"Sorry, sorry, you guys continue, don't worry about me." Zhou Luming almost choked.
Xu Yan glanced at Zhou Luming's face, frowned slightly, and then turned back to Zheng Fangyuan.
Seeing that she couldn't hide it any longer, Zheng Fangyuan lowered her voice and said, "Our company doesn't allow employees to date, so we agreed to keep it a secret. After his accident, I still need to continue working at the company, so I haven't told anyone about this. Please, don't tell the company about this..." She pleaded anxiously with Xu Yan.
Xu Yan calmly replied, "That depends on whether you tell us the truth from now on."
"I promise I won't lie to you."
“Alright,” Xu Yan followed up, “How much do you know about the co-pilot being bullied in the workplace?”
Zhou Luming looked at the other person again with bright eyes.
So that's how it is. As the co-pilot's secret girlfriend, it's impossible that she was completely unaware of what had happened to him. But she kept it all to keep her job.
Such a young and handsome co-pilot, yet no one spoke of his suffering before his death, not even his own girlfriend would stand up for him. He was truly a pitiful man.
"I—" Zheng Fangyuan hesitated, "I don't know much—"
Who bullied him?
"Yes—yes, Captain."
"What method did he use?" Xu Yan pressed.
"The captain is the mentor; he needs to pass the assessment to be promoted and qualified to fly independently. The captain's word in this regard is almost everything, so he has to endure whatever the captain does or says. If it were normal crew work, he could bear all the harshness and scolding. But later, the captain went too far, not only humiliating him by pouring wine on his head at parties, but also making him run errands for various personal matters. If he refused, the captain would threaten him with the assessment—"
"Anything else? As his girlfriend, he must have told you these things. How did you respond to him?" Xu Yan asked casually.
“I—I don’t know how to comfort him either,” Zheng Fangyuan said anxiously, rubbing her hands together and lowering her head.
Xu Yan said coldly, "What he needs is not comfort." He wants his closest person to give him the courage to resist, but you did not give him that strength. Instead, you advised him to endure.
Zhou Luming then spoke up, "Didn't you report this to the company leadership?"
“He had told his supervisor about it, but the supervisor said it was normal and told him not to worry and to continue working hard… Later, somehow the news reached the captain, who locked him up in the lounge and beat him. Some people outside heard the commotion but didn’t intervene; they chose to turn a blind eye.” Zheng Fangyuan’s lips trembled slightly. “It was a nightmare. He never dared to mention it to his supervisor again.”
"Did you even consider calling the police?" Zhou Luming asked indignantly. "He was beaten up."
“No, if he can’t be promoted to captain because of this, then all his previous efforts and patience will have been wasted.” Zheng Fangyuan’s eyes gradually reddened, and tears welled up in them.
"So, like everyone else, you chose to turn a blind eye to what happened to him." Xu Yan's voice was cold, and when he looked up, the chill in his eyes intensified. "Did you know his plan the moment he chose that flight?"
This sentence contained complex information, which shocked Zhou Luming.
He chose that flight, and coincidentally, Zheng Fangyuan was also supposed to board it, but he changed his mind at the last minute and Chen Xiaowei took her place...
As the co-pilot's girlfriend and his closest person, could Zheng Fangyuan really be completely unaware of his plans? Even more suspicious is her actions; she successfully avoided boarding that flight, which is too much of a coincidence.
Zhou Luming stared intently at Zheng Fangyuan.
This woman is selfish and cowardly, and doesn't deserve any sympathy.
After asking her questions, Xu Yan stood up to leave. She helped Zhou Luming up, paused before turning back and saying, "By the way, did you know he takes drugs?"
Zheng Fangyuan paused for a moment, then said, "No, he couldn't possibly be on drugs. They conduct drug tests almost every day, and if he had taken drugs, it would definitely be detected."
Xu Yan frowned. "One of the designated beneficiaries of his insurance policy is you. Go to the insurance company to complete the formalities when you have time."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Fangyuan stood frozen in place, tears slowly welling up in her eyes. She dejectedly covered her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed silently.
"What's going on? If he wasn't on drugs, then who were those drugs for? Why were they hidden under the bed with the diary?" Zhou Luming asked as soon as he got into the car.
Xu Yan booked a taxi, but he was considering hiring a driver while Zhou Luming was injured, or asking Wang Anjing for help.
Even though she was sitting in the back, Xu Yan fastened her seatbelt and buckled it for Zhou Luming as well.
“It seems that the powder may not be…” Xu Yan said, “This matter is getting more and more complicated.”
Chapter 25, Part 25 - Repair
======================
After leaving the airport, Xu Yan glanced at the gray sky and suddenly said, "It's going to rain heavily, let's not go any further." With her hands in her pockets, she deftly turned back into the airport terminal. She pulled out a VIP card and entered the VIP lounge.
