Chapter Ninety-Eight - The Beautiful Flight Attendant, Part One

My Rebirth Legend

Before long, the next day arrived. At the school’s farewell assembly, Chu Qitong, Fu Ming, and I received parting words from the principal and the head of the city education bureau, and were officially designated to represent Crescent City in the national high school computer competition.

Unlike previous years, this contest seemed to have drawn the full attention of the city’s education authorities. The reason was simple: Crescent City had produced the three of us this year, and they believed we had a real chance to bring honor to the city. Thus, not only were all expenses for the trip to the capital fully subsidized, but our mode of travel was also upgraded from the usual train to a plane.

One must know that in the various competitions among schools in Crescent City, not a single contestant had ever flown by plane before. That alone showed how high the expectations were for this event.

On Friday morning, under the guidance of our teacher, the four of us, together with Chu Qitong, Fu Ming, and me, took a vehicle to Cambridge Airport on the outskirts of the city. In truth, a prefecture-level city like Crescent City ought not to have an airport at all; the only reason it did was because this airport had a long history. It was said that Cambridge Airport had once been built by the Japanese invaders who had ravaged our land, and after the whole country was liberated, the airport was preserved and continued in use as one of the few airports in the southern region.

Later, as new airports opened in the major cities, this place gradually lost much of its former bustle. Yet at the very least, as the building Crescent City was proudest of, Cambridge Airport was not allowed to fall into ruin. Instead, it was extensively renovated by the government. With the gradual rise of the local tourism industry, the airport slowly became a small tourist airport.

The four of us arrived at the airport and rested for a while, waiting to board.

I was no stranger to airplanes. In my past life, I had flown no fewer than several dozen times. Fu Ming, clearly a young lady of wealth and refinement, was naturally not particularly interested in such things either. As for Chu Qitong, there was even less need to say anything. If one counted carefully, she could almost be considered one of the airport’s half-owners. Her cousin was the manager here, and Cambridge Airport actually belonged to the Chu family.

Seeing Chu Qitong beside me, head lowered as she busily ate snacks, I noticed that today she was wearing a lively yellow spring-and-autumn shirt and a pair of tight jeans. Her lovely figure and beautiful face naturally made her the center of attention wherever she went.

On the way here, she and I still had not exchanged a single word. Standing at the airport now, I suddenly thought back to when we first met, and could not help but smile.

“Qitong, come to think of it, it seems we met because of this airport, didn’t we?”

Hearing me call her name, Chu Qitong visibly trembled all over, yet she did not turn around. She kept eating her snacks as if she were deliberately treating me like air.

I gave a wry smile and sighed softly.

“You forgot? The first time we met, you were cursing my sworn sister, Siyah, on behalf of your cousin. Your cousin is the manager of this airport, and my sworn sister Siyah is a flight attendant. Weren’t we introduced to each other because of this airport? Heh.”

“Get lost. Who knows you? Hmph.”

Chu Qitong turned her body away so that her back was toward me, as though she did not want me to see her expression at that moment. But the faint trembling of her delicate shoulders told me that she was probably crying.

I could not help sighing.

“Qitong, I love Xin sincerely. In truth, I really do not want to lose you as a friend. Why can’t we be like ordinary friends...”

“Go away. I don’t need a friend like you... jerk.”

With a choked, tearful voice, she cursed me under her breath, then suddenly got up and ran toward the restroom.

I felt rather vexed. The little devil who had always feared neither heaven nor earth had become a crying child. So it really was true: liking someone could change a person completely...

Just as I was sighing to myself, Fu Ming, who was seated not far away, seemed to notice Chu Qitong’s departing figure and came over with a light laugh.

“Xiao Qiang, how did you make Miss Chu angry?”

“No, nothing much, heh heh.”

I gave a bitter smile and shook my head, not wanting to explain.

