High above the ground, the plane swayed violently, the scene inside chaotic and disordered. Passengers were running around, screaming.
A man dressed in a high-end tailored suit, his face masked, struggled to keep his swaying body upright, his gaze fierce as he glared at the mafia boss across from him. "You dare to betray me?" he growled angrily.
The towering mafia boss, looking at the man who was already poisoned, sneered, "So what if I betrayed you? Now, everyone on this plane is mine, do you really think you can escape?"
The masked man's lips curled into a bloodthirsty smile. "Do you think poisoning me would be enough to kill me?" Seizing the moment, he caught the other off guard and landed a punch to his eye.
"Ah!" The mafia boss hadn't expected such strength from him even after being poisoned. He immediately flew into a rage and fired a shot at him.
"Bang!" The bullet hit the masked man, his body jerking as he endured the pain in his chest. Ignoring the agony, he lunged forward with all his might, kicking the gun away and landing another punch to the other's eye.
"Ah!" The mafia boss clutched both eyes in agony, now matching panda eyes but perfectly symmetrical.
Taking advantage of the mafia boss covering his eyes, the masked man picked up the gun from the ground. The mafia boss, eyes barely slits, rushed over to snatch it back, his massive frame like a mountain.
The two men, masked and unmasked, fought fiercely, neither giving way to the other. In the end, one of them fired a shot, the bullet shattering the plane's window glass with a "crack."
Suddenly, a powerful rush of air flooded in, making the already unstable plane sway even more violently.
Seeing this, the masked man opened the emergency exit, grabbed his enemy, and jumped off the plane without hesitation, determined to take him down with him.
He knew that jumping from the plane offered a slim chance of survival, whereas staying on board meant certain death.
...
Under the blazing sun, the sky was clear and bright, the scorching heat like a raging fire, baking the earth. Even the breeze that brushed past one's cheeks felt like a wave of heat, stirring restlessness within.
On such a sweltering noon, a Maserati drove into a backward village.
The luxury car stopped before a humble courtyard. A man in his forties or fifties, dressed in black, got out and walked toward the dilapidated yard.
"Is this the place?" the man thought to himself, walking up and knocking on the door.
Hearing the knock, the door opened from inside.
There stood a girl, her face free of makeup, wearing a T-shirt that had been washed until it was almost white and faded jeans. Despite the cheap clothes, she exuded a natural aloofness and an unparalleled beauty that could not be concealed.
"You're Rosalind?" the man asked disdainfully, arrogance evident in his tone.
"Who are you?" the girl replied coolly.
"I am the butler of the York family. Mr. York and Mrs. York have sent me to pick you up. Get ready and come with me to the city, back to the York residence," the man stated.
"Hah! The York family," the girl mocked, "What does it have to do with me?" With that, she slammed the door shut and went back inside.
The man outside received a cold shoulder, his expression darkening instantly...
"Cough, cough..." came intermittent coughs from inside, "Who is it, Rosie?" an elderly woman's voice, about sixty years old, called out.
The old lady had silver hair, wore simple clothing, and had a kind face.
"Just someone asking for directions," the girl responded.
The elder looked at the girl and said, "They've come to pick you up, haven't they? Grandma hopes you'll have a better life, don't spend all your time with this old bone of mine. Go to the city, study hard, finish university, find a good job; grandma can't help you much, but I hope my Rosie will be happy."
"Grandma, I don't want to go anywhere, I just want to stay with you," the girl said softly.
"Foolish child, I know you're worried about my health, which is why you won't go to school. I know my own condition; I'm content to have lived this long. Your life is still ahead of you; do you want to leave grandma with regrets?"
The girl remained silent.
Indeed, Grandma's health was currently stable. As long as it made Grandma happy, she would do anything, hoping only that Grandma could stay with her a little longer.
The girl had grown up with Grandma, who was now her only warmth. She didn't want to lose her.
She never objected to Grandma's requests, not just because of Grandma's poor health, but more importantly, Grandma was the best relative she had these past few years and the only person Rosalind cared about.
"Alright!" Rosalind agreed reluctantly.
She turned and opened the door again, expressionless.
Seeing Rosalind open the door once more, the man's face showed even more disdain, his arrogance and rudeness following him as he entered behind her.
Once inside, the man saw the elder and spoke condescendingly, "I am the butler of the York family, sent to bring Rosalind home. Please pack up and leave now."
Upon hearing this, Rosalind quickly said, "No, I'll leave in a few days."
The butler insisted, "That's not possible. Mr. and Mrs. York have ordered that we must return today."
"Then go back by yourself, I'm not going," Rosalind said indifferently.
The butler, hearing this, became furious, "Don't be unreasonable! I've come all this way to pick you up, if you don't leave today, I'll call Mr. and Mrs. York!"
"Go ahead and call then!" Rosalind wasn't bothered at all.
"You, you..." the man pointed at Rosalind in anger, "Hmph! I'll call right now!"
The butler dialed Mrs. York's number and exaggerated the story of Rosalind's refusal to return to the city. On the other end, Mrs. York listened coldly and said, "Since Rosalind says she needs two days, give her two days. But make sure she comes back no matter what."
With no choice, the butler angrily told Rosalind, "Fine, Mrs. York says she'll give you two days to get ready, but after that, you're coming whether you like it or not!"
Rosalind didn't want to listen anymore, turning and entering her room, slamming the door shut.