Chapter 36: Wild and Stunning Asia

"Hostile target! Hostile target!"

The monitoring room of "Shan Hai" fell into a state of dramatic chaos. The staff, who had been laughing and joking while placing bets just moments ago, were now thrown into a panic.

It wasn't until a middle-aged man in military uniform—with sharp, sword-like eyebrows, piercing eyes, and an imposing presence—walked in that the atmosphere immediately steadied. His uniform was impeccable, and his shoulder insignia gleamed.

"What is all this shouting about? Get back to your posts and manage the data streams! Wang, you coordinate with the public opinion control center. You, you, and you—come with me. Meeting!"

The man’s calm, authoritative voice successfully suppressed the restlessness. Still, one young staffer couldn't help but ask, "Sir, is it serious?"

"..."

To everyone's surprise, the man's mouth twitched, and he wore an expression of suppressed exasperation. After a pause, he said, "Professor Ye’s daughter has run away from home."

"Uh, what does that have to do with an unidentified flying object?"

"That is Professor Ye’s daughter."

"Ah?"

The man didn't explain further, waving for the others to follow him to the meeting. He was mostly afraid he wouldn't be able to keep a straight face. Who would have thought that the only "Shan Hai" system yellow alert of the year would be triggered by a runaway high school girl?

If this got out, no one would believe it. Of course, considering Professor Ye’s status and the reputation of the National University of Science and Technology, the official narrative could certainly not be the truth. However, since everyone in the monitoring room was a colleague, there was no point in hiding it, so he had just told the truth. Everyone was well aware of the confidentiality protocols.

Mentally assessing the situation, Director Chen pushed open the door to the conference room. The representatives from the National University of Science and Technology were already present. Sitting in the most prominent seat was the mother of the protagonist of this farcical event.

Director Chen nodded at her in acknowledgement, a brief greeting with no further attempt at warmth. They had worked together in the student union years ago; Director Chen had even attended Ye Wanqin’s wedding, and their daughters had once attended the same kindergarten. But this was not the place for reminiscing or building connections.

"The police are on their way. As for the Spirit Bell Tower... well, they said their Beijing branch is collectively diving into a ruin to clear a boss. They will join the meeting via video link shortly."

"Hmph, they certainly have an ego. No matter, let’s begin our assessment." Director Chen chuckled, glanced at Professor Ye, and seeing no reaction from her, continued, "Currently, the unidentified flying object has vanished into the turbulence layer and cannot be tracked for the moment. However, based on the trajectory simulation calculated from the observations before it disappeared, the target is highly likely within the borders of Dongjiang Province. Calculations point toward either Luoxiong City or Fengtang City as the most probable destinations."

Some leaders struggle to command respect, but others, the moment they speak, can steady the room and organize logic with precision.

Director Chen unscrewed a bottle of mineral water, took a gulp, and continued, "The top priority is to notify the Dongjiang provincial authorities. Luoxiong City and Fengtang City are to be placed on Level 2 alert, and adjacent cities on Level 3 combat readiness. The on-site person-in-charge must maintain constant contact with us and, under our guidance, immediately construct a temporary landing field."

He then pointed to several people to assign specific tasks.

*Scratch, scratch, scratch.*

Everyone opened their notebooks to record their assignments, then began making calls and sending messages.

Director Chen immediately emphasized, "For the temporary landing field, the primary task is to protect the personal safety of student Ye Sheng..."

"No," Professor Ye interrupted coldly. "The primary task should be to ensure the safety of the local population and their property. Given her style, she will either die on the way or be confident enough to land safely. You only need to worry about protecting the locals."

"...Very well."

Director Chen felt that Professor Ye’s attitude was a bit heartless. In fact, ever since she entered the "Shan Hai" building, she had been excessively calm—not at all like a mother whose daughter had flown into the sky with her life hanging in the balance. Would a normal mother be this composed in such a situation? She should be hysterical. While hysteria wouldn't necessarily help, her cold indifference was truly unsettling.

*Sigh.*

This mother and daughter were both chillingly cold. If one looked back into the past, perhaps Professor Ye had once been warm, back when her husband was still in Beijing. It was a pity that the twists and turns of life had turned her into a fanatic.

Director Chen had occasionally heard rumors that Professor Ye’s daughter was incredibly gifted but had a peculiar temper. Over the past few years, Ye Sheng had seemed quite well-behaved, doing well in her studies and never causing trouble. Perhaps she had simply hit her rebellious phase.

"...So, that covers the arrangements. Does anyone have anything to add?" While he asked if "anyone" had additions, Director Chen looked toward Professor Ye, effectively waiting for her input.

Professor Ye hesitated, biting her lip. "You just said the projected landing point might be Fengtang City?"

"Or Luoxiong City."

"Then it must be Fengtang City. Prioritize the setup of the temporary landing field there. If possible, I want to open a video feed and monitor it personally."

"No problem. You are an expert in the field of runes and understand Ye Sheng’s habits. We will defer to your opinion regarding on-site matters."

"Heh, do I really understand her?" Professor Ye gave a bitter smile.

Only then did a flicker of maternal worry show in her eyes. But it was fleeting. A much stronger, more evident emotion was the frustration of "looking at iron and wishing it were steel"—a feeling often seen when a child raised with such difficulty is led astray by some strange influence.

The people at the meeting were instantly filled with gossip, though they maintained enough politeness not to steer the conversation in that direction.

The guys in the monitoring room, however, were not so restrained. The atmosphere there had returned to a relaxed state; some were busy contacting colleagues in other "Shan Hai" system locations, while others were simply idling, indulging in the drama.

"Whoa, Professor Ye—which Professor Ye?"

"Who else? The one who got dumped by that guy from the ancient era..."

"Hey, cut it out. Have some decency."

"So that’s Professor Ye’s daughter. I remember that girl; she got great grades and looked so quiet. Who would have thought she had such a wild side?"

"Wild? It’s shocking the entire continent!"

"You’re telling me. If she flies across the border, it’s going to shock the continent. Heck, it might even shock Europe..."

"..."

Overall, the staff held a positive, even slightly worshipful, attitude toward Ye Sheng’s actions. They were all science and engineering majors; who hadn't dreamed of "doing something big" during their puberty? The problem was that most people were just all talk and zero capability, at most ending up with a broken leg after jumping off a few floors, becoming a joke at the dinner table.

Yet, Ye Sheng, while promoting to Tier 2 just four months after awakening, had built an intercontinental ballistic missile-level personal aircraft in her own backyard and used it as a vehicle to run away from home.

"That ridiculous hands-on ability—only the Sun Knight could compare," someone marveled.

"Who is the Sun Knight?"

"Something trending online a few days ago. They say he soloed a pollution zone and disgusted a mechanical hound to death with chocolate-tainted feces."

"...That’s not really a fair comparison."

"Exactly."

"Doesn't even compare to a single hair on the great Ye Sheng."