Volume Two: To War! Chapter 80: Kim Soo-ji

All the aircraft engines had been shut down, and the deafening roar had vanished completely. Willow Cluster soared above the planes, manipulating the airflow to propel them forward.

In this manner, ten transport planes glided forward in perfect silence, steady as if riding a high-speed train.

Before long, they arrived in the skies above the safe zone. The Japanese residents within quickly spotted the airplanes overhead, shouting and waving their arms wildly at the sky.

Zhao Tian, accompanied by fifty members of the Victorious Brigade, had already arrived at the open ground here, waiting alongside a group of Japanese officers led by Masao Nakamura for the planes to land.

Seeing the ten planes pause and hover in the air, Zhao Tian curled his lip. He knew the commander was about to show off again. Sure enough, after shifting sideways to a stable position, the planes slowly descended vertically, landing in exactly the same fashion as when they’d first arrived.

If Willow Cluster knew his thoughts, he would surely make Zhao Tian personally experience a less gentle landing. Heaven knows, he was only thinking of the people onboard, yet in some eyes, his actions looked like posturing.

Once the planes touched down smoothly, a group of pilots led by Zhang Yuqiang disembarked. Zhao Tian immediately went to greet them.

“General Zhang, I didn’t expect you to come as well!”

“Haha, it wasn’t easy for me to secure a place on this mission,” replied Zhang Yuqiang with a hearty laugh, speaking the plain truth.

Indeed, his position had long since become highly coveted. This mission to assist Japan was destined to go down in history. Whether it succeeded or failed, all who took part would be immortalized. If the rescue succeeded, they would be hailed as saviors of over six hundred thousand Japanese lives. International fame would be inevitable, and countless eyes were fixed enviously on Zhang Yuqiang’s role as Air Force Commander.

Zhao Tian smiled knowingly, glancing around. “Hmm? Where’s the commander? He’s gone again?”

“Commander Willow went to meet the Korean planes. He told us to land and handle the transfer first.”

At that moment, Masao Nakamura, who had been waiting nearby for some time, stepped forward. “Welcome to Japan, and thank you deeply for your help. Mr. Zhao, could you introduce us?”

With a beaming smile, Masao Nakamura showed no sign of annoyance at having been ignored earlier; instead, he cheerfully watched as the two old acquaintances greeted one another.

“Oh! I almost forgot the important bit. General Zhang, this is Masao Nakamura, the current highest-ranking official in Japan,” Zhao Tian said, feigning sudden realization.

Zhang Yuqiang was taken aback. He had not expected the ever-smiling Japanese man to be Masao Nakamura himself; without an introduction, he’d assumed he was just another officer.

Casting Zhao Tian a reproachful glance, Zhang Yuqiang stepped forward and shook Nakamura’s hand. “Your Excellency Nakamura, my name is Zhang Yuqiang. I am the chief commander of this aerial rescue operation. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Masao Nakamura, unassuming and warm, exchanged a few polite words before offering to take them to rest.

Zhang Yuqiang waved his hand. “No rush—the sixteen Korean planes will arrive soon. Let’s wait here. It would be best if you could prepare for registration of the local residents. Each person should bring their own small stool if possible, and try not to bring too many belongings. The goal is to fit as many people as possible onto each plane.”

Masao Nakamura nodded with a smile and sent his subordinates back to the safe zone to make preparations, while he stayed to wait with Zhang Yuqiang and Zhao Tian. These aircraft were now the Japanese people’s last hope; every single one deserved his utmost attention.

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“Suji, I’ve already informed China that you’ve entered Japanese airspace. They said the Sword Immortal will meet you. Make sure to do a good job translating—this mission depends on you!”

“Minister, rest assured. I’ll translate every single word faithfully.”

“Good. It’s vital to maintain a strong relationship with China. After this mission, the Sword Immortal will owe us a favor. If the Republic of Korea ever faces a crisis, that will be our protective talisman. There must be no mistakes, understand?”

“Yes, sir!”

