UAAG CH64

In the 1990s, Boeing acquired McDonnell Douglas. Since then, the global aviation industry has formed a tripartite situation.

Boeing, McFly, and Airbus.

As the two major aircraft manufacturers in the United States, Boeing occupied more than half of the civil aviation market, while McFly cooperated more with the US government to produce and develop fighter jets. McFly had never been able to compete with Boeing in civil airliners until six years ago when the McFly F485 was released. This miraculous ultra-long-range wide-body airliner was born, giving them a fighting chance.

However, the aircraft McFly wanted to improve this time was not the F485, but the McFly F475 developed nineteen years ago.

When Zhuo Huan arrived at the company, it was already ten o’clock. As usual, he held a cup of coffee, took a couple of sips, and threw it into the trash can as soon as he entered the room. His destination was clear: the sofa behind Fu Cheng. The handsome and upright man strode past the office area and conference room toward that sofa. Just as he was about to sit down, his footsteps paused.

He turned his head to look in the direction of the conference room.

The door to the conference room was open. Mr. Romain sat inside, raising his coffee cup toward him.

Mr. Romain: “Hi, Reid.”

Zhuo Huan turned back to ask Lina, “Why is your father here?”

Lina shrugged at him and smiled, “You’ll know when you go in.”

Zhuo Huan raised an eyebrow and walked into the conference room.

Half an hour later, Mr. Romain pushed open the door and walked out first. After standing up from his chair, he buttoned all three buttons of his suit and looked at his daughter with a smile. Lina understood tacitly, walked over, and said helplessly, “Reid must have refused. Papa, I told you it would be like this.”

Mr. Romain said instead, “No, although he refused now, I believe he will agree very soon. I’m going to Singapore to deal with some matters first. My plane will stay here. Darling, you will need it.”

Leaving these words behind, Mr. Romain departed from UAAG.

A few minutes later, Zhuo Huan came out of the conference room. His brows were tightly furrowed, his expression extremely ugly, and he walked straight into the smoking room. Through the glass door of the smoking room, everyone saw Lord Zhuo take a cigarette pack from his pocket with a stinky face and light a cigarette. Soon, he lit a second one.

Fu Cheng watched his back quietly. After a while, he turned back and asked Lina, “Will Teacher Zhuo really agree?”

Lina pondered for a moment: “Logically speaking, conducting a final inspection for an aircraft manufacturer is not within UAAG’s daily scope of work. But since Papa said so, I think he must have his ways.”

Su Fei was extremely curious: “What way? Threats and inducements? Is he planning to give us a huge sum of money to crush us to death?”

Lina thought for a while and smiled, “Does he need to give money? I think, perhaps just a phone call?”

The beautiful blonde stopped there, leaving a mysterious smile. However, a minute later, everyone saw Zhuo Huan suddenly receive a phone call in the smoking room. He looked at the flashing name on the phone screen for a long time before answering the call.

This call was not long. After hanging up, Lord Zhuo finished his third cigarette in the smoking room. Crushing the cigarette butt in the crystal ashtray with great force, Zhuo Huan pushed open the door and walked out: “Prepare to depart for Los Angeles.”

Lina: “Already prepared, ready to go anytime.” As if she knew long ago he would agree.

Zhuo Huan: “…”

Heh.

That evening, everyone boarded the private jet left by Mr. Romain and headed for Los Angeles.

Since receiving that call, Lord Zhuo had been in a bad mood, with no good expression all day. He sat on the sofa at the very back of the cabin with his arms crossed, looking at the night sky outside the window with a cold face.

Lina had dinner with the others and casually explained who exactly had made that call.

Lina: “In this world, I think there are only two people Reid is afraid of. One is his mentor during university, the Nobel Prize in Physics winner Professor Stephen Connor. The other is McFly’s chief designer, or rather, McFly’s former-former chief designer, Mr. Thor Renner. Uncle Thor retired nine years ago and gave the position of McFly’s chief designer to Reid, but after Reid resigned, he returned to McFly. He is also Reid’s teacher.”

