Legendary Captain

Han Qi's expression appeared gentle and mild, but his words were as sharp and forceful as a storm.

"Mr. Han, what's going on...?" The flight attendant was momentarily at a loss. Han Qi's tone didn't sound like he was joking.

Although Han Qi is only an instructor in the flight department, as long as she tells the cabin crew, her title of chief flight attendant can be taken away tomorrow.

Han Qi narrowed his eyes: "I hate it when people call me 'President Han,' don't you know that? I'm not one of those random 'Presidents' in the company. Remember that from now on. If you call me that wrong again, you'll have to start over as a trainee."

Han Qi himself loathed that bureaucratic system. It was all about accumulating titles without much real ability. No matter how incompetent or flawed someone was, they could be called some kind of "general manager." He had no intention of associating with such corrupt practices.

Although Han Qi is now the face of Kunlong Aviation, he doesn't hold any administrative position; he's simply a flight instructor. Therefore, he prefers to be called Instructor rather than some nonsensical "President Han."

The flight attendant seemed somewhat aggrieved after being lectured by Han Qi.

Although Han Qi did not hold an administrative position, his influence far exceeded that of an instructor. Even the boss of Kunlong Airlines treated Han Qi with utmost respect.

There are many domestic airlines, but only two and a half receive special treatment. One is Kunlong Airlines, one is Xingfei Airlines, and the other is Lantian Airlines.

Han Qi is to Kunlong Airlines what Xu Qing is to Qingyuan Group—both are brand names. Without these brand names, Kunlong Airlines is just an ordinary company that blends into the crowd.

Therefore, at Kunlong Airlines, Han Qi always had the final say. Stripping her of her minor flight attendant title was just a matter of a word, wasn't it?

"I remember... Instructor!" The flight attendant recalled that the co-pilot had once called Han Qi "Instructor," and Han Qi hadn't reacted angrily, so this title must be appropriate, and he learned it.

Han Qi waved his hand: "Now that everyone's here, let's close the door and get going!"

The flight attendant, as if fleeing, responded and left the cockpit, leaving the co-pilot alone to face Han Qi.

"What are you thinking about? Report for clearance!" Han Qi said helplessly, seeing the passenger in the passenger seat not doing anything.

The co-pilot, whose name had been called by Han, finally came to his senses and quickly began contacting traffic control.

Looking at the disoriented co-pilot, Han Qi shook his head repeatedly. His mental fortitude was too weak; a simple, unguided manual flight had terrified him like this!

Difficult to become a master!

Then I think about it, and it seems there aren't any promising talents at Kunlong Airlines! None of the co-pilots I've met in the last two years have been any good. When I retire, Kunlong Airlines will be relying on that bunch of mediocre people to keep going; its future is bleak!

......

Xu Xian noticed that there weren't many passengers on this flight, and boarding was completed in about ten minutes. Because there weren't many people, the overhead bins were very empty, and passengers could put their luggage wherever they wanted without any headaches about not having enough space.

From the start of boarding to the cabin doors closing, the entire process was remarkably fast. Xu Xian wondered if it was due to the small number of passengers or the high efficiency of the Kunlong Airlines cabin crew. It felt like he had barely sat down when the crew began broadcasting takeoff instructions, and the plane pushed back into position, almost twenty minutes ahead of schedule.

Nowadays, restrictions on electronic devices while flying are becoming more and more relaxed. Xu Xian had already prepared his headphones, planning to listen to music and sleep after takeoff.

Headphones are not allowed during taxiing and the initial takeoff phase; the crew does not allow them at other times.

Xu Xian discovered that Kunlong Airlines' planes were not only fast at boarding and pushing back, but also very fast at taxiing. From the moment they taxied out, it felt like less than five minutes before the plane turned onto the runway. The speed was so fast that even Xu Xian, the pilot, found it outrageous.

As the engine roared louder, the plane began to accelerate. Eventually, due to inertia, Xu Xian's back pressed tightly against the seat.

A short while later, the plane suddenly pitched up and began to lift off the ground.

"It seems like we lifted off a bit too quickly." Xu Xian, even though he was in the passenger cabin, still had the leisure to comment on the crew's takeoff skills.

Whether it was due to airflow or the crew's handling, Xu Xian noticed that the plane had been experiencing continuous turbulence since takeoff. However, he couldn't see any clouds outside, not even wispy cloud wisps. Of course, turbulence isn't directly related to entering clouds, but entering clouds does increase the probability of turbulence.

At the same time, Xu Xian had a hunch. The turbulence didn't seem like air currents, but rather like instability caused by a problem with the crew's handling. However, there was no evidence; it was purely based on intuition, and it was impossible to get Xu Xian to give a definitive explanation.

Strangely, the turbulence continued as the plane gained altitude. Moreover, the manner in which the turbulence manifested began to corroborate Xu Xian's theory.

If turbulence feels like high-frequency oscillations, then modern airplanes feel more like low-frequency oscillations. The plane is like on a gently rippling lake. It rises slightly for a while, then slowly dips down. It's not exactly violently turbulent, but the plane just can't seem to stabilize.

Xu Xian is more inclined to believe that this unstable state is not due to airflow, but rather a problem with human control; that is, the crew is currently flying manually, not automatically.

Of course, Xu Xian didn't have any problem with manual flight. It's just that this up-and-down swaying made it hard for him to sleep!

In fact, Xu Xian's prediction was correct. In the cockpit, the co-pilot was covered in cold sweat, and his right hand, gripping the steering wheel, was also clenched so tightly that it looked like he had just been pulled out of the water.

"Can you stabilize the plane?" Han Qi sensed the plane's instability and kept reminding the co-pilot to make corrections.

Suddenly, Han Qi sensed something amiss in the passenger seat. The thin layer of sweat that had been covering his forehead had somehow transformed into large beads of sweat, and even his arms were now soaked with sweat.

At the same time, the passenger's chest heaved rapidly, and his breathing became increasingly rapid, just like someone who had just experienced suffocation.

Han Qi frowned: "What's wrong with you?"

The passenger in the front seat remained silent, and the color drained from his face like a receding tide.

Han Qi was now certain that the co-pilot was acting strangely.

Just then, Han Qi was about to ask another question when the co-pilot suddenly blurted out, "Hand over the controls!"

However, before Han Qi could take over the controls, he released the control wheel with his right hand. The aircraft entered a state of unmanned operation in a short period of time.