Chapter 324: Chapter 256: Fighting for Survival Space

"Buying a lottery ticket... I think I’ll pass. Better to save my good luck for another time. Using it on the lottery would be a total waste," Lin Li said.

He then glanced down at his left hand, still clasped with Su Yue’s.

The danger had passed, so it felt a bit inappropriate to keep holding her hand. He shifted his arm, trying to pull his hand away.

’Huh?!!!’

He tugged his arm, but it didn’t budge. Su Yue was still holding his left hand tightly, with no intention of letting go.

He gave it another tug.

No luck. Su Yue still hadn’t let go.

’Er?!!!’

Lin Li had tried to pull his hand back twice now, and both attempts had failed.

He looked up at Su Yue. Her expression was perfectly normal, as if she hadn’t noticed a thing. He couldn’t help but fall into thought.

’Su Yue probably hasn’t completely shaken off her nervousness yet. I guess we’ll just stay like this for now.’

Lin Li mulled it over for a few seconds and arrived at what he felt was a reasonable conclusion. He decided to maintain the status quo for the time being and gave up on trying to pull his hand away...

After that "black swan" incident, the rest of Lin Li and Su Yue’s flight was uneventful.

The plane flew smoothly for the remaining half-hour or so of the journey.

DING-DONG.

An announcement played over the aircraft’s speakers.

"Dear passengers, we will soon be arriving at Qiong City Airport. Please make sure your seatbelts are securely fastened."

Hearing the announcement, Lin Li turned his head to look out the window.

As the plane descended, the buildings on the ground grew larger and came into sharper focus.

The cars on the roads below, once like tiny matchboxes, became increasingly distinct.

The plane touched down on the runway, and a slight tremor ran through the cabin.

Shortly after, the plane came to a complete stop. The announcement system crackled to life again, informing passengers that they could now deplane.

At that moment, Su Yue, who had been holding Lin Li’s left hand the entire time, finally let go.

"We’re finally here," Su Yue said to Lin Li, her expression as calm as ever.

"Yeah! We’re finally here. Let’s get off the plane. I’m getting a little hungry. Let’s find a restaurant for lunch first, then head to the hotel," Lin Li said, retracting his left hand and discreetly flexing it.

"Sounds good!" Su Yue nodded.

The young man sitting in the row behind Lin Li and Su Yue, the one who fancied himself a successful professional, had lost all interest in trying to cozy up to Su Yue and ask for her number after the "black swan" incident.

He was a little hungry, but he had no appetite. All he wanted was to get off the plane as quickly as possible and find a hotel to rest.

The "black swan" incident had affected him significantly. His emotions still hadn’t fully returned to normal.

"No need to rush, everyone. Please take your time," a flight attendant standing by the cabin door called out to the eager passengers.

Hearing the flight attendant, the passengers, who had been in a bit of a hurry, slowed their pace. They filed out one by one, and after a short while, everyone had disembarked.

As their feet touched solid ground, a similar thought surfaced in the minds of all the passengers who had just experienced the "black swan" incident.

’It feels so good to be on solid ground.’

After getting off the plane, Lin Li and Su Yue took an airport shuttle to the terminal exit.

A short while later, Lin Li and Su Yue, each pulling a suitcase, walked into a noodle shop.

Noodle shops inside airports were never cheap. Both Lin Li and Su Yue ordered a bowl of beef noodles.

The portion sizes were about the same as what they’d get at a regular noodle shop, but the price was significantly higher. Fortunately, the taste was decent enough.

After finishing lunch, they hailed a taxi outside the airport, gave the driver their hotel’s address, and set off.

......

Qiong City was situated on an island in the tropics. With mountains to the north and the sea to the south, it was the nation’s only tropical coastal tourist city.

The island’s limited size meant that as the human population grew and the urban areas expanded, the habitats of the Mutant Beasts in the wild were inevitably squeezed.

Furthermore, the Mutant Beasts on the island were generally not very powerful. Thus, as the human cities continually expanded and encroached upon their territory, the Mutant Beasts were unable to mount any effective resistance.

Over the years, the Mutant Beast population on the island had been brought down to a very small number, their range of activity severely restricted. It was a classic case of man advancing and beast retreating.

As a result, compared to other cities on the mainland, Qiong City faced a significantly smaller threat from Mutant Beasts.

It was precisely this high level of safety, combined with its exceptionally favorable geography, that made Qiong City one of the nation’s premier vacation destinations.

All year round, countless tourists flocked here to visit.

The taxi drove along a smooth road. A glance out the window revealed the boundless ocean.

The rushing sea breeze blew Su Yue’s soft, dark hair back, whipping it across the face of Lin Li, who was sitting next to her.

"Hey, tie your hair up! It’s hitting me in the face," Lin Li complained, shuffling away from her slightly.

"Alright, alright!"

Su Yue, who had been gazing out at the endless ocean, heard Lin Li’s complaint. She reached into her bag, pulled out a beige hair tie, and gathered her soft hair into a ponytail.