Legendary Captain

Chapter 152 I Have a Backer!

Perhaps the desire to watch a spectacle is something deeply rooted in human nature. The previously bustling check-in area seemed to become incredibly relaxed at this moment, and people gathered in twos and threes towards Xu Xian.

In just over ten seconds, Xu Xian and his team were surrounded by layers upon layers of people.

"Everyone, be the judge! My plane ticket was only five or six hundred, but I brought too much luggage, so I have to pay an extra four hundred for overweight baggage. Is there any justice in this world?" The middle-aged woman became excited as soon as she saw that a lot of people had gathered, and her voice became even louder.

Many of the people present were seasoned frequent flyers and were well aware of the ins and outs of the business. This kind of sales method used by low-cost carriers is nothing new.

This sales model exists because many passengers simply want to fly from one place to another. They don't carry much luggage and have no interest in airplane meals; they only need the transportation function of the plane. This group of passengers is quite large.

Therefore, the previously abundant baggage allowance and in-flight meals were actually meaningless to them and a waste of money. As a result, by eliminating these service fees and lowering ticket prices, low-cost airlines can increase the purchasing desire of this group.

However, taking Star Cruises as an example, they offer differentiated services. Economy class passengers enjoy low-cost transportation, but if they want to bring more luggage or have in-flight meals, they can simply pay a little more for a business class ticket.

Star Travel's business class tickets aren't much more expensive than economy class tickets on non-budget airlines. Once you buy a business class ticket, your baggage allowance will be much larger.

Those who frequently fly should know that this lady could have upgraded to a business class ticket on Star Travel Airlines for less than 300 yuan. Back then, not only would there be no excess baggage fees, but in-flight meals would also be provided, and the cabin wouldn't be as cramped as economy class.

The older woman might not have been aware of the optimal choices involved, or perhaps she was unaware of the baggage allowance restrictions on her economy class ticket, or maybe she simply wanted to get something for nothing.

Who knows?

Of course, knowing what the situation is is one thing, but being able to uphold justice is another. Anyway, people love to watch the drama unfold and are always eager for chaos.

"Yeah! Look around, which airline still charges excess baggage fees? Look at Chimelong and Star Airlines, when have they ever charged extra for excess baggage? It's just that your Star Airlines is so greedy for money that you charge for baggage and in-flight meals. Are you obsessed with money? How can such a lousy company still have the nerve to keep operating?" Someone in the crowd started mocking Star Airlines.

This person is blatantly lying. Chimelong Airlines and Star Airlines are not budget airlines. They not only have ample baggage allowances and delicious in-flight meals, but their tickets are expensive! And they rarely offer discounts!

Seeing that someone was agreeing with her, the middle-aged woman became even more enthusiastic: "That's right! I've taken so many flights, and this is the first time I've heard of charging extra for baggage. It's almost as much as the plane ticket!"

"Exactly! Airlines are vampires, capitalists, always finding ways to squeeze money out of ordinary people like us."

These words immediately united everyone present into one side, while the airline became the opposing side, and conflict and confrontation arose instantly.

Upon hearing this, the surrounding crowd nodded in agreement. After all, merchants are driven by profit, which is inherently sinful. Once incited, everyone was filled with righteous indignation. With so many people around, at least the law wouldn't punish them, and there wouldn't be any major problems if they stirred up trouble.

When there are many people fighting against few, everyone dares to cause trouble – that's the principle!

Qin Zongyang realized that the situation was getting out of control. Although he couldn't understand these people's thought processes, he had to get out of the current situation as soon as possible. If more and more people gathered, it would probably make the news. With social media so developed these days, even the smallest thing can't be kept secret.

But this has nothing to do with them! They're just pilots; how can they possibly explain themselves when they're embroiled in this mess?

Just as Qin Zongyang was getting anxious, Xu Xian looked around and saw that everyone was pointing and whispering about them. His previously confused expression suddenly turned cold.

He roared, "Where are the Star Trek people?"

Xu Xian's sudden shout instantly silenced the somewhat noisy space, creating a brief moment of quiet. After a short while, a staff member squeezed out from the crowd, and upon seeing his own crew members surrounded in the middle, a look of panic immediately appeared on his face.

The reason her crew suffered this undeserved disaster was entirely due to her poor handling of the situation. If the crew's flight missions were delayed, her job would be in jeopardy.

Xu Xian glanced at his airport staff and said casually, "Are you in charge of handling the luggage?"

"Yes, I handled it!" the staff member replied hurriedly. Her gaze fell on Xu Xian's cuffs, which had three stripes, indicating he was the co-pilot, while the older-looking man next to Xu Xian had four stripes, suggesting he was the captain. But why was the co-pilot speaking while the captain remained silent?

