Legendary Captain

Chapter 318 Becoming the Best Fighter Pilot

"You're saying there's a problem with that aircraft's maintenance records?" When Luo Qing returned to the Yunnan-Yunnan base and heard his assistant's report, he was completely taken aback: "What exactly happened?"

"When the investigation team was conducting a metal fatigue check on the aircraft, they found that the metal age at the root of the right wing did not match the age of the aircraft. So they went back to check the aircraft's maintenance records and found that the right wing root had been replaced during the last D maintenance, but this replacement record was not kept in the file," the assistant said. "Now the authorities are requiring a review of the maintenance records for all flights, and the maintenance support department is in complete chaos."

"Is everything in chaos? Isn't this their own fault? Maintenance records for wing structure replacements are missing; how come they don't lose their heads too?" Luo Qing paced back and forth in his office, then suddenly stopped and asked, "What's the Bureau's stance on this?"

"There's no clear indication yet; we'll have to wait until all maintenance records are reviewed before making a decision," the assistant said worriedly. "This maintenance record issue is so serious; I heard that the bureau will soon conduct a thorough investigation of all records in our flight department. Mr. Luo, if they keep investigating like this, they'll inevitably find more problems."

Star Travel Airlines is no longer a tiny airline, so it's bound to have some unresolved issues, some of which even Star Travel employees don't remember. If you investigate thoroughly, you'll most likely uncover some long-standing problems. At this sensitive juncture, even a small issue can be fatal.

"General Manager Wang has already resigned because of this maintenance record issue. If our flight department has any more problems, General Manager Luo, you..."

Luo Qing pondered for a moment: "Have Fei Biao check all the training, inspection, and training records from previous years as soon as possible. If there are any errors or omissions, deal with them immediately."

After saying that, Luo Qing thought for a moment and waved his hand: "Let's tell them to try our best to handle it. Forcing them won't work. Let's leave it to fate."

The accumulated files over the years are countless; how could they possibly be reviewed in a short time? This isn't something he can simply resolve with a simple "handle it quickly." Considering this, Luo Qing didn't want to put more psychological pressure on the Feibiao staff, so he would only do his best, and see how far he could go.

A problem with a maintenance record led to Wang Xian's removal as Vice President of Maintenance. If a problem were to occur with any flight document, given the current situation, he, as Vice President of Operations, would likely not be able to leave his post normally either.

Originally, Luo Qing was scheduled to be transferred to Chimelong Airlines soon, but if something goes wrong, the transfer to Chimelong Airlines will probably be canceled.

"Mr. Luo, there is a creditors' meeting later that requires your attendance. Here are the details." The assistant handed a set of meeting materials to Luo Qing, but Luo Qing waved it away.

"Our Star Travel Airlines only enjoyed a few days of glory, but unexpectedly, we've become a drowning dog in the blink of an eye," Luo Qing sighed.

Prior to this, Star Travel Airlines was experiencing excellent growth, with the company even borrowing heavily to prepare for expansion. However, just as they were about to embark on a major expansion, their growth came to an abrupt halt. These assets, prepared for expansion, became a financial burden before they even generated profits, a truly ironic situation.

To be honest, the banks or investment institutions that lent money to Star Travel Airlines probably never imagined that Star Travel Airlines, which was about to soar to great heights, would fall so quickly.

Unexpectedly, the lenders are now frequently visiting Xingyou Airlines, fearing that if the airline declares bankruptcy, their loans will be lost. To appease these creditors, Xingyou Airlines organized a creditors' meeting, hoping to calm their anxieties. As the Vice President of Operations for Xingyou Airlines, Luo Qing naturally had to attend.

Affected by the recent incident of a plane running off the runway, Star Travel's flight load factor plummeted, the marketing situation of surrounding shopping malls deteriorated rapidly, and a large number of cancellations occurred, leaving the marketing department in a state of chaos.

