UAAG CH54

The design flaw in Boeing fuel tanks was not being raised for the first time.

As early as twenty-five years ago, the TWA Flight 800 crash served as a lesson that compelled Boeing to make improvements regarding the design issues of their fuel tanks. TWA Flight 800 was operated by a Boeing 747. Due to airport scheduling issues, it waited under the scorching sun for a full three hours.

In the blistering heat of July, with passengers suffering inside the closed, cramped cabin, it was impossible for the pilots not to run the air conditioning to cool them down. Consequently, the aircraft’s fuel tanks also operated under the hot sun for three hours. Eventually, the fuel vapor reached its flash point, an explosion occurred, the plane crashed, and no one on board survived.

Old Joseph pondered, “This possibility is indeed not non-existent. The Boeing 777 delivered to Emirates was manufactured in 1997. And regarding the TWA 800 crash, it took the NTSB a full year, until 1997, to uncover the truth. Perhaps Boeing hadn’t completely rectified the fuel tank design flaws on all their aircraft, even though this was an extremely coincidental loophole with a very low probability of occurrence.”

Since a suspicious point had been found, they had to act decisively and ask directly.

Lina immediately contacted Boeing staff. However, when asked about the Boeing 777 fuel tank design issue, Boeing responded: “All aircraft delivered to Emirates have undergone technical improvements. We guarantee the normal operation of the aircraft under safe and reasonable conditions. More importantly, we have improved the internal materials of the fuel tank so that even if a fuel vapor explosion were to occur, it would be impossible to blow up the tank.”

Everyone was astonished.

Lawrance asked in disbelief, “Are you sure you really improved this design issue?”

The Boeing representative answered confidently, “Of course.”

They had finally found an entry point to the problem, only to be suddenly blocked; everything seemed to have returned to square one. Fu Cheng frowned, thought for a moment, then walked silently to the side, took out his phone, and sent a message.

[Fu Cheng: Teacher Zhuo, something unexpected happened.]

Five minutes passed.

[Zhuo Huan: Hmm?]

Looking at that single concise character on the phone screen, Fu Cheng paused silently, then sent another message.

[Please come back quickly.]

Three minutes later, just as everyone was at their wits’ end, a male voice rang out from the doorway. The tone was slightly raised at the end, sweeping in with an arrogant and domineering momentum that matched the person himself, arriving before he was even seen.

“What happened now?”

Everyone looked up at him.

Su Fei curled his lip and said, “We get the logic, RIP. This thing isn’t as mysterious as you made it sound. Although it’s not my field of expertise, once Fu Cheng explained it, I understood. But you didn’t expect this—we just contacted Boeing.”

Sensing something was off, Zhuo Huan walked into the room. “What do you mean?”

Old Joseph looked at him and sighed. “Reid, some regrettable news—Boeing says they made design improvements to the Boeing 777 long ago, specifically strengthening the fuel tank materials. Even if a fuel vapor explosion actually happened, it wouldn’t affect the flight.”

As his words fell, there was a moment of silence in the office.

Zhuo Huan’s face darkened instantly. After a long while, he looked at Fu Cheng. “That’s what Boeing said?”

Fu Cheng looked into his eyes and nodded. “Yes.”

After a long pause.

Zhuo Huan laughed. “Heh, interesting. What were the exact words? I want the exact words, verbatim.”

Lina: “I’ll contact Boeing for you again.”

Su Fei: “I remember the exact words.” The punk teenager raised his hand, looked at Zhuo Huan, and then proceeded to repeat the Boeing staff’s words verbatim from beginning to end.

“…Even if a fuel vapor explosion were to occur, it would be impossible to blow up the tank,” Su Fei said. “There weren’t many sentences in total; remembering the exact words is simple. That’s all they said.”

Zhuo Huan: “Cool. Did you hear the key point in Boeing’s statement?”

Everyone was stunned.

Zhuo Huan: “The cause of the TWA 800 explosion was extremely accidental. Boeing didn’t actually thoroughly overhaul the complex fuel tank circuit system. They couldn’t possibly recall all the Boeing 747s already on the market; that would be an astronomical figure so vast even I can’t imagine it. Similarly, for planes already half-produced or nearing completion… they had no need to overhaul the wiring for an extremely accidental, coincidental condition.” He looked at Lawrance. “After an air crash investigation report comes out, do aircraft manufacturers and engine manufacturers just do whatever the NTSB says?”

