Chapter 0119
Beyond that, a comment on the second layer of the feed, freshly posted and already rivaling the top comment, read:
“The kiss from Captain Madison shattered my heart! She fights for the honor of Mukino International and stands against the world’s
elites!”
Instantly, this comment stirred the patriotic spirit, rallying masses of supporters under Ethan’s F******k to cheer for Madison.
They were all rooting for Captain Madison to win!
At the competition venue.!
Madison was to perform last according to the draw-just like in the team event. The crowd on the final day was more than double that of the first, a sea of faces as far as the eye could see.
Teams S, Y, P, K, R, and C had completed their flights in succession
Mistakes were made by teams S, C, R, and Y-caught by the eagle- eyed cameras touching the balloons tied to the wings of the obstacle aircraft.
With a perfect score of ten, they received scores of 6, 6, 7, and 8, based on their completion times and the number of touches.
The cumulative scores of these four teams were now known, trailing Mukino International by a slim margin.
But when teams P and K finished, the rankings shuffled.
Team P’s strength was formidable, scoring an impressive 8.8, with. their participant shooting to first place in individual scores.
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Now, it was down to Team M and Madison.
Team M’s participant, as Madison anticipated, was Lake, who flashed. her a smile before boarding the fighter jet.
The entire Mukino International flight team watched Lake’s
performance with bated breath.
Madison frowned as she watched him glide smoothly through the
obstacles.
The thunderous landing of the aircraft signaled the end of his run.
Soon after, the leaderboard updated on the big screen.
Individual scores-
Team M’s Lake firmly in first place: 14.2 points.
Second place, Team P’s participant: 13.5 points.
Madison had yet to compete, so her score was temporarily lagging.
This meant Team M scored 8.4 points for the fifth event, while Tean
P scored 8.0.
The evasive maneuvering flight and simulated crash landing were both new additions to the exhibition match, and both introduced in
the same year.
Many privately commented that this year’s championship carried a great deal of weight..
So with just an 8.4 in the fifth event, it was clear how challenging the
task was.
Madison, observing from below, noted the other teams’ times.
Team M completed the course in 1 minute and 24 seconds, while Team P finished in 1. minute and 43 seconds.
2/7
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This meant that if she surpassed 1 minute and 43 seconds, she would likely secure second place.
But to beat 1 minute and 24 seconds…
Madison, ready in the cockpit, fixed her gaze on the screen in the distance that displayed Team M’s top time.
She etched those numbers into memory.
At that moment, nearly a hundred thousand people encircled the grand square, all eyes turned skyward.
The eight aircraft ascended simultaneously, arranged by the organizers.
Over the channel, the organizers reminded her: “The eight aircraft have reached their designated points. Prepare to launch within a minute.”
Madison took two deep breaths.
Suddenly, a buzzing drowned out her hearing, and she had to shut her eyes tightly to quell the sensation.
Looking through the side window of the jet, she noticed many familiar faces in the stands, some even unfurling banners.
They seemed to be shouting for Mukino International, and for her.
“Madison has to push through…” Zuo Yulei murmured, chewing on her fingernails.
Even Brian, no longer young, couldn’t help but stand.
Who wouldn’t be nervous at such a time?
Success or failure hinged on this moment.
Forty seconds into the countdown, Madison exhaled her last breath
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of trepidation and gently pushed the control stick forward.
The aircraft responded keenly, moving as directed.
Within a second, the fighter jet was aloft by the propellers’ lift.
Suddenly, all noise and excitement in the venue ceased; the crowd
held their breath, waiting to trace the last fighter jet’s path.
In Madison’s mind, her grandfather’s key points from the video
replayed incessantly.
Tens of thousands witnessed the aircraft surge forward, then dart through the skies at incredible speed.
Who dares to fly like that?!
What if it couldn’t stop in time and crashed?!
But what astounded everyone more was not a direct flight but a side slip after acceleration. The jet, like a graceful butterfly leaving a trail. of white smoke, weaved swiftly and himbly between the eight
obstacles.
Madison’s body tilted inside the cockpit, her focus unyielding, her breath nearly halted.
She continued to accelerate with the control stick.
She had to beat 1 minute and 24 seconds!
Only then could she honor her grandfather and prevent Ethan from being the target of online mockery!
Madison’s eyes were bloodshot, her face pale as death.
“Is she out of her mind?!” Brian was terrified!
As the jet passed the last obstacle, instead of flying straight out to the designated distance, it whipped around in midair, plunging
towards the ground..
47
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Team M’s Lake stood up, yelling, “What? She’s drift flying a fighter jet!”
Only a professional could recognize Madison’s all-out effort.
She was cutting corners to save time wherever possible, including the
descent.
Ground personnel recoiled as the diving jet approached.
Madison gripped the brake lever tightly, spun three times in midair to reduce the diving force and velocity, and then, despite the turbulence, she braved the landing!
The wheels ground against the pavement, kicking up white smoke, and simultaneously, the timer halted.
Team M’s members all stood up, shouting, “No! Impossible!!”
“This can’t be!”
They were all clamoring in disbelief.
The organizers asked them to take their seats.
Then, the screen displayed a shocking update: Team Z’s XUN-Meng time for the fifth event was 1 minute and 14 seconds!
1 minute and 14 seconds!!!
How was that possible?!
All Mukino International pilots waited, hands clenched, for the comprehensive score.
Hearts pounded thunderously.
Even the usually chatty Jessica was silent from start to finish, her
nerves on edge.
The venue was hushed.
The four international judges seemed to encounter some issue.
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They scrutinized the tablet streaming the bird’s-eye view, replaying footage over and over.
Finally, one judge shrugged and confidently pressed numbers on the scoring device.
Once all four judges entered their scores, the backend automatically calculated the average.
Madison, already out of the jet, was streaked with sweat as she strode towards the big screen.
As she looked up, the display suddenly changed.
First came Madison’s individual score for the fifth event: 10 points.
In less than half a second, the overall scores appeared.
As Madison’s individual score was added, Team Z, briefly known as Mukino International, leaped from a trailing position straight to first place!
Then, “Team Z” was enlarged and crowned with a graphic of a roy diadem.
Team Z’s total points were just 0.1 ahead of Team M!
A narrow victory!
A moment of silence was followed by explosive cheers, heartfelt and ecstatic, from the crowd.
“We’re first!!!”
“First place!!! We won!!! We actually won first place!!!”
Someone from the team shouted with elation.
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Gazing at the big screen, where her own name topped the individual total scores, Madison’s eyes suddenly welled with tears.
She turned back, indifferent to the teammates now embracing her, and looked far into the stands, where a distinguished man with similarly reddened eyes sat.
The camera shifted to Ethan.
He was oblivious to the attention, merely flashing a smile at Michael beside him, a rich, velvety laugh resonating from his chest-
“See that? That’s my woman, Ethan’s woman.”
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