Legendary Captain

Chapter 274 Broken hand!

"Half of Qingyuan Group's new route applications for this quarter have been rejected, which is unheard of!" In Lin Bo's office, Lu Xinyu was reporting some interesting industry news.

For an airline, applying for new routes is extremely important. The regulatory authority's attitude towards approving an airline's new route application can largely reflect the airline's status.

Compared to the arduous process of Xingyou Airlines applying for new routes, which required them to beg and plead, Qingyuan Group, due to its special status, enjoyed numerous advantages in applying for new routes. According to Lu Xinyu, Qingyuan Group's success rate in approving new routes was never less than 70%. However, in the last quarter, Qingyuan Group suffered a major setback, with more than half of its new route applications being rejected, which was truly astonishing.

Compared to Lu Xinyu's shock, Lin Bo appeared much more composed.

"Regardless of the reason, Xu Qing's public assault was absolutely wrong. The fact that Qingyuan Group's application for a new air route was blocked is simply the authorities trying to give Qingyuan Group a warning," Lin Bo said.

At a recent X10 promotional event, Xu Qing, in a fit of rage, slammed reporter Li Chengyu's head hard onto the table in front of a large crowd. Given Xu Qing's status as an industry leader, such violent behavior is clearly unacceptable, and the authorities must issue a warning to Qingyuan Group.

"President Lin, do you think Qingyuan Group is really finished?" Lu Xinyu asked. "Xu Qing has gotten into such a big mess, there's probably no chance of a comeback, right?"

"Who knows?" Lin Bo frowned. "Logically speaking, if Qingyuan Group were to go under, the group should have instructed us to quickly expand the market, since our business overlaps significantly with Qingyuan Group's, allowing us to seamlessly take over the market share vacated by Qingyuan Group. But it seems the group hasn't made a single move. That's strange."

"Could there be some secret information from the group that makes them so cautious?" Everyone knows the saying "when a wall falls, everyone pushes it down," but the group doesn't seem to have any intention of getting involved.

Lu Xinyu couldn't understand why they shouldn't seize the opportunity to take over the market vacated by Qingyuan Group now, or when else would they wait?

However, Lu Xinyu felt that he knew this simple truth. There was no reason why the bigwigs on the group's board of directors wouldn't know it; there must be some special reason preventing them from taking advantage of Qingyuan Group.

Lin Bo tapped the table: "People at our level shouldn't try to figure out what the higher-ups are thinking. By the way, the maintenance department told us that the elevator was stuck the day Xu Xian inspected it. What exactly happened?"

"Isn't that just what it says?" Lu Xinyu pursed his lips, then suddenly asked Lin Bo with great seriousness, "President Lin, if the elevator gets stuck, can you fly in a way that I can't even tell?"

"Are you kidding me? You've been flying for so many years, can't you tell if the elevator is stuck?"

"President Lin, do I look like I'm joking?" Lu Xinyu said with utmost seriousness, "Not only me, but even Sheng Shilong, who was with us, didn't notice."

Lin Bo's eyebrows twitched: "You mean Xu Xian manipulated it?"

"Otherwise what? He was inspecting the plane that day. If it wasn't him flying it, did you think it was me?" Lu Xinyu sighed. "Everyone in the world is saying that Xu Xian is incredibly skilled. At first, I wasn't convinced. How many people actually know the truth? Most are just following the crowd and praising him. But on that day, I realized that such a great reputation is what it is."

"From what you're saying, you think you're inferior to Xu Xian?" Lin Bo said with amusement. "Such words are rarely heard from you."

"With the elevator jammed, you could manipulate it without me noticing? Could you, Mr. Lin?" Lu Xinyu retorted. "His hands are as precise as a machine! It's terrifying. Why do people like this exist?"

"What can you do if you're blessed with natural talent?" Lin Bo felt a pang of envy. Some people don't rely on their parents' connections; they can start ahead of others simply through their own talent. It's just a matter of comparing yourself to others; it's infuriating.

"By the way, what about the real-machine simulation activity proposed by the Southwest Bureau? Has there been no response from above yet?"

Lin Bo stood up and poured Lu Xinyu a cup of tea: "Don't think about it anymore. What else do we have to do with what the bureau is asking for? We're just choosing a location now."

The location for the real-aircraft simulation activity will definitely be an airport, and in order to recreate the scene as accurately as possible, it must conform to the characteristics of Hamchi Airport.

