At the hotel entrance, Xu Cang fell into a long silence. In the eyes of the relatives of the manor employees, this reaction was enough to show some attitude.
The middle-aged woman in front of Xu Cang opened her mouth and said, "No...Is it not possible?"
To be honest, the middle-aged woman in front of me spoke with a heavy accent, but the emotions revealed in her tone were real, and it was an expression that transcended language.
The representative of Bombardier behind Xu Cang saw that Xu Cang was slow to express his opinion, so he stepped forward and explained to the woman on behalf of Xu Cang: "Hello, I am the aircraft provider for this rescue operation. I think it is necessary to explain to you the problems encountered in this rescue operation."
The Bombardier representative organized his words a little: "The current situation is that the snow and wind have completely blocked the land access to the mountain, and the only way is to transport by air. However, the mountain manor itself provides services for small fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. However, under the current weather conditions, neither small fixed-wing aircraft nor helicopters can withstand the strong snow and wind, and the only way is to increase the size of the aircraft to a certain sufficient standard. However, since the runway at the mountain airport is too short, the distance the aircraft needs to stop after landing is positively correlated with the weight of the aircraft, so the aircraft cannot be too large. After careful screening, our CS300 aircraft was selected as the aircraft type."
He spoke such a long sentence in one breath, paused for a moment, and continued: "However, even if the size of the aircraft is strictly controlled, according to our calculations, if we want to stop on the runway, the plane can only carry supplies for about 120 people for four to five days. If there are more, the plane will not be able to stop on the runway. If we take all the supplies for nearly 300 people in the manor, the runway length required for the plane to land will reach about 2,500 meters, while the runway length of the mountain airport is only 1,600 meters, which is a big difference."
After that, the Bombardier representative patiently asked, "I don't know if I have expressed myself clearly."
Unlike the relatives of the rich who had their own agenda, the representatives of Bombardier sincerely hoped that Xu Cang could complete the rescue flight. After all, this was directly related to whether Bombardier could turn things around. Therefore, the representatives of Bombardier hoped that Xu Cang could abandon those manor employees and carry out the original plan.
Although the Bombardier representative said a lot, the actual meaning is still easy to understand.
The middle-aged woman digested what the Bombardier representative said, but she didn't quite understand. The Bombardier representative saw that the woman didn't quite understand, so he wanted to explain it to her, but she suddenly asked, "What if we change the way?"
"What?" Not only the Bombardier representative, but other people in the hall also cast their eyes over.
"I think I understand what you mean. That is, a plane carrying supplies for more than a hundred people can land, but a plane carrying supplies for all three hundred people cannot land."
The Bombardier representative breathed a sigh of relief: "That's right."
"Then you can take supplies for more than a hundred people first." The woman said suddenly.
The Bombardier representative was stunned: "So... you agree?"
"No." The woman shook her head. "The supplies you mentioned for more than a hundred people can last for four or five days. Then take these supplies with you, unload them, and then have the plane bring back as many people as possible. Then, organize another plane to bring supplies and rescue people back. Isn't that enough?"
The woman's meaning was very simple. If you can't bring all the supplies at once, then just bring some with you.
After the supplies are unloaded, the plane can carry some people back. The supplies cannot support the remaining people for four or five days, but it is definitely enough for one or two days. Then organize a second rescue in one or two days, bring some supplies on the way out, and bring people back on the way back. If the number of round trips is enough, the problem can be perfectly solved.
"Huh?" The Bombardier representative was stunned and froze on the spot. His brain turned for a moment and it seemed to be true.
When the rich relatives in the hall heard the plan proposed by the middle-aged woman, their faces varied, and Mrs. Wharton's expression was the most sinister. However, many rich relatives suddenly realized and secretly sighed that this woman really knew how to adapt. At first glance, it seemed to be a solution.
Not all rich people are unkind. It is not a bad idea to rescue people within a safe range.
The Bombardier representative thought about it seriously, but still didn't agree with the woman's plan: "If you do this, you will need to go back and forth to the Alps many times. No matter what, it is too dangerous there. More times means increased danger. No way."
