Legendary Captain

Chapter 106 Smoke of Unknown Origin (Please Subscribe!)

When Xu Xian fully regained consciousness, the surrounding environment was no longer what a normal cabin should be like.

Many people showed visible anxiety, and the strong smell of burning in the air made the entire cabin feel very uneasy.

Even the passengers in the row in front of Xu Xian called the flight attendant to inquire about the situation.

"What's going on? It sounds like something's on fire!" a passenger questioned the flight attendant. There was no way around it; the burnt smell was just too similar to what you'd hear from a fire, so it was no wonder the passenger was suspicious.

The thought of smelling something burning on an airplane is enough to send chills down your spine.

The flight attendant was clearly a little flustered; the smell was simply too strong to conceal. However, even so, she forced herself to remain calm. If she showed any signs of panic, she could easily spread her fear.

"Don't worry, we are professionally trained and will absolutely guarantee safety." The flight attendant gave the same standard reply, but it was of no use and did not address the passenger's concerns at all.

There was nothing she could do; she had no way of knowing what the situation was. She could only use the most mechanical words to appease the passengers, hoping to just get away with it.

The passenger seemed genuinely frightened and was quite dissatisfied with the flight attendant's response: "I know you've received professional training and will ensure our safety, but I just want to know where this smell is coming from?"

This passenger seemed to know something about the game; he understood the flight attendant was just giving platitudes and wasn't buying it. However, he was destined not to get the answer he wanted.

Or rather, if he asked anyone on the plane, including the flight crew at the front, no one could give him a correct answer.

As an industry insider, Xu Xian had already seen through her thoughts, but he didn't point it out.

Although he wouldn't say it outright, Xu Xian still felt it necessary to inquire, as the current situation didn't seem like a normal occurrence.

"Any news from the cockpit?" Xu Xian asked.

Suddenly, another sound came from another direction. The flight attendant scanned her surroundings, searching for the source of the sound. At a glance, she spotted Xu Xian, with his red lips and white teeth, looking at her.

The flight attendant clearly mistook Xu Xian for an ordinary passenger and was about to repeat her previous statement. However, Xu Xian realized the flight attendant was going to give the same answer again. Pointing to the flight attendant's boarding pass, he said, "I just want to know if the cockpit has contacted you?"

Upon seeing Xu Xian pointing to his boarding pass, the flight attendant immediately understood and, without repeating the pointless excuse, replied directly, "So far, the cockpit has not contacted us."

Xu Xian paused for a moment. If a fire were to occur on the aircraft, whether it was an engine fire, an APU fire, a cargo hold fire, or a wheel well fire, there would be corresponding instructions in the cockpit. And any fire would cause smoke to seep into the passenger cabin, just like the situation was now.

However, so far, the cockpit has not contacted the crew, which does not seem to indicate that there was a fire alarm in the cockpit.

Flight crews are known for their swift response to fire alarms, rarely delaying their actions. The smell of burning smoke permeated almost the entire cabin; if there had been a fire anywhere, it should have been dealt with by now.

According to regulations, regardless of whether the fire is extinguished after the fire is dealt with, the cockpit must notify the cabin crew to explain the situation. Otherwise, leaving the cabin crew to speculate based on their own imagination could lead to unforeseen problems.

However, the flight attendants said that the cockpit did not contact them, so it is very likely that there was no fire alarm in the cockpit. The flight crew ahead of them is probably also looking for the root cause of the problem!

Moreover, and most importantly, a fire alarm would be a very serious emergency, requiring an immediate landing. However, even with a very strong smell of burning smoke, the aircraft remains in a stable cruising state, showing no signs of descent or change of course.

This doesn't seem like a typical fire alarm scenario!

Xu Xian rolled his eyes a few times; this kind of situation where he couldn't find the problem was the most annoying. He glanced at the engine's exhaust outside the window, and thankfully, there was nothing unusual about it; at least from the sound, everything seemed normal.

As long as the engine runs normally, everything is fine.

Xu Xian gently waved to the flight attendant, signaling her to come closer. The flight attendant approached with some suspicion, bowed slightly, and leaned closer to Xu Xian.

"Have you checked the restrooms?" Xu Xian whispered. "Is someone smoking in the restrooms?"

The flight attendant exclaimed in shock, "No way! How could someone have brought a fire source in?"

With airport security so stringent these days, how could an ordinary passenger possibly have the chance to carry a source of fire through all those layers of security checks?

Xu Xian knew that the possibility was very small, but he still had to try. Anyone would be worried if they ignored such an obvious smell of smoke.

