"We will," she said simply, already climbing up to access the engine compartment. "Thirteen hours of flight time, give or take, depending on wind conditions and our refueling stop."
"Thirteen...." Jin Boyuan nearly dropped the fuel hose. "Yuxi, that's... you can't fly a helicopter to the United States. That's not how this works. You need a jet, commercial airlines, proper...."
"This helicopter has the range with proper fuel management and one refueling stop," she interrupted, her hands already moving through the engine inspection with practiced ease. "I've mapped the route. We'll stop in Alaska for refueling, I have the coordinates for a private airstrip that handles international flights. From there, it's another leg to our final destination."
"But who's piloting?" Jin Boyuan pressed. "You can't possibly....."
"I am."
The words hung in the air like a challenge.
