Legendary Captain

Chapter 267 The Saint!

Lianshan Group is the undisputed leader in China's logistics industry, holding more than 70% of the domestic market share for many years. It is the undisputed number one in the industry and is known as the top distributor.

Lianshan Group was founded by Mei Tingting's father, Mei Zhirong. Before becoming wealthy, Mei Zhirong was an inconspicuous poor boy, which fostered his low-key style, thus influencing Mei Tingting's personality.

Mei Tingting was born before Mei Zhirong became wealthy and had experienced hardship, so she didn't have the arrogance of a rich heiress.

Mei Tingting's name is actually very common, because when she was born, the Mei family was just an ordinary family, and they simply chose her name casually. Afterwards, the Mei family rose to prominence at an incredible speed, eventually building a vast logistics empire spanning the entire country. Perhaps Mei Zhirong felt his daughter's name was too ordinary, so when Mei Tingting was about fifteen years old, he changed it to Mei Luoshuang.

However, she had been called Mei Tingting for so long that she had gotten used to her own name. Everyone who knew her called her Mei Tingting, and only people who were not familiar with her would call her by the name Mei Luoshuang on her ID card.

The Luoshuang Mansion, once known as the "Number One Building in Yunnan," was a dowry given to her and Xu Qing by her father, Mei Zhirong, when they got married, demonstrating the wealth of the Mei family.

"Qingyuan Group isn't something I can control alone, but Lianshan Group is my Mei family's property. What I say goes. Is it just a matter of spending money? I'd like to see how much wealth Yun Zhan left behind," Mei Tingting said quietly.

Her voice wasn't loud, but the words she spoke were as powerful as thunder.

"Lianlianshan Group is the Mei family's property!"

"I never imagined that Qingyuan Group and Lianshan Group were actually the same company."

"Xu Qing is incredibly lucky to have married such a woman. He has more money than he could spend in ten lifetimes."

Many people in the audience who were unaware of Mei Tingting's identity were astonished. In fact, when Xu Qing became famous, many people felt that Mei Tingting had benefited from his fame. Even though Mei Tingting was the chairman of Qingyuan Group, many people still believed that she had only built Qingyuan Group by relying on Xu Qing's reputation.

They just hadn't expected that Mei Tingting had inherited the Lianshan Group, making her someone with a fortune in her family. They really needed to think carefully about her relationship with Xu Qing.

However, few people know that when Xu Qing was still a country boy and first went to Yunnan Blue Sky Airlines, the two developed feelings for each other.

After Xu Qing first dealt with the nationally renowned 2.19 incident, he suffered from severe psychological trauma. At that time, Xu Qing's hands would tremble involuntarily when he touched the control stick, so he was grounded for nearly a year. In the end, it was Mei Tingting who helped Xu Qing get rid of the psychological trauma after returning to China.

Therefore, in reality, no one made the other who they are today; Xu Qing and Mei Tingting have supported each other to get to where they are today.

Yun Shang's expression shifted between light and dark as he said in a low voice, "Is this how you squander our ancestral wealth?"

"What my father left me is naturally for me to squander." Mei Tingting smiled lightly, as if she had returned to the willful feeling of her former rich heiress: "My husband is the head of the family, so I naturally have to do what he says conscientiously."

"Even if it means mutual destruction, we're willing to go all out?" Yun Shang asked grimly.

"A fight to the death?" Mei Tingting seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world: "A tiny Kunlong Airlines dares to talk to me about a fight to the death? Back in the day, when China Airlines was at its peak, wasn't it suppressed by me to the point of being unable to raise its head? Do you think Kunlong Airlines today can compare to China Airlines of the past?"

China Airlines was the only super-large airline in China when Xu Qing rose to power, with influence spanning the Northeast, Central Plains, and Northwest regions, surpassing even the now isolated Kunlong Airlines in prestige. However, China Airlines is now confined to its core territory in Central China, a thing of the past, devoid of its former strength.

In the airline representative area, the China Airlines representative's face froze. They were sitting at home, and this trouble came out of nowhere; they were utterly innocent.

"China Airlines' problems stem from the MAX incident, what does it have to do with you?" Yun Shang sneered.

Yun Shang's point is actually quite valid. The key turning point for China Airlines' decline was the MAX out-of-control incident, and coincidentally, Xu Qing also handled the first serious MAX out-of-control incident in China.

The MAX derailment incident led to the grounding of all MAX aircraft in Taiwan. At the time, China Airlines had just purchased hundreds of MAX aircraft to replace its aging 737-300 fleet. As a result, the MAX aircraft, which had cost a huge sum of money to replace, could not fly and generate revenue, directly causing China Airlines' financial collapse. After that, China Airlines began its decline.

Mei Tingting raised her eyebrows: "Then who knows, maybe your Kunlong will also have a MAX-like incident. We won't even need to lift a finger; you'll collapse on your own!"

"Hahaha!" Yun Shang laughed loudly, "As long as Han Qi is still alive, our Kunlong will always be an invincible brand. No matter how powerful you are, can you possibly harm Han Qi?"

