Legendary Captain

Chapter 250 Supersonic Transportation Plan

Lu Xinyu wasn't actually involved in the questioning; his role was more about keeping things under control. When he realized Xu Xian seemed unable to answer the questions, Lu Xinyu started figuring out how to help Xu Xian get away with it.

Whether it's because Chairman Wen is behind Xu Xian, or because Xu Xian is currently rising in fame, it's not appropriate to punish Xu Xian based on a mere theoretical inquiry.

A pilot who handled three major emergencies was punished for a single theoretical questioning. Isn't this just Star Travel Airlines slapping itself in the face?

However, from the very beginning of this theoretical inquiry, Lu Xinyu emphasized that everyone should be treated equally, regardless of their technical level or administrative position; if they failed, they failed.

Unexpectedly, this statement became an obstacle to giving Xu Xian preferential treatment. He needed to find a relatively discreet way to get Xu Xian through this interrogation without anyone else finding out. Otherwise, once this precedent was set, those veteran instructors and inspectors would definitely ask Lu Xinyu to make another exception.

Why can Xu Xian drive it, but they can't?

Just as Lu Xinyu was pondering how to discuss things with the inspector later, he was suddenly called out by Xu Xian, and he was immediately stunned.

"No, Xu Xian, I'm just a bouncer. This questioning has nothing to do with me." Lu Xinyu tried his best to distance himself from the situation. He guessed that Xu Xian probably thought he was deliberately trying to disgust him.

This point needs to be made clear.

Xu Xian grinned: "President Lu, I'm just curious about this, there's nothing special about it."

"This..." Lu Xinyu glanced at the note Xu Xian had shown her again, her face gradually becoming troubled: "Xu Xian, this notice wasn't signed by me. It should have been signed by the previous chief engineer. I'm not responsible for it."

How could the chief engineer know that this should obviously be abolished, yet it hasn't been abolished yet? This can only mean that there are problems with the flight standards and the fleet.

"This doesn't count, let's draw another one." Seeing that he was in an awkward position, Lu Xinyu could only ask Xu Xian to draw another one.

The inspector next to him was displeased: "Mr. Lu, this isn't right. Regardless of whether the questions are good or bad, you should be responsible for the ones you draw. There's no reason to draw them again!"

A cold glint flashed in Lu Xinyu's eyes as he smiled at Xu Xian and said, "This interrogation is over. You can leave now."

"Not drawing another one?"

"No need, I'll handle this! You can go out now."

Xu Xian was a little confused about the situation. However, since Lu Xinyu had already said so, there was no point in him staying any longer, so he nodded and left the conference room with a bewildered look on his face.

After Xu Xian left, Lu Xinyu's smiling face instantly turned icy cold. He asked the inspector next to him in a sinister tone, "Who's in charge in the Flight Department?"

Seeing Lu Xinyu's almost violent expression, the inspector gave a stiff smile: "Of course, it's up to you, Mr. Lu."

With Lin Bo, the general manager of the flight department, no longer in charge, and Qin Zongyang having been dismissed, the flight department is now essentially a one-man show run by Lu Xinyu.

"So you do know that I'm in charge of the flight department? You just have to listen to what I say. Are you addicted to arguing with your superiors? Or have I been too polite to you lately and you've forgotten who's in charge?" Lu Xinyu unleashed a torrent of abuse on the inspector.

Xu Xian has the chairman's backing, so naturally he has to flatter Xu Xian. But you, a young teacher, think you're all that just because you're being questioned and inspected? He might flatter Xu Xian, but that doesn't mean he has to flatter everyone.

Perhaps knowing about Xu Xian's relationship with the chairman had a significant impact on Lu Xinyu's values, causing her to become quite cautious lately, afraid of incurring any more bad luck.

Once Lu Xinyu put away his arrogance, some people began to forget what Lu Xinyu's true nature was.

Lu Xinyu hates being told what to do, especially by his subordinates.

The inspector was completely dumbfounded by Lu Xinyu's barrage of words, stammering and unable to speak. Lately, Lu Xinyu seems to have toned down his behavior a bit too much, and some clueless youngsters don't know who to trust anymore.

"Xu Xian's interrogation results are satisfactory," Lu Xinyu said calmly.

"But Xu Xian has..." The inspector instinctively wanted to argue, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted it and quickly changed his tune: "Pass, pass, I'll mark it pass right away."

"I'm being too good to you, but you're all so blind. It's really a dilemma," Lu Xinyu sighed.

As Xu Xian left the conference room, he ran into Qin Zongyang, who had come to participate in the inquiry. Qin Zongyang was carrying a small booklet with a blue cover, which was a compilation of aircraft knowledge and had been distributed by Feibiao earlier.

