Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 18: Business Class

Business class.

When the person who first discovered the bomb screamed, Wu Sheng rushed from first class to economy class, passing through business class without a second glance. Only after this division of labor for a second search did he truly enter the business class for the first time.

What a prosperous scene it was.

The sunshades were all open, and the entire cabin was as bright as an office area enclosed by floor-to-ceiling glass. Excluding Kuang Jinxin, there were fifteen passengers in total, all busy at their own seats, either typing on laptops, holding iPads, or deeply focused, muttering to themselves in thought. The rapid keystrokes and the occasional bursts of inspiration like fireworks, visible only to kindred spirits, intertwined into a bustling, thriving scene of diligent endeavor.

Standing at the doorway of the business class, Wu Sheng had one thought: Who could bring him his laptop? He, too, wanted to start working!

Fortunately, Wu Sheng was still able to prioritize. Despite his wishes, after taking a deep breath, he managed to suppress his boiling blood for the sake of his career and stepped forward.

The aisle in business class was wider and more comfortable to walk through than in economy class, with four seats per row, two on each side. No one noticed the “outsider” here; everyone was too absorbed in their work.

According to Kuang Jinxin, the people here had names in a sequential order, starting with Zheng Qi (7), Feng Jiu (9), Chen Yiling (10), Chu Yiyi (11), Wei Yi’Er (12)… all the way to He Eryi (21), Lu Er’er (22). The only skipped number eight was occupied by himself.

This was similar to what Xu Wang had reported: before the bomb crisis, he had chatted with five people, named Yin Yilingling (100), Mu Jiuba (98), He Jiuqi (97), Huang Jiuliu (96), and Ping Jiuwu (95), skipping 99, which was his own seat.

If nothing unusual, Wu Sheng believed that those passengers he hadn’t yet interacted with would also follow this surname and number format, with the number indicating the order from first class down and the surname likely from the Hundred Family Surnames*.

*This is a record of Chinese Han surnames that was written in early Northen Song dynasty. 

Zhao, Qian, Sun, Li, Zhou, Wu, Zheng, Wang, Feng, Chen, Chu, Wei, Jiang, Shen, Han, Yang… all the way to He, Mu, Xiao, Yin—the first one hundred surnames. Wu Sheng had memorized them in high school for fun and still remembered them clearly.

He had suspected that the code might be related to the passengers’ names, but given the current situation, it seemed impossible to deduce the connection out of thin air; he’d have to follow the [Cheat Sheet] methodically.

With limited time, Wu Sheng adopted a “one-to-many” and “row-by-row chat” strategy, only to realize upon talking to the first row why Kuang Jinxin had talked to everyone in business class without gaining any useful information.

“Are you a friend of Xiao Kuang?”

“That kid is so likable and knows so much!”

“Right, after listening to him, I kind of want to have tea too.”

After exchanging names, they started talking about tea—Mr. Kuang wasn’t so much “chatting” with people as he was unilaterally “preaching”!

But it wasn’t entirely useless; at least he had converted all three ladies in the first row into “sister fans”, saving Wu Sheng, who struggled with making close connections, a lot of trouble.

While engaging in the casual group chat, Wu Sheng also carefully observed the three people in the first row.

Sitting by the window was Zheng Qi, dressed casually, with a document open on her laptop, seemingly writing an article.

Next to her empty seat was Kuang Jinxin’s.

Beside the aisle was Feng Jiu. Her iPad was lit up with an array of bar and pie charts for analysis.

Next to her, by the window, was Chen Yiling, using a stylus on a Surface to revise and scribble.

Writer, marketer, teacher.

Wu Sheng almost instantly made clear judgments about their occupations.

Their professions didn’t clear them of suspicion, but they did provide more targeted directions for “inquiry”. Wu Sheng smirked, a small gesture he made when he felt confident or triumphant, usually indicating that he had everything under control.

A triple-question attack!

“I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was young, but alas, I abandoned literature for science. Can you talk to me about the article you’re writing?”

“Coincidentally, I’m in marketing. We’re in the same field.”

“Being a teacher must be tough. What do you teach?”

Efficiency was key; what took others three minutes, he could do in one with parallel processing. That was the power of capability!

His rapid-fire questions didn’t annoy the three ladies; rather, they were quite happy to respond.