"Checking the two lavatories won't take long. Or you could ask the purser if they think it's necessary. Also, let's inform the cockpit about the situation in the cabin, so they don't end up not knowing what happened in the back." Xu Xian's instructions to the flight attendants naturally possessed a convincing quality, causing the flight attendants to nod subconsciously.

As the flight attendant straightened up to leave, she hesitated for a moment, glanced at Xu Xian, and hurriedly ran towards the front cabin, apparently to find the chief flight attendant.

In fact, Xu Xian didn't have much hope that someone was smoking in the restroom. Given the current situation, even smoking a whole pack of cigarettes together wouldn't create the smoky atmosphere we see today.

Or rather, no one was smoking in the restroom at all; it must have been arson!

Airplane lavatories are equipped with smoke detectors; if someone were actually smoking inside, the alarm would have already gone off. Of course, it's also possible that someone knowledgeable might have blocked the smoke detector's sensor beforehand.

Even worse, some malicious individuals might be using the seclusion of the lavatory to carry out illicit activities. In short, the current state of airplane cabins is filled with an unsettling atmosphere.

At the same time, there was something that bothered Xu Xian greatly. That was, the smell of this cigarette seemed different from normal cigarettes; it was more pungent and had a peculiar taste. However, Xu Xian couldn't quite place it.

The flight attendants hurried to the front cabin, encountering several others struggling to calm the passengers down the aisle. Even the most oblivious person could now sense the seriousness of the situation.

When the flight attendants arrived at the front cabin, they noticed that the purser seemed to be talking to the cockpit. So they waited quietly to the side without disturbing the purser.

"Okay, I'll go check out the restrooms at the back," the flight attendant replied.

"Bring the safety officer! In case of an emergency, handle it first and then report it." The old instructor's solemn voice came through the phone. However, intermittent coughs were occasionally heard while the old instructor was speaking.

Clearly, the crew in the cockpit also realized the worst-case scenario that Xu Xian had previously considered!

The flight attendant hung up the phone and, looking at the hurried flight attendant, asked, "What's wrong?"

"A passenger suggested we check the lavatory," the flight attendant explained. "He seemed to be a crew member as well."

"Who?" The flight attendant's eyes narrowed instantly, like those of a vigilant hawk.

Seeing the purser's wary look, the flight attendant's heart skipped a beat: "Passenger 40C."

The flight attendant was a seasoned pilot with many years of experience and didn't need to rely on seat markers to locate the relevant personnel. A quick glance was enough to spot Xu Xian in the crowd.

"Sister, is there a problem?" The flight attendant noticed that the purser's gaze towards Xu Xian was a little too sharp, as if something was off.

"We were just inspected in the restrooms earlier too!" The flight attendant took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, but all she could breathe in was a pungent smell: "Stay put."

The flight attendant stepped forward, patted the security officer in the first row on the shoulder, and gestured for him to follow.

This security officer was the one in uniform, who revealed his identity from the beginning. Inside the cabin, there was another security officer in plainclothes who remained hidden.

It's possible that the passenger in 40C was indeed a flight attendant who, out of kindness, alerted the crew. Alternatively, it's possible that this seemingly harmless young man was an accomplice of the person who started the smoke incident, or even that he was responsible?

Whether his suggestion to the flight attendants to check the lavatory was to distract the crew or for some other purpose remains unknown.

The fact that the cockpit asked them to bring a security officer when inspecting the lavatory indicated that the flight crew suspected the possibility of a man-made emergency. Therefore, she had to be extremely cautious about anything unusual!

The flight attendant led the security officer from the front cabin to the rear cabin, preparing to inspect the lavatory according to instructions from the cockpit.

There are two lavatories on the plane, one in front and one behind. The front lavatory is currently empty, but the flight attendant in the rear cabin just reported that the rear lavatory is occupied.

After passing through first class and business class and entering economy class, the flight attendant slightly raised her right hand and made three hand gestures to the passengers in the third row of economy class who were sitting by the aisle.

And this passenger was a plainclothes security officer!

The three hand gestures were one of the coded signals agreed upon during pre-flight coordination. They indicated the seat numbers of personnel requiring special attention.

The hand gesture the flight attendant makes to the plainclothes security officer means 40C!

Regardless of whether that person is a flight crew member or not, or whether they mean well, it's never too much to carefully inspect the restroom before you finish checking it yourself.

Better safe than sorry, especially under such abnormal circumstances!

Upon receiving the purser's coded hand signal, the plainclothes security officer instantly recalled the entire passenger layout of the aircraft. Before each flight, they would study the passenger layout to find the best vantage point.

