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Chapter 127: Chapter 127: A Fine Line Between Life and Death
At this moment, they were on the top floor of a building exceeding twenty stories. Should they fall, they would naturally be shattered to pieces.
Gazing downward from the height, Tian Xinyue’s legs began to tremble. She couldn’t even dare to imagine that she still had to jump from the crane arm...
"The protective barriers and safety nets on the exterior of the building haven’t been removed, so as long as you can jump within the range of the barrier, you’ll be safe," Wei Jie said, his gaze involuntarily turning to Wang Mengyi.
Wang Mengyi had injured his leg and definitely couldn’t stand steady on one leg on the crane arm, much less jump. But now, they had no other way out.
As if reading Wei Jie’s mind, Wang Mengyi shook his head and said, "Don’t worry about me. Let’s do it this way. The crane arm is close, as long as I don’t fall halfway, I can make it."
Once the decision had been made, the group immediately sprang into action.
Among them, Wei Jie was probably the most agile, and considering that the stability of the crane arm was still unknown, he would go first to scout ahead.
The four continued to climb higher, from the towering main body of the crane to the arm that extended into mid-air.
Wei Jie approached the crane arm in a semi-crouch, his hands grasping the metal frame beneath his feet, his waist arched high like a cat as he moved forward swiftly and directly, quickly reaching the middle of the crane arm.
The Alien Species below seemed to sense their attempt to escape, becoming even more agitated as they struck with greater force! The tower shook violently, and the crane arm also began to sway.
A grating metallic friction noise filled the air, prompting Tian Xinyue to cover her mouth. She saw Wei Jie’s figure stagger due to the slight rocking of the crane arm and felt as though her heart would leap from her chest!
Fortunately, Wei Jie quickly regained his balance and continued forward. He reached the very front of the crane arm, which slowly inclined downwards, bringing him closer and closer to the rooftop. When the distance was sufficiently short, Wei Jie suddenly leaped! He threw himself forward, crashing heavily onto the wooden planks spread over the steel barrier!
Wei Jie rolled on the spot to lessen the impact and then stood up unharmed.
It was a success!
——Tian Xinyue gripped the metal railing tightly, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her heart beating frantically, her hands uncontrollably shaking.
"...I can’t do it, Jiaojiao, I... I need to gather myself first, I can’t right now..." Tian Xinyue was still unable to overcome her fear of heights, and though willing, her body refused to cooperate.
"I’ll go first," Wang Mengyi said, supporting his body and moving forward.
Han Jiaojiao and Tian Xinyue both looked at him with concern.
Wang Mengyi said with a self-deprecating tone, "I have to try sooner or later. If I fall... don’t feel guilty, don’t be afraid... just jump."
"The distance is short, you won’t have any problems," Han Jiaojiao said. "If your right leg has no strength, use your left leg. Even if the position is a bit off, it’s okay. As long as you can grab onto the safety net, Wei Jie alone can pull you up."
Seemingly encouraged, Tian Xinyue took her position on the crane arm, her hands on the metal frame, and said, "Jiaojiao and I will stand up here to add weight; the crane arm might steady a bit."
Wang Mengyi crawled his way forward. He clutched the iron rod in front of him tightly with his hands, pushing himself backward little by little with his single leg, moving towards the front end of the crane arm. As the crane arm swayed, so did Wang Mengyi’s body. Han Jiaojiao and Tian Xinyue watched as he almost fell several times but managed to stabilize himself by the strength of his forearms. Eventually, he slowly arched up, crouched like Wei Jie had, and relying on the strength of one leg, he jumped!
Although his direction was somewhat off, he barely made it within the range of the barrier! Safe and sound!
Now only Han Jiaojiao and Tian Xinyue remained on the crane.
On the other side, Wei Jie and Wang Mengyi waved at the two women. Tian Xinyue said somewhat awkwardly to Han Jiaojiao, "Jiaojiao... Can I go first?"
Her complexion was poor, and her eyes were red as if she was on the verge of tears.
"...I’m sorry, I... I’m afraid that if I’m the only one left here in the end, I will be even more afraid to jump..."
Han Jiaojiao patted her shoulder, encouraging her with her eyes, "Go on, don’t look down, keep looking forward."
Tian Xinyue walked onto the boom, trembling. Han Jiaojiao watched over her anxiously, until Tian Xinyue reached the other side safely, her face radiating the joy of a narrow escape, and she waved happily at herself. Only then did Han Jiaojiao relax.
Now, it was just her left.
In her previous life, the Special Training Team included training for crossing a high-altitude balance beam, and Han Jiaojiao always scored full marks. However, training was just training; it was never this high, and there were protective mats below.
The boom in the air creaked lightly, swaying. Han Jiaojiao patiently waited for it to stabilize before slowly lowering her body to climb up.
It was only when she actually began that she realized this task was a hundred times more difficult than it appeared.
The heavy rain impaired her vision, and as the rain washed over the iron bar, Han Jiaojiao felt every grip was excessively wet and slippery, not to mention the restless Alien Species below, repeatedly violently hitting the tower. The boom swayed left and right, up and down in the vibration, making Han Jiaojiao embrace the boom below tightly everytime she advanced, due to losing balance.
It was too hard... Every minute and every second on the boom was agony.
The high-altitude view made her legs weak. Han Jiaojiao closed her eyes, attempting to stabilize her heartbeat with deep breaths. She opened her eyes and continued forward.
She believed that as long as she overcame the psychological fear, she definitely could do it. She had training, she had an Ability, she was strong! She was no longer the timid and weak person she was in her previous life! She definitely could do it!
As she neared the end, the impact from the Alien Species grew more and more fierce!
The three people on the other side were extremely nervous, with Wei Jie and Tian Xinyue even coming to the edge, stretching out their arms long, ready to catch her in case Han Jiaojiao jumped off course.
Han Jiaojiao held her breath, slowly adjusting her posture with a bent waist.
One...
...Two...
Three!
She leaped forward, her diving posture as graceful as that of an agile cheetah! Then she thumped down onto the wooden platform on the other side!
Perhaps due to several impacts, or maybe the wooden plank was already rotten, it split the instant Han Jiaojiao landed on it!
Before the three people on the other side could even reveal smiles of joy, their expressions changed dramatically!
"Jiaojiao!!!"
Han Jiaojiao felt a sudden emptiness under her feet, and she fell straight down!
She reached out to grab the green protective net beside her, but the damp net made a ripping sound, she swayed mid-air, dragging the net and losing balance completely! Her head and half her body slammed hard onto the metal railing two stories below the top level!
Instant deafness in her ears, amidst the dull ringing sound, she vaguely heard the calls of her companions, while her whole brain buzzed, her vision filled with blackness one wave after another. Then, she completely passed out.
In the moment before she lost consciousness, her mind only thought of one person, that was Han Yi, her brother.
Just like in her previous life, every time she had a narrow escape from death, he was the only one she thought about, as if just by thinking of her brother, she could keep going.
It was no longer just a simple matter of falling in love with this man. To her, he was her life, her faith, her everything... A twisted love, yet it was her most precious treasure.
Brother...
