The night before the college entrance exam results were released, I redeemed my Peking University ad

Just as various forces were stirring up trouble, the global internet had completely erupted into chaos.

The first to speak out was the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, which issued a strongly worded statement.

The statement went straight to the point, confirming the hijacking that occurred on the flight and characterizing it as "a serious act of terrorism against our citizens and international civil aviation security."

The wording unusually used strong terms like "outrageous" and "inhumane," which are rarely seen in diplomatic documents.

The statement then reported the outcome of the incident in the most straightforward language: thanks to the joint efforts of the crew and helpful passengers, the hijacking attempt was successfully thwarted, all passengers landed safely, and Ji Bai is currently in good health and in stable condition.

The statement concludes with a lengthy and stern urging of all parties to thoroughly investigate the truth of the incident, expose the mastermind behind it, and reserve the right to take all necessary measures.

The statement immediately ignited public opinion in China, causing an uproar across the internet.

"Good health? Stable emotions? The Emperor went through hijacking, bomb disposal, and missile pursuit, and you call that stable emotions? Do you have some kind of misunderstanding about stability?"

"We reserve the right to take all necessary measures. In other words: Mom's angry, and the consequences will be severe."

"This is outrageous! Just because they obtained room-temperature superconductivity, they dare to attack a civilian airliner in international waters? What's the difference between this and murder!"

"It's terrifying to think about! Ji Bai is only eighteen years old! My heart aches for him!"

"The Hausen family! Foreign websites are saying that the Hausen family is behind it all!"

"Investigate! We must investigate thoroughly!"

"They must pay for their crimes in blood!"

"Hand over the mastermind! Hand over the Hausen family!"

……

Compared to the outrage on the Chinese side, the response from the US is particularly intriguing.

When asked about this issue at a regular press briefing, the Washington spokesperson's expression shifted between "I take this very seriously" and "I know nothing about it."

He first stated that the U.S. government "strongly condemns all forms of terrorism," then changed his tone and emphasized that the hijackers were "international extremists" and had nothing to do with the U.S. government.

As for why an armed robber appeared on a flight departing from Philadelphia, his explanation was that "there may have been negligence in the relevant security checks, and the relevant departments are investigating."

When a reporter pressed for details about the missile interception, the spokesperson's expression visibly stiffened for a moment, before he used a classic diplomatic blame-shifting tactic:

"That was an unfortunate operational error that occurred during a routine anti-missile exercise by the Navy. The officer involved has been suspended from duty pending investigation. We deeply regret this incident and extend our sincere condolences to all passengers who were frightened."

As for the standoff and crash of the fifth-generation fighter jets, he didn't mention it at all. When pressed for details, he repeatedly said, "It involves military secrets and cannot be disclosed."

This kind of evasive explanation has not only failed to resonate with Chinese netizens, but has also angered netizens within the United States.

"Leaving aside whether the hijacking was by an extremist group, what about the two Lightning-35s that were shot down?"

"That was a fifth-generation fighter jet! Just gone like that? We need an explanation!"

"What are the people in Washington doing?! They're just wasting taxpayers' money!"

"I demand an explanation from Washington, or this entire administration should resign!"

At the same time, conspiracy theories began to spread like mold on the internet.

"Look closely at the boy's reaction speed in the video. His first reaction when the hijacking broke out wasn't to lie down and take cover, but to jump up from his seat and launch an attack!"

"Excuse me, how could a normal person react like this without any warning? Unless he already knew a hijacking was going to happen."

"This is clearly a staged ruse orchestrated by China! Otherwise, how could that boy have seen through all the robbers beforehand? It doesn't make any sense!"

"That's right! They must have deliberately set a trap to shoot down our fighter jets! How despicable!"

Many people would rather believe it was a staged event than admit that an eighteen-year-old boy single-handedly broke the entire murder plot.

Of course, there were also a large number of casual observers around the world who didn't care about any political maneuvering or the gains and losses of fighter jets, and were completely glued to Ji Bai's figure in the video.

"My God! This kid's skills are terrifying! He took down two strong men in a second?"

"Kung Fu! This is the legendary Chinese Kung Fu!"

"Isn't he a mathematician? Isn't he a physicist? How come he's so fierce in a fight?"

"He can win a Philippine Prize for his work on superconductivity, and he can also subdue robbers at 10,000 meters in the air? This isn't just a literary genius descending to earth, it's a duo of literary and martial prowess descending together!"

"Emperor Ji is confirmed! His intelligence and martial prowess are both top-tier; what kind of novel protagonist setup is this?!"

"The Mathematical Emperor! The Father of Superconductivity! Now, let's add another title: the ceiling of human combat power!"

Social media around the world is in an uproar.

Various online trolls, different narratives, and bystanders from different countries are all spouting their own opinions, creating utter chaos.

……

I also came across Li Mei while browsing short videos.

The video showed chaos in the cabin, with hijackers brandishing guns and shouting orders. The footage was shaky, but she immediately recognized the young man who had subdued the hijacker.

As she scrolled down, messages about missiles, fighter jets, and aerial confrontations came flooding in, and she instantly felt her hands and feet turn ice cold.

Li Mei never expected that Ji Bai's trip abroad would involve so many life-threatening dangers.

But when he came back, he didn't say anything.

He even joked and teased her, insisting on eating the noodles she made, and quietly finished a bowl of instant noodles without mentioning a single word of the adventure.

And what about yourself?

I just made him a bowl of fresh shrimp and fish cake noodles to get rid of him!

I'm so damn stupid!

Li Mei's nose tingled, and her eyes instantly reddened.

She picked up her phone, opened Ji Bai's chat window, typed a long string of caring words, then felt it was too sentimental and deleted it.

I typed again, but it felt too distant, so I deleted it again.

After editing it over and over again, the final message sent was just a soft, gentle sentence:

"It's good that you're back safe and sound. Get some rest."

……

Meanwhile, in the capital city, thousands of miles away.

Backstage at a high-end brand event, Ye Lan had just finished walking the red carpet and was leaning against the dressing room touching up her makeup.

I casually scrolled through my phone, then my fingertips suddenly stopped.

The words "Ji Bai's flight attacked" on the screen stung her eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat. She didn't even bother to put on her lipstick before immediately dialing someone's number. Only when she heard the other person confirm that "the person has arrived home safely and is unharmed" did her heart finally settle down.

Ye Lan found Ji Bai's WeChat and hovered her finger over the screen for a long time.

I want to ask directly, but that feels too deliberate; I want to pretend I don't care, but I'm really worried.

Typed and deleted, deleted and typed again, and finally, as if possessed, sent out a sentence:

"I have a small apartment near the Second Ring Road in Beijing, it's just sitting empty anyway, why don't you come over and warm the place for me, little brother?"

Three seconds after sending the message, Ye Lan belatedly realized that something about it sounded rather strange.

There seems to be some ambiguity!

My finger was already on the undo button when it suddenly stopped.

What's strange about it?

Where is the ambiguity?

Ye Lan can have whoever she wants come to host a housewarming party.

Why retreat? We're not retreating!

The woman placed her phone face down on the vanity, but her earlobes were secretly getting hot.