Legendary Captain

Chapter 276 The Return of the First Legend (Part 1)

Hanjing City, Tianyan Magazine Editorial Office.

Editor-in-Chief Ye Jing received a reply from Star Travel Airlines regarding the interview plan for Xu Xian. She reviewed it briefly and found that Star Travel Airlines had not made significant changes to the original plan they had submitted. They had only slightly modified some complicated steps, which shortened the entire interview process by about a quarter.

Ye Jing would ideally want to interview Xu Xian in as much detail as possible. However, this was clearly not entirely possible for her. Reducing the total processing time by about a quarter would be more acceptable to her.

"Go back and review it carefully again to see if there are any problems. If there are any problems, resolve them as soon as possible. If you can't resolve them, notify me immediately." Ye Jing handed the revised interview to her assistant and asked her to cross-check it.

Ye Jing is usually very busy. Humans aren't machines; when tasks are plentiful, it's easy to lose focus and cause problems. In such situations, arrogance is very risky; having someone else double-check is the safest approach.

The assistant took the proposal documents and asked, puzzled, "Sister Jing, is something the matter? You seem to be in a hurry."

The assistant vaguely remembered that the interview with Xu Xian had taken place some time ago, and there was plenty of time to slowly review the plan and process. However, judging from Ye Jing's appearance, she seemed to be in a great hurry.

"Things have changed!" Ye Jing took out an invitation from the drawer and tossed it to her assistant: "Five days from now, at Xianchi Airport, Xu Xian will be conducting a real aircraft simulation of ultra-low altitude leveling. We should go too. Let's take this opportunity to start our interview work."

The assistant was startled: "Sister Jing, do you mean the entire interview will be moved up, starting with the event five days from now?"

"That's right! Strike while the iron is hot, so naturally we need to do it ahead of time. Any questions?"

The assistant did some mental calculations. If the interviews were to begin with the event five days from now, the entire interview process would have to be moved up by almost ten days.

"Sister Jing, this is all so sudden. I can only say I'll try my best; I really can't guarantee anything. However, based on my estimation, there shouldn't be any major problems."

Ye Jing nodded; she knew that advancing the schedule so much earlier than expected was indeed very stressful. She wasn't the type of leader who unconditionally pressured her subordinates. While human initiative was important, objective laws also needed to be considered.

"This really happened suddenly. I originally thought that the selection of the venue would take some time to negotiate, but I didn't expect Hamchi Airport to suddenly change its mind and readily agree to provide the venue. I really didn't expect that," Ye Jing said.

Ye Jing had actually been paying attention to Xu Xian's real aircraft simulation activities, so she knew some inside information. She was also very familiar with the fact that the authorities had initially contacted Hamchi Airport but were rejected.

The authorities have some control over private airports, but not that strong. So Ye Jing felt that Hamchi Airport would eventually agree, although the process would be a bit complicated, since it involved Hamchi Airport negotiating the price.

As Ye Jing had predicted, subsequent developments led to a stalemate in negotiations between the authorities and Hamchi Airport. However, at this critical juncture, Hamchi Airport unexpectedly and without explanation expressed its willingness to cooperate with the authorities' demands, even undergoing a complete 180-degree change in attitude, causing Ye Jing to make a huge misjudgment of the situation.

Ye Jing originally thought that once the authorities and Hamchi Airport reached an agreement, the interviews could begin as scheduled. However, the negotiations took an unexpected turn, leading to the current urgent situation.

The timing and angle of an interview are crucial, and the upcoming ultra-low-altitude leveling simulation is an excellent choice—this opportunity is not to be missed. Although Ye Jing is usually considerate of her subordinates, at this moment she can only ask them to work harder.

The assistant was used to these last-minute changes, and she asked Ye Jing with considerable curiosity, "Sister Jing, is that ultra-low-altitude leveling maneuver you mentioned the final landing maneuver of Star Travel 6333?"

As details of the special circumstances surrounding flight Xingyou 6333 continue to emerge, Xu Xian's miraculous landing maneuver at Xianchi Airport has astonished almost everyone.

In this era, while the civil aviation industry isn't yet universally known, it's not as mysterious as it used to be either; many people have some basic knowledge of flight. It's precisely because of this knowledge that they can better appreciate just how amazing Xu Xian's maneuvers were.