Xu Qing shook his head: "Your father worked diligently and conscientiously his whole life, and in the end, he formed this good relationship with Han Qi. Instead of taking advantage of it, you're exploiting Han Qi's value. Do you really think Han Qi won't rebel?"

Yun Shang narrowed his eyes and gave a cold smile: "Han Qi is a good person, so he will always be bound by old feelings. He will not leave Kunlong."

"Your sentimentality has become a bargaining chip." Xu Qing felt a pang of pity for Han Qi for a moment.

Han Qi is a good person, a grateful person, but these very virtues have become his shackles, making Yun Shang feel emboldened.

Suddenly, Xu Qing felt something and slowly raised his right hand. Under everyone's gaze, Xu Qing's right hand began to tremble uncontrollably, slightly but real.

This situation caused everyone present to hold their breath, with Xu Qing's fans reacting the most strongly.

"His hands are really shaking! I'm not seeing things, are I?!"

"Could it be true? Was that report we just submitted genuine?"

"He's been keeping this from us all along! How could he keep it from us?"

"Why? What happened to Xu Qing's hand?"

Immediately, voices of doubt, lamentation, and condemnation rose in the hall, and all sorts of emotionally charged words echoed in the middle of the venue, making the surrounding space extremely noisy.

Not far away, Mei Tingting frowned slightly. Xu Qing's right hand injury would flare up intermittently, which was beyond his control. She just didn't expect it to happen in this particular setting, which was the most inappropriate occasion.

Compared to Mei Tingting's worries, Li Chengyu, the representative of Kunlong Aviation, and Yunshang in front of Xu Qing all had their eyes shining brightly. In particular, Li Chengyu, the mastermind behind this, almost shouted: "Talented people emerge in every generation, each leading the way for hundreds of years. Mr. Xu, your era is over. You should retire early and leave some reputation behind."

Yun Shang felt incredibly pleased. So what if Xu Qing had Qingyuan Group and Lianshan Group behind him? The fact that his right hand was half crippled was already public knowledge. Xu Qing's image would collapse rapidly in a short time. At that time, no matter how much money Mei Tingting spent, it would be in vain.

Although things didn't go exactly as expected, as long as the result is the same, that's fine.

"I told you his right hand had a problem, isn't it true now? Isn't it true? Then maybe that illegitimate child thing is true too, hahaha!" Now, Li Chengyu no longer hid anything, and the smug Li Chengyu made no attempt to conceal his targeting of Xu Qing: "I didn't expect that after twenty years of your scheme, I would finally expose your true colors."

Li Chengyu's words were full of provocation and insult, but this time the representative of Kunlong Airlines did not stop him. It didn't matter anymore; at this moment, Xu Qing's downfall was inevitable. What right did someone with a half-crippled right hand have to be a benchmark in civil aviation? What right did he have to represent domestic civil aviation? Once Xu Qing fell, Han Qi would be the only one left in domestic civil aviation. With Han Qi as their backer, becoming the number one in domestic civil aviation would only be a matter of time.

Kunlong Airlines has already benefited too much from Han Qi's policies. If Xu Qing hadn't come to divert traffic, all the benefits of the national civil aviation industry would have been concentrated on Kunlong Airlines. Even a pig could have taken off by riding the wave of these benefits.

The representatives of Kunlong Airlines couldn't help but feel excited at the thought of the days when they would soon be kings and kings.

"Mr. Xu, things have come to this point. It's wise to retire gracefully and preserve your reputation," Yun Shang said with a light laugh. This was the first time he had appeared so composed since Xu Qing found him.

However, this time, Xu Qing's emotions were unusually calm.

He raised his right hand and slowly spread his fingers under the lights of the hall. If you looked closely, you would notice that the skin on Xu Qing's right hand was darker than that on his left hand. This was actually the pigmentation caused by severe frostbite on his right hand.

"Do you know how I got the injury on my right hand?" Xu Qing said slowly.

Xu Qing's voice wasn't loud, but it quickly drowned out the noise in the hall.

Yun Shang's smile slowly faded: "The windshield of the X10 project prototype shattered during its test flight."

"Yes, that time was a near-death experience." Xu Qing's eyes were filled with reminiscence, as if he had returned to those glorious years. Mei Tingting was not far from Xu Qing. Looking at her husband's profile, which was filled with regret, she felt a sharp pain in her heart.

Even with his wings clipped, he still yearned for the blue sky.

News of the X10 project prototype test flight accident existed only within a small circle, so when Yun Shang said that the windshield of the X10 project prototype had broken during the test flight, many people looked bewildered, and only a few people who knew the inside story looked at Xu Qing's hand with complicated expressions.

Regardless of how Yunshang is targeting Xu Qing now, Xu Qing's contributions to China's domestically produced large aircraft are indelible.

Xu Qing clenched his fist slightly, but there was always about a finger's width of space in his palm, so he couldn't clench his fist completely.

