That night, a helicopter sent Xu Cang and others back from Qitai Airport to Shule Airport. The strong air current at Qitai Airport almost made the helicopter lose control, and it landed again not long after it took off for the first time. After waiting for more than two hours, when the wind was a little weaker, the helicopter took off again.
Due to various delays, when Xu Cang returned to Shule Airport, the sky was already full of stars and it was almost midnight.
Bi Lin said a few words of encouragement to Xu Cang, and then he took a special plane to Hanjing without stopping. Although Bi Lin is old, he can withstand such hardships.
However, Xu Cang was not worried because Bi Lin was not going to Hanjing alone, but was accompanied by Wang Li, the station chief of Qitai Airport.
Xu Cang's plan was to go to Urumqi the next afternoon, and then return to Erhai Lake from Urumqi. He would have to stay overnight at the Shule Airport Hotel that night.
This time they felt much more comfortable than last night. The hotel staff even pointed out a place for Xu Cang and others to have a barbecue outdoors, right next to the lake.
Xu Cang, Zhou Yanping, Ma Cheng, and Di Qingquan went out together. Even though it was past midnight, the four of them were still in high spirits, especially Zhou Yanping, who kept yelling and grumbling along the way. How could he look like a senior executive of Tiandong Airlines?
The outdoor barbecue area mentioned by the hotel front desk was actually a bonfire pile made of stones. It should have been built by someone before. When Xu Cang came over, he could still find some residual ashes and charcoal in the pile of stones.
The barbecue area is right next to the lake, and there are no flammable bushes and trees around it. Moreover, it is next to the lake, so even if something happens, it will be easy to put out the fire.
They bought some meat from the hotel and borrowed some barbecue utensils, then the four of them sat around the fire and started to get busy.
It was still a bit cold in Shule at night. However, when the fire was lit, the surroundings were warm and lively, but there was no sense of coldness. After a few glasses of wine, it didn't feel like midnight at all, and the atmosphere was extremely warm.
The meat needs to be roasted for a while. Xu Cang doesn't know how to do it, but Zhou Yanping can do it easily. He is busy threading the meat, brushing the seasonings on it, and keeping an eye on the progress of the roasting. He is the busiest of the four.
Zhou Yanping took up most of the work by himself, leaving Di Qingquan to distribute tableware and tidy up the surrounding environment. Even the serious Ma Cheng was looking for firewood nearby. Only Xu Cang, wrapped in a coat, curled up in a ball, staring at the sizzling barbecue.
Although Xu Cang didn't consume much physical energy during the day at Qitai Airport, he consumed a lot of mental energy. He always felt tired and didn't want to move. Chen Guoli, the instructor who was testing with Xu Cang, went to sleep as soon as he arrived at the hotel. He really couldn't stand it anymore.
Looking at Xu Cang who was yawning and not in high spirits, Zhou Yanping, who was fiddling with the barbecue, chuckled and said, "You are already listless? You are very weak, young man. How are you going to find a wife in the future?"
Xu Cang rolled his eyes and snorted, "Are all the people at Tiandong Airlines so gossipy?"
"Hey, I'm thinking about your future. How old are you? You're not even 30 yet. You should be in your prime. This won't do." Zhou Yanping said as he pulled out a kidney made of red willow wood from the pile of meat. "Come on, make up for it quickly. Our great hero can't be without women's love."
Xu Cang was speechless on the spot. Why didn't he notice that Zhou Yanping was talking dirty before? However, compared with Zhou Yanping's ridicule, Xu Cang looked at the kidney with some blood in the middle, and his mouth twitched: "There is still blood here, roast it again, roast it!"
"Why are you grilling it? If you grill it any longer, it will be overcooked. Hurry up, it will definitely be very nutritious."
Zhou Yanping didn't know why, but he was so excited that he stuffed a bunch of kidneys into Xu Cang's hands. Seeing Xu Cang still hesitated, Zhou Yanping suddenly became very excited: "I tell you, these kidneys are very fresh. When you go back, you won't be able to eat them even if you want to. Oh, you said you were so strong on the plane, why can't you do it after you get off?"
Xu Cang immediately clicked his tongue: "What do you mean it's no longer possible?"
