Legendary Captain

Chapter 181 The Captain Who Prayed to God

Xu Xian's overly aggressive cockpit management style during the Kunyang River emergency landing resulted in a three-month flight suspension. The final decision to make the emergency landing on the Kunyang River was completely omitted from the post-incident report.

The Kunyang River forced landing incident, which caused quite a stir some time ago, was reported with extreme restraint on the day of the press conference, which seemed to be all bark and no bite.

During the press conference's Q&A session, the initial questions from Daily Civil Aviation reporters were only briefly mentioned, without any detailed explanation. However, subsequent routine questions were answered in detail, while the final part regarding Xu Qing's guarantee was completely cut off, with no news leaked.

In the civil aviation industry, at least for now, Xu Qing still holds absolute power.

Without a greater influx of news, the public will naturally forget about it. Currently, most people only see the news pushed to them by platforms; they don't follow a particular news story closely. If platforms can reduce their news output, the level of public interest will naturally decrease.

Xu Xian wasn't too concerned about the three-month suspension he received. He needed time to recover and undergo various tests. If he failed the medical exam, he wouldn't be able to fly again.

Xu Xian's memory impairment wasn't a serious problem, and it gradually began to recover over time. Then the problem arose.

Xu Xian was surprised to discover that he had actually been Wen Jingshu's fiancé!

"Dad, do you think I really have something wrong with my head?" Xu Xian asked Xu Jingyang across from him very seriously while eating dinner at home.

Xu Jingyang exclaimed, "Didn't you say you remembered most of what happened before? What, are you confused again?"

Xu Xian put down his chopsticks: "I have such a rich fiancée, why shouldn't I cling to her coattails? Did I hit my head back then? Otherwise, why would I have agreed to let you break off the engagement?"

Xu Jingyang stopped eating abruptly, his eyes gleaming: "Son, have you figured it out?"

"What have you figured out?" Xu Xian was taken aback.

"Didn't you say before that you couldn't live with yourself because you relied on your wife for a living?" Xu Jingyang asked.

"Really?" Xu Xian scratched his head. "Did I really say such nonsense?"

Xu Jingyang laughed heartily: "Good! Good! Forget about the past, it's not too late now that you've come to your senses. We'll still hold our heads high even if we're just living off a woman."

Xu Jingyang was in a great mood, his eyes almost disappearing with laughter: "You contact that girl Jing Shu, and I'll contact that old geezer Wen Mingyuan. Let's get together for a chat?"

Snapped!

Just as Xu Jingyang was getting carried away with his pride, Huang Ying slammed her hand on the table, startling him so much that he almost jumped up.

"Don't be so alarmed, I have a heart condition," Xu Jingyang muttered under his breath.

Huang Ying glared at him: "You don't teach him anything good, only crooked and evil ways. When Xianbao took pity on you and stayed by your side to take care of you, is this how you raised him?"

When Huang Ying and Xu Jingyang divorced, Huang Ying wanted to take Xu Xian with her. However, Xu Jingyang was obsessed with his engineering projects, and Xu Xian couldn't bear to leave him, so he stayed. Soon after, Xu Jingyang's massive project, which he had single-handedly built, bankrupted the Xu family. After that, Xu Xian became even more dependent on Xu Jingyang.

For a period of time after the Xu family went bankrupt, Xu Jingyang was like a walking corpse. If it weren't for Xu Xian taking care of him, no one would have been there to collect his body if he had died on the street.

Xu Xian's previous forced landing terrified Huang Ying, so how could she dare to leave Xu Xian with Xu Jingyang? But Xu Xian didn't want to leave Xu Jingyang either, so Huang Ying had no choice but to stay in Yunnan.

Fortunately, Xu Sheng's studies abroad will end in a few months. After that, she plans to sell the house abroad and still want to live with Xu Xian. Xu Jingyang is simply not fulfilling his responsibilities as a father, and she can't bear to leave her son behind.

Xu Jingyang was the happiest when Huang Ying decided to stay in Yunnan.

