The waiter brought two cups of coffee, and Fucheng ordered another gingerbread.
The weather outside the window was getting darker, and thick lead clouds came from the south, crossed the vast expanse of sea, and weighed heavily on the city of Boston. After a while, it began to rain. The rain crackled on the floor-to-ceiling windows of the coffee shop, and only then did Fu Cheng realize that it was not rain, but very small hailstones.
He looked away: "Uncle Vince, why are you here?"
The old man smiled: "I heard that there seems to be a plane fishing on the beach here. I know it's not Rogge 318, but I just want to take a look. I have nothing else to do at home alone, Evan, you know I'm bored. And If I didn't come here for a walk, wouldn't I not meet you?"
Fu Cheng: "I've been busy investigating the case these days, so I haven't been able to visit you. I originally planned to visit you after the case is resolved and before leaving Boston."
"You are a good boy."
Fu Cheng's voice was gentle: "By the way, how is Lulu doing recently? Does she like to eat the newly bought cat food?"
In the coffee shop, the handsome young man patiently listened to what the old man had to say, most of which were trivial matters that were short-lived by the parents. Vince Presley is in his seventies and suffers from mild amnesia. He always thought of what to say, and sometimes even talked about some past events that Fucheng didn't know at all. But Fucheng wasn't impatient at all, he listened quietly.
When the rain stopped, he paid the bill and helped the old man leave the coffee shop. Hired a taxi for the old man, and after sending Uncle Vince to the back seat, Fu Cheng came to the front seat, bent down and said to the driver: "No. 87, Tepulu Road, thank you." Then he walked to the back seat, Leaning down: "Uncle Vince, I'll see you when I'm done."
Vince smiled and said, "Okay, I'll wait for you at home and make your favorite burritos."
After the dull sound of the engine starting, the taxi accelerated away and quickly disappeared at the end of the long road.
Fucheng looked at the direction the car was leaving from a distance, he didn't leave immediately, but watched silently.
Suddenly, he seemed to have no strength, and he couldn't even turn around. Both feet were filled with mercury and stuck to the ground tightly, unable to move away from the ground.
Like a track and field athlete who just finished a 10,000-meter long-distance race, Fucheng suddenly felt extremely tired.
I don't want to worry about what's going to happen next, and I don't want to pretend to go through every day as if nothing happened. If time stops at one moment, nothing has ever happened and nothing will happen.
Seems to be fine too.
After a long time, Fucheng turned around calmly. He had already contacted the driver, and now he walked towards the Bentley that had been parked on the side of the road for a long time.
Sitting in the car, Fucheng thought for a while, turned on his phone, and bought a few bags of cat food on Amazon.
Lulu is a five-year-old Blue Mountain Ragdoll cat.
Four and a half years ago, Fucheng met Vince Presley for the first time in the waiting room prepared by Log Aviation for the families of the victims after the Roger 318 crash.
Of course, there are chairs in the waiting room arranged by the airline, but almost no one wants to sit on the chair and wait needlessly. They were so anxious that they stood up one by one. Husband and wife, father and son, mother and daughter, they held each other's hands, trembling, waiting for an answer from the airline with fear and anticipation.
Rogge Flight 318 did not crash.
It's just missing.
It may have made an emergency landing on an island due to a mechanical failure. Or maybe it went the wrong way and lost its course. It went to New Zealand, it went to Australia. It landed safely, it just hadn't had time to tell the world.
This ashes-like expectation continued until the senior management of Loge Airlines walked into the waiting room with a solemn expression in a neat suit.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for his final answer.
At 7:12 a.m. on June 17, 2016, exactly 84 hours after Rogge Flight 318 disappeared, the airline finally informed all family members.
"I'm very sorry, Log Air Flight 318, confirmed to be missing."
There was a moment of silence at first, and then, crying, shouting, and mourning sounded in the quiet waiting room.
Fu Cheng grabbed his cousin's hand tightly, his cousin was already out of breath from crying and almost passed out. She had stayed up for three days and three nights, but she still couldn't accept this ending. Fucheng kept comforting her, the cousin's nails almost dug into his wrist.
Suddenly, I felt a salty taste in my mouth.
Fu Cheng was stunned for a moment, then stretched out his hand to touch his cold cheek. Only then did he realize that he was crying too.
At this moment, the small waiting room seemed to be a purgatory on earth. Grief and joy, separation between life and death, wife crying bitterly in her husband's arms, child in mother's arms, vaguely aware that he will never see his father again.
