Ziye’s nerves jumped, and she dared not act rashly. She quickly jumped off the airship, not even daring to take the twins’ vessel, and with a surge of desperate resolve, she ran to the faculty airship landing zone, forcibly entered the redhead’s shuttle, grabbed the twins, and sped toward the hospital.
All the way, Ziye’s expression was tight, her face slick with sweat, but there was no time to look for a first-aid kit. While piloting the shuttle, she asked, “How are your injuries? Can you find a first-aid kit?”
The redhead, frequently involved in brawls, surely kept one in her shuttle—that was precisely why Ziye had forced her way into the redhead’s craft in her desperation.
In fact, the first-aid kit was right under their seats.
On the surface, Aix looked severely wounded, sporting a long, bloody gash, but it was merely a superficial scrape. He endured the pain, retrieved the medical supplies, and began tending to Splint.
Splint was in such agony he couldn't utter a word.
Ziye was equally tense, so anxious that she piloted the shuttle straight out of the space station. Only after exiting did she realize she could have gone to the station’s internal hospital. By now, turning back was too late. She stared at the cluster of space station icons on the control interface, momentarily bewildered. “Where are we going?”
Aix, busy bandaging, didn't look up. “To the Fourth Hospital on Kaga Station Four.”
Ziye obeyed without a second word.
Arriving at the hospital, Ziye again located a doctor with utmost speed and arranged treatment for the twins.
In mere minutes, the blood flowing from the twins’ wounds had soaked their entire sleeves, a truly horrifying sight.
Ziye’s legs trembled with fright.
The injuries were that severe...
After class, Aix’s airship was taken away.
At that time, the news of the twins’ injuries hadn't fully spread. The pilot was Aix’s classmate, Api, who had borrowed the ship because his own was in maintenance.
Unable to reach Aix on his comms, he saw the available airship and simply took it, figuring it was fine since Aix and Splint were in the same class and often shared one vessel.
He didn't have the habit of running the pre-flight diagnostic; he just took off. Five minutes later, the engine suddenly failed mid-air!
Poor Api was nearly scared out of his wits. Fortunately, he was a pilot himself with some professional instincts, managing an emergency landing, though the jolt still scraped his skin. Now, stranded on the dedicated shuttle channel, miles from anywhere, he promptly fainted dramatically.
Who could tell him why Aix’s ship would suffer such a malfunction?!
He decided he would demand emotional damages from Aix upon return!
At the hospital, Ziye paced anxiously outside the emergency room doors. Ten minutes later, the doctor emerged with a lab report: Splint had a ruptured tendon in his index finger; Aix’s arm injury reached the bone.
Ziye’s heart plummeted to the bottom.
With the championship contest less than a week away, both pilots had injured their hands. Damn Chucks—she’d make him pay!
For the first time, Ziye felt an overwhelming rage.
A fury that made her eyes bulge!
She opened her silver-comm, scrolling through her contacts. If the Fei Fei team had sunk this low, everything was fake; she might as well just find someone to eliminate Ilya and be done with it!!!
Ziye’s finger hovered over one number, just about to dial, when the emergency room door opened. A doctor in a mask and protective gear emerged, addressing Ziye: “It’s fine now; they are being moved to a regular ward.”
Ziye paused, temporarily tucking away the silver-comm, and looked toward the emergency room.
Splint was wheeled out. His face was a bit pale, but his spirits seemed okay. The most severe part was his arms and wrists, both wrapped in thick bandages, giving him the appearance of serious long-term disability.
Seeing Ziye sitting up, he managed a weak smile.
Ziye nearly burst into tears.
Splint reached out with his good hand and gently patted her head.
Ziye watched him being taken away in a daze, continuing to wait for Aix.
Standing before the emergency room doors, Ziye couldn't help but recall Chucks’s movements during class, and the redhead’s reaction.
Except for the very first session, the redhead had never specifically summoned them for a lesson.
This time, not only did she call them, but she also gave combat instruction, and worse, she injured Aix.
Ziye pulled up the video footage of the fight and replayed it again and again. After Aix charged forward, the redhead kicked Chucks’s knife away; the knife, with appalling precision, struck Aix’s arm.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye, and there was no visible sign of intentionality.
Ziye knew the redhead well.
She knew that if the redhead had wanted to prevent Aix from being hurt, she absolutely could have.
Why didn't the redhead intervene?
She replayed the redhead’s movements over and over, finally spotting the crucial detail: the redhead had intentionally allowed Aix to get hurt.
Ziye felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped on her; a chill ran through her whole body.
Why would the redhead help Chucks against the twins? Why?!
She slammed her head against the wall, and tears finally streamed down her face.
Could it be that even the redhead could not be trusted?
The door to the second emergency room opened again. Aix was being pushed out in a wheelchair, and seeing Ziye, he froze for a second before calling out, “Xiao Yezi, are you testing how hard your head is?”
Ziye spun around sharply. Aix still wore his usual carefree expression and beckoned her over with a crooked finger.
Ziye approached him. He let out an "Aiya," smiling broadly. “Word of our injuries should be out by now. Media will likely rush to interview us soon. Our brothers are finally making the interstellar news again, haha.”
The more nonchalant his laugh sounded, the more worried Ziye became, her voice choked. “Doesn’t it… hurt?”
Aix reached out with his uninjured hand and patted her cheek. “Silly girl, men bleed without shedding tears.”
Infected by his apparent composure, Ziye wiped a tear away. “You two rest well. I’m going to find the redhead and get an explanation!”
Aix lifted his hand as if to pull her back but stopped, remembering something. He simply said, “Yeah, you be careful.”
Ziye bolted out of the hospital and dialed the redhead’s silver-comm.
She trusted the redhead.
She wouldn't despair over this incident, but she absolutely had to ask for clarification, or a thorn would forever remain in her heart.
The call connected quickly. The redhead’s smiling voice came through: “Little Stink, I’ve been waiting for you for ages.”
Hearing her laugh made Ziye even angrier. “What’s so funny?!”
The redhead had already anticipated her rage and wasn't offended, getting straight to the point. “Where are you? Don't fly my shuttle anymore. Rent one, come pick me up.”
She almost said, if you still trust me. But after a thought, she didn't.
It was a rare event for the usually carefree pirate leader to worry about someone else’s sense of trust. She sat cross-legged in the station, lit a cigarette, and slowly exhaled a smoke ring.
She would absolutely not tell Ziye that, ten minutes ago, she had tendered her resignation!
Her career as an instructor was over.
She had no regrets.