Lawrance laughed. “How is that possible? That’s capital. Unless it’s a very simple maintenance replacement or a major critical error, for many crashes based on coincidence, after the investigation team gives recommendations, major aircraft manufacturers and airlines just offer verbal suggestions and improvements. For example, the Air France Flight 447 crash. The pitot tubes were installed on the outside of the nose. Long before this crash, there had been many instances of pitot tube anomalies. Everyone in the world knew Airbus’s design for this pitot tube wasn’t perfect. It could be made more perfect, but things being what they were, Airbus wouldn’t service all the Airbus planes in the world for the sake of a mere pitot tube.”

Old Joseph shrugged. “Yes, so regarding the pitot tube design issue, the solution Airbus gave was to add this ‘pitot tube anomaly’ situation to the aircraft fault inspection manual, which is as thick as a dictionary. They required airlines to remind pilots during training that this pitot tube might have abnormal conditions, but there’s no need to panic; just wait three minutes, and it will normalize. Everything is just a display anomaly; there is nothing wrong with the plane.”

Lawrance: “However, Airbus never imagined a crash would actually happen. Even after the Air France 447 crash, they had no intention of replacing the pitot tubes… It was just an extremely coincidental accident. Compared to spending a terrifyingly astronomical figure to replace pitot tubes, it’s better to remind the pilots to be aware of this contingency. The cost of human labor is far lower than the cost of maintenance.”

Zhuo Huan: “So, the reason Boeing has this confidence isn’t because they really solved the fuel tank wiring issues for all Boeing planes worldwide, but because they warned pilots not to repeat that coincidence. At the same time, they used stronger materials… so that even if it explodes, it absolutely won’t destroy the fuel tank.”

Fu Cheng narrowed his eyes. He looked up at Zhuo Huan. “Teacher Zhuo, you mean Boeing is right; Flight 411 indeed didn’t break apart and crash directly due to a fuel tank explosion like TWA Flight 800. It’s just that Boeing didn’t expect that in the event of a small-scale explosion inside the fuel tank, the shockwave from the explosion could oscillate outward and snap the engine fan blades?”

Lawrance’ eyes lit up as he listened. He said, “That viewpoint sounds somewhat credible.”

Old Joseph stroked his chin. “Hmm, that possibility isn’t non-existent. I understand what Boeing means now; these capitalists are too good at word games! They mean that even if an explosion really occurs inside the tank, they can guarantee the plane continues flying or makes an emergency landing because they used more advanced fuel tank materials, not that an explosion will truly never happen!”

Su Fei: “Ah, I get it, but the question is… does the possibility Brother Fu raised actually exist?”

Zhuo Huan lifted his chin toward Fu Cheng.

Fu Cheng paused. After looking at each other for a moment, he realized what was needed, pulled a stick of gum from the drawer behind him, and handed it to Zhuo Huan.

Peeling off the wrapper and tossing the gum into his mouth, Zhuo Huan chewed as he said lazily, “Why is Galileo called the father of modern physics?”

Everyone: “…???”

Wait, weren’t we just talking about the Emirates 411 crash? Why are we suddenly studying physics?!

Everyone else couldn’t understand why this man suddenly went off on a tangent, but Su Fei, after staring blankly for a long while, reacted quickly: “Because he proposed the scientific method of experimental reasoning!”

Zhuo Huan glanced at him. “Wow, Harvard graduate.”

Su Fei waved his hand proudly. “Although I’m not a physics major, I still have that kind of common sense.”

Others: “…”

Who the hell would inexplicably think of that all of a sudden!

Zhuo Huan looked at Fu Cheng. “Contact the GCAA. Prepare to use the Boeing 777 provided by Emirates for an experiment.” Then he said to Su Fei, “Contact Teichi Tsunai and ask him to collaborate on the experiment.”

Finally, he looked at Lawrance. “There is something I need NTSB’s help with.”

Lawrance: “What is it, Patrick? Just say the word.”

Zhuo Huan: “I want you to take the fragment of the engine fan blade back to the US, to the NTSB headquarters laboratory, for some experimental analysis. Scientific technology has developed over twenty-three years; many things have new experimental methods now. Perhaps we can detect something different.”

Tokyo Time, April 15th, 3:00 PM.

The video conference connected, and Teichi Tsunai’s face appeared on the projection screen. He was wearing a white lab coat and pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose, his voice steady and refined: “Zhuo-kun.” Then he looked at the other UAAG members beside him: “Su-kun, Fu-kun, Joseph, Miss Lina.”

Lina flashed a beautiful smile at him.

Zhuo Huan: “Have you reviewed the materials I sent you, Tsuna?”

Teichi Tsunai: “I only received the materials after 1 PM. There are 287 pages in total, and I’ve read less than a third so far. I understand the general situation, but this is an experiment requiring extremely low margins of error. Zhuo-kun, you must know, the experimental result you want to obtain is: what equivalent yield of explosion will cause high-strength, high-pressure-resistant aviation alloy material to suffer surface separation without affecting its limit for normal use.”

