Chapter 1 – Welcome On Board

Dressed in his deep blue uniform, Bian Ji stood at the cabin door, greeting each passenger with warmth, “Hello! Welcome on board!”

This was his tenth year working as a flight attendant. At first, his colleagues who joined later would call him “Brother Bian,” but eventually, they dropped his surname altogether, referring to him as “Cabin Manager” or simply “Brother.” The other flight attendants also tacitly omitted their names, being designated by the areas they were responsible for, such as Number Two.

Bian Ji began reciting the announcement he had given thousands of times, yet still managed to convey warmth, “Good afternoon, passengers! Welcome aboard Flight AD801 of X Airlines. I am your cabin manager for today’s flight.”

Their destination was Kunming Changshui International Airport. About an hour after takeoff, the meal service announcement rang out. Since both cabins were fully booked and there were special guests, Bian Ji was concerned that Number Two, who had recently been promoted to business class, might struggle, so he accompanied her while serving meals in the business and first-class cabins.

The seats in business class were semi-enclosed private booths equipped with touch-screen TVs, headphones, and slippers. Most passengers preferred quietness; some were engrossed in work, while others were resting in a reclined position.

“Sir, I apologize for the disturbance,” Bian Ji said with a warm smile, kneeling down to offer two brochures, introducing today’s wine list and menu, “Would you like to order a meal?”

The man looked up from his thick stack of legal documents, momentarily surprised upon seeing Bian Ji, but said nothing, only nodding with a smile, “I’ll have the beef with tomato sauce, with a special sauce on the side, thank you.”

He had thick eyebrows, a straight nose, and an earphone in one ear. His voice was like an ancient bell, and he had papers under his hand that were about a hundred pages thick.

— Seat 6C, Yan Ankuo, a platinum member, with a birthday on December 14th, which happened to be today. After reminding himself of this, Bian Ji quickly brought a cake that had been prepared before takeoff and a handwritten card.

“Here is your meal, please enjoy!” Bian Ji placed the meal and the birthday cake on the tray table, saying enthusiastically, “In addition, the crew has prepared a gift for you. Happy Birthday!”

The cake was small, with exquisite icing and fruit decorations. Beside the gift box, the handwriting on the greeting card was firm and sharp, reading: [Today is your birthday. On this special day, we are honored to meet you. Cabin Manager Bian Ji and the entire crew wish you safety and happiness.] Yan Ankuo looked up in surprise for a moment, causing Bian Ji to wait longer than usual.

The cabin manager asked with a smile, “Is there anything else you need?”

Yan Ankuo came back to his senses, shaking his head, “No.”

Bian Ji’s eyes curved into a smile as he said, “Alright,” stood up, waved to the passenger, and then walked away.

The deep blue uniform accentuated his broad shoulders and long legs, yet the cabin manager had a narrow waist, displaying a clear line of silhouette, easily evoking thoughts of the perfect human contour beneath the uniform.

As Yan Ankuo watched the retreating figure, a strange thought inexplicably surfaced in his mind: This cabin manager’s smile is very infectious, like a happy Samoyed. He silently returned his gaze to the card, finding the name at the bottom pleasant and somewhat familiar.

Coincidentally, an English song started playing in his headphones, and Yan Ankuo guessed that either the chorus was too loud or the air conditioning in the cabin was too hot, causing his pulse rate and sweating to be unusually high.

He had no choice but to take off his suit jacket, roll up the sleeves of his white shirt, and then taste the dessert he usually wouldn’t touch.

When Bian Ji came around to collect the trays, Yan Ankuo had already finished the entire cake, even eating the sweetest cream and jam clean.

Seeing that the crew’s efforts were appreciated by the passenger, Bian Ji asked happily, “Mr. Yan, mango cake is our new flavor. Are you satisfied with it?”

Yan Ankuo nodded, “It’s delicious, thank you.”

“That’s great! Wishing you a pleasant journey!” Bian Ji, like a tail-wagging puppy receiving praise, stood up and patted the shoulder emblem on his uniform.

“Thank you,” Yan Ankuo nodded, “I hope the same for you.”

Perhaps it was due to receiving a birthday blessing from the birthday boy, but when Bian Ji opened his lunch box, he did indeed feel happier than usual.

The crew’s meal options were the same four dishes, and the airline’s catering supplier unoriginally paired them with two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and pickled mustard greens. The Number Two flight attendant joked, “Seriously, eating these every day should help with weight loss, right?”

The Number Three flight attendant also laughed, “Standing for seven hours every day is quite effective for weight loss too.”

“Since we’re landing earlier than scheduled today, how about we have a meal together when we get to Kunming? I’ll treat you to a mushroom hot pot!” After Bian Ji said this, the two young girls clapped their hands in agreement.

They would only be in Kunming for less than three hours before returning, but there was still time for a meal. As long as the timing was right, Bian Ji was always willing to take his colleagues around the local area. He had entered the industry earlier than the rest of the cabin crew, and it was only fitting that he acted a bit like an older brother when others called him “Brother.”

The crew’s mealtime was limited, and after hurriedly eating a few bites, Bian Ji had to conduct the routine safety check again.

December 14, 2023, 15:03.

Bian Ji walked through the kitchen, emergency exits, and the cabin, which he had already checked before takeoff, and reviewed the sign-offs once more.

