At Munich Airport in Germany, it was already late at night, past three in the morning, and only three hours before dawn. Earlier, the Boeing 777 of British Airways Flight 531 had been towed away by a tug truck, and the airport checked the runway several times to confirm that there were no parts of the previous aircraft left on the runway surface, which would affect the takeoff and landing of subsequent aircraft.
However, due to weather conditions in the Alps, a large number of European routes were affected, and as it was late at night, it did not have much impact on Munich Airport.
Not long ago, a Lufthansa CS300 aircraft transferred from Berlin, Germany, landed at Munich Airport in Germany. After landing, the aircraft did not slide into the regular parking position, but went directly into the Lufthansa maintenance workshop at Munich Airport.
In the huge and empty maintenance workshop of Lufthansa, several high-powered lights illuminate the workshop space. On both sides of the workshop, there are a lot of aviation parts and some tools used by maintenance personnel.
Munich Airport is the third airport in Germany where Lufthansa has the most aircraft. Therefore, in order to reduce costs and facilitate aircraft dispatch, Lufthansa built a maintenance workshop at Munich Airport to facilitate routine maintenance and overhaul of aircraft.
At this moment, a group of maintenance personnel have gathered in the factory and are setting wheel chocks for the incoming CS300 aircraft. It seems that a detailed inspection of the aircraft will be carried out later.
At the corner of the factory entrance, Xu Cang looked at the slender and graceful CS300 and couldn't help but admire this work of art that embodies the essence of human industry.
Beside him, the representative of Bombardier was also quite proud: "This is a CS300XT aircraft. Compared with the basic and ER models, the braking distance for landing is shorter. When it is fully loaded, the braking distance is..."
"1661 meters." Xu Cang said calmly: "It is indeed a good plane."
The Bombardier representative was stunned for a moment, but for someone of Xu Cang's level, it was normal to know some data, so he didn't react too much, but continued: "How much of the aircraft manual have you read?"
About two hours ago, a Bombardier representative brought Xu Cang a complete set of CS300 aircraft manuals, which were directly brought from Lufthansa's Munich base.
Although the Bombardier representative trusts Xu Cang instinctively, it would be better to read more of the manual.
"I've finished reading it." Xu Cang just said calmly.
"Finished it?" The Bombardier representative tilted his ear: "You mean finished it?"
Xu Cang said towards the parked CS300 aircraft: "This aircraft is a double-cabin layout customized by Lufthansa, with a total of 120 seats, a seat pitch of 91 cm and 81 cm, a seat width of 48 cm, a wingspan of 35.1 meters, a wing area of ​​112.3 square meters, a height of 11.5 meters, a cabin height of 2.13 meters, a width of 3.27 meters, and a fuselage diameter of 3.7 meters. The maximum take-off weight is 55,339 kilograms, the maximum range is 4,075 kilometers, the cruising altitude is 12,497 meters, the cargo hold water volume is 31.6 cubic meters, and the maximum cargo capacity is 4,853 kilograms."
The Bombardier representative twitched his lips. "Okay, okay, this data is more accurate than anything I know. The amount of supplies this time is about five tons. Is that enough?"
Xu Cang shook his head: "Not enough."
"Not enough? It's enough, right? We're not providing them with supplies to sustain them for a long time. According to the forecast of the meteorological department, the blizzard will weaken in two days, and by then, the helicopter will be able to barely enter the mountain. In other words, we only need to provide them with supplies for about five days. Isn't five tons enough? It must be based on the minimum amount. Isn't it enough?"
The supplies shipped to the Alps this time include fuel, clothing, food and medicine. Now is a matter of life and death, not a vacation, so we only need to carry the minimum standard of not starving or freezing to death, and a cargo capacity of less than five tons should be enough.
"More than a hundred people." Xu Cang said.
The Bombardier representative was stunned: "It's not more than a hundred people, that's impossible, how can this number be wrong?"
The allocation of supplies must be based on the number of people. It is impossible to get such important information wrong. This is not some difficult-to-calculate data. This mistake is too low-level.
"Wait a minute, how many people are there? If the cargo hold is not big enough, we have to modify the passenger cabin and remove some seats to accommodate the extra supplies." The Bombardier representative calculated and said, "I have confirmed with Lufthansa that the maintenance workshop here is of a relatively high level, so it should be possible to remove the seats."