This incident differs from previous ones because the flight data recorder was severely damaged, preventing the authorities from providing a clear conclusion. This prolonged delay in issuing an investigation result has been interpreted by the public as evidence of official cover-up against Xu Xian. Prior to this, much information circulating online was highly unfavorable to Xu Xian, pointing directly to pilot error. While this information doesn't directly prove any pilot error, it has fueled public speculation. Furthermore, the authorities' continued reluctance to provide a clear explanation has led to various conspiracy theories and allegations of cover-up becoming prevalent.

"Mr. Luo, the three A330s are expected to enter China through Tianjin Port tomorrow. What do you think of the flight department's planned welcoming ceremony?"

Luo Qing was exasperated: "What kind of time is this? A welcoming ceremony? I remember there were five more after these three, right? These eight A330s are our Star Trek's death knell!"

Star Travel had leased eight A330s as its main aircraft for developing international long-haul routes. However, the three international routes that were about to be approved have been completely canceled due to this incident.

The plane was acquired, and the personnel training costs were paid, but the flight route was canceled. Isn't that a huge joke?

The A330 is a heavy aircraft, and flying domestic routes would result in a loss. However, even if it's not flown, the daily costs of leasing, land acquisition, labor, and maintenance still lead to losses. Moreover, for some reason, the A330 has a higher failure rate and higher maintenance costs compared to other aircraft models, which is quite problematic.

This situation with the A330 is not an isolated case; Star Travel flights frequently have only two or three passengers on board. In such situations, the airline has no choice but to cancel the flight, otherwise it will operate at a loss.

However, canceling a flight only means losing a little less money; the plane still has to pay the airport for parking on the tarmac, and various maintenance costs are still unavoidable.

Recently, rows of Star Travel Airlines planes have been basking in the sun on the tarmac at Yunnan Airport, which is a huge waste of money.

"I never imagined that Xingyou's illness would be so life-threatening," Luo Qing sighed.

The reason Star Travel is in such a predicament is mainly because it occurred at a critical juncture when the company had taken out large amounts of borrowing and investing without generating returns. These assets, purchased for future development, are now all worthless and stuck in the company's hands. Furthermore, unlike previous safety incidents, this one appears to be caused by human manipulation, which is unacceptable to the public.

With the development of civil aviation, the public's acceptance of flight safety is much higher than before. They are far less likely to blame flight accidents caused by weather or accidental mechanical failures. Therefore, even though Xingyou Airlines has faced numerous challenges in the past, it continues to thrive.

However, if the incident was caused by human error, the nature of the matter is different. Although the incident has not yet been definitively classified, various rumors and analyses are quite detailed, and the authorities have not issued a definitive statement. This has led the public to believe that these rumors have some merit and that there is indeed a possibility of pilot error. Once this idea takes hold, that person will likely never buy a Star Travel Airlines ticket again.

Given how things have developed, it was largely predictable that Star Travel's ticket revenue would shrink significantly.

On the one hand, a debt crisis caused by massive borrowing, and on the other hand, a rapid decline in revenue. Under the combined effect of these two factors, Xingyou Airlines' fledgling growth was severely thwarted, and it suffered a crushing defeat.

The assistant added, "Of the 200 million yuan in funding approved by the group this month, only a little over 100 million has been received. The application for next month's funding has already been rejected by the group's board of directors. In other words, this 100 million yuan is the last bit of help the group can give us. Mr. Luo, if this continues, we won't even be able to pay our salaries. What should we do?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know what to do?" Luo Qing was extremely frustrated. "Where's Xu Xian?"

"I don't know!" The assistant shook his head. "It seems they went to the Rong residence."

"Going to Rong Mansion? What are you going to Rong Mansion for?" Luo Qing was stunned for a moment. The Yunnan-Yunnan base was in complete chaos. Did he still have the leisure to go to Rong Mansion?

The assistant said uncertainly, "It seems they went to find someone."

"Looking for me?" In the research lab, Ye Qing was stunned when he heard from the gatekeeper that someone named Xu Xian was looking for him. He quickly told the gatekeeper, "Don't let him leave yet. Tell him I'll change my clothes and come out."