“If possible, try to establish a good personal relationship with the Sword Immortal. You may use any means necessary. That would be a great benefit, not only for you but for the entire Republic of Korea.”

“Minister, I understand. I’ll do my best.”

The call ended. Kim Suji furrowed her delicate brows and sighed. She understood the Minister’s meaning—she was to ingratiate herself with the Sword Immortal. She didn’t dislike that powerful and handsome man, perhaps even felt a certain liking, but she loathed the Minister’s tone of command in such matters.

In the dim cabin lights, Kim Suji let down her hair. Soft, wavy locks cascaded over her cheeks; her eyes widened slightly, carrying a hint of enchanting allure amidst her confusion. Her oval face was neither the generic type of internet celebrities nor bland, but exquisitely sweet and gentle, with the graceful temperament of a southern beauty—truly captivating.

Beep beep!—

“Miss Kim, there’s a person ahead of the plane, hovering in midair with nothing around him—standing in the sky itself.”

Kim Suji was stunned. To stand in midair, thousands of meters up—nowadays, only the Chinese Sword Immortal was known to fly.

Her earpiece crackled with static as someone searched through open channels. Then a clear male voice came through: “This is Willow Cluster. Miss Kim, please translate for me—have them shut down their engines. I will guide the planes to the safe zone.”

Kim Suji’s eyes widened. They were suspended high in the air; losing engine power was no trivial matter. She wanted to ask more, but then recalled the Minister’s instruction: “Do whatever he says—obey unconditionally!”

She hesitated but chose to trust this miraculous Chinese Sword Immortal. “General Lee Jun-ho, the Sword Immortal requests that you shut down the engines. He will bring the planes to the safe zone.”

There was a brief silence in her headset before a steady male voice replied, “Miss Kim, please confirm this order with him. Should we really shut down the engines?”

In flawless Chinese, Kim Suji said, “Immortal, General Lee Jun-ho is seeking confirmation: should we shut down the engines?”

Her Chinese was unexpectedly excellent, her gentle voice so pleasant that Willow Cluster paused for a moment. “Miss Kim, your Chinese is very good. Please tell General Lee to shut down the engines. Trust me—I will handle the flight from here.”

She hadn’t expected Willow Cluster to praise her. Momentarily stunned, she couldn’t help but smile and replied, “Thank you for your kind words. I’ll inform General Lee right away.”

After confirming the order, Lee Jun-ho instructed the pilots to ease off the throttle and shut down the engines.

The imagined nosedive never came. Once the engines fell silent, the planes continued forward smoothly, as if gliding in a hot air balloon—drifting effortlessly along the air currents, without power yet moving with the wind.

“Immortal, you are truly incredible!”

Kim Suji gazed out the window and saw a faint layer of cyan airflow swirling around the nearby planes. She offered her heartfelt admiration.

Willow Cluster smiled. Miss Kim’s voice was gentle and soothing—a pleasure just to hear her speak. “My name is Willow Cluster. Please, Miss Kim, just call me by name.”

“Ah? Wouldn’t that be disrespectful?”

“Not at all. I’d like very much to hear you call my name, your voice is so pleasant.”

He had to admit, even without seeing Miss Kim in person, he was already captivated by her voice. Who would have thought he had such a weakness for voices—Qingqing’s voice was lovely too.

Lee Jun-ho and the others, unable to understand Chinese, could only listen blankly as Miss Kim chatted amiably with the Immortal. They hadn’t expected the Sword Immortal to be so approachable and easy to communicate with. For the first time, they regretted not having studied Chinese more diligently—missing such a golden opportunity to build rapport.

Even though the others couldn’t understand, Kim Suji still blushed slightly, feeling as if she were being flirted with in front of everyone.

“Master Willow Cluster.”

In the end, she still added the honorific to show respect.

She called out, but received no response. A trace of worry crossed her mind—had she offended the Immortal?

Little did she know, Willow Cluster’s thoughts had already drifted elsewhere, his heart as soft as her gentle voice.