Return to the City: The Strongest King
Chapter 957 - 958: Colluding with the Unscrupulous

Chapter 957: Chapter 958: Colluding with the Unscrupulous

This plane wasn’t flying directly to Minghe but to Jinhua. Song Xiaodong, Miao Xuanxuan, and Miao Qingqing were heading to Jinhua for some business, so they took this flight.

Therefore, most of the people on board are either Americans or Jinhua locals.

Cao Heyang turned to Li Fangding and said, "Mr. Vice Mayor, you should be fine with this, right?"

"I... I..." Li Fangding hesitated for a moment, then finally gritted his teeth and said, "No problem."

Since the plane crash, Li Fangding had not revealed his identity. As the Vice Mayor, he had gone to Las Vegas to gamble — one can only imagine what kind of official he might be. He dared not reveal himself.

But when he was cornered, he eventually disclosed his identity in an attempt to secure a chance to survive.

If he colluded with Cao Heyang and the others, once word got out, he’d be condemned by countless people, and his days as Vice Mayor would undoubtedly end.

To save his own life, he was no longer just a gambler; he had descended to become someone utterly unscrupulous. Gritting his teeth, he said, "I know Jinhua’s wealthiest citizens inside and out—no one can fool us."

"We..." These two words carried weight. Li Fangding had already aligned himself with Cao Heyang and the others.

Wu Xiaoya shouted angrily, "Vice Mayor, is this what an official should do?"

By this point, Li Fangding had shed all pretense and didn’t care anymore. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Here, what’s official and not doesn’t matter. The priority is survival. Now, I can offer you all a chance: those who don’t have money can rotate for ten minutes, two at a time. Those willing to pay can stay for an hour, but only two at a time."

"This..." Cao Heyang frowned slightly.

Li Fangding leaned close to his ear and whispered, "This might calm the others’ anger, preventing them from resorting to more extreme measures. Now that I’m on your side, I can handle this—maybe even better than you can."

Being a Vice Mayor, Li Fangding clearly had a knack for manipulation. And those six people had no real leadership skills. With Li Fangding stepping out, he quickly earned their trust and support.

"Everyone, this is the best outcome I can strive for on your behalf. So, don’t act recklessly. Besides, retaining those who are physically strong now is crucial for tackling tomorrow’s crises. I understand this arrangement might feel uncomfortable to many, but rather than letting everyone weaken and await death, it’s better to preserve a glimmer of hope for survival."

Li Fangding’s negotiating skills weren’t half bad; even something so sordid seemed somewhat reasonable through his explanation.

Miao Xuanxuan and Miao Qingqing were already gnashing their teeth with hatred. Miao Xuanxuan murmured softly, "Honey, why don’t you just take them out? These scumbags."

Song Xiaodong sighed helplessly and replied, "If I had the silver needles, I might manage it, but they’re all in the luggage. With my current physical state, it’s impossible."

Miao Qingqing said worriedly, "Then what should we do now? Should... should we pay to let you go up and rest a bit?"

Song Xiaodong shook his head and said, "No need. I estimate there are about three more hours until dawn—we can tough it out. But as for the elderly and frail ones... I’m afraid it will be truly difficult for them."

Miao Qingqing and Miao Xuanxuan both fell silent.

Song Xiaodong took a deep breath and said, "In this world, things don’t always go as we wish. We’re bound to make choices. Once my strength returns, I won’t let these people off the hook."

Miao Qingqing and Miao Xuanxuan nodded in agreement.

Even while staying submerged in water, Song Xiaodong’s body managed to gather a bit of True Qi. But that Qi was almost entirely consumed—not only to maintain his body temperature but also to take care of Miao Qingqing and Miao Xuanxuan.

The True Qi now served as the pillar keeping the three of them alive. It was unfortunate that his recovery was progressing so slowly due to the injuries; otherwise, Song Xiaodong wouldn’t have been so weak right now. He might have even been able to save more people, and most importantly, those individuals wouldn’t be able to swagger about on the plane’s wing.

The whole night forced most people into the water.

By the time the sun rose, of the original forty-two people, fourteen were gone. Now, only twenty-eight remained—one-third of them had perished.

No one even noticed when those fourteen disappeared—it happened silently, undetected.

As the water drained the human body’s heat, bodily functions sharply decreased. Without realizing it, you might drift asleep or faint, then let go of the wing and get swept away by the current, fading into the unknown.

Even among those still alive, several were already semi-conscious.

"The sun is up; can’t you let the others come up to warm themselves?" Wu Xiaoya, still somewhat energetic, glared angrily at the group on the wing.

Cao Heyang and Li Fangding, though noticeably weary, were clearly in better shape than the others. Cao Heyang sneered, "If you want to come up, pay us. Otherwise, keep soaking down there."

When people lose their conscience, they become increasingly shameless and irrational.

"Look over there! What’s that?" Li Fangding suddenly pointed at the ocean and shouted.

Another man also exclaimed, "I see something yellow—a big object floating!"

Wu Xiaoya immediately grew excited and said, "It’s probably a life raft! If it is, many people can be saved with that."

Li Fangding hesitated briefly, then whispered to Cao Heyang, "Quickly, go take a look—see if it’s a life raft. If it is, we must seize it. A raft is much safer than staying on the wing."

Cao Heyang’s face lit up with joy, and he immediately led two others to dive into the water and swim over.

Everyone else watched anxiously from the water, unsure of what the object was.

"It’s a life raft!" Cao Heyang shouted excitedly.

Once they dragged the life raft back, Wu Xiaoya quickly instructed them how to operate it. With a loud pop, the raft inflated in an instant, transforming into a small boat.

The crowd erupted in cheers. The life raft could seat ten people, offering salvation to many.

Just as someone attempted to climb aboard, Cao Heyang shoved them off forcefully, glaring and shouting, "We found this life raft. Who gets on—it’s up to us."