239: Chapter 239 System Modification Countdown: Three Days

Bo'ao Airport. Private jet tarmac.

The Hainan wind, laden with salty, humid heat, made the national flag on the tarmac snap loudly in the breeze.

Ten people stood in two rows, with a modified C919 business jet bearing the national flag emblem behind them.

Li Li carried a black suitcase, its surface plastered with crooked, hand-drawn stickers from the children at the Welfare Institute cheering him on. A sunflower covered half the case, with the words "Dad Li is Number One" scrawled crookedly beside it.

A crowd gathered around the edge of the tarmac.

All fifty reserve candidates from the three-month intensive training were there. Some wore casual clothes, others were still in their training uniforms, and a few had eyes as red as rabbits.

Shen Jue stood at the very front of the crowd, clutching a bag of gummy candies, his mouth moving incessantly.

He stared at Gu Zeyan's back for three seconds, then looked down at his own arms.

"Brother." He leaned in close to Li Li, his voice very low.

"I really didn't expect... that guy Gu Zeyan, second place in physical fitness?"

He couldn't hide his frustration.

"I trained like I was dying for three months, pulled my pull-ups from eight to twenty-three, and I'm still ranked behind him."

Li Li glanced at him sideways.

"Have you ever seen the training room at 3 a.m.?"

Shen Jue shook his head.

"After the whole base lights went out, he trained alone in the equipment room until dawn." Li Li patted his shoulder. "He has a large frame, his muscle density is naturally a notch higher, and the same goes for his explosive power. Plus, his level of dedication isn't any less than yours—"

"But didn't I give it my all too!"

"Your effort is visible, his effort is hidden."

Li Li popped a gummy candy into his mouth.

"One works hard in the light, the other works hard in the shadows. Guess which one the instructors fear more?"

Shen Jue opened his mouth, then closed it again.

He chewed a gummy, making a crunching sound.

"Fine." He let out a breath. "Then next time, I'll work hard all the way to the underworld."

Li Li slapped the back of his head.

"Forget next time. Go back and film your TV show well; that's more useful than being bitter here."

Shen Jue's head rocked from the slap, but he grinned instead. He pulled a handful of gummy candies from his pocket and stuffed them all into Li Li's hand.

"Eat these on the way. Don't die out there."

"That mouth of yours."

"I meant don't finish the candy."

Shen Jue stepped back and gave him a thumbs up.

"Good luck, Brother. Bring the oil back for our country!"

Li Li stuffed the gummies into his pocket without replying.

Cen Ye came over. His dreadlocks swung over his shoulder, and his T-shirt was printed with the phrase "Life and death are indifferent, if you're not convinced, let's fight."

He didn't say anything sentimental, just bumped fists directly.

"When you get back, I'll treat you to Hotpot."

"I want a mandarin duck pot."

"Get lost, all spicy."

Cen Ye chuckled and turned to look at Jiang Rumu. He was serious for a rare half-second.

"Sister-in-law, take care."

Jiang Rumu was checking the energy gels in her backpack and didn't even look up.

"Call me Sister."

"Sister-in-law."

Jiang Rumu looked up and glared at him.

Cen Ye had already slipped away.

He Manzhou jogged over and hugged Jiang Rumu, with enough force to shake her twice.

"You must—"

"Don't say anything discouraging." Jiang Rumu patted her back.

He Manzhou let go and sniffled, turning to shout at Li Li:

"Dean Li! Bring our Sister Jiang back without a scratch! Otherwise, I'll wreck your Welfare Institute!"

Li Li walked past with his suitcase without even turning his head.

"You can't wreck it; it's a reinforced concrete frame, earthquake-resistant to level eight."

Ji Shen held back a laugh and dragged He Manzhou away.

At the bottom of the boarding stairs, Yin Ruoying pressed her red lips into a thin line. Tao Qianzhi handed her a bottle of water.

"Ruoying, stay safe."

Yin Ruoying took the water and tapped her fingernails against the cap twice.

"Brother Tao, I won't die."

