Soon, the students of Class 1 discovered that Yin Minglu had not come to school. His exclusive spot had now become a special Feng Shui treasure.
Almost everyone couldn’t help but turn their heads towards his usual place.
However, he didn’t come to class, even though it was said that he went to visit the Floating City. With that spot empty, it seemed to take away everyone’s hearts, leaving the entire school filled with a sense of loss that made even meals tasteless.
On the first day Yin Minglu left, thinking of him, missing him.
Seeing everyone in a daze, Fu Jinxiu twitched his mouth, took out his phone, and sent a text to the young man: “Did you pass the security check? Wishing you a smooth journey.”
Unfortunately, the young man with a new phone did not reply instantly. Fu Jinxiu, who was initially calm, also felt a bit disappointed during the prolonged wait.
When Yin Minglu saw this text message, he was already high above in the vast sky, the plane weaving through the sea of clouds. From that altitude, the city appeared tiny, while the Floating City seemed massive.
In his hands was a special visa, stating: “Traveling to the Floating City.”
The cover was black, issued on the day of the assessment’s conclusion, with a small photo of him wearing a faint smile attached. The back was adorned with a collection of cold, icy stamps, almost making one imagine the emotionless faces of the officials when issuing this visa.
Below, there is a small additional line: This is an exclusive visit visa for those who stand out in the assessment, with only five copies worldwide. He represents the Eastern Qualifying Zone.
Yin Minglu caressed the visa, his expression neither sad nor happy. However, the reactions of others were quite different. They held this black visa as if devout worshippers holding a sacred scripture, hands together in prayer, with an expression of reverence and devotion.
“May the me of tomorrow, after the visit, become the most loyal citizen of the Floating City!”
“I will plant a loyal kiss on the boots of the Floating City’s king, praying for the king to change my nationality. In the future, I won’t belong to the surface, only to the sky.”
Compared to the other four representatives, Yin Minglu’s relaxed demeanor seemed genuinely like that of a visitor. This eased the accompanying government personnel’s concerns slightly. They feared that this powerful young man might, like the traitor from twenty-five years ago, want to change his nationality and become a faithful lackey of the Floating City, directing hostility toward the surface.
The ostensible reason for their presence on this flight was escort duty, but in reality, it resembled supervision. The other four representatives also had accompanying personnel, who dared not speak out against the betrayal statements of their own representatives, claiming to be “loyal and sincere.”
Why dare to be angry but not speak? Because Yin Minglu is the most special representative among them, but the other four representatives, aside from him, are executioners1Murderers with hands stained in fresh blood.
These four are not tender-hearted saints or peacekeepers; they are executioners who rose to power by stepping on the blood-soaked bodies of their compatriots. In the brutally scrutinized assessment event, they gained unprecedented attention, along with fame, status, and glory.
However, at the same time, their crimes are firmly established, and they face charges that are unacceptable under world law.
It is evident that this is the strategy of the Floating City’s king to sow discord: stirring up turmoil on the surface, selecting the strongest from each battle, and honoring them as distinguished guests in the Floating City. However, they are simultaneously individuals who have committed numerous and difficult-to-document crimes on the surface.
The criminals are also cunning; they understand that upon returning from the Floating City visit, if they cannot become citizens of the Floating City, staying in the sky would mean facing the sanctions of surface laws upon their return. Naturally, they would prefer never to go back.
In contrast, Yin Minglu has not committed murder; he has even saved lives. With a clear conscience and upright character, he has no need to flatter or fawn over the representatives of the Floating City.
In this flight where people from all walks of life are scheming, Yin Minglu lives like a refreshing stream. He even has the leisure to send a text message to Fu Jinxiu.
“On the plane now, everything is going smoothly.”
Although this message sounds more like a jinx, as trouble ensued in the cabin after he sent it.
With a gracefully served tray by an air hostess, a middle-aged man in luxurious attire in the first-class cabin suddenly collapsed. His facial expression turned pale and grim as he shivered, stammering, “Wine… the wine is poisoned!”
This person is the political representative from the Floating City. Despite the low temperature in the cabin, beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and his expression was one of genuine agony.
An instant uproar filled the cabin.
Given the obvious Eastern appearance of that flight attendant, in the blink of an eye, everyone looked at Yin Minglu and the group of Eastern people around him, as if imagining an elaborate political conspiracy.
The atmosphere at the scene instantly chilled, and the air became tense.
Faced with this unexpected turn of events, the flight attendant’s face turned pale. She fearfully protected herself, exclaiming, “It wasn’t me! I didn’t poison anything! I’m just responsible for serving tea and water to the honored guests.”
“The red wine was brought by you, but you didn’t poison it. Who did it?” A woman dressed in a suit interrogated sharply, her gaze piercing. She even instructed her secretary, “Open our equipment; I want to expose this woman’s crimes to the world. I suspect that the Easterner, leveraging their identity as peace ambassadors, is intentionally sowing discord between us and the Floating City!”
Suddenly, a big accusation came down, leaving the flight attendant in shock. Clearly, she might have realized that she had become entangled in something unpleasant, just a pawn being used by someone else.
