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Brain Control
Chapter 10: The Mysterious Passenger on the Flight

Chapter 10: The Mysterious Passenger on the Flight

"Ladies and gentlemen: We have a passenger who has suddenly fallen ill. If there are doctors or nurses among the passengers, please contact the flight attendants immediately. Thank you for your cooperation!" At 30,000 feet in the air, the somewhat drowsy Chen Chen heard the voice of the flight attendant over the plane's intercom, calling for medical assistance.

Chen Chen glanced at his watch. It read 4:25 in the morning. It had been over four hours since they took off from Los Angeles International Airport, and they should now be flying over the Pacific Ocean. The plane wasn't fully booked; many passengers were dressed in various protective suits, spread out throughout the cabin, maintaining a distance from others. Some passengers were now sleeping in awkward positions, a few reading lights shining dimly here and there.

The announcement was repeated, the flight attendant's usually soft voice now trembling with anxiety, even hinting at tears and despair. Chen Chen craned his neck to survey the cabin and saw two flight attendants pacing anxiously up and down the aisle, waiting for a response.

Woken up by the announcement, some passengers were stretching, others were craning their necks, trying to find out which passenger was ill or if any medical personnel were stepping forward. There were murmurs in the cabin; some worried the flight might have to make an emergency landing at the nearest airport.

Chen Chen's gaze settled on a point ahead to his left. There, a Caucasian woman in a light blue dress, with an eye mask and earplugs, was leaning back in her seat, deep in sleep, undisturbed by the commotion. Soon after, a companion sitting beside the woman in blue gently shook her, removed her earplugs, and whispered something into her ear. Within about ten seconds, she abruptly stood up. Even though she looked slightly groggy, she said to the flight attendants, "I'm a doctor. Where is the patient?" The flight attendant led her quickly to the front. It seemed the patient wasn't in the economy class.

"The flight's in trouble!" murmured the man seated to Chen Chen's left, hands clasped behind his head as if talking to himself. He appeared to be in his 40s, thin with penetrating eyes that seemed to see everything. Since boarding, he'd been sleeping deeply, snoring loudly to Chen Chen's annoyance. During check-in, Chen Chen had specifically chosen a secluded corner seat. With so many vacant seats available, why did this lean man choose the one right beside him? Wasn't he concerned about potential Super Brainwave infectors?

Chen Chen turned to look at him, curious about the man's comments, only to find the man was studying him intently as well.

"Professor Chen, why didn't you step up?" the lean man asked, slowly closing his eyes, his question catching Chen Chen off guard.

"I specialize in basic research, not clinical care," Chen Chen responded curtly, unfazed that the man knew of him. Due to the Super Brainwave , Chen Chen had been frequently interviewed by the media. Angela once joked that Professor Chen's media exposure was rivaling movie stars.

"Professor Chen, you're being modest!" the lean man said, yawning and closing his eyes again.

Chen Chen was unsure if there was a hidden meaning behind the man's words. He hadn't intended to respond to the stranger's inquiries in the first place; his presumptuous and seemingly all-knowing demeanor was quite off-putting.

To step up or not, Chen Chen was indeed hesitant. Although a neuroscientist, he had vast general medical knowledge and superb surgical skills. This expertise was one of the reasons he led an expert team during the Super Brainwave outbreak. Unless absolutely necessary, he didn't want to come forward. He knew he wasn't the only one with medical expertise on this flight. That woman in the blue dress ahead? Chen Chen recognized her from a medical journal; she was a renowned cardiothoracic surgeon.

At 4:50, twenty minutes after the woman in blue had gone to assist, another announcement came over the intercom. This time, a male voice spoke: "I am the co-pilot, Oli Cole, of American Airlines Flight AA218. Our captain, Richard, has fallen ill and is unable to fly. Is there anyone on board with a pilot's license? I need your assistance!" Co-pilot Oli Cole's plea marked the flight's descent into an emergency.