It can only be said that Lufthansa is still very wealthy. The maintenance workshop of just one branch base basically has everything, which really saves them a lot of trouble.
The seats in the cabin are removable, and the CS300 customized by Lufthansa is a typical double-cabin layout, that is, with a first-class cabin, so it can be disassembled faster than an all-economy class layout.
"How many people are there exactly?" the Bombardier representative asked. "If the difference is not too big, we can fix the supplies on the seats to avoid having to remove them. After all, there is still a round of inspections to be done later, and removing the seats is still too time-consuming. I am worried that we will not be able to make it in time."
As long as the supplies are fixed to the seats, it is completely acceptable to transport them in this way. This is not an emergency measure, but is used in real flights. However, the fixing method is not the kind of imaginary fixing, but there will be corresponding rigid standards, what kind of fixing device to use, where to fix it, how effective it is, how to place it, and what precautions to take.
"No, there are about 300 people, which is too many to complete the cabin fixation. We can only remove all the seats." Xu Cang said: "For the landing distance, the lighter the aircraft weight, the better. Removing the seats is also a good thing to reduce the landing distance."
The Bombardier representative must have known that a lighter plane would be good for Xu Cang. He was shocked by another thing, the number of people.
"Three hundred people! That's nearly one hundred and eighty more people out of thin air. How could the error be so large?" The Bombardier representative felt extremely incredible: "No matter how many mistakes were made, there can't be such a big mistake in the number of rescues. Xu Cang, are you sure?"
At the end of his speech, the Bombardier representative suddenly thought of something. He opened his mouth, then pursed his lips, and said after a while: "The extra 180 people you mentioned are... the staff of the manor?"
Xu Cang lowered his eyebrows and said, "Everyone is paying attention to the wealthy holiday tycoon who is over a hundred years old. Those are the ones who should be rescued. However, they never pay attention to the remaining 180-odd ordinary employees of the manor, nor do they care about their life or death. They even excluded them from the distribution of rescue materials."
The representative of Bombardier didn't look very happy, because he had instinctively ignored all the ordinary people in the manor, such as the chefs, waiters, cleaners, etc. After hearing what Xu Cang said, he didn't know how to answer for a moment.
The Bombardier representative was silent for a moment, but he finally asked the sharp question: "If it is based on the standard of 300 people, then even if all the seats are removed, the amount of supplies carried will be relatively large, and it is probably close to full load."
The cost of three hundred people for five days is not a small amount. Previously, due to the extreme confidence in the manor's power transmission lines and oil and gas pipelines, as well as the convenient land and air transportation methods to the mountain, the manor has not been very enthusiastic about stockpiling supplies. This is why when the Alps were hit by a rare snowstorm in a century, the manor soon ran into a shortage of supplies.
Although Bombardier's representative said that they only needed to bring the minimum standard of supplies, the people in the manor were starving and extremely short of heating supplies.
In this case, the extreme demand for supplies can easily lead to many problems. People can obtain supplies according to the minimum survival standard in a rational way, but in the case of casualties in the early stage, the people in the manor will definitely increase their demand for supplies out of fear.
If the distribution is not done properly, there will be problems within the manor. It is not because of the shortage of supplies, but because of the violence caused by the internal competition for supplies.
Therefore, the minimum standard ration mentioned by the Bombardier representative is actually not very safe. In order to maintain stability, the single-person standard must be higher, at least to make the people in the manor "feel" that these supplies are sufficient.
However, if the single-person ration standard is raised and the number of personnel is more than doubled, the amount of supplies will not only be twice the planned amount, but will probably be three times the previously estimated amount.
If the amount of supplies is increased in this way, the weight of the aircraft will not be optimistic.
You know, the runway of the small airport in the Alps Manor is only 1,600 meters. Usually, only helicopters or small planes can land there. It is difficult for slightly larger regional aircraft to land there, not to mention mainline passenger aircraft like the CS300.
However, because the airflow in the Alpine airspace is too chaotic, small aircraft cannot maintain stability at all, so only mainline passenger aircraft can be used.
CS300 and A319 are smaller types of mainline aircraft.
