UAAG CH47

No matter how rare or precious the fine wine, before the bottle is uncorked, it is like a dream lover—inseparable and longing. Once opened, there is only a brief, superficial taste, followed by an uncontrollable unraveling.

Old Joseph was dead drunk. He had already consumed quite a bit of brandy before tackling the Louis XIII. Now, with the Black Pearl crystal bottle of Louis XIII added to the mix, the alcohol rushed straight to his head. He lay supine on the sofa by the terrace, face flushed, giggling incessantly.

Su Fei also sneakily took a sip. The strong liquor was so spicy he stuck out his tongue, muttering, “Doesn’t taste that great either.” But remembering that this single sip was worth three thousand dollars, he cupped the glass and finished every drop.

Lina took out her gift, smiling helplessly. “I clashed with you guys.”

Fu Cheng looked and saw that Lina had also bought a watch—an Audemars Piguet.

It was actually very easy to understand. As a woman, giving something like a tie would be too intimate for Lina; giving a watch was just appropriate.

Lina smiled and pushed the gift box over. “Reid, aren’t you going to open it?”

Since he was opening gifts, he naturally had to open the one Fu Cheng and the other two had jointly given him as well. The two watches weren’t similar; the one Lina gave was more casual.

Zhuo Huan raised an eyebrow. “Two of them?”

Su Fei slammed the table. “Wear them both!”

Zhuo Huan opened the boxes with an indifferent expression and put both watches on his wrist.

Lina said, “If you hadn’t changed your clothes and were still wearing that T-shirt from earlier, I believe mine would definitely suit you better. But you changed into a dress shirt, so…” She pondered for a moment. “I lose. Bulgari’s ‘Starry Sky’ cufflinks really don’t match a sports mechanical watch at all.”

Zhuo Huan hooked the corner of his mouth and took off Lina’s watch.

It was already ten o’clock at night. Old Joseph was drunk to the point of unconsciousness. Fu Cheng and Su Fei each draped one of his arms over their shoulders to carry him back to the apartment. Zhuo Huan didn’t go down to see them off; instead, he made a call to have the housekeeper send someone to clean up the mess in the open-air dining area. He leaned against the doorframe, standing at the entrance with his arms crossed over his chest, watching the four of them.

Lina smiled with red lips. “No need to see us out, Reid. Happy Birthday.”

Making a soft sound of acknowledgment in his nasal cavity, Zhuo Huan looked up, his gaze fixing quietly on Fu Cheng.

Sensing the man’s gaze, Fu Cheng looked up. Their eyes met in the air. Fu Cheng said softly, “Teacher Zhuo, Happy Birthday.”

Zhuo Huan smiled meaningfully. “Happy.”

Su Fei shouted, “Happy Birthday, RIP! Let’s go, let’s go, hurry up. Why is Old Joseph so heavy! You can’t tell from the outside, but he must weigh at least 180 pounds!”

Lina helped the three of them carry their things, while Fu Cheng and Su Fei hauled Old Joseph into the elevator.

After struggling to get him into the car and dropping him off at his home, Fu Cheng finally returned to his own place. It was already midnight after he showered and changed. He lay in bed but couldn’t sleep. With his heart beating in agitation, he got up and started cleaning.

There was an hourly worker who cleaned the house, so there wasn’t much for him to tidy up specifically. He organized some odds and ends, and suddenly found a receipt in the corner of his desk drawer. He opened it to look.

Bulgari ‘Starry Sky’ Cufflinks, 6539 GBP.

His gaze lingered on the receipt for a few seconds before he expressionlessly crumpled it into a ball and threw it into the trash can. With truly nothing left to do, and the house tidied to perfection, it was already 3 AM. Fu Cheng turned off the last light. The illumination vanished instantly, plunging everything into darkness.

However, an image of thunderous applause emerged before his eyes.

Countless young air force pilots, dressed in crisp blue uniforms and having just joined the military, sat nervously in the audience. When that person walked onto the stage, they applauded in unison. The applause instantly threatened to lift the roof of the auditorium, rumbling like an earthquake.