It's just a kidney. Even though it tastes a bit strong, it shouldn't be a big deal.
Some people like kidneys very much, and think that those who can't eat them are just pretending. But Xu Cang really can't stand this strong taste, especially after he ate it once before his rebirth. He didn't know if it was not processed well, but it tasted fishy in his mouth, and almost suffocated Xu Cang to death.
However, the airport hotel they stayed in was not open to the outside world. It was an internal residence for internal staff, so I guess they were more attentive to the food.
Seeing Zhou Yanping's somewhat hateful smile, Xu Cang simply took a bite and half of the kidney was gone. At first, Xu Cang could still taste a little strange smell, but soon he found the taste unacceptable and later he slowly found it quite delicious.
"Huh, it's really good." Xu Cang's brows gradually relaxed. He chewed faster and faster, tasting the food more and more delicately.
Zhou Yanping looked at Xu Cang and chuckled, "Let me tell you, as long as the ingredients are good and fresh, how can it not taste good? How do you put it, okay?"
"Yes, yes, it's delicious!" Xu Cang swallowed the remaining kidneys and ate with a smile on his face.
Fresh things are indeed different.
Zhou Yanping clapped his hands and shouted to those around him: "Brothers, our Brother Xu has a good kidney. We won't fight with him later. Just give it all to him."
So, no matter what the problem is, it can't be solved by a barbecue. If it doesn't work, then two barbecues will do. The atmosphere was so intense that Zhou Yanping started to treat Xu Cang as a brother. Di Qingquan heard Zhou Yanping teasing Xu Cang the whole time, so he naturally followed suit. Even Ma Cheng, who was picking up firewood nearby, responded.
Xu Cang didn't feel anything about Zhou Yanping calling him Brother Xu. Everyone was happy and there was no need to get hung up on the name. But he was just talking about himself like a kidney, as if he had kidney deficiency. He was only in his twenties!
"Oh, I saw a sheep whip in the hotel kitchen just now. I thought that you, a Weiyang person, would not be able to eat it, so I didn't take it. Tsk tsk tsk, what a pity, what a pity, how about I go back now? But it would be embarrassing to wake them up again." Zhou Yanping said angrily, feeling particularly sorry.
When the four people asked the hotel for barbecue supplies, the person in charge of the kitchen had already gone to bed. However, he was good-tempered and got up to make things convenient for the group. But it would be a pity to go back and disturb him now.
"Forget it, forget it, it's good enough. Do you really treat me like a breeding pig?" Xu Cang said.
"Hehe, I just saw you were weak." Zhou Yanping sat on the stone next to Xu Cang: "Xu Cang, you really did a great job this time. I will thank you for your care in the future."
Xu Cang still had half a kidney in his mouth and said incoherently: "Brother Zhou, how much did you drink to start talking nonsense?"
"He's not talking nonsense, he's clear-headed." Ma Cheng, who had just been collecting firewood, threw his things aside, sat down with a half-smile, and drank a glass of wine to warm himself up: "Don't look at Zhou Yanping as careless , he has a lot of ideas. In the past, when he said thank you for your care, it might really be nonsense, but it's different now, it's the real truth."
Xu Cang raised his eyebrows: "What do you mean?"
"Xu Cang, are you and AVIC going to jointly open an aviation materials company to manage some Boeing aviation materials? This is where you can take care of him in the future." At the end, Ma Cheng glanced at Zhou Yanping: "Is that right, Mr. Zhou?"
Zhou Yanping's face was thicker than the corner of the city wall. He was not ashamed when Ma Cheng exposed his little thoughts. Instead, he was proud: "Boss Ma, you said I was cunning, but compared to you, I am an honest man. Boss Ma, let's be frank, you Muhua Airlines have never suffered from Luo Tianrong, huh?"
"Luo Tianrong?" Xu Cang exclaimed, this name seems familiar. After a brief recollection, Xu Cang immediately remembered that this was the "comprador" at the LEAP engine seminar held by the bureau. It seems that this person is in the aviation materials business.
When Ma Cheng heard this, his face suddenly darkened: "He has a black heart. Who wouldn't hate him?"
After hearing what Zhou Yanping and Ma Cheng said, Di Qingquan also sighed: "This is the price of technological backwardness."
