"Southern Airlines 9527, please maintain an altitude of 9,000. Repeat, Southern Airlines 9527, please maintain an altitude of 9,000."
Listening to the voice coming from the radio, Fang Chenyi and Lü Dong exchanged a look, both seeing the helplessness in the other’s eyes.
Fang Chenyi reached for the radio, pressed the push-to-talk button, and said:
"Unable to maintain. We’ve lost an engine. Southern Airlines 9527 is requesting a descent to 5,000 and preparing for an ergency landing at the nearest airport. Repeat, Southern Airlines 9527 is requesting a descent to 5,000 and preparing for an ergency landing at the nearest airport."
STATIC...
"You’ve lost an engine? Southern Airlines 9527, what is your situation?"
Fang Chenyi didn’t reply. He gestured for Lü Dong to handle the radio while he set the course for the nearest airport, continuing to monitor the aircraft’s status. Although they were stable for now, the right engine had been emitting light smoke just monts ago. This was no ti to let his guard down.
...
anwhile, in the main cabin, the violent separation of the engine had sent the passengers into a screaming panic. Even though a flight attendant repeatedly announced over the intercom that this was a necessary procedure, their terror did not subside.
Only after the plane gradually stabilized, to the point where even the turbulence vanished, did the passengers slowly calm down, a mont later erupting into a wave of cheers.
Sitting in the first-class cabin, Bai nghan also let out a long sigh of relief.
So as not to be a bother to Fang Chenyi, she hadn’t dared to move an inch. Now that the plane was stable and the crisis seed to have passed, she finally patted her chest and unbuckled her seatbelt.
She stood up and walked out of the first-class cabin.
Hearing the cheers from the cabin, Bai nghan felt a surge of emotion as well. ’Just a mont ago, I thought I was going to die.’
She gestured for a flight attendant to stop and asked:
"Where is Chairman Fang right now?"
The flight attendant was none other than the one Fang Chenyi had grabbed by the waist to save from injury. Looking at the stunningly beautiful woman before her—a woman who was leagues prettier than she was—she couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy.
Fortunately, she was self-aware enough to know that a man like the chairman was far beyond her reach.
So she gave Bai nghan a small smile, then pointed toward the cockpit and said respectfully, "Ma’am, the chairman is in the cockpit, flying the plane."
"He’s flying the plane?"
Bai nghan shook her head with a resigned smile, then nodded to show she understood before gently pushing open the cockpit door.
"This is the cockpit. Passengers are forbidden from entering."
Lü Dong frowned and said the mont she walked in.
But before Bai nghan could say anything, Fang Chenyi’s voice cut in:
"nghan, what are you doing here? We aren’t out of danger yet."
He glanced at the jump seat right behind him and continued,
"You can sit here."
Seeing this, Lü Dong, who was sitting to the side, opened his mouth to say sothing but stopped himself.
Of course, Fang Chenyi noticed. He gave a resigned smile.
"Old Lü, I know what you’re thinking. This is the cockpit, no outsiders allowed. But setting aside who she is, just in terms of flying skills, she’s more than a match for Xiaozhou."
This was no exaggeration. On a previous flight to Paris, Fang Chenyi had taught Bai nghan on the way, and she had managed to grasp the function of all the instrunts. He had even directed her to perform the landing herself.
More importantly, based on their recent coordination, Fang Chenyi had gotten a sense of the co-pilot Xiaozhou’s skill level. Saying Bai nghan was rely on par with him was a courtesy to save the man from embarrassnt.
After giving Lü Dong and Xiaozhou a polite smile and a nod, Bai nghan sat down behind Fang Chenyi.
As she settled into the seat, a wave of relief washed over Bai nghan. Being alone in the first-class cabin had been an agonizing experience. She wasn’t afraid of death, but she was terrified of facing it alone.
Now, sitting with the man she loved, her heart finally felt at peace.
"Old Lü, when I took over, the right-side engine was also emitting a bit of smoke. If you can manage, head back to the main cabin and check on the engine’s condition."
Lü Dong’s heart sank the mont he heard the chairman say the right engine was smoking too.
Ignoring the throbbing pain in his hand, he stood up and headed for the main cabin.
As he entered the cabin, he saw the joy of survival etched on every passenger’s face. Lü Dong felt a surge of emotion. ’Thank God the chairman is on this plane,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable.’
As he was lost in thought, the passengers spotted Lü Dong in his captain’s uniform. A wave of thunderous applause and cheers instantly swept through the cabin.
"Captain! You did it! That was amazing!"
"Captain! Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Hearing their words of gratitude, Lü Dong felt a pang of sha. ’When they needed most, I got injured... I don’t deserve their thanks...’
With that thought, Lü Dong raised his uninjured left hand to gesture for silence. Then, with a look of sha, he began to speak:
"Everyone, please, quiet down for a mont. To be honest, I’m truly ashad. Please don’t thank . I’m not the one who saved you all."
His words caused an imdiate stir, and a wave of murmurs swept through the passengers as they all began talking at once.
The plane was stable and they were safe. If they weren’t supposed to thank the captain, then who should they thank?
Rembering that he still needed to check on the engine, Lü Dong raised his hand again, preparing to tell everyone that it was Fang Chenyi who had saved them.
But just as he raised his hand to quiet the crowd, before he could even speak, he felt the floor lurch beneath him. Unbuckled, Lü Dong was thrown off his feet by the violent jolt, landing hard on his backside.
The hearts of the recently jubilant passengers sank once more. ’What’s happening now?’
"Oh no! Oh no! The engine on this side is on fire! It’s on fire!"
Before anyone else could wonder, soone scread the answer.
Lü Dong struggled to his feet. Using the seats for support, he managed to stumble to a window, only to see flas erupting from under the right wing.
His heart plumted. ’It’s like fate is deliberately toying with us!’
With his thirty years of flight experience, he knew all too well what losing both engines ant: a crash was the only possible outco.
After all, if the plane stalled, it would simply go into a free fall.
And though the vast ocean was below them, at this speed, the impact would make the water’s surface no different than solid rock.
Back in the cockpit, a piercing alarm began to blare once more.
"Damn it all. The inevitable is finally happening."
His eyes glanced at the flight data: Altitude 6,000 ters, speed 700 kiloters per hour...
’Six thousand ters... Are we really going to have to ditch it?’
[To be continued...]
PS: Uh, it’s 12:00 AM on the dot. Does this still count as the Chapter for the 14th?! I just finished writing it!!
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