"Since you can’t, just sit down and be quiet! Don’t drag the rest of us down with you!"

He then looked up at the crowd and announced loudly,

"I’ll say it again: there’s nothing we can do right now! Don’t argue with me. Every single one of you, sit down and think calmly. What can you possibly do? If you realize there’s nothing, then just stay in your seats and wait!"

In that moment, everyone was in a panic. All it took was one person to take the lead, and the others would follow.

With Fang Chenyi’s guidance, everyone gradually calmed down. Some were crying quietly, others were looking around nervously, but without exception, they all remained in their seats with their seatbelts buckled tight.

Seeing that the passengers had settled down, a nearby flight attendant gave the chairman a grateful look.

Fang Chenyi nodded at the flight attendant, then turned to check on the engine again.

But just then, the plane lurched violently. A young flight attendant beside him lost her footing and stumbled forward. Just as she was about to crash into an aisle seat, a large hand shot out and caught her, pulling her into an embrace.

Feeling the strength of his arm, the young flight attendant’s heart suddenly began to pound.

But before she could even look up, the strong arm had already been withdrawn without a moment’s hesitation.

Holding onto the back of a seat for support, she turned to the handsome man, blushing, and thanked him in a low voice,

"Chairman, thank you."

At that moment, everyone around was preoccupied with their own survival, so no one paid any attention to what the young flight attendant said.

Fang Chenyi waved it off, told her to be careful, and walked back to the two women who had been wearing masks.

Perhaps out of anxiety, the two women’s masks were nowhere to be seen. Fang Chenyi glanced at their faces and couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. ’From the way they talked earlier, I thought they were some famous stars. But looking at them now, I’ve never even seen them before.’

This time, the two women didn’t utter a single sarcastic word to Fang Chenyi. They just gripped their seatbelts for dear life, their faces drained of all color.

Looking through the window again, he saw the engine was now completely swallowed by fire. The wind pressure fanned the flames, making them incredibly fierce. He watched as parts of the engine broke off and fell away like shooting stars.

At this rate, the entire engine would be gone in no time.

Worse, if not handled promptly, the fire could even spread to the wing.

’What is the captain thinking? We’re at this point already, and there’s nothing but ocean below us. Why hasn’t he jettisoned the engine? Is he planning on taking it home for the holidays?!’

After grumbling to himself, he didn’t dwell on it. He turned and headed for the cockpit.

He hadn’t taken more than two steps when a passenger in a window seat on the other side of the aisle screamed,

"AHH!! Oh no! The engine on this side is smoking now too!"

Hearing this, Fang Chenyi rushed over to a window to see for himself. It was true. The other engine was now intermittently sputtering smoke. It didn’t look like it would catch fire immediately, but there were no guarantees.

Seeing this, Fang Chenyi didn’t hesitate any longer. He turned and ran toward the cockpit.

The middle-aged man whom Fang Chenyi had lifted up and tossed aside earlier saw him running toward the cockpit. He instinctively called out to a flight attendant,

"Hey, what gives? We’re all sitting here quietly like we’re told, but he’s running all over the place. Aren’t you going to do something about him?"

The flight attendant’s brow furrowed. ’Even at a time like this, this guy is still being a pain!’

But she was in the service industry, after all, and had to answer the passenger’s question. Forcing a smile, she said to the middle-aged man,

"Sir, that’s because he is the chairman of our airline, Southern Airlines."

Her voice wasn’t loud, but her words still stunned those nearby. None of them could have imagined that such a young man was the chairman of Southern Airlines.

To put it into perspective, this was Southern Airlines! Forget everything else—a single one of their planes was worth billions!

"What?! He’s the chairman of Southern Airlines!"

The middle-aged man jolted, his voice unconsciously rising in volume.

The people nearby hadn’t heard the flight attendant, but the middle-aged man’s voice was so loud that every anxious passenger in the vicinity heard him.

This was especially true for the two women who had just told Fang Chenyi to stay away from them. They were instantly filled with regret. ’If I had known who he was, I could have used the turbulence as an excuse to fall right on top of him! I’d have been set for life! Why am I still trying to be some damn influencer?!’

Humans are strange creatures. Even in a life-or-death situation, they can’t suppress their own curiosity.

Soon, the news that the handsome young man was actually the chairman of Southern Airlines had spread to every passenger on the plane.

Upon learning that Fang Chenyi was the chairman of Southern Airlines, the passengers actually felt a sliver of relief. Their reasoning was simple: if someone with such a prestigious status was on board, then Southern Airlines would surely do everything in its power to ensure the plane’s safety.

In that way, their own safety felt a little more assured.

Let’s leave the passengers for a moment. Fang Chenyi strode toward the cockpit, passing his own first-class cabin without even sparing a glance to check on Bai Menghan. He simply reached out and pushed open the cockpit door.

The moment he stepped inside, he was met with the sound of a blaring alarm.

"Why haven’t you jettisoned the left engine?!"

Fang Chenyi wasted no time with pleasantries, directly demanding an answer from the captain, who was struggling to control the aircraft.

Hearing the voice behind him, the captain didn’t even have time to glance back at Fang Chenyi. He just shouted without turning his head,

"Get out of here! Don’t cause trouble. We’ll handle it."

He clearly mistook Fang Chenyi for a passenger.

After snapping at Fang Chenyi, Captain Lü turned to his co-pilot, Xiaozhou. "Hasn’t Captain David arrived yet? This plane is only so big, they still haven’t found him?!"

Just then, the flight attendant Fang Chenyi had saved earlier ran in, announcing loudly,

"Captain Lü! We’ve found Captain David!"

Captain Lü breathed a sigh of relief. ’Good, they found him.’ Although the guy’s character was questionable, his piloting skills were top-notch. ’He can take the controls, and I’ll act as his co-pilot. I’m sure we can make an emergency landing at the nearest airport.’

"Where is he?! Get him in here, now!"

"Captain, Captain David... he’s... he’s drunk..."

To be continued...