Choosing Hamchi Airport directly would be the best option, but reporting the event would necessitate closing the airport for a period, disrupting operations and consequently impacting revenue. For a private airport, the authorities cannot exert too much influence; they can only try to communicate. Therefore, it's also essential to find an alternative airport to prevent Hamchi Airport from ultimately refusing to host the event or other unforeseen circumstances.

Once the backup airport is found, the matter is considered settled. Xingyou Airlines has no power to refuse. The Southwest Regional Administration has only notified them, rather than seeking their opinions or engaging in discussions.

"It's quite obvious that the bureau wants to promote Xu Xian. This was supposed to be a great opportunity for our company to rise, but now it might bring disaster," Lin Bo sighed.

Judging from the current situation, it's clear that the authorities intend to elevate Xu Xian to the level of Xu Qing or Han Qi. If successful, Xingyou Airlines will naturally reap substantial benefits from Xu Xian's success.

The rise of new forces is inevitably accompanied by the suppression of old forces, and Kunlong Aviation and Qingyuan Group are representatives of the old forces.

Fortunately, Qingyuan Group, one of the representatives of the old guard, seemed to have no hostility towards them, and even showed some goodwill, which was a very good sign. He had previously heard that Qingyuan Group had helped Wen's Group secure the investment in Kunyang Airport. This meant that Qingyuan Group might not be a rival to Xingyou Airlines in its rise, but rather an ally, and could even act as a protector for Xingyou Airlines.

The early stages of a new power's rise are the most dangerous; once this awkward period is overcome, it becomes difficult to contain them.

However, Qingyuan Group, which could provide shelter for Xingyou Airlines and at least counterbalance Kunlong Airlines for some time to come, is already on the verge of collapse. The suddenness of the change caught everyone off guard.

If Qingyuan Group were to disappear, the rising Xingyou Aviation would face the established Kunlong Aviation head-on, and the outcome would be predictable. It might not be completely crushed, but it would at least lose a rare opportunity to rise.

Some opportunities only come once, and then they will never come again.

Therefore, as a community of shared interests, Xingyou Aviation actually didn't want Qingyuan Group to collapse, or at least not so quickly. However, this time the problem was with Xu Qing, the backbone of Qingyuan Group. If something happened to him, it would truly be a cataclysmic collapse, beyond any hope of recovery.

Without the protection of Qingyuan Group, Lin Bo would actually prefer that the authorities not favor Xu Xian so much, as doing so would easily attract attention. Sheng Shilong's aggressive attitude during this cross-regional inspection already spoke volumes, though the fact that Xu Xian ultimately resolved the situation is another matter.

"Why is Kunlong Aviation the only one left? They're not leaving anyone a way out!" Lu Xinyu said speechlessly.

Qingyuan Group was much more moderate in its approach to the development of other airlines. Otherwise, it wouldn't have allowed Kunlong Airlines to rise to prominence before. However, given Kunlong Airlines' vengeful nature, the rise of any other airline was seen as a threat to its existence and had to be nipped in the bud.

"Let's not talk about this anymore, there's nothing we can do about it." Lin Bo waved his hand, not wanting to discuss this unpleasant topic anymore. "By the way, Xu Xian said before that his reward request for handling the 6333 special situation was to reinstate Qin Zongyang's administrative position. After I submitted it, the higher-ups quickly agreed, and the public announcement of the reinstatement should be released in a couple of days. You'd better be careful not to get carried away."

Lin Bo reported Xu Xian's request that day, and the leader's reply came down that afternoon, showing how important Xu Xian was now. Lin Bo knew that Qin Zongyang and Lu Xinyu were mortal enemies, but since Qin Zongyang had an extremely powerful apprentice, it was best not to provoke him.

Lu Xinyu smiled wryly, "President Lin, in my current state, do I still dare to provoke Qin Zongyang? Restoring Qin Zongyang to his position was a decision made by higher-ups, and my opinion is useless! However, if his administrative rank is restored, what about his technical rank? Does this mean Qin Zongyang will be appointed as the deputy general manager of the flight department with the rank of co-pilot?"

Which domestic airline has a co-pilot who also serves as the second-in-command of the flight department? None! Star Travel Airlines has set a precedent for this.

"Technical status isn't so easy to restore. Anyway, the company's higher-ups make the decisions, so let them do whatever they want. It's none of our business," Lin Bo said. "I wonder how happy Qin Zongyang will be to hear that he's been reinstated."

"That must be incredibly exciting!" Inside the cockpit, Qin Zongyang smiled like a chrysanthemum, his face crinkled with wrinkles.

