UAAG CH72

At 8:00 AM, hotel staff rolled the dining cart into the room. Lina brewed coffee for everyone and brought it into the study.

Old Joseph had just woken up; he leaned back on the sofa and yawned listlessly. Su Fei wasn’t so lucky—he had been assigned a task by Zhuo Huan the moment he opened his eyes. The punk teenager, having pulled all-nighters for five straight days, sat with messy hair resembling a bird’s nest and dark circles under his eyes, his eyelids drooping as he contacted Professor Tsunai on the other side of the globe.

Half an hour later, he finally received the latest experimental data sent by Teichi Tsunai.

Su Fei’s eyes instantly lit up. He looked up: “RIP, I sent you the data!”

Zhuo Huan let out a hum through his nose. His face was full of irritability, his entire being radiating a terrifyingly low pressure. However, as he looked at the latest experimental data, his expression slowly improved. Finally, among the countless annoying and depressing updates, there was one good thing. Like golden light breaking through dark clouds, Zhuo Huan clicked his tongue lightly: “The maximum lift coefficient of the airfoil section and the angle of attack where the lift curve deviates from linear variation… Cool. In some respects, Thor Rayner counts as a genius.”

After working for so long, they finally had results. While Old Joseph felt relieved, he also offered his opinion with great sincerity: “Mr. Rayner has always been a genius, Reid. That is a fact.”

Zhuo Huan couldn’t be bothered to reply.

Su Fei, staring at the information sent by Teichi Tsunai for a long time, muttered to himself, “I suddenly feel that designing airplanes seems pretty interesting.”

Lina watched her companions. Although she couldn’t offer professional opinions, she could handle other things well.

Lina: “News came from McFly. The new landing gear has been installed on the aircraft. The official test flight is at 2:00 PM. Everyone is going. Hurry up and eat breakfast; the car will be downstairs to pick us up in two hours.” After speaking, she looked around and asked, “By the way, where is Fu? I haven’t seen him all morning.”

Su Fei twirled pasta around his fork and wolfed it down, saying, “Brother Fu probably went to sleep. He needs to recharge his energy since he has to test fly this afternoon.”

Lina frowned slightly. “But I didn’t see him in the bedroom next door. Reid, do you know where he went?”

Zhuo Huan stared at the computer screen without lifting his head.

Lina: “Reid?”

Master Zhuo looked up at her lazily. “How should I know? He probably went back to his room to sleep.”

Lina found this strange. “Back to his own room? You have three bedrooms here; did he need to go back specifically to sleep?”

Zhuo Huan withdrew his gaze, his eyes fixing quietly on a specific data point in the email attachment. After a few seconds, he said indifferently, “Maybe he likes it.”

Lina paused slightly.

If one had to name the most reliable person in UAAG, everyone would vote for Lina without objection. As for the second most reliable person, after a few seconds of struggle and hesitation, the group would vote for Fu Cheng.

At 10:00 AM, when everyone went downstairs, they saw Fu Cheng in the lobby as expected.

Wearing a white T-shirt, Fu Cheng stood by a display window near the entrance, looking up at an exquisite metal sculpture illuminated by the display lights. The young man wore a pair of sunglasses. As he tilted his head back, the line of his neck dipped gracefully into his collar. He was tall, with long legs. The moment they stepped out of the elevator, everyone saw him immediately.

Lina walked over and asked, “Why the sunglasses today, Fu?”

Fu Cheng took off the sunglasses and smiled. “I haven’t rested well after staying up late these past few days.”

The eyes beneath the sunglasses were full of red blood streaks, and the rims of his eyes were slightly red.

Lina looked at him and asked, “Will it affect the test flight? Do I need to contact McFly to postpone the flight or change the pilot?”

Fu Cheng: “Don’t worry, it won’t affect the flight. I made sure to get enough sleep last night. It’s just a bit of dark circles from staying up the previous few days.”

Su Fei poked Fu Cheng’s arm. “Brother Fu, when did you become so concerned about your appearance? Look at us—who doesn’t have dark circles?”

