Munitions Empire-Chapter 1221 - 1141 Liu Jing escapes
Kangrao Airport was quite a large airport. Before the outbreak of war, Shu Country had enjoyed a thriving economy, and its industrial development was relatively advanced, with a substantial number of airplanes.
This was also why many people in Qin Country and Shu Country believed that the annexation of Shu by Qin was a massive boost for Qin.
It was indeed a tremendous boost: Shu possessed numerous machining facilities, a large pool of skilled workers, and an abundance of raw materials. Such a formidable foundation collapsed rapidly; within just over a year, the defense line north of Shu Mountain was wholly lost to Qin. Qin gained considerable benefits from it.
At this moment, Kangrao Airport was incredibly busy, with numerous C-47 transport planes waiting to take off. Those able to secure tickets to flee were indisputably members of the elite, which made maintaining order a troublesome endeavor.
The wealthy, accustomed to arrogance in their daily lives, were now clashing with fierce-looking soldiers, their voices rising in curses and confrontations.
In his car, Liu Jing pulled over near the airport. He was no longer Shu’s Speaker of the Parliament and thus held no special privileges.
Watching the frantic individuals scrambling to escape, he furrowed his brow in displeasure. Despite being the true traitor of Shu, he couldn’t help but subconsciously assume the role of Shu’s Speaker.
Ground crew busily prepared the planes for takeoff, bustling around the C-47 transport planes to check every detail.
One had to recognize the frequent occurrence of accidents with these planes—the designs were relics of World War II, and their safety wasn’t exactly reliable.
But as the mechanics tirelessly worked on their tasks, one worker discreetly pulled out a pair of pliers and snapped a few of the pipes belonging to the plane with a crisp "snap."
Black oil leaked out. He stuffed the leak with the chewing gum from his mouth and wrapped the fracture tightly with tape from his pocket.
Once he managed to stop the leakage temporarily, he hid the damaged pipes back inside the airplane, casually giving it a couple of pats to feign having completed the inspection.
Two Shu Country pilots signed their names perfunctorily on the safety inspection record. After flying to Chu Country this time, they were not planning to return.
They had taken money, and the plane was packed to the brim with VIPs: all of them Shu’s aristocracy and wealthy elites who planned to enjoy life in other nations.
Sitting in his car, Liu Jing caught a whiff of danger. He turned to the Earl of Chu sitting beside him and asked, "Do you have the passenger list for this plane?"
"Where am I supposed to get that? Is there something wrong?" The Earl of Chu replied with a perplexed expression. He wasn’t Shu’s Speaker; how was he supposed to retrieve a plane’s passenger manifest?
"I don’t feel good about this…I suspect someone on that plane wants to kill me." Liu Jing spoke candidly, "If it doesn’t seem right, we should postpone our departure." freewebnσvel.cѳm
"What are you saying? Do you have any idea how long we’ve been preparing for this?" The Earl of Chu frowned deeply. He had been tirelessly coordinating for this operation; seeing all the efforts come to naught, it was no surprise his emotions flared.
To secure their safety today, he had bribed two pilots, which cost them a great deal of money. Many pilots trained in the Great Tang Empire were inherently unreliable, so finding two pilots with trustworthy backgrounds and arranging for them had been quite a challenge.
Furthermore, Qin Country’s Air Force already had coverage over Kangrao Airport, with their fighter jets occasionally appearing in the skies. To ensure their flight proceeded without interruption, he had specifically reached an agreement with Qin Country—no Qin Air Force planes would be scrambled to intercept Shu’s aircraft today.
So much had been coordinated and finalized—a process far from easy—and now Liu Jing suddenly decided he wasn’t boarding the plane? Ridiculous!
"I know, but I just don’t feel right about it." Years of political experience as Speaker had made Liu Jing exceptionally sensitive to danger.
In fact, he had been wary beforehand, particularly because the omnipresent intelligence agents of Tang Country had yet to surface during their operation. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, and today it felt more overwhelming than ever.
"Once we’re on the plane, we’ll be fine! Relax! I’ve arranged everything—I’ll even travel with you. What are you afraid of?" The Earl of Chu opened the car door and stepped out first.
Reluctantly, Liu Jing grabbed his briefcase and followed. Inside was his wealth—a significant fortune. Ironically, most of this money was stored in various banks within the Great Tang Empire because only Tang Empire banks could guarantee he could access it anytime.
His identity was now Yang Luo, a legitimate businessman. The account associated with this alias had always been active, thanks to the Sofia Group’s assistance in managing it.
