Chapter 54 – My Boyfriend Is Here, Make Way

Bian Ji and Yang Tianru were both required to attend the hearing regarding the incident. Upon returning home, they meticulously reviewed their statements through video conferencing, refining their PowerPoint presentation before finally resting.

The next day, the upper management of the Cabin Service Department, along with department heads from Finance, Administration, and Public Relations, as well as two executives from the holding company, all gathered to form the hearing panel.

Bian Ji had last seen such a large gathering of superiors during the investigation of the AD801 flight incident; it inevitably evoked memories of the disaster’s shadow, causing him some anxiety.

X Airline’s structure was far from simple, with subtle power struggles among various interest groups. One faction, led by Gao Jian, the head of strategic investment, advocated for expansion and innovative business models. Another faction, led by Zuo Chen, the head of audit risk control, pushed for cost reduction and optimization of passenger services.

This time, neither of the major figures appeared, sending only several representatives from the holding company instead.

Yang Tianru glanced at the composition of the hearing panel and said nervously, “Brother Bian, no one from General Manager Gao’s side is here, only people from General Manager Zuo. This doesn’t feel good.”

Bian Ji usually paid little attention to the internal politics of the group, understanding the situation but unwilling to delve into it: “It’s fine, just report as usual, don’t worry about the rest.”

Yang Tianru was the main presenter of the report, while Bian Ji would handle the Q&A session.

Yang Tianru spent twenty minutes delivering a well-supported argument on unreasonable complaints encountered during cabin service and subsequent handling measures, using many cases from the flight attendants themselves, including the AD801 incident. Her voice was gentle yet powerful, and she spoke with particular emotion due to the direct impact on her own interests.

Director Li, sitting below, was moved, removing his glasses to wipe his eyes.

The self-inspection report covered many aspects, such as the uniform standards for flight attendants, the proportion of complaint rates in performance evaluations, the shortage of cabin service personnel, and the lack of emergency rescue equipment on board, each point representing a significant challenge to the company’s current management system.

Yang Tianru proposed reform suggestions for these issues one by one, and by the time she finished, almost no one besides Director Li had a pleasant expression on their face.

The head of safety assurance was the first to grow restless, raising his hand during the Q&A session and saying anxiously, “Our medical equipment already meets domestic and international standards. There’s no need to add more emergency rescue machines to each aircraft.”

Another supervisor agreed, “That’s right. And the decision to reduce recruitment of cabin crew this year was assessed by senior management. Although the workload on board has become more saturated after reducing staff, it’s not insurmountable.”

Xing, the director responsible for finance, also chimed in, “I understand the difficulties faced by frontline employees, but we’ve finally managed to control costs to within 80% of previous levels, with hopes of reaching the group’s target for net profit. If we suddenly change the uniform standards now, redesigning, measuring, prototyping, and producing over a thousand sets of clothing will easily cost millions. Should the additional cost be borne by the Cabin Service Department?”

Each department’s net profit was related to the year-end bonus distribution ratio. Director Li protested, “Cabin service reform benefits the entire company, how can the cost be solely attributed to our department?!”

“It depends on what the group decides,” Xing deflected, adopting an attitude of “I’ve done my best.”

The two leaders from the group remained impassive, avoiding the issue: “Are there any other questions?”

The public relations director moved the swan-neck microphone closer to himself and said, “Flight safety is important, but service quality is also a hallmark of our airline. Under limited resources, we cannot sacrifice one for the other. How many passengers purchase memberships because of our high-quality service, quick complaint process, and timely compensation? We can’t cut off our own limbs.”

Having listened to the entire discussion, Bian Ji could no longer hold back. He stood up and asked, “You mentioned that flight safety is crucial, but do you know that the third item on the emergency response checklist for cabin fires is ‘request passengers to remove flammable items like stockings’?”

The man was momentarily speechless.

Pointing to Yang Tianru, Bian Ji continued, “They ask passengers to travel light for safety, yet they must wear high heels, skirts, and stockings to save lives every day, all for the sake of your so-called ‘airline image’ and ‘service warmth’?

“To be frank, first, I don’t see the necessary connection between these uniforms and service quality; secondly, should we sacrifice safety just because accidents are rare compared to the frequency of serving passengers?”

Bian Ji’s voice rose slightly with his agitation, and the entire room fell silent.

Following his lead, Yang Tianru played a video of various airlines’ flight accidents, as well as data from financial settlements released later, and declared loudly, “In fact, when an accident occurs, the costs of aircraft repair and life insurance compensation for passengers amount to much more than five times the ‘hundred million’ we mentioned. More importantly, there are hundreds of lives on board. I’m sure the leaders can weigh which is more important.”

Bian Ji also pointed to his employee badge and stated emphatically, “I’ve been with the company for ten years, but I still remember that on my first day of training, Director Li told me that the primary responsibility of this job is to ensure flight safety. If our existence is merely to serve meals, greet passengers, and make them comfortable, why does the company spend so much money and time training us in emergency response and first aid day after day?”

Director Li of the Cabin Service Department suddenly removed his glasses and whispered something to the senior executives from the group beside him.

