Legendary Captain

Chapter 199 Explosive News

"You flew both segments with your seatbelt on like that?" When the plane landed in Yunnan, Xu Xian's seatbelt was still on; he had been sitting in his seat for three hours without moving.

"Yeah!" Xu Xian's face showed a conflicted expression. "Speaking of which, you've been racking your brains for three hours, have you come up with any solutions yet?"

Are you in a hurry?

Xu Xian pointed to his face: "My face looks like it's from an emergency drill, don't you think it's urgent?"

"There are two options now!" The maintenance worker held up two fingers: "One is to cut the seatbelt; that's the simplest method."

"What if we don't cut it?"

The maintenance worker laughed and said, "Your seatbelt buckle is completely stuck, so we'll have to remove the entire seat back to get you out without cutting the seatbelt."

"If they cut the seatbelt, will I have to pay compensation?" Compared to the pain in his bladder, Xu Xian was more worried about his wallet.

At this moment, the captain interjected: "If all of this costs money, then the losses caused by your emergency landing on the Kunyang River would require you to work for two hundred years without eating or drinking to pay off. So, don't worry!"

"That's right, it's just a mechanical malfunction, it has nothing to do with you," the maintenance worker reassured him.

The reason we didn't dare cut the seatbelts earlier was due to concerns about subsequent flights. Now that the round-trip flights to Chengdu are complete, this plane's mission for the day is finished. Even if we cut the seatbelts, the maintenance crew would have ample time to replace them, so whether or not to cut the seatbelts isn't a real issue.

"If we don't cut it now, when will we?" Xu Xian was practically ready to revolt. As long as he didn't hurt his own wallet, everything was fine.

To be honest, Xu Xianneng sacrificed his bladder to ensure the company's flights were on time, which was more than enough. He had no qualms about cutting his seatbelt.

If you choose to cut the seatbelt, the whole process becomes very pleasant.

After disembarking, the maintenance crew quickly found a large pair of scissors and efficiently cut Xu Xian's seatbelt. Freed from the restraints, Xu Xian felt an unprecedented sense of comfort and immediately pulled out his seat and ran towards the front cabin lavatory.

After finally being able to let go, Xu Xian felt completely refreshed.

As soon as I stepped out of the lavatory, I saw the cabin crew behind me chatting and laughing as they finished up their work, and some of the conversations seemed to involve me.

Xu Xian's expression wasn't good; he felt like he'd become the subject of gossip. Talking about others' gossip is always exciting, but being the subject of someone else's conversation is hardly a pleasant experience.

By this time, the captain, who was eager to leave work, had already come out of the cockpit with his flight case. Hearing the cabin crew talking about Xu Xian, he yelled, "What are you talking about? Aren't you going home yet? Still not done flying?"

The captain's words, whether a joke or a sarcastic remark, immediately silenced the previously lively cabin crew.

Xu Xiangang was about to thank the captain, but the captain ignored him and ran straight out. It seems that the captain was very determined to get off work.

Seeing the somewhat tense atmosphere in the cabin, Xu Xian didn't want to stay any longer. He went back to get his suitcase and hurriedly boarded the crew vehicle for departure.

But as soon as he boarded the crew vehicle, the driver, perhaps noticing the three stripes on Xu Xian's armband, chuckled and asked, "You're getting off?"

"Huh? Ah!" Xu Xian didn't understand what the crew member meant, so he just gave a perfunctory reply.

The crew member was quite tactful; he made a sarcastic remark and, before Xu Xian could react, obediently dropped the subject.

Xu Xian hadn't expected that even the flight crew driver knew about his situation in just a few hours, so he didn't think much of it. After giving the driver a brief reply, he retreated to his seat and closed his eyes to rest.

Two round trips to Jinyang weren't a big shift, but adding a round trip to Chengdu made all the difference. Plus, the seatbelt made things uncomfortable, and after four trips, Xu Xianfei felt aches and pains in his back.

Flying is a truly exhausting job. You have to worry about safety all the time, which is not only physically but also psychologically exhausting. That's why pilots often look older than they are.

Of course, this is also related to the dry and highly irradiated working environment at high altitudes for pilots. Although Xu Xian's skin is still very fair, it is not as smooth as before.

Xu Xian has naturally good skin and never takes special care of it. However, even with such good skin, he still couldn't withstand the torment of being a pilot and developed some skin problems.

Although Xu Xian looks somewhat effeminate, he's a tough, straight man at heart. Even if he notices his skin is a little rough, he probably won't bother to take care of it.

Perhaps because the captain had specifically mentioned it beforehand, when the entire flight crew boarded, not a single person mentioned Xu Xian.