He naturally suggested that Huang Ying live with them. However, Huang Ying was thinking about her son, not her ex-husband Xu Jingyang, and immediately rejected his suggestion.

The rent in Ningyue residential area is too high, so Huang Ying found a place to rent nearby for the time being. She plans to buy another one here after she sells her house abroad.

Normally, Huang Ying would cook meals at home and bring them over. Or sometimes she would bring Xu Xian to stay at her place for a few days. In any case, she wouldn't allow Xu Jingyang to come to her house.

Xu Jingyang expressed that he was deeply hurt by his ex-wife's increasingly guarded behavior towards him, as if she were a thief.

In fact, Huang Ying had clearly stated that she hoped Xu Xian would stop flying, but Xu Xian also clearly stated that he would continue flying to prove himself.

Even though Huang Ying had some concerns, she was a very opinionated woman and respected Xu Xian's opinion.

"Xianbao, I won't interfere with which friends you make now. If you like the Wen family's girls, that's fine too. However, we don't need to covet their money. I still have some savings, enough to support you for the rest of your life."

When Huang Ying and Xu Jingyang divorced, the Xu family wasn't bankrupt yet, so Huang Ying received a considerable amount of money. However, Huang Ying wasn't very good at business, and the money she received only went out the window. In recent years, she has also spent a lot of money supporting her daughter Xu Sheng's studies abroad.

However, if they use it sparingly and there are no major accidents, they can still live a leisurely life in their later years.

Xu Xian felt a little embarrassed by Huang Ying's earnest lecture, and just chuckled dryly, "I was just kidding, Wen Jingshu might not even like it!"

"Ahem!" Xu Jingyang sensed the awkward atmosphere and immediately changed the subject: "By the way, what about that girl Xia Qing? Weren't you two getting along really well?"

"It shouldn't matter anymore." Xu Xian picked up his chopsticks again and ate in silence.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Xu Jingyang and Huang Ying both widened their eyes.

They were unaware of what happened at the press conference, and naturally, they were also unaware of Xia Qing's performance at the press conference, as well as the subsequent confrontation between Xu Xian and Xia Qing.

Xu Xian had been in close contact with Xia Qing for a long time, which Xu Jingyang had noticed. However, Xu Xian didn't tell his parents before their relationship was confirmed. After they officially became a couple, he didn't find an opportunity to tell his parents before the Kunyang River forced landing incident occurred.

Xu Xian said calmly, "We broke up."

"You broke up? When did you two officially start dating?"

Xu Xian frowned: "Two days before the forced landing."

"Goodness! A two-day romance, you've got some serious skills. It ended as soon as it started, that's fast!" Xu Jingyang couldn't help but be sarcastic. As a result, he turned his head slightly and met Huang Ying's murderous gaze, and immediately became alert, quickly shutting his mouth.

"Xianbao, don't take it to heart. Dating is a process of mutual selection. If it's not a good fit, we'll just find someone else." Huang Ying would never do anything to mock her son.

Xu Xian didn't speak, and Xu Jingyang felt bored. Suddenly, a soft voice came from behind. Xu Xian was facing the door and was startled by the noise. He looked up and saw Wen Jingshu peeking half of her body out of the doorway.

"Um?"

Noticing Xu Xian's unusual behavior, Xu Jingyang turned around and saw Wen Jingshu standing at the door.

"What are you standing over there for? Come in!" Xu Jingyang waved to Wen Jingshu, signaling her to come in and talk.

Seeing that Xu Xian's family of three was present, Wen Jingshu was slightly reserved. After hesitating for a moment, she still came in with a blush on her face.

Huang Ying stood up first, took Wen Jingshu's small hand, and made her sit down next to her: "Have you eaten? This is what I made, have a taste."

Even in this situation, Wen Jingshu still seemed a little nervous.

"Auntie, I'm here to deliver Xu Xian's medical examination report." Wen Jingshu quickly pulled Huang Ying, who was about to get some rice, and handed her a document bag to Xu Xian: "The medical examination results are fine. Once the suspension period is over, the planning department will arrange a flight for you."