It was obvious that the cover of the book in Qin Zongyang's hand was brand new, probably because he hadn't flipped through it many times before. This time, something was clearly wrong, and even Qin Zongyang, who didn't read much, reluctantly became a good student.

The fact that Qin Zongyang was even reading a book clearly indicates that the situation is different this time, and Qin Zongyang wouldn't dare to act recklessly. Only someone like Xu Xian, with connections to the group's leader, could receive such special treatment.

"Master, you've come to ask questions too?" Xu Xian leaned closer to the book Qin Zongyang was holding; it really was a book of aircraft model knowledge and theory.

Qin Zongyang closed his book and glanced at the entrance to the aircraft fleet: "Are there still people queuing over there?"

"When I came out, there were still three or four people queuing outside. If you go now, you'll probably have to wait in line too. Why don't you wait outside for a while before going in?" Because the inquiry area was in the fleet's small conference room, if you wanted to queue, you could only wait in the fleet office. There was no rest area in the fleet office, so you could only stand there awkwardly. With so many people in the fleet office, just standing there like an idiot felt like being made a fool of, which was very uncomfortable. Therefore, Xu Xian suggested that Qin Zongyang go in later.

Times have changed. Qin Zongyang has fallen from grace, and many people are eager to see him make a fool of himself. It's best not to give those people the chance.

"Still in line? I think I'll wait and go in later." Qin Zongyang pouted. "By the way, is Lu Xinyu still here today?"

"Yes, he's here every day! He's there the whole time, he has to keep an eye on things."

Hearing that Lu Xinyu was watching, Qin Zongyang became a little annoyed: "Xu Xian, has Lu Xinyu taken the wrong medicine lately, or is there something wrong with his brain? He actually called me yesterday and asked me to dinner. I thought I had Alzheimer's for a moment, and my hearing is failing too. Can you believe it? By the way, remember what I told you about the general manager of Tongtai Chemical a while ago? He didn't expose me back then! If he had, I would have been in big trouble. He let such a good opportunity slip by."

"Do you think Lu Xinyu has been possessed? You know, that thing in fantasy novels, it's called possession, right?" Qin Zongyang said incessantly, "This kid is acting so strangely right now, I'm afraid he's playing a big game, trying to lull us, master and disciple, into a false sense of security so he can carry out his nefarious secret."

"Secret? What secret? What secret could I possibly have?" Just as Xu Xian and Qin Zongyang were pondering this, a person suddenly walked out of the squadron office. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Lu Xinyu.

Lu Xinyu pointed at Qin Zongyang, her voice filled with righteous indignation: "Qin Zongyang, what makes you say I have a secret without any evidence? What if people misunderstand?"

Qin Zongyang snorted: "Then do you have one?"

Lu Xinyu was practically spitting blood: "Of course I didn't! You're already in the co-pilot's seat, do you think I'm planning to get you back to trainee level? Do you think that's even possible?"

"That's true." Given Qin Zongyang's seniority, even if he made a serious mistake, being dismissed from his post and demoted to co-pilot would be the limit. If his technical rank were lowered further, it would be considered an insult, and no airline would choose to treat one of their veteran pilots like that; such behavior would be disheartening.

"But what are you doing out here?" Qin Zongyang asked.

Lu Xinyu rolled her eyes: "Is it so unreasonable to come out and take a piss?"

After refuting Qin Zongyang's claims, Lu Xinyu smiled and said to Xu Xian, "Your master is clearly senile. Don't listen to his nonsense. By the way, if you want to resume flying, you first need to contact the flight medical department. You need to have a new medical examination. Only after the examination is cleared can we provide a decision on resuming flying."

In the Star Travel 6333 incident, Xu Xian inhaled a large amount of toluene diisocyanate gas, causing considerable damage to his lungs. Although not particularly serious or irreversible, Xu Xian is required to undergo a routine medical examination to confirm that he meets the requirements for flight.

This is standard procedure. In the Kunyang River emergency landing incident, Xu Xian hit his head and underwent not only a physical examination but also a psychological assessment. However, due to the short time interval between the two incidents, the psychological assessment was waived this time, and only a physical examination was required.

"I've already spoken to the aviation medical department. Just let them know in advance when it's convenient for you, and they'll apply to the Southwest Medical Examination Team," Lu Xinyu said.

Except in very rare cases, most of the time the medical examination team allocates time to the airline, and the airline then submits the list of examinees. The initiative is entirely in the hands of the medical examination team.

Of course, Xu Xian's physical examination this time was not a routine annual check-up, so an additional application was required.

Xu Xian was quite surprised that Lu Xinyu had specifically spoken to Dr. Hang about it: "Then I'll trouble you, Mr. Lu."

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all." Lu Xinyu said in a friendly tone, "I already said there's no need to call me President Lu, it's too formal, just call me Xiao Lu."

