A burst of enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted in the cabin, but Chen Yang remained vigilant. Many air disasters in history had occurred during the post-landing roll, and this was far from the time to celebrate victory.
The closer they got to final success, the calmer Chen Yang became.
Captain Yuan Fang explained the post-landing procedures in detail, which Chen Yang had already mentally rehearsed countless times.
He immediately activated the engine thrust reversers. Under the action of the throttle valves, the rear section of the engine slowly moved backward, revealing a gap. The high-speed exhaust from the engine was redirected through this gap, causing the aircraft's speed to drop sharply under the combined effect of the thrust reversers and automatic braking.
Chen Yang carefully controlled the aircraft's direction while monitoring the speedometer. When the speed dropped to 70 knots, he decisively shut off the thrust reversers—something Yuan Fang had emphasized during his technical briefing; if the thrust reversers weren't shut off at lower speeds, the engines would burn out.
The plane continued to taxi under braking, its speed gradually decreasing until it came to a smooth stop.
Chen Yang cleanly and efficiently shut off the engines and switched off all the electrical switches. Only after repeatedly confirming this did he truly breathe a sigh of relief—only then could he truly acknowledge that he had accomplished the feat of saving the flight. He leaned heavily back in his seat, silent for a long time.
Only then did Chen Yang realize that he was soaked in sweat, all his strength seemingly drained, so exhausted that he didn't even want to move a finger.
This was a normal reaction to the sudden relaxation after intense mental tension.
Vehicles, sirens blaring, roared in and quickly surrounded the plane. The cockpit, with the engines shut off, was utterly silent. Just then, a tissue was handed to Chen Yang. He turned to see Yang Liuyi smiling at him, saying,
"Hero! Wipe your sweat!"
"Thank you!" Chen Yang took the tissue, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and then looked at Yang Liuyi. They exchanged a glance and simultaneously smiled, saying,
"It feels so good to be grounded!"
After saying this, Yang Liuyi patted her ample bosom and said coquettishly,
"That really scared me! Mr. Fang, have you really never flown a plane before? You seem quite skilled!"
Chen Yang noticed that Yang Liuyi's clothes were also soaked with sweat. Her white flight attendant uniform had become somewhat transparent under the perspiration, revealing glimpses of her black lace bra. Chen Yang couldn't help but let his imagination run wild. He quickly composed himself and said with a smile, "Miss Yang, let alone flying a plane, this is my first time even riding in one! But I'm extremely interested in flying. Microsoft Flight Simulator is the most realistic flight simulator in the world, and I'm quite proficient in almost every version. I was just going all out just now, treating it like a game!"
Strictly speaking, Chen Yang wasn't exactly lying. After all, being a pilot was a thing of his past life. He couldn't very well say, "I was an ace pilot in my past life!" That would make him seem crazy! Besides, before Chen Yang's rebirth, his predecessor, a poor college student, was a true flight simulator enthusiast. Even when he was so poor he could barely afford food, he still scrimped and saved to buy a professional game controller, just to experience the feeling of real flight. Yang Liuyi felt Chen Yang's burning gaze, her pretty face flushing slightly. Remembering how Chen Yang had embraced her and even touched her buttocks in the cabin, a wave of shyness washed over her. She lowered her head and said,
"Mr. Fang, we've been through thick and thin together, so please stop calling me 'Miss Yang.' I'm older than you, just call me Sister Liuyi!"
Chen Yang chuckled and teased,
"Then why are you still calling me 'Mr. Fang'? Sister Liuyi, just call me Chen Yang!"
Yang Liuyi nodded slightly. At that moment, there was a knock on the already damaged cockpit door. Chen Yang and Yang Liuyi turned around and saw Liu Xinyao leaning against the door, looking at Chen Yang with a half-smile. "Xinyao, welcome back to the ground!" Chen Yang said with a smile. "Let me introduce you. This is Yang Liuyi, a first-class flight attendant from Luda Airlines; Sister Liuyi, this is my college classmate, Liu Xinyao. We were going to Sanya together for an academic forum, but we didn't expect to run into this."
Yang Liuyi unbuckled her seatbelt, stood up, and smiled at Liu Xinyao, saying:
"Hello, Liu Xinyao!"
Liu Xinyao forced a smile, nodded slightly, and turned to Chen Yang, saying:
"Passengers are currently evacuating. Professor Yan asked me to tell you that we're heading back to the city. We'll contact you later."
With that, Liu Xinyao turned and left the cockpit. She had been filled with gratitude towards Chen Yang and felt a pang of guilt for her previous harsh attitude towards him. However, upon entering the cockpit and seeing Chen Yang and Yang Liuyi chatting so warmly, smiling at each other, made Liu Xinyao feel sorry for Su He. As she walked, she inwardly grumbled, "This guy really is a womanizer! He can't resist pretty girls. I really don't understand how Su He could fall for him..."
But then she thought again. Actually, Chen Yang had many good points. He was talented, responsible, and despite his family's poverty, he was self-reliant, working part-time while studying to help ease the burden on his family. And Chen Yang was genuinely good to her; whether it was when she fainted from illness last time or the unexpected situation on the plane this time, his concern for her was heartfelt.
However, his flaw was just as obvious as his strengths: his womanizing.
In Liu Xinyao's eyes, this philandering habit was particularly detestable. Other minor flaws might not have bothered her, but womanizing was truly hateful!
