Legendary Captain

Chapter 356 Armed Fight at the Boarding Gate

"051, prepare for valley crossing flight, pay attention to safety." At the beginning of the valley, a C-16 fighter jet was circling above it, and in the cockpit, the pilot was making final confirmations with the control tower.

"051, received." The pilot took a deep breath and took off his oxygen mask. At this altitude, he didn't need an oxygen mask; wearing it now would only make him feel stuffy.

It wasn't that the oxygen mask actually made the pilot feel suffocated, but rather it was due to the pilot's own condition; the upcoming flight test was too stressful, and his heart was beating uncontrollably fast.

On the control tower at the 3rd Division headquarters, Division Commander Wang Zhaoxin was among those speaking; he was responsible for direct communication with the 051 pilot. Perhaps still somewhat concerned, Wang Zhaoxin added, "Chen Zhan, this is just a test flight. Don't feel pressured, don't overexert yourself, understand?"

It turns out that the pilot from the Third Division with call sign 051 who had previously worked with Xu Xian was actually Chen Zhan.

"I know," Chen Zhan said without adding anything more, but his tone clearly showed his dissatisfaction.

"Honestly, they're all more difficult to deal with than the last!" Wang Zhaoxin was quite troubled. These geniuses were all arrogant, and it was Chen Zhan who took the initiative to propose this valley crossing flight.

The valley near the headquarters of the Third Division had been previously deemed unsuitable for flying. However, Xu Xian relied on this valley to complete the ultra-low-altitude penetration of the Sixth Division of the Guangdong Air Force.

Because of Xu Xian's actions, the Third Division headquarters decided to reassess the flight conditions in the valley, and the pilot for this assessment was Chen Zhan.

Although Chen Zhan was only a new pilot who had just completed his induction assessment, his flying skills had reached the level of a second-level pilot. This kind of valley crossing flight, which represents the average level of the entire flight squadron, is therefore significant. Otherwise, if it's only suitable for high-level pilots, its strategic importance wouldn't be great.

"051, begin descent, proceed with valley crossing." Chen Zhan adjusted the aircraft's position, cutting into the valley at a normal angle.

The reason why the flight conditions in this valley are so poor is that the valley slopes on both sides are too steep. Rather than being a valley, it is more like a rift valley.

Most of the valley slopes are relatively gentle, with few jagged rocks, making them relatively favorable for flight. However, this valley seems to have been eroded away by the river, resulting in this unusual state.

The difference in elevation between the two sides of this valley exceeds one hundred meters. As long as an aircraft flies close to the bottom of the valley, it cannot send or receive any electronic signals. In order to obtain real-time flight information, a drone is positioned directly above the valley, with its camera pointed directly downwards, providing a clear view of the aircraft flying through the valley.

As Chen Zhan's plane plunged into the valley, he immediately felt it becoming increasingly uncontrollable. The valley's narrow, elongated shape was like a river entering a narrow channel where the current speed increases rapidly. The airflow in the middle of the valley was significantly stronger than in the open area above. If it were just an increase in wind speed, it wouldn't be so bad, but the airflow became extremely unstable after passing through the irregular channels of the valley.

It's not the strong winds that are scary, but the turbulent ones, especially in this confined space where there's very little room for correction. If the pilot makes even a slightly larger correction, there's a risk of a collision.

Both the terrain and airflow conditions are extremely unfavorable for flight, so it's not without reason that the Third Division previously listed this area as unsuitable for flight.

Flying within this area certainly wasn't supersonic, otherwise the already limited maneuverability would have been even more restricted. Their calculations indicated that Xu Xian crossed the valley at an average speed of approximately Mach 0.8, which was already quite fast.

Since Xu Xian traveled at Mach 0.8, Chen Zhan naturally had to do the same.

Although Chen Zhan is quite talented, he is not so arrogant as to take this valley crossing lightly. After all, Xu Xian is a newcomer who couldn't even pass the team's entrance exam. Even if Xu Xian can't be judged by the standards of a newcomer, he should still have a limit.

Chen Zhan's prior mental preparation for the test flight across the valley was that it would be difficult, but not to the point of being completely impossible.

However, when he actually flew through the valley, he realized he was wrong.

After a sudden gust of wind nearly blew the plane to its side and crashed into the cliff face, Chen Zhan's back was soaked with sweat.

His reaction was quick enough, but he couldn't control it at all. This shows that the instantaneous change in airflow exceeded the aircraft's maneuverability limits.

"Did he just walk through like that?" Chen Zhan's heart pounded wildly.

Such sudden strong winds are impossible to suppress, a limitation imposed by the aircraft's structure. However, these winds typically last only a moment and quickly dissipate. Pilots must quickly correct their deviations as the wind subsides; they cannot afford to wait even a moment.