Seeing this scene, even Yun Shang felt a sense of melancholy, like a hero past his prime. Xu Qing's hands had once created one miracle after another, but now, he couldn't even make a fist—it was a tremendous irony.

Mei Tingting's eyes gradually welled up with tears. At this moment, Xu Qing had laid bare his entire being before everyone, with no more pretense. But could Xu Qing withstand the pressure that came with this?

She couldn't help but recall that after the February 2.19th incident, Xu Qing was depressed for a whole year. When she finally heard the news and returned to China, she had this feeling the first time she saw Xu Qing in the flight preparation room of Blue Sky Airlines.

Perhaps it was because he truly felt the overwhelming oppression that even the carefree Li Chengyu gradually calmed down, and Xu Qing stood in the center of the crowd like a monument.

At that moment, Yun Shang suddenly asked, "If...if you had the chance to do it all over again, would you still choose the new model?"

At this moment, Yun Shang was not a competitor, but rather like a pilgrim; at least for this moment, he would not be an enemy of Xu Qing.

"That time, not only was my right hand frostbitten, but I almost lost hearing in one ear. But... but I don't regret it!" Xu Qing's voice was incredibly firm: "Scars are not shame, scars are a veteran's glory!"

After saying that, Xu Qing clenched his right hand tightly, as if the uncontrollable right hand that had just appeared had never existed.

He glanced around, his face expressionless, and said, "Disappointed? Happy? Or impatient?"

Xu Qing never sought so-called sympathy; that was merely the behavior of the weak. Now, surrounded by wolves, even an old lion king would not choose to tuck its tail between its legs and eke out a living.

Yun Shang sighed, "Mr. Xu, I sincerely advise you once again to let go of your attachments! This is your best choice!"

If Yunshang is truly sincere this time, then even if someone like Xu Qing were to leave, he should be surrounded by flowers and praise, not by doubt and insults.

If Xu Qing continues to stubbornly resist, he probably won't even be able to save face.

Don't be fooled by Xu Qing's previous adoration and glory. When the sun sets and the light fades, the wickedness of the human heart gradually reveals its fangs. The more support he received, the more doubt he will have to bear afterward—that's reality.

This is a perfect example of the saying "the higher you climb, the colder it gets."

At this moment, everyone—from the onlookers who had just expressed doubt and disappointment towards Xu Qing, to Li Chengyu, the instigator of this incident, and representatives from Kunlong Airlines, as well as representatives from all airlines—remained silent.

At this moment, time belongs to Xu Qing.

They could tell that Yun Shang's last sentence was no longer a joke or sarcasm towards Xu Qing, but rather a genuine attempt to save face for Xu Qing.

Xu Qing slowly turned around and met Mei Tingting, who was standing not far away. He smiled at her and asked, "What do you think?"

Tears welled in Mei Tingting's eyes, but a smile graced her face: "Aren't you in charge of my decisions? Why are you asking me?"

"Hahaha!" Xu Qing let out a hearty laugh. "You blocked all the signals in the building, right? Remove them now. I have something to say. Also, the guards at the main gate, disperse!"

With his exceptional eyesight, Xu Qing noticed the unusual activity among the people present almost immediately and quickly deduced that Mei Tingting had likely taken some measures, such as signal jamming. And how could Xu Qing not know about the large number of security personnel gathering at the main gate?

"Xu Qing." Mei Tingting wanted to persuade Xu Qing to reconsider, but after seeing Xu Qing's expression, she finally gave up: "I understand."

Yun Shang frowned slightly and said softly, "Mr. Xu, I hope you've thought carefully about what you want to say."

"Based on the heartfelt advice you gave me at the end, I don't think you're beyond redemption; you're just a spoiled brat," Xu Qing sighed.

Yun Shang's heart skipped a beat; he sensed something was amiss.

It has to be said that Mei Tingting acted very quickly; in no time, the signal jamming in the entire building was lifted.

"We have a signal." After discovering that they could receive a signal, many reporters began to adjust their equipment again.

Meanwhile, the security personnel guarding the main gate seemed to have received instructions and began to gradually disperse, no longer preventing people from entering. Because many people had made phone calls to call for backup before the signal was blocked, a considerable crowd had already gathered at the main gate.

As the security personnel stopped blocking the crowd from entering, the surging crowd began to rush into the hall, and countless spotlights shone on Xu Qing, as if he were receiving a baptism of holy light.

At this moment, Xu Qing slowly opened his arms, and the light shone on him, casting a cross-shaped shadow behind him, like a suffering saint.

"I am here. Over the past twenty years, countless people have tried to replace me, but none have succeeded." Xu Qing's voice gradually rose in pitch: "Then for the next ten, twenty years, and even until the very end of my life, I will still be here!"

"It's been too long, far too long! So long that I've almost forgotten what flying truly feels like, so long that even demons and villains have started to harbor delusions." A spark ignited in Xu Qing's eyes: "I feel it's time to re-establish my position!"

My recent data has been declining, which has really upset me. I'm begging for monthly tickets, donations, subscriptions, and all sorts of support. Thank you so much!

(End of this chapter)