Chapter Sixty-Two: Arrival

Although the airplanes outside the window captured Chen Hao’s interest, Fan Yirou and Gu Mengyan didn’t think much of it. After a cursory glance at the scene outside, their attention quickly shifted back to Chen Hao. Now, the weary and painful expression that had been etched on his face was gone, replaced by one of confusion and surprise.

What on earth was wrong with him today? What about those planes outside could possibly be so puzzling? Chen Hao wasn’t some crazed military fanatic. True, he sometimes stopped to watch military programs when flipping channels, but he’d never followed any particular show with regularity.

Just what was up with Chen Hao today?

“Hey!” Fan Yirou nudged him. “Chen Hao, what are you staring at? Isn’t it just a few planes? What’s so strange?”

“Exactly!” Gu Mengyan echoed. “Kostal is our country’s border city, and just a bit further out is the frontier. It’s perfectly normal for patrol planes to fly by here! Besides, as far as I know, there are even some military garrisons stationed in Kostal.”

Gu Mengyan clearly knew more about Kostal than Fan Yirou, who was simply analyzing the situation objectively, while Gu Mengyan could offer concrete examples.

“Hmm…” Chen Hao nodded. The questions the two women raised were ones he had already considered. But the reality wasn’t quite as simple as they imagined. He was certain those planes weren’t military aircraft belonging to their own country, because their models were produced abroad.

Perhaps in the past, their country had needed to import such military equipment, but now, with growing national strength, almost all military gear was designed, developed, and manufactured domestically. Especially large military transport planes, which carried vital strategic resources—soldiers, weapons, equipment—where absolute security was essential. The country would never use foreign products when it had the technical means to produce its own.

Given these circumstances, the appearance of foreign military transport planes in Kostal could only mean a few things.

The first possibility: foreign troops had come to their country, perhaps for a visit or to deliver supplies. But considering Kostal was a southwestern border city, and neighboring countries in the southwest didn’t use equipment produced by Country E, this ruled out the likelihood that these planes belonged to foreign armies.

And if Country E were visiting, it would be to a northern city, not Kostal. Thus, the first possibility was eliminated.

If they weren’t government transport planes, then the second possibility was that these were privately owned, non-governmental transport planes. But owning military transport planes privately was no simple feat.

The price was astronomical; true, the ultra-wealthy could afford them, but such planes were of little practical use. Maintaining them was a bottomless pit of expense, and maintenance had to be carried out to military standards, not civilian. What wealthy person would buy a military transport plane and use it as a civilian aircraft? Some did own such planes, but only because the state had gifted them, perhaps in recognition of extraordinary service or high noble rank, as a symbol of honor.

Yet those who received such planes rarely used them, instead keeping them as collectibles or displaying them for tourists, earning a bit from entrance fees.

So the second possibility of private ownership was ruled out as well.

That left only one plausible explanation: these planes belonged to some global conglomerate or multinational corporation. There were plenty of organizations in the world with the resources and connections to buy military transport planes… but Chen Hao had no clue which one owned these.

Because this information wasn’t particularly secret—anyone could find it online if they wished—Chen Hao told Gu Mengyan and Fan Yirou everything he’d deduced. He kept quiet, however, about the strange fragments in his mind and their connection to the situation.

After Chen Hao finished, Gu Mengyan and Fan Yirou exchanged bewildered glances, shrugged simultaneously, and said, “So what? What does any of this have to do with us? We came here as tourists, not for international business. It doesn’t matter to us who owns those planes, does it?”

“Uh…” Chen Hao was momentarily stumped by their question. They were right—what did the ownership of the transport planes have to do with their trip?

But when factoring in Kostal’s special significance for Gu Mengyan, and the specific airplane models that had appeared in his mind, the connection seemed stronger. Yet he had no idea how to explain this to them—he feared that sharing his thoughts would only make them worry more.

What a headache! Chen Hao scratched his head and rose from the sofa.

“Hey! You still haven’t answered our earlier question!” Gu Mengyan pressed. “What was going on with you just now?”

Chen Hao considered for a moment. “It really was nothing. I just had a sudden headache. Maybe it’s been too long since I’ve flown in a small plane, and I’m not used to it anymore. Perhaps the altitude here in Kostal causes lower air pressure, and I’m experiencing a mild case of altitude sickness.

You know my health is better than most, but when it comes to high-altitude regions, the fitter you are, the more likely you are to react to the low air pressure. I’m feeling much better now, really, you don’t need to worry.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Fan Yirou asked, still doubtful.

“Absolutely fine! My dear ladies, I’m not some pampered heiress or a rare endangered species. You don’t need to fuss over me. Go about your business! After sitting on a plane all morning, I’m stiff as a board. Why not take advantage of the daylight and head up to the rooftop pool for a swim, loosen your muscles, and relax with a bath?

Kostal is warm, yes, but it’s still autumn now, and the temperature swings sharply between morning and night. Swimming in the evening might be romantic, but it’s much easier to catch a chill.”

Hearing his suggestion, the two women, though still a bit concerned, decided to go swimming, enticed by the rooftop pool and reassured by Chen Hao’s apparent recovery.

“If you feel unwell, let us know right away. We’ll head up for a swim!” Gu Mengyan said.

At the last moment, Fan Yirou added, “Want to join us? Two beauties in bikinis! And besides the bikini, I’ve got a school swimsuit too! You can pick whichever you want to see! So, Young Master Chen, any interest?”

Fan Yirou slipped back into her mischievous persona, teasing Chen Hao.

He rolled his eyes at her. This girl—was she serious, or just joking? After all these years, he still couldn’t tell which of her remarks were genuine and which were playful.

If she was serious, he wouldn’t mind joining them for the morning, enjoying the view. Of course, mostly for Fan Yirou—after all, Gu Mengyan was his sister.

Chen Hao thought for a moment. “You two go ahead. I’ll tidy up my luggage, then check with the hotel staff about Kostal’s attractions. Once I’m done, I’ll come up to find you!”

With that, he waved them off to the rooftop, then busied himself alone in the room.

Truth be told, Chen Hao didn’t have much to do, having only brought a few changes of clothes and toiletries—not like Gu Mengyan and Fan Yirou, each hauling two huge suitcases and several backpacks.

Those bags were packed not just with clothes but all kinds of unnecessary odds and ends. Take the hair dryer, for example—every luxury hotel has them, and of excellent quality, too!

Yet the two insisted on bringing their own, claiming they couldn’t get used to unfamiliar appliances. To Chen Hao, they might as well have brought their beds from home.

While unpacking, Chen Hao inevitably came across their underwear. But he didn’t seem the least embarrassed, calmly placing each item beside their respective beds. The styles spoke volumes about their personalities: Gu Mengyan favored cotton pieces adorned with cartoon prints—clearly someone who prized comfort and cuteness. Fan Yirou, on the other hand, opted for silky, seductive designs.

Once the room was finally in order, Chen Hao checked the time, grabbed his key card, and headed down to the lobby. Just as he stepped into the elevator, the door of the room opposite his opened from within…