Legendary Captain

Chapter 117 The Third Legend (Please Subscribe!)

"Are you trying to kick me out?" Xu Xian asked incredulously. Could there really be such a shameless person in the world?

He had endured countless hardships and narrowly escaped death to land safely, only to have Chen Qi try to remove him from the list of merits at the very end. Such shamelessness is truly rare.

"No, no, no!" Chen Qi laughed, "How can I deny your contribution? Those shrewd people in the bureau aren't easy to fool!"

He continued, "I just want you to leave quietly, to shut up quietly. Your credit belongs to an anonymous person who stepped forward and then silently left. How can your merit be disregarded? It's real; just keep it to yourself!"

It's often said that some businessmen are cunning and unscrupulous, resorting to any means to achieve their goals, and it seems this is truly a case of the same ilk. To be able to utter such shameless words so casually is quite an eye-opener.

"No wonder you kept asking me if I said my name!" Xu Xian squinted, recalling Chen Qi's series of strange questions earlier. After connecting the dots, everything made sense.

As long as he utters his name in the cockpit, it will be recorded by the cockpit voice recorder. Currently, the cockpit voice recorder only retains the most basic recording rules: it only records the last thirty minutes of cockpit audio. The entire emergency phase is only slightly longer than thirty minutes, so if Xu Xian introduces himself in the cockpit, the authorities will definitely be able to hear it during the subsequent investigation.

Unfortunately, Xu Xian did not!

Moreover, Xu Xian never revealed his identity to the authorities, so everything was under control.

"It seems Chimelong Airlines hasn't upgraded its cabin audio system at all!" Xu Xian sneered, his voice full of sarcasm.

Chen Qi was extremely smug: "It's not like it was a decade or two ago. Cockpit voice monitoring isn't a priority anymore. Since I can now speak frankly with you in the cockpit, it's naturally because Chimelong's aircraft have basic cockpit voice recording. The moment the plane touches down, the instant the air-to-ground logic switches, the cockpit voice recording is shut down. Our conversation can't get through here!"

As he spoke, he tapped on the location of the cabin audio panel.

Aircraft cockpit voice control operates on its own set of principles. Generally speaking, when on the ground, the cockpit voice control system starts working when the engines are running. And when in the air, the cockpit voice control system will continue to operate as long as the aircraft has power.

In other words, while in the air, cockpit voice recording will only stop after the generators driven by both engines, the APU power supply, and the battery power are all completely depleted. At least the cockpit voice recordings from the moment we were in the air were recorded verbatim.

However, once the aircraft touches down, the air-to-ground logic switches, and the cockpit voice recording mode reverts to ground mode. At this point, neither of the aircraft's engines is operational. This means that cockpit voice recording ceases the instant the aircraft touches down. Therefore, their conversation will not be recorded.

Over a decade ago, civil aviation faced immense pressure regarding safety, leading to stringent regulations on cabin voice monitoring. Airlines upgraded the cabin voice systems of their aircraft.

As soon as the aircraft is powered on, whether it's on the ground or in the air, the cabin voice will be recorded. And there's no longer a 30-minute time limit.

However, as the domestic civil aviation situation improved, the industry gradually phased out such overly stringent monitoring methods. Cabin voice monitoring falls into this category.

Almost all domestic airlines have now reverted to the original cabin voice system settings, and Chimelong Airlines is no exception.

This is precisely why Chen Qi made no attempt to negotiate terms with Xu Xian. He was greedy by nature, but he wasn't brainless.

"But there are still people who know my identity," Xu Xian said through gritted teeth.

"Those flight attendants and security personnel, right?" Chen Qi laughed. "It's much easier to shut them up."

Chen Qi had his own reasons for asking if he had revealed his identity to the control room. If the control room heard Xu Xian's name, then the matter would definitely be exposed. He couldn't even get close to the control room, and besides, with such a big incident, there were probably many people watching and listening in the control room, so there was simply no possibility of keeping it a secret.

Fortunately, Xu Xian had not revealed his identity to the authorities, which made things much easier.

If they can't handle the air traffic control, surely their own flight attendants and security personnel can manage it? As long as they find a reason to cover up Xu Xian's identity information and seat number, no one will know that Xu Xian had been to the cockpit.