Such operations are akin to dancing on a knife's edge; the slightest mistake could result in the destruction of the machine and the loss of life.

Xu Xian isn't a god; he can't change the aircraft's performance. Even if Xu Xian came, it would still fly the same way, and he still wouldn't be able to control the wind.

Chen Zhan was certain of that!

Therefore, the only possibility that Xu Xian was able to cross the valley is that he kept performing these precarious operations, crossing the valley amidst numerous dangers.

Once or twice is fine, but if it happens too often, isn't that playing with fire? If you walk by the river often enough, you're bound to get your shoes wet. And if your shoes get wet, you might lose your life.

Moreover, from Chen Zhan's personal perspective, he didn't believe that anyone could dance on the edge of a knife without making a mistake. Even though he couldn't understand what shortcut Xu Xian could find with a lower risk factor besides dancing on the edge of a knife.

Not to mention Chen Zhan himself, Wang Zhaoxin, who was constantly observing Chen Zhan through the drone camera in the control tower, was also on edge.

Just now, Chen Zhan's plane's wingtip was extremely close to the cliff face, by the very millimeter. Any closer and it would have been a disaster.

They wanted to conduct a test flight across the valley; it wasn't a death order. There was no need to risk their lives just to explore the possibility of crossing the valley.

"Chen Zhan, can you still fly? There's no need to push yourself to the limit." Wang Zhaoxin was afraid that Chen Zhan might secretly compete with Xu Xian. In his youthful arrogance, he was prone to showing off, which could really cause serious problems.

"I know, I'll try again!" Chen Zhan let out a long breath. That last scare was enough for him to understand the difficulty of this flight, but he wasn't about to give up. Giving up after just one fright? That wasn't his style.

"Let's try again!" Wang Zhaoxin pondered for a moment, "I'll keep an eye on things from up here. If the same thing happens again, we'll immediately climb up and leave the valley area."

"I know." Chen Zhan had barely finished speaking when, as he rounded a bend in a river valley, a blind spot appeared in his vision due to the corner. Just as Chen Zhan had completely turned, a protruding stone pillar suddenly appeared, blocking his flight path.

The sudden turn of events made Chen Zhan's heart tighten instantly. Without much thought, he narrowly avoided the protruding stone pillar with a rightward slam of the control stick. However, Chen Zhan was clearly quite shaken this time, and his rightward slam of the control stick was slightly too forceful. Having barely avoided the stone pillar, the excessive control nearly caused the plane to crash into the cliff face on the right.

Fortunately, Chen Zhan was highly focused and narrowly escaped the danger just before the right wing scraped against the cliff.

Wang Zhaoxin's heart was pounding in his chest as he watched from the control tower. The valley was incredibly narrow; a slight miscalculation could easily lead to over-control. However, the valley was riddled with jagged rocks and the air currents were turbulent, making it impossible to correct deviations in time if he operated slowly.

This creates a paradoxical situation. The only solution is for pilots to achieve highly precise control with virtually no unnecessary movements. This is not something just any pilot can accomplish.

It's only because Chen Zhan has solid basic skills that he survived that attack; otherwise, he would have lost his life.

It's important to understand that river valleys aren't straight; there are many more bends like the one we just saw in the valley below, and any one of them could pose a fatal threat to him.

"Chen Zhan, we're not flying anymore, we really aren't flying anymore, get on!" Wang Zhaoxin felt his heart couldn't take it anymore. The Third Division's assessment that this valley was unsuitable for flying was not made lightly. The fact that he had the idea of ​​reassessing it after Xu Xian completed the valley crossing showed how naive he was.

Having flown less than a fifth of the entire valley, Chen Zhan had already encountered two life-threatening situations. Moreover, the middle section of the valley was the most dangerous part of the entire valley; the initial section was not considered particularly dangerous overall.

If the initial phase was already this dangerous, how could they possibly fly in the middle? Wang Zhaoxin felt that if they continued flying like this, it could really lead to a fatal accident.

The perilous turn just now had truly broken Chen Zhan's last bit of resolve; he really couldn't fly any further, and if he did, he might really lose his life there.

Chen Zhan was certain of this!

After a brief hesitation of two seconds, Chen Zhan said somewhat dejectedly to Wang Zhaoxin, "051, ascend and halt valley crossing flight."

A boarding gate at Rongfu Airport.

The words "delay" were clearly displayed on the gate's screen. Xu Xian, meanwhile, slumped in his seat, utterly bored and looking utterly helpless.

He had originally planned to go to Changfeng that afternoon, but upon checking, he found there were no flights left. He would have to wait until late that night. He rushed from Luohang base to Rongfu Airport, having bought a full-price ticket that day, which cost him a considerable sum. Coincidentally, only Xingyou Airlines tickets were available that night. However, Xu Xian's flying license had been suspended, and even his company account was frozen, so he couldn't find any specific passenger information for the flight, and he was too embarrassed to call the dispatcher to ask about the delay.