The aircraft's parking spot was right next to the runway intersection; a simple left turn took us off the apron, which was incredibly convenient.

Xu Xian had been asleep for a short while when he finally calmed down, and he didn't even notice when they arrived at the base. It was the captain who woke him up.

"arrive!"

"Huh?" Xu Xian shuddered, looking around. The car was empty except for himself and the captain. "Oh, we've arrived?"

Xu Xian wiped his mouth, thankfully he hadn't drooled, grabbed the data box beside him, and prepared to go find his box.

The captain nudged Xu Xian from behind: "The boxes are all out, let's go!"

Xu Xian, who had just woken up, was still a little dazed and was pulled out of the cabin by the captain.

As soon as they stepped outside, the cool breeze instantly sobered them up.

The captain found his own suitcase, patted Xu Xian on the shoulder, and said, "Please take care of the bag and hand it in. Thanks for your hard work today!"

"No, it's nothing!" Xu Xian said politely, waving goodbye to the captain.

He yawned, shook himself awake, picked up his briefcase and dragged his flight case toward the preparation room.

Xu Xian wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he always seemed to attract strange looks wherever he went. He even wondered if he'd been holding his pee for too long, making him dizzy with urgency.

Regardless of anything else, Xu Xian just wanted to hand in the documents and then go home for dinner. But as soon as he arrived at the preparation room, the person at the documents desk saw him and suddenly said, "You're down?"

"Hmm?" Xu Xian responded subconsciously, then immediately realized something was off. Why did those words sound so familiar? It seemed like the driver of the crew car had said the same thing earlier.

Xu Xian might not have noticed it the first time, but if it happened again, even if he was slow to react, he would be able to detect the problem.

"What rumors have you heard?" Xu Xian had already considered one possibility, a possibility he was very unwilling to face.

The staff at the information desk chuckled, "Weren't you stuck in your seatbelt? You had no choice but to strap yourself to the seat, and then you flew off twice more?"

Xu Xian's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he shrieked, "Who said that! Who else knows?"

"You should ask who else doesn't know! I don't know where the news came from either, but I bet even the gatekeeper at the company entrance knows about it now."

Xu Xian asked incredulously, "Did they know I was strapped to a seat and flown back and forth to Chengdu?"

"That's right!" The staff member at the information desk smiled and said, "This is really the first time I've encountered this. I used to work at Letu, and even with experience working for two different airlines, I've never heard of a pilot getting stuck in their seatbelt and unable to get up."

Is it really that serious for a pilot to get stuck in their seatbelt? Definitely not!

But this bizarre incident is particularly funny and dramatic, and it seems to be the first time such a thing has happened in the civil aviation industry, making it a very interesting story to tell.

Most importantly, in order to ensure the flight was on time, Xu Xian had to stay in his seat for more than three hours to make the round trip to Chengdu.

This makes it even funnier.

The staff at the information desk laughed at Xu Xian not out of sarcasm, but simply because they found it amusing.

While others found it amusing, Xu Xian, as the person directly involved, was in considerable agony. He hurriedly handed over the documents, abandoned his plans to take the bus, and quickly called a ride-hailing service, hoping to leave the company as soon as possible.

Even after Xu Xian left, the flight preparation room was filled with laughter, but the laughter didn't last long before it quickly fell silent because of the arrival of someone.

Marketing Director Li Chuan is Lian Shan Xue's direct superior in the true sense, and he is responsible for arranging almost all of Lian Shan Xue's promotional activities.

Among all the directors, Marketing Director Li Chuan is considered quite powerful. After all, the Marketing Director is a very important position in any company.

"What's up? Why are you having so much fun?" Li Chuan hadn't come to the flight preparation room on purpose, and it wasn't a place he should be.

But when passing by the flight preparation room, you can hear laughter and cheerful voices coming from inside.

Li Chuan happened to be in a good mood today, so he came over to take a look.

Although the marketing director has no direct connection to the department where the data desk is located, he is still a semi-senior level manager, so he naturally answers all questions.

Xu Xian's matter is not complicated; it can be explained in just a few words.

Even the usually aloof Li Chuan couldn't help but chuckle when he heard about this.

Actually, if it were an ordinary pilot who had this incident, it wouldn't have had this effect; the key person involved is Xu Xian.

Regardless of the controversies surrounding Xu Xian's forced landing on the Kunyang River, his technical prowess in the incident is undeniable. The controversy lies more in Xu Xian's decision-making than in his technical abilities.

This incredibly skilled pilot encountered such a hilarious situation, and the stark contrast in his image instantly amplified the comedic effect of the whole affair.

As expected of a marketing director, Li Chuan possessed an extremely keen professional instinct, immediately grasping the key selling point.