Zheng Qi: “I’m not a writer; I’m an experience tester. This is about my ‘first time flying experience’.”

Feng Jiu: “I’m in finance. You’re in marketing; where’s the overlap?”

Chen Shi: “This is my son’s essay. The school requires parents to review and revise it first…”

As the saying goes, taking too big a step can lead to pulling your balls*.

*It refers to taking your time to do something step by step, or you can harm yourself. In this case, it’s more of a crude and humorous way of saying it. 

Wu Sheng, having perfectly dodged all the correct answers, withdrew his three lines of questioning and sat down in Kuang Jinxin’s seat to rest for half a minute, patting his face lightly before looking up again, ready as a wise youth.

“An experience tester? I’ve never heard of that.” He spoke again, his tone natural as if the previous rebuff had happened to someone else.

“Actually, it should be called ‘first-time experience tester’.” Zheng Qi smiled at him. “I only record the feeling of doing something for the first time. First time flying, first time diving, first time on a train, first time riding a motorcycle, first time eating king crab, first time drinking mojito, first time in love, first time kissing, first time…”

“Okay!” Wu Sheng cut her off in time. As a single male student, being thrown into such a situation was miserable enough; he didn’t want to be force-fed any more dog food*, especially by an NPC. “So this is your first time on a plane?”

*It’s a term referring to witnessing affection between couples. 

“Yes, I’ve always been a bit scared. Even though they always say that planes are the safest mode of transportation, if something does happen, there’s no escape.”

“But you came anyway.”

“If you’re going to be an experience tester, you have to have some professional ethics. I hope to provide some useful experiences for friends like me who are afraid of flying.”

Zheng Qi’s expression and attitude were very natural when she spoke; at least Wu Sheng couldn’t find any flaws. Sitting in Kuang Jinxin’s place, actually right next to Zheng Qi, he could glance over and see the text on Zheng Qi’s laptop.

[…It’s different from what I imagined. If you close your eyes, there is no real feeling of flying in the sky. Before the flight, I was afraid of encountering ‘thrills’, but after the flight, I suddenly felt it would have been good if something had really happened. For friends, including myself, who really want to experience flying, maybe]

The cursor was blinking after the word “maybe”. Wu Sheng couldn’t guess what Zheng Qi intended to type next. But the phrase “it would have been good if something really happened” was highly suspicious.

Time was ticking by, and this was only the first person in business class he had spoken with; he was taking too long. With this thought, Wu Sheng simply raised his hand and lightly tapped on the cursor position, asking directly, “Maybe what?”

His voice carried an undisguised suspicion. If Zheng Qi became angry out of embarrassment and confronted him, that would be even better.

However, contrary to his expectations, not only was Zheng Qi not angry, but she was also excited, her eyes shining with “I was waiting for you to ask” excitement. The joy in her eyes made her face glow.

“Dang dang dang dang—” She rhythmically pulled out a large bag from under her seat and presented it to Wu Sheng, eagerly asking, “Guess what this is?”

“A para… Parachute…?” Wu Sheng had played with this in America, but who would skydive from a commercial flight? With the current altitude and air pressure, it was impossible even to open the cabin door!

While he was puzzled, Zheng Qi had already pressed the call button.

The flight attendant quickly came over, smiling kindly. “Hello, can I help you?”

Zheng Qi had already put on the parachute harness and seriously said, “Please open the window; I want to skydive.”

The flight attendant blinked in disbelief, apparently hearing such a request for the first time in her life. Wu Sheng finally reacted, trying his best to laugh. “Stop joking…”

Zheng Qi tilted her head, frowning at him. “I’m not joking. I told you I’m an experience tester. I want to invest my limited life into limitless experiences. I’ve already experienced taking a plane, now I want to fly.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Xu Wang, Lao Qian, Xiao Kuang, do you have any good suggestions for dealing with a lunatic? Urgent, waiting online!

“Tch. Fine then, I’ll do it myself.” Zheng Qi bent down again and rummaged under the seat, and moments later, she had a cordless drill in her hand.

Wu Sheng was stunned. Is there a portable space under this seat?!

“Ever heard of wall drilling?” Zheng Qi suddenly turned around, drill in hand, and asked.

Wu Sheng reflexively said, “Drilling a wall to borrow light*?”

