Chapter 101

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Chapter 101: Record of Shootdowns, False ACE!

This operation achieved unprecedented success. Lin Mo’s unexpected takeover of the aircraft became the last straw that broke the “Red Scorpion.” Initially, the expertly trained soldiers of the “Red Scorpion” could have engaged in a fair fight with the bandit guerillas controlled by the Twin Stars. However, the two F-14s turning against them shattered the confidence of many “Red Scorpion” personnel. Their relied-upon aerial forces were completely taken out, and with multiple local factions stirring up trouble, some even began to mobilize for attack.

The situation for the “Red Scorpion” seemed precarious. Although internal turmoil had been forcefully suppressed, they remained in a standoff with several armed groups around them. Their lack of air deterrence emboldened those factions nearby.

The Intelligence Group was eager to learn about the mysterious leader behind it all, and signs had begun to emerge. If the leader did not respond soon, it seemed their “Red Scorpion” could no longer be preserved.

Lin Mo reported back all the intelligence he had gathered during the operation, especially the identity of Haus, the intelligence chief of the “Red Scorpion.” This revelation shocked the entire Intelligence Group of “Night.” An unremarkable young man had somehow become one of the notorious local armed leaders, engaging in separatist and terrorist activities, devoid of any national spirit or sense of belonging. Based on Lin Mo’s description of Haus’s facial features and alias, they quickly confirmed the true identity of “Haus.”

The name Ma Jun was also an alias, but his surname was genuine. His full name was Ma Jun, born in Hainan, China. He was of Han ethnicity, had a university degree, and had worked abroad after graduation. However, due to repeated deceit by unscrupulous employers, he eventually found himself homeless and lost. In recent years, it seemed he had returned home in glory, building a small house for his farming parents and buying a truck for his brother to run transportation.

According to local rumors, Ma Jun had become a high-ranking gold collar abroad and accumulated wealth, but in reality, he had faced hardship, working as a mercenary and later as a fixer. Now he served as the intelligence chief for the “Red Scorpion,” having earned numerous credits for the organization due to his acute sensitivity and meticulous planning, likely stemming from his painful experiences.

Anyone would be taken aback at the thought of a university student climbing to such heights in a terrorist organization.

The Intelligence Group informed Lin Mo that the Twin Stars had not yet returned but confirmed their location. They were safe and together with the Lone Wolf, Yakov. They were not preparing to return home just yet. The commitment Twins had to Yakov extended beyond Lin Mo’s money, offering to provide him and his men with new identities, effectively laundering their past.

However, the Intelligence Group was extremely curious about how Lin Mo had managed to complete his mission. How had he taken down an F-14, and how had he controlled two F-14s at the same time? The imagination of the intelligence personnel struggled to comprehend Lin Mo’s actions, as they were simply too legendary to grasp.

Lin Mo found it difficult to explain himself. In front of the analytical intelligence officers, he needed a foolproof reason; otherwise, they would easily spot inconsistencies. One lie often required a hundred others to cover it up. On his encrypted laptop channel, he could only promise to submit a detailed operational report once he returned to base to temporarily satisfy their curiosity.

He had to craft this excuse perfectly, taking his time to think through each detail.

The subsequent actions targeting the “Red Scorpion” would be handled by the military and relevant departments in Kazakhstan, who would be more than willing to kick the downed enemies while they were already failing. However, all of this was unrelated to the “Night.” The principle of peaceful coexistence meant not interfering in others’ internal affairs, right?!

Regardless, Lin Mo’s rank would definitely see a change after this operation.

“Lin Mo! Haha, you’re finally back! Have you had enough of the sand out there? You little rascal, you had me worried sick!” Captain Pan, the leader of the Aircrew Group, felt a weight lift off his heart as Lin Mo reported to him. He pointed to the J-10 in the hangar, saying, “So, do you want to spray some stars on your aircraft? That would be your record, you know!”