"Xiao Lu." Qin Zongyang, who was standing to the side, got goosebumps all over when he heard these two words for the first time. Lu Xinyu's way of speaking to Xu Xian could no longer be described as polite; it was more like flattery and fawning.

Just then, another person rushed over from not far away; it was none other than Li Chuan, the marketing director.

"Damn it, Xu Xian! I finally caught you!" As soon as Li Chuan saw Xu Xian, he rushed over as if he had seen a long-lost friend. He pushed aside Qin Zongyang and Lu Xinyu, grabbed Xu Xian's arm, and led him to the outside stairwell.

"No, Mr. Li, what's going on?" Under the dumbfounded gazes of Qin Zongyang and Lu Xinyu, Xu Xian was dragged all the way to the stairwell: "Mr. Li, what can't you say over there? Why are you being so secretive?"

Li Chuan's eyes were bloodshot and red, clearly indicating that he hadn't slept well for several days.

He gripped Xu Xian's arm tightly, his voice hoarse, "Xu Xian, where's Lian Shanxue?"

Xu Xian's expression changed slightly: "I don't know."

"How could you not know? You two weren't...no, even if you weren't in that kind of relationship, you should at least be good friends! How could you not know where she is?" Li Chuan was extremely agitated. "I've been calling her for the past few days, but I can't get through. I went to that hospital in Xianchi, and Renxin General Hospital, and even her home, but I couldn't find her. It's only been a few days, and she's vanished into thin air!"

For some reason, Li Chuan seemed extremely excited. By the end of his speech, his throat sounded like a broken gong, with air constantly leaking out.

Xu Xian frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Lian Shan went somewhere for medical treatment, so we probably can't find her in the country."

Given Li Chuan's current state, Xu Xian could no longer hide the truth from him. However, he couldn't say anything more, because he himself didn't know.

"Can't find her in China? What do you mean? Did she go abroad?" Li Chuan's eyes were full of disbelief. "Then where is she?"

"I don't know!" Xu Xian sighed. Perhaps fearing that Li Chuan would think he was lying, he added at the end, "Mr. Li, I really don't know."

Li Chuan's Adam's apple bobbed a few times as he stared blankly at Xu Xian. After a moment, he seemed lost in thought: "You really don't know!"

This wasn't a question, but an exclamation. With his keen eyesight, he was fairly certain Xu Xian wasn't lying. How could he possibly find Lian Shanxue in such a vast world?!

Li Chuan's distraught appearance surprised Xu Xian. Li Chuan was Lian Shanxue's direct superior, so it was reasonable for him to show some concern. However, Li Chuan's current state was clearly abnormal; he was being far too attentive, almost excessively so.

Could it be...?

Xu Xian's eyes narrowed, and he looked Li Chuan up and down with ill intent.

At this point, Xu Xian realized he had truly misunderstood Li Chuan. He even wondered if Li Chuan harbored any improper thoughts about Lian Shanxue.

How could he know that at least twenty media outlets are requesting interviews with Li Chuan every day? Of course, so many media outlets aren't contacting Li Chuan for his own sake; it's more accurate to say it's not just about him. What news could be so interesting about Li Chuan? Their target is always just Lian Shanxue.

In the Xingyou 6333 incident, Lian Shanxue's selfless act has gradually spread. For those media professionals with extremely keen senses, this is almost guaranteed to be a sensational news story, so how could they possibly let it go?

In comparison, Xu Xian, the protagonist, received far fewer interview requests than Lian Shanxue. Many professional media outlets focused more on Xu Xian's exceptional technical skills demonstrated in the Xingyou 6333 incident. Meanwhile, media outlets prioritizing viewership and clicks favored Lian Shanxue, a figure with greater media attention.

With Xu Qing and Han Qi setting a precedent, it's true that Xu Xian's performance in this matter will attract widespread attention, but it's still quite difficult to achieve explosive popularity.

But Lian Shanxue is different. In the history of civil aviation, no female pilot has ever been as captivating as Lian Shanxue. Especially in the Xingyou 6333 incident, the admirable qualities that Lian Shanxue displayed easily resonated with the public.

In addition, Lian Shanxue had already garnered considerable praise during the previous stress-relief incident. At least until now, Lian Shanxue's image is almost perfect, and any media person with a little experience would know that Lian Shanxue is the civil aviation person who is about to be exposed.

At this juncture, whoever secures the exclusive interview rights with Lian Shanxue first and foremost will reap massive attention in the coming period. How could those media outlets not be eager for such a massive boost in viewership?

This was the first time in Li Chuan's life that he had ever witnessed such a scene of media frenzy. Even if he were slow to realize it, he would understand the immense commercial value that Lian Shanxue possessed.

It was much more than he had expected! So much that he felt that if he handled this well, the CEO position would be his for the taking.