Chatting, the group walked toward the hotel entrance.

Fu Cheng was the third to bend down and enter the car. He sat next to Su Fei. Zhuo Huan entered behind him, glanced at the empty seat next to Fu Cheng, and let his gaze linger on his face for a second. Then, he walked over to Lina and sat down.

Inside the carriage, the sound of Fu Cheng and Su Fei chatting could be heard. Before long, everyone was too tired to talk and closed their eyes to rest. Fu Cheng put his sunglasses back on, his dry lips pressed slightly together. Under the sunglasses, he didn’t close his eyes; instead, he looked up at the starlight headliner of the Rolls-Royce.

In the quiet carriage, the only sound ringing out, beat by beat, was his own heart.

After arriving at the McFly airfield, they spent three hours doing final pre-flight checks.

Fu Cheng changed into a pilot’s uniform. He didn’t rejoin his companions but went directly up the boarding ramp and into the aircraft. Before entering the cabin, he stood at the top of the ramp, turned toward the control tower, waved, and smiled.

Although Su Fei and the others knew he couldn’t see them, they still waved back excitedly.

Zhuo Huan stood to the side, hands in his pockets, watching the young man by the plane with an unreadable expression. After a long while, he scoffed and said nothing.

Half an hour later, the McFly staff gave the order for Fu Cheng to taxi to the runway and prepare for takeoff.

Ten minutes later, Fu Cheng’s calm and composed voice came through the speakers: “Test aircraft F475neo, ready. Requesting takeoff.”

Zhuo Huan pressed the talk button: “Takeoff approved.”

A few seconds later, Fu Cheng’s steady voice replied from the speakers: “Copy.”

The silver-white plane began to accelerate down the runway. It went faster and faster, like a streak of silver lightning, racing to the end of the runway before pulling up its nose and soaring into the blue sky.

Zhuo Huan raised his head, watching the plane disappear into the white clouds.

This test flight was the final experiment. No specific maneuvers were needed, only a simulated landing.

Thirty minutes later, after accelerating, decelerating, climbing, and approaching, the silver-white plane returned to everyone’s view from the distant horizon.

Inside the control tower, McFly staff, Thor Rayner, Johnny Burbank…

The members of UAAG, Su Fei, Old Joseph, Lina…

Everyone stared solemnly at the plane.

Zhuo Huan did the same, looking up at the aircraft getting closer and closer to the ground. He slowly pulled his hands out of his pockets, staring at it intently. Watching its altitude drop to 300, 200, 100…

Under the blazing sun, at the end of the long runway, a moving sound of touchdown resonated in everyone’s hearts.

Hum.

Without a single bump or shake, the plane landed smoothly on the ground and taxied forward.

Two seconds later, cheers erupted in the tower.

McFly’s designers hugged and cheered excitedly. Even Mr. Rayner, with his usually stern and rigid face, revealed a smile. However, he immediately suppressed it. The solemn chief designer of McFly huffed heavily and ordered the designers around him: “Wait for it to stop, then go retrieve the landing gear. What are you happy about? We have to confirm it in the lab again!”

“Yes, sir!”

Amidst everyone’s excitement, no one noticed that the former chief designer of McFly also breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

On the runway, the plane taxied to the designated position. Fu Cheng turned off all switches, confirmed the landing procedure, then opened the hatch and left the aircraft.

This time, he didn’t wave to his companions.

Everyone in the tower had long since gone downstairs. The researchers were waiting to retrieve the landing gear for further testing. As soon as Fu Cheng came out, they surrounded him, asking basic questions and confirming flight details.

Under the brilliant sunlight, Fu Cheng took off his hat, lowered his head slightly, and spoke softly to the researchers. The golden light danced on the tips of his hair. After speaking a few words, he saw his companions in his peripheral vision. He looked up, smiled at them, and then continued talking with the McFly personnel.

Su Fei stared blankly. “…By the way, why did Brother Fu retire? He’s only twenty-seven; isn’t that the golden age for a pilot?” He looked at Old Joseph.