The NTSB formed an investigative team.
On June 19, Zhuo Huan said that he was invited to represent Maifei Company and join the investigation team.
However, they have never seen such a hell that is almost drowned in suffocating sadness and despair. Hundreds of people, thousands of people, begged hard for three days and three nights, but God did not hear their prayers. The world became black and white at this moment, there was no sound in their ears, and there was almost nothing they could do except crying uncontrollably.
The cousin cried until she had no strength left, she leaned on Fucheng's shoulder and sobbed silently.
At this moment, Fucheng suddenly saw an old man with a cane standing up. His face was full of tears, his eyes were red, and he walked towards the door alone, against the people who were embracing and crying.
Fu Cheng's heart skipped a beat, and he followed inexplicably. Then, just as Vince Presley jumped over and was about to jump off the six-story building, he lunged up and pulled him back.
More than 298 people were killed on Rogge Flight 318.
298, it's not just numbers.
Every number represents a life that was once alive.
Behind every number is a broken family.
Fu Cheng sometimes thinks back and thinks that he may indeed have a relationship with Uncle Vince. At that time, he followed subconsciously and prevented Uncle Vince from committing suicide. Secondly, Fucheng found out afterwards that Uncle Vince's daughter, Amy Presley, was actually sitting next to his uncle and aunt.
On Rogge flight 318, there are 11 seats in a row in the economy class, in a three-five-three pattern.
Amy Pressley sits at 42K, while Voltford's uncles and aunts sit at 42I and 42J.
Maybe they said hello when they got on the plane. Amy Presley loves to take pictures and always has a DSLR with her. Uncle Vince said that every time she takes a plane, she likes to take pictures of the clouds outside the window and take photos with strangers sitting together.
They got on the plane together and took pictures together.
When the plane crash happened suddenly, the aunt sitting next to her probably held the hand of this lonely young girl tightly, telling her not to be afraid.
Although he didn't see that scene with his own eyes, Fu Cheng thought that it must be like that.
Amy is the only daughter of Vince Presley. Amy's mother died very early, and he almost brought up his daughter alone. Faced with such a tragedy, Vince had almost given up the idea of survival. Fortunately, at this time, the pet shop sent a puppet cat, which Amy ordered before leaving Boston, and wanted to give it to her father as a companion.
Lulu's arrival saved Vince Presley and he came back to life.
Later, whenever Fucheng had the opportunity to come to the United States, he would take the time to come to Boston to see Uncle Vince.
Thinking of the past, Fu Cheng closed his eyes, and after a while, he sighed.
It was already 7 pm when Fucheng returned to the investigation headquarters after meeting the family members of Captain Kyle. As soon as he entered the door, Fucheng saw a familiar figure, he was surprised: "Lina, you're back so soon? Are you done with your business?"
Lina turned around and smiled at him: "Of course. I have a lot of friends in Boston. I checked the surveillance video with my friends at the police station, and I quickly found the person I was looking for."
Old Joseph laughed: "Miss Lina, in which city do you have fewer friends?"
Lina pretended to think: "At least in the United States, I think I have a lot of friends in any city. Why, old Joseph, do you want to ask me for help?"
"Hahahaha, I was just thinking, if I want to do something colorful in the future, I have to avoid you and your friends. Otherwise, what will I do if you find out." Old Joseph clasped his arms tightly, showing fear appearance.
Everyone laughed together.
Su Fei asked curiously: "Sister Lina, who are you looking for? Why are you looking for someone all of a sudden? Is this person related to our accident?"
"It can't be considered a relationship." Lina smiled. "Originally, I wanted to get the money back from this little liar in order to preserve someone's self-esteem. But after I found someone, I found that although this is a little liar, he is also a liar." Good little liar. Not all of what he said was a lie, so let it go."
Fucheng thought for a moment: "I always feel that you mean something."
Lina: "I didn't say who."
"How is Kyle doing?"
A thick file folder slammed on the table in front of the four of them with a "bang", interrupting their chat. Lina shut her mouth, smirked and walked away. Su Fei and Old Joseph quickly turned their heads and went about their own business.
Fu Cheng looked up at Zhuo Huan, and said: "I saw Kyle's wife and son. But I couldn't talk to them. They just arrived in Boston, very tired and have no energy to accept the investigation. I have already made an appointment for tomorrow morning , wait for them to rest well, and then go to see each other."