Zhuo Huan: “Yes.”

“I need a Boeing 777 aircraft. At the very least, I need the fuel tank section.”

“No problem.”

Teichi Tsunai was surprised for a moment; he hadn’t expected Zhuo Huan to agree so readily. “Although we aren’t really going to blow up a plane, we just need to perform synchronous updates and monitoring of a lot of real-machine relative data. But Zhuo-kun, your generosity surprises me.”

Su Fei retorted unceremoniously from the side, “Tch, it’s Emirates Airlines’ generosity.”

Teichi Tsunai glanced at Su Fei. “I see.”

Zhuo Huan had no interest in paying attention to Su Fei. He asked Teichi Tsunai, “When can we start the experiment?”

Teichi Tsunai: “Three days from now. I need to finish reading all the experimental data first, then have some necessary components sent to you. During this period, I may contact you frequently, Zhuo-kun, to communicate about the experimental data settings.”

“Okay.”

“Talk later.”

“Talk later.”

After the video call ended, Lina smiled and said, “What a pity. Actually, after we met in Shanghai last time, I tried to send an invitation to Professor Tsuna to come work at our UAAG. But he refused.”

Fu Cheng thought for a moment. “Although UAAG offers a generous salary, the academic environment and atmosphere at the University of Tokyo probably suit Professor Tsuna better.”

Lina: “I thought of that too. It’s just a pity. I really admire a gentleman like Professor Tsuna. If he could come to UAAG, I would definitely be even happier.”

Zhuo Huan passed by the two of them and gave a light snort. “Teichi Tsunai, a gentleman?”

Lina: “Yeah, Reid, don’t you think he’s a good man? In the entire UAAG, having only Fu as one good man is really a bit scarce. I thought if he came, at least Fu would have some company, right?” The blonde woman displayed a gentle and kind smile.

Old Joseph: “Hey, Lina, am I not a good man?”

Lina: “You already have children, Old Joseph.”

Su Fei: “What about me!”

Lina: “Minors don’t participate in the discussion, little kid.”

Zhuo Huan raised an eyebrow. “And me?”

Lina furrowed her delicate brows. After a long while, she said, “Hmm, I’m thinking about how to answer without destroying our friendship.”

Zhuo Huan: “…”

Zhuo Huan: “Teichi Tsunai counts as a good man?”

Everyone looked at him in unison.

Master Zhuo sneered, recklessly turning on his mockery mode: “Thirty years old, no family, still single. Either he’s impotent or has some peculiar fetish.”

As soon as the words fell, the entire office fell dead silent.

A long time passed.

Old Joseph: “…Reid, do you realize who you are insulting?”

Zhuo Huan: “Huh?”

Su Fei chuckled mischievously. “I bet one dollar RIP can’t get it up!”

Lina smiled meaningfully. “Then I’ll bet two dollars.”

Old Joseph: “It’s the participation that counts. I’ll bet one dollar. Fu, what about you?”

Fu Cheng didn’t really want to participate in this topic, but being suddenly named, he didn’t dare look directly at the gaze shooting straight at his back. He tried to speak in a calm voice: “Then I’ll participate too. I’ll bet one dollar.”

Zhuo Huan: “…”

Fuck.

…

Master Zhuo stayed angry for the entire day and didn’t say another word to anyone in UAAG.

Su Fei said speechlessly, “He was the one who started insulting Teichi Tsunai first, badmouthing him behind his back, and ended up insulting himself in the process. And now he’s angry! Why is RIP like this? So petty!”

Lina thought for a while and smiled. “Actually, I sort of understand why Reid unconsciously insulted himself.”

Everyone looked at her curiously.

Lina rested her chin on one hand and said, “Have you ever had that feeling? That your life suddenly seemed to lose meaning starting from a certain day. You can’t feel the passage of time, unaware of the changing days and months. For me, before I joined UAAG, my life didn’t have much meaning. Entering Yale, entering the UN, everything seemed to be a matter of course; that was the life that belonged to me. But what I really like is airplanes.” saying this, she spread her hands. “It’s a pity that although I was born into the Dante family and had such great congenital advantages, I have absolutely no talent for planes. But now, being able to work with you all to investigate flight accidents, I am truly happy every day. It’s as if every day finally has color.”

Old Joseph also lamented, “Back when I was in the US Air Force, soaring in the blue sky, my life had meaning. Later, when I retired and joined American Airlines, every day felt wrong. I think my bad temper was related to my muddled state of mind back then. It wasn’t until that crash happened and I joined the NTSB that I realized perhaps what I really wanted to do was air crash investigation.”