It was actually fortunate that Xu Xian didn't report the captain's incapacity. If he had, air traffic control would have actively sought information on a replacement, rendering his plan unfeasible. Just as Xu Xian was about to report the captain's incapacity, he was stopped. At that time, Chen Qi hadn't thought that far ahead; he was simply lucky.

It has to be said that Chen Qi was indeed quite lucky. Due to the frequent unexpected events, the two people in the cockpit didn't have the time or energy to discuss their respective identities, which gave Chen Qi the opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

Chen Qi even felt that God had given him the opportunity to make a name for himself!

"Don't you think it's obvious that the investigators from the Bureau don't know who's in charge and who's just assisting?" Xu Xianhan said with a cold face.

The black box records a vast amount of flight data, with cockpit voice being only a small part of it. This flight data can even reveal who input the control signals. In other words, the data in the black box allows investigators to determine who the primary pilot was.

In this special incident, almost all the manipulation came from the left seat. How could Chen Qi have managed to distort the truth? Could it be that he could even influence the authorities?

Xu Xian didn't believe it!

"Who said I'm exaggerating my contributions?" Chen Qi laughed heartily. "Would I do something so idiotic that leaves me no way out? What's the difference between using such low-level tactics under the watchful eyes of the authorities and courting death? In this special operation, I was just an assistant, that's a certainty."

Xu Xianling, with her keen intuition, guessed Chen Qi's thoughts from his few words: "You don't care about the authorities! You care about public opinion; you want to create momentum for yourself?"

The investigators from the bureau were all experts in their fields. By combining various data, they could easily determine who contributed more and who contributed less in this special operation. Strictly speaking, there was no way Chen Qi could steal credit from the bureau; they were perfectly aware of the situation.

If Chen Qi were to try to play dirty tricks on the authorities and steal credit, that would be an extremely foolish act.

Chen Qi's cleverness lies in knowing where he can and cannot cross the line! The Bureau clearly defines the forbidden zones, and even Chen Qi wouldn't dare to act rashly. In this special operation, he played a supporting role, a fact he readily accepted and couldn't argue against.

The authorities are intolerant of any wrongdoing, but public opinion is a different story.

Those in the know can easily glean the details from a post-incident investigation report. But the general public is a different story; most of them can't understand the report at all, and in a special situation, they probably wouldn't even be able to figure out who was the main perpetrator and who was the secondary perpetrator.

At this point, in the public's mind, Chen Qi and the enthusiastic anonymous person were naturally placed on the same level. However, as time went on, Chen Qi, after all, had a name and a reputation, making him a living, breathing object of admiration. The other enthusiastic person, on the other hand, remained nameless and anonymous; how long could the curiosity last? Ultimately, the attention and praise naturally, or rather, without any other choice, converged on Chen Qi. This process didn't even require Chen Qi to manipulate it; everything happened naturally. Moreover, if Xu Xian hadn't stepped forward, as long as Chen Qi's words weren't too outrageous, wouldn't he have been able to say whatever he wanted?

Due to limitations in personal knowledge and limited access to information, ordinary people are easily misled.

Moreover, Chen Qi is very clear-headed and can distinguish between what is permissible and what is not.

If he wanted to directly seize credit, he would have to win over the authorities, which would be tantamount to suicide and utterly unwise. Another way was to conceal Xu Xian's presence, thus making him stand out naturally. To conceal Xu Xian, he only needed to win over Xu Xian, the trainee, and a few flight attendants and security personnel. Comparatively, winning over these people with no money or connections was much easier.

Those flight attendants and security personnel aren't interested parties; under coercion and inducement, they should comply quickly. Besides, once they've taken the money, they're all in the same boat. Revealing that Chen Qi instructed them to conceal Xu Xian's information would also expose that they took the money, wouldn't it?

Furthermore, even if the truth comes out later, it won't be Chen Qi's fault. When Chen Qi is bribing others, he doesn't get involved personally. He keeps the good stuff, but he won't be implicated in the dirty work.

Therefore, any normal person would know how to choose to engage in such a self-destructive behavior that would not harm the enemy.