However, he checked the weather in Changfeng and it seemed to be raining heavily. The weather was probably the main reason, which was consistent with what the ground service staff said.

As a pilot, Xu Xian knew that there was nothing he could do about air traffic control measures caused by weather conditions. To be precise, virtually all delays are beyond the control of pilots or airlines. No airline or pilot wants delays; it only reduces their earning efficiency.

For airlines, delays only reduce aircraft utilization. And pilots don't get paid by the hour for the extra time caused by delays. Who wants to spend so much time in the cockpit? What's so appealing about a place the cockpit is barely big enough for a toilet?

Knowing that delays are often unavoidable, Xu Xian felt somewhat annoyed but helpless. This flight was late, and there weren't many people at the gate; there were plenty of empty seats. Xu Xian sprawled out in various positions, like a little child.

The source of the delay is such a simple question, yet many passengers simply don't understand. Some short-tempered passengers have even started swearing at the boarding gate, their insults directed at the ground staff.

Xu Xian didn't think there was anything wrong with those people being a little emotional; after all, some of them genuinely had urgent matters to attend to, and delays were incredibly frustrating. However, getting angry wouldn't change anything, and it would only harm his health. The only thing that seemed to have some effect was discussing compensation. How to compensate those who had purchased delay insurance was something worth discussing.

Although Xu Xian was also anxious, he hadn't lost his mind. He just sat and watched a large group of people gather around the boarding gate demanding an explanation, like watching a play.

The ground staff member waiting at the boarding gate was a young girl, surrounded by a large group of people. At first, the passengers were just asking questions here and there, and although their tone was a bit aggressive, at least they maintained some order. However, as time went on, especially when no passengers had boarded by the scheduled departure time, some passengers became restless. They began to aggressively question the young girl.

The young ground service girl didn't know anything; she was just following instructions from the airport control center. All she could do was keep repeating that the delay was due to weather, and there was absolutely no other new information.

Among the passengers was a middle-aged man, who seemed to be in a real hurry. He appeared particularly agitated, almost as if he wanted to climb over the platform and attack someone.

"Do you know I have to meet an important client tomorrow morning? After I get off the plane, I still have to travel for three or four hours. If you delay any longer, what will happen to my losses? Can you take responsibility?" The middle-aged man was dressed in a suit and tie, looking somewhat like a businessman. However, his meticulously slicked-back hair, slightly overweight beer belly, and the square briefcase he carried made Xu Xian look at him with an air of greasiness.

"Sir, this is due to the weather, which is beyond our control. Please understand." The young woman was probably new and encountering this situation for the first time. The only information she received was that the delay was caused by bad weather, and that was it. She couldn't provide any other useful information.

"Understand?" The middle-aged man was even more furious upon hearing this. "Then who can understand me? What about my project? How much money is involved! If it doesn't take off in another half hour, we'll be late. Tell me, can it even take off in half an hour?"

"This..." The young woman hesitated. She might not be able to explain the delays clearly, but as a ground service worker, she knew exactly whether the plane could take off in half an hour. It wasn't about knowing when flow control would stop, but rather the number of people gathered at the gate. Even if boarding started now and passengers pushed back immediately after boarding, the whole process would still take about half an hour.

Boarding isn't just about getting people into the cabin. Often, flight attendants need to arrange luggage, announce emergency exits, and check passengers. It's not as simple as just cramming everyone into the cabin and calling it a day.

Taking off within half an hour would be the ideal scenario, and that doesn't even include taxiing time! Rongfu Airport isn't some small airport; it only takes a few minutes to taxi from the tarmac to the runway. Besides, boarding is impossible right now; the crew hasn't even boarded the plane yet.

All indications suggest that, no matter what, taking off within half an hour is impossible.

However, she knew the truth perfectly well. But looking at the man's fierce expression, she really didn't dare to tell him the truth.

The middle-aged man wasn't stupid. Seeing the young girl's silent demeanor, he immediately realized that takeoff within half an hour was impossible. In an instant, he was so angry that his face turned red and his neck bulged.

Just moments ago, this guy was practically ready to jump over the table and settle scores with that girl, but now that he heard all hope was gone, his eyes turned red. The ground service girl opposite him trembled with fear, like a little quail.

The surrounding passengers merely offered a few token words of dissuasion; no one actually offered any real advice. In fact, quite a few people started to stir up trouble, adding fuel to the fire for the agitated middle-aged man.

Some of them weren't in a hurry; they were just annoyed by the delay and, in their restlessness, they treated the agitated middle-aged man like a fool. They'd start a fight on the spur of the moment, hoping it would escalate into a brawl—they were bored anyway, and this commotion would make for a good show.

