Chapter 506

Chapter 506: Interception

Light Mirror Technique!

Lin Mo used the thank you card in his hand as a cover to cast a spell, creating a translucent light wheel, five inches in diameter, that appeared on the card.

Releasing the Light Mirror Technique on an ordinary waiter was quite out of character for Lin Mo.

But how did this waiter recognize him as the big eater among so many people? If he had asked around, he should have found Liu Yunqing first.

However, the food seemed fine. After being repeatedly attacked by Lockheed, Lin Mo didn’t dare let his guard down.

The waiter showed no signs of abnormal behavior, keeping his eyes straight ahead without pause, not exchanging glances or gestures with anyone. He exited the airport, hopped on his small motorcycle, and zoomed off toward the city, leaving Lin Mo’s Light Mirror Technique’s reconnaissance radius behind.

It seemed like there was nothing wrong, but something felt off. Lin Mo furrowed his brow.

He wasn’t exactly good at logical reasoning; after all, Dragon Knight was more of a warrior than a thinker.

Lin Mo’s gaze shifted from the light circle of the technique to its outer rim. Suddenly, he wet his finger with saliva and casually smeared it on a blank section of the thank you card.

Upon contact with Lin Mo’s saliva, light blue English sentences quickly appeared in the card’s empty area.

Lin Mo’s spirits lifted; there was indeed something to uncover.

“French Suscite Death Squad launched a night attack on Lockheed Martin’s production facility, destroying two buildings and two unfinished F-35s, along with one complete F-35.”

The signature was a contact code, featuring letters and numbers. Using a decoding method provided by Night, Lin Mo soon confirmed the identity of the signer.

It was an intelligence personnel from China’s Foreign Affairs Department.

Though China is a large Asian country with a majority of black-haired, black-eyed East Asians, it has many ethnic groups spread across its vast land, making it not too difficult to establish corresponding intelligence lines in Europe and America.

Especially in revolutionary France, which harbors quite a number of fans of Chairman Mao, influencing nearly an entire generation.

Had Lockheed been slapped in the face by the French?

This news surprised Lin Mo; no wonder France, being one of the five permanent member states of the UN, couldn’t swallow the damage inflicted in their capital, losing part of the street along with many civilian casualties.

Not a hint of information leaked from official channels, yet secretly they had thrown down a hard card by a likely foreign secret force.

Hmph, Frenchmen excel at using foreign nationals as cannon fodder. Losing a hundred or eighty lives wouldn’t bother them in the least.

The loss of two factories and three F-35s, along with human casualties, nearly crippled Lockheed Martin.

No wonder they eagerly sent this half-threatening, half-peaceful document to him. It turned out there was this underlying motive.

Fortunately, he hadn’t been completely fooled and instead proposed even tougher demands.

Hearing Lin Mo’s conditions, Lockheed might just cough up blood; it was no different from brazenly profiting off their misfortune.

This information came too late; had it arrived half an hour earlier, Lin Mo could have bled Lockheed dry.

Lin Mo had originally been saving money to order the main radar and avionic systems for his “monstrous” custom-made fighter jet from domestic manufacturers. However, it seemed unnecessary now; he might save a significant amount while enhancing more details.

The AN/APG-81 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System (EODAS) would make Lockheed nauseous as Lin Mo’s demands echoed loudly.

Constructed using the most advanced technology and materials from Russia, China, and America, this “monstrous” aircraft should outperform initial estimates by several tiers.

As for the international pilot death match? If he could sneak away to check it out, avenging “Caviar” would make it all the better. This Old Russian who loved sharing Caviar could be regarded as a charmingly kind-hearted guy, always ready to share everything with his comrades even in death.

Lin Mo was determined to return this favor.

“Now, at five o’clock in the afternoon, the mechanical team is pushing the fighter jets onto the pallets for securing. The security team is responsible for escorting the fighter jets that will return to the country on a special aircraft the day after tomorrow. The publicity team should gather promotional materials, while the sales team needs to bring the contracts and client lists. The cleanup team begins preparing for packing and departure, and inform the organizers that the dismantling of the exhibition will begin at eight tonight. You all need to work hard, double-check everything to ensure no valuable items are left behind. The beauty team, haha, come here to receive your salary—euro checks! Tonight, I’ll treat everyone to a gourmet meal, a French dinner!”

