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墨書 Inktalez
Kiribati is an island nation located in the central Pacific, and it is the only country in the world that straddles the equator and crosses the International Date Line.
The primary reasons for selecting this location as the headquarters for the Dream World Project are twofold: first, to confirm the global nature and fairness of the Dream World Project; second, to save this beautiful island city that is on the verge of being eroded by the ocean.
Flying from Nordic to Kiribati, even with a direct flight over the North Atlantic Ocean, the eastern coast of the United States, Mexico, and the northern Pacific, requires a distance of over thirteen thousand kilometers. Even with a Gulfstream jet, there is no guarantee that fuel will be sufficient for a single trip.
Thus, Chen Rui and his group could only first arrive in Honolulu, Hawaii, to refuel before heading to Kiribati and then returning directly to Beijing.
While everyone was organizing their luggage, except for Xiong Kai, Peng Hao, Yu Mingming, and Wang Conghui all put down their unorganized bags. Peng Hao went off to find Ye Han, and the two walked aside, seemingly engaged in a private conversation.
Wang Conghui and Yu Mingming moved to another corner, pulling out their phones to dial a number from their contacts while whispering about something.
Chen Rui and Li Xue went straight to the sixth floor. Since they had little luggage and were only attending a meeting before heading back to Beijing, Chen Rui simply bundled his clothes haphazardly into his bag, leaving only a formal outfit for the meeting.
Li Xue certainly couldn't be as casual as Chen Rui but packed very quickly; compared to most girls, her efficiency was remarkable.
By the time Chen Rui arrived at the airport, the others were still at the hotel. Zhang Jun stood at the Gulfstream's staircase and noticed them approaching, his lips twitching slightly.
Chen Rui reached the foot of the stairs and let Li Xue board first while he leaned against the handrail with Zhang Jun. As he watched Li Xue enter the cabin, Chen Rui offered him a cigarette. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?" Zhang Jun waved his hand dismissively, pushing the red cigarette back. "I don't smoke that stuff; I'm not used to that taste."
Chen Rui laughed heartily, knowing Zhang Jun only smoked Huanghelou. He couldn't help but tease him. "Wait until you can't find Huanghelou in New York; you'll gradually get used to it!"
"Don't change the subject!" Zhang Jun frowned slightly, not understanding why Chen Rui was trying to make small talk. "What’s going on? Just say it! Stop wasting time!"
Chen Rui put the cigarette back in its pack and looked directly at Zhang Jun. "What were you thinking just now? Your expression was clearly off when my assistant and I arrived!"
Zhang Jun glanced at Chen Rui, feeling a bit surprised. He had managed to suppress his slight twitch immediately, yet Chen Rui, from such a distance and while walking, had observed it so closely.
"It's nothing, just saw you openly talking about friends at work! That's against the rules! I don't want to interfere, so let's just forget it," Zhang Jun casually brushed it off.
Chen Rui understood that Zhang Jun was unwilling to speak the truth, so he didn't press further. With a wry smile, he said, "What friends? I see her as a sister! Her brother entrusted me to take care of her; you know her background..."
Zhang Jun rolled his eyes at Chen Rui and mocked, "Yeah, right. Mr. Li came all the way here just to pursue you, a poor guy. What’s so great about that? You know her brother asked you to look after her; why are you even explaining?"
Not wanting to continue the pointless banter, Chen Rui patted his shoulder and walked up the gangway into the cabin. This guy always added embellishments when listening to others, turning a perfectly good statement into something entirely different.
Although the others were a bit slower, they all arrived at the airport within half an hour. After confirming everyone was present, Zhang Jun pulled up the gangway and signaled for the captain to take off.
The plane quickly ascended into the stratosphere, and the sunlight bathed the white clouds below, creating an illusion of entering a grand hall. Almost everyone couldn't help but instinctively look out the window.
The Gulfstream was headed first to Honolulu for refueling before flying on to Kiribati. Due to the flight direction and duration, most of their journey would be in the afternoon, meaning that for over thirteen hours on board, it would be bright outside, while their arrival time at the destination would be around local midnight.
To facilitate a better meeting later on, Zhang Jun almost forcibly made Chen Rui and the others sleep: stopping all television programs, closing all window shades, dimming the cabin lights, and so on.
Though everyone was quite displeased with Zhang Jun's actions, they accepted his good intentions with gritted teeth. After all, if they couldn't muster any energy during the meeting, no matter how exciting it was, it would be hard to make an impact.
Of course, there had to be an exception. Li Xue certainly didn't care about Zhang Jun's actions; she found those entertainment options exceptionally dull since she had spent most of her time flying around the world as a prominent figure.