*(凿壁借光) Idiom referring to praising someone for their perseverance and hard work in pursuit of knowledge or goals. It comes from the story of Kuang Heng, who was very poor and couldn’t afford a candle to study at night, so he drilled a hole into the wall to borrow light from his neighbor’s house to continue his studies.

Zheng Qi smiled. “Drilling a hole to break the windows.”

[When you sense something is wrong, end the conversation and don’t linger—]

Once there was a sincere reminder ringing in his ears, he didn’t appreciate it!!!

“Zzzzzz—”

The drill bit made intimate contact with the plane window, emitting a “passionately” loud noise.

Wu Sheng grabbed her wrist in one motion, not caring about being gentlemanly anymore, forcefully taking the drill away and turning it off, breaking into a cold sweat.

Zheng Qi looked dissatisfied and was about to speak, but Wu Sheng was quicker. “Your experience feeling isn’t comprehensive!”

At those words, she froze, no longer attempting to grab the drill back, and retorted, “What right do you have to say that!”

You can insult my character, but you can’t insult my work—every aspiring youth has this problem. Wu Sheng didn’t need to understand Zheng Qi; understanding himself was enough, hitting the nail on the head.

“You only have a sensory experience but lack theoretical support.” Wu Sheng handed the drill to the flight attendant to take to a safe place, then continued, “You say the flying experience on a plane isn’t good, but what specifically isn’t good? Cabin pressure, temperature, meals, and the psychological and physiological impact of a confined space all affect the overall flying experience. Did you consider these?”

Zheng Qi: “I…”

Wu Sheng: “How high is the plane flying now? Seven to twelve thousand meters. If you jump from this height, you’d become an ice corpse. What’s the cabin pressure now? Standard atmospheric pressure is 101.325 kPa, equivalent to about two thousand meters above sea level. Do the math yourself. If I have to remind you again, your experience note will have to include my co-authorship.”

Zheng Qi: “You…”

Wu Sheng: “Remember, anyone can have feelings; anyone can call a couple of sentences ‘experience’. To stand out, solid data support is your core competitiveness.” He patted her shoulder. “Go on, write it. When you’re done, call me, and we’ll discuss drilling the window open.”

Zheng Qi closed her mouth, unable to retort.

After a long silent stare, she seemed to have an epiphany, quickly took off the parachute, and dived into her notebook to write fervently.

Wu Sheng exhaled a long breath. At critical moments, knowledge was still the key.

“Xiao Kuang is cute, but you’re smart.” A voice teased from the aisle.

Wu Sheng turned to look. It was Feng Jiu.

After seeing off Experimenter Zheng, now came Accountant Feng.

She was in a professional suit, crisp and efficient, with light makeup and fine features, and her hair simply pinned up, not disheveled from flying.

“She was about to drill the glass. If I wasn’t quick-witted, I would have lost my life.” Wu Sheng didn’t beat around the bush, speaking straightforwardly. He had discovered that these passengers simply didn’t play by the rules. Even with someone nearby wanting to skydive, this one was still spectating. If he continued to be polite according to social etiquette, he wouldn’t be exhausted to death but wronged to death.

“It’s not her.” Feng Jiu suddenly murmured softly.

Wu Sheng thought he misheard and asked again, “What did you say?”

Feng Jiu smiled lightly and clearly this time. “I said the one who planted the bomb isn’t her.”

Wu Sheng’s nerves tensed in an instant. “Do you know who it is?”

Feng Jiu shook her head again, picking up a tall glass next to her iPad, sipping lightly.

“I don’t know,” she said. “But I don’t think the criminal is her.”

Wu Sheng frowned. “You think?”

“Yes, I think,” Feng Jiu gave him a charming smile, “You should believe in a woman’s intuition.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

He was doubting the entire world now. =_=

“By the way, how old do you think I look?” Feng Jiu suddenly asked, out of the blue.

Wu Sheng, perplexed, looked at her for a while and didn’t hold back, stating frankly, “Thirty-seven or thirty-eight.”

Feng Jiu’s smile widened. The red liquid in her highball glass gently swayed with her laughter. “You’re so sweet,” she said with an unfinished smile, her voice very low and light. Even her body slightly leaned towards Wu Sheng, as if what she was about to say was a huge secret. “I’m sixty.”

Thankfully, there was an aisle between them. Wu Sheng didn’t move, just swallowed hard.

