Chapter 2 – MAYDAY!

In the cockpit, the captain had immediately activated the 7700 emergency code, calling ground control: “MAYDAY, MAYDAY, X Air AD801, fire detected, requesting descent to maintain 8000.”

A female voice quickly responded over the VHF: “X Air AD801, approved.”

Then, the ground opened a dedicated frequency and called Captain Nie Hang again: “Received MAYDAY, X Air AD801, state your intentions.”

Knowing that the cabin fire was under control, Nie Hang sounded much calmer than before: “Visible fire detected inside the cabin, now extinguished, but cannot rule out overheating of the fan or electrical faults, requesting diversion to Chengdu Shuangliu.”

The frequency swiftly agreed: “X Air AD801, received. Now turn left to heading 360, descend to 6000.”

“Turn left to heading 360, descend to 6000, X Air AD801,” Nie Hang repeated.

Ground control asked again: “X Air AD801, any casualties on board?”

Nie Hang answered: “One hundred sixty-one passengers, no injuries. Eight crew members, none incapacitated.”

The female voice in the frequency clearly sighed in relief: “Alright, X Air AD801. Diverting to Chengdu Shuangliu, fire rescue has been notified.”

As they spoke, the aircraft suddenly experienced violent shaking. The intensity was so great that even Bian Ji, who ranked high in balance tests, nearly slid into the cockpit.

“Shit!” Nie Hang swore, immediately initiating a check procedure, instructing the co-pilot, “Check the engines!”

The check showed the engines were intact. The co-pilot said, “No signs of fire found.”

Taking advantage of a lull in the turbulence, Bian Ji struggled to his feet, staggering towards the window, observing the wing, and shouted, “Captain! Smoke detected near the exterior fuselage!”

As Bian Ji reported loudly, the captain methodically went through the ECAM list.

“Initiate the fan blade check procedure!”

“Roger!”

Before one problem was resolved, another arose. Bian Ji’s heart rate, which had just started to drop, spiked again. He stumbled back to his flight attendant seat, instructing the crew to take their positions immediately, then made another announcement over the cabin intercom.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your chief flight attendant. Due to a fire alarm in the cabin, the aircraft will divert to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in Sichuan.” Bian Ji’s voice was hoarse, adding a gravelly texture to his usually clear voice, yet his tone remained sunny, “The fire is now under control. Turbulence may occur during descent, please do not panic, fasten your seat belts, stow your tray tables, and cover your mouth and nose if necessary.”

Bian Ji gripped the intercom tightly, his heart rate likely exceeding one hundred fifty beats per minute.

He mustn’t panic! With over one hundred sixty people on board, everyone could panic except for the flight crew!

He took a deep breath twice and continued, “Please trust the crew, we will do our utmost to protect your safety!”

Meanwhile, Nie Hang held the control column tightly, seeking help from the ground again: “X Air AD801, suspect fan blade failure, debris thrown into the fan duct, engine overheating and surging. I’m preparing to shut down Engine 1, requesting descent to 3000.”

The breathing in the frequency became unstable: “Approved, X Air AD801. Runway 20R available, surface wind 190 at 18 gusting to 22, stay safe!”

Subsequently, the overhead panel indicator lights illuminated, signaling the closure of the fire zone isolation door and the cabin fans.

Everyone in the cabin was terrified, unsure but too afraid to move. Under extreme tension, they could only follow the instructions from the sole source of information. However, as the plane shook violently again, the taut wire finally snapped, and the cabin erupted into chaos.

“Why did there have to be a fire alarm?!”

“Is it extinguished? What about the children…what about the children?”

“Is the plane going to crash?”

“Why haven’t we landed yet? When can we get out!”

“My insurance policy…where is my insurance policy…”

Bian Ji tried to calm them with a loud voice: “The visible fire in the cabin has been extinguished, please do not panic, do not deploy the oxygen masks, follow the crew’s instructions!”

However, at such a time, the intercom was ineffective.

Over one hundred sixty people were trapped in a massive object, oscillating in the sky. The cabin resembled a ferry gate between hell and heaven, some crying while leaving their last wills for home, others clinging desperately to screaming children, some praying to all gods throughout history.

The instinct for survival distorted people’s appearances. They used seat classes to distinguish the price of tickets, but in the face of impending death, everyone became a clown at the gates of hell.

