Qualified Nuts

Chen Keli buttoned the last button of his suit, the mirror reflecting the image of a standard business elite. He picked up his briefcase and reconfirmed his itinerary: Juneyao Airlines, A321 aircraft, destination: the city that he both anticipated and dreaded.

He was used to flying, just as he was used to the bitterness of coffee and the tedium of PPTs. The sweet smiles and perfunctory greetings of the flight attendants formed the main melody of his flying memories. However, this flight seemed a little different.

"Sir, here are your nuts." The flight attendant handed him a small packet of snacks. The production date on the package made Chen Keli's brow furrow slightly – it was from last year.

"Expired," he pointed to the date, his tone calm.

The flight attendant's smile faltered for a moment, then returned to its professional sweetness. "Sir, please wait a moment, I'll go ask."

Chen Keli nodded. He didn't want to make things difficult for a flight attendant. He was just a little curious about how the airline could make such a basic mistake.

A few minutes later, the flight attendant returned, followed by a man in a suit and tie, his name tag reading "Cabin Manager."

"Sir, I'm very sorry," the cabin manager bowed slightly. "This was our oversight. To express our apologies, we have prepared a special gift for you."

He handed over a delicate box, inside which was a golden card that read: "Qualified Nut Taster."

Chen Keli was stunned. "What is this?"

"Sir, you are a valued customer of our airline and a socially responsible citizen," the cabin manager's tone was full of appreciation. "You discovered a mistake in our work and helped us avoid greater losses. Therefore, we are specially appointing you as a 'Qualified Nut Taster' to supervise the quality of the nuts we provide in the future."

Chen Keli was at a loss for words. He took the card, which had a line of small print: "Validity: From now until the next time you fly with our company."

"What... what's the use of this?"

"Sir, you can use this card to enjoy all the nuts we offer and evaluate their quality. Your feedback will be directly sent to our purchasing department." The cabin manager's tone was so sincere that it was impossible to refuse.

Chen Keli reluctantly accepted the card. He felt like he had been drawn into an absurd play.

During the rest of the flight, Chen Keli received unprecedented treatment. The flight attendants took turns bringing him various flavors of nuts. As he tasted them, he silently complained in his heart: What kind of taster is this?

Even more absurd things were yet to come. After the plane landed and Chen Keli walked out of the airport, he was surrounded by a group of reporters.

"Excuse me, are you the 'Qualified Nut Taster' for Juneyao Airlines?"

"What are your thoughts on this incident?"

"How do you think airline food safety issues should be addressed?"

Flashes, microphones, and a cacophony of voices caught Chen Keli off guard. He realized then that he had become a news figure.

Over the next few days, Chen Keli's life was completely disrupted. He became the subject of interviews by major media outlets. His photo and name appeared in various news reports. He was dubbed "Nut Man," "Food Safety Guardian," and other titles. Someone even invited him to participate in a TV show.

Chen Keli was exhausted from dealing with it all. He began to miss those peaceful flights. He called the airline and requested to cancel his "Qualified Nut Taster" qualification.

"I'm sorry, sir," the voice on the other end of the phone was polite. "This is our company's policy. Once appointed, it cannot be canceled."

Chen Keli felt a wave of helplessness. He realized he was trapped in an absurd cycle, unable to break free.

Until one day, he saw a news item in the newspaper: Juneyao Airlines announced a strategic partnership with a well-known nut brand to jointly launch a "Qualified Nuts" product line. His photo was prominently featured in the news article.

Chen Keli finally understood. He wasn't a "taster." He was just a carefully designed marketing tool. And the "Qualified Nut Taster" card in his hand was nothing more than a carefully packaged advertisement.

He let out a wry smile and threw the card into the trash. He decided that in the future, he would bring his own nuts when traveling. At least, that would be safer and less of a hassle.