Although Xu Cang's skills were very strong and could guarantee a relatively high success rate, the success rate would continue to decline as the number of attempts increased. After all, there was only one life, and Bombardier could not afford to fail.
"But..." The woman wanted to say something, but was interrupted by a lazy male voice coming from the hall.
"So after your cooperation with Xu Cang, Bombardier hasn't even figured things out?" As the voice rang out, everyone's eyes fell on a tall figure in the hall. It was Airbus' COO Ronnie Covein.
Ronnie slowly walked to the door of the hall and looked at the Bombardier representative jokingly: "Is this the level of your Bombardier? You don't even know whether you can fly back and forth? You only care about the length of the runway. Have you forgotten another fatal factor?"
The muscles on Bombardier's face twitched a few times: "What do you mean?"
"Ice accumulation!" Ronnie sneered, "Does Manor Airport have de-icing services?"
This question stumped the Bombardier representative, who hesitated for a long time but could not come up with an answer.
Ronnie Covein chuckled and said, "Let me tell you, no! De-icing services require specialized large vehicles and additional de-icing fluid storage facilities, which are too expensive for a pocket airport like Manor Airport. Therefore, Manor Airport is not equipped with de-icing services."
Not to mention a modified airport like the Manor with only a 1,600-meter runway, even some slightly larger branch airports cannot afford special de-icing equipment. That stuff costs a lot of money but is rarely used.
"Of course, even if Manor Airport is equipped with mainstream international de-icing and anti-icing services, it will be useless." Ronnie shrugged. "The de-icing and anti-icing fluid commonly used internationally is defined by the standards issued by the American Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), which is divided into four levels. Usually, even large airports only reserve level 2 de-icing and anti-icing fluid. Let's not talk about de-icing fluid, let's talk about anti-icing fluid."
Ronnie smiled and said, "The temperature in most of the Alps is close to minus 40 degrees Celsius now. Do you know how long the effect of SAE Type II anti-icing fluid can last?"
At this point, the Bombardier representative already understood what Ronnie wanted to say, and coincidentally, he actually knew this: "Six minutes!"
"That's right! Only six minutes!" Ronnie spread his hands. "That means that after the plane lands and wants to take off, the de-icing fluid sprayed at the Manor Airport can only last for six minutes. Do you think six minutes is enough to complete all the procedures, take off, and fly out of the Alps? Of course, this is just a hypothesis. The reality is that the Manor Airport doesn't even have a service that can maintain the de-icing effect for six minutes."
"What about other types of de-icing fluids, sprayed here in Munich?" the middle-aged woman suddenly asked.
"You still have some brains." Ronnie said expressionlessly, "We only have Type 2 anti-icing fluid in Munich. However, the temperature near Munich is only minus ten degrees Celsius, and the anti-icing fluid can last for about half an hour. However, the wind and snow in the Alps are too strong, and the onboard engine anti-icing and wing anti-icing cannot suppress the ice accumulation on the aircraft fuselage. We can only rely on the assistance of anti-icing fluid. We can transfer Type 4 anti-icing fluid from other places, and it can last up to an hour. However, as we go deeper into the Alps, this protection time will be reduced, but it should be enough to support a one-way trip."
The flight time from Munich Airport to Manor Airport is only over half an hour. If it is Type 4 anti-icing fluid, its effectiveness can barely cover the outbound journey. As for the return journey, don't even think about it.
Ronnie looked at the Bombardier representative with disdain: "We are all in the aircraft business. We should understand what severe ice accumulation means to an aircraft, right?"
The Bombardier representative twitched his lips and said nothing more. In this confrontation, he was indeed in a completely defeated situation.
"Then...can we carry some de-icing fluid up the mountain?" the middle-aged woman suddenly asked timidly.
"You're very smart." Ronnie smiled. "Unfortunately, the spraying of anti-icing fluid requires special equipment. As I said, Manor Airport itself does not have this equipment. In addition to ice accumulation, there is another important problem."
