Chapter 452

Chapter 452: The Murderer and the Victim

“‘Dragon Knight,’ there’s a call for you, pick it up.”

After answering the call for a while, Old Pan exchanged glances with the two members of the Aircrew Group operating the information platform in the rear cabin. He pressed a few buttons on the console in front of him, and Lin Mo’s "Dragon General" tactical helmet buzzed with a communication notification.

“Who is it?”

“Captain Feng!”

“Oh!” Lin Mo confirmed the call.

“I’m Feng Chenye.”

“Captain Feng, I am the ‘Dragon Knight’!”

All personnel operating outside the base used codenames, even when speaking to the highest authorities; after all, names on IDs are hard to change, but codenames can be easily swapped.

Using codenames not only protects individuals’ combat habits from being leaked but also safeguards family information, avoiding any worries from behind. After all, humans are social creatures, always having friends and family. If loved ones feel threatened, the personnel cannot guarantee full focus and best performance in their tasks, which could lead to disastrous consequences.

“A message has come down from above: Squadron Three and Squadron Four are returning with Old Pan. You need to stay in place and wait for the Russian military helicopter to take you to meet with the Sukhoi design bureau team. After you finish at the exhibition, you’ll return home with National Defense Star. The relevant documents are already being arranged to be sent to Moscow.”

Captain Feng relayed the specific instructions from the higher-ups to Lin Mo.

Did that guy Chen Haiqing actually pull this off?

Lin Mo was surprised; he was out there on a secret mission. Even if he was simply spectating without firing a shot, it was still a covert operation. Chen’s connections must be incredibly powerful!

Even though National Defense Star had people besides Chen’s family, including connections in the air force, directly intervening to adjust personnel in the Special Forces required a significant network of relationships, otherwise, it would be impossible to accomplish within just a few hours.

“‘Dragon Knight,’ why aren’t you coming up? We’re just waiting for you; hurry up, we’re about to take off.”

Both squadrons had boarded the "Bamboo Dragonfly," and a few last soldiers who got on waved at Lin Mo.

“I’m not going back; I have another mission. You all go ahead,” Lin Mo waved his hand, tossing his SVD sniper rifle and ammunition back to them.

At that moment, the engine of the "Bamboo Dragonfly" roared to life, creating a loud noise as it warmed up.

The soldiers caught the weapons Lin Mo threw, exchanging puzzled glances, then turned back to speak to the cabin. They soon received confirmation, waved at Lin Mo, and stopped urging him to board.

Before long, a filled backpack of food was tossed toward Lin Mo.

Understanding that Lin Mo was alone, the soldiers already on board packed the remaining food and handed it to him.

As for weapons, there was nothing more reassuring than Lin Mo’s own fist if he needed to quietly take out an Alpha sniper.

With the engine roaring at full power, the ground-effect vehicle "Bamboo Dragonfly" shook violently, lifting off the ground gradually, tracing a parabolic ascent. It accelerated quickly, gaining the necessary thrust, flew around Lin Mo in a circle, and then sped southward.

In about four hours, the "Bamboo Dragonfly" was expected to reach the border line for its first fuel supply, and then it would return to the Night base through a secure route.

Lin Mo gathered some wood, started a fire, and opened the military backpack to munch on canned luncheon meat accompanied by warm porridge while waiting for the Russian helicopter.

Though he had signal flares, the campfire offered warmth and created a smoke plume to pinpoint his location.

Chen Haiqing called again, saying everything was arranged; Lin Mo just needed to follow the Russians and meet up at the exhibition.

On the phone, Chen Haiqing reminded Lin Mo to be cautious around the Russians and not to casually showcase high-level tactical movement secrets to them. Those guys were skilled at stealing tricks and had previously learned to modify spins and other maneuvers from the Chinese.

Initially, the secrets to modifying a MiG fighter’s spin and stall were only grasped by China’s ace pilots. The technology emerged from a need to protect precious aircraft. When the Soviets confronted a MiG fighter experiencing a spin or stall, their only recourse was to eject and lose the plane, prioritizing lives.

Only after learning the modification techniques from China did their incidents of crashes decrease significantly.

After waiting for about four hours, a camouflaged Mi-171 helicopter approached slowly from the west, accompanied by the unique sound of its rotor blades vibrating the air. Perhaps noticing the smoke from the campfire, it maintained its course and flew directly toward Lin Mo.

As it got closer, the noise from the helicopter became increasingly distinct due to the Doppler effect created by the rotating rotor blades.