However, even for the CS300, the runway length for a fully loaded landing actually exceeds the runway length of the Manor Airport. However, Bombardier calculated at the beginning that this flight should not be fully loaded, and the landing distance should be about 1,450 to 1,500 meters.
Although the redundancy is still very small, it is still supported by theory.
But now it's different. The amount of supplies carried has tripled, and it's almost full. If it falls, the plane will be in danger.
"Xu Cang, if we follow the standard of 300 people, I will ask the headquarters to calculate the final weight after the statistics are released."
Now, no matter what, it is just a rough estimate. The specific weight of the materials and the weight that can be reduced by removing the seats must be calculated. The technical department of Bombardier headquarters has special calculation software that can calculate the landing distance of the aircraft.
But even so, Bombardier representatives are worried.
"Xu Cang, our calculation software sets the limit of snow thickness on the runway to 15 millimeters. However, there is no doubt that the snow thickness on the runway of Manor Airport is definitely more than 15 millimeters. In other words, the actual landing distance will only be longer than our calculation result."
The calculation of landing distance is not only based on the aircraft weight, approach speed, wind direction and speed, runway slope and local temperature, but also on the pavement condition. Under the same conditions, the stopping distance on a dry runway is definitely shorter than on a wet runway.
The pavement conditions are usually divided into seven levels, with the highest level being six, which is a dry runway, and the lowest level being zero, which basically prohibits takeoffs and landings.
Normally, if the snow on the runway exceeds 13 mm, takeoff and landing will be prohibited, which means the runway condition level is 0. However, the software at Bombardier headquarters can set the maximum snow thickness on the runway to 15 mm, and there is no relevant data to support it if it is thicker than that.
Even from a legal point of view, a runway with a snow thickness of 15 mm is not suitable for takeoff and landing. However, Bombardier headquarters can still calculate a value.
However, given the current situation in the Alps, the thickness of snow on the road must be more than 15 millimeters, so the final value calculated by Bombardier headquarters is also inaccurate.
The Bombardier representative paused for a moment and said, "Based on past experience, the actual landing distance should be increased by 15 percent to be more appropriate."
"Add 15 percent. Theoretically, the plane will definitely not be able to land." Xu Cang said with a smile.
"But we can't completely ignore the theory. If the difference is too great..." The Bombardier representative paused and said, "Wouldn't that be like going to die?"
"It's okay, just do as I say and remove all the seats." Compared with the representative next to him, Xu Cang seemed very stable.
"You..." The Bombardier representative didn't know what to say for a moment. He sighed and said, "Xu Cang, people are different. For the sake of those ordinary people, you are delaying the survival opportunities of more than a hundred rich people. Morally speaking, we should treat everyone equally, but now due to objective factors, we can't save everyone. This is reality."
In fact, the Bombardier representative didn't even need the headquarters software to calculate. It was obvious that if the plane was equipped with supplies for 300 people, it would definitely not be able to land. It was back to the original question. The supplies must be reduced, and the amount reduced was quite large.
"Xu Cang, according to our previous calculations, the amount of supplies for 112 people can theoretically support a safe landing." The Bombardier representative hesitated for a moment, but finally said those cold words: "Xu Cang, just follow the original plan. You will bear the least risk and gain the most benefits. Those rich people will survive, and the families of ordinary employees can also be given more... pensions. This is the best choice for all parties."
"If you want to save those people, you will take a huge risk. Moreover, if you can't land, those people will die anyway. Why not let them die...more meaningfully?"
In the opinion of the Bombardier representative, if the plane was equipped with enough supplies for 300 people, it would definitely not be able to land. Without so many supplies, those ordinary people would die. Even with supplies, the plane would still die if it could not land. Since everyone was destined to die, why not choose a more cost-effective way?
At least if they chose the first option, more than a hundred people could survive, and Xu Cang would not have to take risks. But if they chose the latter option, neither side would get what they wanted.
Bombardier is desperate, but it doesn't want to invest in a flight that is doomed to fail.
Xu Cang did not say anything more about this issue. Instead, he looked at the plane and raised his hand: "When your people arrive, tell me."