Ten minutes later, in the reception room of Luohang Industrial, Ye Qing, who had taken off his research coat, and Xu Xian, who looked travel-worn, sat together.

"You basically just stay here? Don't you ever fly around?" Xu Xian said with a wry smile, "I called you several times, but you didn't answer. Luckily you were here today, otherwise I would have made a wasted trip."

Before coming here, Xu Xian had tried calling Ye Qing, but he couldn't get through to Ye Qing's phone. So, Xu Xian had no choice but to come and try his luck in person.

"My main job is research; flying is just a side job," Ye Qing laughed. "It's normal for me to spend the whole day in the lab without looking at my phone, sorry about that!"

When Ye Qing was changing his clothes, he glanced at his phone and saw a series of missed calls from Xu Xian. He knew that Xu Xian probably had something urgent to tell him.

"What brings you here today? Do you feel your physical condition is good enough to participate in the physical examination?" Ye Qing, who spends all day in the research lab, was unaware of Xu Xian's recent troubles and assumed that Xu Xian had come to ask him to help register for the physical examination.

"It's like this." Xu Xian adjusted his mindset and recounted the things that had happened to him to Ye Qing.

About twenty minutes later, Ye Qing began to understand Xu Xian's purpose: "You want me to help recover the data from the damaged flight data recorder?"

"That's right! I'm certain my maneuvering was flawless. Whether it was due to airflow or mechanical failure, only the data from the flight data recorder can prove it now. However, it seems the flight data recorder was severely damaged, and the official investigation team is at a loss, so they've handed it over to a third-party data recovery agency. But I heard they're not confident in data recovery either, so I had no choice but to come to you. Do you do this kind of work?"

Not long ago, after completing all the cooperation in the investigation, Xu Xian ended his quarantine. Afterward, he was able to learn some inside details, including the severely damaged flight data recorder. He deeply understood the predicament he faced, and recovering the flight data was the most crucial point for Xu Xian to turn the tide.

He even went to inquire with the third-party data recovery agency. According to them, they weren't actually confident in recovering the data; they could only say they would do their best.

Hearing this reply, Xu Xian was unwilling to entrust his future to an uncertain possibility, so he could only turn to Ye Qing. In Xu Xian's mind, Ye Qing was the best at all technical matters, even though there might be a mismatch in their expertise.

However, Xu Xian thought that since aircraft design also involves the digital field of avionics systems, Ye Qing might also have a deep understanding of data.

Anyway, Xu Xian was just trying anything as a last resort.

"You don't have any physical evidence for me to refer to, how am I supposed to know if it can be restored?" Ye Qing shrugged. "I'm not a god, can you get your hands on a physical flight data recorder?"

"How could I possibly get the actual item?" Xu Xian said helplessly. "However, I have a damage report for the flight data recorder. The description of the damage is very detailed. Would you like to take a look?"

"Damage report?" Ye Qing curled her lip and beckoned to Xu Xian with her finger: "Let me see it."

Taking the report from Xu Xian, Ye Qing glanced at it and said, "It's not so badly damaged that it can't be repaired. The technical staff at your Civil Aviation Administration aren't very skilled!"

"Can it be restored?" Xu Xian's eyes lit up. "How long will that take? I'll talk to the bureau and have them send the stuff over to you."

In any case, whether it's sent to a third-party organization or to Ye Qing, there will be bureau personnel accompanying it, so there's no difference. Besides, Ye Qing's place isn't some random place, so if Xu Xian applies, it should be possible.

Ye Qing chuckled and tossed the report back to Xu Xian: "Restoration? No problem. But why should I help you? I'm pretty confident I can restore this, but it would require me to pull some people from my research team, which would affect my research progress. So why should I help you? We're not close enough for me to help you unconditionally, are we?"

Xu Xian was taken aback, then suddenly realized that although he and Ye Qing had some acquaintance, they were certainly not on the level of risking their lives for each other. Why would Ye Qing help Xu Xian when it would affect the research progress?