But just when the position of CEO was within reach and he was about to reach the pinnacle of his life, Li Chuan was horrified to discover that the protagonist was gone.

He called Lian Shanxue countless times, but no one answered. Later, he went to the hospital in Xianchi in person, only to be told that Lian Shanxue had been transferred to Renxin General Hospital in Shangdu. Then, he went to Renxin General Hospital, only to be told that Lian Shanxue had already been discharged.

Helpless, Li Chuan returned to Yunnan and went to Lian Shanxue's house several times, but he couldn't find her.

In such a short time, Lian Shanxue seemed to have vanished into thin air; Li Chuan couldn't find her anywhere. If he hadn't met Xu Xian today and learned that Lian Shanxue had gone abroad for medical treatment, Li Chuan would have seriously considered calling the police.

Lian Shanxue and Xu Xian seem to have a good relationship, so Xu Xian's words are somewhat credible.

"Why did that girl leave the country without saying a word?" Li Chuan scratched his head in frustration. "You can't find her? Do you have her contact information? I want to say a few words to her."

Xu Xian glanced at Li Chuan with extreme caution: "Mr. Li, what urgent matter do you have?"

"I have at least thirty media interview requests piling up on me right now, and I can't find her. How am I supposed to explain this to them?"

"An interview request?" Xu Xian was taken aback. "Just this?"

"Is there anything else?"

"No, no, I thought it was something important! What's the big deal about explaining to those people? If we can't find them, we won't do the interview. It's not a big deal." Xu Xian didn't seem to care much.

"You're used to doing whatever you want. Some relationships need to be cultivated. How can you just refuse like that? What will you do if you need someone to do you a favor in the future?" Li Chuan waved his hand: "Forget it, forget it. You don't usually worry about these things, so it's normal for you to think like this. I'll go back and think about it some more. If you get in touch with that girl Lian Shan, you can ask her to call me back."

Xu Xian readily agreed verbally, but inwardly he was thinking, "I can't even contact anyone myself, how can I possibly care about you?"

A test flight site in the Tianning area.

Xu Qing was on the rooftop of the work building inside the test flight field, holding a pair of binoculars. Beside him, Xu Zijing stood obediently to his side.

"Dad, is there something you want me to see?" Xu Zijin asked.

Xu Qing smiled and wanted to pat his son's head, but when he reached out, he realized that Xu Zijing was already as tall as him, so he withdrew his right hand and said, "Let's look at airplanes today."

"Looking at a plane? A new plane? It's not an X10, is it?"

"The commercialization of the X10 is a certainty; it's just a matter of time. Moreover, the X10 is already largely finalized, and you've witnessed the entire development process firsthand. It's hardly a new aircraft anymore," Xu Qing said.

Although the X10 is not yet in commercial use and is still considered a new aircraft by the average person, its development began twenty years ago and it has now been finalized. Therefore, at least in the eyes of many people, the X10 is no longer considered a new aircraft.

Xu Zijin often visited the X10 research lab when he was a child. For him, the X10 had no secrets and was hardly a new aircraft.

"What's that?" Xu Zijing asked curiously. For the young master of Qingyuan Group, there were relatively few things he didn't know. Moreover, Xu Zijing noticed something: "Dad, if we're watching planes, why don't we go to the control tower? The view from there is much better!"

"The view from the control tower is good, but with a layer of glass in between, it always feels like something's missing," Xu Qing said with a smile. "Only by being outside can you truly appreciate this aircraft."

"What is it?!" Xu Zijin was now truly curious.

Xu Qing's gaze gradually drifted into the distance: "It's the future of civil aviation!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Zijing noticed a black dot in the sky to his right gradually becoming clearer.

"They're here!" Xu Qing's pupils suddenly contracted.

At that moment, Xu Zijing also put away her playful expression and turned serious.

Just moments before, this object was merely a faint black dot, but in a short while, it quickly became clear—it was an airplane.

"So fast!" Xu Zijin was shocked. The speed of the plane was astonishing, even just by looking at it with the naked eye.

A moment later, the outline of the plane became clearer and clearer, but due to the distance, even though the plane was about to fly over Xu Zijin's head, he could not see many details.

Unfortunately, Xu Zijin was looking at the plane from a direction very close to the sun. Whenever he looked at the plane closely for a while, the glaring sunlight made his eyes extremely uncomfortable.

However, he vaguely noticed that the plane's shape seemed a bit strange, unlike most commercial airliners.

Just as Xu Zijin was about to take out her sunglasses, Xu Qing's voice rang out: "Watch carefully!"

Xu Zijin was startled and immediately looked up. In just one glance, he almost stopped breathing.

Around the plane, a funnel-shaped cloud of material had somehow formed.

"This is a sonic boom cloud!"

(End of this chapter)