"According to civil aviation regulations, depending on the laws of different countries, aircraft are generally prohibited from taking off and landing after the snow accumulation exceeds 13 or 15 millimeters." Ronnie said, "The reason is of course that too thick snow will greatly affect the braking effect of the aircraft, but there is another important reason, that is, if the snow is too thick, a large amount of snow will be sucked into the engine, causing damage to the engine. There are such concerns for a few dozen millimeters of snow, and as far as I know, even in the outer areas of the Alps, the thickness of snow has reached more than 30 millimeters. The snow on the road of the Manor Airport in the central area is estimated to reach 50 millimeters, which is simply a devastating disaster for aircraft engines."
"Of course, this is not unsolvable. If the engine can be cut off immediately upon touchdown , perhaps damage to the engine can be avoided." Ronnie smiled, "But this will also lead to another problem. Once the engine is cut off, the chance of a go-around is lost. If the engine is not cut off, there is still a possibility of a go-around if the touchdown point is not good, but if the engine is cut off, then we can only pray that the plane can stop on the runway."
"However, even if the plane landed successfully, the snow accumulated at the engine air intake would freeze the low-pressure fan blades in a short period of time, so that the subsequent engine could not be started. Even if there was no problem with the de-icing fluid, the plane would still not be able to return."
Here, Ronnie's explanation is rather superficial. In fact, the theory is far from being as simple as he said, at least it is not because the low-pressure fan blades are frozen that the fan cannot start.
The reason why Ronnie said this is because it involves the starting principle of aircraft engines.
Although aircraft engines are high-value items worth tens of millions of dollars, they are somewhat similar to agricultural diesel engines in some parts during the starting process.
Anyone who has used an old diesel engine knows that when starting, you need to use a crank to crank the engine first, which is to give the diesel engine a starting rotational torque. The same is true for aircraft engines, which also require this starting torque input.
There is usually a starter component in aircraft engines, which functions like the crank of a diesel engine. It is essentially a small motor that is controlled by the engine start switch in the cockpit. During the starting process, the starter rotates first, thereby driving the low-pressure rotor and high-pressure rotor of the engine to rotate together, just like a person turning a diesel engine with a crank.
The pilot will only ignite the engine after the speed reaches a certain value, and then the engine will start successfully if there are no accidents.
However, the power of this starter is not large, and at certain times it cannot drive the engine rotor to rotate. At this time, the engine will fail to start.
The so-called certain times, such as a tailwind.
That’s right, not only should the aircraft avoid tailwinds when taking off and landing, but it also needs to avoid tailwinds as much as possible when starting the engine.
Because the engine low-pressure fan is essentially a bit like a windmill, if the wind is favorable, the low-pressure fan is easy to rotate in the opposite direction under the action of the wind. At this time, the low-power starter cannot stop the low-pressure fan rotating due to the wind, which is reflected in the data that the engine's N1 and N2 do not increase.
This is a typical manifestation of starting failure.
What Ronnie said about the low-pressure fan being frozen during the windy season is actually similar. The fan blades are frozen solid, and the starter cannot drive the fan blades at all, so naturally the engine cannot be started.
"Whether it's possible risks, potential risks or realistic risks that we are sure to encounter, this flight is destined to be a one-way trip. Therefore, the only way is to bring as much supplies as possible," Ronnie said lightly.
At this moment, Xu Cang asked indifferently: "So, you already knew about this?"
"Xu Cang, making choices is not something you should feel guilty about." Ronnie looked at Xu Cang curiously: "Or, you can choose not to save them and let them all die equally. However, as long as you go to save them, the 112 people should have the right to priority."
Either don't save anyone, or only save the rich. These are the two options before Xu Cang.
"You mean you never thought about saving the ordinary employees of the manor?" Suddenly, an elegant man with a straight figure and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses walked out of the dark crowd outside the door. He looked at Ronnie Covein silently: "Mr. Covein, not long ago, Mr. Xu announced that he would rescue the people in the Alps. But now, things have fallen into a dilemma. According to Mr. Covein, did Mr. Xu not know that he would save so many people at the beginning? When he announced that he would save people, he only thought that more than a hundred people would be saved?"
The current situation is obviously abnormal. After the previous attempts of the international rescue team, almost everyone knows that the trip to the Alps is extremely dangerous. Unless Xu Cang is an incurable idiot, he must have something to rely on when he announced that he would go to the Alps to rescue people.