"But it doesn't stop Luo Tianrong from being a piece of shit." Zhou Yanping seemed to be quite resentful of Luo Tianrong. "Just a while ago, we had a toilet seat replaced on a 737 in Tiandong. How much did it cost? One or two hundred is an exaggeration. Do you know how much a genuine Boeing product costs? Three thousand! Damn, I've really opened my eyes. Even with this, that bastard Luo Tianrong added 30% to the price. He couldn't be more wicked."
"What's a dozen times markup?" Hearing Zhou Yanping's complaints, Ma Cheng also joined in: "As for the LCD screen on the plane, I specifically asked the people at Yangcheng Electronics City, and they said it was 200 yuan. I gave it to Boeing, and Boeing couldn't even tell if it was genuine. But the genuine product cost just over 10,000 yuan, and the 50-fold price difference is no different from robbery."
At this time, Xu Cang said, "Since Boeing itself can't tell the real thing from the fake, then just replace it."
"It's not that simple. Each piece of aviation material has an independent number, and there are records of where it is used. If it is used indiscriminately, it will be easy to mismatch, which will cause big problems." Zhou Yanping gritted his teeth and said, "Xu Cang, when your aviation material company is ready, we in Tiandong will purchase from you. We will give you preferential treatment for large quantities. At least don't be as shady as Luo Tianrong."
"I heard that you may be able to obtain the distribution rights of the Trent series engines in the future. Are you going to merge it into the aviation materials company?" Ma Cheng asked.
This is a real conflict of interest, because Muhua Airlines has a number of Airbus 330s and has a great demand for the Trent 700 engine.
Xu Cang did not hide it: "If the cooperation with Rolls-Royce goes smoothly, the Asia-Pacific distribution rights of the subsequent Trent series engines will be mine, and they will definitely be merged into the Aviation Materials Company."
Hiss! Ma Cheng's heart was in turmoil. This thing turned out to be true!
"If it's about cooperation on aviation materials, then it's easy to talk about. I definitely want to make money, but I value the long-term operation of the partnership more."
"Yes, yes, this kind of cooperation should be discussed in detail. It's not like Luo Tianrong, who wants to make money today and not make money tomorrow." Zhou Yanping felt relieved when he heard Xu Cang's words: "Come on, come on, eat meat."
Judging from his previous interactions with Xu Cang, Xu Cang's character is indeed much better than Luo Tianrong's anthropomorphic creature who often refreshes the bottom line. However, it is always good to finally get the confirmation. Moreover, Zhou Yanping is more tactful and did not ask Xu Cang about the specific intended price.
Taking this opportunity, Ma Cheng also said: "Xu Cang, our Muhua's demand for Boeing aviation materials is not as great as Tiandong's, but the subsequent demand for the Trent 700 engine will be great, and there will definitely be many opportunities for cooperation in the future."
"Of course I would love to work with Tiandong and Muhua." Xu Cang also gave a timely compliment.
Although aviation materials are a seller's market, when facing two high-quality customers, Tiandong and Muhua, it is better not to put on airs. It won't cost you anything to say a few nice words.
"Great, great, great, great!" Zhou Yanping was even more excited. The expenditure on aviation materials alone could save Tiandong a lot of money, which was a great achievement.
Now that the cooperation has been reached, both the guests and the hosts are having a great time, and the atmosphere has reached a new level of enthusiasm.
Just as Xu Cang was enjoying his meal, he suddenly felt something strange beside him. He tilted his head slightly, and a face emerged from the darkness, already very close.
Xu Canghuo stood up suddenly, his heart almost stopped beating. When he saw everything clearly, he found that a young man had appeared beside him without knowing when.
Xu Cang held his forehead and suppressed his heart that was about to jump out of his throat: "Who are you?"
"I'm from the surveying and mapping team of the design institute. My name is Ji Dong." Maybe it was due to the firelight, but there was a light flickering in Ji Dong's eyes, which made Xu Cang feel very uncomfortable.
"Ji Dong?" Xu Cang searched his memory, and it seemed that this person was not among the people he knew: "Have we met before?"
"I have seen it!" Ji Dong said with certainty.
"Have you seen it?" Xu Cang was very suspicious: "Really?"
