Chapter 378

Chapter 378: Check-in at Headquarters

Compared to the chaotic Su Lan Empire, this world, although full of injustices, at least respects everyone’s right to exist. Lin Mo knew very well that in war-torn countries, people’s fears are palpable. To protect this country, which, while not perfect, still offers a place to survive, merely complaining won’t change the unfairness. One must take action, work diligently, and even be willing to sacrifice blood and life to defend it.

When Old Hu called him General Lin, it was like sunshine breaking through the gloom, and Lin Mo couldn’t help but smile, his expression returning to normal.

"I heard the Aircrew Group is welcoming you back and celebrating your promotion. They prepared a big gift for you!"

The driver, Hu Shu, took the opportunity to shift the conversation to more uplifting topics.

"Oh, what gift?"

Thinking of the tough but kind Old Pan, Lin Mo felt a warmth in his heart. The group leader had taken special care of him since he had just arrived, rallying the whole group to support his combat mission, allowing him to fight without worry. He was curious about the gift this sharp-tongued but soft-hearted leader had prepared for him.

"Haha, I don’t know what it is, but I hear it’s something good. It’s classified information! You’re lucky, it’s your generation’s time now!" Old Hu gently held the steering wheel as he drove steadily on the highway.

"I’m just a foot soldier now. Soon, I’ll probably be re-assigned to fly helicopters or join other ground combat squads to act as a sniper."

Lin Mo felt a pang of heartache thinking about his downed J-10. He had put in a lot of effort to modify that fighter jet, making it even stronger than the typical factory-produced J-10, not that much different from the variant B model.

"Forget it. Even if I’m not a pilot, I know that a pilot getting shot down doesn’t mean losing their job. Just wait! I’ve driven dozens, if not hundreds, of vehicles without accidents, and I’ve had my share of crashes too. The army has standards: as long as it’s not intentional, you can get a new one right away. Out with the old, in with the new. If they ever tried to make you pay, haha, you’d never be able to afford it in ten lifetimes." Old Hu’s foot remained on the gas pedal as he drove the Jeep Cherokee smoothly on the highway, clearly a seasoned driver with decades of accident-free experience.

As they chatted back and forth, the three-hour journey passed quickly. There was more than one way to enter the "Night" base.

Lin Mo got out at an unmarked entrance to an underground air defense shelter, while Old Hu continued to drive away in the Jeep Cherokee. This was standard procedure for counter-surveillance; many vehicles used by "Night" were borrowed from other departments, such as the municipal government, courts, militia, public security, or military.

Sometimes, the government agencies that owned a few luxury cars were not necessarily corrupt; they also had to provide cover for special departments.

Intelligence personnel playing the part of wealthy businessmen couldn’t just buy vehicles for single-use tasks or borrow from private individuals. It wouldn’t work with an old model car, after all.

With a vast array of vehicles at their disposal, the special departments could switch rides anytime, anywhere. Even if someone used special equipment to identify the vehicle’s ID chip, it would be challenging to detect or track them.

This seemingly abandoned air defense shelter was overgrown with debris and weeds. The entrance stood over two people high, wide enough for two trucks to enter side by side. The solid concrete outside was covered in moss, and the open interior felt dark and damp.

Without hesitation, Lin Mo marched into the shelter with his luggage.

If it were an ordinary person, they might think this air defense shelter built during times of scarcity was a haunted place—fearing that stepping deeper into the darkness could lead to an instinctual dread that would turn them back.

The barely visible line on the ground pointed Lin Mo in the right direction.

As he ventured over forty meters in, yellow lights flickered on overhead. Although the air remained humid, the ground was surprisingly clean, with the clutter limited to just within the entrance.

The lights only illuminated a few steps ahead and behind him, turning on in sequence with Lin Mo’s movements. After turning two corners, the light suddenly changed to green. Although there were deeper passages ahead, the light no longer followed Lin Mo, instead fixing on a single spot.

Suddenly, a section of the thick concrete wall trembled, receding about a foot to reveal a hidden door that split apart, sliding to the sides.

