Chapter 641

Chapter 641: Awaken, Comrades!

Just off the plane, Lin Mo saw the leader of the “Demon Hunter” team, “Yasha.” He looked exactly the same as when Lin Mo saw him at the National Defense Star, fully armed with heavy face paint, as if ready to pick a fight at any moment.

However, nearby, several “Abyss Nirvana” armed personnel lay groaning on the ground, unable to get up.

Lin Mo smiled slightly, clearly the conflict occurred between “Yasha” and the “Abyss Nirvana” personnel while waiting for him, and the ones losing were obviously not himself.

Despite the chaos, Lin Mo maintained a nonchalant demeanor, still smiling blissfully.

From afar, gunfire and explosions echoed; even in the capital of Syria, it was anything but peaceful. Rebel forces were clashing with the government army, and had it not been for the influence of “Abyss Nirvana,” the flames of war might have reached this place.

Although they shared the same airport with the government army, only the area controlled by “Abyss Nirvana” was truly safe. Within a five-kilometer radius from here was a ceasefire zone where armed personnel from Syria’s warring parties were prohibited from entering, except for those of “Abyss Nirvana.”

“‘Dragon Knight,’ no, ‘Number 13!’ Why did you just arrive now?”

Yasha suddenly realized he misspoke and quickly corrected himself, yet his resentment toward Lin Mo’s late arrival remained unchanged.

This man insisted on not putting all his eggs in one basket, choosing to set off alone to avoid being caught in a sweep, which resulted in them arriving a day early at the air force base near Damascus, while Lin Mo appeared as if he were on a leisurely trip, arriving now at a slow pace.

Yasha, with a strong sense of time, couldn’t help but grumble about Lin Mo. If Lin Mo knew what he was thinking, he would surely find it amusing to listen to the top soldier from China complain, which would undoubtedly be entertaining.

“Hmm! There were some minor unexpected events on the way!”

The Dragon Knight was already accustomed to surprises; even when not on an operational mission abroad, he still managed to create chaos.

If nothing unexpected happened along the way, that would have been the biggest surprise.

“Come with me immediately to get the stuff; it’s been two days. We’ll have to pay a lot of rent daily.”

As Yasha, the bodyguard, was used to commanding tones, he displayed no courtesy as he addressed Lin Mo. Being used to strict adherence to timelines for missions, he was already growing impatient.

“How much money?! How much?”

Lin Mo furrowed his brow. Due to the limited time on the plane, even though a salesperson from the Skirl company had provided him with some information, he still did not fully understand all the rules of “Abyss Nirvana.”

“The rental fees for the hangar and the cargo containers are not cheap; each day of storage costs an extra one hundred thousand dollars. Even if you won’t pay out of pocket, that money comes from the people’s sweat and tears, comrade. Can you be a bit more aware?”

Yasha shot a scornful glance at Lin Mo, who hadn’t done his homework.

Hmph, thinking he could participate in “Abyss Nirvana” alone; just managing logistics would drag him down.

“Seriously, one hundred thousand dollars? Isn’t that highway robbery?”

Educated about the expenses, Lin Mo was left speechless. With such a meager allowance, earning only enough to last a month, a year’s worth wouldn’t cover even a day’s warehouse rent. It felt like slaughtering pigs—no, it was like slaughtering a Dragon Knight!

What kind of storage could possibly charge a sky-high price of one hundred thousand dollars per day?

That much money could build a 1,000-square-meter steel structure warehouse? Was it a temperature-controlled and humidity-controlled storage at fifteen meters underground?

The organizers of “Abyss Nirvana” indeed knew every corner to squeeze out profit.

Yasha turned away, irritated, and said, “The government army and Freedom Army are at war. Only the organizers of ‘Abyss Nirvana’ can guarantee the safety of the goods; monopolizing business means we’ll take from you—who else? There’s no other option. If left in another location, they could be destroyed in an instant. One hundred thousand dollars is already quite cheap.”

Without knowing the burden of daily necessities, they squandered the hard-earned money of the people, leaving many children unable to attend school.

Spending that extra one hundred thousand dollars made Yasha feel pain in his heart. He was managing everything for Lin Mo in execution of orders from above, meticulously planning every expenditure. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t waste a second on someone like Lin Mo, who dawdles and squanders taxpayers’ money, not even giving him a second glance.

Lin Mo looked at Yasha’s resentful expression and said, “Understood! I’ll pay the extra!”

“You said it?” Yasha turned back, his eyes fixed on Lin Mo, extending his calloused hand, “Give me the money!”

Damn! This elite unit soldier was quite straightforward!

“Yasha” is quite the character! Assessment complete.

