Chapter 0118
Madison returned to her hotel room in silence, solitary and withdrawn. Firing up her computer and ignoring her phone, she started playing the video left by her grandfather on a loop.
Again and again, she watched.
She knew the accompanying narration by heart, but a sense of unease kept her glued to the screen without respite.
As she watched, lost in thought, her phone rang. Initially reluctant to answer, her mood shifted when she saw the caller’s name.
“Hello?”
“Baby girl.”
The unexpected endearment sent Madison’s heart racing, curving her lips into an involuntary smile.
Pausing the recurring flight video, she nestled into her chair to tall What’s up?”
Ethan made no mention of the competition. “Did you miss me?”
“Why do you always ask that whenever you call?” She touched her cheek, concealing a blush.
“It matters to me, knowing if you’ve missed me.”
A moment of silence lingered before Madison admitted softly, “I have.
She longed for his presence through each challenge, but she also knew Ethan’s work kept him busy, his responsibilities often preventing him from being by her side.
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“Tomorrow we’ll be home. Is there anything particular you’re craving?”
Ethan’s voice was tender.
“Um…” Madison pondered seriously before responding, “Make me some braised pork.”
“Can do.”
“It’s late, should we sleep?”
She shut down her computer and crawled into bed, her voice soft and inviting, “Will you stay with me?”
Seduced by her alluring tone, Ethan’s voice grew husky, “Yes.”
Once he heard her settle down, he suggested, “Shall I tell you a story?”
“Please.” Without an appetite, Madison had skipped dinner. She closed her eyes, ready for his tale.
Ethan’s story was the kind meant for young children, but Madison listened with joy.
Gradually, her breathing evened out into the rhythm of sleep.
Just a wall away, Ethan leaned against the headboard, quietly listening to the sound of her breath on the phone.
He dared not reveal that he was already there, looking for her.
He feared it might unsettle Madison and affect her performance i tomorrow’s competition.
Ethan had discreetly inquired about the schedule from Old Gao upon his arrival, learning that Madison was slated for the final day’s competition.
The magnitude of her pressure was palpable.
At this moment, there was little Ethan could do. He couldn’t compete
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on her behalf or influence the outcome. Even if he could, Madison
wouldn’t accept it.
All he could do was help Madison find tranquility in sleep; the rest was up to her.
That night, insomnia claimed more than just Ethan.
Zuo Yulei, too, was restless, crying uncontrollably. Fellow pilots from Song Airlines tried to comfort her, urging her not to blame herself.
But how could she not?
They had been in a steady lead, and if she had scored full points, a steady performance from Madison the next day could have clinched their victory.
The fifth event was a test of the pilot’s skill and strength, and with Madison already under heavy pressure, she now shouldered the additional burden of 1.5 points lost due to Zuo Yulei’s mistake.
Zuo Yulei wailed on her bed, kicking her legs in distress.
On the third day of the competition, Madison rose early and gather with the others in the hotel lobby.
Everyone appeared to be in poor spirits, likely due to a restless night. But they all tacitly avoided mentioning the competition, feigning ease as they went for breakfast before boarding the bus to the venue.
Madison was acutely aware of the tension around her.
Now, the pressure was squarely on her shoulders.
Her victory would be Mukino International’s triumph.
Her defeat would see them return home empty-handed.
They were only 1.5 points behind Team M.
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The fifth event was worth ten points in total. She needed not only to aim for a full score but also to pray that Team M’s participant wouldn’t surpass eight points.
A tall order.
Whether she could score full points, or Team M could be held below eight seemed equally unlikely.
The event was ‘Evasive Maneuvering Through Obstacles’.
The organizers would deploy eight pilots, flying aircraft with balloons attached to the wings as mobile obstacles.
Participants of this last event were to weave through these aircraft in an S-shaped path.
The comprehensive score would be based on speed, smoothness, and the precision of touchpoints.
Aerial photography, utilizing the pinnacle of world technology, would capture every detail of the planes’ movements.
Even the slightest touch would be recorded.
By 11:30 a.m. local time, all eight teams were assembled. Madison stood at the forefront of Team Z, alongside other contestants of the fifth event, each clad in their respective airlines’ captain uniforms.
Madison, dressed in a sharp white shirt paired with black trousers and boots and her hair in a high ponytail, exuded an air of fierce
competence.
As the organizers signaled, the eight local pilots designated as flying obstacles hurried to their assigned aircraft.
The remaining eight participants for the event were to board the
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fighters in the back row.
In that moment, Madison inexplicably glanced back.
Her vision was unobstructed.
Her heart fluttered, and she couldn’t help but glance to her left.
There, in the front row of the spectator stands, sat Ethan, impeccably dressed in a pressed black suit, elbows on his knees, hands covering his face, his eyes intently on her.
He was nervous for her.
Madison felt no surprise at his presence.
Instead, she smiled as if a weight had been lifted off her chest.
Then, under the gaze of the global livestream cameras, the woman tapped her chest over the Mukino International emblem with a grin.
And then…
She brought her hand to her lips.
It was like a kiss.
This moment was seen by online viewers worldwide.
Murmers of intrigue rose from the crowd on-site and echoed across screens everywhere.
Madison’s face had gone viral globally since the first day of the team.
competition.
First, for her beauty, and second, for her flying skills.
She gifted Ethan a particularly radiant smile, her bright eyes reflecting the midday sun, and turned on her heel.
Her long legs, emphasized by the military trousers, moved with
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effortless grace.
“It’s over…”
In the stands, Michael clutched at his chest, “Damn, Captain Madison’s kiss just hit me right in the heart.”
Beside him, Ethan’s eyes churned with an overwhelming depth, his gaze never leaving her figure.
Although he wasn’t the competitor, his palms were slick with sweat.
When the camera panned to him, Ethan sat back in his seat, one leg crossed over the other, a picture of calm against the backdrop of azure sky and sea.
As fighter jets ascended one by one, the battle for honor truly began.
Back home, Madison had already garnered a vast following of fans. and supporters.
And among the astute, someone had left a comment on Ethan’s F****
**k:
“Chairman Jiang, is the ‘her’ you mentioned in your post Captain Madison?”
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