Ultimately, since the only substantial evidence is this conversation, no one knows the details, and Chen Qi will always remain invincible.

If this succeeds, it will bring immense fame.

The rise of Qingyuan Group and Kunlong Aviation is only a matter of the last twenty years, but it is still fresh in our minds! Can't Chen Qi take this opportunity to rise above his circumstances and become the third person after Xu Qing and Han Qi?

Now, Wang Fengying, the second-in-command of Shenggong Construction, is poised to defeat Wen Mingyuan and become the new owner of Shenggong Construction. And how could his father, Chen Chuan, not leverage the immense fame gained from this incident to become the head of Chimelong Airlines? It's worth noting that Wen Mingyuan's shareholding in Chimelong Airlines is the smallest among the three pillar industries. If even Shenggong Construction can be transformed, why can't Chimelong Airlines follow suit?

Chen Qi's eyes lit up. He had only said a few words, yet this callow youth had already guessed most of it. He laughed and said, "Five hundred thousand is quite a lot. One shouldn't be too greedy!"

To be honest, if this deal goes through, even adding a zero to the reward wouldn't be enough. But businessmen are profit-driven, and there's no reason to reveal one's true value upfront. If Xu Xian cooperates later, rewarding him even more wouldn't be out of the question.

"If I don't agree, are you going to let this go this time?" Xu Xian suddenly asked.

Chen Qi: "It's not just you, but also the flight attendants and security personnel. If even one person doesn't cooperate, I'll stop my plan. I'm not a gambler. But afterwards, I have plenty of ways to deal with those who don't follow orders."

If even one person—Xu Xian, or anyone else who knows Xu Xian's identity—does not cooperate, he will decisively abandon the plan. Because if even one person can't keep their mouth shut, the plan will fail, and he's not one to readily take on difficult tasks.

Similarly, he is not a tolerant person; he is vengeful and will not let anyone ruin his plans. It would be against his nature not to retaliate severely.

Faced with this blatant pressure, Xu Xian's face remained frosty. He desperately needed this job; if he couldn't get Chen Qi his way, he feared he wouldn't be able to continue. What would he do then?

He couldn't guarantee that the reward for handling this emergency would be enough to support him for life. He had heard of many pilots who handled emergencies but didn't receive any cash rewards, only some help in their later promotions. But if he offended Chen Qi, his career as a pilot would likely be over, and there would be no chance of promotion.

Simply firing Xu Xian wouldn't be the worst outcome. The worst outcome would be that they deliberately find a pretext to prevent Xu Xian from flying, but don't terminate his contract, essentially keeping him on hold. If Xu Xian wants to leave, he'll have to pay a hefty penalty for breach of contract!

That's the most painful part!

Chen Qi noticed Xu Xian's conflicted expression, which was somewhat expected. Anyone would struggle with this kind of situation. He could give Xu Xian a little time to think, but no more. The rescue team's convoy lights were getting closer and closer; he needed to ascertain Xu Xian's thoughts before they arrived.

Just as Xu Xian was in a dilemma, his phone suddenly rang. He saw that the number was from Yunnan, but he didn't recognize it.

Xu Xian hesitated for a moment, unsure whether it was appropriate to answer the phone in this situation. He glanced at Chen Qi, who simply shrugged, indicating that it didn't matter.

Xu Xian answered the phone. A woman's voice answered: "Hello, is this Mr. Xu Xian? This is the Department of Cardiology at the First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province."

Xu Xian's heart skipped a beat, and a sense of foreboding arose within him.

"Here's the thing, Mr. Xu Jingyang unexpectedly fainted today and was brought to our hospital. After treatment, he is now out of danger for the time being," the nurse said.

"What? My dad fainted? Is it a heart problem?" Xu Xian exclaimed in shock.

Xu Jingyang's only problem seems to be his heart, but it's a life-threatening one!

Upon hearing that Xu Xian's father had a heart problem, Chen Qi's eyes lit up; he seemed to have found a reason to persuade Xu Xian.

