After a day’s rest, Chen Jiayu was getting ready for his flight from Beijing to Shanghai. The conversation with Chang Bin from that day had left him feeling somewhat restless, and for two nights straight, sleep had been fitful.
At six o’clock in the morning, Beijing was shrouded in a somber haze typical of early autumn. He made his way to his parents’ house, but as it was still early, his mother hadn’t gotten up yet. His father had ventured downstairs for a stroll. Chen Jiayu quickly whipped up a batch of pumpkin congee for his mother, throwing in various grains and chunks of pumpkin in the rice cooker before setting it to cook. With the timer set, he took a moment to peek into his mother’s bedroom, looking at her peacefully sleeping face. This quiet ritual had become a source of solace for him in recent months.
—
This time, the co-pilot accompanying him was Yue Dachao, who was also based in Beijing and boasted over a thousand hours of experience flying with the 737. With each taking turns on the departing and return flight, the task ahead seemed relatively straightforward.
Chen Jiayu was the pilot in command during the departing flight, and everything went smoothly. Much to his relief, the concerns that kept him awake did not materialize. The weather in Shanghai was excellent, and the landing was smooth and steady, with no turbulence. According to the cabin crew, many passengers applauded him upon landing, and even Yue Dachao exclaimed in awe.
However, they encountered a sudden bout of heavy rain on the return journey. This time, Chen Jiayu was in the co-pilot’s seat, consulting the radio for weather updates in the Northern China region. The Beijing Area Control reported that the weather at Daxing Airport was manageable, but several flights were unable to land at the Capital Airport and had to be diverted to Daxing for landing.
Yue Dachao was slightly disappointed over missing out on his monthly fuel-saving bonus. Chen Jiayu reassured him, “As long as the weather is good, having a few extra diversions is okay. Let them go ahead of us.”
Yue Dachao agreed, “That’s true. Their fuel-saving bonuses are already gone. The company should discuss this internally and prioritize us.”
Chen Jiayu smiled, but his thoughts drifted to Fang Hao. He hadn’t seen him at the airport lately, but he had heard from Zheng Xiaoxu, who heard from Chu Yirou, that recently he had been quite busy with approaching flights.
—
Today was supposed to be Wang Zhanbo’s shift. The weather was somewhat overcast, with visibility around 900 meters—not ideal, but not too bad either. Fang Hao and his team made preparations upon receiving reports of heavy rain and strong air currents at Capital Airport. Whenever such weather occurred, flights to Capital Airport would certainly be diverted to Daxing, helping to alleviate the traffic congestion.
Due to Guo Zhifang’s absence, Fang Hao was now the most senior member in the approach control room. This wasn’t the first time such a situation had occurred, and Fang Hao had grown used to it. As the air traffic increased, he and Wang Zhanbo swapped positions, with Wang Zhanbo sitting behind him, observing and taking notes.
Fang Hao was leaning against the microphone inside the air-conditioned room, issuing instructions to dispatching flights.
“Southern 1577, hold at JVN point, maintain altitude 5100, expect approach on runway 31.”
“JVN holding, maintain altitude 5100, expected approach at runway 31. Southern 1577.”
“Shanghai 7318, maintain altitude 3000, left turn heading 300, reduce speed to 180.”
“Maintain 3000, left turn heading 300, reduce speed to 180, Shanghai 7318.”
“Shenlu 4355, maintain altitude 6300 over DULES.”
“Maintain 6300, Shenlu 4355.”
“United 2618, climb to 1800.”
“Climb to 1800, United 2618.”
“Hainan 6713, proceed directly to SOAS, resume your navigation, climb to 2100, and maintain.”
“Direct to SOAS, climb to 2100, and maintain. Hainan 6713.”
“Southern 3189, altitude 4200, squawk code to 1010.”
“Southern 3189, Beijing, approach runway 04, expect blind landing, descend to 3600, and maintain, speed 220.”
“Air Hong Kong 439, Contact Departure on 124.5. Have a good day.”
Sitting there for a solid five minutes, Fang Hao didn’t budge, didn’t even take a sip of water, just sat there as steady as a rock, issuing instructions. Behind him, Wang Zhanbo seemed lost in thought. Although slender and clad only in a shirt, Fang Hao seemed somewhat frail in the chilly air-conditioned room. Yet, Wang Zhanbo felt his presence was remarkably dependable and exuded a solid sense of reliability.