This covert design made it difficult to imagine anyone searching for someone would suspect such an entrance.

Such hidden doors were not limited to just this one; otherwise, they would quickly show signs of wear from constant use, leaving behind some telltale traces.

"Captain Lin Mo! Welcome back!"

As the concrete door retracted, it revealed an additional layer of thick steel behind it, designed to withstand nuclear strikes and shockwaves. Inside lay a space starkly different from the air defense shelter corridor—bright and spacious, about 20 square meters, likely a safety buffer zone meant for emergency situations.

Lin Mo recognized the voice emanating from a corner. It belonged not to a human from the "Night" base, but to the large intelligent system operating on a giant machine, managing the tactical tablets assigned to him as its user interface.

"Hello, Nuwa!"

Dragging his luggage into the room, a multitude of devices in the corner began scanning his entire body and belongings.

"Nuwa" was the name of the intelligent system, with its communication mechanism pre-set. Coupled with logic and complex conditions, it evolved into a fully functioning voice command system through years of learning and accumulation, though it did not possess true artificial intelligence.

"Hello, Captain Lin Mo. Security scan complete; no dangerous items have been detected. New registration for the dual-use tactical armor, model ‘Dragon General,’ has been submitted for connection to technical department design data."

"Nuwa" followed its preset safety protocols, and it clearly detected the "Dragon General" tactical armor inside Lin Mo’s suitcase, classifying it as combat equipment.

An automatic optical scanner confirmed Lin Mo’s identity through voice print, facial infrared, and pupil recognition.

One could not expect "Nuwa" to have any emotional responses; it was simply that, supported by powerful computational resources, its reaction speed was swift and smooth, resembling human interaction. However, if one were to joke with it or try to provoke a laugh, they would likely only be met with indifference or formal reprimands.

Bantering was considered a pointless endeavor by the programmers who developed the system, leading to a precautionary warning mechanism not to exceed three attempts.

After Lin Mo entered the room, the concrete door automatically returned to its previous position. Following the security inspection, a composite material safety door opened, leading to a long corridor. Only after passing through this buffer corridor did one truly enter the underground passage of the country’s final defense system.

Although the procedures were tedious, they ensured safety, designed specifically to handle emergencies from natural disasters or man-made calamities. Even with careful prior planning, unexpected situations could still arise, requiring several layers of security during the entrance process.

Once through the corridor, Lin Mo finally opened another door and saw four "Night" soldiers standing before a twelve-person electric transport vehicle, waiting for him.

"Captain Lin!"

As soon as the soldiers saw Lin Mo emerge, they immediately stood at attention, saluting in unison.

"Hello! You’re here to pick me up, right?" Lin Mo returned the salute.

"Yes, please get in the vehicle."

The four soldiers quickly took Lin Mo’s suitcase, which was hooked together, and loaded it onto the vehicle. They were in a hall measuring nearly two thousand square meters, only partially lit.

This was just the tip of the iceberg of the massive national defense final defense system; even "Night" used only a small part. To enter the "Night" base area, they still needed to pass through a ten-kilometer-long underground corridor, where many automatic isolation doors awaited.

The electric transport vehicle sped through the spacious two-way, four-lane underground transport tunnel. Lin Mo glanced back at the vehicle behind him. With each segment of the journey, he could see two doors slowly closing behind him, blocking the way.

Like the airport runway at the "Night" base, these tunnels not only quickly transported goods and personnel but also served as housing and storage facilities.

"Welcome back! Captain Lin… Oh, I should address you as Major Lin."

In the captain’s office, having settled his personal belongings and changed into formal military attire, Lin Mo was greeted by Major Feng Chenye, the captain of the Aircrew Group.

As a member of the elite aviation crew, the most offensive unit within the entire battalion, even if Lin Mo was not a fighter ace, he still garnered attention from the higher-ups in the "Night" operations department.

Having support from fighter jets significantly altered combat effectiveness. Several combat squads had grown accustomed to Lin Mo’s aerial support: dropping bombs and conducting cannon fire saved the ground troops considerable effort and effectively controlled casualty rates.

"Good morning, Captain!"