Not long ago, Xu Xian felt that he was in good condition, so he applied for a medical examination by the authorities. During the emergency landing, Xu Xian suffered a serious head injury. Although he did not suffer any sequelae, he might not be able to pass the medical examination, which made him a little nervous when he went for the examination.

The key issue is that he made some outrageous remarks at the press conference, only to fail the medical examination in the end, which would be a real joke.

Xu Xian took the package of documents, glanced at the medical report, and finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank goodness!"

"Xu Xian, come outside with me for a few minutes?" Wen Jingshu blinked, looking exceptionally cute.

"Just the two of us?" Xu Xian paused for a moment, glanced at Xu Jingyang with a lewd look on his face, and several veins popped out on his forehead.

"Let's go." Xu Xian stood up and beckoned Wen Jingshu to follow. Wen Jingshu, like a timid wife, ran and took small steps to keep up with Xu Xian.

"What do you think they're thinking about?" Xu Jingyang's mouth was practically crooked from smiling.

Huang Ying looked at him with obvious disgust: "Happy now? Glad now?"

"It feels as comfortable as after a scrubbing."

Outside the door, Wen Jingshu said to Xu Xian with some concern, "After your emergency landing, it seems that the captains in the company have some opinions about you now. You should be mentally prepared."

"You have a problem with me? What problem?"

Wen Jingshu rolled her eyes at Xu Xian, wrinkling her nose slightly: "You forcibly seized the captain's authority on the plane before, which is a serious challenge to the captain's authority no matter how you look at it. Even if you had your reasons, some captains still don't like you. Is that clear?"

"What the heck? Is that even a thing?" Xu Xian's face stiffened. "What am I going to do? I've offended every captain in the company. How am I supposed to fly now?"

Wen Jingshu gave a soft hum, her delicate hand clasped behind her back, her upper body leaning slightly forward, her small face nudging closer to Xu Xian: "You're only finding out now?"

Faced with such a stunningly beautiful face so close to his, Xu Xian's breath caught in his throat. Suddenly, he felt a surge of impulse and subconsciously raised his right hand, almost touching Wen Jingshu's cheek. But just as he was about to pinch her, he snapped back to reality and stopped.

Xu Xian used to love pinching Wen Jingshu's cheeks, and seeing Wen Jingshu's cute appearance now, he couldn't help but recall the past.

Xu Xian's right hand froze in mid-air, unable to move forward or backward, which was quite embarrassing.

Just then, Wen Jingshu's small face moved closer to Xu Xian's hand, like a kitten, and her cheek gently rubbed against Xu Xian's right hand.

"Xu Xian, do you think we can go back to the way things were before?" Wen Jingshu's eyes were unfocused, and her voice carried a hint of sadness.

Xu Xian's eyelids twitched, he withdrew his right hand, bent down, and whispered gently in Wen Jingshu's ear, "You're cheating!"

Three months later, Xu Xian finally finished his grounding period and stepped back into the flight preparation room with a somewhat apprehensive feeling.

This was a flight to and from the airport, with a total flight time of less than five hours, which is a pretty good flight and offers good value for money. However, what's strange is that this time there were two first officers assigned to the flight crew; in terms of crew capabilities alone, it's an overkill.

This was Xu Xian's first time flying a flight with two first officers.

The flight departs at 9:15 AM and lands at 3:30 PM, the timing is perfect. The captain operating the flight is a single-pilot captain, which is also very rare.

Generally speaking, a flight with a good schedule and reasonable departure times is considered a good flight. In most airlines, these good flights are reserved for managers or instructors; there's hardly any chance for a solo captain.

Anyway, this flight was strange in every way.

When Xu Xian arrived at the flight preparation room, there were already three groups there, and it was quite lively.

Xu Xianze, being a heavy drinker, instinctively glanced around the preparation room to see if the captain or the other co-pilot had arrived. However, this glance immediately revealed a captain with four stripes on his armband in the corner of the preparation room.