Ji Dong made a photo-taking gesture: "I took this photo of your plane from the top of the mountain."
"Ah? It's you guys." Xu Cang suddenly realized that the person he saw on the mountain below was Ji Dong. After confirming his identity, Xu Cang immediately asked Ji Dong to sit down: "Sit down and eat together. It must be very tiring for you to climb that snowy mountain, right?"
"It's not that strenuous, and the snowy mountain isn't that steep." Ji Dong sat next to Xu Cang and asked immediately, "Brother Xu, I haven't seen you in the test flight team. You're not from the test flight institute, are you? Are you a professional pilot, from an airline company?"
Xu Cang said as he ate, "It's from Spring Airlines. I guess you haven't heard of it."
"Spring Airlines?" Ji Dong racked his brains but really couldn't remember what kind of airline Spring Airlines was. However, he knew about Spring Travel Group.
Ji Dong scratched his head: "I am ignorant."
"It's just been established, so it's normal that you don't know." Xu Cang handed Ji Dong a skewer of meat and said, "I didn't see you in the helicopter before, how did you get here?"
"There was another plane behind me, so I was a little late." Ji Dong took the skewers and said, "Brother Xu, I heard that you civil aviation pilots also accept apprentices, right?"
Xu Cang didn't think much about it: "Yeah, what's wrong?"
"So what do you think of me? I'll be your apprentice?"
Xu Cang almost spit out the meat in his mouth: "You want to become a disciple? No, you are in the surveying and mapping team of the design institute, you want to join the civil aviation. The key is that you don't have a private business license, how can you join an airline company?"
"Private business? My uncle opened an aviation school and I can go there to study anytime." Ji Dong said seriously.
"Your uncle owns an aviation school, this..." Xu Cang subconsciously looked at Di Qingquan.
But Di Qingquan said helplessly: "Ji Kaiming's son is very rich."
"Ji Kaiming?" Xu Cang was stunned, and four words immediately emerged in his mind... King of Fruits in the Northwest!
It seems that in the future, nearly one-third of the domestic mid-to-high-end fruit business will belong to Ji Kaiming, who is indeed a big boss. But if the Ji Kaiming that Di Qingquan mentioned is the same person as the Ji Kaiming that he said he knew, then why does the son of this fruit boss look so unintelligent?
"Yes, I am quite rich. Brother Xu, you can be my private flight instructor. Just name a price, as long as you are willing." Ji Dong said immediately, and his heroic spirit was indeed that of a rich second-generation.
Xu Cang wanted to confirm: "Where is your orchard?"
Ji Dong didn't quite understand what Xu Cang meant, but he answered truthfully: "The main ones are Shule and Wushi, and there are some small ones scattered around. What's wrong?"
"Sure enough!" This matches the information I know.
This is really the second generation of the big boss!
However, even if Ji Kaiming is not as glorious as he will be in the future, he should be a well-known figure now. How can he let his son go to the surveying and mapping team of the design institute?
"Why are you in the surveying team?" Xu Cang asked with a smile, "Not in your orchard?"
Ji Dong laughed: "I'm not interested in doing business, I just like flying. My dad didn't object, but he said that if I want to do flying, I must be the best. I thought, if I want to be the best, I have to find the best teacher? I asked around and heard that Dean Bi from the Flight Test Institute is the best, so I went to find him."
Xu Cang's mouth twitched a few times. This maneuver was really out of his mind. Could Bi Lin be blamed for this? When Di Qingquan and others heard what Ji Dong said, they also tried to hold back their laughter, and it seemed that they were about to burst out.
"Ahem, what did Dean Bi say?" Xu Cang asked.
"President Bi said that I was impatient and could not do flying. So he introduced me to the design institute next door and asked me to join the surveying team, saying that field work would temper my temper." Ji Dong spread his hands and said, "I have been working here for more than two years and have been promoted to the squadron leader of the surveying team. If I continue to work like this, I will have to stay in surveying, which I naturally do not want to do. Moreover, I found a very serious problem..."
"Hmm?" Xu Cang suddenly became interested: "What serious problem?"
Even Di Qingquan and others pricked up their ears, wanting to hear what shocking discoveries the mobile team had made.
Ji Dong lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "I strongly suspect that Dean Bi is fooling me!"