Old Joseph said, “Mr. Renner! When I first arrived at the NTSB, I attended a training course and had the honor of visiting the McFly factory. We were supposed to have a chance to meet Mr. Renner that time, but unfortunately, something came up temporarily, and he didn’t come, so I never met him.” He sighed with emotion, “To be honest, I’ve only seen Reid as an aircraft chief designer in all these years. You don’t know, after the Roger 318 air crash, Reid suddenly appeared in the investigation team as a representative of McFly, causing such a huge sensation at the time.”

He said earnestly, “Although it sounds very unkind to say this, the fact is, as everyone knows, an air crash is a very serious matter. However, even the Tenerife airport disaster, which had the highest number of casualties in history, wouldn’t make Boeing’s chief designer show up once—this isn’t within his scope of responsibility, nor is it important enough to require him to make a statement.”

Su Fei scratched his head: “Is he that amazing…”

Old Joseph and Lina turned to look at him together, speaking in unison: “Yes!”

“You have time to chat, when are you going to find someone to check the email? McFly sent some documents over.” Zhuo Huan walked over with hands in his pockets and an unhappy face. He sat down heavily next to Fu Cheng. Everyone looked at him. Lord Zhuo propped his chin with one hand and let out a fierce “Hmm?” Everyone immediately withdrew their gazes.

Lina immediately opened her laptop and found the email.

Lina: “It’s part of the data for the McFly F475. I’ll print it out using the printer on board for you to see.”

Soon, Lina printed five copies of the document and distributed them to everyone.

When it was Zhuo Huan’s turn, Lord Zhuo took the document and placed it face down on the table without even glancing at it. Then, he spoke: “McFly F475, designed by a team led by McFly’s chief designer Thor Renner. In 1979, McFly began planning the F475 project, and in 1983, this plan was officially executed. By 2002, the first McFly F475 successfully made its maiden flight in Seattle. This is an ultra-long-range medium-sized airliner with a range of 7,000-15,000 kilometers, a cruising speed of Mach 0.8, and generally around 300 seats, varying by model.”

Fu Cheng: “I’ve flown the McFly F475, when I was at Donghua Airlines. Before 2010, the McFly F475 was the most popular ultra-long-range medium-sized airliner in the industry, but after 2010, the Boeing 787 came out and gradually seized its market.”

Hearing this, Zhuo Huan turned his head sideways to look at him: “Which one do you think is better to fly?”

Fu Cheng was slightly startled.

Zhuo Huan looked at him indifferently: “Hmm?”

After a moment of silence, Fu Cheng said, “They are different. Boeing aircraft have always advocated mechanical power. Even now, when fly-by-wire systems dominate the entire market, they emphasize the pilot’s handling feel. Flying a Boeing plane feels more like driving a plane. Whereas McFly and Airbus aircraft…” He looked at Zhuo Huan, his tone calm: “Are more intelligent. The power of the computer system has reduced the pilot’s control over the aircraft.”

Zhuo Huan smiled: “Ever flown a McFly fighter jet?”

Fu Cheng froze, then answered without changing his expression, “Of course not.”

Others didn’t find anything wrong with Fu Cheng’s answer.

China had started researching its own fighter jets since the last century, and long ago stopped needing to purchase military resources from other countries. It was completely reasonable that he hadn’t flown a US military fighter jet.

But Zhuo Huan meaningfully dragged out his tone and laughed: “Oh? Really haven’t flown one?”

Fu Cheng: “…”

Everyone suddenly sensed something. Just as they seemed about to understand the point, Zhuo Huan suddenly changed the subject: “McFly’s fighter jets are different from its passenger planes. McFly’s fighter jets place more emphasis on the pilot’s personal operation.”

Su Fei immediately became interested: “RIP, have you dismantled one?”

Zhuo Huan glanced at him indifferently and sneered: “No.”

The unexpected answer silenced everyone on the plane for a moment.

Lina smiled to break the awkwardness: “Hey, weren’t we talking about the McFly F475 just now? Reid, why did you suddenly go off-topic. Continue.”

In the cabin, everyone returned to the original topic.