He pondered carefully, simulating the current high-traffic scenario at hand and thinking about how he would direct it if he were to take over. Suddenly, the radar screen began flashing incessantly. Wang Zhanbo sensed trouble. He hadn’t encountered such a situation in months. Sure enough, after a few flashes, all the radar screens went completely black! Wang Zhanbo flashed up from his seat, his notebook and pen tumbling to the floor.
Fang Hao paused briefly, then swiftly resumed communication: “All units, cease transmission immediately and initiate procedural control.” In procedural control, controllers lacked real-time aircraft positions and had to rely on pilot reports for vital information.
With a blank radar, Fang Hao continued to calmly issue instructions:
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Vbeatfgc 1577, mbcalcef tbivlcu ja ANR qblca.”
“Vtjcutjl 7318, wjlcajlc jialaevf 3100.”
“Vtfcie 4355, gfqbga bnfg KCP alwf.”
“Fclafv 2618, milwy ab 2100.”
“Ljlcjc 6713, milwy ab 2800, gfqbga jabwlm alwf.”
“Vbeatfgc 3189… mbcalcef vfrmfcvlcu ab 3600, jvpera rqffv ab 200.”
Qlat fjmt mbwwjcv, tf jvperafv atf oiluta qgbugfrr raglqr lc tjcv, delmxis pbaalcu vbkc gfifnjca lcobgwjalbc. Qjcu Itjcyb ofia j mbiv rkfja aglmxilcu vbkc tlr yjmx. Llr wlcv kjr yijcx, jcv tf mbeivc’a gfmjii jcsatlcu. Dea tf xcfk atja lc atja rqila rfmbcv ktfc atf gjvjg kfca yijmx, Mjcu Ljb tjv wfwbglhfv atf qbrlalbcr, jialaevfr, tfjvlcur, jcv rqffvr bo jii jlgmgjoa.
Handling the influx of aircraft, including diversions from Capital Airport, was a daunting task. Initially, organizing the earlier arrivals to spread out was the most challenging part, while the later arrivals could simply adhere to the procedure and wait. Now, in procedural control, aircraft separation had to be maintained at least ten minutes apart due to the lack of real-time accurate flight information.
Four minutes later, the radar returned to normal. Fang Hao glanced at the screen—the positions of the ten aircraft matched exactly with his commands and mental simulations. He let out a sigh of relief.
“All units, radar control is back online. Shanghai 7318, descend to 2500 and maintain. Left turn heading 290.”
“Descending to 2500, left turn, heading 290, Shanghai 7318,” Then the captain added, “I won’t say much, but that was impressive.”
A younger captain, unfamiliar with the situation, asked, “Beijing Approach, did the radar just break?”
Fang Hao calmly confirmed, “Yes, the radar suddenly went black.”
Another captain, whose voice was familiar but didn’t use his call sign, said over the frequency, “Fang Hao, just one word. Impressive!”
“Thumbs up to you, really, I didn’t even notice,” another captain said.
In the approach control room, Wang Zhanbo whispered, “Master, just now…”
Fang Hao looked at him, “It’s my first time, too.” Adrenaline surged through him; even the hand holding the flight progress strip trembled slightly. They both know they have just experienced four minutes of death with a narrow escape.
—
When Chen Jiayu and Yue Dachao tuned into the Beijing Approach frequency, they heard various captains thanking Fang Hao over the radio.
After a pause, Chen Jiayu transmitted, “China Eastern 1588, at 5000 feet, squawking 3037, standing by for your commands.”
Fang Hao responded, “China Eastern 1588, radar contact established, expect GREDO-7 arrival, take runway 17L.”
Once Chen Jiayu joined, radio chatter about the recent incident ceased. No one mentioned what had just happened over the radio. Did a plane have a tire blowout? Chen Jiayu didn’t dwell on it. Fang Hao had assigned him Runway 17L.
After completing the pre-landing checklist, Fang Hao handed them over to the tower frequency. Chen Jiayu didn’t think much about what had just happened. He needed to focus on landing.