Old Joseph raised an eyebrow and asked back, “Didn’t we ask this question before?”

Su Fei: “What?! Did we? Why don’t I have any memory of it?”

Old Joseph: “Yeah, of course we asked. I remember Fu’s answer was… his training situation wasn’t great? And something happened at home?”

Hearing this, Lina was surprised. “Fu said his training situation wasn’t good?”

“Yes.”

“How could that be? I remember he was the best pilot in China.” Lina turned to ask her best friend, “Reid, do you know anything about this? Didn’t you decide to invite Fu to join UAAG precisely because he was China’s best pilot?”

“That…” Zhuo Huan looked at the young man in the sunlight, his tone casual. “Oh, seems so.”

With the test flight over, regardless of whether McFly made further adjustments to the F475neo landing gear, their commission for UAAG was considered complete.

With no intention of staying longer in Los Angeles, Lina booked tickets back to Shanghai for that very night.

Los Angeles International Airport, VIP Lounge.

Su Fei: “Leaving so soon? After being tired for so many days, I’m dying of sleepiness.”

Old Joseph: “Yeah, Lina, why the rush this time?”

Lina glanced quietly at her friend not far away and said, “I think Reid doesn’t want to stay here any longer.”

Su Fei and Old Joseph: “?”

Is there gossip?

Lina smiled slightly, not intending to say more. “Sleep on the plane, and when you open your eyes, you’ll be home. Then, you can enjoy a week-long vacation.” Pressing a finger to her lips, the blonde woman smiled. “Originally, it was only three days, but since everyone has been working all night recently, I specially applied for this vacation from Reid.”

Su Fei: “Long live Lina!”

Knowing a week-long vacation was coming, all fatigue vanished. Su Fei and Old Joseph excitedly discussed where to go for fun, while Lina listened with a smile. Fu Cheng sat beside them, looking down at his phone, chatting with someone unknown.

Not far away, Zhuo Huan lay alone on a corner sofa, a magazine covering his face as he slept.

Lina looked up and saw Johnny. She stood up and walked over with a smile. “Are you here to see us off, Johnny?”

McFly’s PR Director, Johnny Burbank, walked over. He first glanced at Zhuo Huan, who was sleeping, then smiled at Lina. “Yes. Thank you for your help this time, Miss Te. I’ve already notified the finance department to wire the money to UAAG’s account.”

Lina: “Thank you, I’ll check it.”

Johnny hesitated for a moment. “I also wanted to say a few words to Mr. Patrick.”

Lina turned sideways, looked back at Zhuo Huan, and said helplessly, “As you can see, he is sleeping.”

“This…”

” Is there something specific you want to say? Perhaps I can convey it for you.”

Johnny thought for a moment. “Actually, Mr. Rayner asked me to come. He wants me to tell Mr. Patrick… he will give Mr. Patrick another month to think it over carefully.”

Lina paused. “Alright, I will convey that for you.”

Johnny had no choice but to turn and leave, glancing back at Zhuo Huan as he walked, obviously unwilling to give up.

There were still two hours before the flight. Lina could have politely asked a guest like Johnny to leave, but when she saw the man appearing at the entrance of the VIP lounge, she stood up helplessly, smiled wryly, and exchanged a cheek kiss with him.

“Uncle Patrick.”

The visitor was Zhuo Huan’s father.

Zhuo Jing smiled gently at Lina. “My dear Lina, it looks like you are heading back to China.”

Lina: “Yes, Uncle Patrick, as you can see. May I ask why you are at the airport today? Are you leaving Los Angeles too?”

“Yes, I plan to go to the Maldives for a vacation.”

“Alone?”

Mr. Zhuo raised an eyebrow lightly. “Do I look like I have a companion?”

Lina laughed.

Mr. Zhuo looked around and found his son. He chuckled softly. “Lina, I’ll go see Reid first. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other; us father and son have a lot to talk about.”

Lina smiled without speaking, stepping aside to return to her seat.

