Chapter 395

Chapter 395: Sea Selection

Lin Mo was quite efficient. Just a day later, he submitted the survey and health report, which Old Pan personally delivered to the administration department for official dispatch.

“That’s right, an astronaut! You better give it your all!”

Old Pan grinned, flashing his teeth at Lin Mo and nodding vigorously. This young man was on the verge of greatness, having made it to the astronaut selection process. It was a major opportunity, a true case of one person rising, and everyone benefiting.

Astronauts were typically chosen from the Air Force, as they had the best innate qualities. The first screening criteria focused on physical fitness, followed by mental resilience.

The nearly three hundred pages of survey questions were specifically designed to assess psychological traits, and the health report checked physical fitness. However, this was just the first hurdle in the astronaut selection process; many more evaluations and criteria awaited.

For the Aircrew Group at "Night," having an astronaut emerge was pure honor, bringing glory to everyone in the unit. Since Lin Mo joined, the Aircrew Group had become a main combat department and might even upgrade to a squadron. During weekly meetings, Old Pan carried himself with more confidence, standing tall.

Originally, having one ace pilot was already a huge surprise for Old Pan. Now, with the prospect of becoming an astronaut, it was enough to make the scar-faced man beam with joy. If Team 7759 were to find out, they would surely regret it deeply.

“Give it my all? I’ll try my best!” Lin Mo shrugged, staring blankly at the enormous black-gray ground-effect aircraft in the hangar.

He was still an elite in the aviation world, slowly climbing the ranks, but discussing space travel felt like venturing into the unknown. Even the gold giant dragon had deep caution toward the cosmos. Lin Mo’s understanding of space was limited to what was available in public educational materials.

“Trying your best?” Old Pan shot a stern look at Lin Mo and slapped him on the back. “Don’t you dare slack off! This isn’t like your missions where you fire missiles and run away; you need to give it your all! Do you understand? Don’t bring shame to Old Pan!”

Old Pan’s voice grew louder, echoing in the hangar. He turned to the busy members of the Aircrew Group and shouted, “Our entire team is counting on you to bring us glory! Isn’t that right, everyone?”

“Yes!”

Nearly twenty crew members synchronously paused their work and responded loudly in unison.

“See? The honor you carry is not just yours alone.”

Everyone’s response confirmed Old Pan’s thunderous voice. He turned back to Lin Mo, spreading his arms and shrugging. “Although I don’t know what the astronaut selection process entails, you should gather more information to prepare. Don’t be caught off guard. Even if you ultimately don’t get selected, everyone should know that those of us from ‘Night’ are always excellent individuals, no matter where we are.”

It seemed everyone truly had high hopes for him. Lin Mo couldn’t let them down. He stood at attention and saluted. “Yes! Captain Pan!”

“Good! You need to have the spirit of an ace!” Old Pan returned the salute in a Patton-style manner, then gently pushed Lin Mo’s shoulder in encouragement. “I believe in you. Show everyone what our ‘Night’ team is made of!”

“Yes! Sir!”

“Hurry and get moving! The Tabby Cat from the aviation team is waiting for a ‘date’ with you! Look at your robot; it seems quite clever. With its help, you won’t waste time tuning the ‘monstrous’ fighter. Give me your task list, and I’ll help make sure it gets done. Ha ha, this robot is impressive—obedient, capable, and smart. If you could build a few more, I’d be quite relieved.”

Old Pan laughed heartily, then clapped his hands, calling the crew to finalize preparations for the J-18 “Red Eagle” before takeoff.

Since this intelligent robot joined, Old Pan regarded Gold Coin as part of the Aircrew Group, not simply as a clunky machine. Lin Mo’s work was always top-notch, and his reputation in the industry was widely praised.

Gold Coin continued to bustle around the “monstrous” fighter, feeling a shiver run down its mechanical spine. It certainly hoped to avoid jumping from the tiger’s mouth into the fire.

Half an hour later, the J-18 “Red Eagle” was towed out of the hangar and taken to the runway, accelerating into the sky.

Although the J-18 had vertical take-off capabilities, Lin Mo, having fully mastered it, preferred the traditional rolling take-off method to conserve fuel.

The fuel consumption for vertical take-off was even higher than that for supersonic afterburning, and as fuel prices rose in tandem with international market trends, Lin Mo had to save wherever he could.

Despite not having a combat mission, the task of training new pilots fell to Lin Mo. After completing one mission, the seed pilot known as Tabby Cat became the sidekick of a Dragon Knight.

