Chapter 69: Parachute Jump

Under Qin Shen’s guidance, everyone quickly put on their parachutes and life vests.

Jiang Si started the engine, rolled the helicopter out of the hangar, pushed the throttle, and as the propeller spun rapidly, the helicopter lifted into the air.

Once they had ascended several hundred meters, Jiang Si finally had time to address everyone. “There are oxygen masks in the cabin. Help each other put them on so you don’t have to keep holding the oxygen tanks.”

With a pull from Qin Shen, the oxygen masks dropped from above the seats.

Once everyone had their masks on, Jiang Si piloted the helicopter northward. They flew for over two hours, finally reaching an area untouched by the “Pandora” plants.

Just as Jiang Si removed her oxygen mask, Qin Shen suddenly shouted, “Watch out!”

Bang!

The helicopter shook violently. Niuniu’s terrified scream pierced the air. Jiang Si turned sharply to see a giant vulture, its sharp claws ripping through the helicopter’s metal shell.

Had Qin Shen not yanked Shen Baoying and Zhang Qingfang away from their seats in time, that claw might’ve killed them.

Vultures were the most common airborne predators in the apocalypse—extremely aggressive and would attack any flying object.

Jiang Si had gotten too relaxed, too excited, and hadn’t kept a careful eye on her surroundings.

“Everyone hold on tight!”

Jiang Si skillfully maneuvered the helicopter into a tailspin, diving below the clouds. The vulture relentlessly chased them.

Its flying speed was terrifying—it latched onto the wing with hooked claws and began violently pecking at the fuselage.

The fuel tank warning lights kept flashing. Jiang Si cursed under her breath, “Damn it!”

With a spinning maneuver, she tried to shake the vulture off. Qin Shen grabbed a gun and aimed at the bird’s eye.

Bang!

A sharp screech rang out as the vulture spiraled down, dead.

Everyone was still in shock when Jiang Si yelled, “The fuel tank’s been breached! There’s nowhere nearby for an emergency landing—prepare to jump!”

Aside from Qin Shen and Jiang Si, no one had ever flown in a helicopter before. Some were even airsick. Now they had to parachute, without individual coaching—it was an immense challenge.

Jiang Si wanted to teach them how to jump safely, but she was barely holding the helicopter steady.

She turned to Qin Shen. “You know how, right? Please teach them. I can hold this thing together for another ten minutes.”

Everyone’s heart sank. If they all jumped… what about Jiang Si?

Would she have time to jump herself?

Qin Shen acted swiftly. Following Jiang Si’s instructions, he said, “You can do tandem jumps—tie yourselves together like this.”

The idea of tandem jumps gave everyone hope. Not only was it safer, but they’d also land with a partner. Lu Zhifeng was especially happy he didn’t have to part with Niuniu.

Qin Shen first tied Lu Zhifeng and Niuniu together. Then Jiang Linhai paired with Shen Baoying, and Jiang Chengwu with Zhang Qingfang.

Once everyone was secured, Qin Shen quickly explained the parachuting basics—clear, simple, and surprisingly professional. If they hadn’t known he was a surgeon, Jiang Si might’ve mistaken him for a paratrooper.

Even knowing what to do, jumping from such a height still required tremendous courage.

Niuniu’s face had gone pale. Lu Zhifeng squeezed her hand, comforting her. “Don’t be scared—trust Daddy.”

Niuniu nodded bravely. The helicopter was swaying harder now. Jiang Si no longer had time to look after them.

Qin Shen urged, “Don’t wait—jump!”

Lu Zhifeng took a deep breath, glanced down, and leapt with Niuniu.

Wind roared in their ears as he pulled the chute open. His wind goggles helped him see the terrain below.

Niuniu squeezed her eyes shut, overwhelmed by the falling sensation. She felt like they were about to crash to their deaths.

She whispered in her heart, At least… I’ll die with Daddy.

Lu Zhifeng successfully opened the parachute, which gave confidence to the others.

Zhang Qingfang looked down and shouted to Jiang Si, “Sisi! You have to come back safe!”

Jiang Si yelled back, “Don’t worry—I’ll come find you all!”

She was an experienced parachutist. Besides, she had her space as a backup.

Hearing her assurance eased everyone’s nerves.

Just as Jiang Chengwu and Zhang Qingfang jumped, another twist struck—a second vulture swooped in, fast and deadly, targeting the parachuting pair.

Jiang Si had no choice but to spin the helicopter and shout, “Shoot it!”

In that moment, she felt just how critical Qin Shen was to this team.

Unflinching, Qin Shen aimed through the shaking window and fired.

Bang!

The vulture was about to claw Jiang Chengwu and Zhang Qingfang when Qin Shen blew its head off. It plummeted without a sound.

The encounter had cost two more precious minutes—time was running out.

Smoke poured from the fuselage; an explosion was imminent.

Jiang Si shouted anxiously, “Mom, Dad, jump now!”

Jiang Linhai didn’t hesitate anymore. He leapt out with Shen Baoying.

Watching their parachute deploy, Jiang Si sighed in relief. Then she turned to Qin Shen, “You go too—now!”

Qin Shen didn’t argue. He jumped without hesitation and deployed his parachute.

Now Jiang Si could finally focus on herself. She opened the cabin door and leapt after him.

Once her parachute deployed and she was descending, Jiang Si saw what she was about to land on:

A field of cacti.

Her heart skipped a beat.

If she landed like this, she’d be skewered like a porcupine.

In a flash, she entered her space, tore off the parachute gear, grabbed a bite to eat and a coffee to regain strength, then suited up in explosion-proof gear, helmet, and armed herself.

When she exited the space, she was just two meters above the ground.

She tucked into a roll and landed safely—

—but as expected, she was covered in cactus thorns.

She pulled out a machete and tried to cut through, but barely made a dent.

So Jiang Si, seeing no one nearby, summoned a bulldozer.

Climbing into the cab, she used her GPS tracker to search for everyone’s locations.

She soon located Qin Shen’s position.

The bulldozer crushed the cacti into pulp and moved rapidly through the terrain.

But just as she was getting close to Qin Shen’s location, night fell.

Suddenly, rustling sounds surrounded her.

She switched on the spotlight and saw a wave of venomous scorpions swarming toward her.

Her heart clenched for the others.

She sealed the windows and gunned the engine, crushing them under her treads—praying everyone would light their torches before the scorpions reached them.

But scanning the horizon, she saw no torchlight—especially not near Qin Shen’s location.

Her heart dropped.

Qin Shen was strong… but what if he’d already been stung?

After another ten minutes, her GPS indicated she’d reached his exact location.

She looked around. Aside from the crushed scorpion bodies—no sign of Qin Shen.

She leapt out of the bulldozer with a torch in hand, picked up a shattered GPS tracker on the ground, and yelled:

“Qin Shen—Qin Shen!”

No response.

Logically, even if he’d been poisoned, he shouldn’t have gone far.