The two men proceeded one after another toward a relatively quiet special passageway, guarded at the entrance by soldiers armed with automatic weapons.
The officer extended his hand, and the Earl of Chu reluctantly handed over a check. This checkpoint wasn’t supposed to serve as an entry point, but the Earl had offered an exorbitant "entry fee."
Glancing at the money, the officer’s face brightened considerably. With a wave, the soldiers immediately cleared the nearby barricades.
Cars couldn’t proceed further, so their driver and bodyguard abandoned the vehicle and followed Liu Jing and the Earl on foot. The four marched toward their plane in grand procession.
"How did they get through? Look at them! Let me board! Let me on! I have money! I have money!" On the other side of the barbed wire fence, a wealthy businessman at the front of the restless crowd waved his cash and shouted loudly.
He spotted Liu Jing and his companions heading toward the aircraft and immediately began to clamor. The crowd erupted once more, many echoing his cries.
Soldiers continued to block the throng without turning back, using their submachine guns to repeatedly push the mob away, maintaining their distance from the barrier.
"Do you see that? Do you understand how difficult it was for us to make it through?" By the plane’s side, the Earl of Chu boasted to Liu Jing with pride.
Liu Jing remained preoccupied. He extended a hand to grasp the airplane’s boarding stairs, turning back to look at the desperate Shu aristocrats and businessmen clamoring to board.
After hesitating, he climbed the stairs and entered the cabin. Inside, the seats were already packed with passengers, many grumbling loudly—complaints aimed at figuring out which idiot they’d been forced to wait for.
When Liu Jing stepped inside, some passengers instantly recognized him by his characteristic glasses. Naturally, they quickly silenced themselves. A few continued to curse, but their frustrations were directed at the cramped space and poor air quality.
Settling into his seat, Liu Jing turned to the Earl of Chu beside him. "What’s going on? Why are there so many familiar faces here?"
The Earl of Chu looked embarrassed. He had indeed arranged for a few private deals, selling expensive plane tickets under the table. After all, during times like these, such resources came at a steep price.
But he swore he hadn’t sold this many tickets—it had to be someone else profiting from the opportunity! It was those incompetent subordinates doing shoddy work!
Forced to explain, he said nervously, "I’m not sure. Maybe the people below me sold extra tickets to make some money."
Liu Jing very much wanted to leave the plane. The overcrowded cabin and the inept lackeys present greatly diminished his odds of survival.
"I want to get off! Idiots! This isn’t an escape—it’s suicide!" Just as Liu Jing prepared to rise, the plane jostled briefly, signaling it had begun taxiing.
"Stop them!" Liu Jing lowered his voice and ordered the Earl of Chu firmly, "Stop them immediately! Staying on this plane with these fools will get us all killed!"
He already pictured himself standing at the docks of Nanshan Port in the Great Tang Empire, surrounded by black-clad Imperial Security Bureau agents.
He was almost certain that the movements of this entire plane’s passengers had been exposed—Tang Empire intelligence would surely track this aircraft, potentially dragging him down with it.
"It… it shouldn’t be that serious, right?" Lacking experience in such matters, the Earl of Chu started to panic. He couldn’t decide whether Liu Jing’s concerns were valid.
But as he hesitated, the plane accelerated. Amid the slightly chaotic atmosphere, the aircraft shook, and with the drone of engines, it broke free and ascended into the sky.
"It’s in the air now…" The Earl of Chu looked awkwardly at Liu Jing.
Liu Jing had no other options left. He contemplated briefly and said, "Can we have the plane land at Chu Country’s King City and proceed independently from there by car or train to Nanshan Port?"
"Changing the landing site… seems… unlikely, right?" They could bribe the pilots, but altering commercial air routes wasn’t something easily done.
"Claim a mechanical failure!" Once Liu Jing’s mind fixated on an idea, he was unwavering. Convinced there was an ambush at Nanshan Port, he felt an urgent need to avoid the danger he foresaw.
"Alright!" The Earl of Chu, inexperienced in such situations, had run out of ideas. Emotions are inherently contagious, and clearly, Liu Jing was far more adept than him in this aspect. Liu Jing, a seasoned Speaker, had long mastered the art of influencing judgments.
Shortly, the Earl returned to his seat, his demeanor restored to confidence. "Don’t worry! The pilots agreed! They’ll report an oil pipe failure and make an emergency landing at King City Airport in Chu Country. We’ll get off there and let the rest fly on to Nanshan Port!"
"Phew…" Finally hearing some good news, Liu Jing, reassured and back in control, exhaled deeply. Leaning back against the stiff plane seat, he closed his eyes.