Qin Zongyang patted his chest and laughed loudly, "A co-pilot can become the deputy general manager of the flight department? This old man has truly broadened his horizons! Amazing!"

Xu Xian, sitting in the back, said disdainfully, "Are you being hypocritical after getting a good deal?"

"No, no! If it weren't for Uncle Xu, I wouldn't have been able to get back to my post," Qin Zongyang said with a grin.

Ning Sheng, sitting on the left, chimed in, "President Qin, you've really taken on a fine apprentice!"

Qin Zongyang grinned: "That's right!"

At this very moment, in the cockpit of Star Travel Flight 6551, Ning Sheng, Xu Xian, and Qin Zongyang were chatting and laughing.

Although Qin Zongyang was reinstated as the deputy general manager of the flight department, his technical rank was still that of a co-pilot. Moreover, because Qin Zongyang had previously caused problems, his flight had to be assigned a third second officer. Therefore, at Qin Zongyang's strong request, Xu Xian was added to the team.

Given Xu Xian's rank, he shouldn't have been ranked third except for certain special routes, as this would be considered over-allocation of capacity.

However, Qin Zongyang is not the same as before. Lin Bo specifically told the dispatching department that as long as the requests are not too excessive, they should try to satisfy Xu Xian and his apprentice.

Therefore, after consulting with Lin Bo, the dispatcher agreed to Qin Zongyang's request.

Qin Zongyang, now reinstated, was full of smugness and spoke in a rather unserious manner.

"Who's the most handsome captain in our company again?" Qin Zongyang suddenly asked.

"Cheng Jingdong? What's wrong?" Ning Sheng asked, then a look of interest suddenly appeared on his face: "President Qin, do you have any juicy gossip?"

"Hehe!" Qin Zongyang grinned knowingly. "The other day, the cabin crew was checking the security footage in the departure lounge, and they accidentally discovered that a flight attendant went into that Cheng Jingdong guy's room in the middle of the night. Tsk tsk tsk, this is interesting!"

"Wait a minute, isn't Cheng Jingdong already married?" Ning Sheng frowned.

Qin Zongyang laughed heartily: "That's right, that's the crux of the matter, isn't that interesting! Moreover, the cabin crew member who checked the surveillance footage in the departure lounge is quite the gossipmonger; he spread the news that very day, and it seems even Cheng Jingdong's wife knows about it. Hehe, isn't that interesting?"

Xu Xian couldn't help but shake his head: "People these days, their hearts are truly not what they used to be."

"Who can resist someone as handsome as him? He's practically offering himself up," Qin Zongyang said.

"Master, I didn't expect you to be interested in this kind of thing. I really didn't know that," Xu Xian said with a smile.

"I have plenty of stories to tell, this is nothing. You've seen two pilots go into a cabin crew room, that's really something else. This is just routine."

Xu Xian and Ning Sheng's faces darkened. These two model socialist youths simply couldn't accept such sordid things. However, they also roughly knew that this circle was incredibly chaotic, more chaotic than they could imagine.

"So, Master, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Qin Zongyang held up one finger: "Did you come in through the side door today?"

"Yeah, right!" Xu Xian said. Who uses the main gate for no reason?

"No wonder you didn't know," Qin Zongyang laughed. "Cheng Jingdong's wife hung a banner at the company gate, which is to say that Cheng Jingdong's affair has been exposed to the public. Tsk tsk tsk, women really can't stand it."

"Is that Cheng Jingdong's wife?" Xu Xian exclaimed in surprise. "When I came here today, although I didn't go through the main entrance, when I entered the building, I was facing the entrance, and it seemed quite lively there. I saw a banner hanging at the entrance, what did it say again? 'A place of prostitution, a den of filth,' so that's what it was talking about!"

Xu Xian entered through a small door, but once inside the building, which was square with four entrances, he found himself facing the main entrance directly opposite the first entrance. All four main entrances of the base building were glass doors, allowing Xu Xian to see directly through them into the opposite main entrance.

A large crowd had gathered at the gate, but that wasn't the most eye-catching thing. The most eye-catching thing was a banner that read, "A place of prostitution, a den of filth."

The banner was held high by two men using bamboo poles, making it extremely conspicuous; even Lotto Airlines, located opposite Star Travel Airlines, could probably see it.

There was a large crowd gathered at the gate, and Xu Xian didn't even see that the instigator was Cheng Jingdong's wife. So it seems that the two burly men holding the banner were probably hired by Cheng Jingdong's wife.