Xu Cang smiled awkwardly and said, "If that's what you're talking about, then you don't have to doubt it."
"Hahaha!"
Xu Cang was holding it in, but Di Qingquan and the others couldn't hold it in. They really couldn't understand how Ji Kaiming, such a powerful man, could give birth to such an innocent son.
Xu Cang chuckled a few times and patted Ji Dong on the shoulder: "Dean Bi is very good at judging people. It seems that you are not suitable for flying. You should go back and inherit the family business. This is something that many people envy."
"Yeah, you are lying on a mountain of gold, and you still want to fly. Isn't that a waste of time?" Zhou Yanping said with a smile.
Zhou Yanping was very happy to see this somewhat cute rich second generation, it was really interesting.
Ji Dong sighed in a dignified manner: "Business is not going well now. We can't just eat and wait for death when we go back."
"Why, are there still some difficulties?"
Xu Cang had only asked casually, but Ji Dong followed up with the conversation: "Fruits are now moving towards high-end. But the market in the northwest is not big, and those high-end fruits cannot be digested. There is a market in the east, but fresh fruits are not suitable for long-distance transportation, so it is difficult."
It seems that Ji Dong is not completely indifferent to family affairs.
However, this sentence sounded like thunder to Xu Cang's ears, and he suddenly asked, "What if we transport it by plane?"
"Huh?" Ji Dong was stunned. "What did you say? Shipping by plane, will it lose money?"
In this era, people generally still regard air transportation as a high-end mode of transportation. For cargo transportation, they generally prefer water or rail transportation, and even road transportation is too expensive.
But Ji Dong just said that fruits are fresh and not suitable for long-distance transportation. So, if you want to sell high-end fruits, the best is still air transportation. It can only be said that Ji Dong's horizons have not been opened yet, and he has not fully understood how prosperous the domestic consumer market will be.
The Northwest region has sufficient sunlight, so the fruit quality is really good, which is very suitable for the mid-to-high-end market. In addition, the domestic express delivery industry will develop rapidly with e-shopping in the future. If you want to catch the ride of this era, you must plan ahead.
Airlifting high-quality fruits from the northwest region to the developed eastern regions may be an attempt by Xu Cang in the freight field.
"No, this needs a try."
Anyway, Xu Cang had never worked in freight transportation, so he could only make judgments based on some major trends in the future. Therefore, he did not dare to make an accurate judgment, but it was definitely worth a try.
Ma Cheng and Zhou Yanping next to them did n't react much. They were not very interested in things in this unknown field. Although Tiandong and Muhua also have freight departments, they are not the main force after all.
Instead, Di Qingquan raised his eyebrows and said, "Xu Cang, do you really want a freight license?"
"Is it okay?" Xu Cang asked back.
"That's fine, but...is it really a good idea to airfreight fruits?"
Various thoughts kept flashing through Xu Cang's mind. Based on future experience, the air transport market is large enough to support a giant logistics company. However, it seems that this field has not yet formed an established pattern, so it seems that he can give it a try.
Xu Cang finally turned to Ji Dong and asked seriously, "Can I meet your father?"
…
Xu Cang was in high spirits that night, but because he ate too many kidneys, he had a nosebleed in the second half of the night, which really scared everyone.
However, Ji Dong was willing to contact his father and introduce him to Ji Kaiming. As a result, he learned that Ji Kaiming had gone abroad and would have to wait for a while before returning home. Ji Dong expressed great regret about this, but Xu Cang didn't care much, thinking that it would not hurt to wait a little longer. However, Xu Cang felt that the relationship between the father and son of the Ji family was quite incredible, as his father had gone abroad and the son knew nothing about it.
Since he couldn't see Ji Kaiming for a while, Xu Cang didn't plan to stay in the northwest for long. He transferred to Urumqi the next day and then returned to Erhai Lake.
Just when Xu Cang was about to set off back to Erhai Lake, a group of the country's best civil aviation pilots gathered in a conference room at the Hanjing Civil Aviation Administration. Some of them had participated in the previous Qitai Airport single-engine verification convening meeting.
