The plane took off.
Chen Jinzhao watched the buildings beneath him grow smaller and smaller, eventually shrinking to the size of matchboxes, before he finally turned his gaze back to the cabin interior.
He was contemplating whether there was any way he could survive.
Who would choose death if they could live?
If Jiang Yangping wanted him dead, he would surely tamper with the plane. The current problem was whether the crew knew about this. Judging by the crew's slightly respectful, even fanatical, gazes, Chen Jinzhao realized they were likely unaware.
This was the most troublesome scenario.
Even if he managed to hijack the plane and gain control of the cockpit, the outcome would be the same.
Jiang Yangping had either planted a timed explosive on the plane or would wait for Chen Jinzhao to lose patience and attempt a hijacking, then unleash an anti-aircraft missile to send Chen Jinzhao back to the netherworld.
By all accounts, it was a dead end.
After much thought, Chen Jinzhao found only one path forward: a high-altitude parachute jump.
So, he began searching the cabin for a parachute. With a parachute, Chen Jinzhao believed he could escape with his life.
But after searching for a long time, there wasn't a single parachute in the cabin.
This caused Chen Jinzhao's heart to sink.
It seemed Jiang Yangping's preparations were meticulous, cutting off almost every escape route, aiming to crush Chen Jinzhao.
What should he do?
For a moment, Chen Jinzhao was at a loss.
To have fallen short just before seeing the dawn was truly disheartening.
"No, I need to calm down. Only by calming down can I find a sliver of hope," Chen Jinzhao muttered to himself.
Meanwhile.
The Candle Dragon Special Forces had already been dispatched, preparing to intercept the private jet carrying Chen Jinzhao.
If anyone dared to fire a missile, the Candle Dragon Special Forces would tear them to shreds without mercy.
Fighter jets also ascended from the mega-metropolis of Donghai, having received orders from Qin Fengwu to intercept Chen Jinzhao's private jet. They would be ready to provide immediate support if any situation arose.
At an airport in Linzhou City.
The secretary informed Jiang Yangping about the Candle Dragon Special Forces and the ascent of fighter jets from the Donghai Military Region. Jiang Yangping tapped his fingertips on the desk and said calmly, "I know. You may leave."
"Yes!"
Jiang Yangping was now alone in the office.
Jiang Yangping had laid out a net of heaven and earth, waiting for Chen Jinzhao to fall into it. Now that he had, it was time to close the trap.
However, Jiang Yangping still had concerns.
Just as Chen Jinzhao had surmised, Jiang Yangping had planted a timed explosive on the private jet, set to detonate in one hour. According to Jiang Yangping's plan, Chen Jinzhao's plane should not crash over the affluent Jiangnan region, as it would cause severe negative repercussions. The ideal time to act would be when the plane was over the sparsely populated plains of Jiangbei Province, minimizing the impact.
If that wasn't feasible, then anti-aircraft missiles would be employed.
But since the Candle Dragon Special Forces and the Donghai Military Region had already responded, Jiang Yangping had no reason to shoot down Chen Jinzhao's plane himself.
After much deliberation, it seemed he could only wait for the timed explosive to detonate.
Knock, knock, knock!
A knock on the door interrupted Jiang Yangping's thoughts.
Jiang Yangping extinguished the cigarette in his hand. "Come in, what is it?"
The person entering was the secretary who had just left the office. The secretary handed a tablet computer to Jiang Yangping. On the screen was a piece of explosive news. Jiang Yangping's gaze sharpened, and he stared intently at the tablet for several minutes.
Bang!
Jiang Yangping slammed his fist on the desk, his expression particularly furious.
"Damn it, what the hell is Qin Fengwu playing at? He actually went to greet Chen Jinzhao at the Beijing airport personally and even informed the CCTV reporters to broadcast it live?" Jiang Yangping could no longer remain calm.
Qin Fengwu's actions were clearly putting Jiang Yangping in a precarious position.
This was a grand ceremony to welcome a national hero, broadcast live on major internet platforms. If Chen Jinzhao was not received, or if news of his plane crash broke, it would undoubtedly stir up a massive storm across the country.
At that point, Jiang Yangping would also have to consider his own fate!
"Foolish, so foolish. Doesn't Qin Fengwu have a grudge against Chen Jinzhao? Why would he do something so foolish at this moment?!" Jiang Yangping was enraged.
He waved the secretary away and made a direct call to Beijing.
Once the call connected, Jiang Yangping said with urgency, "Chen Jinzhao's private jet took off twenty minutes ago, and everything is proceeding according to plan. However, Qin Fengwu has stirred up trouble. Please instruct me!"
"Mm, I already know," came an aged voice from the other end of the line.
Jiang Yangping asked anxiously, "Then what should I do?"
"If the entire nation witnesses Chen Jinzhao's private jet crash, it will likely cause tremendous repercussions. Should we not be more cautious?"
The voice on the other end replied, "No need. I will handle Qin Fengwu. You continue to proceed as planned."
"Alright," Jiang Yangping agreed.
"If the timed bomb fails to detonate on time, should we still proceed with bombing the plane?"
He dared not make this decision himself.
The other party was silent for a moment, then said, "If the bomb doesn't detonate as scheduled, I will call you. Until then, you must be prepared for all eventualities."
"Understood!" Jiang Yangping nodded.
Beijing.
At an airport in the western suburbs, Qin Fengwu was waiting in the cold wind for Chen Jinzhao's private jet to land. Beside him stood his aides and several media reporters. Apart from Qin Fengwu, everyone else was chatting and laughing, awaiting Chen Jinzhao's return.
After a few minutes, the lead veteran reporter suddenly received a call from his superiors, instructing them to immediately cease the broadcast and return to the station.
This displeased the veteran reporter greatly.
The reporter was a seasoned professional, having covered many major events and even accompanied important figures on state visits.
For such an important matter, the station had issued a strict order against a special interview.
Upon learning of this, Qin Fengwu personally spoke with the station director. The director said sheepishly, "Mr. Qin, please forgive me. I am also forced into this. I dare not get involved in this mess."
"Who is it?" Qin Fengwu asked.
The director stammered, stating that the matter was difficult to disclose.
Qin Fengwu understood. "Alright, your people can leave, but you can't stop me from having other media outlets broadcast this live, can you?"
"That is Mr. Qin's own affair. We naturally have no right to interfere," the director replied.
After hanging up.
The veteran reporter, compelled, left with a few dejected individuals.
A cold smile flickered across Qin Fengwu's lips. He suddenly became very interested in the prominent figure orchestrating this event from behind the scenes. Moreover, if this matter were handled well, it could also help enhance Qin Fengwu's prestige.
"I think I've already guessed who wants to kill Chen Jinzhao."
"Truly unexpected."