Su Fei leaned in. “RIP and his dad have a lot to talk about?”

Old Joseph: “I doubt it.”

Su Fei: “Brother Fu, do you believe it?”

Fu Cheng looked up from his phone screen, thought for a moment, and said, “I don’t know.” Then he lowered his head back to his phone, not looking in Zhuo Huan’s direction once.

Since it was his father, the moment Mr. Zhuo walked over, he removed the magazine covering Zhuo Huan’s face. He looked at it with interest, but upon seeing the content, immediately lost interest. “I thought you’d be reading a fashion magazine.”

The magazine cover didn’t feature a curvy, beautiful model, but an Earth-like planet discovered by humans just last week.

Zhuo Huan snapped grumpily, “What do you want?”

Mr. Zhuo smiled. “Can’t I come to see my dear son without a reason?”

Zhuo Huan sneered and snatched the magazine back from his hand.

Mr. Zhuo spread his hands helplessly. “My flight is in an hour.”

“Oh.”

“Hey Reid, seeing your dad after so long, don’t you have anything to say to me?”

“No.”

From a distance, Su Fei and the others couldn’t hear what the father and son were saying at all.

Su Fei: “What do you think they’re talking about?”

Old Joseph: “How would I know?”

Suddenly, Mr. Zhuo stood up, seeming ready to leave. However, just two steps later, Zhuo Huan suddenly stood up too. As if remembering something, he called out to his father. Mr. Zhuo turned to look at him in surprise, and the father and son exchanged a few more words.

Five minutes later, Zhuo Jing walked back and said to Lina, “I’m getting ready to board, my dear Lina. It was truly a pleasure seeing you here again.”

Lina smiled. “I was also happy to see you here, Uncle Patrick.”

Mr. Zhuo smiled and extended his arm. In the next moment, a beautiful woman sitting on a nearby sofa walked over and took his arm. Everyone was stunned. This beauty, in her early twenties, was clearly not the one they had seen at the hotel before. She leaned against Zhuo Jing, smiling sweetly at everyone.

Mr. Zhuo winked. “I never said I didn’t have a companion. Traveling to the Maldives alone would be pitiful.”

Everyone: “…”

Until they boarded the plane, Su Fei was still sighing with emotion. “A winner in life, that is a true winner in life! I want to be like that in the future—never marry, play all around the world, and change lovers wherever I go!”

The group burst into laughter.

After boarding, dinner was served first.

Old Joseph finished eating first. He got up, intending to wash up in the lavatory and go straight to sleep. Passing Fu Cheng’s seat, he stopped and asked in surprise, “Fu, why did you eat so little?”

On Fu Cheng’s tray table, a whole steak had only a corner cut off; the rest sat there waiting for the flight attendant to take it away. Fu Cheng paused upon hearing this, looked up, and smiled. “I ate too many appetizers earlier. That French pastry was delicious.”

Su Fei happened to walk by and asked strangely, “Was it good? Why did I think it tasted sour?”

Old Joseph smiled. “I thought so too.”

The flight attendant cleared the trays from everyone. Fu Cheng rested his chin on his hand, looking out at the endless dark night through the window. He watched quietly, and after an unknown amount of time, the first-class cabin was left with only the humming noise of the engines. Everyone fell into dreamland.

At 7:00 PM the next day, the plane landed at Shanghai International Airport.

Su Fei and the others were prepared to call taxis home, but Lina smiled mysteriously. She led the group to the airport’s underground parking garage, where a Mercedes-Benz van had been waiting for a long time.

Lina: “Didn’t I say I planned to buy a car when we came back from Dubai last time?”

Su Fei: “I really want to marry Lina!”

Old Joseph couldn’t help but say, “Lina, do you like older men? Like, much older?”

Lina was amused by them.

Of the five UAAG members, four lived in the same area. Lina dropped Fu Cheng and the other three off at their residential complex first, then went home herself. She didn’t even ask when Zhuo Huan was moving to Fu Cheng’s place. Even though no one had told her about it, she just knew.

Lina: “Goodnight. See you next week.”