This flight was of great importance, and both Xu Cang and Bombardier were extremely cautious. Therefore, the inspection of the aircraft would not be completely handed over to outsiders. After the Lufthansa maintenance staff had completed the inspection, Bombardier's own maintenance staff transferred from the German branch would check it again to ensure absolute safety before releasing it.
Xu Cang meant to wait for the Bombardier inspectors to come, and then he would observe from the sidelines to eliminate any possible hidden dangers. The plane would have to remove the seats and then do a safety inspection, and Xu Cang couldn't watch it all the time, so he only checked it one last time.
However, the Bombardier representative was obviously not satisfied with this answer, because Xu Cang did not answer what to do.
"Xu Cang, what exactly are you saying?" the Bombardier representative asked.
But Xu Cang just nodded slightly at him, left the factory silently, and soon after, his figure disappeared into the darkness.
Looking at Xu Cang leaving, the muscles on Bombardier's face twitched involuntarily. He hesitated for a moment, took out his mobile phone and dialed a number.
Soon the call was connected, and the Bombardier representative immediately said solemnly: "Boss, there are some problems here."
…
After leaving the airport, Xu Cang walked to the hotel. When he reached the hotel entrance, he saw a tall figure leaning against the doorpost from afar. When he got closer, he saw that it was Richard.
"Aren't you going to rest yet?" Xu Cang walked closer and found that Richard's eyes were bloodshot, but his emotions were extremely excited.
However, Richard is not young anymore. This kind of all-night thing might be acceptable to young people, but it is a bit difficult for people of Richard's age.
Richard smiled and said, "Today is destined to be a sleepless night. How can I sleep? Look, you didn't sleep either. Didn't you just go to the airport?"
"You know, I can't sleep." Xu Cang chuckled and said, "Yes, I just went to the airport and found a rather tricky problem."
Richard raised an eyebrow: "Is it about those manor employees?"
Xu Cang sat down on a big rock at the entrance of the hotel. He raised his head and looked at Richard. His expression was somewhat playful, but also somewhat sad. "You knew about this, right? If I didn't take the initiative to check, no one would have told me about this until takeoff."
Previously, when Xu Cang was asking for information about the trapped rich people, he had thought about the manor employees. At that time, he asked the people who cooperated with the rescue, and was told that the manor employees were not a big problem. At that time, Xu Cang subconsciously thought that the number of manor employees was not large, and he only needed to increase the amount of supplies a little.
After all, things are different now, and various automated equipment can indeed reduce the number of service personnel to a minimum.
However, not long ago, Xu Cang had a plan of his own. He did not go through the people assigned to him, but directly contacted Sir Capet in England. He asked him to investigate the specific employee information of the manor. This investigation was not difficult. Half an hour later, Sir Capet gave Xu Cang a list.
It was only then that Xu Cang learned that the number of employees in the manor was not just a few as he had thought, but there were almost 180 of them.
The survival issue of 180 people is described by some people as "not a big problem".
"Xu Cang, the fate of these people is already determined." Richard said in a deep voice: "If it is destined that only some people can be saved, then this choice should not be difficult to make. It's not your fault, but reality only gives you this choice."
Xu Cang shouted coldly: "But now I know."
"Then just pretend you don't know. You shouldn't have any burden." Richard sighed. "There is sacrifice, and then there is reward. This is the fair truth. Each of the more than one hundred rich people paid at least more than one million US dollars. This is their sacrifice. The remaining one hundred and eighty people are unable to pay, so naturally they should not get the due reward. There are only two paths in front of you. Stubbornly put yourself in danger. In the end, everyone will still die. It is meaningless and there will be no compensation or pension. Or, according to the original plan, rescue the more than one hundred rich people. After these rich people are out of trouble, even if it is out of humanitarianism or superficial morality, they will most likely donate part of the money as pension for those ordinary people."
Richard looked at Xu Cang: "What do you think we should choose?"
Xu Cang pursed his lips: "Is there no third way?"
"The third way?" Richard shook his head helplessly. "I have already estimated that if the total weight of the aircraft is based on the standard of 300 people, it is impossible for it to land on the manor runway. I know that you can land even if the wing is broken, but some things are really beyond human control. The runway is not long enough, it is not enough, no matter what you do."
The runway length of the Manor Airport is already quite limited, which makes it impossible for Xu Cang to take off again after landing this time.