Economy class was almost full, with only his seat and seat 42B available. He didn't choose 42B because it was in the middle of a three-seat row. In case of any emergency, if he wanted to get up, the passenger in seat 42C would block his way. Therefore, even though his current seat didn't offer a great view, it was still convenient for him to move around.

However, things are different now. With a clear objective, 42B is actually better off than he is now. He subtly touched the baton at his waist, pretending to be a passenger needing to use the restroom, and began to get up and walk towards the back.

As the flight attendant passed by Xu Xian, she glanced down at the area around Xu Xian's neck and noticed that there was no ribbon with the Civil Aviation Administration's logo.

Some flight attendants, when traveling in economy class, will tuck their identification documents into their clothing if it is inconvenient to show them, but they will not take them out.

If you look closely, you can see a blue band around the neck with the Civil Aviation Administration's unique logo printed on it, which flight crew can easily recognize.

If Xu Xian's identity can be confirmed, things will be much simpler.

However, to the flight attendant's disappointment, she did not find the neck strap around Xu Xian's neck. Of course, the absence of a neck strap does not mean that Xu Xian is not a flight attendant; it simply means that if there were a neck strap, there would be no need for such wild speculation.

The flight attendant and security officer headed straight for the lavatory at the back. The flight attendants behind them saw the flight attendant approaching aggressively and signaled that the people in the lavatory had not yet come out.

The flight attendant glanced at the sign on the lavatory lock and confirmed that someone was inside.

Once the lavatory door is locked from the inside, a change in signage will appear from the outside to indicate that the lavatory is occupied.

The flight attendant turned her head and whispered to the security officer, "Turn on the body camera. If there's an emergency, handle it first and don't hesitate."

During flight, the captain possesses virtually unlimited power, granted by law. However, while the law bestows supreme power upon the captain, it doesn't mean they can do whatever they want. After landing, the captain must provide a legal explanation for their decisions made on board. If certain crucial decisions are deemed non-compliant, and the captain cannot provide an objective explanation, they will still be subject to penalties.

Furthermore, international conventions and domestic civil aviation laws stipulate that if a captain has reason to believe that certain individuals will or have already posed a safety threat to the aircraft, he may take necessary and appropriate control measures.

Taking disciplinary measures already constitutes a considerable amount of power!

The captain had already informed her that the situation could be handled as a priority. Otherwise, if it were some criminals attempting sabotage, there wouldn't be time to consult the captain again.

When it comes to the safety of everyone on board, a swift decision must be made. Hesitation and indecision will lead to a loss of the initiative, and all the passengers on the plane will have to pay the price.

In fact, even captains don't want to use such relatively harsh methods too often. After all, there might be no legal liability, but morally speaking, it could escalate to the point of public condemnation.

In today's society, public opinion is highly developed, and a single person's spittle can still drown a person.

However, this incident was far too strange. There were no fire alarms, yet both the cockpit and passenger cabin were filled with unexplained smoke. Anyone would be uneasy in that situation!

Just as the flight attendant was pondering how to probe, she caught a glimpse of someone walking down the other side of the corridor out of the corner of her eye—it was the plainclothes security officer.

"The toilets here are not working? I'd like to use the restroom." The plainclothes security guard said with a smile.

The flight attendant was also a calm person. Since the situation was unclear, she still had to keep up the act. Even if they knew each other, she still pretended to be strangers.

"Someone has been in the restroom for too long. Let's find out what's going on before we talk to them," the flight attendant said tactfully, but the implication was clear.

There's a problem with the people in the restroom right now, and we're conducting an inspection.

The plainclothes security officer had received a coded signal from the purser to keep an eye on the passengers in cabin 40C. However, he had no idea what was going on when the purser and another security officer were storming towards the rear cabin. Now, he inadvertently learned that there was a problem with the lavatory.

"Can I change seats? There's someone snoring in front of me, it's a bit noisy," the plainclothes security guard said.

The purser glanced at the empty seats in economy class and noticed that seat B in row 43 was empty. Instantly, the purser understood what the plainclothes security officer meant and smiled, "Of course, just be quiet and don't disturb others."

The flight attendant's meaning was clear: keep things quiet and don't let the people in 40C notice.

"That's for sure." The plainclothes security officer turned to leave, but as he passed another security officer, he whispered, "Call me if there's any problem!"

The other safety officer simply nodded slightly without saying a word.

The plainclothes security guard returned to row 43 and went straight to the empty seat in 43B, causing the passenger in 43C to ask in surprise: "Is this your seat? I didn't see it being empty before!"