However, in addition to them, there were some new faces this time. Compared with those civil aviation pilots, this group of people had a condensed aura, and they were connected as one. Apart from the sound of breathing, there was no other movement, and the discipline was at its best. Especially the one in the front row of this group, his aura was as deep as the sea, which was even more fascinating.
On the stage, Bi Lin served as the host, while Director of the Transport Department Tan Linlin and Director of the Airport Department Xin Xin sat in the audience.
A video was playing on the projection behind Bi Lin, showing Xu Cang flying in the canyon. This video was shot by Ji Dong and Wang Wen on the top of the mountain.
At first, the field was still silent. But when the plane performed an incredible maneuver with a near-infinite radius turn, some pilots from the civil aviation team stood up suddenly, their eyes filled with disbelief.
Even the other well-disciplined team let out a slight sound of surprise, and the leader's eyes sparkled, looking a little interested.
When the plane completed the turn, Bi Lin on the stage pressed the stop button and said in a deep voice: "In the future, you will practice this action on the simulator. If you have any questions, you can directly give me feedback. There is a booklet on each of your desks. This is the experience summarized by the crew in question. You can use it for reference."
After Bi Lin finished speaking, everyone in the room turned their eyes to the booklet in front of them. The booklet was not printed beautifully and looked a bit like it was hastily produced.
Some people could not help but frown as they read through it, as there were relatively detailed instructions on how to manually open the EEC hard standby mode under maximum thrust, how to use the standby flaps to separately deploy the leading edge device, how to start the actual pull-up, and how to turn.
However, some of the content was too extreme, and some clearly violated regulations, which made many pilots feel uneasy.
"Mr. Bi, are we going to practice according to the instructions? Isn't this a problem? For example, the EEC hard standby under maximum thrust, won't this cause the engine to exceed the limit?" Someone raised a question.
This statement spoke for everyone, but Bi Lin said bluntly: "Let's do it this way for now. We will summarize and modify it in the follow-up contact in order to obtain a relatively safe operating procedure."
After Bi Lin said this, everyone stopped talking and began to study the booklet in their hands. It is said that the crew at that time completed the radiusless turn according to this operation procedure. As long as you are a pilot, who would not be fascinated by this? For a while, the field has begun to stir up a little discussion.
However, as soon as the discussion started, Bi Lin knocked on the table with his cane. Immediately, the voices in the room subsided and everyone focused their attention on Bi Lin.
Bi Lin's face was a little tired, but his voice was still as powerful as ever: "Let me make it clear again, whether it is this booklet or the operating procedures we will decide in the future, they are not official. All paper documents in the training are not allowed to have any official words, any official seals, or any official signatures. Your airline is not allowed to publish relevant documents in its name. The training at this stage only exists for technical exchanges. Do you understand what I mean?"
Bi Lin's voice was like a cold winter wind. Everyone in the audience trembled and responded one after another, indicating that they fully understood.
After saying that, Bi Lin seemed to feel that it was not enough. He looked around at everyone and said coldly, "Since you are participating, you must abide by the rules. If you feel that you cannot abide by the rules, you can withdraw now. I will never pursue it. However, if you still violate the rules after participating in the training, especially if you talk about this matter to outsiders, everything will be handled according to the highest standards!"
Bi Lin already had great prestige, and when he said this, one could hear a pin drop in the audience.
Seeing that no one had quit, Bi Lin was quite satisfied and waved his hand: "Okay, today I just want to talk to you guys. That's all. Let's go."
As Bi Lin signaled to adjourn the meeting, most of the civil aviation pilots left soon. The other group of people did not move at all, as if they had not heard the order to adjourn the meeting, until the middle-aged man in the front row stood up and shouted, "Let's go, go back and wait in the second meeting room."
At the command, more than a dozen people stood up in an orderly manner and lined up to leave the venue in a very disciplined manner. When only Tan Linlin and Xin Xin were left on the stage, the middle-aged man walked up to the stage and supported the tired Bi Lin: "Dean, you have been tossing around these days, can't you take a break?"
"It's okay! Most of the Qitai matter has been resolved, and I've been worried about it a lot. I just need to take care of myself from now on."
The middle-aged man nodded. But soon, a cold light flashed in his eyes: "Dean, it would be a waste of talent for Xu Cang to stay in the civil aviation industry. Do you want to force him to enter the flight test institute?"