Using this grounded approach as a starting point undoubtedly generates significant buzz for the upcoming annual cover issue of the magazine.

Although Ye Jing's assistant possessed some knowledge of aviation, she was not a professional. Therefore, she was unsure about some terms and needed to verify them.

"Yes, do you have any thoughts?" Ye Jing asked with a smile. Right now, her assistant was acting like a complete fangirl.

The assistant said shyly, "What thoughts could I possibly have? I just feel that this kind of operation is a stroke of genius; it's not something that can be simulated."

A good article is born of nature, and a masterpiece is often a matter of chance. Some things are very difficult to replicate, even if it's the same person in the same place.

"What you said makes sense, but since Xu Xian accepted it, there shouldn't be any problems." Ye Jing waved her hand, "You can go out and get busy now."

"Okay!" The assistant nodded, and was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something and returned to ask Ye Jing, "Sister Jing, should we completely stay out of Xu Qing's affairs lately?"

The biggest news recently has undoubtedly been about Xu Qing. As the only media outlet in the civil aviation industry with an official background, Tianyan Magazine should logically follow up on this. However, Ye Jing directly demanded that everyone at Tianyan Magazine refrain from making any public comments about Xu Qing's case or conducting any investigations into him. This means that Tianyan Magazine has completely abandoned the massive traffic generated by the Xu Qing incident during this period.

Because of its special status, Tianyan Magazine is not too demanding in terms of traffic. Unlike other media, it does not chase traffic and follow news only to increase the topicality, regardless of quality.

The Xu Qing incident naturally had a gossip element to it and couldn't be considered a serious news category. However, compared to those vulgar and offensive gossip stories, the Xu Qing incident was quite acceptable.

Tianyan Magazine isn't so aloof as to reject all news of this kind, which has a slightly gossipy nature. But this time, Ye Jing directly used her power to order all employees within the magazine to stay away from the Xu Qing incident.

This is quite rare for Ye Jing, the editor-in-chief, who is usually good-tempered.

Logically, Ye Jing's decision, which had already been made clear, shouldn't be questioned anymore. However, the assistant felt very uncomfortable seeing that many other media outlets had made a fortune from this incident, while her own could only watch helplessly. She felt that she had a good personal relationship with Ye Jing, and for the sake of the magazine's overall interests, it was necessary to remind Ye Jing.

This assistant had been with Ye Jing for many years, and Ye Jing naturally knew that she had no intention of challenging her authority; she was simply thinking of the magazine's interests. Therefore, Ye Jing didn't scold her, but waved her hand: "You're still young and don't understand many things. You can go now, but don't let it happen again."

Upon hearing the words "This will not happen again," the assistant's heart tightened. She knew that Ye Jing was not angry because of her years of service, and she quickly and tactfully withdrew from the editor-in-chief's office.

After her assistant left, the editor-in-chief's office was empty, but Ye Jing's mind showed no sign of settling down for a moment.

"Xu Qing, Xu Qing, what are you going to do this time?" Ye Jing couldn't help but recall her first meeting with Xu Qing.

Back then, she was just a junior reporter for Tianyan Magazine, while Xu Qing was a rising star, full of ambition and looking down on all the heroes in the world. Unexpectedly, more than twenty years later, Xu Qing, who had enjoyed a lifetime of glory, would suffer a disgrace in his later years.

The Xu Qing incident generated an enormous amount of traffic, and civil aviation media outlets certainly profited handsomely from it. However, whether as a private friend or a public partner, Ye Jing could only decline this massive media frenzy and preserve Xu Qing's dignity to the very end.

Because Tianyan Magazine has a certain official affiliation, any commentary on the Xu Qing incident by it would have a different meaning. Therefore, Ye Jing withstood all the pressure from within the magazine and resolutely refused to report on the Xu Qing incident.

Her assistant had just asked her about her attitude towards the Xu Qing incident, which undoubtedly reflected the magazine's internal reaction to her decision. No matter how high and mighty Tianyan Magazine may be, it's not an ethereal being untouched by worldly affairs; it also needs traffic and attention. Watching its competitors reap the rewards of this traffic frenzy while it can only watch with envy would naturally stir up some ulterior motives. However, most people chose to remain silent due to Ye Jing's intimidation.

Even knowing the attitudes of most people within the magazine, Ye Jing would not change her mind.