“Want to know how I maintain myself?”

“No, thank you.”

It’s not only women who have intuition; men have it too.

For example, right now, intuition was telling Wu Sheng—please, end this dangerous topic!

Feng Jiu pouted unhappily, sat up straight again, and continued to savor her wine—if the bright red liquid in the cup was indeed wine.

Wu Sheng looked past her to Chen Yiling. This parent that was still diligently revising her child’s essay was arguably the most adorable person in the row.

In the next three minutes, Wu Sheng tried to embody Xu Wang’s spirit, not stopping for a moment, speaking as fast as lightning, and swept through the business class in a whirlwind—

Chu Yiyi: “Do you want to hear me sing opera?”

Wu Sheng: “Not really!”

Wei Yi’er: “Why do I carry test tubes around? I’m a chemistry teacher. A student asked me if it’s possible to do a high-concentration, harmless gas production experiment in a closed cabin, whether it would affect the distribution and consumption of oxygen inside the cabin. I think just giving a conclusion isn’t enough. As a teacher, I must present a scientific experimental process…”

Wu Sheng: “Hand over the test tubes, and just sit still!”

Jiang Yisan (13): “Shh, keep it down, or my wife will find out I’m also on the plane.”

Wu Sheng: “Why are you hiding it from her?”

Jiang Yisan: “I don’t want to revise my son’s essay.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Jiang Shi San: “You’re right, my wife is Chen Yiling. Actually we…”

Wu Sheng: “I didn’t say anything, thank you.”

Shen Yisi (14): “Uncle, is the b-bomb really disarmed… I’m so scared wuwuwu…”

Wu Sheng: “Yes, the captain has announced it. Don’t you trust Uncle, or the captain?”

Shen Yisi: “Okay, I trust! Uncle, I want candy.”

Wu Sheng: “Er, I don’t have any…”

Shen Yisi: “Wuwuwu waaah—”

Wu Sheng: “……”

After finally getting a piece of mint candy from the flight attendant to calm the child down, Wu Sheng stood in the aisle, leaning against the seat, exhausted both physically and mentally.

He retracted his earlier words.

The Kuang Jinxin guarding Handsome, Long Legs, Stick Figure, and Fair Face, the Kuang Jinxin who wandered around the business class with the [Cheat Sheet] notification and asked nothing, and the Kuang Jinxin who only focused on “discussing tea”, wasn’t slow, but truly a darling blessed by fate!

“Hey, buddy.” Someone lightly tapped his shoulder from behind.

Wu Sheng, too tired to turn around, waved his hand dismissively. “Whether you’re fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, or eighteen, wait till I catch my breath.”

The person behind him didn’t leave but leaned closer to whisper, “I know who the bomb perpetrator is.”

Wu Sheng caught his breath, turned around sharply, and met a smug smile.

He saw a young man who looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. He was wearing a hoodie and sweatpants with his hands in pockets. He had a sunny, handsome face, except for a hint of arrogance between his brows that was slightly annoying.

“Xu Erling (20).” The person extended a hand.

“Wu Sheng.” He replied.

“I know.” Xu Er Ling shrugged. “I’ve been listening to you introduce yourself several times just now.”

Wu Sheng didn’t bother with further pleasantries and pulled the man to the junction between business and economy class, away from both sides, then got straight to the point. “You know who the perpetrator is?”

Xu Erling shrugged and said calmly, “Not only do I know who the bomb perpetrator is, I also know the bomb hasn’t been disarmed at all. The recent broadcast was just a bluff.” His lips slowly curled up, swaying a finger side to side. “This trick is too childish. It might deceive others, but not me. Tough luck.”

Wu Sheng watched him silently, feeling that this annoying demeanor was familiar—very familiar—often seen, frequently seen.

“That kid,” Xu Erling suddenly lowered his voice and glanced at Shen Yisi, not far away, happily eating the mint candy. He said each word with great certainty. “He’s the bomb perpetrator.”

Wu Sheng: “…He’s only six years old.”

Xu Er Ling: “Washington was chopping down cherry trees at his age.”

Wu Sheng: “That story is made-up.”

Xu Er Ling: “Edison also used a mirror to help his mother successfully perform an appendectomy.”

Wu Sheng: “That story is also fabricated.”