Old Joseph flipped through the documents: “Actually, I’ve flown a McFly fighter jet. Hey, why are you looking at me with surprise? After all, I’m retired Air Force, okay? Just as Reid said, McFly’s fighter jets are completely different from its passenger planes. In civil airliners, Boeing focuses more on the pilot’s sense of mechanical control, but in the field of fighter jets, the two are completely reversed. McFly’s fighter jets are really cool. Flying it feels like driving a steel weapon with cold blood all over! Cough cough, sorry, I digressed. Let’s get back to the McFly F475, or maybe we should call it the McFly F475neo.”

neo: New Engine Option / New.

Old Joseph looked at the text on the document: “Replaced with the latest scaled composite materials. Under the condition of the number of seats, the wing data and materials were confidentially adjusted, so that under the same external force environment, the slope of the wing section lift curve increased by 5% per degree… Oh God, how was this achieved? What is its Prandtl-Glauert coefficient?”

Fu Cheng: “Data confidential. This should be the improvement of the McFly F475. In addition, the fuel reserve of the wing tanks has been increased, thus increasing the aircraft’s range.”

Su Fei: “This Thor Renner is really amazing. He’s only been back for two years and has done such an amazing thing?”

Lord Zhuo let out a cold snort from his nose.

Fu Cheng’s gaze stopped on the last few pages of the document: “During the test flight last month, the landing gear broke upon touchdown, and the tires exploded… It seems this is the reason McFly wants to conduct a final inspection again.”

After a 20-hour flight and a night’s rest, everyone arrived in Los Angeles on the other side of the ocean.

Los Angeles is the largest city on the West Coast of the United States, and McFly’s headquarters is located here. It has the famous Universal Studios, Beverly Hills, and Hollywood is also quietly hidden in this beautiful city.

Los Angeles has a Mediterranean climate. In late May, the weather was cool, a few degrees cooler than Shen City.

Just off the plane, Fu Cheng felt a bit cold and put on his jacket. At this time, Zhuo Huan walked past him. Lord Zhuo was wearing a T-shirt, with his jacket tied casually around his waist. Chewing gum, with hands in his pockets, he walked down the aircraft stairs.

Although it was a private jet, they still had to go through customs registration for entry.

Zhuo Huan was the first to register, followed by Fu Cheng. Old Joseph and the others were still queuing for entry procedures. After Fu Cheng finished the procedures, he looked up and saw Zhuo Huan leaning against the wall, looking down at his phone.

He paused and walked up.

The young man’s calm voice sounded: “Why did you ask that question?”

Zhuo Huan looked up.

Fu Cheng gazed at him calmly.

Have I flown a McFly fighter jet?

Of course I have.

Which country hasn’t privately studied other countries’ military aircraft and let ace pilots test fly them?

Without answering the question, Zhuo Huan raised an eyebrow lightly instead: “Angry?”

Fingers tightening, Fu Cheng turned to leave, but his wrist was grabbed.

In the VIP entry channel exclusive for private jets, late at night, only the five people from UAAG needed to go through procedures. A square pillar separated the two from Old Joseph and the others over there. The man pressed the young man’s hand, pinning him against the wall.

Fu Cheng looked up at him.

Their eyes met.

Zhuo Huan lowered his eyes to look at the lips close at hand. He watched silently for a few seconds, then slowly leaned in. Their breaths gradually intertwined. Fu Cheng also lowered his eyes, his lips parting slightly.

However, just as they were about to kiss, a message came on the phone.

Zhuo Huan didn’t continue the kiss. He glanced at his phone, his eyes suddenly widening. His mood instantly hit rock bottom. He let go of the hand holding Fu Cheng’s wrist and cursed: “Fuck!”

Fu Cheng moved the wrist that had just been clamped and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Zhuo Huan glanced at him: “Nothing.”

Soon, Old Joseph and the other two finished the procedures and walked over.

As soon as Lina approached, she smiled and said, “Papa just messaged me. He met Uncle Patrick in Singapore. While chatting, Papa casually told Uncle Patrick about your return to Los Angeles.”

Zhuo Huan sneered and tsked.

—

Author’s Note:
Zhuo Rest-In-Peace: Tsk.
Fu Chengcheng: So Teacher Zhuo’s home is in Los Angeles.

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