"Don't let any other passengers in except for the guests I've invited," Xu Yan said to the waiter at the door.
"Okay, Ms. Xu." The waiter closed the door and hung up the "closed" sign.
Zhou Luming followed Xu Yan in, not understanding what had happened in an instant, but judging from Xu Yan's appearance, it seemed that she had made a decision.
Seeing several luxurious massage chairs in the waiting room, Zhou Luming sat down without hesitation. Unexpectedly, he was almost completely enveloped by the massage machine. Just as he was about to struggle to get up, he was attracted back to lie down by the massage chair that had started working, and even closed his eyes to enjoy it.
"Xu Yan, you should try it too, it feels really good."
Xu Yan glanced back, uninterested in the massage chair. She picked up a magazine from the doorway and casually flipped through it while waiting.
"Who are you waiting for in the VIP lounge?" Zhou Luming asked, sinking into the massage chair.
"Waiting for the heirs of the Singapore Airlines insurance case."
Why are you waiting here?
"It begins where it begins, and ends where it begins," Xu Yan replied casually, flipping through a few more pages of the magazine.
Zhou Luming looked up at Xu Yan's profile and asked, "Can you give me a heads-up? Will you compensate me? How much?"
Xu Yan shook his head. "We'll talk about it when they arrive."
"Them?" Zhou Luming asked in confusion. "You mean there's more than one heir who came?"
"Yes, I've called them all over." Xu Yan put down the magazine, and a person quickly rushed to the door. It was Zheng Fangyuan, the ground staff member he had just met at the airport.
"Please sit down," Xu Yan said.
Zheng Fangyuan had just been crying, and her eyes were still red and swollen. Upon receiving Xu Yan's message, she rushed over and chose a corner sofa to sit and wait.
Next up was Wang Chenchen, who came on behalf of his girlfriend Chen Xiaowei's elderly parents.
After waiting a few more moments, the captain's wife arrived with their young child.
Finally, the co-pilot's parents arrived. They saw Zheng Fangyuan sitting in the corner and walked straight towards her. When Zheng Fangyuan saw them, she couldn't contain her emotions. She stood up to greet the two elderly people, arranged seats for them, and made them a cup of tea.
The two elderly people learned from Xu Yan that their son had bought a diamond ring for his girlfriend in preparation for a marriage proposal and had also added her as a beneficiary of his insurance policy. It was clear that their son had already regarded her as family. Out of love for his wife, the elderly people were also eager to come and see their daughter-in-law. At the same time, they were also curious about what Xu Yan had called them over for.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Xu Yan gestured for Zhou Luming to stand guard at the door to prevent any disturbances. Then, he walked to the center, looked around, and said, "Everyone, we've all met before. After several days of investigation, I've gathered you all here to announce my findings. After the results are announced, you can use my investigation report to claim compensation from the insurance company—each person's compensation will soon reach ten million RMB."
Upon hearing this astronomical figure, the family members reacted in various ways.
Some covered their mouths in surprise, some were indifferent, and some were only slightly shocked before quickly regaining their composure.
"Can we really get that much compensation?" The captain's wife was the first to speak. She was sitting holding her son, who still looked a little scared, his big, dark eyes constantly darting around warily.
“Of course, but the premise of compensation is that the plane’s disappearance was an accident, not a murder,” Xu Yan said. “Everyone should have met Wang Chenchen. He is an employee of the insurance company, the one who sold these four high-value insurance policies. Your family members and boyfriends/girlfriends have all purchased insurance through him, which is why you are here now to hear me explain the specific details of the claim process.”
Flight attendant Zheng Fangyuan stood up. "Wait, what did you just say? Murder? Who wanted to murder whom? Is the plane's disappearance related to murder?"
She had just learned that her boyfriend actually wanted to propose to her, but it was too late—and her heart ached even more.
“Is there even a question? The co-pilot has been abused by the captain for a long time. If we’re talking about murder, the co-pilot has the most motive and the most convenient opportunity. He is fully capable of doing such a thing,” Wang Chenchen said coldly. “Moreover, I heard that the captain has discovered your relationship with the co-pilot and is planning to come and find you. Perhaps the co-pilot heard about it and decided to do it.”
Zheng Fangyuan roared, "You're talking nonsense!"
“Our son would never do such a thing!” The co-pilot’s father was also furious. “He is a kind and ambitious boy. He would never risk the lives of everyone on the plane. He would never harm anyone!”
Wang Chenchen sneered, "Zheng Fangyuan, if you hadn't felt the captain's harassment, would you have temporarily asked Chen Xiaowei to take turns with you? If you hadn't realized your boyfriend was going to cause trouble on this flight, why would you have let your friend Chen Xiaowei take the blame?! She treats you as a friend, but you treat her like a sucker. You pushed her, who knew nothing and was innocent, into the clutches of evil, while you yourself are here unscathed demanding compensation. You are the real devil!"