Because the fuel in the manor's own oil storage tank had been completely used up. Before, there was no electricity in the manor, so the people in the manor drew out the oil from the airport's oil storage tank. In addition to using it to generate electricity for fuel engines, some of it was directly used for heating.
The Manor Airport was originally small in scale, and previously only received helicopters and some small business jets, so the demand for fuel reserves was very low. Therefore, once the people in the Manor drew oil from the oil storage tank for emergency considerations, the oil was exhausted within two days.
This meant that Xu Cang would not be able to get fuel after landing, and could only bring fuel for the round trip. But in this way, the weight of the plane would exceed the standard, which was completely unfeasible.
Therefore, the current plan is that Xu Cang's plane will carry a little more fuel than the one-way trip, and after landing, the oil in the plane will be directly pumped out for heating or power generation, so as to make the best use of it. In this way, less fuel can be carried in terms of supplies.
In any case, even if the plane landed empty at Manor Airport, the runway was stretched to its limits, so the less stuff they could carry, the better. It was simply impossible for Xu Cang to carry emergency supplies for nearly 180 people at once.
Xu Cang fell silent for a moment. The current situation was indeed completely beyond his expectations.
Seeing that Xu Cang didn't say anything, Richard suddenly asked, "Have you decided on the co-pilot?"
"Hmm?" Xu Cang raised his head: "Co-pilot, I don't need a co-pilot?"
"You want to go alone?" Richard was stunned. "Two people are always safer than one person. Some things are hard to accomplish alone. I think it's better to find a co-pilot to cooperate with you."
"Someone who will cooperate with me?" Xu Cang shook his head: "There is no one here that I trust. Rather than not trusting anyone, I might as well be alone."
Anyway, Xu Cang is used to turning the tide on his own, and it's good to be alone.
Of course, what Richard said was right. If you have a trustworthy assistant, it is indeed much more convenient than fighting alone.
"What do you think of me?" Richard asked suddenly.
"You?" Xu Cang glanced at Richard and realized that he didn't seem to be joking: "You want to come with us?"
Richard nodded and confirmed, "Yes, I want to join us. My skills should be good enough to be your deputy."
Xu Cang didn't know how to respond to Richard.
In terms of skills, Richard certainly had no problem. As the head of the International Federation of Airline Pilots Association, how could he convince others if his skills were not strong enough? However, Xu Cang couldn't understand why Richard did this.
No matter how you look at it, this matter is risky. Why would Richard take the risk?
"Do you have family and friends in a manor in the Alps?" Xu Cang asked puzzledly.
"No."
"Then why?" Xu Cang spread his hands: "It doesn't make sense."
"Why does it have to be justified?" Richard thought for a moment: "I've lived a peaceful life for half my life, and suddenly I want to get excited. Is this an acceptable reason?"
Xu Cang rolled his eyes. This reason was too trifling and perfunctory.
"If you're bored, feel free to find something else to do. I don't have the time or interest to keep you company."
After saying that, Xu Cang tightened his clothes and walked towards the path inside the hotel.
However, after taking only two steps, Richard's laughter came from behind him: "Captains of ocean-going ships will always look for an experienced first mate. There are always two control positions in the cockpit of an airplane. Doesn't this prove something?"
Richard's voice became even louder: "Xu Cang, you need a trustworthy deputy, a First Officer who can eliminate all your worries!"
Xu Cang paused slightly, but did not respond. He went straight to the hotel, leaving behind a lonely and determined figure.
Looking at Xu Cang slowly leaving, Richard said to himself: "Xu Cang, how should you choose?"
As he spoke, he covered his chest with his hand and held the doorpost of the hotel with his other hand. It took him a long time to feel more comfortable.
"Man, are you too excited?" Richard leaned against the goalpost and laughed heartily: "Yeah, how can I not be excited?"
…
After returning to the hotel, Xu Cang locked himself in the room without turning on the lights, and sat there quietly for more than an hour.
Just then, a ray of light finally lit up in the dark room. It was the light from the mobile phone on the table. Someone sent him a message. Xu Cang's sculpture-like body moved and he looked at his phone. It was a message from a Bombardier representative. The Bombardier maintenance staff had arrived and they could do the final check before takeoff.