A middle-aged man wearing glasses in first class suddenly unbuckled his seat belt and stood up, frantically pounding on the call button: “Let me out! The fire source is near me! I want to go to the back!”

Bian Ji told him the fire source had been extinguished and was far away, but the man wouldn’t listen, insisting, “I can smell it, right near me!”

The perpetually cheerful puppy suddenly turned serious, recognizing the passenger and shouting “Mr. Gao,” he said sternly, “The plane is experiencing turbulence while descending, you can’t move around randomly.”

Mr. Gao, eyes bloodshot from anxiety, ignored the warnings from Bian Ji and the flight attendant, ready to rush out.

A lady wearing glasses nearby helped to persuade him: “Don’t move, it’s dangerous!”

A girl who looked like a student also said: “They already said the fire is out, why are you running around?”

The man had half his body out in the aisle, yelling, “If you want to die, go ahead! I don’t, I don’t!”

To avoid being thrown around by the shaking plane, everyone had their seat belts fastened. But if they let him run to the back, it might cause widespread panic among the front rows, leading to crowding and trampling.

With no choice, Bian Ji had to unfasten his seat belt and rush over, holding onto the seat backs.

“Sit down!” Bian Ji yelled at him.

“I want to go to the back!” The man wouldn’t listen to reason, “I don’t want to die…let me pass!”

“Don’t you?” Bian Ji finally lost his patience, rushing to the first-class seats, shoving the man back into his chair, “Who does? Ask the one hundred sixty-one people on this plane, who doesn’t want to live?”

“If you go to the rear cabin now, there are only two possibilities,” Bian Ji forcefully restrained the man’s shoulder with his elbow, pinning him against the backrest, confronting him aggressively. His uniform creased from the effort. Pressing the man down, he spat through gritted teeth, “One, fall to your death, or be crushed by luggage. Two, everyone crowds to the rear cabin with you, the weight distribution becomes dangerous, and no one survives!”

Bian Ji grabbed the collar of his shirt, forcing his seat belt back on, and whispered harshly, “Want to live? Sit here quietly.”

There was three seconds of silence in the cabin.

Mr. Gao was clearly stunned, he remembered the chief flight attendant always spoke with a smile, never expecting him to be quite intimidating when serious.

He sat obediently, holding onto the backrest, stuttering, “I’m going to file a complaint…I’m going to sue you until you’re bankrupt…”

The plane was still shaking violently, Bian Ji focused solely on comforting the other passengers, having neither the inclination nor the time to deal with such complaints.

The complainant didn’t care about the matter, but a passenger at the end of the aisle couldn’t stand idly by.

“You’d better prepare for a lawsuit from the airline first,” Yan Ankuo said coldly, “Endangering flight safety and disrupting cabin management order, they can hold you legally responsible.”

The other party, in a fit of anger, exploded: “Who are you? Mind your own business, damn it!”

“Shanghai Hengtian Law Firm, Yan Ankuo.” After introducing himself, the party nodded in Bian Ji’s direction, “If the chief flight attendant is targeted by a scoundrel, he can find me for free legal representation.”

Bian Ji was walking back to his seat when he heard this conversation and turned around in surprise. However, before he could process the meaning behind Yan Ankuo’s words and actions, a strong gust of air threw him off balance.

Instantly, screams filled the cabin, but the panic lasted noticeably shorter than before. Everyone quieted down, gripping the chair backs tremblingly.

Without the protection of a seat belt, Bian Ji lost his center of gravity and fell forward.

— Just as he was about to be flung out, Yan Ankuo reached out and caught him mid-air.

Bian Ji’s hands were icy cold. Despite handling the crisis calmly and flawlessly, his palms were drenched in cold sweat.

His fingers left marks on Yan Ankuo’s shirt.

Bian Ji gripped the shirt tightly, outlining the smooth lines of his captor’s arms and pectoral muscles. Through the fabric, dampened by sweat and partially transparent, one could see the finger marks — light red, five short lines, faintly visible.

Yan Ankuo seemed unconcerned about these details, grasping Bian Ji’s wrist firmly, using his bicep strength to pull him out of the turbulence and stabilize him.

Bian Ji struggled to steady himself, taking advantage of a brief moment of calm in the plane’s movements to quickly return to his seat, not wasting a single second.

He left so quickly that Yan Ankuo didn’t have time to finish the sentence, “Take care of yourself as well.”