Why does it seem like Xu Xian is the one in charge here?

Xu Xian's lips moved slightly: "Then I'll leave it to you to handle. Whether she wants to leave or get a refund, just follow the rules! If she's dissatisfied with anything, let her know the complaint channels. Do you know the company's cabin crew complaint hotline?"

The staff member was taken aback; she genuinely didn't know.

Xu Xian noticed the staff member's expression, raised his eyelids slightly, and softly called out, "Flight Attendant!"

The flight attendant stepped forward and approached Xu Xian. Xu Xian said, "Give her the phone numbers for your cabin crew department, the Southwest Regional Administration's regulatory hotline, and the General Administration's airline complaint hotline."

The flight attendant glanced at Qin Zongyang, and after receiving Qin Zongyang's nod of authorization, she took out a few numbers from her phone and asked the staff to write them down.

This sudden turn of events left the troublemaking woman momentarily bewildered. Taking advantage of this moment, Xu Xian freed his arm, grabbed the flight case, and prepared to leave this place of trouble.

Seeing Xu Xian's confident and assertive demeanor, Qin Zongyang's eyes lit up, and he followed Xu Xian, falling half a step behind.

However, after taking a few steps, Xu Xian realized that the crowd showed no signs of dispersing. He immediately instructed the security officer: "Turn on the body camera and record the faces of everyone blocking the way. If the flight is delayed, we need to know who to seek compensation from!"

Xu Xian's meaning was simple: anyone who didn't give way, obstructed the crew, or delayed the flight would be held liable for the losses incurred.

In fact, Xu Xian's actions now appear to be somewhat excessive. While flight crew members can indeed take actions similar to law enforcement during flight operations for aircraft safety, what is happening on the ground is less of a "law enforcement record" and more of a preservation of evidence, so that when the truth comes out, the perpetrator can be identified and the responsible party can be clearly identified.

Following Xu Xian's instructions, the security officer prepared to turn on the body camera, and the crowd blocking the way hesitated for a moment upon seeing the security officer's action.

They were just there to stir up trouble and watch the show; it didn't seem like they really needed to confront the flight crew directly!

Just as the people blocking the way were about to disperse, Xu Xian felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw a young man looking at him.

"Are all pilots at Star Travel Airlines as arrogant as you?" The young man grabbed Xu Xian's shoulder blade and wouldn't let go.

Xu Xian was truly speechless. Were these people really that idle? Did they only feel comfortable if they didn't meddle in other people's business?

"Who are you?" Xu Xian asked patiently.

Young man: "I'm a reporter from Pengteng Information."

"Pengteng Information?" Xu Xian's face showed a strange expression. "What do you want?"

"Civil aviation is a service industry, how can you have such an attitude? What you just said was threatening them, you need to apologize to them!" the young man said.

Xu Xian laughed: "What if I say no?"

"Then I'll have no choice but to expose what you've done!" the young man threatened.

At this moment, Qin Zongyang nudged Xu Xian from behind, then lowered his voice and said to Xu Xian, "It's best not to mess with the people from Pengteng Information. They can turn black into white; they're incredibly capable!"

After saying that, Qin Zongyang prepared to have a private conversation with the reporter from Pengteng Information. If he were targeted by Pengteng Information, it would cause him a lot of trouble.

Pengteng Information initially started as a self-media outlet reporting gossip within the civil aviation industry. While it garnered some traffic, its reputation was poor. Later, Pengteng Information was acquired by Xu Qing and became a promotional channel for the Qingyuan Group. This allowed it to successfully rehabilitate its image and is now a legitimate civil aviation industry media outlet with even greater traffic than before.

Qin Zongyang really had no way to deal with these reporters. Their pens were sharper than swords; he simply couldn't withstand them.

Xu Xian grabbed Qin Zongyang, who wanted to settle things privately with the Pengteng Information reporter. If it were any other media outlet, Xu Xian might have actually backed down, but with Pengteng Information, there was no need.

Just then, a group of people squeezed in from the crowd, including Lian Shanxue.

Lian Shanxue spotted Xu Xian at a glance. Although she didn't understand what was going on, a young man had his hand on Xu Xian's shoulder, and the atmosphere between the two seemed tense.

Lian Shanxue quickly stepped forward to separate the two, pulling Xu Xian aside and whispering, "What are you doing! They're both people!"

Xu Xian appeared quite calm, though he seemed a little puzzled by Lian Shanxue's arrival: "What are you doing here?"

"I'm filming something here!" Lian Shanxue said.