“Hey, do you have a card reader? I can swipe my card; if not, let’s just keep a tab for now.”

Lin Mo raised his hands in surrender to this comrade who was both dedicated and skilled, always thinking about the country.

“Who carries a card reader around just for fun? But just so you know, you can’t wriggle out of this. I’ll note it down, and you’ll owe me a receipt later.”

Even when collecting debts, “Yasha” displayed a resolute military style. Even though this money wouldn’t fall on him, he remained unapologetic, like a sniper locking onto his target—once it’s locked in, there’s no escape.

Seeing him turn slightly to retrieve a walkie-talkie, Yasha said, “‘Asura,’ inform the base that next time they send supplies, they should bring an extra card reader. It should be tied to the military account and workable globally.”

“…” Lin Mo was speechless.

There was really no reasoning with someone so strictly principled yet so dedicated.

Participating in “Abyss Nirvana” had evolved beyond Lin Mo’s and the National Defense Star’s expectations; it was no longer just an individual affair.

Besides the National Defense Star acting as Lin Mo’s sponsor, the military had also inadvertently stepped in.

Lin Mo simply needed to give his all in battle; the rest would be taken care of by the National Defense Star and Military High-ups, who would provide personnel and supplies to ensure everything was ready for the battlefield.

Lin Mo and “Yasha” completely ignored the fallen “Abyss Nirvana” armed personnel and walked towards the independent storage area to retrieve their cargo.

Before Lin Mo arrived, the “Demon Hunter” team and two engineers were not allowed to enter the combat participant camp. Although the supplies had arrived, they needed Lin Mo’s “Abyss Nirvana” ticket to retrieve them.

With the Lockheed ticket, Lin Mo completed the formal check-in process and received a pure gold eagle badge, representing his status as a combat pilot. Additionally, he obtained a team identification card, which allowed them to move freely around the air force base.

The air force base of the Syrian government army initially had insufficient hangar space, but fortunately, the airport had large areas prepared. They constructed over forty new hangars using steel structures and prefabricated materials, and the hangar Lin Mo rented was one of them.

Every hangar was spacious enough to comfortably accommodate nine fighter jets. The participant team could set up tents inside and have ample space to store various special equipment.

Sustaining a fighter jet in combat is not an easy task. Compared to the care for warhorses in ancient times, caring for fighter jets is nearly as simple as keeping an Old Hen at home.

To ensure a pilot can fly in the air, at least one hundred people need to support them on the ground, providing logistical and various other services. This is far more complex than the medieval scenario where a dozen servants served a knight.

The organizers of “Abyss Nirvana” prepared three large trucks carrying three enormous containers to deliver to the hangar rented by Lin Mo and his team.

This is an era where money rules; without it, participants must park their fighter jets outdoors like struggling poor folks, exposing any special technology, leaving them entirely visible to others.

“Aren’t three containers a bit excessive? Is there really that much stuff?”

As the designer of the “monstrous” aircraft, Lin Mo was well aware of the structure of the National Defense Star’s knockoff X-1. He couldn’t imagine filling three containers with just one X-1 fighter.

His own list of equipment for the combat team, led by Lin Mo, included at most fifteen people. Aside from one fighter jet and necessary maintenance parts and tools, plus living supplies, one container should suffice.

Where would they need three containers? This isn’t a moving job or selling fighter jets.

Were there two more fighter jets hidden in the extra containers?

Did they send more pilots from back home for the battle?

“Not too much; it’s just enough!”

Yasha’s tone remained unchanged as he gazed at the three large containers. Once back in the hangar, he fetched paper and a pen for Lin Mo to write an IOU.

Lin Mo thought that Yasha’s most fitting career wouldn’t be as an elite soldier in an elite unit but rather as a court enforcer pursuing debtors or as a loan officer at a bank dealing with bad debts.

The shiny, unpainted containers reflected images like mirrors. Made from custom large 430 stainless steel materials, although costly, they possessed great strength able to hold heavy weights.

After confirming the container numbers, the special seals were intact and secure. It wouldn’t be easy to swap them out given their special materials and locks.

“Just enough?”

Yasha’s statement puzzled Lin Mo. Even if fighter jets required significant supplies for their combat strength, three containers seemed a bit over the top.

Although the design of the “monstrous” aircraft was remarkably advanced, Lin Mo had fully considered ease of maintenance and care. Creating an endless money pit would only ensnare him further. Simplifying processes and components without weakening combat effectiveness is a topic every aviation expert needs to work on together.

Aren’t the costs and complexities of the American F-14, F-15, and F-16 examples of how one generation outdoes another?