Chapter 338: Almost Hijacking His Own Plane

William took a large gulp of beer and said slowly, "I want to see what China thinks of me. Purely economic cooperation shouldn't be a problem. Otherwise, giving up on the largest economic growth engine would be a huge pity."

"I understand," Brian responded, though he was puzzled. He couldn't figure out why William both valued China so highly and yet was so intent on avoiding direct contact with it.

After the discussion ended, Brian was pleased, but he noticed that William, though not showing it outwardly, wasn't very talkative. Without overthinking, Brian realized William had something on his mind. Discreetly signaling to his teammates, they all made their exit before 10 p.m.

William, deep in thought, didn't try to keep them. After sending the group off, he went back to his bedroom to freshen up. As soon as he entered the master bedroom, he saw Ambrosio looking at him with reluctance.

That night, they "worked out" several times, only stopping when Ambrosio was completely exhausted, clinging to William like an octopus before falling asleep.

The next morning, William carefully got up without waking his still-sleeping girlfriend. He kissed her on the forehead and, escorted by his bodyguards, headed to the airport.

Upon arriving and bidding farewell to his bodyguards, he walked into the VIP lounge and saw Gene and Johnson, the pilot and co-pilot from his previous trip to Boston, respectfully waiting for him.

"Good morning, Mr. Devonshire. It's a pleasure to serve you again," they greeted him.

Shaking hands with the pilots, William smiled. "Hello, Captains. I'm glad to see you both again. You've received the notice, I assume?"

"Yes, Mr. Devonshire, we've been informed by Bombardier. For the next year, until your custom aircraft is completed and delivered, this plane will serve as the Devonshire family's private jet. We're honored to be your personal pilots," Gene replied.

"Thanks, but it might only be a year. I'm planning to get my private pilot's license. Once the new plane is delivered, I'll fly it myself," William said, turning to Johnson, the co-pilot. "By the way, would it be possible for me to sit in the co-pilot's seat later and personally experience the joy of flying, Captain Johnson?"

"Oh my God, no!" Both Gene and Johnson shook their heads quickly. "That's absolutely impossible, Mr. Devonshire. If we did that and someone found out, we'd both likely end up in jail."

"Well, that's a shame. But sitting in the pilot's seat for a bit wouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Of course not. This plane is your property for the next year. As long as it doesn't violate aviation regulations, you're free to do whatever you wish," Gene reluctantly agreed, glancing at Johnson. They were paid double what commercial airline pilots made, so they had little choice but to comply with William's request.

"Great," William said with a mysterious smile. "Let's go."

Led by Gene and Johnson, William passed through the VIP tunnel, and as soon as they reached the runway, he saw the Bombardier Global Express jet, with the Chelsea football team's logo and his mother's initials printed on it, waiting.

"Didn't expect Bombardier to be so fast. They got the Chelsea logo printed on the plane in just two days."

"Sir, you're not just leasing one plane. You've also purchased one and pre-ordered another next-generation Bombardier jet. You're a top-tier client. Even if you wanted the Bombardier CEO to open your car door, he'd be more than happy to do so and might even carry your bags," Gene joked.

"Hahaha, I'll have to test that when the next plane is ready, to see if Bombardier really treats customers like royalty."

"No problem, Boss. I'll make sure to report that request to Bombardier," Gene said with a grin.

Once on board, after greeting the flight attendants, William headed straight to the cockpit and sat in the pilot's seat.

For convenience, the nose of the Global Express was already facing the runway. After navigating a small turn, it would be ready to take off.

Because it was a private jet, it didn't share the runway with commercial flights. Noticing this, William laughed. Sitting in the pilot's seat, and under the astonished gaze of Gene, Johnson, and the head flight attendant, he deftly followed all the steps to activate the flight controls and put on his headset. "Tower, tower, this is Chelsea. Chelsea here."

"Zzz, Chelsea, this is the tower. Go ahead."

"Permission to take off? Can we take off?"

Upon hearing this, both pilots exchanged a glance. Seeing the plane start to move slowly, Gene quickly ordered Johnson, "What are you waiting for? Get back to your seat!"

"Mr. Devonshire, as your pilot, I must insist you stop the plane immediately. Otherwise, I'm authorized to take any necessary action," Gene said sternly after Johnson was seated.

Though his tone was serious, Gene didn't dare touch William. Injuring him would definitely be worse than letting him fly the plane. Plus, Gene believed that a billionaire like William wouldn't risk his life for fun.

Judging by how perfectly William had handled the switches and pre-flight procedures, Gene was convinced that William knew how to fly. So, he didn't ask Johnson to report the situation to the tower.

The beautiful flight attendant standing by the cockpit door, however, was visibly frightened. She hurried back to her seat, buckling up. Yet, despite her fear, she didn't call the tower, either. Instead, she clutched the seat tightly, muttering quietly.

In the meantime, another flight attendant, unaware of what was happening, looked on in confusion as her colleague kept murmuring, "I'm crazy. I must be crazy. Only a fool would take this job as a flight attendant."

As the plane turned onto the runway, William, who had been thoroughly enjoying himself, suddenly stopped the plane and took off his headset. This prompted Gene, who had been gripping the back of the pilot's chair, to exhale in relief. "God, I must be insane for letting you sit in the pilot's seat against regulations."

As William stepped out of the seat, Gene said, "Boss, for the sake of my career, I'm officially banning you from the cockpit until you get your pilot's license. I almost wanted to write my will just now."

"Hahaha, sorry, Gene. You should've trusted me. When I said I just wanted to experience it, that's exactly what I meant. Alright, the plane is yours again."

William walked away, leaving the two pilots behind. Internally, though, he cursed the tower control personnel for being so nosy. They had asked him for flight instructions, which he had no idea how to give. If he hadn't responded, the air traffic controllers could've alerted the authorities, treating his plane as a potential hijacking threat.

_________________________

[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [www.p@treon.com/Mutter]

[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]