"Yes! There's no immediate danger. However, Mr. Xu's condition is still very critical. Our doctors recommend hospitalization for observation, but Mr. Xu insists on being discharged, so we have to contact you first." The nurse explained, "If you agree to Mr. Xu's discharge, the subsequent conversation will be recorded as evidence that we have obtained the family's consent."

These days, hospitals are all incredibly cunning; they'd never put themselves in the slightest danger. With the recording of Xu Xian agreeing to his discharge, the hospital would be completely absolved. After his discharge, whether Xu Jingyang lived or died would be entirely the hospital's fault.

To be honest, the actions of the First People's Hospital of Yunnan seem a bit too cautious. Perhaps they've encountered similar situations before! Once bitten, twice shy.

recording?

Xu Xian's mind raced, but his face remained impassive. He simply said, "That's no problem, you can start now. However, could you please call my dad? I want to check on his condition myself!"

"Please wait a moment!"

While waiting, Xu Xian glanced at Chen Qi's expression and saw that he didn't seem to be acting strangely. For some reason, he sighed slightly.

Not long after, Xu Jingyang's somewhat impatient voice came from the other end of the phone: "What are you doing? Why are you contacting him? Xu Xian, don't listen to their nonsense, I'm fine."

"I know," Xu Xian suddenly sighed, "Your heart valves are acting up again?"

"What?" Xu Jingyang on the other end of the phone was full of question marks. "What nonsense are you talking about? Do you think I have a heart valve problem?"

Xu Jingyang's problem lies in his coronary arteries, a fact Xu Xian is perfectly aware of. Why is he talking about heart valves now? Has this kid lost his mind?

Before Xu Jingyang could ask what was going on, Xu Xian continued, "I'll tell my mom I'm not going there! I'll go back to Yunnan as soon as possible."

"What's wrong with you? Weren't you going to see your sister? No! Are you Xu Xian?" If it weren't for the fact that the voice on the other end of the phone was clearly his son's, he would have strongly suspected that this person was not Xu Xian.

Xu Xian's expression remained unchanged as he continued, "Feeling bored in the hospital? Wasn't the movie we watched yesterday quite good? Go watch it again!"

"That movie about eavesdropping, didn't you say it was terrible?" Xu Jingyang frowned, finally noticing something was off. "What's wrong with you?"

Without answering Xu Jingyang, Xu Xian continued his monologue: "Just listen to what the nurse said and get some rest. I have something to do, I'll hang up now!"

"What you just said?" Xu Jingyang asked, puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"

"If you're going to listen, then listen. What do you mean by 'listen to what you just said'? From the moment we started talking until now, Xu Xian hasn't said a single reasonable word!"

wrong!

A sudden thought flashed through Xu Jingyang's mind, and he turned to ask the nurse, "What did you just say?"

"What did I say?" the nurse asked, puzzled. "I just went to call you. What else could I have said?"

"No! It's further ahead!"

"Further ahead?" Nurse: "It's where we get his consent to record the phone call."

"A phone recording?" Xu Jingyang murmured, sensing something, "Eavesdropping... a phone recording..."

Hearing that Xu Xian was about to hang up, Xu Jingyang was also about to hang up. But at the last moment, Xu Jingyang's hand froze in mid-air.

At the same time, another sound came from the telephone speaker.

"Have you thought it through? You look like you're short of money!"

That voice isn't Xu Xian's!

Xu Jingyang narrowed his eyes, and his hand, which had been hovering in mid-air, moved to a different position and pressed the call recording button.

"What if I don't agree?" Xu Xian asked.

Chen Qi grew impatient and grabbed Xu Xian by the collar: "If you want to keep failing inspections, if you want to keep working administrative shifts and not be able to fly, then you can refuse!"

This is just one of the many methods used to deal with Xu Xian.

"You're preventing me from standing up so you can monopolize the fame?"

Chen Qi: "Didn't you already guess that? Why are you asking?"

Xu Xian nodded. At this point, it should be about time. Then, his hand, which was in his right pocket, twitched slightly. What followed wasn't really suitable to be recorded.

"Agreeing to your offer is no problem, but..." Xu Xian suddenly laughed, "Five hundred thousand... are you trying to fob me off like a beggar!"

Chen Qi was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Good, good, good! I like straightforward people like you the most! 500,000 is indeed a bit low, give me a number!"