Meanwhile, Fu Zixiang, another controller, arrived twenty minutes early to relieve Fang Hao. When Fang Hao saw him, he took off his headset, “Zixiang, can you take over for me?”
Fu Zixiang agreed, surprised by Fang Hao’s request. They had worked together for over a year, and Fang Hao had never asked for help before. What happened?
Seeing Fu Zixiang take over, Fang Hao stood up, walked over to the lounge, and splashed some cold water on his face. Despite his empty stomach, he wanted to vomit. He retched and dry heaved repeatedly, then rinsed and washed his face with cold water.
Four minutes, ten planes, assuming two hundred passengers per plane. Nearly two thousand lives were just in his hands. The realization hit him hard, like a cold and heavy artillery shell, and a numbing sensation slowly spread from his chest to his spine. The crew on the radio thanked him, but he didn’t feel any pride, only a haunting sense of fear.
As Fang Hao walked away, Wang Zhanbo whispered to Fu Zixiang, “Brother Xiang, all the radars in the approach just broke for four minutes.”
Fu Zixiang exclaimed, “Damn…”
Wang Zhanbo added, “There was even a rush of planes diverting from the capital airport to us due to weather.”
Fu Zixiang didn’t say anything; he already understood.
—-
Fang Hao returned to the approach room and immediately made two phone calls. First, he informed his supervisor about the situation. Then, he called an electrician to inspect the radar equipment. Whether the four-minute blackout was due to equipment failure or circuit issues, it was a potential hazard and needed urgent attention. The electrician lived near the airport, but it would still take him half an hour to arrive. Fang Hao was worried about leaving Fu Zixiang and Wang Zhanbo alone and decided to wait for the electrician to finish the inspection before making any decisions.
At the control seat, Fu Zixiang efficiently managed the incoming flights. Although it was the late-night shift with reduced traffic, planes continued to land one after another, utilizing all seven runways due to the weather conditions at the capital airport.
Fang Hao’s phone kept buzzing with WeChat notifications. First, the tower personnel got wind of the situation, followed by messages of support from Chu Yirou, who wasn’t on duty, and inquiries from Guo Zhifang. He quickly responded to each message to keep them updated.
Then, the group chat for Daxing controllers lit up with messages. While it was usually quiet, with only occasional announcements, this time, several pilots who frequently flew in and out of Daxing praised Fang Hao and thanked him for his command just now. While Fang Hao didn’t feel particularly proud about the harrowing situation, seeing the recognition from the flight crews did bring him some comfort.
Chen Jiayu was also in the group chat. When he saw this, he couldn’t resist anymore and sent a WeChat message to Fang Hao: [ What just happened? ] Followed quickly by [ I arrived late and missed it. ]
Fang Hao replied: [ You are lucky to have missed it.]
Chen Jiayu: [ ? ]
Fang Hao: [ The approach radar failed. ]
Chen Jiayu: [ Damn. ]
Fang Hao wanted to say more but didn’t know what, so he sent a facepalm emoji. Chen Jiayu stared at his phone, then burst out laughing. Beside him, Yue Dachao glanced at the flight log and joked, “Brother Jia, we saved some fuel on this trip. Landing on Runway 17L always feels like hitting the jackpot.” Chen Jiayu didn’t respond; in truth, he no longer cared about fuel efficiency. However, Yue Dachao’s remark reminded him that Fang Hao had given him the best runway, and he needed to keep his promise. Naturally, he sent Fang Hao a message: [How about we grab a drink to calm our nerves?]
At first, Fang Hao wanted to be alone to calm down, but with Chen Jiayu’s invitation, he figured the electrician’s inspection would probably take over half an hour, so he didn’t refuse.
—
The two of them had silently agreed to meet at Koza. Chen Jiayu strode over, scanning the area before finally spotting Fang Hao seated at a small table near the bar, leaning against the wall with a large cup of water on the table and his gaze fixed in the distance in a daze.
“You’re here early this time,” Chen Jiayu dropped his flight bag and hung his coat on the back of a chair. “What can I get for you?”
Only then did Fang Hao realize Chen Jiayu had arrived. He smiled weakly, “Just a regular latte, hot, in a small cup. And… oat milk, no sugar.”