Xu Xian's extremely tough stance during the forced landing on the Kunyang River garnered him considerable support, but also provoked widespread resentment.

At least among the general public, people who are easy to get along with seem to be more popular. However, Xu Xian's tough, even dictatorial, public image simply doesn't suit the public's taste.

Some people who disliked Xu Xian also came to dislike Star Travel Airlines. In any case, after the Kunyang River emergency landing incident, complaints against Star Travel Airlines skyrocketed. However, the number of genuine complaints was actually small; most were just pointless venting.

I just don't like Star Travel Airlines. Even if they don't seem to have done anything wrong, I'm still going to report them.

Although those meaningless complaints and reports won't cause any real harm to Xingyou Airlines, they're like flies—they won't kill you, but they're disgusting! As the marketing director, Li Chuan has always hoped to turn this situation around.

There seems to be a good solution.

In this incident where the seatbelt got stuck, Xu Xian's behavior was somewhat endearingly dazed. This is quite different from the public's perception of him. If this incident could be used to create a publicity campaign and slightly improve Xu Xian's image, it would be a good thing for Star Travel Airlines.

Of course, Li Chuan had no intention of making Xu Xian a star figure for Star Travel Airlines. Xu Xian was too controversial to be used as a benchmark.

The only people who can serve as role models are those like Xu Qing and Han Qi, who at least have no major points of controversy on the surface.

With this in mind, Li Chuan already had a plan in mind. He made a call to his assistant: "Xiao Wang, I have an idea for a case. Come to my office!"

Xu Xian, who slunk away from the company, thought he had escaped the trouble, but he was clearly underestimating the situation.

Starting around noon the next day, many acquaintances messaged Xu Xian asking if it was true that he was stuck in the seatbelt and forced to fly to and from Chengdu.

Some of those who were relatively close to Xu Xian sent him messages to make fun of him.

When Xu Xian saw the amount of information, he realized that practically everyone in the company knew, even the chickens, ducks, geese, dogs, and cats. But the speed at which this information spread was just too outrageous. Could someone have set up a loudspeaker in the company headquarters building, broadcasting it 24/7?

Just as Xu Xian was gritting his teeth, trying to figure out who the source of the outbreak was, his phone suddenly rang. Xu Xian looked at it and saw that it was an unfamiliar landline number.

"Hello, this is from the marketing department. I'd like to ask you about the seatbelt issue from yesterday. Is it convenient for you now?"

Xu Xian subconsciously assumed that the company had come to find out what was going on, although he didn't understand why they needed to ask such detailed questions about a seatbelt. It hadn't caused any flight delays, so why were they being questioned about this?

and many more!

"Which department are you from?" Xu Xian realized something was off!

"I'm from the brand promotion department. I need to know about what happened yesterday. We have a promotional proposal about you, and we might need your cooperation."

The marketing department is a rather large department, which is divided into many smaller departments.

"Wait a minute! Not the flight department, it's the marketing department?" Xu Xian's mind didn't quite process what he was getting at. What did this have to do with the marketing department? "Did you dial the wrong number? My problem yesterday was with the aircraft's mechanical components, it has nothing to do with the marketing department!"

"No! I'm not asking about the airplane itself, but rather your thoughts and feelings at the time. How about this, I'll tell you about the draft, and you'll understand."

As he spoke, the person from the marketing department told Xu Xian the whole draft of the promotional material. There was no need to keep it a secret, since the plan wouldn't work without Xu Xian's involvement anyway.

Xu Xian's brows furrowed more and more as he listened, and by the end, his face had darkened.

"You want me to dance, and you want me to film a video? You're not kidding, are you?"

"Of course not. Our plan is tailored to your appearance. Just cooperate. We'll handle the filming, editing, and post-production. It will just be released under your name in the end."

"Then why make me dance? What am I, a grown man, supposed to dance for?" As a straight man, Xu Xian couldn't accept dancing, especially since the dance the person described was on the cute side, which hit Xu Xian's bottom line.

Then came a ringing phone on the other end, followed by Li Chuan's roar: "You're still being picky, aren't you? Don't you know how much criticism the company has received because of you? How much money did we lose on the emergency landing? Now the company wants you to do something, and you're still making excuses. Are you even human?"

This heartfelt criticism went so far as to touch upon Xu Xian's character.

Xu Xian, who had been so confident just moments before, immediately deflated upon hearing these words. The forced landing on the Kunyang River had not only caused the company huge economic losses but had also drawn a lot of criticism. It was understandable that the company wanted to salvage its image, but the methods they used were simply too far-fetched.

