Free Web NovelChapter 485: Chapter 270: Pilot’s License
And at the storm’s origin, Alaska, Wiseman.
After ending three phone calls, Lin Yu’an felt neither excitement nor unease, as if the game that had just stirred up tens of millions of US Dollars was just an insignificant chat.
He walked back into the warm living room, where Aliya and Emily were looking at him with a worried yet curious gaze.
"All settled?" Emily softly asked, more concerned whether the process went smoothly.
"Yes." Lin Yu’an nodded, sat between the two, and gently embraced them.
Lin Yu’an said nothing, simply handing them his phone.
Aliya and Emily huddled together, cautiously looking at the screen. It was the completed interface of a securities account.
A series of cold and clear numbers etched into their retinas like a brand:
"Security Name: GameStop (GME)"
"Transaction Price: 22.50 USD"
"Transaction Quantity: 577,777 Shares"
"Transaction Amount: 12,999,982.50 USD"
The glaring red negative sign representing the expense seemed to carry a burning temperature, the available balance showing just a meaningless fraction string.
Everything was over.
Aliya’s mouth opened slightly, but she said not a word. She lifted her head, eyes filled with excitement.
She suddenly started laughing, a laughter filled with the sense of liberation.
She leaned against Lin Yu’an’s shoulder: "I really didn’t expect that I would witness, eyes wide-open, money enough to buy half the houses in our town spent in seconds like that."
Emily also sighed deeply, returning the phone to Lin Yu’an, the tense lines on her face finally softening.
She looked at Lin Yu’an with a hint of inquiry and deep understanding in her eyes: "I finally understand why those top gamblers could sleep soundly after going all-in."
"Oh?" Lin Yu’an looked at her with great interest.
Emily, with her blue eyes deeply regarding him, explained softly: "Because before making the decision, there could be countless options, each representing a possibility, a worry."
"But when the single decision is made, all possibilities collapse into the only reality. We no longer need to worry, we just have to face it."
"Well said." Lin Yu’an kissed her forehead approvingly, "So, ladies, let’s return to the current reality."
He stood up and stretched lazily: "I promised Hank that I would earnestly study flight theory. From today onward, your husband will strive to become a real pilot."
From his backpack, he took out two thick, brick-like professional books — "Pilot’s Aviation Knowledge Manual" and "Private Pilot License Exam Guide".
The pinewood crackling in the fireplace illuminated the entire wooden cabin, making it warm and bright. Outside the house was an extreme night of ice and thirty degrees below zero cold.
Lin Yu’an made himself a cup of hot tea, sat on the most comfortable reindeer hide sofa in front of the fireplace, and opened the first page of the book.
In an instant, the snowstorm outside and the clamor of Wall Street were isolated from a distant world.
Lin Yu’an’s entire mind was immersed in a new domain constructed of forces, air, machinery, and rules.
The book in his hands, "Pilot’s Aviation Knowledge Manual," dubbed the "PHAK Bible" by flight trainees, was the authoritative textbook published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Lin Yu’an also glanced at others’ pilot license cards, design-wise, only noting they looked like they were outsourced design projects by college students.
Lin Yu’an used the hardcover illustrated collector’s edition of "Pilot’s Aviation Knowledge Manual" worth 40 dollars, though the electronic version can be downloaded for free as a PDF from the Federal Aviation Administration’s official website.
Aliya curiously leaned over for a look, instantly dissuaded by the dense formulas and complex diagrams on the pages.
"My goodness," Aliya stuck out her tongue, whispered in Lin Yu’an’s ear, "this looks even more complicated than our college quantum physics textbook."
"What is ’Bernoulli’s Principle’ and ’Newton’s Third Law’ explain the creation of lift together?"
Hearing this, Lin Yu’an showed a trace of a smile. He loved the feeling of unraveling the complex world and displaying it before his love.
He smiled and pointed to a cross-sectional diagram of a wing in the book, explaining in the simplest language: "See, the upper surface of the wing is curved, while the lower surface is relatively flat."
"When the plane moves forward, the air flows over the wing, and the air above takes a longer time, so its speed is faster than below."
"According to Bernoulli, the faster the speed, the lower the pressure. So the pressure above the wing is less than below, and this pressure difference creates lift that raises the airplane."
"Meanwhile, the wing also deflects air downward, and according to Newton’s Third Law, the action equals the reaction, giving the wing an upward reaction force."
"These two theories combined are the basic reason airplanes can fly. Anyone who wishes to soar the blue sky must first learn to crawl meticulously on this ground of words and diagrams."
His explanation was simple yet profound, but Aliya still felt puzzled. She looked admiringly at her husband and kissed him on the cheek.