"Someone in front of me was snoring and I couldn't get a good rest, so I asked the flight attendant to move me to the back," said the plainclothes security officer.

Ordinary people usually call flight attendants "flight attendants," but flight crew members are all called "flight attendants." However, plainclothes security officers are still addressed using the terms that ordinary people prefer.

The passenger in car 43C craned his neck and glanced ahead. He did hear someone snoring in front of him, but he didn't suspect anything.

This was also the reason the plainclothes security officer came up with on the spur of the moment, and his quick wit deserves praise. It made his change of position less abrupt.

"It's amazing that I can fall asleep on this stale, stuffy plane," a passenger exclaimed. "Everyone online says Chimelong's flights have amazing service. The food is good, but I never expected them to let you smoke."

The plainclothes security officer was taken aback. This passenger was incredibly optimistic, even in this situation he could still crack jokes and banter.

The plainclothes security guard estimated the distance between himself and Xu Xian's seat. If Xu Xian made any unusual movements, he would stand up, pull out his baton, and swing it directly at Xu Xian's head, aiming to subdue him as quickly as possible.

He also noticed that Xu Xian would occasionally look back, seemingly to the back washroom.

"This kid is definitely suspicious!" The plainclothes security officer stretched out his right hand, ready to deliver a fatal blow to Xu Xian at any moment.

Just then, the flight attendant came up with a reason to test the waters. She couldn't very well just bang on the lavatory door and yell, "You're surrounded! Come out now!"

The flight attendant gestured to the security officer next to her, indicating that she was ready to act, and then gave a signal to the flight attendant next to her, telling her to keep a little distance.

Having too many people at the entrance of this narrow passage is actually not a good thing.

The flight attendant walked to the lavatory door and gently tapped it: "Hello, passengers. We've received reports of severe turbulence ahead, so the lavatory will be temporarily closed. Please come out immediately."

This was the most legitimate reason the flight attendant could come up with in a short time.

"Where's the bumpy ride? I'm busy right now!" came a passenger's dissatisfied voice from the restroom. Judging from the voice, it was a man's.

The flight attendant wasn't about to back down: "I'm sorry! This is company policy, and it's for your safety. There's nothing to restrain your bodies inside. If anything happens, our company will be responsible. Please understand!"

To be honest, the flight attendant is really good at lying through her teeth. What was perfectly calm now was made into sound like a major storm was about to hit.

"Okay, please wait a moment!" The passenger couldn't resist the flight attendant's persistent pleading, and was probably also intimidated by what the flight attendant said. What if there was a problem and he refused to cooperate, and the company refused to compensate him? Wouldn't that be a huge loss?

As soon as the person inside was about to emerge, the security guard behind him tensed up instantly, like a cheetah poised to pounce. He reached for the short stick at his waist, ready to subdue the person at the chief flight attendant's command.

Even the experienced flight attendant couldn't help but swallow hard; the pressure was truly unimaginable.

With a crisp click of a lock being opened, the bathroom door slowly opened, and a man in his forties walked out.

As soon as the man came out, he found a man and a woman staring at him with wide, round eyes, and a flight attendant was also secretly watching him from a distance.

"Why?"

This imposing manner instantly stunned the man. He involuntarily touched his face and stepped back to look in the mirror.

There's nothing on my face.

Before the man could react, the security officer grabbed his wrist, while the flight attendant bypassed him and went straight into the lavatory to conduct an inspection.

"What are you doing?" The man was initially stunned when his wrist was grabbed, then his expression immediately turned angry: "What do you mean by this?"

His wrist was held by the safety officer's left hand, but the safety officer did not get too close, maintaining a relatively safe distance to prevent injury from a sudden attack.

At the same time, the safety officer's right hand was already on the short stick.

The flight attendant quickly checked the lavatory but found no obvious problems.

After the flight attendant finished her inspection, she left the lavatory and shook her head at the security officer. The security officer understood and immediately released the man's wrist.

"I'm so sorry!" At this moment, the flight attendant came over to reassure the passenger, "There will be turbulence soon, and there's really no other way but to bother you. If you don't mind, as a way of expressing our apologies, you can be upgraded to first class for free. What do you think?"

"Such a good thing?" The man's eyes lit up. Wasn't this a great bargain?

Suddenly, the man's nose twitched, and he asked in confusion, "What's that smell?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the man seemed to have been stimulated by something and began to cough violently, followed by a sudden gasp and extremely abnormal panting.

"My medicine! Give me my medicine!"

Am I supposed to update 10,000 words a day?

(End of this chapter)