"Give me an answer! If you have any humanity left, you should agree. It's not like we're asking you to go through hell and high water, what are you afraid of? Besides, we're not really going to package you as a star, we're just going to soften your image so fewer people will criticize you in the future."

Upon hearing this, Xu Xian couldn't insist any longer: "Alright, I'll do as you say!"

"That's more like it! I'll contact you later!" With that, she slammed the phone down.

In the marketing director's office, Li Chuan had just hung up the phone when he instructed his assistant, "Later, communicate with Xu Xian again and write an article about the seatbelt issue for the media we know, and ask them to help release it. Also, contact a few capable video producers to help manage Xu Xian's account."

"But talented video producers are very expensive these days!"

Li Chuan glared at him: "Didn't I already say? We're not trying to create a short video star; we're just trying to make Xu Xian's image more approachable. Once that image is established, we won't need to hire those people anymore."

"Furthermore, Xu Xian's image is inherently more gentle, which is actually a good thing for our case, as people will find it easier to accept. I feel that after releasing a few videos, the image should be mostly reversed, and we won't need to worry about it anymore. Remember, the principle of this case regarding Xu Xian is to stop short of making a move, with the aim of minimizing the negative impact Xu Xian has on the company, without investing too much."

Li Chuan knew perfectly well that Xu Xian's publicity campaign was only scratching the surface, and that Xu Xian was not the right person for the company to invest heavily in building Xu Xian's star image.

Or rather, there wasn't a suitable candidate in the entire Star Travel Airlines; even Shan Xue wasn't qualified.

It was fortunate that Xu Xian had a good appearance; otherwise, if he had encountered a fierce man with broad shoulders, thick waist, leopard eyes, and ape arms, it would have been harder than climbing to heaven to change his image.

As the saying goes, you can't judge a book by its cover, but many people do judge others by their appearance, which is a real problem.

"When will our company produce someone like Xu Qing and Han Qi? Only then will I have a chance to truly shine!"

Yunnan-Yunnan local television station.

"Xiao Li, double-check the article and video sent by Xingyou Airlines. If there are no problems, schedule it for the evening news the day after tomorrow," the deputy director said. "I'm going to the restroom. It's in the Xingyou folder on my computer desktop. Go take a look."

After saying that, the deputy director dashed off towards the restroom.

Li Chengyu said "oh" and temporarily put down his work to go to the deputy director's computer.

The deputy director's computer was still on. He quickly found the folder named "Xingyou" on the desktop, opened it, and found two videos and a document inside.

Li Chengyu clicked the first option, but the computer prompted him to enter a password.

"What is this?" Li Chengyu then clicked on the second one, and this time it opened directly. It was the video material sent by Xingyou.

The news report about Xu's graphics card seatbelt that Xingyou Airlines asked Yunnan TV to broadcast was very short, mainly because Xingyou Airlines didn't intend to invest heavily in this matter, so it naturally didn't last long.

After reviewing the video footage and document drafts in a short time and confirming that there were no problems, Li Chengyu saw that the deputy director had not yet returned, so he prepared to go back to work.

But just then, an idea suddenly occurred to him. He looked around; it was already late, and besides the deputy director, he was the only other person in the office. Now that the deputy director wasn't there, he was all alone in the office.

He thought about it for a while, then clicked on the first video.

"Password, password?" Li Chengyu pondered for a moment, then entered the deputy director's birth date as the six-digit password, and it worked on the first try!

"The deputy director is such an old-fashioned guy! His passwords are always the same."

Li Chengyu chuckled inwardly before finally paying attention to the video content.

The video appeared to be footage from a press conference. After watching it for a while, Li Chengyu murmured, "Is this the press conference for the forced landing on the Kunyang River?"

Yunnan TV was invited to the press conference announcing the emergency landing on the Kunyang River, but the station's representative was the deputy director, and he did not attend.

However, this part doesn't seem to be included in the press conference video that was later broadcast to the public!

"You handled the Chimelong volcanic ash incident, why can't you say so?"

"I can guarantee safety in any emergency situation that is theoretically feasible!"

"Actually, no matter what you say, Xu Xian's legal responsibility is what it is, and it won't change because of your reasons. However, this time quite a few people were indeed injured. Some people think Xu Xian was punished too lightly, and some people think that Xu Xian can't be guaranteed to be safe if he continues to fly, but I think Xu Xian is still a promising young talent, so I am willing to vouch for Xu Xian."

"Five years should be enough time to distinguish whether someone relies on luck or ability. I'll vouch for Xu Xian for five years. If Xu Xian makes a major safety blunder within five years, I'll permanently retire from the civil aviation industry. How about that?"

Lee Seung-woo's eyelids twitched wildly; the short video was full of explosive news!

(End of this chapter)