The man paused in his steps, seemingly startled. He didn’t continue forward immediately but turned his head to glance at these young kids in the audience.

Then he walked toward the podium.

Memories are eroded away by the long grind of time, yet emotions and sensations are like aged wine, brewing to become even richer. That man’s voice wasn’t booming, and his attitude wasn’t solemn at all; he even seemed a bit slouchy. Beneath a head of fresh, clean short hair was a pair of eyes blooming with thousands of stars.

Fu Cheng watched, entranced.

When he spoke about his field, about the soon-to-be-completed McFly F485—that masterpiece McFly Aviation had spent nearly twenty years on, aiming ambitiously to dominate the skies—his eyes instantly seemed to fill with light. Confident, flamboyant, vibrant, and bright. His speech sped up, his tone rose, and he revealed a lively, happy smile.

Everything in the world seemed to become pawns bowing down before his eyes.

He would eventually be King.

At that time, those eyes were filled with stars.

Fu Cheng was silent for a moment, then returned to bed and closed his eyes. The thunderous applause faded from his ears, and that young, confident man turned into another version. It was in the cool breeze of an autumn night in Helsinki, sitting on the iron railing of a country lane. Weeds were under his feet, the starry sky above his head.

He hung his head, smoking silently.

Something pitch-black swept over those eyes; a silent and depressed silt swallowed him up from his feet. He smoked heavily, saying nothing, his brows tightly locked as if something had seized his throat, leaving him gasping in dull exhaustion.

Then he heard his own voice, raised his head, and looked at himself with a faint, ambiguous smile.

All that repression, negativity, and pessimism vanished the moment he looked up.

“You speak Dutch besides French?”

…

The agitation in the bottom of his heart could no longer be held back; it broke through the fence, rushing wildly like a flood. Fu Cheng got up, draped a jacket over his shoulders, and went to the balcony. He lit a cigarette, silent and soundless, sleepless all night.

The next morning, because of his hangover, Old Joseph didn’t come to wake Fu Cheng up for a run as usual.

At nine o’clock, Fu Cheng entered the gates of UAAG headquarters on time.

Seeing him, Lina was a bit surprised, then smiled. “Fu, you are one of the only two who aren’t late.”

Fu Cheng smiled at her. “Who is the other one?”

Master Zhuo being late was common; being on time was a surprise. As for Old Joseph and Su Fei, they were probably still asleep.

Lina said disappointedly, “In your eyes, am I not a member of UAAG?”

Fu Cheng paused, then apologized seriously, “Sorry, Lina.”

Lina blinked. “Just joking with you.”

The sun rose high. At eleven o’clock, Old Joseph and Su Fei finally arrived late.

Hungover for the night, Old Joseph’s complexion wasn’t good, but he was full of energy. As soon as he entered, he started pointing fingers. “My lateness, I think, is excusable. Fu, Lina, I was so drunk last night, it’s normal not to wake up. But this person, Su Fei, I really misjudged him! I never expected it—he sent me a message. Seeing I wasn’t awake, he happily went back to sleep, not even thinking about waking me up!”

Su Fei was unconvinced. “I was concerned about your health. Sleep more so you don’t get a headache after drinking, right, Brother Fu?”

Fu Cheng reminded them, “Teacher Zhuo hasn’t arrived yet.”

Old Joseph froze, then plopped down on the sofa. “Why didn’t you say so earlier! If Reid isn’t here, why am I making excuses?”

Everyone laughed together.

Noon passed, and there was still no sign of Zhuo Huan.

It wasn’t until 2 PM that the elevator door beeped. The man, wearing a French cuff shirt, walked into the UAAG entrance while looking down at his phone. When he passed Lina’s desk, he stopped and said, “McFly wants to consult on a design issue. I didn’t answer Daniel’s call, you don’t bother with it either.”

Lina: “Okay.”

After giving instructions, Zhuo Huan walked to his desk and pulled out a chair to sit down.

Su Fei watched him walk over the whole way and exclaimed in surprise, “You’re not heading straight for the sofa to sleep this time?”