Because of Li Xue's presence, Chen Rui couldn't get any decent sleep either and could only pitifully accompany Sister Li in her antics.
The Gulfstream flew directly towards Hawaii at nearly Mach one. Given its full fuel capacity for this distance was very safe; even at cruising altitude, it wouldn't run out of fuel before reaching Hawaii.
As they refueled in Hawaii, the sunset was particularly beautiful. As the plane descended closer to the clouds, everyone felt as if they were witnessing the most beautiful scenery in the world and instinctively pulled out their phones to capture the moment.
While refueling at Honolulu Airport, no one left the plane because they were in a hurry. Unlike last time, when they could stroll around the lounge, the Gulfstream taxied to a remote parking spot and was immediately met by fuel trucks and ground crew. Dozens of staff members busily attended to the aircraft.
Soon, they were back on their way, flying directly to Kiribati, located southeast of Hawaii.
Upon arriving in Kiribati, the plane did not land immediately. Many government officials from participating countries were also arriving at the same time, and Kiribati's only airport designated for the Dream World Project was busy accommodating these officials.
Previously, Chen Rui had seen the plans for a meeting room where officials from various countries gathered in Kiribati via an online connection. In reality, other officials were also holding online meetings from around the world, with the Central Hub transmitting the meeting room background to everyone, making it appear as if everyone except oneself was present.
Chen Rui and his group had to wait until the officials from other countries left the airport before they could land. The nearest civilian or military airport was too far from both their location and the conference center; even by car, it would take nearly half an hour to reach, and they did not have landing permission.
With no other choice, the Gulfstream had to circle endlessly above the airport. Many other planes were doing the same; leaders of Execution Teams and project managers from various countries had also nearly arrived in Kiribati. The fact that so many planes could circle in the same airspace without incident demonstrated the pilots' skills and the efficiency of ground control.
It was already nighttime, and aside from the signal lights on the wings and tail of the planes, they were virtually invisible in the dark!
As if responding to Chen Rui's unspoken thoughts, his Gulfstream soon received landing instructions from air traffic control. They were among the first of many waiting planes to be granted permission to land.
Unlike last time, although they arrived late at night again, there were staff members ready to guide Chen Rui's group to a professional reception area for rest instead of having them spend the night cramped in an airport lounge.
Perhaps due to this incident drawing attention from higher-ups, it was only natural for Chen Rui's group to receive some special treatment.
Although it was late at night, they had all managed to sleep on the plane, so they weren't particularly tired. In contrast, Chen Rui found himself wide awake due to Li Xue's incessant chatter. Now feeling very sleepy, he still couldn't shake off Li Xue, who insisted on sharing a room with him.
Reluctantly, Chen Rui agreed to her request. After quickly taking a shower upon entering their room, he groggily collapsed onto his bed, leaving Li Xue unattended beside him.
This couldn't really be blamed on Chen Rui; entering and exiting dreams wasn't a normal state and took a significant toll on his energy. Moreover, he hadn't rested during the thirteen hours on the plane. Essentially, he had worked nearly twenty consecutive hours again, so it was natural for him to feel exhausted.
Li Xue tugged at Chen Rui's back. When he didn't respond, she smiled slightly and quickly took a shower before squeezing into his bed...
A ray of sunlight fell on Chen Rui's face, and he groggily woke up. After sleeping for six hours, he felt a certain degree of recovery in both energy and strength, but there was an instinctive feeling that something was off.
Chen Rui fumbled beside him and suddenly realized there was another person next to him! It didn't take much thought to know who it was! But the key issue was: how come he hadn't noticed last night that this was a double bed room!!! And there was only one blanket!!!
He immediately checked himself, fearing that he might have done something impulsive in his unconscious state. Fortunately, after a thorough inspection, he confirmed that nothing irreversible had happened.
Startled, Chen Rui quickly took a few deep breaths and looked helplessly at Li Xue, who was still lost in her dreams.
Li Xue turned over to face Chen Rui, her beautiful face adorned with a faint smile, and there were traces of drool at the corner of her mouth.
What kind of dream did she have!!!
Chen Rui was taken aback. He glanced at the clock on the wall and prepared to wake Li Xue. They still had to report at the meeting today, and naturally, they couldn't afford to be late.
He nudged Li Xue through the blanket. She frowned slightly, clearly still not ready to wake up. Watching her like this made Chen Rui unable to help but smile wryly; he really had no way to deal with her.
In desperation, Chen Rui kept nudging Li Xue. She suddenly jumped up in irritation, "Are you crazy? Can't I even sleep in peace?"
Chen Rui hurriedly covered his eyes and shouted, "Where's your sleepwear! Don't you usually wear pajamas!!! Even if you don't wear pajamas, you must wear underwear!!!!"
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