On the other side.

Jiang Shiyu stood in front of Gu Zeyan and looked him up and down three times.

He had too much he wanted to say. Like, how could you be second in physical fitness, or how it's clearly me who worked harder, or how someone like you, just a pretty face, would fare on a real battlefield—

But in the end, he only managed to squeeze out one sentence.

"Don't embarrass us."

Gu Zeyan was spraying sunscreen on his hands, not even looking up.

"Don't worry."

He leaned close to Jiang Shiyu's ear, his voice lowered so only the two of them could hear.

"When I come back, my follower count will be ten times yours."

Jiang Shiyu's face turned green.

Su Nianzhi hurried over in high heels, shouting "Brother Li Li" toward Li Li's direction, but Li Li had already boarded the stairs, his back disappearing into the cabin doorway.

Cen Ye passed by and mercilessly added:

"Stop pretending, Sis, he didn't even look at you."

Boarding gate.

Chu Lingfeng was the last to step onto the boarding stairs. She turned around and gave the middle finger to those below.

"I'm off! Just wait and watch me pull off some extreme moves and blow everyone away!"

The reserve members below erupted into a roar.

Lei Zhen poked his head out of the porthole, his shoulders almost getting stuck in the frame, and waved his tree-trunk-thick arms in the air.

"Brothers! I'll miss you all!"

Lin Shuyin sat in her seat, her fingers sliding rapidly across her tablet, not even looking up:

"Lei Zhen, sit down and fasten your seatbelt. You're warping the window frame."

Lei Zhen pulled back and sat down obediently.

"Oh."

The cabin door closed.

The roar of the engines gradually increased. The C919 taxied onto the runway, accelerated, lifted its nose, and pierced into the clouds.

The coconut groves and coastline of Bo'ao shrank into a line outside the window.

Li Li closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat.

He hadn't touched any training for three months.

The global broadcast cameras were shoved in his face 24 hours a day; even doing one extra set of push-ups would be recorded by the supervisors from the US and Israel.

But he wasn't in a rush.

The system modification countdown had three days left.

What kind of transformation his body would undergo in three days, even he wasn't sure.

He only knew one thing.

The US and Israel had gone to great lengths to restrict his training for three months, thinking they could dull his edge.

What they didn't know was that these three months were exactly the silent period needed for the system to complete its final modification.

They had personally delivered a great gift to him.

The handful of gummies in his pocket pressed against his hip bone.

Li Li turned over and went to sleep.

——

The same day.

The southeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula. Oman, Muscat International Airport.

The tarmac's specifications were three levels higher than Bo'ao's.

A red carpet stretched from the terminal to the foot of the boarding stairs, with twenty-four honor guards standing on both sides, sabers drawn, the blades reflecting the scorching desert sun.

A man walked in the center of the red carpet.

Said bin Maktoum.

Fifty-two years old. A white turban, a black robe with gold trim. His posture was upright, his pace calm.

Half a step behind him followed a woman.

Sama.

Black tight-fitting tactical gear, short hair cropped close to the scalp. No accessories.

When she passed, the honor guards on both sides of the red carpet unconsciously tightened their grip on their sabers. Not a salute. It was instinct.

On the perimeter of the tarmac, the high-ranking officials of the new Omani government were gathered. The Minister of Finance, the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Foreign Affairs—not one was missing.

"Mr. President! Win glory for Oman!"

"May Allah protect you!"

"The whole nation is watching you!"

Said stopped at the boarding stairs.

He turned around.

"Everyone."

He raised his hand, his voice not loud, but the tarmac instantly fell silent.

"I don't know how long I'll be gone on this trip."

He paused.

"But there is a small matter I want to tell everyone in advance."

Everyone held their breath.

Said turned his head to look at the Boeing business jet behind him bearing the Omani emblem, then turned back.

"The title 'President' is too stiff."

He waved his hand lightly.

"I still prefer the feeling of being a Sheikh."

Those eyes swept over everyone present.

"From now on—"

"Just call me 'Your Highness'."