The Paris-Le Bourget International Aerospace Exhibition officially came to a close. Chen Haiqing directed various teams to start their tasks, only to be surrounded by a flurry of graceful young women.

Cheers erupted around the scene.

Although Paris is beautiful, it is an incredibly expensive city for employees of the National Defense Star who receive their salaries in renminbi. Even a simple cup of coffee requires consideration, as one cup in Paris costs nearly the same as ten in their home country.

Their wages were not low, but here, they could barely compete with the salaries of the French working class.

Lin Mo stood a short distance away, smiling as he watched Chen Haiqing skillfully navigate through the crowd without a care in the world.

The words on the thank you card had long evaporated and disappeared; Lin Mo clenched it tightly, instantly turning it into countless tiny fragments that scattered like confetti.

Nearby, the alluring aroma of Italian lasagna awaited him. The gains from this international aerospace exhibition left him quite satisfied.

Slogans, visions, plans, and directions could never compare to a written order, stamped in red and accompanied by a deposit check.

National Defense Star made a fortune, bursting into popularity thanks to this exhibition, successfully establishing a solid foundation.

As one of the new directors and the standout promoter of this event, Lin Mo secured enough rewards to make the other directors envious.

Without him, National Defense Star likely wouldn’t have landed so many orders. With a good reputation established, along with high-quality products and services, they would pave a successful road for the future.

While the others harbored envy and jealousy, no one dared to act on those feelings or extend their claws.

…

From Paris, France, to Kabul, Afghanistan, after taking a flight with Emirates Airlines and switching to a Dubai Airlines flight, Sally and her team from the Dragoon consortium finally returned to the capital, Kabul, after a long thirteen-hour journey.

Kabul, after multiple wars, seemed like an aging elder, struggling to revive its past prosperity. The war had severely damaged Afghanistan’s vitality. While various provinces nominally belonged to Afghanistan, three-fifths of the region was inaccessible. Although the government forces enjoyed support from America, such harsh conditions made it impossible to ensure their authority.

Agriculture was Afghanistan’s primary economic pillar, yet the country lacked figures like Yuan Longping; the available arable land was less than two-thirds of what was needed.

Once ruled by empires such as the Persian Empire, the Seleucid Kingdom, the Tang Dynasty, and the Arab Empire, Afghanistan now stood as one of the poorest countries in the world. Its extreme poverty and warlord factions, coupled with dilapidated infrastructure from years of conflict, dangerous landmines, and rampant opium and heroin trade, had led to a prevalence of military and violent activities.

Bandits, drug traffickers, mercenaries, and agents steadily drained the last bits of life from Afghanistan.

In this land, Sally saw not a single genuine smile on the faces of the civilians, nor a glimmer of hope for the future. Such similar experiences resulted from those despicable foreign powers, leaving Afghanistan rich in resources but unable to harness them, denied even a chance to recover and restore.

The shortsighted individuals served as obstacles to Afghanistan’s development. Clenching her fists tightly, she vowed to bring peace and happiness to every Afghan person.

She dreamed of children no longer worrying about stepping on landmines while playing, of parents unafraid of armed militants stealing their last bits of food. Villagers could farm without fear, the elderly could pray to Allah, scientists could transform lives with advanced technologies, and soldiers would genuinely care for the common people.

Milk and honey—the good things would surely come, and a well-ordered society would be reestablished. However, all of this required long-term and arduous efforts.

“Sally, there’s bad news!”

Abik, who had not yet left the terminal with Sally, just received a phone call. After hanging up, his face turned very grim.

“What’s wrong?” Sally was startled from her hopeful thoughts, her expression becoming serious. She didn’t want her subordinates to see her weakness and tried to maintain a strong demeanor to inspire their confidence in facing various unknown challenges.

“We can’t return for now; the airport has detained our airplane. And there’s worse news: nearly twenty thousand armed militants have gathered in Baghlan and Kunduz provinces, preparing to attack our territory from four directions.”

Abik gritted his teeth as he spoke.

After disembarking the plane, Abik had received an urgent call from personnel waiting at the airport.

Misfortune never comes alone; the Kabul airport had seized the transport plane belonging to the Dragoon consortium and passenger service, while the enemy sharpened their blades, rapidly advancing toward the Dragoon consortium’s control zone.