My flight was overbooked, and the flight attendant asked if I could take the next one. She offered me half the ticket price as compensation, and I happily agreed. But when the next flight arrived, it was overbooked too. I got compensated again, thinking this was a great way to make easy money. That was until the big screens showed mass flight disruptions. News reports flooded in: a chemical plant near the airport had exploded, and the entire airport was gradually being engulfed by spreading toxic gas. I realized then, I had been played by capitalism. 1 Toxic gas spread for dozens of miles around the airport. Public transportation was completely paralyzed; cars couldn't get through. If we wanted to leave, the only way was by plane. A man from my original flight stormed up to the counter, confronting the flight attendant. "With something like this happening, I demand you put me on a plane right now!" The flight attendant patiently tried to calm him down: "Mr. Lewis, please stay calm. The crew is handling the situation. We will make an announcement as soon as we have specific information." The man wouldn't let up. "What kind of attitude is that?! I'm filing a complaint! If I'm not the first one on a plane, I swear I'll report you!" I felt a growing unease. What if every flight was overbooked? Would I be stuck here forever? I walked up to the flight attendant, gathering my courage. "I was bumped from the 8:30 flight. I've already missed two flights. I'm in a bit of a hurry. Can I get on the next one?" The flight attendant kept smiling. "Please rest assured, I will do my best to arrange for you to board." Her official response didn't ease my worries. Behind me, other passengers stranded due to overbooking started mocking me. They all believed the airport would have emergency plans and that I was worrying over nothing. A young couple was the loudest. The guy sneered at me: "Has she never flown before? pestering the flight attendant like that. Planes don't run on the ground; they'll definitely take off on time." The girl chimed in: "My baby is so smart! I feel so safe flying with you." I was outnumbered and had no intention of arguing. But my anxiety wouldn't go away, so I confirmed with the flight attendant again: "I'm in Business Class, so I'll definitely get priority boarding, right?" The mocking behind me continued. Someone even questioned if I looked like someone who could afford Business Class. Normally, I wouldn't spend that much, but this was a reward from my company for a month of overtime. Who knew I'd run into overbooking? "Of course, Ms. Lee. When the plane arrives, we will arrange priority boarding for you." I sat in the seat closest to the gate, anxiety growing as the time approached. The noisy airport gradually quieted down, like the calm before a storm. A kind grandmother from a tour group came over to comfort me: "Don't worry, dear. We'll all get on a plane eventually." "Flight to Denver is now boarding. Passengers, please line up in an orderly manner..." Finally, boarding began. The complaining man from earlier cut in front of me. As he handed over his ticket, he was stopped. "What did you say? I can't board?!" 2 The flight attendant, wearing her signature smile, apologetically informed him: "Mr. Lewis, I'm sorry. Due to the sudden public emergency, we have to prioritize evacuating passengers from the original flight. We'll check for available seats after everyone else has boarded." Mr. Lewis exploded: "You just said it could take off, now you're saying I can't go! Are you playing me? I'm filing a complaint!" Fearing he would disturb other passengers, the flight attendant pulled him aside. I was in the same boat, but calmer than him. I tried to negotiate with the flight attendant: "There are fewer Business Class seats. I can downgrade to Economy, as long as there's a seat for me." The flight attendant looked helpless. "I can't decide that. I need to ask my supervisor." The young couple from earlier was also stopped. "Sorry, Ms. Taylor and Mr. Wang, your flight is a connecting one. Since the previous flight was canceled, this one can't take off. You'll need to rebook." Mr. Wang freaked out: "What? I have another flight after this!" Ms. Taylor lost her coquettish demeanor. "I told you not to be cheap and buy a connecting flight! Now look! What if we can't refund or catch the next one?" I squeezed to the front of the line, but the flight attendant gave me the same answer: "No seats, please wait." Suddenly, I lost the mood to watch the drama. With a few people overbooked on every flight, more and more passengers were stranded. Complaints echoed throughout the terminal. Before I knew it, I looked around. There were at least a few dozen people stuck here. And my overbooking compensation had accumulated from $300 to $900. From morning to night, three full flights had no room for me, and I was getting increasingly irritable. The news said the toxic gas outside the airport hadn't dissipated, and the situation was unclear. Many people said they wouldn't wait anymore and demanded refunds. The flight attendant readily agreed. She handed out liability waivers one by one. "After refunding, we will not be responsible for any consequences of your staying at or leaving the airport." The crowd instantly went silent. Everyone was stunned. Mr. Lewis reacted first. "What do you mean? There's poison gas outside, and you're just going to abandon us?" "Sorry, I'm not clear on the follow-up procedures either." The flight attendant's robotic smile could no longer soothe the crowd's accumulated anger. The crowd erupted, quickly splitting into two factions. One side believed the gas must have dissipated after so long and wanted to refund and leave, unwilling to waste more time at the airport. The other side believed the airport was the safest place and wanted to wait for a plane. I was squeezed to the back of the crowd and glimpsed other flight attendants hurriedly leading a man in sunglasses through, bypassing ticket checks and entering the jet bridge directly. Something was wrong! Very wrong! Boarding hadn't been announced, so how could he get on? I rushed to the front and pointed at him: "Why can he board?" The flight attendant looked troubled. Avoiding the question, she invited me to wait in the Business Class lounge. A businessman next to me, who had been silently working on his laptop, spoke up slowly, his words hitting like thunder. "You aren't just arranging for the rich and powerful to leave and planning to leave ordinary passengers here to die, are you?" 3 The smile on the flight attendant's face froze. She was clearly unable to handle this attack. She explained politely: "Of course not. That gentleman is a special passenger