Section 1

As she watched the clock on the wall point to 4:50 PM, Tang Xiaoxiao finally let out a sigh of relief. In just ten minutes, it would be time to hand over the shift. This day had truly been exhausting

Tang Xiaoxiao turned her head and saw that the person in the brand new blue Porsche convertible behind her was Nie Zhuoyang. He had changed out of his pilot uniform and was wearing an elegant light blue pinstriped double-cuff shirt, with sapphire cufflinks gleaming brightly. Next to him sat a beautiful girl, dressed gracefully and with exquisite makeup. It seemed that the two were on their way to a banquet, looking so relaxed as if nothing had happened that afternoon

As for whether Nie Zhuoyang's girlfriend is new or old, she is unaware. However, if this statement can cause him some discomfort, she would feel more at ease

"MAYDAY, MAYDAY!" An emergency call code suddenly came through the air-ground communication channel, with Jetway Airlines Flight 507 reporting insufficient fuel and requesting priority landing

She is his childhood sweetheart, yet he is not her childhood friend. Time cannot flow backward; he left during her most beautiful season of youth, and after seven years apart, when he returns, even the rainy season has already passed.

The control tower of Hongchuan Airport stands at a height of 108 meters, resembling a colossal pillar reaching towards the sky. The streamlined tower body flares out at the top, resembling a blooming flower bud. At the very top is a circular radar antenna cover for monitoring the airspace, giving the tower the appearance of an enormous flashlight from a distance

The elevator ascends slowly to the 18th floor, and the reflection on the inner wall mirror reveals a slender figure, with a delicate face that appears somewhat pale, further accentuating the deep black of the eyes and the pointed chin

What? Tang Xiaoxiao's ears buzzed, and her first reaction was—Nie Zhuoyang actually refused to let it go! It is extremely rare for a plane to run out of fuel, especially for a Xinghang aircraft

This calendar was sent by Xinghang before the Spring Festival. The July page features a group photo of the "Xinghang Star Crew." Everyone in the calendar is smiling brightly, except for the person in the center, who has a stern expression, with only a faint hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth.

Tang Xiaoxiao got off the staff shuttle at the airport. Before she could steady herself, a 15-seat crew vehicle drove closely past her and stopped in front of the domestic departure hall. The sky-blue vehicle was adorned with silver wings and stars, belonging to the largest airline in Binhai City, Starwing Airlines

At exactly 8:00, the shift handover was completed. The thirty-inch high-brightness LCD radar display was filled with intricate flight route maps and a dense array of aircraft markers. Tang Xiaoxiao glanced at the dark clouds drifting in from the east, feeling a sense of unease. The summer weather can change abruptly, and it seems that on the first day of independent command, a tough battle is imminent

From the control tower, looking down from a height of over 100 meters, the entire airport is laid out before me. Aircraft are being orderly pushed back from various jet bridges, taxiing along different taxiways, converging at the ends of the east and west runways to queue for takeoff. The morning is the peak time for departures; on the 3,800-meter-long runway, every few minutes, a silver-winged aircraft takes off with a roar under the guidance of the air traffic controller, soaring into the blue sky

Two planes were continuously calling out "MAYDAY" as if in a competition, and Tang Xiaoxiao's mind became a chaotic mess, leaving her momentarily at a loss. At that moment, a slender hand suddenly reached over from the side, grabbed another handheld microphone from the table, plugged it into the left "instructor" socket, and immediately issued a series of commands in a calm voice—"Xinghang 3106, increase speed to create separation, continue approach!"

A group of handsome men and beautiful women attracted the attention of the originally hurried travelers around them, causing them to stop and watch. A colleague who got off the bus behind Tang Xiaoxiao exclaimed excitedly: "Hey, it seems like the star crew of Star Airlines!"

Only five minutes of fuel left? Tang Xiaoxiao looked at the screen filled with circling and hovering planes, her heart tightened. According to the normal procedure, it would take at least ten minutes for Jiehang 507 to land, so it seems they would have to let the planes ahead make way.

Tang Xiaoxiao steadied herself, repeated the previous instructions, and added, "Jiehang 507 has less than five minutes of fuel left."

On a midsummer morning, as the red sun rises, the main terminal building of the airport, with its steel frame structure, is adorned with the morning glow. The enormous glass curtain wall reflects a spectrum of colors, resembling an enchanting crystal palace. The extensive concourses stretch into the distance, surrounding the tower that soars into the sky.

