CHAPTER 307: CHAPTER 5: OVEREXCITED (3)

Fortunately, he didn’t fall to his death, but he was scared half out of his wits.

When he awoke in a daze, he was informed that he had multiple fractures all over his body, over a dozen soft tissue contusions, and a concussion to boot.

Every slight movement tugged at unbearable pain.

In the midst of misfortune, Zhou Qingfeng’s rescue was incredibly timely, and Chen Rui quickly flew over. The medical staff and equipment in the shelter were unexpectedly excellent.

This combination of factors managed to pull Old Xiao back from the brink of death.

After the examination, the doctor concluded that since there was no internal bleeding, Xiao Jinlang only needed to rest quietly for half a month to gradually recover.

However, the younger Shanni’s situation was not optimistic. She needed to be transferred to a fully equipped formal hospital for further treatment as soon as possible.

At this moment, the lifelike disguise of a white man on Xiao Jinlang’s face had been carefully removed, revealing his slightly darkened complexion.

The bed was raised slightly so he could lie half-reclined, making it easier to eat and drink, maintaining basic physiological functions.

A young nurse considerately turned on the wall-mounted television in the room, hoping to play some news programs to entertain the elderly man who had just escaped danger.

On the screen, the host was somberly reporting the disappearance of "Harden" and the difficult progress of the search and rescue operations. In the footage, helicopters hovered over the vast sea, creating a stifling and heavy atmosphere.

This news didn’t mean much to Old Xiao. Just a few minutes later, the news picture suddenly switched, and a prominent headline occupied the screen:

"Breaking News: A fire breaks out on the ’Ford’ aircraft carrier docked at Norfolk Naval Base!"

In the footage, thick black smoke rose like a giant serpent from the massive hull of the carrier. The glow of the fire was faintly visible, strikingly contrasting with the surrounding deep blue sea.

"According to the official statement, the fire is currently under control. The navy claims to be confident of extinguishing the blaze within a few hours." The news anchor calmly reported the official stance.

"But numerous international media outlets have expressed skepticism, believing the scale of the fire far exceeds expectations, with a high risk of it getting out of control.

Analysts have pointed out that the flames might have already destroyed a large number of important compartments on the warship and could even burn through the internal deck. Should it spread to the nuclear reactor area below, the consequences would be unimaginable."

"The White House has publicly stated that it will spare no effort to mobilize all available firefighting resources in the vicinity to assist the Navy in extinguishing the fire.

The Pentagon also issued a statement, pledging not to stand idly by while the costly ’Ford’ aircraft carrier is engulfed by the flames."

"Additionally, informed sources revealed that the ’Ford’ carrier had been undergoing internal renovations at the naval port recently.

There might have been management chaos, some personnel leaving their posts without permission, violations of fire safety regulations, and many other non-compliant operations.

This is likely the direct cause of the fire."

"As for the specific losses caused by the fire, an accurate assessment is not yet possible.

However, several members of Congress expressed in interviews that regardless of the extent of the damage to the ’Ford’, they are confident in the post-disaster recovery work."

Initially, Xiao Jinlang watched with a sort of curious excitement, his eyes wide as he stared at the supercarrier on the TV screen billowing with smoke.

When he heard the words "renovations," "firefighting," and "management chaos" in the news, his once calm face suddenly turned agitated, his wrinkled eye corners twitching dramatically.

With a thick neck brace restricting him, he couldn’t move his head freely, nor speak clearly. He could only open his mouth wide and emit indistinct "haa haa" sounds from his throat.

"What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?" The young nurse beside him was startled by Xiao Jinlang’s sudden reaction. She quickly got up, leaned over, and asked with concern.

She leaned close to Old Xiao’s mouth, listening carefully to the faint sounds he was making.

After a moment, she barely caught a few fragmented, unclear murmurs, the voice hoarse and urgent, seeming overly excited but incomprehensible.

"That... that jet... it’s that jet... damn kid... a jet... took down a... carrier!"