Even if it's just wishful thinking, she's still waiting for a miracle.

The young man who created countless miracles seems to be miracles themselves. In this crisis, can he turn the tide once again?

For a fleeting moment, Ye Jing felt a loss of interest and sighed, "It's all about timing and fate!"

A sigh, filled with so much helplessness and bitterness.

"His fate is not yet decided!" As a sprightly old man entered, his resounding voice echoed in the editor-in-chief's office.

Ye Jing was startled, then immediately came to her senses and respectfully said, "Elder Shi!"

Shi Lanxi, leaning on her cane, approached Ye Jing and said, "Ye girl, the magazine's interests are everyone's interests, but your personal relationship with Xu Qing is your own business. Don't confuse the two."

Ye Jing knew that Shi Lanxi had doubts about her decision to report on the Xu Qing incident, and that she had come to confront her.

Ye Jing's actions constituted using public office for private purposes, which is inappropriate.

"I know!" Ye Jing lowered her head, offering no explanation, for it was an undeniable fact.

Shi Lanxi sneered: "So, what are you going to do next?"

A resolute light shone in Ye Jing's eyes: "I know I'm wrong, but I won't change!"

Shi Lanxi was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter, "What a magnificent display of power from the eldest daughter of the Ye family!"

Ye Jing's family wields considerable influence within the civil aviation system; otherwise, Ye Jing wouldn't have become the editor-in-chief of Tianyan Magazine at such a young age.

"Mr. Shi, you know how Xu Qing injured his right hand. If this becomes a reason for those scheming and despicable people to mock him, it will be a disgrace to our entire civil aviation industry. I can't control others, I can only discipline myself," Ye Jing said calmly.

"Did you know that Xu Qing will be attending Xu Xian's upcoming game simulation event as an invited guest?"

Ye Jing hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Are you sure?"

"Of course it's confirmed, otherwise why would I tell you?"

"How could that be? How could he possibly show his face now?" Ye Jing herself works in the media; how could she not know that if Xu Qing were to appear in public at this critical juncture, he would face endless questioning and abuse? The human heart is never without a dark side, and those who have been waiting for Xu Qing's downfall have now seized the opportunity—wouldn't they want to vent their anger to the fullest? Moreover, would the reporters, who smell blood, let Xu Qing off the hook?

Ye Jing muttered under her breath, "Are the PR department at Qingyuan Group just sitting around doing nothing? I'm calling Xu Qing!"

"No need. Xu Qing can't possibly misunderstand such a simple truth. Let him be!" Shi Lanxi stopped Ye Jing. "Girl, no one can help him! He can only rely on himself!"

"But...but now that things have come to this, how can he possibly turn things around?" Ye Jing was momentarily dejected.

"His only chance lies with that kid Xu Xian," Shi Lanxi sighed. "He used to protect Xu Xian from the wind and rain, but now it all depends on how Xu Xian protects him."

"Mr. Shi, do you think Xu Xian can grow to that level?"

Xu Qing is clearly showing signs of ruining his reputation in his later years; the higher one climbs, the harder one falls. To save Xu Qing, Xu Xian must establish an unparalleled position and demeanor to dispel all doubts. But can Xu Xian achieve that?

Shi Lanxi said in a low voice, "Then we'll see at Xianchi Airport."

In the chairman's office of the Wen Group, Wen Changxing stared directly at Yang Ning and coldly asked, "Do you know anything about what Jing Shu told Xianchi Airport?"

Yang Ning answered honestly, "I know it was me who was responsible for relaying the message."

Snapped!

Wen Changxing slammed his hand on the table: "Jing Shu is young and naive, and you're following suit. Hasn't Jing Shu angered both the Bureau and Kunlong Airlines with her actions? How can we possibly get along in the future? I already told that girl Jing Shu not to kick Qingyuan Group when it's down, and that's already my biggest concession. What more does she want? Where is she?"

"Miss is still inspecting work in Yunnan and shouldn't be back for a while. In five days, Miss will go to Xianchi Airport with Xu Xian," Yang Ning said calmly, as if she had no fear of Wen Changxing's anger.

Originally, she had gone to Yunnan with Wen Jingshu to inspect Xingyou Aviation, but Wen Jingshu couldn't take her eyes off Xu Xian and said she needed to extend the inspection. Yang Ning naturally knew Wen Jingshu's little scheme, but she didn't point it out.