The rain has stopped, and the sky is dark and gloomy, almost black. Tang Xiaoxiao walks with her head down when suddenly she hears a short honk from behind. She steps aside and continues walking forward, but the person behind calls out loudly: "Tang Xiaoxiao!"

On her first day working independently, Tang Xiaoxiao spent it in a state of heightened mental tension, not only having to direct the aircraft but also serving as a psychological counselor to soothe the pilots who were frazzled due to the long wait and the complaints from passengers behind them

The door of the aircraft slid open silently, and the crew members disembarked in succession. Leading the way was a pilot dressed in a crisp dark blue uniform, followed by several flight attendants whose long hair was meticulously styled into floral arrangements at the back of their heads. The sea blue knee-length skirts accentuated their graceful figures, while the fuchsia striped silk scarves blossomed on their shoulders like butterflies eager to take flight

Tang Xiaoxiao was also looking at him, their gazes meeting across the crowd. She instinctively flinched for a moment, but then raised her eyes again, glaring at him defiantly, and smiled with her lips pressed together.

Star Flight 3106 is the return flight of Star Flight 3101, which departs for Beijing in the morning, utilizing the same aircraft and crew. There was no expected echo in the channel; after two seconds of silence, a familiar clear voice came through: "I am also low on fuel, requesting to continue the approach"

As the dark clouds approached, Tang Xiaoxiao steadied her mind and methodically directed one aircraft after another, striving to release as many as possible before the impending thunderstorm.

"Oh, does that pilot know you?" Tang Xiaoxiao's colleague came to their senses, their voice filled with curiosity and envy

Tang Xiaoxiao did not dare to continue imagining, her legs felt weak as she walked to the lounge on the lower floor, collapsing onto the sofa, taking a long time to regain her composure. When she looked up, she saw Nie Zhuoyang in a crisp uniform on the calendar across from her, the four golden stripes on his shoulder suddenly stinging her eyes.

Tang Xiaoxiao tightened her grip on the microphone. For two whole years, she had been directing the aircraft with the microphone, whether during simulator training or in actual positions. She had encountered in-flight emergencies before, some even more complex and urgent than this one, but this was the first time she had encountered an aircraft that refused to follow commands

"Team leader, how is it going?" Tang Xiaoxiao quickly stood up from the sofa

Eastern Airlines flight 2528 is climbing to an altitude of 950, turning right to a heading of 230, and is instructed to deviate from the five-sided pattern!

The leading captain seemed to have heard the discussions behind him, stopping in his tracks and turning around. To everyone's surprise, he was quite young, with a healthy light wheat complexion and a pair of slightly upturned phoenix eyes. His jet-black pupils displayed a keen brilliance under the soft golden sunlight of the morning. It was as if they reflected the vast dawn glow, radiant and resplendent, while the brim of his hat perfectly subdued the lively flicker at the corners of his eyes, making him appear even more handsome and distinguished.

A clear and magnetic familiar male voice came through the headphones, meticulously reciting: "Hongchuan Tower, good morning, Xinghang 3101, runway 02, turn left to heading 180, climb to altitude 900"

She remembered that Nie Zhuoyang's vehicle was originally a black Land Rover, bearing a Hainan license plate. Its body was significantly taller than the surrounding sedans, with strong shoulder lines that exuded a sense of power. It was quite striking as it roared past in the community. She had seen it a few times over the past two months, but each time Nie Zhuoyang had ignored her by the roadside, so she was quite surprised today when he took the initiative to greet her

The first time period has not yet concluded, and thunderstorms have already enveloped the area. Various reports are flooding in: there are aircraft preparing to divert, there is strong lightning to the west of the area, and in half an hour, there will be severe thunderstorms accompanied by three to four cumulonimbus clouds... visibility is only 500 meters

The star captain in the eyes of others is actually a disaster star in her life, isn't it? Otherwise, why does it seem like a curse that in almost every milestone moment of her life, she encounters him, and then everything becomes a complete mess?

What else can we do? The team leader, Rao Weifeng, was clearly in a bad mood, stating, "We haven't had the chance to report this yet, and the other side has already refueled the plane as soon as it landed!"

This time there was an immediate response, but it was: "MAYDAY, MAYDAY! Star Flight 3106 is low on fuel, requesting to continue approach. Repeat, I have only four minutes of fuel left, can only continue approach!"

Tang Xiaoxiao felt a bit regretful for not putting on light makeup today, at the very least, she should have applied some lipstick to look more festive. Today is indeed a significant day for her as she independently takes the stage to hold the microphone!