Xu Cang had previously stated that he would personally observe the final takeoff inspection.
Xu Cang sat in the darkness for a while, and finally picked up his phone and stood up. He slowly walked towards the door of the room, and as soon as he opened the door, he saw a waiter standing at the door, which surprised Xu Cang a little.
"Sir, I'm sorry to bother you." The waiter greeted Xu Cang politely: "Some people are looking for you in the hotel lobby. Maybe you can go over and meet them."
"Someone is looking for me?" Xu Cang frowned.
The waiter nodded: "Yes, and ... a lot."
Xu Cang was stunned for a moment, and then he had an idea in mind. He nodded to the waiter and said, "I understand. I'll go now."
After saying that, Xu Cang closed the door and took the elevator to the lobby on the first floor.
At this moment, it was already past five in the morning, not far from dawn. At this moment, the originally empty and silent hotel lobby was filled with a solemn atmosphere. When Xu Cang appeared, everyone in the lobby cast their eyes towards him.
There were a lot of them, probably hundreds of them, and they were all dressed in luxurious clothes or had extraordinary temperaments. It was obvious that they were all people of status. Needless to say, these should be the relatives or agents of the rich people trapped in the manor, and they came to sign an agreement with Xu Cang.
Standing at the front was an old woman. Even though her hair was gray, every strand of silver was tied up meticulously. The precious jewels flashing from her collar and the majestic aura she exuded all showed that she was of high status.
Next to her was a smiling middle-aged man in fancy clothes. He was the first to see Xu Cang coming. Before speaking, he nodded to Xu Cang and looked very friendly. The young man on his right had a hooked nose, high cheekbones, and thin lips. He looked cold and indifferent.
Hundreds of people gathered together, in twos and threes, whispering to each other. They didn't look like they were here to sign an agreement, but rather a high-end party for bonding. It wasn't until Xu Cang came closer that he attracted everyone's attention.
There was no way. Xu Cang's clothes and skin color were very different from these people. The difference could be seen at a glance and he was easily recognized.
"Are you Xu Cang?" Although the silver-haired old woman had a face full of wrinkles, she spoke with confidence and sounded quite aggressive.
Xu Cang nodded: "It's me!"
"You look no more than 20 years old, you are really young." The middle-aged man in fancy clothes behind the old woman spoke English, but his accent was long and lingering, with a lazy and noble air: "Hello, I am Stephen Longs, and this is Mrs. Wharton. There are quite a few of us here, so to avoid confusion, we two will represent everyone to communicate with you later."
After Stephen finished speaking, he paused for three seconds on purpose. If anyone had any objections, they could raise them during this time. However, in the end, no one objected, and it seemed that they had discussed it in advance.
"Pay one-tenth of your net worth within three years. Is this your condition?" Mrs. Wharton stepped forward, even more aggressive.
Xu Cang didn't like this overly tough old man, but he didn't show it too much: "Yes, that's the condition. What do you think?"
"I don't have any ideas. Three years of turnaround time and one-tenth of my wealth, if I can be saved with just these, it is undoubtedly a very cost-effective deal." Stephen smiled and said, "There is no problem with signing the agreement. But there is one thing I want to confirm."
Xu Cangyi frowned: "What?"
Stephen waved his hand, looking very easygoing: "I just want to know, how much supplies do you plan to bring?"
"What?" Xu Cang frowned even more tightly: "If you have any questions, please tell me all at once. I don't like beating around the bush."
"All at once? Haha." The hook-nosed young man in the back sneered, "We got the news that you wanted to rescue the staff of the manor together. But the supplies for so many people will make it impossible for the plane to land. Is that true?"
Xu Cang's face darkened: "Whether or not I can go down is not up to you."
"Who has the final say?" Mrs. Wharton pressed, "Do you have the final say?"
At this moment, a familiar voice rang out from the crowd: "Xu Cang, are you still stubborn?"
As the crowd parted, the Bombardier representative came closer and stood in front of Xu Cang: "Just now, the headquarters gave me an accurate calculation result. If you say that we need to transport supplies for nearly 300 people, the required landing distance is 2,312 meters. This is calculated under the condition that the snow thickness is 15 millimeters. The actual estimate is more than 2,500 meters."
