The air in the plane instantly stiffened, the cabin falling completely silent.
Jing Shu was actually curious about her teammates heading to the U.S. The stronger they were, the higher the chance of success, which meant more safety. It also meant she could be less of a burden, unlike Tang Seng always needing rescue from Wukong or Bajie. After all, this trip was half personal, half official. Everyone probably had different goals, but strong teammates were a must.
Of course, she'd cooperate if possible. If not, she'd go solo.
First to approach the group was a towering man, easily two meters tall. His forearms and legs were wrapped in protective gear like copper and steel. Every step thudded loudly, his muscles bulging against his clothes. Even carrying two iron balls with chains, he strode confidently at the front.
The muscle man almost blocked everyone else. He glanced toward the back cabin, frowned, and said, "Not enough space in the rear."
Then a man who left a strong impression on Jing Shu stepped forward. He wore a dung-colored jumpsuit and an orange cap—impossible to miss. The real highlight, however, was his tongue.
She had lived a long time but never seen a tongue like this—at least eight or nine centimeters long! And it moved like a snake's tongue. He flicked it twice, then, smiling, patted the equally shocked Monkey. "You guys sit in the back, five of us won't fit up here."
Strangely, despite the tongue, he spoke normally. His voice was magnetic, pleasant, and reminded Jing Shu of Orochimaru from Naruto.
The front cabin of the private plane was spacious: four sofa chairs, a dining table, and a bed. The rear cabin had only two chairs, a dining table, and a three-person sofa.
Jing Shu's front cabin spot was indeed more comfortable and spacious.
"First come, first served, guys. My luggage's already settled, I don't wanna move. There's also five seats in the back," Monkey said. Then, to everyone's surprise, the long-tongued man shot out his tongue and quickly licked Monkey's face a few times. Monkey and Ah Huang immediately went into combat mode, tension skyrocketing.
Jing Shu noticed some unknown liquid on Monkey's face.
Yang Yang stood. "Let's go to the back, too many of them up here."
From this, it was clear Yang Yang was the Wu City team leader this trip. Otherwise, Monkey and Hao Yunlai wouldn't have gotten up without a word to move to the rear.
At that moment, a youth Jing Shu hadn't paid attention to stepped forward, lightly patting the muscle man and the long-tongued man. "We'll go to the back, first come, first served."
Compared to the first two flashy men, this youth looked ordinary—around 1.7 meters, short black hair covering his brows, slender eyes, delicate features. He gave off a calm and clean aura, probably only in his twenties.
At first glance, he seemed plain, dressed all in black. He could easily blend into a crowd of other Asian men.
But on closer look, Jing Shu was surprised. His eyes were pure and clear. Monkey's eyes always shouted confidence, the muscle man's eyes radiated aggression, the long-tongued man's eyes challenged and taunted—but this youth? Nothing. No emotion. His expression was neutral, his speech matter-of-fact, almost like giving commands.
Jing Shu realized this seemingly ordinary black-haired youth was the real leader of the Capital team. His presence was overwhelming, like a demon king indifferent to the lives under his control.
Sure enough, the black-haired youth casually said a single sentence, and the previously tense atmosphere instantly dissolved. The two men turned and walked to the rear cabin.
Behind them, a girl in a short skirt followed silently, head lowered. The long-tongued man bent slightly. "Beautiful Miss Ling, please join me at this two-person table for a lovely date."
The girl's cheeks flushed red. She shook her head softly and slid into a corner of the sofa, saying nothing. The long-tongued man flicked his tongue twice and sat beside her.
The black-haired youth turned to Yang Yang. "Once we settle our luggage, we'll discuss the plan for this mission."
Yang Yang nodded. Jing Shu and the others returned to their original seats. Hao Yunlai could continue sleeping—what a relief.
Jing Shu stroked her chin, increasingly interested in her U.S. teammates. Everyone seemed either extremely skilled in a specific area that would clearly benefit the mission or was just incredibly strong individually.
The Capital team had a lot of luggage. The last person shuttled multiple trips, and because the private plane's luggage compartment was too small, everything ended up in the cabin. The spacious front area suddenly felt cramped.
The plane took off again. The Capital team finally settled, nine people gathered around the large dining table. Yang Yang pulled out a map and pointed to a location in the U.S.
"Our first stop is Sacramento, a border city adjoining Mexico. We'll start from the edge and move inward. Next is Austin, the capital of Texas, and so on. Besides our two teams, another team will advance from Saskatchewan to join later.
The direct flight to Sacramento takes twelve hours, giving us twelve hours to discuss objectives, detailed plans, roles, and rules. But first, we need to understand our teammates' abilities and roles so we can maximize our collective strength and complete the assigned mission. Agreed?"
The black-haired youth nodded. "We're a team. How we compete back home doesn't matter, but abroad, we stick together. I'll start. I'm the Capital team leader, Zhen Nantian. My role is all-rounder, currently rated S-tier."
A brief introduction left Monkey and the others wide-eyed. Even more surprising, the long-tongued man laughed, "Captain, you're too modest, why not—"
He immediately stopped talking as Zhen Nantian casually shot him a glance.
===
So, I hit a bit of a wall and I think I need a new story to freshen things up. Basically, I got a little bored translating one of my projects on Webnovel, True Heir of Chaos: From Villainess to Empress, so I decided to pick up another novel.
I was looking for something with 'historical' mixed with 'transmigration' and 'Fourth Calamity' vibes. I found this shorter one, I think it's around 100-150 chapters, called Summoning Players: From Magistrate to Monarch.
You can check it out on my AO3 profile if this blurb hooks you!
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Lin Xi died, and then she got a promotion. Waking up in a new world, she's now the magistrate of a backwater county, a post awarded to her predecessor by a grateful emperor. The good news? She's skipped the peasant class entirely and landed a government job. The bad news? Her new county is poor, the roads are terrible, and the locals have a deep-seated distrust of anyone in power.
But Lin Xi has a theory: there are no bad citizens, only too many terrible officials. So, she rolls up her sleeves. She's planting crops, building bridges, and turning this forgotten place into a functioning society. She's doing such a great job that the one thing she never saw coming happens: the Imperial Court vanishes. The central government just... ceases to exist.
With no emperor, no chain of command, and no laws from the capital, what's a capable and ambitious local leader to do? For Lin Xi, the path is clear: if the old heaven has died, it's time for a new one to rise.
Meanwhile, in a modern world called Longguo, a hyper-realistic game titled From Magistrate to Monarch has become an overnight sensation. Gamers are desperate to play, but the chances of getting a spot are almost zero. The masses are left watching live streams, endlessly debating the game's ruthless AI. What they don't know is that the world is all too real, and the few lucky "players" who log in are about to have their own lives turned upside down, forever changing the fate of Lin Xi's rising domain.