Legendary Captain

Chapter 120 The Opportunity to Take a Seat on a Flight

The theory classroom on the seventh floor of Xingyou Aviation.

The projector displayed the theme of the meeting at the front of the classroom: a briefing on recent safety incidents and a discussion on winter operations.

Xu Xian had no flight schedule or simulator training scheduled for that day, but was notified by the student team to attend this meeting.

Xu Xian, as usual, arrived fifteen to twenty minutes early, which was considered quite early. But when he got to the classroom, it was packed with people! Xu Xian felt that, apart from those who couldn't come due to other commitments, the flight department seemed to have summoned every pilot they could.

The theory classroom wasn't very big to begin with, and with so many people suddenly flooding in, it was quite crowded. The seats inside were already full, and there was a circle of pilots standing around the classroom, but even so, the whole classroom still felt very cramped.

Xu Xian struggled through the crowd and found a relatively less crowded spot to stand. That's right, there were no more seats; Xu Xian would have to stand for the rest of the meeting.

Some staff members were calibrating the machine, and every now and then a few people who looked like leaders would come over to inquire about the progress of the machine debugging. In addition, people kept coming in, and there was the sound of everyone chatting quietly, which made the whole theory classroom look messy.

This was the first time Xu Xian had ever seen so many pilots at once; a rough scan estimated there were nearly two hundred. The value of all these people, converted to cash, could probably fill an entire classroom.

After waiting for fifteen minutes in this place that resembled a human parking lot, the meeting started on time. The speaker was wearing an ordinary shirt and no uniform; Xu Xian couldn't even tell if he was a pilot. But as soon as the speaker sat down, the noisy classroom immediately quieted down.

"Today's session was originally just about winter operations. November is almost here, and the entire aircraft operating environment will be transitioning to winter operating mode. After that, we'll need to pay close attention to relatively common winter adverse conditions such as icing and low visibility," the speaker said. "However, these seasonal training sessions are held regularly, and everyone is pretty much aware of them, so I didn't initially plan to call so many people here. But, given the recent incident with the Chimelong aircraft, I felt it was necessary to discuss the situation with everyone."

Xu Xian's heart skipped a beat. He glanced around furtively and found that no one seemed surprised, so it seemed that they had indeed heard about it.

For ordinary people, the civil aviation industry is relatively closed, and they often don't know what's going on inside. But for those in the industry, especially pilots, any news, no matter how small, can spread like wildfire.

On the very night of the Chimelong 5677 crash, news spread through the work groups of pilots from various airlines. Even the preliminary conclusions reached after the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) joined the investigation were hardly news anymore. Therefore, most pilots were already in the know and wouldn't have any particular reaction to the speaker's sudden mention of the Chimelong Airlines crash.

Seeing that no one's expression changed, the speaker knew that most people probably already knew about the incident, so there was no need to go to the trouble of recounting the details; a brief summary would suffice.

"As you all probably already know, the Chimelong 5677 incident was caused by volcanic ash," the speaker said. "Events involving aircraft encountering volcanic ash haven't happened for quite some time now, I mean worldwide. I feel that whether you're a captain, instructor, or first officer, you probably haven't practiced encountering volcanic ash in simulator training for a long time, right? At least I haven't! When I was training myself or leading others in simulator training, I had basically forgotten about this subject. This time, it suddenly happened, and the fact that the Chimelong plane was able to land safely is partly due to the crew's relatively proper handling, and partly due to good luck."

The speaker used precise language; "decent" implies that there are still some flaws, but overall it was still good.

Knowing what others thought of his debut made Xu Xian quite happy; at least it was a positive review.

"Chimelong 5677 encountered volcanic ash during high-altitude cruising. Some of the volcanic ash entered the cabin through engine bleed air, causing severe smoke in both the cockpit and passenger cabin. The captain on duty also suffered from severe coughing due to the irritation of the volcanic ash smoke, and subsequently lost consciousness." The speaker briefly recounted the events: "Afterwards, a passenger who appeared to be the pilot contacted the cabin crew and requested to enter the cockpit to take over the flight. Flight data analysis showed that most of the subsequent controls were performed by this replacement, a fact acknowledged by the first officer on duty."

At this point, the speaker suddenly laughed: "However, after the plane landed, this person who went to help simply disembarked with the passengers. The co-pilot and cabin crew had no idea who he was. Although Chimelong is our parent company, I still have to say this: if any of you are ever on a Chimelong Airlines flight and encounter a crew incapacitation requiring you to fill in, please shout out your identity to the passengers before entering the cockpit. We at Chimelong Airlines don't do good deeds anonymously."