Seeing Fang Hao rattle off his order like giving commands, Chen Jiayu smoothly added, “Hot latte, small cup, with oat milk, no sugar.”
Fang Hao, not catching on, asked, “What’s wrong? Is it…weird?”
Chen Jiayu smiled, “I just repeated your order correctly, that’s all. Beijing.”
Fang Hao was a little speechless. It was only when he saw Chen Jiayu walk to the bar to order that he realized – did Chen Jiayu just tease him to cheer him up?
Chen Jiayu ordered a regular black coffee and brought two blueberry muffin cakes. “One for you and one for me. Let’s eat something,” he said as he sat down, crossed his long legs, and pushed the muffin cake towards Fang Hao.
The airport café was small with a simple layout, filled with mini round tables and small stools, just big enough for a laptop. With only four or five tables, Koza felt particularly cramped in its corner. After Chen Jiayu sat down, his legs almost touched Fang Hao’s knees.
Fang Hao thanked him and said, “Let me transfer you the money on WeChat. I won’t eat the cake; I really don’t have the appetite for it today.”
Chen Jiayu wore a scolding expression. “Why are you being so polite? Didn’t we agree that I would treat you if you gave me 17L?”
Fang Hao was taken aback. “I gave you…?”
Chen Jiayu also seemed surprised. ” When we landed today, you were the one directing us. China Eastern 1588?”
Fang Hao frowned, seemingly struggling to remember, “Sorry, I can’t seem to recall.”
So, Fang Hao hadn’t recognized him but had inadvertently assigned them to Runway 17L? Was it a pure accident? Realizing this, Chen Jiayu felt a tinge of disappointment. But now, he also noticed Fang Hao’s unusual behavior and tried to comfort him. “It’s okay, you must have been busy today.”
However, Fang Hao wasn’t consoled. “I never forget. Before…” For each flight that was directed, for each familiar face, he would remember the flight number if asked after work. But today, not only couldn’t he recall the flight number, he couldn’t even remember hearing Chen Jiayu’s voice on the radio.
“What time did you land?” Fang Hao persisted, he couldn’t let it go. He wanted to confirm if they landed while he was on duty, not after Fu Zixiang took over.
“I landed at 33 minutes past.”
Fang Hao sighed. “Then, it was me. I must… not have paid attention.”
As he said this, Fang Hao looked a bit disheartened. Watching him, Chen Jiayu felt the expression and reaction were somewhat familiar. Unsettled. Scared.
Chen Jiayu tentatively asked, “How long was the radar out? Wasn’t there a backup system?”
“Yeah, it was out for a total of four minutes. Even the backup system failed, all screens went blank, no information whatsoever.”
“That’s terrifying. Just hearing about it makes me shudder.” Chen Jiayu commented as he started eating the blueberry muffin.
Fang Hao nodded. “It was horrifying. If I had made one wrong call, set one wrong altitude… I didn’t dare to think about it.”
Chen Jiayu tried to reassure him, “As a last resort, planes have TCAS.”
Of course, Fang Hao knew. He was well-versed in all aircraft programs and specs. “Well, if it comes down to TCAS, I might as well forget about using the mic for the rest of my life. And… if I issue a command, and TCAS issues conflicting instructions, which one should the aircraft follow?” If it came down to that, it might as well be a step into a major air disaster. That was how the tragedy of Überlingen came to be.
Chen Jiayu looked into his eyes, and somehow, his gaze carried a calm sense of power. After a while, he said, “Fang Hao, I’ve noticed you’re rather pessimistic.”
“Am I?” Fang Hao asked quietly.
“Yeah.”
Fang Hao was silent. Was he pessimistic? Air traffic control was a job that demanded and tested one’s ability to manage situations. Fang Hao enjoyed being in control. Whether it was directing airplanes in the sky, capturing moments with his camera, or strictly controlling his heart rate to be below 150 during a 20-30km run. He liked holding his fate in his own hands and just really hated losing control.
After a while, Fang Hao continued, “Jiayu, experiencing that kind of thing and being scared afterward, I feel like it’s not my place to talk about it. Perhaps I’ve only experienced a fraction of the fear today.”
Chen Jiayu naturally knew he was referring to his own emergency landing in Hong Kong. He didn’t want to dwell on it too much. “The pressure and feeling can’t be measured, and there is no comparison. If we were to measure it, the lives you held in your hands were ten times of that.”