She hated womanizing men the most; she utterly loathed them. How could such an outstanding young man be so "philandering"? Was it really as Xiao Die said—that all men were bad?
Liu Xinyao felt a pang of confusion.
Standing on the tarmac, she took a deep breath of the fresh air, looked up at the clear night sky, and then unconsciously glanced at the cockpit of the jumbo jet. The dim yellow light shone through the windows, and she could vaguely make out two figures. Liu Xinyao gave them a long look before striding towards the passenger assembly point.
The special police were the first to board the plane. They first subdued the only surviving hijacker, a man with a mustache. Next, a medic boarded and rushed the seriously injured Captain Gu Xinmin and co-pilot to the hospital in an ambulance. A forensic doctor carefully examined the hijacker's body. The passengers evacuated the plane orderly through the two exits.
Although the hijackers were either dead or captured, the police still needed to screen the passengers to prevent any from escaping. Therefore, all passengers boarded shuttle buses and were taken directly to a VIP lounge temporarily cleared by the airport. The airline urgently dispatched another aircraft. After screening, they would consult with passengers; those who wished to continue their journey to Sanya would be arranged to fly on this aircraft, while those who did not wish to fly would receive a full refund. Of course, all passengers would ultimately receive compensation from the airline.
Professor Yan knew that Chen Yang was definitely not leaving today; he needed to cooperate with the police investigation. The academic forum in Sanya wouldn't officially begin for another three days; these few days were for site visits arranged by the organizers, so postponing it a few days wouldn't be a big deal. Besides, Professor Yan was getting on in years, and after experiencing the various dangers on the plane, his body was somewhat exhausted. Therefore, he decided to return to the city first and fly to Sanya in a day or two.
"She…" Yang Liuyi sensed Liu Xinyao's displeasure and hesitantly pointed to her retreating figure, asking.
"Oh, it's alright, that's just her personality, she's always so cold to everyone," Chen Yang quickly explained, then added, "Sister Liu Yi, most of the passengers should have disembarked, let's go too!"
Yang Liu Yi nodded, and the two stood up and turned away from the driver's seat. Just then, someone else entered the cockpit. Chen Yang looked closely and couldn't help but gape in surprise, pointing at the newcomer:
"Fang Xu? You were on the plane too?"
The person who entered was a young man of about twenty-three or twenty-four with short hair. He had a baby face that still looked somewhat youthful, wearing a black Givenchy shirt, white Versace casual pants, and a pair of pure white Visino casual leather shoes, exuding an air of refined elegance. He also looked surprised and said,
"Brother, you know me?"
"Uh..." Chen Yang paused for a moment, suddenly realizing that he and Fang Xu, his cousin from his previous life, were complete strangers in this life. However, he quickly found an excuse and said, "I... I saw your picture at your house."
Upon hearing this, Fang Xu was even more surprised, his eyes widening as he asked,
"You've been to my house?"
Fang Xu really couldn't figure out who this person in front of him was. He had been pampered since childhood, enjoying all the luxuries of life; he had never suffered like this before! He had almost lost his life on this plane. Before disembarking, Fang Xu had thought about thanking this young man who had subdued the hijackers and landed the plane safely, but he hadn't expected the man to call him by name so readily, and it seemed there was some connection between them.
Could he be a descendant of some powerful family? Impossible! He knew all the young masters from the big and small aristocratic families in Beijing! Fang Xu muttered to himself.
Chen Yang saw what Fang Xu was thinking. He smiled and extended his hand, saying,
"Hello Fang Xu, my name is Chen Yang, and I'm Mr. Bai Yan's newly accepted disciple. I visited your home a while ago at Uncle Fang's invitation, but you weren't home that day."
"Oh—" Fang Xu suddenly realized, and quickly extended his hand to shake Chen Yang's hand firmly, saying, "You're Chen Yang! My sister mentioned you last time! You support her opening a photography studio, right?"
Chen Yang nodded with a smile and said,
"Hehe, I guess Aunt Qu is quite..." "You're annoyed with me..."
"Hahaha!" Fang Xu laughed heartily, "That's just the kind of person she is. She doesn't like either of us, and you have to follow her orders to be a good girl!"
Fang Xu was also very outgoing. He patted Chen Yang on the shoulder and said,
"Alright! Now we're acquainted. I'll treat you to drinks next time! I just came in to thank you two for saving my life, so I won't disturb you and the beauty any longer..."
After saying that, Fang Xu glanced at Yang Liuyi, winked at Chen Yang, and turned and left the cockpit with a flourish.
Yang Liuyi blushed deeply. Chen Yang couldn't help but find it amusing. Yang Liuyi and Su He shared a similar trait: they were both very easily embarrassed. Of course, although both were incredibly beautiful, they each had their own style. Su He was like a lotus flower rising from the mud, untouched by its surroundings, while Yang Liuyi was more like a fragrant orchid.
Chen Yang and Yang Liuyi walked down the gangway side by side. A special police officer and Hao Shaobin, who had cooperated with Chen Yang to eliminate the hijackers on the plane, came to greet them. The special police officer saluted Chen Yang and said:
"Comrade Chen Yang! Secretary Fang of the Provincial Party Committee wants to meet with you and this flight attendant. Please come back to the city with my car!"