit.

Upon entering the house, Little Bird immediately flew into the greenhouse, weaving through the branches and even pecking at the sweet fruits.

The small cottage had gained a few more items, like test tubes, beakers, microscopes, and jars of colorful liquids, somewhat resembling a chemistry lab.

A ceramic basin the size of a washbowl sat on the square table, planted with a peculiar fungal plant, the "Flesh Mushroom," which Chen Fei once brought back as a spoil of war.

The door to the small cottage was, as always, unlocked. Chen Fei had just entered when Boss Hanna, who had temporarily separated after disembarking the transport, arrived hot on his heels.

"This thing has grown this fast?"

Compared to the last time he saw the "Flesh Mushroom" plants, the ones in front of him in the large basin were radically different, Chen Fei turned around and pointed at the ceramic basin.

Originally, only two or three frail plants huddled together, but now the basin was full, nearly overflowing, with the largest fungal plant over two feet tall and more than a foot in diameter, occupying almost half the basin's interior, with the rest squeezed together to make room for about twenty or thirty plants.

The feeble appearance of the "Flesh Mushrooms" was indescribable, but now, their plump white bodies looked rather comical.

"Your gardening skills are truly something; these 'Flesh Mushrooms' need repotting already."

Hanna Gagel placed a stack of food containers on the bar counter in front of the liquor cabinet; she had brought some appetizers from the base's cafeteria, just in time to meet up with Chen Fei.

Growing "Flesh Mushrooms" was a task that this female boss took upon herself, without delegating to anyone, thus she avoided any worry about technology leaks.

Probably no more than a handful of people in the entire 911 Aircrew Base were aware of this strange mushroom's existence.

As long as the cultivation process was correct, the growth rate of "Flesh Mushrooms" was quite astonishing.

Chen Fei sincerely said, "You've worked hard!"

Having said that, he reached out to flick one of the mushrooms in the full basin, which immediately wobbled slightly, demonstrating its resilience.

As if talking to himself, he said, "Theoretically, they're edible, but I wonder what they taste like?"

"They taste a bit like beef, but the texture is very tender, kind of like rabbit meat. I had Chef Abel prepare another portion; you could try it."

Hanna Gagel had a prior experience, so she spoke with authority.

"Oh! Then I must try it!"

Chen Fei shifted his attention from the full basin of "Flesh Mushrooms" to the food containers brought by Boss Hanna.

Slapping his forehead with an apologetic look, he said, "I almost forgot, I need to apologize first, Little Jiu stole your liquor and hid it in its leg ring."

"Ah?"

As Hanna Gagel was about to open a food container, she paused, her hand hovering mid-air.