who meets the criteria for priority boarding..." The businessman pushed up his glasses and pressed on. "What criteria does he meet? Is there any legal basis for this?" "He..." I quickly stood with the businessman. "Yeah, we were bumped from earlier flights and haven't left. Why does he get priority? You have to give us an explanation, or let us board now." The businessman reminded her: "I wasn't bumped; I rebooked." Realizing we weren't easily fooled, the flight attendant could only take us to the Business Class lounge, saying someone would come to handle it later. But after waiting for a long time, no one came. The businessman had already started contacting other airlines. As an ordinary office worker, I was still worried about not being able to get back to work tomorrow to cancel my leave. Suddenly someone outside shouted: "It's over! It's all over!" I learned that some of those who refunded tickets and left fainted from the gas within ten meters of the airport exit. Foaming at the mouth, bleeding from orifices. Leaving meant death. The remaining people who had refunded but hadn't left yet dared not leave easily. They demanded to rebook tickets. But when they opened the booking apps, they found pitifully few flights. A single ticket had skyrocketed to $7,000! The silent waiting hall became noisy again. I stood in front of the glass and saw a large cloud of smoke drifting towards the tarmac. 4 "The gas is drifting over!" Everyone panicked, terrified of being left behind. Ground staff came out to maintain order, telling everyone to calm down. An announcement came over the airport broadcast: "We have received notice that due to the accelerated leakage of toxic gas, please evacuate orderly to the departure hall and wait for boarding arrangements." Staff in hazmat suits guarded both sides of the boarding gates. Everyone swarmed towards the hall. I followed the crowded flow out, but something felt wrong. A question lingered in my mind, refusing to dissipate. If the situation is so urgent, why not arrange for us to board planes and leave directly? All passengers evacuated outside the security checkpoint. I have good eyesight and noticed many uniformed crew members entering from the other side, which was originally closed. Were they going to sneak away without us? Someone else discovered this too. Shouting from the line: "Why are they going that way? You're not going to leave us behind, are you?" They rushed into the security checkpoint, trying to break in. "You can't leave us!" Turns out, I guessed right. When we ran in, we saw a shocking scene. Most of the staff, wearing masks, were boarding planes one after another. The planes were actually taking off without us, without any notice. The sensitive passengers, already physically and mentally exhausted, exploded emotionally. The scene spiraled out of control. They grabbed flight attendants and ground staff, preventing them from leaving. Most boarding gates were already closed. The flight attendants were being pulled and tugged, constantly explaining. But no one wanted to listen. The tarmac was shrouded in toxic fog, the way ahead unclear. I was still hoping for a miracle. I hurriedly dialed emergency numbers, but the lines were always busy. Posting for help online, I realized the lines had long been blown up. Finally, the person next to me got through. "We are trapped at the airport now... What? The gas is spreading too fast, no manpower available? Too many places need rescue? You want me to wait for rescue here?" The person next to me hung up the phone in exasperation. I looked around, estimating there were about a few hundred passengers left. Are we all going to die here? The broadcast suddenly sounded. Everyone went quiet in unison. "Passengers who haven't refunded their tickets, please do not panic. Wait where you are. We will arrange for your orderly boarding shortly." Some rejoiced, some worried. That meant those who refunded had to stay. "We are at the airport, you have to escort us safely away!" Those who refunded earlier argued with the flight attendants. Those who didn't refund had calmed down and become silent. In times like this, everyone only looks out for themselves. Who has the energy to care about others? I watched those making a scene being taken away by security, separated outside the security check. I didn't know what awaited them. At this moment, Grandma sent me a voice message: "Lisa, are you on the plane now? What time do you land?" Hearing Grandma's voice, my nose tingled instantly, eyes getting wet. I forced myself to be calm and told her not to worry. I'll be home soon. The businessman sitting opposite me finished his call and came back. Just as I looked up slightly. Our eyes met, a bit awkward. He silently looked away. Next to him, a little boy pointed at me and asked: "Mommy, why is the sister crying?" His mother immediately covered his mouth, smiling apologetically at me. "Children don't know better, sorry for the trouble." I noticed the child's hand was covered in needle marks. At first, I thought it strange that a seven or eight-year-old was being coddled so much, his mother holding him tight the whole time. Talking to them, I learned they were traveling for medical treatment. The boy, Henry, had a serious genetic disease. This was her last hope. I watched the little boy show me the needle marks on his hand, grinning at me with pale lips. I couldn't help but feel heartache. I searched my pockets and found a few candies, placing them in his palm, telling him: "Don't worry, you'll get better." Henry unwrapped one and fed it to his mom, then one to me. He turned sideways to offer one to the businessman. The businessman scrolled through his phone without changing expression, not taking it. I marveled at his coldness and quickly sat back. The broadcast played again: "Boarding is now beginning. Passengers, please take your luggage." But looking out, there was only one plane left. Could all these people fit? I walked to the front and asked the flight attendant: "Are we all getting on that plane outside? It won't fit everyone. If we don't get on this one, will there be more planes coming?" The flight attendant shook her head slightly, still smiling. "No, this is the last plane." What! Before I could ask more, the broadcast announced: "Due to limited seating, some passengers' tickets will be refunded. Please board with a valid purchase screen." Mr. Lewis behind me suddenly screamed: "Ah! My ticket was refunded!" People in line immediately checked their phones. Many had been refunded. "How could this be..." Henry's mom looked at me in disbelief, then fainted directly. She and Henry were both refunded!
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