Chapter 0213
Madison pondered for a moment before answering, "I pursued him."
Charlie laughed. "Come on, you can't be serious."
"How am I not being serious?"
"You and President Grant's relationship... it doesn't feel like you were the one who pursued him. He has hardly ever visited this base in years, but since you joined Mukino Airlines, he shows up every time you're here. He's treasuring you like a precious jewel; it must be him who chased you."
Madison was speechless.
Charlie usually seemed detached, unconcerned with others' affairs, and yet here she was, revealing her more perceptive side.
Madison didn't deny it. "Ah, so what?"
Charlie was now fully engaged in gossip mode. "How did President Grant chase you? Tell it to me like a story."This content belongs to Nô/velDra/ma.Org .
Madison frowned. "What's there to tell? It was just the usual way."
Had Ethan ever actually pursued her?
It seemed not; as far as she could remember, hadn't he been straightforward from the start?
With her busy schedule, Madison had almost forgotten how she and Ethan had started out.
"No way."
Charlie analyzed, "Given President Grant's competitive nature, it's impossible he didn't take action."
A hint of embarrassment colored Madison's response, "He didn't really chase, just made his intentions clear from the get-go."
"And then?" Charlie's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "Did you just accept him right away?"
"No."
Madison looked down, her voice quiet.
It seemed Charlie remembered something too, and quickly changed the subject. "Oh, well... it's time for training."
Considering the timeline of Madison's relationship with Ethan, it wasn't long after she'd left her ex-husband.
Not wanting to dredge up painful memories for Madison, Charlie swiftly moved on.
"Charlie."
Charlie turned back.
Madison asked earnestly, "Do you think I'm not good enough?"
That question...
Charlie returned to her side, the two women facing the biting wind.
"Madison, before you joined Mukino Airlines, I was the only female pilot here. But now, all the accolades are yours. If I thought you weren't good enough, wouldn't I have protested?" Charlie's words were like the hottest sun of summer, hitting Madison right at her core.
"Madison, you're now the rising star of our company, our hope. If you get discouraged, what are we supposed to do?" Charlie sighed, "I'm only an A-grade pilot."
Madison chuckled, "Let's get back to training!"
Charlie snapped to attention, saluting, "Yes, Instructor Meng!"
The two women, playful and competitive, ran to the training field.
To help ease Madison's anxiety, Charlie took to chatting with her more often, distracting her.
Ethan noticed all this.
So two days later, when it was payday, Charlie found an extra hundred thousand yuan in her account.
What? A mistake?
Her salary was never this high.
Then she learned from the finance department that it was a personal bonus from President Grant. Understanding the gesture, Charlie embraced Madison, "You're my lucky star!"
Madison was puzzled, "How am I your lucky star?"
"It's nothing. Let's eat."
The training period was drawing to a close.
Slandon Port was layered in snow, crunching underfoot.
"The selection contest is the day after tomorrow."
On the last day of training, as Charlie sat in the middle of the field, everyone snapped back to attention.
Madison was absent, and all eyes involuntarily drifted toward the airplanes in the distance.
Flying - that was everyone's original dream.
Today, for various reasons, they all strived and fought with everything they had.
They had witnessed Madison's dedication, her full commitment.
But the strength of Air China was an undeniable reality.
Could they truly beat them so easily?
As frost and snow swept in with the wind, Madison appeared.
She joined everyone in gazing at the stationary planes.
Over the past few days, Madison's initial thoughts of beating Air China had somehow become their own collective goal.
"Instructor Meng, do you think we can do it?"
Madison was tired. She gazed into the distance and replied softly, "We can."
But she didn't dare to say for certain.
She couldn't expect others to be as reckless as she was, to give everything for victory, for their dreams.
Charlie and Brian turned to her simultaneously, both declaring, "I definitely can."
The two exchanged surprised
covered it up with a laugh, "Brinet
glances, then Charlie quickly
is
the senior; I'll definitely follow your
lead."
Brian laughed heartily.
This winter might not be so cold after all.
After the training ended, everyone's bodies relaxed, but the psychological pressure only increased.
What the outcome of the selection contest would be, no one knew.
Their goal had become, unanimously, to drive out the pilots from Air China.
"Do you have confidence?" Charlie phoned Madison.
Madison was quiet for a long time. "I don't know. I only know I'll give my all."
Charlie waited, then said, "I will too."
Madison was stunned.
"It's not just for you, right?" Charlie recalled the man she admired in her memories.
Perhaps helping him protect the person most precious in his heart was also a way of fulfilling her own dreams.
"Don't
fated.
amhink it, everything is Yadison, you're already
there's no need to
Sw.net
yourself so hard."
They soon ended the call.
Madison lay on her bed, motionless.
Not to push herself too hard?
Was that even possible?
Who truly wanted to be second best?
Who would willingly accept humiliation?
Madison felt she couldn't.
Air China had trampled on her last nerve, turning this matter into a war without smoke. Meanwhile, pilots from various airlines were anxious, especially those from Air China. Mukino Airlines had been so prominent recently that a loss would be an utter disgrace. So in this selection contest, everyone was prepared to risk it all.
A battle fought to the bitter end.
For two consecutive nights, Ethan noticed Madison's restless sleep, tossing and turning. Until the eve of the selection contest, he specially cleared his evening to spend with her. Confronted with a lavish dinner, Madison was bewildered, "Why are you back so early?" "To be with you," Ethan said, guiding her to sit down.
They sat face to face.
Ethan poured her a glass of juice and himself a glass of wine.
As the clock struck ten, Slandon Port welcomed a new snowfall.
Later, Ethan said with utmost sincerity-
Pn
"Madison, no matter the outcome, you will always be the captain of Mukino Airlines' sixth squadron, one of the only two S-grade licensed pilots in the company. No one can question that, nor can anyone replace you."