The flight information included the captain's ID photo, and Xu Xianlue was able to identify him as Captain Qin Yue, who was traveling with him.

The corner where Qin Yue was standing was quite interesting. There was a simple small platform in that corner, on which was enshrined an image of some deity whose origin was unknown. In front of the image was an incense burner, and Qin Yue was holding a few sticks of incense and silently praying something in front of the image.

Offering idols to deities is quite common worldwide, but it's definitely not a common practice in airlines. However, flying sometimes involves a lot of mystical elements, so offering an idol to a deity isn't particularly strange.

It's usually just a routine task for staff to make offerings; very few pilots actually make offerings to the statues, let alone captains.

Xu Xian saw the statue not long after taking off. At the time, he thought it was just a decoration. He never expected to actually see a pilot praying to the gods.

Today has truly been an eye-opening experience.

Moreover, judging from Qin Yue's appearance, he seemed extremely devout, not the kind of person who would suddenly light incense on a whim. It was probably a habitual action.

Even though the captain seemed a bit strange, Xu Xian didn't have any objections. Anyway, it wouldn't bother him. After today's flight, he didn't know when they would be scheduled to fly together again.

Qin Yue kept his eyes closed, holding several sticks of incense in his hands, and muttering something softly. Xu Xian, standing nearby, didn't want to disturb him, but upon closer inspection, he noticed that besides the incense, Qin Yue also held a pendant, possibly a jade deity statue or something similar. However, Qin Yue had both the pendant and the incense covered in his palms, so he could only see the chain attached to his neck and couldn't make out what the pendant looked like.

Seeing that Qin Yue wouldn't finish anytime soon, Xu Xian first went to get the flight information and a spare tablet, and even filled out almost the entire pre-flight preparation card, while Qin Yue was still standing motionless in front of the statue.

"Going to Shangdang? Together?" Just as Xu Xian was wondering what Qin Yue was muttering about, a questioning voice rang in his ears.

Xu Xian was startled, only then realizing that a passenger had moved up to his side.

Upon seeing who it was, Xu Xian immediately realized that it was Feng Jun, the co-pilot who was traveling with him. Feng Jun was a Level 4 pilot, one level higher than Xu Xian.

"That's right, brother! Let's fly to Shangdang together."

Feng Jun glanced at the mission briefing and confirmed Xu Xian's identity, his face showing no particular expression.

Xu Xian hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Brother, what's the reason for this flight configuration? Is it because of the new captain?"

Newly hired captains usually have special requirements regarding their assigned personnel.

Generally speaking, newly hired captains, who are practically brand new, are usually paired with another captain to operate flights, which is called dual-captain operation.

After a period of adjustment, the new captain will be assigned to a junior co-pilot, who is a pilot with a flight license but without a captain's license.

After that, the co-pilots are level 6 and level 5, and after that, you can generally choose your own co-pilots.

For new captains, it's usually customary to have a third officer. However, a third officer is generally sufficient—a second first officer is enough. Why would someone be a second first officer? Isn't that over-allocating crew resources and wasting money?

"Is this the new captain?" Xu Xian pointed to Qin Yue, who was not far away.

Feng Jun suddenly smiled: "No! He's been a captain for quite a few years."

"The old captain could have easily worked with two people! Today's shift isn't even a long shift, it's a night shift, is it really necessary to force an assistant captain to be the third one?" Xu Xian asked, puzzled.

Since they are all experienced captains, there shouldn't be a requirement to have a third captain! From the company's perspective, wouldn't it be more cost-effective to have a two-person crew?

Generally, if a flight is a long flight, such as a four-segment long flight, or a late flight, such as landing at 2 a.m., the company will sometimes assign an extra second officer to ensure flight safety, even if it is not a strict requirement. After all, it is always safer to have more eyes watching.

"Something's not right!" Xu Xian's expression changed slightly. "Could it be that he's done something recently?"

Captains who have recently experienced safety issues will be placed under observation for a period of time after returning to service. During this period, the company will also assign a third captain.