His voice was neither loud nor soft, reaching Zhuo Huan’s ears and eliciting a scoff. “Is sleep the only thing in your brain?”

Su Fei: “…”

“Clearly, you’re the one who sleeps every day you come to UAAG!”

“Oh, but I’m also the one who pays your salary.”

“…”

Is this something a human being says?

“Take off the watch I gave you yesterday and give it back to me!”

Zhuo Huan deliberately let out a loud “Ah,” his voice frivolous. “You gave it to me? It was you, Old Joseph, and… Fu Cheng who gave it to me together.”

Today, Zhuo Huan was wearing the white shirt he had changed into later the previous night, and naturally, he was wearing the Patek Philippe the trio had given him. The silvery-white chalcedony dial complemented the diamond-encrusted ‘Starry Sky’ cufflinks at his wrists—elegant and noble.

Su Fei looked at Old Joseph and Fu Cheng. “I propose we take this watch back. Let’s the three of us go return it today. Do you agree?”

“Heh.”

Su Fei turned his head to look at the man.

Zhuo Huan propped his chin on one hand, looking in the direction of Old Joseph and Fu Cheng. He seemed to be looking at both of them, yet he stared straight at Fu Cheng, hooking his voice and speaking softly and slowly, “Then ask them, see if they agree. Am I important, or are you important?”

Old Joseph remembered the wine cellar Lina mentioned later last night and swallowed his saliva. He spoke righteously, “Of course, Reid is more important. Alright, Su Fei, stop making a fuss, don’t throw a childish tantrum.”

Su Fei stared wide-eyed at Fu Cheng. “Brother Fu, you have to be on my side!”

Zhuo Huan’s dark eyes stared at Fu Cheng. He licked his lips, yet there was no emotion in his pupils, just watching him quietly, waiting for his answer.

Fu Cheng: “There’s no logic in taking back a gift once given.”

Su Fei instantly felt abandoned.

Zhuo Huan looked at Fu Cheng and chuckled softly. “So, it looks like I’m more important.”

Fu Cheng raised his eyes to look at him.

“…Mhm.”

Master Zhuo smiled happily.

With Lina around, even the toughest roughneck would live an exquisite life.

Every day at 3:30 PM was afternoon tea time. She had booked a year’s worth of afternoon tea sets at a nearby five-star hotel, made personally by a Michelin chef. At this time every day, a waiter wearing a small vest and a black bow tie would deliver a cart full of afternoon tea to UAAG headquarters.

Everyone sat on the terrace, enjoying the view of the Huangpu River while sipping tea and eating pastries.

Not long after Fu Cheng sat down, Zhuo Huan came over. He sat right next to him, pressing close.

After Lina poured black tea for everyone, she started talking about the gossip she heard today regarding a top audit firm upstairs. Everyone listened with great interest, chipping in occasionally. Fu Cheng remained silent. He drank the rich black tea, his face wearing an expression of indifference.

Yet no one knew that under the table, the man’s foot was gently touching the crook of his leg.

Lina: “It seems they were caught right there in the conference room.”

Su Fei: “Holy crap, what do you mean caught right there?”

Old Joseph: “Why is a minor listening to this stuff? Caught right there means the two managers were in the audit firm’s conference room… having sex. Understand?” Old Joseph chuckled. “Such big news, you should be able to find it online.” As he spoke, he immediately took out his phone. After searching for a moment, he whistled. “Not only were photos taken, but it was ‘Woman on Top.’ Hmm, both have families and children too.”

Gossip is always so fascinating, especially gossip of a colorful nature.

Su Fei: “They have children and families? Then why do this kind of thing?”

Old Joseph smiled mysteriously. “What do you know? Do you understand having an affair? The more forbidden it is, the more charming it is. Ahem, of course, we must condemn this immoral behavior. Lina, don’t look at me like that, you know I’m a good man.”

Lina gracefully put down her Hermès teacup. “I just don’t understand. If they are already doing that kind of thing, why must it be at the company, and in a conference room where people often come and go?”

Zhuo Huan: “Because of the thrill.”

Lina looked up at him, seemingly surprised that he would speak.