These people are the kind who thrive on chaos, and the problem is that there are quite a few of them. When they gather together, the noise around the boarding gate is constant, even attracting the attention of passengers from other boarding gates.

Faced with the throng of passengers, the young girl was like a frightened deer. She had never seen anything like it before and was nearly paralyzed with fear. She could only mechanically repeat, "Please calm down." However, the middle-aged man saw her actions as blatant perfunctory. What did she mean by "please calm down"? Could they possibly calm down in this situation? It was ridiculous!

For some reason, the middle-aged man with such a fierce temper started yelling at the little girl, scaring her so much that she was almost crying. It was truly like a pack of wolves menacingly surrounding a little lamb; how could the little lamb not be afraid?

The middle-aged man was already furious, and with the encouragement of those around him, he became even more hot-blooded. The thought of his multi-million dollar project going to fall apart fueled his anger, and he lifted his foot as if to step over the barrier.

The ground service girl only had a platform and a barrier around it; this was her last line of defense. She had initially thought that while the passengers were emotionally charged, they wouldn't actually resort to violence. But this middle-aged man, she wasn't sure if he had lost his mind from anger, was actually trying to jump over the barrier.

The man's eyes were bloodshot, and the little girl was so frightened that her mind went blank.

When the people around saw that a fight was about to break out, instead of trying to stop or dissuade them, they chuckled and looked on as if they were watching a good show.

Just as the middle-aged man had stepped one foot over the barrier, a hand gripped his shoulder, rendering him immobile. He turned around and saw a handsome young man smiling at him.

Xu Xian laughed and said, "Uncle, getting angry at her won't do any good. Don't be so hot-tempered."

The middle-aged man is quite agitated now and hates it when people smile at him, because it feels like they are mocking him.

"What do you mean, 'Don't get so worked up'? Do you think I'm angry? My project is gone, doesn't someone have to take responsibility?"

Xu Xian's expression remained unchanged: "Then you need to find the right person. What use is a young girl?"

"You've found the right person? Who? Tell me!" The middle-aged man calmed down a bit after hearing this. If someone could really compensate him for his losses, that would indeed be a very good thing.

"The delay is because of the bad weather, the bad weather," Xu Xian said with a smile, pointing upwards. "Of course, we're taking it out on God."

The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage: "Are you playing me?"

"When did I ever trick you? Isn't this just being reasonable?" Xu Xian's smile widened. "Since tomorrow morning's matter is so important, why did you take the last flight today? With your brain like that, you might as well give up on business and just be someone else counting money. Next time you're in a rush and get stuck in traffic, are you going to complain to the traffic police? What kind of business do I have? Don't you know I'm in a hurry? Why didn't you give me a fast track? Is that what you mean?"

Xu Xian thought this kind of person was outrageous. If it were due to the airline's fault, making a fuss would be somewhat understandable. But it was clearly due to the weather, so what's the point of contacting ground services? Can they magically fix the weather?

Xu Xian wasn't a saint. Faced with this situation, he wouldn't interfere even if people grumbled or cursed at him. However, while verbal abuse was acceptable, physical violence was going too far. The people around the boarding gate were all making a scene, and no one was coming to break it up. Xu Xian didn't have any chivalrous spirit or noble sentiments about rescuing a damsel in distress; he simply couldn't stand seeing a grown man bullying a young girl.

Just as tensions were rising, suddenly, the sound of high heels approached. Some passengers noticed the flight crew walking towards them from a short distance. They immediately became extremely agitated, pointing at the crew and shouting, "They're the ones who were late! Look how late they've come! Go find them! Demand an explanation!"

"Huh?" The middle-aged man was about to fight Xu Xian, but when he heard that the crew had arrived, he immediately shook off Xu Xian's hand and followed a large group of people, running in another direction.

In that instant, the already noisy boarding gate became even more chaotic, and some passengers, unaware of the situation, were swept along towards the direction the crew was coming from. Dozens of people rushed aggressively in one direction, creating a truly spectacular scene.

Xu Xian looked in the direction of the crowd and saw that it was indeed the flight crew coming from not far away. He recognized the one leading them; it was Instructor Wang Lingkun.

"Damn it!" Seeing the murderous aura of the passengers, Xu Xian immediately sensed something was wrong and yelled at Wang Lingkun, "Instructor, run!"

Sorry, I was so engrossed in the game yesterday that I forgot I hadn't updated. I only realized it this morning, which is a little embarrassing!

I asked for everyone's opinions yesterday, and it seems that the military and civil aviation personnel are about the same. My idea is to alternate between them. Xu Xian hasn't flown civil aviation for a while, so it's time for him to warm up.

(End of this chapter)