Fang Hao looked at him with unflinching eyes. “So, have you ever been afraid?”
“Of course.” Chen Jiayu answered without hesitation.
Fang Hao continued, “We’ve simulated many emergencies, like 7700 and 7500, but a complete radar failure was never simulated. When it actually happened… I found that there was no other choice than to keep going and continue to issue commands.”
Chen Jiayu felt Fang Hao’s words resonate deeply. “You know, as a pilot, every year during assessments, we have to simulate a single-engine failure and conduct an emergency landing. It’s a mandatory scenario. But nobody simulates a scenario where one engine fails, and the other’s thrust won’t reduce. How to approach the landing, what flap configuration to use, how to intercept the glide slope, at what angle, and in what manner to land. When it actually happens, everyone looks to you, and you have no choice but to simply keep going.”
This was something he had never spoken of since Hong Kong, no matter where or when. Not in any program or interview. But looking into Fang Hao’s eyes gleamed with sparkles within those dark pupils. He felt compelled to spill it all out. Chen Jiayu was often surrounded by people – proud parents, leaders, teachers, and those who wanted to flatter him, chase after him or seek his help. But among them, few would speak the truth to him. Some were deterred by his demeanor, while others sought to maintain the idealized version of Chen Jiayu in their minds.
After Hong Kong, were you scared? Such a simple question, yet no one had ever asked him that. Everyone assumed he was fine, he could handle it, that he was superhuman and could handle anything. If others couldn’t, surely he could. However, simple questions often have simple answers. He had been scared, scared at that time, scared afterward, and he could still be scared now.
Fang Hao took a sip of the hot latte as if to calm his emotions. He hadn’t expected Chen Jiayu to bring it up so frankly. What was even more unexpected was realizing how much they had in common.
Chen Jiayu, on the other hand, gazed steadily at Fang Hao. Fang Hao was undoubtedly handsome, something he had known from the beginning. The handsomeness carried a youthful charm, along with a hint of stubbornness. When Fang Hao spoke, he did so confidently and would slightly raise his chin, with his thoughts laid bare for all to see.
In the beginning, Chen Jiayu had gotten Fang Hao’s contact to apologize, including offering to take him out for dinner and dropping him home. All these were done casually and effortlessly, aiming to improve working relationships at the airport or perhaps make a new friend, with no other intentions.
But today felt different. Chen Jiayu felt that a string in his heart has been plucked. This realization took him by surprise – he hadn’t expected to feel this way again, and he certainly wasn’t prepared for it.
Translator notes: Alright, let’s try again. 🙂 Updates! Let me know if there’s any mistakes, since I have some trouble with it. XD
On the hand, from ear whispers to knees almost touching and a tug on heart string. Progress! Also I wondered, if Fang Hao subconsciously favored Chen Jiayu and gave him his favorite runway.
Thank You for the new chapter (๑˙❥˙๑)
Thanks for the read! ❤️
We’ve made it fam! Feelings are starting to brew! Also I’m a little excited to see if when they enter into a relationship if they’ll be happy hearing each other’s voices over the radio.
Thank you for the update!
Small progress is still progress. 😂
Well, Fang Hao did started to joke a bit last time … so maaaayyyybe
Thank you for the chapter 🌹
Poor baby Fang Hao, hope he doesn’t have nightmares T^T
“a string in his heart was plucked ” 0o0 ->
(⁄ ⁄>⁄ ▽ ⁄<⁄ ⁄)
Thanks for continuing to update ~♡
And the knees were almost touching
(灬ºωº灬)
(⁄ ⁄>⁄ 艸 ⁄<⁄ ⁄)
We are getting there!!! I’m loving this development.
Thank you for the chapter. ☺️
The development is so real 😭
Here we go! Unleash those feelings!
Thank you for the translation!
Searched up the tragedy of Überlingen and it’s made me gain a whole new perspective on air aviation; mad respect to Fang Hao for his hard work and keeping it together in this situation.
I’m also glad they were able to bond over something, even if it was due to traumatic incidents. Chen Jiayu’s even beginning to feel the stirrings of attraction!
ho ho the ship is approaching the waters 🤭