Chapter Thirty-Four: Lost at Sea
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12:25:53
Tower: Donesia 740, you are cleared. Good morning.
12:26:02
ATC: Donesia 740, please hold. AirAsia 6, cleared to Frankfurt via AOSAA, climb to six thousand feet, squawk 2106.
12:26:19
ATC: Donesia 740 requesting altitude.
12:26:21
740: Donesia 740, requesting cruising altitude 350 to Han Jing.
12:26:39
ATC: Donesia 740, cleared to Han Jing, departure via PBOSA, climb to six thousand feet, squawk 2157.
12:26:45
740: Han Jing, PBOSA, six thousand feet, squawk 2157, Donesia 740, thank you.
12:26:53
ATC: Donesia 740, you’re welcome. Contact ground.
12:26:55
740: Goodbye.
Jibu Po Ground
12:27:27
740: Ground, Donesia 740, good morning, received clearance, requesting pushback and engine start.
12:27:34
ATC: Donesia 740, Jibu Po ground, good morning, pushback and start approved, runway 32 right via S4.
12:27:40
740: Pushback and start approved, runway S2 right via S4, 9 people on board, RO.
12:27:45
ATC: Roger.
12:32:13
740: Donesia 377 requesting taxi.
12:32:26
ATC: Donesia 37... standard route, hold short of taxiway B.
12:32:30
740: Ground, Donesia 740, unreadable, please repeat.
12:32:38
ATC: Donesia 740, taxi to A11 runway 32 right, standard route, hold short of taxiway B.
12:32:42
740: A11, standard route, hold short of taxiway B, Donesia 740.
12:35:53
ATC: Donesia 740, tower.
12:36:19
ATC: Tower.
740: Contacting 118.8, Donesia 740, thank you.
Jibu Po Tower
12:36:30
740: Tower, Donesia 740, good morning.
12:36:38
ATC: Donesia 740, good morning, Kuala Lumpur Tower, runway 32 right.
12:36:50
740: A10, Donesia 740.
12:38:43
ATC: 32 right A10, Donesia 740.
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740: 32 right A10, Donesia 740.
12:40:38
ATC: 740, cleared for take-off runway 32 right, good night.
740: Taking off 32 right. Thank you, goodbye.
Jibu Po Departure
12:42:05
740: Departure, Donesia 740.
12:42:10
ATC: Donesia 740 identified, climb to 180, cancel standard departure, right turn direct AR.
12:42:48
740: Roger, climbing to 180, direct AR. Donesia 740.
12:42:52
ATC: Donesia 740, contact Jibu Po Radar 132.6, good night.
740: Good night, 132.6, Donesia 740.
Jibu Po Area Control
12:46:51
740: Jibu Po Area Control, Donesia 740.
12:46:51
ATC: Donesia 740, Jibu Po Radar, good morning, climb to 250.
12:46:54
740: Good morning, climbing to 250, Donesia 740.
12:50:06
ATC: Donesia 740, climb to 350.
12:50:09
740: Cruising altitude 350, Donesia 740.
01:01:14
740: Donesia 740, maintaining altitude 350.
01:01:19
ATC: Donesia 740.
01:07:55
740: Donesia... 740, maintaining altitude 350.
01:08:00
ATC: Donesia 740.
01:19:24
ATC: Donesia 740, contact Hu Sanming, 120.9, good night.
01:19:29
740: Good night, Donesia 740.
It took only half an hour to cross most of Han Jing City. With a sense of urgency, Lei Dong rushed back to the Thunder Dragon Unit’s training base at Zhao Du Prison. The moment he entered the operations room, he saw the monotonous transcripts being projected onto the large screen on the opposite wall.
In front of the big screen, Lei Tiangang wore a somber expression, his dark face furrowed with lines of worry. Every instructor and member of the Thunder Dragon Team, including An Jing, was fixated on the projected text, faces grim and silent. The atmosphere in the operations room was so heavy it seemed almost tangible.
What’s going on?
Lei Dong, full of doubts, took his seat and looked up at the text being replayed again.
Time: 12:53... Jibu Po, Donesia, 740, Han Jing, Hu Sanming... 1:19...
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Airplane, heading for Han Jing International Airport, the noise from the terminal, the destination of Aiyim Nawar...
