Chapter 1040
Amusement Park
After discussing Daigo and Shinjo, Choi Myung's gaze shifted to Aiba Miyuki, who was sitting in the corner of the living room. The girl was hugging her knees, her eyes somewhat vacant, lost in thought. Sunlight streamed through the window onto her, but it couldn't dispel the lingering heaviness in her eyes.
Cui Ming walked over quietly and sat down beside her, his voice unusually gentle: "Meixue, how about I take you to the amusement park in a few days? Do you want to go?"
Hearing the voice, Miyuki slowly came to her senses and looked at Choi Myung, her eyes filled with a hint of confusion, as if she hadn't immediately grasped the concept of an "amusement park." She was silent for a few seconds before gently shaking her head, then quickly nodding, and whispering, "Anything is fine... whatever Choi says."
Looking at her listless appearance, Cui Ming sighed inwardly—he knew that Mei Xue always had her family on her mind. These days, she appeared calm on the surface, but Cui Ming had seen her alone in the middle of the night more than once, her eyes filled with determination, and he even vaguely heard her mutter to herself, "If I can't save them, I'll end it all myself," to prevent her family from continuing to be parasitized by the Radam organisms.
Cui Ming reached out and gently patted her shoulder, his tone firm: "Don't keep thinking about those worries. There are carousels, roller coasters, and lots of delicious cotton candy at the amusement park. Go have some fun and relax. You've been under too much pressure lately. If you keep this up, your body won't be able to take it."
Miyuki's fingertips twitched slightly. She lowered her head, her voice choked with emotion: "But... my parents and brother are still being controlled by Radam. How can I go out and have fun in peace..." The thought of the pain her family might be enduring made her feel that relaxing was a "betrayal." She even began to have that extreme thought again—if they really couldn't be saved, she would rather end it all herself than let them become monsters that hurt others.
Cui Ming knew what she was thinking, of course. He was silent for a moment, his tone still gentle but carrying an undeniable strength: "I know you're worried about your family, but you have to believe that we will definitely find a way to save them. What you need to do now is to take care of your mental state and keep a clear head so that you can be of help at the crucial moment. If you keep being so depressed, even if there is an opportunity to save them, you won't be able to seize it, right?"
He paused, then added, "Besides, going to the amusement park isn't just about having fun. I want you to see that there are still many beautiful things in this world worth protecting. Your family would also want to see you happy, instead of living in pain and despair."
Miyuki looked up into Choi Myung's eyes, those eyes that always held both determination and warmth, which seemed to lighten the heaviness in her heart. She remained silent for a long time before gently nodding, "Then... I want to ride the carousel. My mother took me there once when I was little, I remember..."
Seeing a glimmer of light finally appear in her eyes, Cui Ming smiled: "Okay, let's go ride the carousel, and I'll buy you the biggest cotton candy. By the way, do you want to try the roller coaster? It's very exciting, and you can shout out all the unhappiness in your heart."
When Miyuki heard "roller coaster," a hint of curiosity flashed in her eyes, but she quickly shook her head: "I...I'm a little scared." "It's okay, if you don't want to try it, then don't try it. We'll just pick the ones you want to play." Cui Ming didn't force her, but just said with a smile, "You should rest well these few days and not think too much. After we come back from the amusement park, we'll continue to work on ways to save your family. I promise you, as long as there's a glimmer of hope, I won't give up."
Miyuki looked at Choi Myung and nodded vigorously, finally revealing a faint smile on her lips—although the worry in her heart was still there, Choi Myung's words were like a ray of light shining into her dark world, giving her more courage to persevere and making her start to look forward to the amusement park trip.
The next morning, the sun shone brightly. Cui Ming held Meixue's hand and walked towards the amusement park. Along the way, Meixue looked at the colorful balloons by the roadside and the distant roller coaster. The gloom in her eyes dissipated considerably, and a faint smile occasionally appeared on her lips. Clearly, she was full of anticipation for the trip, and her mood was much better than before.
But as soon as he reached the security checkpoint at the amusement park entrance, an unexpected incident occurred—the moment Cui Ming stepped through the security gate, a series of sharp alarms instantly filled the entire hall, never ceasing. A security guard rushed forward and scanned Cui Ming with a handheld detector, the alarm sounding even more piercingly.
"Sir, please cooperate. You are carrying metal objects. Please take them out for inspection." The security guard had a professional smile on his face, but his eyes were full of helplessness. He had recognized Cui Ming long ago. After all, Storm One's reputation was known to everyone in the TPC circle. But who would have thought that this big shot would bring so many weapons to the amusement park?
Cui Ming wasn't embarrassed. He simply started taking things out of his pocket—first a small handgun from the inside pocket of his coat, then a dagger from his belt, and even rocket launcher parts from his backpack. The security guard stared wide-eyed at the ever-growing pile of weapons on the table, his hands trembling slightly.
“Um… Mr. Cui Ming, we know you are Storm One and have a special identity, but it’s really frightening that you’ve brought so many weapons to the amusement park. Other visitors will be terrified.” The security guard’s voice was pleading. In all his years in the industry, this was the first time he had ever seen someone “move” an armory to an amusement park.
Cui Ming explained with a friendly expression, "Don't be nervous, I have no choice. You know, I deal with aliens all the time, and many of them see me as a target. It's normal to carry some weapons for self-defense, right?" As he spoke, he took out the barrel of a sniper rifle from another pocket. "For example, this combustible rocket launcher is lightweight and easy to use, allowing for a quick counterattack in case of an emergency; and this sniper rifle has a long range and can provide early warning of danger; oh, and this mini version of the Gatling gun and anti-aircraft gun, although small in size, is quite powerful..."
He became increasingly serious as he spoke, and the weapons on the table piled up higher and higher. The security guard's face grew paler and paler, until he was almost in tears—"Damn it, how did you manage to carry so many heavy weapons so quietly? This is practically a small armory!" Tourists around gathered to watch, pointing and gesturing at the weapons on the table, their eyes filled with shock. (End of Chapter)