However, when dawn was approaching, they came over and found that Xu Cang seemed to be hiding something, which was inconsistent with their previous speculation.
Combining the verbal hints of Ronnie Covein and Xu Cang, it is more likely that the information Xu Cang received from the beginning was wrong. He miscalculated the number of employees in the manor and simply thought that the number of employees was small and still within the controllable range. But in fact, he later discovered that there were less than 180 employees, which was completely out of control.
Ronnie obviously knew this elegant man, who was none other than the famous European lawyer Byron Warwick.
Ronnie said with a puzzled look: "Mr. Warwick, this doesn't seem to be something you should worry about, right?"
Byron gritted his teeth and looked a little annoyed: "My brother is a hotel management major and he was interning at that manor some time ago!"
Ronnie was stunned, and then he understood immediately. He didn't expect that there was a relative of a big shot among the 180 hotel employees. He immediately said, "That's a misunderstanding. If it was Mr. Warwick's brother, he would naturally get the same treatment. In the hall, even the one who paid the least paid one million US dollars. This rule cannot be broken."
"One million US dollars?" Byron looked at Xu Cang and frowned: "I can give it, but I didn't know it before and I'm not prepared. Give me some time."
The current means of payment are far inferior to those of later generations. Byron did not know the agreement between Xu Cang and those rich people, and he was not prepared at all. However, one million US dollars was not difficult for Byron. As long as he had some time, there would be no problem.
"It's okay, it's okay, it's just one million dollars, I paid for Mr. Warwick." Ronnie laughed.
Airbus's legal department has long coveted this European-famous lawyer. If Byron can be made to owe them a favor this time, then the one million dollars is quite a bargain.
Byron was reluctant to owe Ronnie a favor, but since it involved his own brother, it was hard to refuse, so he just nodded and said, "I'll pay you back as soon as possible."
"They are just some insignificant little things." Ronnie waved his hands, looking very happy: "Of course, all this is based on the premise that Mr. Xu Cang can agree."
As they spoke, Ronnie and Byron both turned their gaze to Xu Cang.
However, before Xu Cang could say anything, the middle-aged woman interrupted him and asked, "Is one million US dollars enough?"
She looked at Xu Cang and said, "I don't have one million dollars right now, but I can give you my house, car, and all my savings. Maybe I can raise one million dollars, as long as you are willing to save my child."
As soon as she finished speaking, the relatives of the employees waiting outside immediately crowded over.
"I do!"
"Me too!"
"I'll give you all the money if you're willing to save my son."
"Please save him, and I will give you all my money."
For a moment, the scene was extremely chaotic. They placed all their hopes on Xu Cang, and even some of them were confused about the situation. Now it was not a matter of money, but too many people and too much material to be transported. Even if they gave money, it would still not work.
Ronnie walked up to Xu Cang and whispered, "Mr. Xu, there is only one original sin in this world, and that is poverty. Even if these people are provided with everything, they can only get one tenth of what the people in the hall have. Why should you give up the wealth that is within your reach for these poor people? Isn't it the best choice for you to stick to the original plan?"
Perhaps she was angry at the relatives of the employees who tried to stop them, so a certain lady in the hall yelled, "You lowly people, what can you give? Why should my family be put in danger for your insignificant contribution?"
If it weren't for the pressure from the relatives of these employees and if they had followed the original plan, her family would have obviously had a great chance of survival.
But now, the relatives of these employees have been making trouble, and the matter has come to a standstill.
They paid one tenth of their wealth as compensation. How much can these civilians get with one tenth of their wealth? Can they compare with them? Even with this, they want to get the same chance of survival?
What if the relatives of the employees push too hard, and Xu Cang has too much moral burden to bear, and simply refuses to save them? What should we do then?
So, this noble lady was extremely annoyed with these employees' relatives and was really fed up with them.
In the darkness at the bottom of the slope, Richard remained silent. He stared at Xu Cang silently. At this time and place, this choice was unavoidable, but also unsolvable. But suddenly, he noticed Xu Cang looking over here, and his heart tightened.