Captain Richard of this flight was a star pilot of American Airlines. At 48, he was a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy with 11,746 hours of flying experience. Co-pilot Oli Cole was 35, with 4,278 hours of flying experience.

It was the captain who had fallen ill! Chen Chen recalled the thin man's words, "The flight's in trouble." With the captain incapacitated, the flight was indeed in deep trouble!

"By flight trouble, you meant...?" Before Chen Chen could finish, about six or seven passengers emerged from the front of the cabin, faces pale with terror. By their attire, it was clear they were from first class, now being relocated to vacant seats in the economy section.

"Oh my God, it's the Super Brainwave !" they whispered amongst themselves, trying to keep their voices down. But their anxiety made it loud enough for everyone to hear. The words "Super Brainwave " echoed through the cabin, amplifying fears and casting a shadow of dread over the passengers.

"Professor Chen, let's go. Now only you and I can help this flight land safely." The slender man stood up from his seat, adjusted his clothing, grabbed his backpack from the overhead compartment, and quickly made his way to the front of the cabin. Chen Chen followed closely. This time, he could no longer remain indifferent.

"Hello, this is my pilot's license. I can assist the co-pilot in flying the plane." The slender man handed a small booklet he pulled out of his bag to the flight attendant. "The man behind me is Chen Chen, a top international neuroscientist."

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Chen Chen frowned. This slender man was really nosy. He noticed that the small booklet in the flight attendant's hand was an FAA pilot's license from the United States.

Captain Richard lay in a first-class seat, his body convulsing, his skin starting to show bruises. A woman in blue was trying to cool him down physically, sweat beads forming on her forehead.

"What's his temperature?"

"107.6 degrees Fahrenheit! Maybe even higher, it's off the thermometer's scale," the woman in blue said hastily. "He's having difficulty breathing!"

"Hey," Chen Chen shouted to the slender man who was about to enter the cockpit, "If possible, reduce the altitude and cabin pressure to help the captain breathe."

"Professor Chen, my name is Mo Sijie, not 'hey'!" The slender man didn't look back but raised his arm high in acknowledgment.

Chen Chen was surprised that the slender man could still joke in such a critical situation. This calmness made Chen feel that this man was no ordinary person.

"Based on his symptoms, it's 99% Super Brainwave ," Chen Chen frowned. "It's extremely serious! If he can't get to a hospital for treatment within an hour, maybe—"

"It's impossible to land within an hour," said a flight attendant assisting the woman in blue, looking at Chen Chen with pleading eyes. "Professor Chen, can you save Captain Richard?"

Chen Chen briefly averted his gaze, likely to avoid the awkwardness. To be honest, given Richard's current condition, even in a hospital, Chen couldn't guarantee the captain's safety.

"How much time is left until we land?" Chen asked.

"7 hours and 28 minutes."

Captain Richard won't last 5 hours, Chen was sure of that. If they didn't take any action now, the captain's fate was sealed.

Antamin! The word "Antamin" popped into Chen's mind. Right now, he had a pill in his suitcase that he'd obtained for his friend Xu Zhe from Ulysses. Before boarding, he had called to check on Xu Zhe's condition and was informed that Xu Zhe was in critical condition. But now, Captain Richard was also in grave danger.

With only one Antamin pill, what should he do? On one side was his good friend, and on the other, a stranger in the sky whose life was rapidly deteriorating. Chen clenched his fists. The most uncertain situation now was whether he could reach Xu Zhe in time. The flight might make an emergency landing to get Richard to a hospital. The only thing he was sure of was that giving Richard the Antamin might save his life.

"Prepare a cup of warm water!" Chen rushed back to his seat, took out the Antamin from a small medicine box in his bag. He hesitated for a moment. Administering a drug that's still in clinical trials to Captain Richard could have severe side effects, potentially ending his research career. But this was the only thing he could do now. It was a gamble, not just for his career but perhaps for the fate of humanity.

"Professor Chen, it's bad! Captain Richard's vital signs are getting weaker!" A flight attendant from first-class ran over.