Eventually, Lin Mo would be the one to return favors owed to the nearby friendly aviation team from "Night."

No wonder the nearby aviation team responded so cooperatively when Captain Feng requested fighter support, and they didn’t even send a bill. They offered their services for free.

It was like the difference between an ordinary accountant and a certified public accountant; the Air Force had only a few ace pilots currently active, and many had retired. The competition was fierce, and most pilots remained as treasured assets at home, passing down their aerial combat skills. Who would easily show off?

News of "Night" having an ace pilot spread quietly but quickly. Everyone knew how rare aerial combat ace resources were, and there were many who envied the Special Forces for having a free ACE from "Night."

Lin Mo was recognized as a treasure of "Night" at the base. Captain Feng tirelessly found operational tasks for him, sending him to Pakistan and assigning him to the South China Sea Fleet, sharpening this talent unearthed from the elite aviation base through various combat and training experiences. Until today, "Night" had reaped rewards equal to their efforts; they produced an aerial combat ace more valuable than an entire fighter squadron.

Thus, the aviation team led by Captain Feng understood that building good relations with "Night’s" ACE could potentially lead to one or two ace pilots being brought out, which would be a significant gain.

The weekly flight training sessions became an additional task for Lin Mo as he worked on his "monstrous" fighter.

“Boss, can I take a break? I’m almost out of breath from the overload, oh my gosh, it’s deadly. If this were real combat, I’d probably be shot down by now. How are you not tired at all?”

The voice of Tabby Cat, breathing heavily, came through the encrypted radio channel. He had just been put through a series of maneuvers by Lin Mo, exhausting his energy.

Tabby Cat now referred to Lin Mo as "Boss," due to his calmness in combat and the tactical moves he demonstrated during training that displayed his extensive experience, which left him in complete admiration.

“Let’s pause the dual aircraft offense and defense switching training for now. Your physical condition isn’t up to par; you need to train more. I have high hopes for you.”

Lin Mo glanced regretfully at the J-8, positioned fifty meters above at the four o’clock direction.

To be honest, it was a good talent: outstanding reflexes and fundamental operational skills. During five continuous minutes of high-intensity overload maneuvers, he hadn’t made a single mistake. The aviation team must have placed significant expectations on the pilot codenamed "Tabby Cat," but his physical stamina still needed improvement.

If he could endure a bit longer, he might grasp some exceptional attacking techniques.

That aviation team offered Lin Mo a guiding fee of ten thousand yuan per hour, a nice side income that surpassed tutoring rates, directly deposited into his personal account, completely above the tax bureau’s radar. Lin Mo couldn’t turn down such a generous offer.

He wasn’t one to miss any opportunity to make money.

Practicing once a week for two hours each time, although small, it helped alleviate the tight funds needed for building his "monstrous" fighter.

This super fighter was solely supported by Lin Mo. The government focused on developing major fighters like the J-20 and wouldn’t allocate money to sponsor him. Instead, accessory manufacturers within the aviation industry had been quite accommodating, helping Lin Mo by providing parts at cost, with the highest quality materials.

Despite crafting a fighter of his own, none of the leading figures in Shenyang Aircraft Corporation or Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group considered Lin Mo’s "monstrous" fighter a threat. After all, it was merely a personal aircraft, and an ordinary fighter pilot’s physical condition couldn’t handle the demanding technical parameters, even if they were an ace pilot.

Something not likely to be mass-produced wouldn’t compete for market share with these major aircraft manufacturing companies. Even with the National Defense Star backing Lin Mo, there was no mass production of such advanced models that only a few elites could handle, naturally avoiding any conflicts of interest.

“Oh my gosh, Boss, my physical condition is quite good! A few days ago, I received the selection materials for astronauts. If my fitness isn’t great, can I still participate in the astronaut screening?”

The "Dragon General’s" high-quality audio collection capabilities shone as the filtered signal transmitted to the J-8, producing clearer sound than what the J-8 received from the J-18.

Tabby Cat listened to Lin Mo’s steady breathing through the radio channel. This "boss" executed a complete set of standard tactical moves, showcasing the ace pilot’s superior physical condition compared to his own.

Tabby Cat stubbornly refused to concede.

“Astronaut screening? You received that too?”

Lin Mo was somewhat surprised; he hadn’t expected this new junior to also receive astronaut selection materials. A simple deduction revealed that this selection was not a directed pick but rather a preliminary sea selection.