The old white-haired gentleman held his coffee cup and smiled at the group of juniors. “Hey, partners, when you use your own sweat and wisdom to find the truth of a crash and offer recommendations to warn future generations, don’t you feel that is a very meaningful thing? Thinking that my actions might save hundreds or thousands of people, or even just save one person, makes me feel my life is full of meaning.”

Su Fei mumbled, “Why do you all act like you’ve had some profound life realization?”

Old Joseph: “You’re still young. Don’t think so much. Better to think about what to eat after we get back to the hotel tonight.”

Lina smiled. “So, perhaps Reid himself hasn’t realized that he is already thirty years old. I kind of miss the twenty-three-year-old Reid.”

Su Fei asked excitedly, “What was he like?”

Old Joseph was also full of interest. “Seven years ago… 2014? I remember back then Reid had just become the Chief Designer at McFly, causing a huge uproar in the industry. But I didn’t know Reid back then.” He looked a bit intimidated. “McFly’s Chief Designer, a true grand capitalist. An ordinary NTSB investigator like me wasn’t qualified to meet such a big shot.”

Lina didn’t answer; instead, she looked at Fu Cheng and smiled. “Aren’t you curious, Fu?”

Fu Cheng had been holding his coffee cup, looking down at the ground. Suddenly hearing his name, he slowly raised his head.

Lina: “You have no interest in Reid at all?”

After a long time, Fu Cheng smiled. “Is there any difference from now?”

Lina looked at him seriously, then said to everyone, “Yes, there is a difference, a big difference. First, his hair wasn’t this long. And, he wasn’t like he is now, often listless. I knew Reid since I was very young because the Patrick family is also a major shareholder in McFly. Back then, how should I describe the Reid from seven years ago…”

Graduated from Yale with a double degree in Economics and Psychology, able to speak eloquently at press conferences facing global media, able to organize UN events, conversing normally with world leaders… but now, Lina was suddenly at a loss for words.

She racked her brains, trying desperately to think of the phrase.

Old Joseph and Su Fei looked at her expectantly, growing impatient.

A clear, gentle, and steady voice rang out: “It seemed like there was light in his eyes.”

Lina snapped back to reality. “Yes, that’s it. Reid back then radiated light from his whole body. Confident, flamboyant, fearless, with eyes only for what lay ahead. It felt like as long as you followed behind him, there was nothing he couldn’t do, and no place he couldn’t reach.”

Su Fei paused. “Ah, isn’t the current RIP pretty much the same? Arrogant and domineering, looking down on everyone.”

Lina smiled helplessly. “It’s a feeling I can’t quite describe. True, Reid has always been arrogant, but it’s different.”

Old Joseph: “How is it different?”

Lina thought for a long time but still couldn’t depict the difference. She could only say, “Indescribable. I follow Reid not just because he is my good friend, but also because he is worth following.” Suddenly, she looked at Fu Cheng. “Right, Fu?”

After a brief pause, Fu Cheng smiled warmly. “Yes.”

Unless you have seen it with your own eyes, you cannot believe there is such a shining, bright person in the world.

Like a burning star, where fire and flames intersect, everywhere his gaze falls is filled with brilliance.

“Heh.”

While everyone was discussing heatedly, a scoff came from the doorway. They saw a certain man holding a coffee cup, sneering as he walked into the office and sat in his own seat.

Putting the cup on the table, Zhuo Huan raised an eyebrow. “Nothing to do? Is the experimental data ready?”

Lina: “Reid, we were just praising you.”

Zhuo Huan: “Oh, praising me for being arrogant and domineering, looking down on everyone?”

Su Fei: “…”

Su Fei: “Didn’t you hear the long speech praising you before that!”

Zhuo Huan sounded self-righteous: “No, I only heard you insulting me when I came in.” He looked at Lina. “Deduct his salary. He was late three times this month.”

Su Fei: “??? You’re late every day!”

Zhuo Huan: “But I’m your boss.”

Su Fei: “…”

Listen to this, is this human language?!

That night, everyone returned to the hotel.

Fu Cheng had just finished showering when he received a message from Lina. He opened it to check.

[Lina: Gathering downstairs at the hotel at 6 AM tomorrow. Lina is giving you another lovely reminder: Tokyo is five hours ahead of Dubai. We cannot miss the experiment time scheduled with Professor Tsuna. Finally, although this is a mass text, Lina loves you all.]

Fu Cheng replied to the message.

[Fu Cheng: Received.]

A few seconds later, he received a reply from Lina.

[Lina: You were the first to reply. I’m very happy, Fu.]

