There is obviously no mental checks involved when Cathay hires new cadets. Seems like Francis and Chang are in dire need of a reality check, yes those jets are really shiny but it very fast gets old being jet-lagged all the time and flying cargo around Asia when your body wants to sleep, and you thought you would have exotic layovers in New York and Paris, and especially at the offered pay....
I hope Francis' wife is ready to take on a second job which will be required since they plan to live an expat life in Hong Kong with a family on a Second Officer salary for 4 years with no housing allowance! Or maybe she should just learn Arabic right away instead, so she is ready for the move they will be making to Emirates after a couple of years....