Xu Xian immediately suspected that there might be some extramarital affair going on in their company, otherwise how could it be considered a breeding ground for filth?

Hearing Qin Zongyang's words now seemed to confirm Xu Xian's guess. However, the indiscriminate picking of wildflowers had caused a fire in the backyard, and the fire seemed to be spreading outwards.

"If I were Cheng Jingdong, would I still be able to stay at the company?" Xu Xian said disdainfully.

Qin Zongyang chuckled and said, "Cheng Jingdong has a really high opinion of himself. Even after this incident, girls still flock to him, don't they?"

"I think he shouldn't be called Cheng Jingdong, but Li Yilian instead," Xu Xian said with a smile.

Qin Zongyang and Ning Sheng were puzzled: "What does this mean?"

"Li Yilian (Li Yilian), shameless!" Xu Xian laughed loudly.

"Propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shamelessness?" Ning Sheng finally realized what he meant and burst into laughter.

Even Qin Zongyang, who was known for his sharp tongue, was surprised by Xu Xian's curse without using any vulgar language.

"By the way, Master, aren't you going to fly to the main stadium in a couple of days? Can I come and tag along?" Xu Xian suddenly asked.

For Qin Zongyang to regain his rank, there are many procedures involved, including this training session and inspection. This training session is based on time; as long as the takeoffs and landings are fast enough, there is a good chance there will be time left over, which can then be used for other purposes.

"Are you going to fly to this stadium? What do you want to do?" Qin Zongyang asked curiously.

Given Xu Xian's control over the game, the Flying ...

Xu Xian waved his hand: "Oh, it's just that Tianyan magazine that contacted me, saying they wanted to film some footage of me flying. If I were on a flight, the plane would be full of passengers, which would be too much trouble. When I fly to this airport, there's no one else around, so it's much more comfortable."

"Tsk tsk tsk, I'm so envious!" Even as Xu Xian's mentor, Qin Zongyang was extremely envious that Xu Xian was able to be interviewed by Tianyan Magazine: "You talk to the company about it, I'm fine with it."

"Okay!" Xu Xian said happily.

Xingyou Aviation Base. After Cheng Jingdong's wife unfurled the banner, she never appeared again, as if the incident had never happened. As for Cheng Jingdong, just as Qin Zongyang had predicted, the surrounding rumors couldn't pierce his incredibly thick skin. With a little time to settle things, the matter would simply pass.

The chaotic private lives within the civil aviation industry are an open secret. Perhaps influenced by this reality, people in the industry seem more accepting of such situations. Few people would actually target Cheng Jingdong for this; it's more of a topic of conversation after dinner.

In the Flight Department's fleet office, Lu Xinyu was discussing the interview process drafted by Tianyan Magazine with Xu Xian. This process plan was unilaterally created by Tianyan Magazine and then sent to Xingyou Aviation's Flight Department for revision. If there were any improprieties in the plan, Xingyou Aviation would provide revision suggestions, which Tianyan Magazine would then consider, aiming for mutual acceptance.

As the main figure in this matter, Xu Xian should definitely be invited to come and discuss it.

"It's just an interview, why drag it out like this? I don't have any particular objections, just try to speed things up and streamline the process." Xu Xian looked at the thick stack of interview plans, feeling a chill run down his spine.

Lu Xinyu said sourly, "This is the annual cover story interview. It's fine to streamline it, but if it's made too simple, that would be going too far. This interview isn't just about you; it's also about the company's image. A little bit of formalism is necessary."

Although Xu Xian found some things really annoying, he knew that people couldn't completely isolate themselves from society, and there were still some things that needed to be followed.

"Alright, just don't go too far." Xu Xian didn't dwell on the matter too much, but hearing the commotion outside, he couldn't help but ask, "What's going on outside? It sounds quite lively!"

"It's nothing, the group sent people over for a routine inspection of the company, and they're having a welcome party. It's normal procedure." Lu Xinyu seemed to know some of the inside story: "However, judging from the commotion, it seems that the people from the group who came this time are of quite high rank."

Lu Xinyu's intelligence was incomplete; he knew the group had sent people to inspect the area, but he didn't know exactly who they were.

Xu Xian shrugged: "Are you alright now? If you are, I'm off."

"No, we'll send you a revised version after we've made all the changes. If you've read it and have no problems, I'll reply to Tianyan Magazine."

Xu Xian nodded, got up, and prepared to leave.

At this moment, a large number of people had indeed gathered in the lobby on the first floor of the base building, and Wen Jingshu was the one surrounded by the crowd.