[Fu Cheng: Thanks for your hard work. Sleep early. Goodnight.]

Fu Cheng put down his phone and continued drying his hair. Suddenly, the phone rang again. Thinking it was a message from Lina, he clicked it open, only to freeze abruptly.

[Zhuo Huan: Come to my room.]

Staring blankly at the four short words on the phone screen, Fu Cheng replied.

[Fu Cheng: It’s so late. Is something the matter, Teacher Zhuo?]

[Zhuo Huan: Something is the matter.]

[Fu Cheng: What is it?]

After a while, having received no further message, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Fu Cheng’s heart skipped a beat. He got up and walked to the door. Seeing the person outside through the peephole, he remained silent for a long moment before opening the door.

“Teacher Zhuo, is something the matter?”

Zhuo Huan didn’t seem to have showered yet. He was still wearing the white shirt from the day, only the sleeves were rolled up, revealing his wrists and elbows. As soon as the door opened, he sneered, about to speak, but his gaze suddenly landed on the young man, and his voice stopped.

His gaze traveled from the damp black hair all the way down, following the graceful curve of the neck. Unfortunately, the white pajamas were buttoned up tight, revealing not a single inch of what was hidden beneath the clothes.

Zhuo Huan: “You showered?”

Fu Cheng: “Yes. You haven’t showered?”

Zhuo Huan: “I asked you to come over. Why didn’t you come?”

Fu Cheng was silent for a moment. “It’s too late. We have to wake up early tomorrow. If there’s nothing urgent, I’d like to sleep early.”

“Do you think I’m going to do something to you?”

Fu Cheng raised his head and looked at him quietly.

“No.”

“Heh,” laughing lightly, Zhuo Huan said nonchalantly, “I’m impotent, aren’t I? Don’t you know that?”

Fu Cheng: “…”

“I didn’t mean that.”

Zhuo Huan was expressionless. “You bet one dollar.”

Fu Cheng looked at him with calm eyes. “I bet one dollar… that you have a special fetish.”

Zhuo Huan’s expression froze instantly.

Fu Cheng looked up at him, his voice faint. “You like men, don’t you?”

Under the dim, yellowish light, the young man tilted his head slightly. Because of this movement, his hair tilted, and a drop of water slid gently down a strand of hair that had clumped together. A ‘plip’ sounded in Zhuo Huan’s heart; his vision was completely absorbed, fixed on the water droplet landing in the hollow of the collarbone.

After a long while, Zhuo Huan smiled. “I am very angry today, Fu Cheng. Do you understand?”

Silence spread quietly.

In the next moment, the young man tilted his head up slightly and kissed the man’s lips.

Zhuo Huan shoved with his right hand, pressing Fu Cheng’s shoulder and pushing him into the room. The door closed behind them. He propped one hand against the wall, lifted Fu Cheng’s chin with the other, closed his eyes, and lowered his head to kiss him.

The scorching breath swept recklessly through the mouth; it was a taste that belonged only to Zhuo Huan, licking the inside of the mouth until it was hot and numb.

After a long while, their lips parted. Fu Cheng lowered his head, leaning against the wall, gasping for breath.

“Fu Cheng, why have you always been so obedient?”

Fu Cheng’s body paused. He raised his head. “No, you are sensing it wrong.”

Zhuo Huan held his chin, suddenly leaning in close, almost pasting his body against his lips, yet not actually kissing him. “Then if I wanted to go to bed with you in this room right now… Fu Cheng, would you reject me?”

His pupils constricted slightly, and his body stiffened. Fu Cheng looked at the man in front of him for a few seconds.

“That joke doesn’t seem very funny, Teacher Zhuo.”

Zhuo Huan looked down at him.

The young man’s expression was calm; he had already caught his breath. Aside from his slightly swollen lips, it was as if he hadn’t been immersed in that ambiguous, lingering kiss just now at all—as if the person who had just indulged in that kiss with him wasn’t him.

Zhuo Huan withdrew the hand propped on the wall. “I need you for something.”

Fu Cheng looked up.

“Lina can’t help. I don’t want to tell Old Joseph and Su Fei. You, help me with something tonight.”

“Help with what?”

Zhuo Huan irritably rolled his sleeves up a few more inches. “The salvage company sent news. They found a part of the wreckage of Rogue 318.”

In an instant, the air seemed to stand still, and Fu Cheng’s eyes went wide.

Author’s Note:
Zhuo ‘Rest In Peace’: I fucking know if I’m impotent or not, don’t you have a clue in your heart?
Teichi Tsunai: Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you, Zhuo-kun. [Indifferent Face]

Support me on Ko-fi