Everything seemed normal, with clear skies and smooth sailing. Except for a few more children and elderly passengers, today seemed to be an ordinary day.

— at least until Bian Ji reached the restroom.

The restroom on the plane was very small and completely enclosed. Someone must have just used it, as the folding door wasn’t completely closed.

Bian Ji caught a faint smell of burnt rubber, mixed with the lingering aroma of the meal. It was so subtle that most people wouldn’t notice anything unusual.

The smoke alarm hadn’t gone off yet, perhaps due to a short circuit somewhere.

The location of the restroom was critical, close to various electrical lines and flammable materials. Bian Ji didn’t dare to be careless and pulled open the narrow partition door.

The moment he opened the door, a spark under the sink quickly rose, devouring paper towels and plastic bags.

A yellow flame grew more intense, transforming into a monstrous inferno right before Bian Ji’s eyes!

At that instant, the air seemed to freeze, leaving behind a terrifying silence. However, the fire spread at an accelerated pace, about to reach the cabin wall and roll towards Bian Ji.

“Holy shit!” Bian Ji grabbed the nearest fire extinguisher and, without hesitation, pulled the valve, spraying it at the base of the fire. Whoosh — the white mist filled the cramped restroom, temporarily covering the flames. Immediately, the smoke alarm was triggered, and the red indicator light flashed incessantly.

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep. Like a death knell. Whoosh — Bian Ji aimed at the flammable paper towels and plastic bags again, but it wasn’t enough, far from enough! The fire was spreading too quickly. In no time, it had reached near the mirror, leaving behind a horrifying blackened area. Above it were the electrical devices. If a spark landed inside, causing a power failure and the aircraft to lose control, everyone on board would perish in a crash!

Airborne fires were practically the nightmare of all flight crews. From the discovery of an anomaly to total destruction, it could take anywhere from several minutes to just a few seconds.

Bian Ji’s mind had gone blank, but his body didn’t stop moving. Relying on the instincts honed by daily training, he made an emergency call:

“Attention cabin crew! There’s an open flame in the forward lavatory. Immediate assistance required!

“Number Two, close the ventilation!

“Number Three! Fire extinguishers! P.B.E!

“Number Four, calm the passengers and immediately perform a safety check!”

Before he finished speaking, Number Three had arrived, looking panicked but walking steadily. From a meter away, she handed over, “Brother! Here you go!”

The young girl was clearly terrified, her voice trembling as she tried to suppress her fear. She volunteered, “I’ll collect the other fire extinguishers!”

Even someone who had undergone countless simulations of emergency training would be nervous, let alone the other passengers. Hearing the commotion, some passengers became restless, repeatedly asking what was happening; children burst into tears, causing others to follow suit. The adults couldn’t soothe them, and the cabin was instantly filled with cries.

Facing danger, there was no time to worry about anything else. Bian Ji pulled the valve of the fire extinguisher again. However, there were too many flammable items in the restroom. Being too far from the source of the fire made it hard to see the situation clearly, and the fire was extinguished too slowly.

Six seconds had passed since the fire broke out.

It was too slow. Six seconds at thirty thousand feet in the air, he had to snatch the lives of one hundred sixty-one people from the grasp of death.

Bian Ji didn’t have time to think. Suddenly, he grabbed the fire extinguisher and charged into the blaze!

“Don’t go in!!” Number Three was putting on her P.B.E, and seeing Bian Ji enter alone, she instinctively tried to stop him, yelling for him to come out.

Bian Ji couldn’t respond. He could only cover his nose and operate with one hand. The scorching heat was only a few centimeters away. If he moved a bit slower, he might be engulfed by the flames. In his desperation, he felt neither the heat nor the tension. His brain forced him to block out everything unrelated to survival, mechanically removing flammable items and spraying again at the fiercest part of the fire.

For the next ten seconds, there was no response from the restroom.

Every second felt like a bet with Death, stretched infinitely within the damn large aircraft.

Number Three didn’t know how to breathe or cry anymore. Helplessly watching the white smoke continuously pouring out, listening to the hissing sound of the fire extinguisher, she felt nauseous due to excessive tension. Although her legs were shaking badly, she remained steady when Bian Ji emerged.

“Hurry and put on the mask!” As Number Three approached, her legs weakened, and she knelt down to equip Bian Ji, “Let me take over!”

Bian Ji lay on the ground, coughing violently. Inside, he dared not breathe, only now taking deep breaths. He instructed, “Monitor for any remaining embers.”

Number Three held back her sobs, “Okay!”

Fortunately, the fire source was discovered early and handled promptly, so the fire was under control. To prevent a resurgence of the fire, Bian Ji left Number Three in place. He didn’t have time to catch his breath, turning to report the fire situation to the captain.

“Captain Nie, there’s a fire in the forward lavatory of the cabin. Initially judged as a Class A fire. Now, there’s a small amount of rolling white smoke, with a burnt rubber smell. The open flames have been extinguished, and we’re… cough cough!” Bian Ji’s voice was hoarse as he reported halfway through, interrupted by coughing. He quickly cleared his throat and continued, “We’ve used five fire extinguishers and PBE to inspect other areas.”

After finishing, Bian Ji raised his hand to check the time.

15:03:38.

Twenty seconds had passed since the fire was discovered.