“Oh, the three of us being able to compete together is fate. We should get along well, heh heh. Once we get to the capital, it’ll be my home turf. Then I’ll invite you all over, and my mother will cook authentic Northeastern stir-fried three-delicacy dishes for you.”

Seeing that I did not wish to answer, Fu Ming did not press the matter. She only smiled and spoke.

“Hm? You’re from the capital? So your parents are both in the capital? Then why did you come to Crescent City to study?”

I was somewhat surprised. I had never expected the quiet and beautiful Fu Ming to be a native of the capital, and yet she had come all the way to Crescent City.

Fu Ming seemed to have anticipated my surprise. With a shy smile, she explained, “Not exactly. My family is in the capital, but my father’s unit is in Crescent City. Because of my mother’s work, she sometimes has to fly back to the capital. Since we’re also going to the capital this time, I mentioned it to her, and she said she’d invite you all to visit my grandfather’s home. Besides, I’ve been wanting to thank you for what happened last time. Since you won’t let me treat you to a meal, then let my mother thank you in my place.”

“Ah? Your father was a soldier?”

I had always assumed that a quiet, gentle girl like Fu Ming would be some rich young miss. Who would have thought she was actually the daughter of a military family? It was truly unexpected.

“Heh heh, why are you so surprised? Can’t my father be a soldier?” Fu Ming asked, puzzled by my astonished expression. Then she continued, “Let me tell you, not only is my father a soldier, my grandfather is too. Our family is a family of soldiers.”

“So that’s how it is. Heh heh, I really couldn’t tell. Then, since your father was trained from childhood by your grandfather, he must be an exceptionally capable officer.”

I truly had not expected Fu Ming to be the daughter of a military family. Since her family was in the capital and belonged to the military, her father must surely be formidable.

“Mm, my dad is very impressive. He’s only in his forties and already became commander of the Southern Military Region. Their unit is stationed in Changtong Town in Crescent City, so my mother and I, as dependents of military personnel, moved here to live as well.”

Mentioning her father, Fu Ming looked quite proud, and even her usually reserved nature seemed to become a bit more animated.

“My grandfather is even more amazing, heh heh. But telling you all this is useless anyway, since you wouldn’t understand.”

I smiled and did not refute her. It was true—I did not know much about the military. But in my head, I possessed all manner of high-tech weapons that could kill without mercy.

This trip to the capital, I had already decided, would be used to secure at least a top-three ranking in the computer contest, and to display some advanced technology so that the President of the nation would take notice of me.

I knew full well that this period in our nation’s history was one in which the United States had blocked weapons exports, so the demand for advanced technology was absolutely something the country would value highly. In that way, I would also be able to make the President take greater interest in me, a mere high school student.

While we were speaking, Chu Qitong returned from the restroom. Her eyes were still faintly red, and I sighed, saying nothing more, only letting Fu Ming keep her company and chat with her.

After about an hour, the three of us, together with our teacher, finally boarded the plane.

It was an old Boeing 757 passenger jet. This type of aircraft had been introduced to our country in the 1980s as a medium- to short-haul passenger plane, and during the period when relations between the United States and our country were at their best, it had been transferred to us in a semi-gift, semi-purchase arrangement to serve as the mainstay of civil aviation.

For our nation in 1997, although the 757 had almost ceased service in the United States, it continued to be used here because our technology lagged behind. I remembered that in my previous life, it was not until 2006 that this type of plane disappeared from civil aviation routes. And in 2008, our country began an independent domestic large-aircraft project, but in the end it still seemed constrained by engine limitations and dependent on others.

Engines are the heart of an aircraft, and also one of the most difficult high-tech projects in aviation. Yet in my mind at this moment, there were no fewer than hundreds of prototypes. Whether it was the heavy turbo engines used by bombers, the jet engines used by fighter aircraft, the more advanced vector jet engines, or even the miniature engines used by drones, I possessed them all.

One day, I would turn all the knowledge in my mind into reality and ensure that our nation’s aviation technology forever remained ahead of every other country in the world.