"Two thousand five hundred meters!" Xu Cang's pupils shrank suddenly. This result surprised him but seemed to be within his expectations. However, the difference was too obvious: "The difference is nearly nine hundred meters."
The Bombardier representative said in a deep voice: "If the difference is only one or two hundred meters, we are willing to take the risk out of trust in your flying skills. However, if the actual length of the runway and the expected landing distance differ by a full nine hundred meters, this is completely beyond the level that can be compensated by human power. Xu Cang, you should face reality."
Mrs. Wharton said coldly: "It would be wise to give up those 180 people."
"Xu Cang, this is not your responsibility, so you shouldn't feel guilty." The Bombardier representative sighed: "But if you insist on doing it, we may not be able to continue to cooperate with you. We are not willing to invest in such an operation that is doomed to fail."
"It's the same for us at Airbus." In the corner of the crowd, a tall man sat on a chair in the hall and looked at Xu Cang jokingly: "Hello, I'm Ronnie Covein, COO of Airbus headquarters. My German colleague may have contacted you before. I'm sorry that he may not have thought that Mr. Xu was such a compassionate saint at that time. Now I apologize for you on his behalf. If Mr. Xu's cooperation with Bombardier is terminated, Airbus' previous invitation to Mr. Xu will not count."
Having said this, Mrs. Wharton's lips curled up slightly.
The Bombardier representative frowned and said, "Xu Cang, you are pushing yourself into a dead end. Abandon that useless kindness. They have nothing to do with you in the first place."
However, just as the Bombardier representative's voice fell, a weak voice rang out in the hall: "Excuse me, who is Mr. Xu Cang?"
In an instant, everyone in the field looked back at the entrance of the hall, only to see a middle-aged woman in ordinary clothes standing there timidly. When she received the gazes from the group of people, she lowered her head unconsciously, not daring to meet their gazes.
The people in the hall were either rich or noble, and she seemed even more humble in front of them.
"It's me!" Xu Cang pushed through the crowd and walked up to the middle-aged woman: "Are you looking for me?"
"It's you?" The middle-aged woman looked at Xu Cang and was extremely surprised by his youth: "Are you going to the Alps?"
Xu Cang was startled: "Who are you?"
The middle-aged woman hurriedly said: "My children work in that manor in the Alps. I heard that someone is going to the Alps to rescue them."
"So, you came here?" Xu Cang took a deep breath.
"It's not me." The middle-aged woman pointed outside the door and said, "It's us!"
Xu Cang was stunned for a moment, and looked in the direction the middle-aged woman pointed. With the help of the light from the hotel lobby, he saw that the grass on the hillside outside the hotel was densely packed with people. These people were not as luxuriously dressed as those in the lobby. They were just the most ordinary people.
However, unlike the people in the hall, these people's eyes exuded the purest emotions, the concern for their loved ones.
They did not come closer, just stood outside silently, as if afraid of disturbing Xu Cang, but they also unconsciously placed infinite hope on Xu Cang.
"These are people nearby. Some from further away are still rushing here." The middle-aged woman grabbed Xu Cang's wrist and said, "Several previous rescue efforts have failed. Now we can only count on you, Mr. Xu Cang."
As if they were summoned, all the family members of the manor employees outside turned their eyes to Xu Cang. Invisibly, Xu Cang felt a pressure like a tsunami, which was the pressure generated by the faith of everyone gathered on one person.
Xu Cang looked around with a calm expression. He knew he had to make a choice!
However, how to make up for the 900-meter landing distance?
In the lobby, Ronnie Covey looked at Xu Cang's back with an amused look. On the balcony on the second floor of the hotel, Lian Shanli looked down at Xu Cang and whispered two words: "Fool!"
In the shadows at the bottom of the hill, Richard looked far away, staring at Xu Cang who was standing in the center of the light source at the entrance of the hotel lobby. At this moment, everyone's hopes were placed on Xu Cang. This was not a blessing, but a curse.
The shadows of the crowd surrounding Xu Cang seemed to bind Xu Cang tightly, making it impossible for him to breathe.
"What are you going to do?" Richard muttered to himself, "This is the weight of the crown. Can you bear it?"