Everyone: “Goodnight.”

The complex where Fu Cheng and Zhuo Huan lived was directly across the street from where Su Fei and Old Joseph lived. After saying goodbye, Su Fei and Old Joseph crossed the street and entered their complex. The neighborhood consisted of high-end residences and was very quiet. Since night had fallen, even after they entered the gates, Su Fei’s voice drifted faintly on the evening breeze, still audible.

They were excitedly discussing their activities for the coming week.

Across the road, after Fu Cheng said goodbye to them, his smile faded as he looked at Zhuo Huan.

The man stood under the streetlight, looking up at the sky.

Fu Cheng: “Teacher Zhuo, will you move tomorrow?”

Zhuo Huan stood with hands in pockets. Hearing this, he lowered his head to look at him. Their eyes met. After a few seconds, Zhuo Huan said calmly, “I don’t seem to have much stuff.”

Fu Cheng replied quietly, “Mn.”

“Then let’s do it tonight. Didn’t you say you’d help me move?”

It was late June in Shanghai. The night breeze was gentle and warm, blowing into Fu Cheng’s cold, empty chest, making him feel as if something had touched him. He revealed a gentle smile, his voice also carrying a smile: “Okay.”

The two walked home together.

Entering the elevator, going up.

Neither spoke; the atmosphere was a silent deadness.

After returning home, Zhuo Huan began to pack, and Fu Cheng helped him put things into his suitcase.

Clothes, essential toiletries, computer…

Everything went into the suitcases, item by item.

In the quiet, spacious apartment, only the sound of packing could be heard, nothing else.

Almost everything was packed. Three suitcases were closed and leaning against the wall in the entryway. Fu Cheng went into the kitchen to pour some water. Putting down the glass, he turned around to see the man leaning against the doorframe, watching him quietly.

Gazes intertwined and tangled. In that instant, it seemed there were many words on the tip of the tongue, yet also nothing to say.

Fu Cheng walked forward and asked in a flat voice, “Is everything packed, Teacher Zhuo?”

Zhuo Huan called out to him: “Fu Cheng.”

Fu Cheng turned around. “Hm?”

Moonlight filtered through the window, reflecting in the young man’s cold, emotionless eyes, clear and moving. He looked at Zhuo Huan indifferently, seemingly impatient, and asked coldly, “Is there something else, Teacher Zhuo?”

After a long silence, Zhuo Huan took two unopened condoms from his pocket and looked at him with a faint smile. “Oh, I found two of these while packing just now. Look, we bought too many last time; haven’t finished them even now.”

In an instant, his body went rigid. Fu Cheng looked up at the man’s casual, flirtatious gaze. He heard himself ask softly, “What do you mean?”

Zhuo Huan stepped forward, lifted Fu Cheng’s chin, and asked with a careless smile, “Don’t waste them… wanna do it?” He leaned down, biting Fu Cheng’s ear, and whispered hoarsely, “They’re the textured kind… you couldn’t handle this type before, but you liked it too.”

The man’s tongue bit his earlobe, licking and grinding ambiguously.

Fu Cheng closed his eyes. At that moment, a powerful emotion rushed in like a collapsing flood, hitting him so hard he couldn’t bear it. He was so sad he felt on the verge of collapse. In the quiet room, the low sounds of the man’s kisses echoed. His hand reached inside Fu Cheng’s clothes. Humiliation, anger, helplessness, and a screaming despair turned into strength surging from nowhere as the man undid his first button.

Fu Cheng pushed him away.

Caught off guard, Zhuo Huan stumbled a step back and looked up at the young man before him.

Fu Cheng’s expression was calm. “I think, Teacher Zhuo, you might have misunderstood. What I said in Los Angeles meant that after these few months, I feel like I still prefer women… not men.”

A long silence.

Zhuo Huan: “Oh.”

Fu Cheng: “I don’t want to have sex with men.”

Zhuo Huan slowly smiled. “Alright, got it.”