Upon hearing the speaker's words, the pilots present all smiled knowingly. It must be said, this speaker was incredibly audacious. In front of so many pilots, he openly made veiled criticisms of his own parent company. Or rather, this wasn't just a veiled criticism, but blatant mockery.

Anyone who flies would never believe such a coincidence. Considering the identity of the co-pilot on duty, it's no wonder people are speculating about whether there's more to the story.

"Of course! Chimelong's co-pilot is fairly honest to some extent, at least he knows when to prioritize. If he said he was the one flying all the time, our supplier would become a laughing stock in the industry," the speaker laughed.

Such a bold statement drew laughter from everyone present.

This is where Chen Qi's insight lies! Regarding the handling of special situations, the question of who played the leading role can be clarified thanks to the presence of FDR, so he always speaks based on the facts. However, whether he used his power to coerce the substitute into concealing their identity is unclear, because there is no evidence.

Even though most people in the industry believe Chen Qi used underhanded tactics, Chen Qi doesn't care. As long as the general public remains unaware, that's enough. The civil aviation industry is too small to cause any significant trouble. He doesn't care about their opinions of him; what he cares about is the wider world outside the industry.

Perhaps the speaker's remarks had livened up the atmosphere in the classroom, as the pilots listening below seemed quite relaxed. One of them, a middle-aged captain with prominent eyebrows, proactively asked, "What rank do you think that replacement is? Are there any indications?"

"We can't estimate the man's rank yet. However, according to the crew on duty, he was the first to identify the engine surge and volcanic ash, and he was also the one who directed the co-pilot to start the engines in mid-air when both engines failed. This level of insight and decision-making suggests he's at a high level; perhaps he's a captain from some company! Moreover, it's clear he's very familiar with the 737, so he's most likely a 737 pilot, or at least a Boeing pilot," the speaker said.

Currently, the mainstream passenger aircraft models are Boeing and Airbus, and there are still significant differences in their handling and design philosophy. Given that this person was very familiar with the 737 model during the handling process, the presenter guessed that the replacement was very likely someone who flew Boeing aircraft.

This guess can only be described as reasonable and based on some facts. However, after hearing it, Xu Xian muttered casually, "He's not a captain at all, just a trainee."

Xu Xian's voice was initially very soft; he was just speaking casually. Unexpectedly, the person sitting in front of him turned around and asked, "What did you say?"

Xu Xian looked closely and was startled to see that the person who turned around was Lu Xinyu, the deputy general manager of the flight department.

"You just said you were a student, why did you say that?" Lu Xinyu stared at Xu Xian and said expressionlessly.

As soon as Lu Xinyu spoke, the entire classroom quieted down a bit, and even the lecturer on the stage wisely shut his mouth so as not to interrupt Lu Xinyu's question.

In an instant, almost everyone in the classroom focused their attention on Xu Xian, and the pressure fell on him.

Xu Xian cursed inwardly. The deputy general manager of the flight department was sitting in the back row, trying to intimidate people—what was his intention? Lu Xinyu was pitiful; he hadn't broken any laws, so what had he done to deserve sitting in the back? Xu Xian gave him a good scolding.

Everyone was watching Xu Xian, and he couldn't stay silent forever. After a mental whirlwind, he forced out a few words: "I noticed they didn't do a smoke checklist, their maneuvering and avoidance maneuvers on the mountain pass were poor, and their five-sided contact maneuvers were also problematic. So I feel their skill level is questionable."

Most of the onlookers simply nodded thoughtfully, without delving deeper into the matter, except for Lu Xinyu, whose eyes gleamed with a different kind of light.

The bureau's preliminary investigation did mention that the crew hadn't completed a smoke checklist. However, it made no mention of any maneuvering maneuvers on winding mountain roads or the five-sided grounding maneuver. How did this person know about these extra details?

Chen Qi's home!

Chen Qi leisurely sipped his tea, sitting opposite his father, Chen Chuan.

Seeing her son looking so relaxed, Chen Chuan was uneasy and anxiously asked, "Have you taken care of the flight crew?"

"Those people aren't the problem; the problem is the person who came on as a substitute," Chen Qi said.

Chen Chuan asked nervously, "Do you think that person will obediently listen to you? Will the authorities be able to find out?"

Chen Qi smiled and said, "The Bureau can definitely find out if they want to. However, I made an agreement with that person that even if the Bureau comes knocking on our door, we must deny it, at least we can't let his name appear on the investigation report. Wait half a month! After half a month, a relatively complete investigation report will be released, and this report will characterize this special case. If that person's name doesn't appear in the investigation report, then I will naturally keep my promise and give him the aid quota from Renxin Hospital. If that person's name does appear, we'll pretend nothing happened, and we won't lose anything."

