The second lieutenant irritably counted the bullet quantities, confirmed them, and personally sealed the bullet box with a label. Before he could stand up, he suddenly saw a soldier running against the wind from afar: “Company Commander! Company Commander!”
“What now?”
“An urgent call from the airport security office!”
The second lieutenant looked bewildered, walking towards the guard booth office by the tarmac.
The pilots were ready, and several soldiers were unloading equipment and ammunition. Si Nan threw the bullet box and tactical backpack onto the floor, kneeling and opening the backpack zipper.
“Hey,” an old soldier passed by, kicking it as a warning: “Don’t move.”
Si Nan looked terrified, standing up timidly.
The veteran soldiers ignored him, exiting through the cabin door and rushing down the metal ladder towards the runway to prepare for parachute transport.
Si Nan watched them leave, pulling out a mini submachine gun from the tactical backpack, chambering a round, then moving to the cabin door, gripping the metal ladder.
22:45 PM.
Lights flickered in the distant airport, people coming and going on the tarmac. This man-made sea island accommodating tens of thousands of military and civilians had undulating terrain, lush and verdant, with distant lights and stars reflecting each other.
In front of the plane was an open runway and an endless deep sea.
Si Nan deeply inhaled the fresh and slightly salty spring night sea breeze, about to push the metal ladder out of the cabin door, when suddenly his peripheral vision caught something.
The second lieutenant had just run out of the duty room, shouting something, soldiers stopping their work and gathering with slight confusion, then lining up and counting under the second lieutenant’s command.
“Hey! You!” The second lieutenant, with good eyesight, could see a person standing at the cabin door even from that distance, waving from afar: “Come down!”
Si Nan didn’t move.
“What’s wrong?” The second lieutenant frowned suspiciously, shouting: “Come down!”
Si Nan stared at him and raised his hand.
The metal ladder rolled away towards the runway exterior.
The second lieutenant was stunned, then reacted: “—It’s him!” The second lieutenant ran towards the plane: “Quick! Stop him!”