Among the Eastern representatives were several Japanese guests, including someone named Hijikata Toshizo. They wore displeased expressions and engaged in incomprehensible conversations, seemingly attempting to distance themselves from the incident involving the flight attendant and the Floating City representatives.
The appearance of the Floating City’s representatives was ordinary. Pointing at the restrained flight attendant, they shook their heads with a serious expression, conveying an uncompromising attitude. The principle of joint responsibility for individual actions was being emphasized. As the cameras were rolling, the global audience was astonished. No one expected someone to be so audacious as to attempt poisoning while all the international representatives were present—a highly serious political act.
After a prolonged standoff with everyone harboring their own hidden thoughts, at this moment, Yin Minglu stepped forward.
His youthful and handsome appearance left a favorable first impression, although his speaking voice was not as pleasant.
Pointing at the middle-aged man on the floor, he spoke seriously, “This uncle hasn’t died yet. Don’t rush into arguments. There’s a doctor on the plane. While he still has a breath left, let’s see if we can treat him. Perhaps we might be fortunate enough to save a life. Before hastily signing any agreements that bring disgrace, let’s first try to save a life.”
The way he spoke seemed like they wanted to seize the opportunity, taking advantage of the chaos on the surface. The expression of the representative from the floating city had a momentary hint of awkwardness.
At this moment, Yin Minglu once again pulled an elderly man with a white beard from the crowd. This person had thin and elongated cheeks, prominent cheekbones, and wore a pair of old-fashioned glasses.
At a glance, it was evident that he was a doctor with a venerable and experienced background.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the doctor cleared his throat and said, “Everyone, please calm down. Allow me to diagnose this gentleman!”
Pushed forward by Yin Minglu, the elderly doctor, who was originally responsible for Yin Minglu’s health, felt inexplicably nervous. He could only manage to speak without stuttering. He was well aware that every move he made was under global scrutiny. If he made a mistake, it would tarnish the reputation of the region, so he had to be cautious.
Trembling, he took out medical equipment such as a stethoscope from the first aid kit. However, before he could proceed, he was stopped by someone. The woman in the suit sneered from her throat, “Look at the faces of this young man and the gentleman. You are all Easterners. Now, when you want to treat him, are you taking advantage to feed him the antidote, staging a self-directed drama?”
Everyone present gasped in unison.
Indeed, there was a possibility of such a scenario.
The faces of the Easterners turned grim. Among them were eloquent lawyers, but under the live broadcast, most of them hesitated to step forward. They could only strive to use their eloquence to express that this premeditated poisoning had nothing to do with them. They claimed to be victims of manipulation. Meanwhile, they attempted to pacify the group of privileged representatives within the cabin, who were taking advantage of the situation and seemed insatiable in their accusations.
The privileged guests from the Floating City seized upon the Eastern identities of both Yin Minglu and the old doctor, preventing them from practicing medicine. Allowing them to stand idly by and witness a person’s death would undoubtedly turn the situation into a clear-cut black-and-white scenario. The truth resided in the words of the living, not the deceased.
Yin Minglu sighed deeply and said, “Then let’s make an oath!”
“What kind of oath?” the privileged guests sneered, seemingly looking down on the young man. Unexpectedly, the young man responded with a profound gaze, “Naturally, the oath set forth by the World Medical Association.”
In ancient times, Western doctors, when engaging in their profession, would recite an oath related to medical ethics. This oath was globally recognized as a medical code of conduct.
Swearing in the name of God, they vowed to uphold the sacred profession of being a doctor, exerting their utmost efforts to heal patients without causing them pain or harm. They pledged not to use poison against anyone and forbade others from doing so. They practiced medicine with integrity, treating patients with a clear conscience. Any violation would subject them to judgment by all.
In ancient times, many people believed that healing and harming were intertwined for a doctor. Because a doctor possessed extensive knowledge, enabling them to save lives, they could also cause harm. Hence, there was a need for specialized professional constraints.
A solemn and rigorous oath is quite appropriate. Although it is an oral pledge, it holds legal significance under the established conventions of healthcare professionals worldwide.
As Eastern individuals, they demonstrated their commitment to adhering to globally recognized medical standards, signifying their willingness to save lives with a clear conscience.
With these words from Yin Minglu, the representatives from the Floating City were indeed momentarily subdued, and the chaotic scene quickly regained order. After all, this Eastern individual made it clear: if he could save the person, he would be fine; but if the person couldn’t be saved, he willingly accepted legal consequences, going so far as to make such a weighty pledge.
What else could they do?
If they continued to obstruct, it would make them look guilty of wrongdoing, intentionally preventing medical treatment. Therefore, everyone had no choice but to agree.
However, before administering treatment, various agreements were set, such as “You are not allowed to use medication injections because it may damage the brain tissue of the esteemed guests, making them foolish. Otherwise, this would also be considered intentional harm.”
After all, fools couldn’t speak the truth.
“You cannot use prohibited drugs not authorized on the market; otherwise, it will be considered that you are the poisoner.”
Yin Minglu agreed one by one.
Although he wanted to complain, if these representatives continued to dawdle, the person who hadn’t completely succumbed to the poison might soon reach the point of no return.
T/N: 4
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