"If you do this, the authorities won't be able to find clear evidence, will they?" Chen Chuan was still somewhat worried. After all, it seemed like she was trying to deceive the official authorities.

"No!" Chen Qi said confidently, "I know many people doubt me, but it doesn't matter, they have no evidence anyway. I avoided using cabin audio in the most crucial conversation, so no one can find any solid evidence."

"Won't the authorities leak information and stir up trouble?" Chen Chuan was still worried. If the authorities were to step down and stir up trouble, the effect would be even more powerful than any kind of propaganda. Stirring up trouble doesn't require any rigorous chain of evidence, and the public won't seriously analyze it; most people will just believe whatever they hear.

Chen Qi put down his teacup: "Dad, I think you're getting senile! Would the Bureau do something like inciting public opinion? Official agencies have their own bottom lines and rules. Let me put it this way! Those who have the ability to find out that person's identity won't incite public opinion; those who want to incite public opinion don't have the ability to find out that person's identity. We can just sit back and watch."

As for the one who wanted to incite public opinion, Chen Qi was referring to the Wen family. If the Wen family knew anything about Xu Xian, they would have spread it far and wide long ago, regardless of any evidence, just to do their best to diminish the reputation he could gain.

Unfortunately, investigating someone's background can easily infringe on their privacy, and few people with unofficial backgrounds dare to do so.

Just then, Chen Qi received a phone call. The person on the other end said, "Mr. Chen, the application for the aid quota has been submitted, and it's being processed according to the standards for the reserve quota."

"Okay! Tell the person in charge of the aid fund that no one is allowed to come up in my place without my permission, even if someone meets the criteria," Chen Qi instructed.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Chuan asked, "Did you give him a reserve spot?"

Although he couldn't hear what the person on the other end of the phone was saying, he could deduce something from Chen Qi's few words. After all, Chen Qi had previously told him that the condition of his deal with that person was a scholarship to Renxin Hospital.

However, the difference between the reserve spots and the official spots is not small.

"Of course! If we give him a formal spot directly, won't we lose all means to control him? What if he changes his mind later? I've had someone review the medical data he provided. The treatment period will be very long, which means he'll be under my control for a considerable time. If he dares to have any other ideas, I'll cut off his father's treatment. As long as we have enough time to digest the publicity and fame this brings, whether he changes his mind later will be irrelevant," Chen Qi sneered.

Renxin Hospital's aid fund has very strict screening criteria for applicants. They have their own set of standards for selecting illnesses; they can't just accept any minor ailment like a headache or fever. After all, this aid program is also one of the windows showcasing Renxin Hospital's medical expertise to the outside world, so they definitely need to select some more complex and difficult cases.

Of course, we wouldn't blindly choose difficult-to-treat illnesses, and we certainly wouldn't choose terminal illnesses. If they can't be cured, wouldn't that damage our reputation?

Therefore, the aid recipients are patients with highly difficult-to-treat conditions, but who still have some hope of recovery. However, such patients are not always available. Consequently, sometimes the aid foundation selects applicants with slightly less favorable circumstances as recipients; these are the cases referred to as waiting lists.

Once a formal aid slot is secured, treatment can, in principle, be discontinued only after the patient is cured or their condition is stabilized. However, the situation is different for those on the waiting list. Treatment for those on the waiting list will automatically cease as soon as a new eligible patient becomes available. This is a clause stipulated in the aid contract.

Chen Qi is capable of securing a formal spot for Xu Xian. However, if Xu Xian reneges on his promise after obtaining the spot, then Chen Qi will be truly helpless.

However, Chen Qi cleverly only provided one reserve spot. As long as Xu Xian behaved well, even if a qualified patient appeared, he wouldn't take Xu Jingyang's spot. But if Xu Xian had any ulterior motives, Xu Jingyang's reserve spot could be taken away at any time.

Chen Qi never believed in so-called agreements, only in the backup plan to control people.

On the day of the Star Travel 6887 flight, Xu Xian got up very early. Because it was so early, he could only take a taxi to the company.

Just two days after the winter operations meeting, the temperature plummeted, and winter truly began. These past few days, Xu Xian had been waiting for the bureau to contact him, but there had been no news whatsoever, much to his delight that he had some peace and quiet.