This is indeed a big problem.

However, since Ye Qing spoke up instead of directly refusing, it means there is still room for negotiation.

"So, what conditions do you want for me to agree to help me restore the data?" Xu Xian asked.

Ye Qing tapped her finger on the table: "How's your physical condition been going over the past year?"

"What?" Xu Xian was caught off guard by Ye Qing's sudden change of topic, but he quickly realized what Ye Qing was asking: "You mean the physical exam?"

"Yes!" Ye Qing didn't mince words anymore: "If you want me to help you restore the data, that's fine! But you must pass a medical exam, join the Luohang Industrial fleet, and become the best pilot of the year, is that alright?"

"No. What do you want to do? Why do I have to be the pilot of the year?"

"Because only the best pilot of the year can fly my latest fighter jet design. A good horse needs a good saddle; only those I approve of are worthy of flying my plane." Ye Qing stared intently at Xu Xian: "Xu Xian, your flying talent is exceptional; don't waste it. So, are you willing?"

"You mean, not only do I have to join, but I also have to fly really well?" Xu Xian looked troubled. Even though he was somewhat interested in fighter jets, he really didn't intend to make it his career goal. His plan was to quit once the novelty wore off. But Ye Qing meant that not only did he have to work hard to pass the physical exam, but he also had to train like crazy after joining, striving to be the best? That would be an immense amount of pressure, something Xu Xian couldn't accept.

Xu Xian was momentarily at a loss. If he agreed, he would be at Ye Qing's mercy.

"You need to think about it some more? Based on what you just said, without that data, you can forget about turning the tide. You still need to consider it? Anyway, I'm not in a hurry; you're the one who should be!" Ye Qing stood up: "If you can't give me an answer now, think about it yourself later. After you've thought it through, call me after 10 p.m. every night. I can usually answer."

Xu Xian is a very lazy person, and I guess he might not be able to accept it for a while. I need to let him think about it.

To Ye Qing's surprise, just as he stood up, Xu Xian's firm voice came from behind him: "Alright! It's a deal!"

The Wens Group's top-floor conference room held an emergency board meeting.

"The reason for this last-minute call is to give everyone a heads-up before the shareholders' meeting. As you all know, the longer this drags on, the greater the burden on the group will be. The finance department, together with the audit department and the legal department, has already submitted a proposal for the bankruptcy liquidation of Xingyou Airlines. This proposal will be discussed at the shareholders' meeting, and everyone should know how to vote on it," said Director Wen Ningyuan.

Wen Ningyuan's elderly father, Wen Changxing, closed his eyes to rest and remained silent, while the chairperson's seat at the board meeting was vacant.

Most of the board members did not react excessively to Wen Ningyuan's remarks about Star Travel's bankruptcy. Star Travel's current situation certainly warrants bankruptcy as soon as possible to prevent further losses.

However, a small number of directors expressed hesitation. One director bluntly stated, "The chairman explicitly opposed Star Travel's bankruptcy. Are we completely disregarding the chairman's opinion?"

The chairman mentioned by this director is Wen Jingshu, who has explicitly stated that she does not support the bankruptcy of Xingyou Airlines.

"Why doesn't Xingyou Airlines go bankrupt? It's losing over ten million every day, and the loss is still increasing. The peak loss is estimated to be over forty million a day. Who can stand that?" Wen Ningyuan questioned. "They borrowed billions, and the planes they bought are now just sitting on the tarmac, isn't that a fact? The chairman disagrees? Does her disagreement mean Xingyou Airlines can turn a profit? If this drags on, the losses will only grow. Cutting losses is the wise thing to do. We must be responsible to all shareholders. Besides, as chairman, how can someone be late for the board meeting? Does someone like that deserve to be chairman?"

Although many matters of the group are now handled by Wen Jingshu's grandfather, Wen Changxing, Wen Jingshu is still nominally the chairperson and should preside over the board meetings. However, today, Wen Jingshu was unusually late.

(End of this chapter)