Being the first eyewitness to discover a mutant is no trivial matter, and certainly not something regular folks can casually criticize a supernatural power user for.
Chen Fei turned off the engine, and the five-bladed propeller of the "Big Mouth Monster" swiftly came to a halt.
He climbed out of the cockpit and sized up the guy next to Manager Hanna with a look of disgruntlement, asking, "What's this guy saying?"
It seemed he wasn't holding in anything good.
"He took you for an insignificant little character, a minor role!"
The female executive manager didn't hesitate to throw this opportunist under the bus.
Bang!~
"Ow..."
The accompanying personnel from the Merman Brothers Consortium received a kick in the stomach and flew backwards three or four meters, curling up on the ground like a shrimp, turning pale as beads of sweat the size of soybeans appeared and he inhaled sharply, unable to even let out a scream or a moan.
"He's right! I am an insignificant little character."
Chen Fei slowly withdrew his foot without a trace of anger—in fact, he wasn't angry at all!
Talking nonsense about the obvious truth!
The old soldiers held back their laughter, swaying side to side—this kid was just too honest.
The female executive manager crossed her arms behind her back and nodded in approval, saying, "Well done!"
Hanna Gagel had wanted to smack that guy for a while but, out of respect for her status, had felt it beneath her to engage in such pettiness.
Chen Fei's actions were exactly to her liking.
"I can't stand guys like him. Is there anything to eat around here?"
Chen Fei looked around. The layout and facilities of many Aircrew Bases were pretty similar, and he was trying to figure out where the mess hall was.
He had been flying almost the entire day, and his stomach was growling with hunger.
Hanna Gagel knew what Chen Fei was looking for and said, "Don't bother looking, there's only military rations here."
"Then there's no helping it!"
Chen Fei shrugged his shoulders and then suggested, "How about a military-style potluck? You've all had it, right?"
A large stainless steel pot sat on a fire, filled with a variety of ingredients—luncheon meat, sausages, meatballs, instant noodles... and some freeze-dried mushrooms and vegetables for preservation, all from military field rations. When these ingredients came together, it was as if a chemical reaction took place, creating an aroma so enticing it was hard to resist.
This was no Huaxia delicacy but rather a trashy dish concocted by Goryeo people, still far better than plain military rations.
If there were some spicy pickled cabbage to top it off, it would have been even more authentic.
"Smells so good! I'm hungry again!"
The female executive manager, with her bowl and chopsticks ready, unceremoniously dug in without waiting.
The circle of old soldiers was quick to act too, each one vying for food.
Damn...
Watching the pot quickly emptied to just broth, Chen Fei wished he could shove these guys into the pot to make a true "military-style feast."
Finally satisfying his own hunger, Chen Fei observed people still bustling about nearby and asked Manager Hanna, "What are all these people busy with?"
After getting knocked away by his kick, that individual from the Merman Brothers Consortium had lain there for a while before struggling to get up in a fit of rage and leaving, and since then, no one had bothered to interact with them; they even had to scrounge up their own military rations meal from the supplies.
The Merman Brothers Consortium had lit up Aircrew Base 912 like it was broad daylight, with transport planes constantly arriving, bringing more manpower and resources.
Manager Hanna Gagel spread her hands and shrugged, explaining, "They're still collecting clues left by the mutant and busy repairing the entire base."
Someone approached the tarmac, bowed slightly towards them, and continued, "The meeting will officially start at nine-thirty in the morning."
"I know, thank you!"
Hanna Gagar nodded her head, glad that the Merman Brothers Consortium finally did something reliable.
She thought she would have to delay here for another day or two, not to mention that back at the 911 Aircrew Base, a pile of matters was waiting to be dealt with.
After delivering the message, the messenger was about to turn and leave when Chen Fei suddenly stopped him.
"Wait, may I ask, why didn't the older gentleman come yesterday?"
"Uh... Reggie had a bit of an accident, so I was sent to notify you at the last minute."
While speaking these words, the messenger couldn't help feeling a surge of fear.
Reggie Everson would probably have to lie in bed for half a month, courtesy of the 911 Aircrew Base folks. It's said to be the work of a youngster; could it be the one standing before him asking the question...
Hiss!
You should know when to stop when you've bested someone; you caused the injury, yet you ask like this, shouldn't you spare a thought for the consequences?
"Oh, I see! So, are you going to be in charge of liaising with us from now on?"
Chen Fei scrutinized the man, who immediately cringed, showing a terrified expression, clearly in a panic.
"Yes, yes! If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now!"
The man hurried off as if fleeing, disappearing without a trace.
He was just an unlucky kid pushed forward as a scapegoat; there was no need to put his life on the line.
Hanna Gagar reproached softly, "You scared him."
"Miss Hanna!"
The old soldiers escorting the female executive manager to the 912 Aircrew Base gathered, though some had bruised faces and walked unsteadily.
Hanna Gagar noticed something was off and asked frowning, "What happened to you guys?"
The old soldiers looked at each other, their expressions awkward and hesitant, none daring to speak.
It wasn't until the executive manager's expression grew stern that someone finally said, "Last night, a few guys provoked us, and, well, a fight broke out."
"Who won? You guys or them?"
Hanna Gagar's face darkened; they had actually fought in secret, and she wondered if they had suffered any disadvantage.
The 912 Aircrew Base was a trap, yet she had no choice but to attend. Bringing the experienced old soldiers was precisely to deal with such underhand tactics.
An old soldier immediately puffed out his chest and said, "Miss Hanna, of course we won. We took on four each, broke four ribs, two legs, and an arm. We're hardly hurt, our bones are very tough, cough cough!"
He tried to speak boldly but couldn't help coughing a few times, indicating he too had taken some hits.
"A fight? Why didn't you call me?"
Chen Fei closed the inspection panel and walked over.
He was in need of Energy Points and figured that getting into a fight might trigger a system task that could pay off.
Whether it was hitting people or getting hit, neither was a problem for him.
"Hey, Little Chen, we couldn't disturb you with such a small matter!"
The old soldiers exchanged looks; if they had called Chen Fei, they probably wouldn't have had anything to do themselves.
-