"Mr. Richard, what if I can deliver supplies for 300 people to the mountain?" Xu Cang asked calmly.
As soon as these words came out, the Bombardier representative's face suddenly changed: "Xu Cang, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Another relative of the rich man in the hall shouted, "Why not just let these untouchables die? What are you talking about?"
Ronnie frowned: "Mr. Xu Cang, haven't you figured out the situation yet?"
He said this not because of any other reasons, but simply because he didn't understand. It was impossible to transport the supplies for 300 people to the mountain, so how could the 900-meter runway distance be made up by manpower?
Who is Xu Cang? A flying expert! Why is he still obsessed with this?
Or was it that Xu Cang was coerced by the relatives of those employees.
Byron Warwick also raised his eyebrows: "Mr. Xu, if you just want to show off once, then I advise you not to do it. I really want my brother to come back, and I don't want you to waste your life on such meaningless things."
In the hall, Stephen Long, a middle-aged man in fancy clothes, walked slowly over with a big belly. Unlike many people, Stephen Long's expression seemed to be watching the fun: "Mr. Xu, do you understand what you are talking about?"
However, Xu Cang ignored the doubts of the people around him and looked directly at Richard: "What if I can?"
Richard's expression gradually subsided, but he suddenly smiled with ease and said, "Then I would like to call you the strongest in the world!"
Xu Cang took a deep breath and turned to look at the Bombardier representative next to him: "Then are you willing to witness it?"
The Bombardier representative was stunned: "Xu Cang, this is simply impossible. No matter how you think or how you operate, it is impossible."
"No! That's possible." Xu Cang pursed his lips and said, "Only untouchable difficulties can match great miracles. Believe me, believe me, that is, believe in miracles."
Airbus COO Ronnie Covein couldn't help but grin. From a personal perspective, he really admired people like Xu Cang. He was really a shining figure. Unfortunately, the shining light will eventually go out.
The Bombardier representative was stunned as if struck by lightning. The current situation was completely beyond his expectations. He was afraid that if he went to ask his superiors for instructions at this time, the situation would be the same. However, he was one of the top decision makers at Bombardier headquarters, and there were not many people who could make decisions for him.
"Xu Cang, have you...have you thought it through?" Representative Bombardier gritted his teeth and said, "This is a huge gamble. If it fails, we will be buried with it!"
Xu Cang's eyes flashed with an unparalleled brilliance: "But that will also be the beginning of your Bombardier's return to the top."
"Damn it, how could this happen!" The Bombardier representative was almost going crazy. How did it change from Xu Cang making the choice to him making the decision of the century?
Ronnie raised his eyebrows, looked at the troubled look on Bombardier's face, and just opened his mouth: "Gary..."
Before he could finish his words, the Bombardier representative suddenly shouted, "Okay, okay, okay! If you go ahead and fly, I'll bet with you! I, Bombardier...will accompany you!"
Xu Cang's eyes fell on Richard in the distance. Richard sensed something and said with a smile without Xu Cang even saying anything: "I'll join you too!"
"Okay!" Xu Cang said softly, "After dawn, the plane will take off as usual."
After these words were spoken, there was an uproar in the room, especially among the relatives of the rich in the hall. One of them shouted, "You asked us for one tenth of our wealth, why don't you take a single cent from them?"
Xu Cang lowered his brows and suddenly turned to the middle-aged woman: "Excuse me, do you have a dollar?"
"What?" The middle-aged woman obviously didn't understand the current situation: "I... I only have Mark."
However, at this time, Byron Warwick took out a one-dollar bill and handed it to Xu Cang: "What do you want this for?"
Xu Cang took the one-dollar bill and nodded slightly to Byron Warwick: "This is my reward."
After saying that, Xu Cang ignored everyone else and walked straight into the hotel, leaving behind a group of shocked people.
Back in the room, Xu Cang still didn't turn on the light. He was silent for a moment, took out his cell phone and dialed a number.
After a while, the call was connected and an old voice came from the other end: "Xu Cang?"
This voice came from Bi Lin.
Xu Cang paused, his expression solemn: "Mr. Bi, there is something I need to verify with you."