Feng Jun also had a strange expression, but he waved his hand and said, "No, that's not the case! He does have a strict rule in the scheduling plan that a third officer must be paired with the crew, but recently there's a shortage of second officers, while there are some first officers available. I guess they couldn't find a second officer, so they found a first officer to fill in. Otherwise, if there were an over-allocation of crew resources, the people in the planning department would be punished."

If it is not necessary, over-allocating crew resources constitutes an additional expense for the company, and the planner who schedules such shifts will be disciplined.

Xu Xian could understand that kind of thing, but he was more curious about something else.

"Why does he have to be paired with the third-place finisher?" There must be a reason why he has to be paired with the third-place finisher, and that's what Xu Xian is curious about.

Feng Jun coughed lightly a few times, glanced at Qin Yue, and seeing that Qin Yue was still busy with his own things, he called over Xu Xian. The two of them huddled together, their heads close together, as if they were plotting something big.

"Our captain encountered a problem last year with an oil filter bypass and inconsistent flaps. This year, two-thirds of the way through, we've already had a leading edge device malfunction and a fuel leak. Isn't that strange?" Feng Jun said mysteriously.

Xu Xian was taken aback, not expecting that Captain Qin Yue was a kindred spirit. Although the situations Qin Yue encountered weren't particularly urgent, the frequency was truly astonishing.

"We are atheists, so what's this talk about evil or not?" Xu Xian retorted, his neck stiff, righteously refuting Feng Jun's statement.

Actually, at the press conference regarding the Kunyang River forced landing incident, Wen Jingshu revealed that Xu Xian was involved in handling the Chimelong volcanic ash incident. However, due to Xu Qing's involvement, that footage was cut and not released. Therefore, Feng Jun was unaware that Xu Xian had also experienced the Chimelong volcanic ash incident before.

If Feng Jun knew that Xu Xian had experienced the Chimelong volcanic ash incident and the Star Travel Kunyang River forced landing incident in less than a year, he would probably know what true strangeness was.

Feng Jun now knew that Xu Xian was the co-pilot involved in the Kunyang River emergency landing not long ago. For pilots, it's normal to experience a major incident in their lives. Therefore, Feng Jun didn't have any particular feelings towards Xu Xian.

In comparison, Qin Yue's constant stream of minor mishaps seems to have a more mystical quality.

"Brother, you're still too young." Feng Jun patted Xu Xian on the shoulder and said to him earnestly in a senior's tone, "There are some people in this world who are like magnets, attracting spies to themselves."

"Is that so?" Xu Xian's lips twitched.

"Why not? Wasn't Xu Qing? Wasn't Han Qi? Wasn't our Captain Qin Yue? Of course, what Captain Qin encountered is incomparable to the previous two. So..."

"so?"

"So, keep a close eye on things today, and don't let another emergency landing happen!" Feng Jun grinned. "Let me tell you in advance, if anything goes wrong, just consider me a useless piece of trash. You handled the previous emergency landing incident brilliantly, making us co-pilots proud."

"Hehe!" Xu Xian forced a smile: "So he prayed to gods and Buddhas?"

"He's scared! He's scared too! It seems like it started after his leading edge device malfunctioned this year. Every time before a flight, he goes there to burn incense, probably because he's afraid. But it doesn't seem to help much, the fuel still leaked later, didn't it? So, that's just fate! If we get assigned to his shift in the future, we'll try to get rid of him if we can, we can't afford to mess with him." Feng Jun suggested, "However, no one can take over his shift, so it's really hard to get rid of him."

Feng Jun's words sent a chill down Xu Xian's spine. After thinking for a long time, he finally uttered, "Brother, do you think there's a saying that two negatives make a positive?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's like two unlucky people getting together, and then they're not unlucky anymore," Xu Xian said seriously.

"Two unlucky guys?" Feng Jun looked Xu Xian up and down suspiciously. "Besides the emergency landing, what other emergencies have you encountered?"

It's so cold that I'm typing slowly.

I might need to revise the first few chapters soon; I feel there are some issues.

(End of this chapter)