"Research serves life!" Chen remembered what Professor Albert often said in lectures. Disrespect for life is a scientist's fatal flaw. Trying might still offer a chance! Clutching the Antamin, Chen sprinted to first-class.

"Lift him up!" Chen directed the flight attendant, taking out the pill.

"Captain Richard has lost his swallowing reflex. He can't take the medicine by himself!" The woman in blue looked at Chen in despair.

"Is there a way to administer the medicine to the captain?" A flight attendant, who had been helping care for the captain, was almost in tears.

"There's a way, but it's too dangerous!" The woman in blue paused. "Someone would need to blow air into his mouth, allowing the pill to be pushed down the throat by the force of the air. But this would significantly increase the risk of that person getting infected with the Super Brainwave !"

"Let me do it. He is my boyfriend, and I love him!" The flight attendant took the pill from Chen Chen's hand and carefully placed it into Captain Richard's mouth. She bent down, slowly transferring water from her mouth to his, and blew air into him.

Everyone held their breath, watching Captain Richard's throat, as if waiting for the birth of a child, symbolizing the hope for life. 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes... The flight attendant's face began to turn slightly red. She tilted her head to one side, took several deep breaths, inhaled forcefully, and continued to blow air into Richard's mouth.

"It worked, it worked!" The lady in blue who was intently watching Captain Richard's throat exclaimed with tears of joy, "How long will the medicine take to work?"

"Approximately fifteen minutes," Chen Chen murmured, basing his judgment on cases he had seen at the Nofi Medical Center.

"We regret to inform you that there is a critically ill patient on board. Despite our efforts to resuscitate him, his condition remains extremely serious. We have decided to make an emergency landing at Honolulu International Airport. The flight will arrive at Honolulu International Airport in 1 hour and 20 minutes. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope for your understanding and support." The flight's announcement sounded again.

Fifteen minutes had passed, and Captain Richard's condition did not improve. If anything, his convulsions became more intense! Could there be something wrong with the medicine? Was it not as effective against Super Brainwave as Ulysses had claimed?

Chen Chen nervously observed Captain Richard. He believed the cases that Ulysses had shared and what he had seen at the Nofi Medical Center. His only uncertainty was the side effects of the medicine and whether it could slow down Captain Richard's condition, or even alleviate symptoms. If they could last this 1 hour and 20 minutes until landing, medical equipment on the ground could help maintain the captain's life.

The first-class cabin was eerily quiet. Chen could hear his heart racing. To calm his nerves, he kept rubbing his hands together, which were sweaty.

"His temperature has dropped!" exclaimed the lady in blue, who had been monitoring Captain Richard's temperature.

"He squeezed my hand! Look, he knows who I am, he's conscious! My love!" The flight attendant girlfriend holding Richard's hand said, tears shining in her eyes.

Vital signs began to stabilize, the intense convulsions had subsided, and Captain Richard slowly opened his eyes. Cheers erupted in the first-class cabin.

"Professor Chen, you are amazing!" The lady in blue looked at Chen Chen with admiration. "To my knowledge, there isn't a medicine internationally that can treat Super Brainwave . What did you give him?"

"I'd rather not disclose at this time," Chen Chen felt it would be more appropriate for Nofi to address the situation.

"Super Brainwave is a disaster for humanity. If China has developed a cure, I hope you can share it with the world," the lady in blue said, clearly dissatisfied with Chen's answer.

Her remarks made Chen uncomfortable. He hoped he could develop a cure for Super Brainwave and share it with humanity. But the real developer was Nofi Pharmaceuticals. He didn't want to explain further. He was unaware of what awaited him upon landing.

Media waiting for the plane's landing were informed right away. Captain Richard, afflicted with Super Brainwave , showed improvement after taking Professor Chen's medicine. The treatment of Super Brainwave seemed promising. Even before any official interviews, the news had spread across the internet globally.

"You can tell the media that it's Nofi' Antamin,"read an email from Ulysses on Chen's phone after the plane landed in Hawaii.