Lin Mo pulled out a signal flare, twisted off the cap, and lit it. A bright orange fireball shot into the sky, continuously spewing striking red flames for half a minute before gradually extinguishing. This was enough for the helicopter coming to pick him up to locate their target position.

The Mi-171 lifted off again, and as Lin Mo jumped into the cabin, he quickly assessed the situation inside. Clearly, he was not the only passenger; eleven fully armed soldiers were staring intently at him.

Lin Mo had already removed his "Dragon General" tactical helmet but still wore his "Dragon General" tactical armor. This specialized gear was necessary for the aerospace exhibition in France.

His superiors hadn’t asked Lin Mo to return it before switching missions; after all, there were no other clothes to change into on the "Bamboo Dragonfly" in the cold Siberian environment. They couldn’t let him freeze, and this "Dragon General" gear had an identity lock feature that only Lin Mo could use.

Upon seeing their insignia, Lin Mo’s heart raced. It was an Alpha combat team, proving that "not all enemies meet without a reason."

Lin Mo recognized the Alpha sniper’s weapon, so he was familiar with the Alpha insignia, where a prominent capital letter "A" was overlaid on the patterns of a shield and sword.

Surely, the superiors hadn’t sold him out, Lin Mo thought to himself quietly.

An Old Russian, presumably the team leader, nodded at Lin Mo and gestured toward an empty seat in the cabin. Lin Mo smiled slightly and nodded back in thanks, placed his military backpack down, sat down, and buckled his seatbelt.

The pilot occasionally shouted a few things in the cockpit, leaving the cabin filled only with the roar of the engine. This Alpha special operations team seemed to have just returned from a mission and had taken Lin Mo aboard along the way.

The Russian Alpha special forces, also known as Alpha Group, were established during the Soviet era under the direction of KGB Chairman Yuri Andropov. Initially named Group A, it was renamed Alpha Group in 1991, on par with "Signal Flag" and "GRU."

This was an undefeated special forces unit, having never failed in hundreds of missions, specifically tasked with counter-terrorism activities within Russia, akin to “Night.”

This mission to support the Chinese special forces was perfectly within their responsibilities; it was just that an unforeseen variable had happened during the operation.

This unexpected twist was conveniently seated in the same helicopter with their Alpha team. What a coincidence!

Sitting among these Alpha warriors, Lin Mo felt no impact from the cold, expressionless demeanor of the soldiers, remaining calm as he waited for the helicopter to reach its destination.

Perhaps due to language barriers or security regulations, no one spoke to Lin Mo in the cabin. After everyone had glanced at him a few times, even after he settled in, not a single gaze lingered in his direction, as if he had never been there at all.

However, Lin Mo caught sight of two Alpha soldiers who looked familiar; both had slightly swollen heads wrapped in bandages, carrying no weapons except for two sidearms tucked into their waists, seemingly borrowed from their comrades.

Amitabha, God protect me, may the Dragon God be above; please don’t let them find out I’m responsible for this calamity.

Lin Mo had never anticipated that the victims would end up in the same helicopter. These two unfortunate souls hadn’t even realized that the perpetrator was right there with them.

After an hour, the Mi-171 helicopter landed temporarily at a small base, where several soldiers awaited them on the tarmac.

As soon as the helicopter came to a stop, the Alpha team leader stood up first, loudly instructing his subordinates. The ten Alpha soldiers swiftly gathered their gear and weapons, lining up to disembark.

Lin Mo couldn’t understand what the Old Russian was saying. He knew English but not Russian, so he remained seated.

The Alpha team leader, supervising his men as they exited the cabin, noticed Lin Mo still sitting down. He yelled a few things and waved Lin Mo over, likely inviting him to join them.

Though he couldn’t understand the words, the expression and gestures were clear. Following the earlier orders from his superiors and Chen Haiqing’s message, Lin Mo knew he just needed to follow the Russian soldiers without needing to think, even if it meant being taken to the Arctic.

As a passenger heading to the Sukhoi design bureau, the Russian military naturally didn’t provide Lin Mo with a translator, treating him as if he were one of their own soldiers.

Military personnel would act according to military rules.

Although there was a language barrier, one thing remained universal: sign language.

Simple communication was possible through special operations gestures that could be easily understood.

Lin Mo, carrying his backpack, followed the Alpha team leader and walked towards the buildings of the base with the team.

This military base was not the final destination for the Alpha team; they were merely stopping to refuel and grab a quick lunch before continuing their journey.