A world map of sea and air routes flashed, scenes overlapped, events interconnected, and a flash of realization struck Lei Dong’s mind. He couldn’t help but exclaim, “Did something happen to this plane?”
Everyone’s gaze turned to Lei Dong, who stared directly at Lei Tiangang.
Lei Tiangang’s expression sharpened, he nodded, then slowly shook his head. “We don’t know...”
Don’t know? What kind of answer was that! Lei Dong felt almost frantic, but Lei Tiangang continued, “To be precise, this plane... has gone missing.”
Missing? Such a large plane, in broad daylight, suddenly disappears and is unreachable—how is that possible? Lei Dong, who considered himself sharp and alert, began to doubt his own hearing—or perhaps his sanity.
Suddenly, Lei Dong realized a grave issue: for a civilian airliner, whether missing, crashed, hijacked by terrorists, or even shot down, the standard response would be special investigation procedures and expert analysis, perhaps military intelligence involvement, but there would be no reason to mobilize the Thunder Dragon Unit—the nation’s top-level special forces.
Unless...
“Who exactly was on that plane?” The question burst from Lei Dong almost unconsciously.
This question clearly struck at the heart of the matter; nearly everyone’s attention turned to Lei Tiangang.
Lei Tiangang picked up the remote and pressed a button, freezing the screen on “01:19:29 740: Good night, Donesia 740.”
“Flight 740 took off from Jibu Po Airport at approximately 00:40 this morning, scheduled to arrive at Han Jing International Airport around 6:30 this morning,” Lei Tiangang began, choosing his words carefully. “But at around 01:20, after its last transmission, the plane lost contact with ground control and has remained missing ever since.”
After a long, troubled silence, Lei Tiangang gestured to Huang Xiwen. “You’ll brief us on the specifics of the aircraft.”
Huang Xiwen stood up crisply. “Yes, sir.” Taking the remote from Lei Tiangang, he pressed a button, and a picture of a large airliner appeared on the screen.
“This is the aircraft operating Donesia 740, a Bayan-777 wide-body jet from Minya Bayan Company. Engine numbers P4090/RRRN895/90, registration 9-RO, first flight May 14, 2022, delivered to Donesia Airlines May 31 the same year.”
Huang Xiwen was clearly well prepared; he recited the technical details without hesitation. But what came next stunned everyone present: “The aircraft took off with enough fuel for eight hours of flight, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members. The passengers hailed from 13 countries and regions, including 154 of our compatriots—among them two infants—and one passenger from our island province... Right now, their fate is unknown.”
“Forty-five minutes ago, Donesia Airlines and the Donesian Federal Government held a press conference announcing the incident,” Lei Tiangang said, signaling Huang Xiwen to sit. He switched the channel with the remote, and the screen showed the well-known, handsome Foreign Ministry spokesman, his expression grave: “President Tang Yiping has given urgent instructions for the Foreign Ministry and our diplomatic missions abroad to strengthen communication with their counterparts, closely monitor search and rescue efforts, and do all within their power to handle the emergency and assist Chinese citizens and their families...”
The screen froze again. Lei Tiangang took a deep breath, his voice heavier than ever. “Now, what I’m about to tell you is something you’ll never see in any public news report—something that may never be made public.”
The screen changed, revealing a man’s photograph. It wasn’t very clear, but it was obvious: an elderly man with white hair, slightly plump, dressed in casual business attire, with a gentle and mildly smiling expression. At first glance, he seemed scholarly and refined, but on closer inspection, his square face was set with hard lines, lips pressed tight in a near right angle, eyes radiating both determination and calm.
“A man of contradictions, and with a story to tell!” Lei Dong instantly formed this judgment the moment he saw the photo.
As he silently guessed who this man was, and why his photo would appear in the Thunder Dragon Unit’s operations room, Lei Dong suddenly noticed An Jing’s expression change dramatically; she seemed about to cry out, but quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
Lei Tiangang had noticed An Jing’s reaction. He nodded to her. “This gentleman is the passenger from our island province on that flight—someone Comrade An Jing should know. He is Professor Cao Jingren, lifelong professor at the College of Arts, Shuimu University, and renowned master of Chinese studies.”
The operations room erupted in commotion.
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