The reason she rushed back to Dianyun from Chimelong headquarters yesterday was because there was something to film at Dianyun Airport this afternoon. However, during a break in the filming, she noticed a crowd gathering, and Lian Shanxue had heard Xu Xian's shout, so she hurried over.

Lian Shanxue wore heavy makeup for the shoot, which gave her a unique charm compared to her usual pure and innocent appearance.

"What exactly is going on?" Lian Shanxue looked at the unfriendly young man opposite her, several dissatisfied elderly people next to him, and the crowd gathered around her, and she couldn't help but hold her breath.

To pull Xu Xian away, Lian Shanxue wrapped her arms around Xu Xian's left hand. Xu Xian felt as if he had touched something soft, and his nose was filled with the fragrance of Lian Shanxue.

"Well... it's like this," Xu Xian coughed lightly twice, but instead of pulling his left arm away, he quickly explained the situation to Lian Shanxue.

Upon hearing that the person on the other end was a reporter from Pengteng Information, Lian Shanxue's pretty face was filled with anxiety. As the face of Xingyou Airlines' publicity, she naturally knew that the media in the civil aviation industry truly wielded influence. Xingyou Airlines' PR department was constantly hoping for an exclusive interview with Pengteng Information! Unfortunately, they were simply unwilling; Pengteng Information was just that arrogant.

Perhaps knowing that she had offended someone from Pengteng Information, Lian Shanxue seemed a little scared, and her arms around Xu Xian seemed to tighten even more, causing Xu Xian's face to turn red.

"Let's not mess with Pengteng Information. Let's settle this privately!" Lian Shanxue whispered to Xu Xian. If the leaders of Xingyou Airlines, especially the head of the publicity department, knew that Xu Xian had provoked Pengteng Information, they would probably want to kill him.

"As for the luggage," Lian Shanxue called over an airport staff member and whispered a few words in her ear. The airport staff member nodded repeatedly.

Immediately, an airport staff member went back and whispered a few words to the woman. The woman immediately beamed with joy, nodded repeatedly, and obediently followed the airport staff member away.

Seeing that the woman who had just caused trouble was now so obedient, Xu Xian quickly asked, "What brilliant plan?"

"What could it be? With your temper, you can turn a small thing into a big one!" Lian Shanxue loosened her arms and carefully straightened Xu Xian's shirt and tie, which had been messed up by the reporter. "It's just a small concession! This kind of thing should be handled quietly anyway."

"How can you do this? It's her own problem, why should we have to compromise?" Xu Xian, a man who couldn't tolerate any injustice, couldn't accept Lian Shanxue's approach.

Once this door is opened, what will happen when greedy people come in droves?

Lian Shanxue tiptoed closer to Xu Xian's ear and whispered, "I told them to keep it a secret, nothing will happen!"

Lian Shanxue not only tidied Xu Xian's clothes in public like a wife, but the two also had private conversations. Such intimacy caused the reporter from Pengteng Information on the other side to suffer a thousand points of mental damage.

As a single man, he feels that he has lost all his human rights.

He was already extremely unhappy with Xu Xian's tough approach, and now that the dog had been publicly killed, he was even more furious.

"How do you plan to apologize? Give us a clear plan!" shouted a reporter from Pengteng Information.

Just as Xu Xian was about to speak, Lian Shanxue pinched his left hand, signaling him to calm down and not be too cold and hard.

However, Xu Xian ignored him and laughed, "Is Wang Wenya still your editor-in-chief?"

The reporter from Pengteng Information frowned: "So what?"

"That makes things easier!" Xu Xian took out his phone and dialed a number. The call was quickly answered, and Xu Xian said into the phone, "Uncle Wang, I need your help with something!"

Wang Wenya's laughter came from the other end of the line: "You little rascal, you still know how to call me. So, what's up?"

"One of your reporters seems to be trying to make things difficult for me. What should I do?" Xu Xian said with a smile.

Across from him, a reporter from Pengteng Information watched as Xu Xian made a phone call, speaking softly and quietly. The reporter couldn't understand what he was saying, but the smile on his face suggested that he had no fear of his identity, which infuriated the reporter.

When Pengteng Information operates, which airline doesn't give them some respect? How dare a mere co-pilot act so arrogantly in front of them?

Seeing Xu Xian's smile deepen, the reporter from Pengteng Information cursed inwardly, "Playing tricks!"

Shortly after the reporter from Pengteng Information uttered his curses, Xu Xian suddenly walked towards him. As he approached, Xu Xian handed him his phone and told him to answer it.

"What call? Whose is it?" The person from Pengteng Information suddenly had a bad feeling.

Xu Xian smiled and said, "Your editor-in-chief!"

(End of this chapter)