A moment later, Lina stood up. “I’m going in first, you guys continue.”

Su Fei and Old Joseph were still passionately discussing the scandal at the audit firm upstairs. Zhuo Huan picked up a cookie. Just as he was about to put it in his mouth, his movement suddenly paused. At his ankle, someone was hooking him gently. Touched ambiguously a few times, then retracted. Just when he thought it wouldn’t happen again, it gently rubbed against his ankle like an intimate whisper.

After a few seconds, Zhuo Huan turned his head to look at Fu Cheng.

In the warm breeze of the spring afternoon, the handsome young man lowered his head to drink tea, his face expressionless. Sensing the man’s gaze, he turned to look at him. Their eyes met, and Fu Cheng slowly opened his lips, silently mouthing three words.

Zhuo Huan laughed. He leaned close to Fu Cheng’s ear, whispering against the tip of it, “You know… the Golden Ratio.”

After saying this, he stood up to return to his office.

Fu Cheng looked up at him.

Su Fei: “Eh, RIP, you’re leaving too?”

Zhuo Huan didn’t look back; he extended his right hand and gestured three numbers in the air.

Su Fei: “618? What for? Why is RIP saying his door code again? What, isn’t that what the Golden Ratio means? Is it really his ex-girlfriend’s birthday?”

Before Su Fei could figure it out, and before Zhuo Huan even reached the glass doors of the balcony, Lina walked back out.

Zhuo Huan stopped and looked at her.

Lina: “I regret to inform everyone that our leisurely break is always so short. I think we are going on a business trip again.”

Su Fei asked in astonishment, “Was there an air crash?”

Fu Cheng: “Judging by Lina’s tone, it doesn’t seem like it. Were there no casualties in this crash?”

If a sudden crash had occurred, Lina would definitely have spoken in a heavier tone.

Lina blew a kiss to Fu Cheng. “I like talking to Fu the most; he always understands a girl’s mind. However, this accident was not without casualties. There were 38 victims and 121 survivors. But it is in the past. Yes, this is not a recent accident; it is an accident that happened 23 years ago.”

“1998, Emirates Flight EK411 accident.”

Shencity Airport, VIP Lounge.

“July 11, 1998. A Boeing 777 designated EK411 took off from Dubai International Airport. However, just five minutes after takeoff, it crashed into a desert near the Persian Gulf.”

Old Joseph spoke while flipping through documents. “At the time, the Emirates Aviation Authority and the NTSB investigated the case together. Oh? The investigation report was published at the end of 1999. Let me see… the main cause of the accident was engine failure.” He looked up at Lina. “Hasn’t the result already been determined?”

Lina: “The Emirates Aviation Authority has new leads.”

Zhuo Huan raised an eyebrow. “What leads?”

For an air crash with a published investigation report—unless it was like the previous American Airlines 4012 where the black box fell into the water and wasn’t recovered, but the investigators didn’t truly give up and posted a reward—finding the black box twenty years later would certainly count as new evidence.

Fu Cheng frowned. “The black box of EK411 was found. The luckiest thing about this crash was that it crashed two kilometers away from the Persian Gulf. Otherwise, if it had fallen into the sea, the death toll would definitely have been higher, and rescue would have been more difficult. Although there was an explosion after the crash, almost all the wreckage of the plane was recovered.”

In this situation, could there still be new evidence?

And besides that, people at the Emirates Aviation Authority still had doubts about this crash twenty-three years later, investigating perseveringly enough to find new evidence?

Lina shook her head. “Not physical evidence. Witness testimony.”

Everyone froze.

Lina: “A survivor from EK411 twenty-three years ago came to the Emirates Aviation Authority three days ago… and spoke about some things she saw before the plane crashed.”

The boarding announcement in the airport VIP lounge chimed timely. Zhuo Huan stood up. “Let’s board first.”

Upon boarding, even though the UAAG team had flown on the top-tier McFly private jet and countless airline first-class cabins, they still looked sideways at the Emirates First Class.

Zhuo Huan walked alone at the front, hands in his pockets, expression calm. But the few people behind him couldn’t remain calm.