Xu Xian had previously given Chen Qi his father's medical records, but Chen Qi had been saying for the past two days that they were under review and that Xu Xian should wait. Xu Xian wasn't in a hurry; he knew that Chen Qi was just stalling until the bureau's official investigation report came out and classified the case as an undercover operation before he would fulfill his promise.

Xu Jingyang has been staying in the hospital recently. In any case, Wen Jingshu prepaid a full month's fees, so she's not worried about not being able to pay the hospital bills.

During this time, his mother, Huang Ying, seemed to be temporarily staying in Yunnan Province, visiting Xu Jingyang from time to time. However, the two showed no signs of becoming closer, which disappointed Xu Xian. If possible, he still hoped his parents could reconcile. But judging from the current situation, it seemed like a long and arduous road ahead.

Because the temperature had dropped so much, Xu Xian wore a down jacket over his uniform. It had rained that evening, and although the rain had stopped by the time Xu Xian went to work, the air still carried a damp chill. Wearing the down jacket, his upper body wasn't cold, but his feet were frozen solid. Everyone says men have a strong constitution and rarely have cold limbs, so why wasn't he? Was he weak? The thing is, he hadn't been out partying; he'd always been a good boy. It was simply unfair!

After arriving at the company, I went straight to the preparation room. This time, unlike the first time I came, I didn't feel lost and seemed much more composed.

As soon as I entered the preparation room, I was about to go for a breathalyzer test when I saw someone blowing into the breathalyzer. Looking at the person's face, wasn't he the captain on duty?

The captain was the same instructor who proctored the exam the day Xu Xian was late. Strictly speaking, the instructor had let Xu Xian off the hook back then. Now, Xu Xian knew his name: Ning Sheng!

Xu Xian very obediently ran to Ning Sheng's side and greeted him extremely politely, "Instructor, good morning! I'm Xu Xian, the student on your flight today!"

"Hmm!" Ning Sheng simply nodded, then suddenly glanced at Xu Xian's face out of the corner of his eye, abruptly turned his head, and looked at Xu Xian seriously: "You were one of the students who took the exam that day? The one who wrote the answer index? If I'm not mistaken, am I?"

Sure enough, Xu Xian's performance that day was so distinctive that it left a clear memory in Ning Sheng's mind. Just seeing Xu Xian's face made him remember her immediately.

Xu Xian scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly: "It was me! I should thank the instructor for letting me off the hook that day."

To be honest, while Xu Xian did show some quick wit that day, it was more a matter of sophistry. When faced with some stubborn instructors, what chance of "survival" could one possibly have?

"Haha! I rarely see such an interesting student as you." Ning Sheng seemed to really admire Xu Xian, his eyes crinkling with laughter as he spoke: "You haven't taken your breathalyzer test yet, have you? I'm done here, come on over! I'll go get the materials first, and after you finish your breathalyzer test, go straight to table number five, we'll prepare there."

Ning Sheng's eagerness made Xu Xian feel quite flattered; it was hardly the custom to have the captain/instructor fetch the materials. Xu Xian quickly said, "Instructor, why don't you wait over there at the table? I'll get the materials!"

"Not at all! It's so cold outside, you should move around more, otherwise you'll get chilly. You go ahead with the breathalyzer test, I'm going to get the materials." Ning Sheng was quite informal, readily taking on the task.

Just then, another person entered through the preparation room door. Xu Xian recognized him immediately. It was Wu Feng, the co-pilot who had helped him during his first time working alongside him.

As soon as Wu Feng entered, he saw Ning Sheng and quickly greeted him, "Instructor!"

Ning Sheng smiled at him and asked, "Together?"

"Yes! Zhi-ge had something come up yesterday, so he gave me the class," Wu Feng said.

This class wasn't originally Wu Feng's; it was only changed yesterday.

"Oh, okay!" Ning Sheng nodded. "Then you guys sign in first! That's Xu Xian, the third place winner this time!"

"Xu Xian?" Wu Feng frowned, his gaze shifting to Xu Xian beside him. "You're... the second mate who was on the same flight as Captain Fang Ying last time?"

Being handsome makes you easily recognizable! Wu Feng quickly remembered Xu Xian.

After all that fuss, it turns out they were all acquaintances.

"Know him?" Ning Sheng wasn't in a hurry to collect the documents.

Wu Feng smiled and said, "Just a brief encounter!"

"Then we can call ourselves acquaintances!" Ning Sheng pondered for a moment, "Since we're acquaintances, things are easier! Xu Xian, you'll fly the first segment today. Wu Feng, right? You'll fly the last segment! Is that alright, Wu Feng?"

Wu Feng immediately laughed and said, "I'm fine with it!"

(End of this chapter)