Wang Chenchen's voice grew louder and louder, and the last sentence was almost shouted.
Zheng Fangyuan shook her head, sobbing, "No... I don't know. I just wanted to avoid the captain. I didn't think about anything else. I didn't think that much..."
The co-pilot's mother helped her up and comforted her, saying, "We know you won't, young lady. The girl my son likes won't be a bad person..."
Zheng Fangyuan was stunned, then buried her face in the arms of the co-pilot's mother and wept bitterly.
Seeing her like this, Wang Chenchen couldn't bear it and turned away, no longer pressuring her. He also couldn't bear to pressure the co-pilot's parents, because these two elderly people firmly believed in their son, and it also reminded him of his girlfriend Chen Xiaowei's elderly parents back in their hometown.
Xu Yan then spoke up, "According to the work records and colleagues' evaluations obtained from the airline, the co-pilot is a sunny and positive young man. Even when facing a boss with violent tendencies, he still upheld kindness and adhered to his duties with strong conviction. All the evidence currently indicates that he simply wanted to fly back on schedule to propose to his girlfriend—"
Xu Yan looked at Zheng Fangyuan and said, "He plans to pick up the diamond ring on the day he returns from his flight. He has also booked a venue in the suburbs, along with flowers and drinks. He wants to give you a romantic proposal. So I don't think he would do anything foolish, because he still has hope in his heart."
Zhou Luming smiled as he looked at Xu Yan, thinking, "You can see the hope in love, but you're not invincible."
Xu Yan said, “At first, I suspected that Wang Chenchen and Chen Xiaowei were committing insurance fraud together, but one of them was a new employee of the insurance company and the other was just a flight attendant of an airline. Neither of them had the ability to cause such a big accident. After investigation, I saw the two young people’s yearning for life. They had neither the motive nor the power to commit such a shocking crime. Therefore, their suspicion level in my mind dropped to almost zero.”
Zhou Luming interjected, "Two of the four policyholders have been ruled out. If the remaining two did not take action, then the Singapore Airlines incident was an accident. If it was indeed an accident, the insurance company will be responsible for full compensation. Apart from Ms. Zheng Fangyuan, the policyholder who was lucky enough not to board the plane, the compensation for the others will be ten million each. That is to say, a total of thirty million will be paid to the families."
Xu Yan nodded, "You're right, but we can still largely rule out one suspect—Ms. Zheng Fangyuan. Without the co-pilot's cooperation, she, like Wang Chenchen and Chen Xiaowei, wouldn't have been able to cause such an accident. We just analyzed the co-pilot; he's focused on proposing to his girlfriend and doesn't have any other extreme thoughts, so it's unlikely he conspired with Zheng Fangyuan. Furthermore, Zheng Fangyuan's suggestion to switch shifts was very impromptu and understandable, and she didn't know she was also a beneficiary in the co-pilot's insurance policy, so she probably had no motive."
Xu Yan's gaze settled on a mother and child, and everyone else's eyes also focused on them.
Xu Yan said solemnly, "Now I want to hear your explanation."
Aside from initially inquiring about compensation, the captain's wife sat silently on the sofa in the corner, holding their child, listening to their statements and explanations. Her child sat quietly and warily on her lap, protected by her.
People desperately defend their sons and lovers, but have almost forgotten about this mother and son. After hearing people's accusations against her husband, the mother and son remained silent and did not utter a single word of defense.
When Xu Yan turned his attention back to the mother and child, people suddenly remembered that there were two family members sitting there.
Zheng Fangyuan said, "Your husband bullies his subordinates and female colleagues, and you're indifferent?"
Wang Chenchen said, "Did you know that he used to harass Xiaowei?"
The co-pilot's parents also looked over. Although they didn't say anything, you could tell from their eyes what they wanted to ask.
“I know, I know everything.” The captain’s wife slowly raised her head and gave a bitter smile. “But he beats me and our son at home. Didn’t you know anything about that?”
Chapter 26
===================
The airport announcements continued, and in the quiet VIP lounge, everyone stared wide-eyed at the captain's wife.
That sentence just now felt like a heavy hammer blow to everyone's tense nerves.
Don't you all know that he was hitting me and my son?
Wang Chenchen lowered his eyes, staring at his leather shoes. He had actually heard about this from Chen Xiaowei, but at that time they were too busy taking care of themselves to meddle in other people's family affairs.
Zheng Fangyuan bit her lower lip, her eyes darting around, her hands clutching the hem of her clothes. As Chen Xiaowei and Zheng Fangyuan's colleague, she had not only witnessed the captain bullying the co-pilot in public, but had also heard rumors that the captain beat his son and wife at home. However, both she and her boyfriend were struggling to protect themselves, so they simply turned a blind eye to these rumors.