With everything packed, the two called a taxi and went together to Zhuo Huan’s luxury apartment by the Huangpu River.

Getting closer to that place, entering the complex. Fu Cheng got out of the car and helped him take down the suitcases. He stood downstairs, making no move to go further.

Zhuo Huan looked back at him. “Come here.”

“…Mn.”

Zhuo Huan took out his key card and swiped it.

He wasn’t rejected; the elevator opened smoothly.

Inside the splendid elevator, the mirrored doors reflected their figures. Fu Cheng looked down at the floor. The elevator was rising, but his heart was sinking bit by bit.

They reached the penthouse.

No accidents occurred; Zhuo Huan swiped the card to open the door.

Fu Cheng looked up at the apartment.

The furniture inside hadn’t changed at all; it was exactly the same as three months ago. There were no traces of anyone else living there, nor did it look like anything had been moved. Fu Cheng suddenly lost the courage to enter that door. The strength that had supported him to carry the luggage and follow this man up here was nearing its limit.

He placed the suitcases at the door and didn’t go in.

“Teacher Zhuo, I’ll see you off here.”

“Hm?”

“It’s too late; you can unpack the rest yourself.”

“Oh, that works too.”

As Zhuo Huan spoke, he pulled something out of his pocket and placed it on the table by the entryway.

Fu Cheng’s calm gaze accidentally fell on the object, and he froze instantly. Fu Cheng stared at the thing on the console table. After a moment, as if sensing his gaze, Zhuo Huan glanced at the item and said, “Oh, not wasting it. I actually quite like the feel of this one. I’ll find a chance to use it in a couple of days.”

Fu Cheng stared dead at the two condoms. He slowly began to smile and nodded gently. “Mn, then I’ll be going first.”

“Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

The door slammed shut before his eyes with a bang.

Fu Cheng turned, walked into the elevator, went downstairs, hailed a taxi, and went home.

In the empty house, the lights were off, leaving him all alone. Fu Cheng walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. He drank the water while holding his phone in one hand, scrolling through the screen. After finishing one glass, he poured another. Then, another.

Just moments before tears were about to crash onto the phone screen, a familiar nausea rushed up from the depths of his throat. The young man ran quickly to the trash can and crouched down. In the quiet kitchen, only the terrifying, harsh sounds of retching could be heard.

He hadn’t eaten much to begin with, so aside from water, he mostly threw up stomach acid.

Yet, as if trying to vomit up every organ in his body, after emptying the food and even the acid, he continued to dry heave. His hands pressed against the plastic bag on the rim of the trash can, fingertips turning white from the pressure. His face was pale, completely drained of blood.

No one knew how much time passed before Fu Cheng stood up. He turned on the faucet and washed his face.

His phone screen lit up. He opened it to check.

[Fu Xiao: Your birthday is coming up soon. Is there any birthday gift you want?]

His gaze lingered dully on this line of text for a long time. Fu Cheng held the phone with both hands and typed out a line.

Sis, I’m unhappy.

The cursor in the input box blinked, but the message was never sent.

Three minutes later.

[Fu Cheng: No, I don’t lack anything, you know that.]

[Fu Xiao: I know you don’t lack anything. Take care of yourself, don’t always stay up late, go to sleep early.]

[Fu Cheng: Mn, I know.]

His cousin asked a few more caring questions, then started talking about her husband. She was a newlywed, and her love was as sweet and dazzling as the rising sun, piercing Fu Cheng’s eyes so much he couldn’t keep them open. He knew he should offer blessings, should feel happy for his cousin, but Fu Cheng simply didn’t have the energy. He sent a “I’m going to sleep now.”

Fu Xiao replied: [Okay, sleep early, goodnight.]

[Goodnight ^_^]

Author’s Note:
Zhuo RIP (RIP): …
Fu Chengcheng: …
Zhuo RIP: Say something, haven’t had a mini-theater in a long time.
Fu Chengcheng: What do you want to say?
Zhuo RIP: …
#Another day with no-fuck to say#

Volume Six: The Light Chaser

Support me on Ko-fi