Su Fei: “Except for Lina’s dad’s private jet, I haven’t seen anything more badass than this. American Airlines’ First Class is far behind compared to this!”

Lina smiled. “Welcome to the world’s most luxurious airline, the Emirates First Class cabin.”

Hearing this, the Emirates flight attendant guiding them revealed a charming and confident smile.

Independent private spaces, beds fully 1.2 meters wide, and a starry ceiling created specifically for First Class guests in collaboration with Rolls-Royce. When First Class passengers rested, the beautiful flight attendant would proactively come over to make the bed and turn off the lights. Then, you could admire the unique Rolls-Royce starry ceiling right there on the plane.

Old Joseph suddenly realized something. “Emirates Airlines… so we’re going to Dubai… F*ck! The Burj Al Arab?”

Lina nodded. “Yes.”

Su Fei and Old Joseph instantly teared up.

Coming to UAAG was truly the most correct decision they had ever made in their lives.

After getting off the plane, a Rolls-Royce picked up the five of them and took them to the Burj Al Arab to drop off their luggage.

By evening, investigators from the Emirates Aviation Authority arrived specially at the hotel to pick them up.

whether it was the previous JAL 917 or the later American Airlines 4012, when UAAG members were invited to help investigate aircraft accidents, the other party would establish an investigation headquarters. Everyone would analyze the wreckage and investigate the truth within that headquarters.

Even for the Martha Airlines 123 cargo plane crash, there was a specialized investigation headquarters, even if its predecessor was a candy factory.

However, this time, for the EK411 crash, the Emirates Aviation Authority did not seem to have built a new investigation headquarters. They went all the way to the Emirates Aviation Authority Headquarters.

As soon as the car arrived and the door opened, a middle-aged man wearing a white thobe and a white ghutra with an agal cord walked over. He smiled and extended his hand to Zhuo Huan. “Mr. Patrick, hello, welcome, welcome. We have been waiting for you for a long time.”

Zhuo Huan extended his hand, his voice cool. “Hello.”

“My name is Mohammad Taha. You can call me Maha.”

His English was fluent, allowing everyone to communicate smoothly. Then, they followed Mr. Maha into the office building of the Emirates Aviation Authority.

Lina asked, “Was no investigation headquarters established?”

Maha looked troubled. “As you know, this is a crash from twenty-three years ago. Naturally, an investigation team was established back then, but after so many years, and since the investigation report was published, the specialized headquarters was disbanded. Of course, we are currently assembling a new one. It should be rebuilt in a couple of days.”

Su Fei muttered in Chinese, “Rebuilt? Is that necessary? Just find an empty office area. This building looks huge to me.”

Old Joseph drawled, “Can you understand the way rich people solve problems?”

After arriving at the conference room, premium black tea and snacks were quickly served.

Maha said a few more pleasantries with a smile before finally getting to the main topic. His expression turned solemn, and he sighed. “To be honest, none of us expected that after twenty-three years, a new witness would suddenly run out. Tomorrow, I will take you to see her.”

Zhuo Huan: “Why didn’t she come out to testify twenty-three years ago?”

On the way here, everyone had been doubtful about this.

Lina only knew that a new witness had suddenly appeared, and that this witness was a survivor of the plane. But she didn’t know why she waited twenty-three years to suddenly step forward.

Fu Cheng thought for a moment. ” was it because the survivor was injured in the crash and comatose? Like… becoming a vegetable, and only miraculously waking up now?”

This was the most likely reason they had guessed on the plane.

Lina smiled. “Although I don’t know the reason for the secrecy, Mr. Maha, we are already here. Whatever the reason is, you ought to tell us now.”

Maha looked at them and sighed a long sigh.

“That witness was not comatose, nor did she become a vegetable. After the crash, she wasn’t one of the 49 critically injured; she was discharged from the hospital after three months. The reason she only stood up now to tell the truth she knows is…”

“She was a stowaway.”

“Twenty-three years ago, she used forged documents to board the plane. She was worried that if she testified, the investigators would look into her background. So…”

“She chose silence.”

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