Currently, Wen Changxing is handling most of the Wen Group's operations, so Wen Jingshu doesn't have much to do and enjoys a lot of freedom. Conversely, Yang Ning still has quite a few things to deal with. He can't keep dating Wen Jingshu indefinitely, so he had to return to headquarters early. However, he was summoned to the chairman's office by Wen Changxing shortly after his return.

"Xu Xian." Wen Changxing roughly understood what his granddaughter was doing. Thinking of the scene of holding his great-grandson, Wen Changxing had no choice but to suppress his anger.

After considering it for a moment, he said to Yang Ning, "I don't object to Jing Shu asking Xianchi Airport to cooperate with the authorities, but the extra tasks she gave to the airport security department must be stopped. She's provoking Kunlong Airlines; she's gambling with the Wen Group's aviation industry!"

Yang Ning did not answer Wen Changxing directly, but respectfully said, "Master, Miss asked me to pass on a message to you!"

Wen Changxing frowned: "What did she say?"

Yang Ning took a deep breath, seemingly suppressing the surging emotions in her chest. She lowered her head, avoiding Wen Changxing's gaze, but her voice was filled with unwavering resolve: "Nothing ventured, nothing gained!"

Wen Changxing was struck dumb, as if by lightning. In just a few seconds, he seemed to age a thousand years, but after a moment, he suddenly burst into a hearty laugh: "I never thought my spirit would grow stronger with age! Truly a descendant of the Wen family, truly a descendant of the Wen family! Even a girl can have the ambition to change the world!"

"Sir, what about Miss?"

Wen Changxing sighed, his voice slightly weary, whether from sadness or relief, it was hard to tell: "Let's do as she says. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, Xu Qing! We're all counting on you!"

"Chairman, about Xu Xian's matter," Sheng Shilong reported nervously to Yun Shang about the cross-regional inspection. Before the trip, Yun Shang had repeatedly instructed him to give Xu Xian a hard time. Ironically, instead of intimidating Xu Xian, he was the one who was rendered speechless by Xu Xian's words.

Yun Shang's face showed a slight dissatisfaction, but he did not criticize Sheng Shilong too much. Sheng Shilong told him the whole story, and his heart pounded when he heard that Xu Xianneng had managed to jam the elevator and prevent anyone from noticing anything unusual.

"You mean our company, no, in the domestic civil aviation industry, is there anyone who can keep Xu Xian in check?" Yun Shang didn't want to have just dealt with Xu Qing, only to have another Xu Xian pop up.

Sheng Shilong still felt a chill run down his spine when he recalled Xu Xian's terrifying manipulation skills during the inspection: "Chairman, I'm not trying to boost others' morale while belittling our own. I don't know about other companies, but in our company, apart from Instructor Han, I dare say no one can compare to Xu Xian. Besides, Chairman, you know, didn't Instructor Han try to replicate Xu Xian's grounding operation before? And the result..."

Rumors circulated online about Han Qi's failed recovery attempt and Xu Xian's extremely low-altitude maneuver, but Kunlong Aviation responded promptly, so the rumors online were just that—rumors—and there was no concrete evidence.

However, as members of Kunlong Aviation, Sheng Shilong and Yun Shang both knew that the news was true. Han Qi did attempt to replicate Xu Xian's grounding maneuver, but failed.

This outcome made Yun Shang extremely wary of Xu Xian.

"Damn it, these Xu bastards, one after another..." Yun Shang's face was extremely unpleasant. Judging from the current situation, Xu Xian's rise seemed unstoppable. Their only advantage now was the first-mover advantage; they had to seize and solidify their share of the domestic civil aviation market before Xu Xian gained power. Otherwise, once that kid Xu Xian grew up, who knows what changes might occur.

Moreover, Yun Shang is particularly concerned that Xu Xian seems to have a very good private relationship with Xu Qing.

As for the rumors they spread that Xu Xian was Xu Qing's illegitimate son, Yun Shang himself did not believe them.

Sheng Shilong remembered something and cautiously asked Yun Shang, "Chairman, I heard that Instructor Han flew into a rage at the recent board meeting. He said... he said that Xu Xian was actually the person he chose to protect Kunlong Airlines in the future? Is that true?"

