222: carefree

"Ahhhhhh!!!!"

Su Qing and Su Ya's terrified screams pierced the air as they clung to each other, falling rapidly.

But soon, something else seemed to join the screams; fear was released, turning into a pure cry of wonder at the gravitational acceleration.

Bouncing, rising and falling, the screams gradually subsided, turning into the heavy gasps of survivors, and even faint sounds of tearful laughter could be heard.

They did it!

The reception team below sent a signal that they were safe.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and then applauded them.

Now, only Lei Jun remained.

Everyone's eyes were focused on her.

Lei Jun was very calm.

She walked to the equipment area and cooperated with the staff to put on the gear. She checked the buckles and tested the strength of the rope.

The system mission required her to experience excitement.

Purely physical stimulation?

Perhaps more.

She recalled the split-second sense of control on the plane, which was completely different from the feeling of giving herself over to gravity and experiencing an uncontrolled fall now, but both were about touching the limits.

Fully geared up, she walked toward the jumping platform.

Her steps were steady, without the slightest hesitation.

The wind blew through her hair and the hem of her clothes.

She stood at the edge, but unlike Su Qing and the others, she didn't close her eyes tightly, nor was she as swift as Zhao Ya, and she certainly wasn't as dramatic as Tony.

She just stood there, calmly looking down at the abyss below, the distant horizon, and the shrinking landscape.

She was feeling it.

Feeling the visual impact of the height, the subtle premonition of weightlessness from the void beneath her feet, the sensation of the wind against her skin, and the steady, powerful thumping of her heart in her chest.

Fear?

A little, an instinctive alertness toward an unknown fall, but it was quickly overshadowed by a powerful sense of control and curiosity.

She wasn't fighting the fear; she was observing and savoring the unique sense of clarity it brought.

The people below looked up.

Lin Xiaoya felt that as Sister Lei stood there, she didn't look like she was about to jump off a cliff, but rather like she was standing on top of the world surveying her domain.

Zhao Ya's eyes showed appreciation; this kind of composure in the face of an abyss was something not many possessed.

Qin Yu held his breath.

Tony covered his mouth in excitement, feeling that Lei Jun at this moment was herself a beautiful piece of art full of tension.

Lei Jun took a deep breath, the air reaching deep into her lungs, carrying the cool freshness of the high altitude.

She didn't count down or take a running start; she simply leaned forward slightly, as if taking an ordinary step, and her whole body left the platform.

Instantly, powerful gravity seized her, and her body began to fall at an incredible speed!

The sound of the wind suddenly amplified in her ears, roaring like thunder, wildly tugging at her clothes and hair.

A fierce sense of weightlessness hit her, and her internal organs seemed to float upward. The scene before her rushed closer, blurring into a flowing mass of colors.

She didn't close her eyes.

She kept her eyes wide open, watching the sky and the earth spin and turn upside down in her vision.

Feeling the air resistance slapping against her body, feeling the ultimate pleasure of the adrenaline rush as her speed increased.

It was a pure freedom, detached from all constraints, and a near-primitive thrill of completely surrendering oneself to the laws of physics.

"Ahhhhhh!!!!"

She shouted at the top of her lungs.

It wasn't a scream of fear, but an exhilarating, venting cry full of vitality.

Her voice merged with the wind and scattered into the air.

The process of falling seemed to be stretched out, every frame of sensation crystal clear: her heart beating like a drum, her blood racing, yet her mind exceptionally sharp and active.

She was thinking.

Thinking about this control within the loss of control.

Choosing to jump was, in itself, a form of control.

Thinking about how the boundary between fear and excitement was actually so blurred.

Thinking about the deeper meaning of the system mission "experience excitement"—perhaps it was to let her constantly challenge the boundaries of her senses and soul, to perceive existence itself more vividly.

The rope reached its limit and suddenly tightened!

A massive pulling force yanked her back up; the fall stopped abruptly and turned into an ascent.

Another moment of weightlessness, but in the opposite direction.

After a few bounces, the amplitude gradually decreased.

The world slowly returned to calm from the upside-down chaos.

She hung in the air like a pendulum, slowly rotating.

The thrill slowly ebbed away, and a strange sense of tranquility and satisfaction rose within her.

She had done it, and she had fully experienced the entire process.

At the same time, the system's notification sound rang in her mind.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the godly tycoon mission: Experience the excitement of bungee jumping. Reward: 2,000 godly tycoon coins.]

A faint smile played on Lei Jun's lips.

Mission complete, rewards in hand, and the experience was great.

Worth it!

When she was safely lowered and her gear was removed, her companions immediately surrounded her.

"Sister Lei! You were so calm! I saw that you didn't even blink when you jumped!" Lin Xiaoya said with a face full of admiration.

"Muse! Your posture as you fell was full of power and beauty!" Tony exclaimed, gesticulating wildly with excitement.

Qin Yu gave a thumbs up: "Sister Lei, I'm impressed! You're the best!"

Zhao Ya also smiled and nodded, her eyes filled with deep recognition.

The sisters Su Qing and Su Ya still had slightly red eyes, but their faces wore an excited flush and smiles of relief. They walked over and said sincerely, "Miss, thank you... for encouraging us to jump. Now it... really does feel different."

Lei Jun smiled and stretched her wrists. "How does it feel?"

"Exhilarating!" "Scary as hell but awesome!" "It's like dying once and coming back to life!"

"Good," Lei Jun nodded. "Then next, let's go refuel. Let's have a good meal."

After the high-altitude heart-pounding experience, everyone was famished.

Lei Jun had already looked up a place and led everyone straight to an authentic local restaurant.

The dishes were served quickly.

First was the Coconut Chicken.

The soup was clear, with faint golden oil slicks and shredded coconut meat floating in it.

The chicken was neatly chopped, with smooth skin and tender meat.

Lei Jun first took a spoonful of soup.

The warm, sweet broth instantly coated her taste buds. The natural fragrance of the coconut and the fresh richness of the stewed chicken blended perfectly; it was delicious without being greasy at all.

Dipping the chicken into a bit of the special soy sauce and Calamansi seasoning, it was tender and springy in the mouth, with a lingering coconut fragrance.

Lei Jun savored it carefully; this was just like the feeling Sanya gave—passionate and unrestrained, yet refreshing and natural.

As a chef, Su Qing tasted it with extra focus.

She carefully distinguished the layers of flavor in the soup.

"The sweetness of the coconut is handled just right; it doesn't mask the original flavor of the chicken but instead enhances its freshness. The heat was also perfect; the chicken isn't tough or dry. I can try to replicate this when we get back."

Su Ya's nerves, which had been rattled earlier, were soothed by the light and delicious flavor. She took small sips, feeling her whole body warm up.

Tony ate elegantly and commented, "The combination of colors and flavors in this dish is full of tropical aesthetics. The balance of sweetness and freshness is marvelous!"

Lin Xiaoya was starving and ate noisily, saying, "Delicious! It's fresher and sweeter than any I've had before!"

Qin Yu tucked into the meat, nodding repeatedly.