Xu Xian: "I don't want money! I just want one spot! One of the aid spots for the cardiology department at Renxin Hospital this year!"

"An aid quota?" Chen Qi never expected that Xu Xian wanted this. However, considering the phone call he had just received, everything made sense.

"The number of aid slots at Renxin Hospital is random, I can't arrange it! I'll give you more money, or contact other hospitals?" Chen Qi said.

Renxin Hospital selects one critically ill patient from each major department every year to receive high-quality free treatment, which can be considered a form of welfare.

Renxin Hospital has had this measure since its establishment and it continues to this day. It has a great reputation in society and can be regarded as a hallmark of Renxin Hospital.

However, patient selection has always been done randomly within a certain range, adhering to the principles of fairness and impartiality. At least, that's how it appears!

"Who are you trying to fool?" Xu Xian's smile gradually spread. As someone who almost became the son-in-law of the Wen Group, Xu Xian couldn't be kept in the dark about the secrets of Renxin Hospital.

"Hahaha!" Seeing Xu Xian's knowing look, Chen Qi was slightly surprised, but didn't think much of it: "Giving you a spot is no problem! However, a spot for assistance is much more expensive than 500,000, and I hope you can live up to the price."

Xu Xian immediately stated, "I definitely won't tell!"

After receiving Xu Xian's statement, Chen Qi felt much more at ease.

When the rescue convoy arrived, they even brought a passenger ladder truck, and no one knew where they got it from.

With the help of the passenger boarding bridge, passengers began to disembark in an orderly manner. Xu Xian seized the opportunity and waited until the passengers were crowded in the front cabin, waiting to get off. He then came out of the cockpit, lowered his head, and blended into the passenger queue.

Then, Xu Xian blended into the crowd and disembarked from the plane without even attracting the attention of the flight attendants.

After Xu Xian left, Chen Qi made a phone call: "It's me! Arrange a support position for me in the cardiology department of Renxin Hospital, the name is... Xu Jingyang! And... when arranging it for him..."

After Xu Xian came out, breathing in the still somewhat pungent air, he was filled with mixed emotions.

With the help of the rescue convoy's lights, Xu Xian discovered that the plane looked as if it had been polished, with much of the paint worn away.

Looking at the somewhat disheveled plane, Xu Xian immediately dialed Xu Jingyang's cell phone.

"Did you record it?" Xu Xian asked.

Xu Jingyang: "It was recorded! But you were beating around the bush. What exactly happened? Who was that person?"

Xu Xian glanced at the cockpit in the upper left corner and sneered, "Just a self-important idiot!"

Trying to outsmart him?

He naturally wanted to avenge the intimidation caused by Chen Qi's threats and inducements, and he accepted the bribes without hesitation.

With Chen Qi's help, he obtained an aid position in the cardiology department of Renxin Hospital to stabilize his father Xu Jingyang's condition. After accumulating some savings, he should settle accounts with Chen Qi.

Chen Qi simply wanted a reputation, and Xu Xian would naturally grant his wish.

Releasing that recording when Chen Qi's reputation was at its peak was enough to send him plummeting from heaven to hell!

Chen Qi is a vengeful person, and so is Xu Xian!

He would never give away what he had fought so hard for, even at the cost of his life!

Perfect timing! To maximize his own interests, Chen Qi will definitely go to great lengths to announce this. In the end, won't he just be doing all the work for Xu Xian?

Xu Xian closed his eyes slightly, feeling the cold wind lash against his cheek, and simply whispered, "Winter is here!"

Yes! Winter is here, but can spring be far behind?

At this moment, Xu Xian's lips gradually turned up, and a surge of heroic spirit burst forth from his chest, seemingly filling the entire world.

Confidence that springs from nowhere sometimes seems as laughable as a castle in the air. However, confidence built on a solid foundation is the starting point for achieving brilliance.

Twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye, and the third act of the legend... has begun!

A true man should do what others cannot, and that is how he should act!

He had a feeling, a strong feeling.

He seems to have been underestimating himself all along!

The CVR shown here refers to the original version. We'll discuss the upgraded and modified versions later!

(End of this chapter)