Upon hearing this, Yun Shang's face immediately darkened.

At yesterday's board meeting, Han Qi directly berated him, causing him to lose face. However, some things Han Qi revealed also made Yun Shang feel somewhat worried.

According to Han Qi, he had been optimistic about Xu Xian's potential before this, so they maintained a good relationship privately. He believed that once Han Qi retired, the more accomplished Xu Xian would naturally not mistreat Kunlong Airlines. This was also why Han Qi stood up for Xu Xian during the Kunyang River emergency landing incident.

Han Qi's idea was to build a good relationship with Xu Xian. He didn't expect Xu Xian to fight for Kunlong Airlines in the future, but at least he could ensure that Kunlong Airlines would be safe and sound.

The truth is, before this, his private relationship with Xu Xian was indeed quite good. But this well-cultivated relationship was shattered by Yun Shang.

Not only did Xu Qing and Xu Xian have a special relationship, but Yun Shang also dragged Xu Xian into the conflict while attacking Xu Qing. In an instant, what could have been a friendship turned into an enmity.

Han Qi had long seen through Yun Shang's true nature; he was merely a nobody, capable of preserving the current foundation of Kunlong Airlines. As a member of Kunlong Airlines, even though Han Qi had many grievances against the company, he still wanted to find someone who could at least maintain the company's stability before completely retiring. That person was Xu Xian.

However, Yun Shang directly shattered Han Qi's painstaking efforts.

Already utterly disappointed with Kunlong Airlines, Han Qi launched a tirade against Yunshang at yesterday's board meeting, stunning the assembled directors. Having vented his frustration, Han Qi left the meeting room without looking back.

Because of Han Qi's special status, Kunlong Aviation was almost entirely built on Han Qi's shoulders, so even if Han Qi scolded Yunshang, Yunshang had no choice but to endure it.

However, Han Qi wasn't worried about leaving. The bond between his father, Yun Zhan, and Han Qi was enough to keep him there.

Just then, the door to the chairman's office was slammed open, and the general manager of the flight department rushed in, holding a document in a panic, his face filled with fear.

"Something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened!" the general manager of the flight department shouted as he ran. "Chairman, something terrible has happened!"

Yun Shang revealed a hint of displeasure: "What kind of behavior is this, all flustered and disorganized?"

Normally, when Yunshang scolds him like this, the general manager of the flight department would immediately behave, but this time, the general manager's expression did not change at all.

He was genuinely terrified.

Yun Shang naturally sensed something was amiss and frowned, asking, "What exactly is wrong?"

Before he could finish speaking, his attention shifted to the documents in the hands of the general manager of the flight department, and he coldly demanded, "What are you holding?"

The general manager of the flight department was so excited that his face was flushed and he could hardly speak: "Chairman, I just saw Han Qi's on my desk in my office."

"Han Qi's?" Yun Shang asked in confusion, taking the document from the general manager of the flight department. When he saw the words on the document, his expression changed drastically.

The cover of this document has the words: Notice of Termination of Employment Relationship.

Star Travel Aviation Pilot Recruitment Office.

Xingyou Aviation has been developing rapidly recently, and its own trained flight trainees are not enough to meet the demand. Therefore, Xingyou Aviation has recently begun to recruit experienced pilots from the public.

However, there are very few experienced pilots who have no labor disputes. Even if recruitment is launched, only a handful of people will apply.

With no applicants, the recruitment office here has very little work, and the staff are so idle that they just doze off.

"When will this endless daydreaming end?!" The staff member stretched. He clocked in and out every day, and in the past week he had only processed one job application. His bones were practically rusting.

With nothing to do, the staff member slumped over the table, preparing to take a short nap. Just then, he seemed to hear some movement, like someone's footsteps.

However, given that the recruitment office is usually marginalized and rarely has visitors, he may have misheard.

The footsteps grew closer and clearer until they finally stopped abruptly.

As if sensing something, the staff member slowly raised his head and found that there was indeed someone at his table.

"I heard you're hiring?" the man said with a smile.

The staff member squinted: "A pilot, are you applying?"

The man nodded.

"Oh!" Another job applicant had come. The staff member took out a notebook, ready to take notes: "What's your name?"

The man hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "Han Qi!"

(End of this chapter)