"Xiao Tang, you haven't left yet?" The team leader entered with a serious expression, "You should head back first"

She sat down in front of the radar screen, adjusted the microphone of her headset, focused her mind, and pressed the talk button: "Good morning, Star Flight 3101, runway 02, turn left to heading 170, climb to an altitude of 900"

The young captain raised his eyebrows in slight surprise, then smiled and lightly gestured with two fingers of his right hand at the brim of his hat, offering a distant half-salute before turning to lead the way towards the departure hall. His tall and upright figure was followed by the crew members who entered in a winding line behind him, their dark blue flight cases neatly trailing in a row, instantly drawing a large number of gazes.

Meanwhile, Jet Airways Flight 507 continued to call: "MAYDAY, MAYDAY! I do not have enough separation from the aircraft ahead, and my altitude is too high!"

At this time, it is the peak period for incoming flights, and the area west of Hongqiao Airport is covered by thunderstorms. The weather to the east is relatively good, so she immediately instructed the Jiehang aircraft to maintain speed and approach the eastern side of the airport, prioritizing landing on the left side of runway 3. She then directed the aircraft in front to avoid: "Xinghang 3106, maintain altitude of 900 meters, turn left to heading 090, divert to avoid Changwu side, you have an aircraft behind you with insufficient fuel."

Due to this delay, Tang Xiaoxiao missed the staff shuttle bus, and by the time she returned to the Civil Aviation Residential Community, it was nearly 7 o'clock

If it were someone else, they would certainly take pride in knowing the star pilot, and even the calendar hanging in the lounge downstairs might have been secretly taken and hidden away by some fan of the "star pilot". However, Tang Xiaoxiao has never mentioned her relationship with Nie Zhuoyang to her colleagues.

By the afternoon, the situation of flight congestion, delays, and diversions gradually increased. By the afternoon, the situation worsened further: flow control was implemented on the Beijing-Hai route, North China, East China, and South China, with one-third of the airspace along the entire Chinese coastline gradually falling into the flow control caused by the worst weather since the beginning of summer

"Last month, I happened to return from training on the same flight as him," Tang Xiaoxiao replied vaguely, her eyes slightly dimmed, yet she still wore a faint smile as she turned with her colleagues to walk towards the control tower across the way

Flight 507 of Jiehang is descending to an altitude of 810, turning right to a heading of 140, and entering runway 02! This is the highest-ranking director of the control tower, Chen Ling. Tang Xiaoxiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief! A few minutes later, Flight 507 safely landed, with only two minutes of fuel remaining reported. Chen Ling placed the microphone back on the desk, his lean and capable face maintaining a consistently stern expression, yet his gaze towards her revealed a hint of warmth as he patted her shoulder: "Is this your first day on duty alone? Don't be nervous, just continue." His actions and voice possessed a reassuring power. Tang Xiaoxiao focused her mind and continued to direct the takeoff and landing of the aircraft. Fifteen minutes later, after completing her shift, Tang Xiaoxiao stood up from her seat and realized that her back was drenched in cold sweat, involuntarily exclaiming: "That was close!" If it hadn't been for Director Chen's quick reaction and proper command just now, not only would her career have ended here, but also the lives of over a hundred people on that plane...

She felt a slight discomfort in her heart, but as she walked over, she smiled calmly and said: "Oh, Young Master Nie, you haven't been back to Binhai for three months, have you? Have you already changed your car and your girlfriend?"

Tang Xiaoxiao was taken aback. Wasn't this a case of no evidence left to refute? She turned her head and glanced at the calendar again. Indeed, he was still as reckless as he had been in his youth. There was nothing that Nie Zhuoyang could not accomplish, only things he had not thought of.

Tang Xiaoxiao did not achieve her goal; instead, she was provoked by him. She shot him an annoyed glance, but was somewhat surprised in her heart that he actually knew she was single today

Aviation communication terminology: To prevent mishearing, 0 is pronounced as "dong", 1 as "yao", 2 as "liang", and 7 as "guai"

Nie Zhuoyang's voice is highly recognizable, and Tang Xiaoxiao raised her eyes to watch the aircraft with silver wings and a star emblem on its tail soar into the clouds, unconsciously curving her lips into a slight smile. The first aircraft she commanded on her first day on the job was his, and she found it hard to express whether her feelings were more of warmth or bitterness.

Indeed, upon hearing her words, the pretty girl's expression suddenly became somewhat unnatural. Nie Zhuoyang, however, was unfazed and raised the corner of his mouth, saying, "Little Pepper, you are always so sharp-tongued; be careful not to end up unmarried!" As he spoke, he took out a rectangular box and waved it at her, "This is for you, congratulations on finally being single!"