After a moment, the group leader nodded and asked Bian Ji, “You’ve been here for ten years, why did you decide to bring up these concerns today?”

Implying whether he was riding the wave of popularity from the recent AD801 incident or had other career aspirations.

Bian Ji met his gaze straightforwardly and replied without hesitation, “Because human cognition is limited and constantly expands. I believe I now have enough experience to take this step, and I hope the group can fully listen to the voices of frontline employees, giving us the opportunity to move forward.”

His words were neither humble nor arrogant, bold in this setting. Everyone else in attendance drew in a breath, while Yang Tianru secretly gave him a thumbs-up under the table.

The group leader was silent for a few seconds, staring into his eyes and saying, “Alright, I understand your concerns. However, the new uniforms have just been introduced, and there’s no possibility of changing them in the short term. We can only wait until the next batch.”

Bian Ji asked, “When will the next batch be?”

The group representative exchanged glances with the other department leaders and smiled, “To be determined.”

Having worked at the company for a long time, Bian Ji knew how indefinite the phrase “to be determined” could be. He asked again, “What about the other issues mentioned earlier?”

The middle-aged man with glasses smiled, “This is a significant matter, we need to discuss it at a higher level meeting.”

Anxious, Bian Ji stood up, “Can you inform us of any thoughts or plans after the meeting? Otherwise, I’m afraid actions might start being implemented while I’m still proposing the same thing, wasting both your time and the company’s resources, isn’t it?”

Bian Ji’s words weren’t smooth, and his tone was unusually assertive.

The group representative showed displeasure, “There are many decisions to be made recently, wait for notification.”

Everyone began packing up documents, and as Bian Ji was about to ask more, an administrative secretary approached him, informing him that the results would be announced internally after discussion and that he should pay attention to the company intranet news.

Bian Ji wanted to say more, but the vast hall was already empty except for a few colleagues from the Cabin Service Department.

Yang Tianru and Director Li looked at each other, smiling bitterly.

“It’s alright, you both performed admirably.” Director Li patted his shoulder, “You’ve done what you could. As for the rest, let’s leave it to fate.”

Bian Ji sighed, silently tidying up the materials scattered across the table.

The sun shone brightly, not blinding but impossible to look at directly.

The moment Bian Ji stepped out of the group’s building, he put on his sunglasses, not even wanting to drive. Quietly hailing a taxi, it seemed as though all his energy had been drained in the meeting.

The driver asked where he wanted to go, and Bian Ji’s mind went blank for a moment before he said listlessly, “The Bund Financial Center.”

Estimating that Yan Ankuo would be finishing work soon, Bian Ji sent him a message: [Got time? Want to grab a drink?] Yan Ankuo replied promptly: [Finished?] Bian Ji: [Yeah.] Yan Ankuo: [How was the meeting?] Bian Ji: [Not good.] Yan Ankuo: [Location] Yan Ankuo: [Reserved a booth, but I won’t be able to leave for a while. You can head to this bar first.] Bian Ji clicked on the location and found it to be a popular spot, where many celebrities had shot magazines. He wondered how Yan Ankuo managed to secure a reservation. He replied with an “Okay,” tossed his phone aside, and closed his eyes to rest.

Arriving at the bar, before anyone came to join him, Bian Ji ordered a drink and started drinking alone. He drank quickly, and by the time Yan Ankuo arrived, his glass was already empty. Leaning against the booth, his face flushed red, he appeared somewhat drunk.

A tall man wearing a baseball cap approached, assuming Bian Ji was alone, and tried to share the table, asking, “Mind if I join you?”

Bian Ji wasn’t in the mood to maintain politeness or enthusiasm, uncharacteristically replying, “I do.”

“Huh, so aloof?” The man didn’t seem deterred, pressing further, “I saw you’re probably drunk. Why don’t I keep you company for a drink? I can take you home later if needed.”

Although Bian Ji felt dizzy, he wasn’t so incoherent that he couldn’t understand the implications. Frowning, he muttered impatiently, “Fuck off.”

The man not only didn’t leave but sat down opposite him, saying flirtatiously, “Really? Are you…?”

Bian Ji looked up coldly, “What’s it to you?”

This was usually an admission, and the man relaxed.

“I thought so. My gaydar never fails me,” the man said with a smile, leaning closer and lowering his voice, “Anyway, drinking alone is boring. Since we’re kindred spirits, why not drink together?”

Bian Ji frowned, “Who’s kindred spirits with you.”

The man was about to continue, but Bian Ji pointed to someone nearby and said, “My boyfriend is here, make way.”

Only then did the man realize he had misjudged the situation. Turning around, he saw Yan Ankuo’s face and immediately cowered, smiling apologetically, “Sorry, I thought you were alone.” He then pressed his business card onto the table and whispered, “Still, you’re really my type. If you’re interested, we can still…”

“I’ll say it again,” Bian Ji slammed down the empty glass, flicking the business card away with one hand as if it were a speck of dust. Looking up, he exerted pressure, uttering a single word, “Fuck off.”