Xu Er Ling: “Lu Binwang wrote ‘Ode to the Goose’ at seven. Cao Chong weighed elephants at five or six. These are true, right?”

Wu Sheng: “Are you trying to exhaust the list of prodigies from all ages and countries to accuse a child?”

Xu Erling was at a loss for words. He stared at him for a while, then clenched his teeth. “I don’t have direct evidence, but the mere fact that a six-year-old child is flying alone is suspicious enough!”

This time, Xu Erling’s argument finally carried some weight.

Wu Sheng glanced at Shen Yisi’s bowl-cut head as reason and emotion began to battle. “Is he really flying alone?”

“You’ve talked to quite a few people just now. None were his parents, right?” Xu Er Ling said. “Don’t believe me? Then talk to the rest of the passengers; you definitely won’t find his guardian.” Having said this and seeing Wu Sheng still half-convinced, he blurted out everything he knew, “I’ve already asked the flight attendant. He boarded the plane alone. It’s too suspicious. I’ve already smelled the scent of crime.”

Wu Sheng’s mind was clear. All the people he had asked, the words said, clearly listed in his mind. But his head was a mess, momentarily unsure whether to follow such a ruthless line of reasoning.

If Shen Yisi is the perpetrator…

Damn, was he going to force a little kid for the code?!

“Bang—”

“Thud—”

“Crack—”

“Ahhhhhhh—”

The sudden disturbance came unexpectedly from first class.

This airplane’s first class wasn’t simply separated from business class by a curtain but by a white plastic sliding door. With the door closed, it was impossible to see what was happening inside.

But those sounds broke through the door, invading the ears of every passenger in business class. The sound of heavy objects falling, people tumbling, various items being knocked over and breaking, and the screams of women and shouts of men—even Wu Sheng, standing at the juncture between business and economy class and a distance from the first-class door, could hear everything clearly.

With a “click,” the door was forcefully slid open. A tall figure dashed out from inside, then quickly turned back to slam the door shut before striding rapidly towards Wu Sheng.

Wu Sheng watched Qian Ai rush towards him with puzzlement, yet also felt the comforting warmth of encountering a companion in a deserted place.

Although he knew first class was probably no less chaotic, it had fewer people and, in absolute terms, less trouble, so Wu Sheng felt he had the right to complain. “Lao Qian, let me tell you, it’s all crazy over here. Now they’re even suspecting a preschool child. I should’ve chosen first class when splitting cabins…”

While he was speaking, Qian Ai had already reached him, taking in all his complaints, and then without hesitation, he grabbed his hands. “Let’s switch then.”

Wu Sheng was taken aback for a moment. “Huh?”

Qian Ai looked at him intently. “Can you tame animals?”

Wu Sheng was even more baffled. “What?”

“Bang—”

The sliding door opened again, but this time it didn’t slide open—it was broken through.

A majestic and powerful lion leapt onto the empty chair back of Kuang Jinxin’s seat in first class, arrogantly surveying the entire business class before letting out a roar that shook the mountains and intimidated the plains!

Xu Erling was the first to snap back to reality, screaming “What the hell—” and turned to flee towards economy class. Prompted by him, screams erupted throughout the business class as passengers jumped up and ran, clearing out in the blink of an eye!

The lion king seemed utterly indifferent to their panic, only locking eyes with Wu Sheng and Qian Ai who remained. To say “locking eyes” might not be accurate since the lion’s gaze was half-lidded, exuding a disdainful air.

Well, if it didn’t have the words “靠”, “开”, and “啊”* hanging around its neck, body, and tail respectively.

*Clarity: The characters basically form a curse along the lines of “Fuck! Get away! Ahhhh—” with some characters missing.

Wu Sheng: “Lao Qian, I need an explanation.”

Qian Ai: “Just talking, and it came out…”

Wu Sheng: “And this styling?”

Qian Ai: “Words Like Pearls and Jade.”

Wu Sheng: “?”

Qian Ai: “’Fuck’, ‘Get away’, ‘Ah’. That’s my emotional journey.”

Wu Sheng: “You’re quite composed, then.”

Qian Ai: “I also shouted ‘Help’, ‘Don’t look at me’, ‘It’s not like I cheated’, ‘Ahhhhhhhhhh’, were all torn apart by it.”

Wu Sheng: “…”

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>