That's right, the person the group sent to inspect Xingyou Aviation this time was Wen Jingshu.

Currently, most of the affairs of the Wen Group are handled by her grandfather, Wen Changxing, leaving Wen Jingshu with virtually nothing to do. Therefore, she took on the task of inspecting Xingyou Airlines, hoping to find an opportunity to meet Xu Xian.

Since Lian Shanxue left, Xu Xian has returned to Yunnan and has never contacted her again.

At this moment, Wen Jingshu was still only with Yang Ning. Opposite her was Marketing Director Li Chuan, and next to Li Chuan was a tall man in a flight uniform.

This man's appearance was truly outstanding, and coupled with his well-proportioned figure, he was the epitome of a male god.

"This is Cheng Jingdong, our company's new brand ambassador," Li Chuan introduced to Wen Jingshu.

After Lian Shanxue went abroad for medical treatment, Li Chuan had to find a replacement and finally chose Cheng Jingdong, the so-called most handsome captain of Xingyou Airlines.

It must be said that Cheng Jingdong, with his top-notch looks, looks even more handsome in a pilot's uniform. Just standing there, he can attract the attention of countless women.

Indeed, this was the case. There were also many flight attendants present to greet him, and most of them focused their attention on Cheng Jingdong.

Lian Shanxue used to attend most formal occasions, and now that Cheng Jingdong has taken over her position, he naturally appears at this event as well.

Wen Jingshu only glanced at Cheng Jingdong before paying no further attention. She simply nodded, smiled, and said nothing more.

Looking at Wen Jingshu's aloof expression, Cheng Jingdong's heart began to race. He had seen countless women, but none of them possessed Wen Jingshu's temperament.

Impulsive, Cheng Jingdong flashed what he thought was a dashing smile and extended his hand to Wen Jingshu, intending to shake hands.

Li Chuan was taken aback; this step didn't seem to be part of the previously agreed-upon welcoming process.

Compared to Li Chuan's surprise, Wen Jingshu frowned almost imperceptibly. However, since Cheng Jingdong had already reached out his hand, it didn't seem right for her to just ignore him.

After hesitating for a moment, Wen Jingshu still reached out her hand and gently shook hands with Cheng Jingdong.

Originally, Wen Jingshu only intended to shake hands briefly and then quickly withdraw, but as soon as she shook hands, she felt that Cheng Jingdong's grip was quite strong, and she couldn't pull her hand back even if she wanted to.

Yang Ning, who was standing next to Wen Jingshu, quickly noticed something was wrong and his face immediately turned hostile.

Just as Wen Jingshu was considering whether to forcefully stop, she suddenly felt someone gently touch her palm. An indescribable chill emanated from Wen Jingshu's eyes. In front of her, Cheng Jingdong still wore that gentlemanly smile, which contrasted sharply with the filthy little gesture on his hand.

Wen Jingshu was about to explode when a figure flashed by. The person grabbed Cheng Jingdong's wrist, pulled hard, and separated Cheng Jingdong and Wen Jingshu's hands. Then, with a sharp twist, Cheng Jingdong's wrist was instantly bent at an odd angle.

"Aaaaaah!" This was followed by Cheng Jingdong's blood-curdling screams. He held his right hand, which was hanging limply, with his other hand, and the veins on his face were bulging.

Everyone present was caught off guard by this unexpected turn of events, and after a short while, they exclaimed in surprise.

"Xu Xu Xian!" When Wen Jing Shu saw who it was, her heart started pounding uncontrollably.

Xu Xian slowly turned around, staring directly at Wen Jingshu, and said coldly, "Wen Jingshu, when did you become so good-tempered? Judging from your previous temper, his hand should have been broken before I even made a move!"

Many years ago, the second son of the Chen family, a domestic financial giant, Sequoia Group, fell in love with Wen Jingshu at first sight. Overwhelmed by his feelings, he acted rashly and touched Wen Jingshu's bare arm. As a result, Wen Jingshu beat him up on the spot, leaving him hospitalized. Wen Jingshu has always been swift and ruthless in her dealings with lecherous men.

This time, Wen Jingshu failed to retaliate against Cheng Jingdong in time, which greatly displeased Xu Xian.

Xu Xian first questioned Wen Jingshu, then turned to Li Chuan, who was still in shock. He glanced at Cheng Jingdong, who was sweating profusely from the pain, and then shouted sternly, "Director Li, if your eyesight is already this bad, I hope you have the self-awareness to resign!"

(End of this chapter)