Seeing Lin Mo’s record of capturing two F-14s, despite them crashing in the end, was another matter, but it was enough to make Pan beam with joy. These achievements would reflect upon the Aircrew Group’s reputation and, with a bit more military honor, he was contemplating whether to file a request to form an armed aviation unit. This way, his Aircrew Group would no longer just be logistics support or coordinated caretakers but genuine combat units, similar to the five combat squadrons. This would change the nature of his role as Aircrew Group leader significantly.

The difference between logistics and combat was not just in reputation but also in rewards, akin to the disparity between a concubine and the legitimate wife. Captain Pan had long dreamed of such a transition! It was only when Lin Mo arrived that he saw real hope. Now the facts proved that Captain Feng’s recruitment had been truly insightful.

“Does that even count as a shootdown?” Lin Mo asked, itching to establish a legitimate record in this world, realizing that he had been on patrol for so long he almost assumed he would be training until retirement.

However, on second thought, hadn’t he effectively shot himself down? Suddenly, he heard Gold Coin shouting in his mind, “Lin Mo, you are not allowed to put stars on me! Don’t even think about it!”

What the heck? I’m a noble giant dragon! When did I turn into a canvas?

Um!

That guy!

Thinking about it doesn’t hurt, does it?

Record achievements; that thought was indeed brilliant! Lin Mo finally noticed a significant advantage of the aerial knight forces: while the Su Lan Empire directly rewarded gold and land, he could openly flaunt his achievements.

“Of course it counts! Are those two mighty cats yours? Well, no, they’re not! Did they crash? Of course! Isn’t that the end of it?! Are they someone else’s doing? Even if you dropped a brick and it hit something, that would still be your achievement! Right? And you also shot down two helicopters! Aren’t helicopters planes? If you dare say otherwise, I might just get mad—do you know who you’re talking to?” Captain Pan argued passionately, reinforcing Lin Mo’s accomplishment with his own logic. His face filled with glee, resembling a dancing centipede, he patted Lin Mo on the shoulder and said, “Little Lin! If you take down another one, you’d be an ace!”

Sweat!

This counts too!

Captain Pan’s tremendous ambition—and greed—left Lin Mo speechless. Just a short while ago, this old man had been adamantly opposing him going into the field, yet now, upon hearing about the combat achievement, all that seemed forgotten.

Having served in this position for nearly a decade, Captain Pan needed to prove his value as a soldier through military honors. He had gone mad thinking about combat accomplishments, dismissing the humble title of Third-Class Merit as beneath him.

However, during the days Lin Mo returned to base, he still struggled with how to explain capturing two F-14s simultaneously, wracking his brain as if crafting a novel, fabricating an extraordinarily coincidental story.

In reality, his adventures infiltrating the “Red Scorpion” were laden with coincidences: he randomly encountered the “Red Scorpion” intelligence chief, caught the attention of Commander Natasha, and was even escorted to the airport without needing to move a muscle—it was as though the “Red Scorpion” was assisting Lin Mo’s mission.

The leaders of the “Red Scorpion” cried foul at such absurdity in the world!

Taking down one F-14 while bragging about it was understandable; after all, he was a pilot who had made adequate preparations before departure. Moreover, Lin Mo could claim that he had deployed remote and timed explosives utilizing his Elite Guard identity, distributing them around the airport, forcing the two “Red Scorpion” pilots to cooperate under threat of detonation while simultaneously commandeering a machine gun and unleashing chaos with the strategically planted bombs. This would create the perfect window for launching the fighter jets.

This report left everyone who read it in awe; it read less like an operational report and more like an extraordinary novel. Once Lin Mo submitted it, he clapped his hands, thinking it didn’t matter. The “Red Scorpion” personnel present at the scene, knowing the truth, had been utterly defeated by Lin Mo and Gold Coin’s Gatling mini cannon, leaving only a few survivors behind. The fierce firepower was an unrivaled tool of silence.

The story diverged sharply from the truth; unless “Night” could extract those two “Red Scorpion” F-14 pilots from hell, Lin Mo would be free to spin his wild tales, openly lying without consequence.

With the airport left in disarray due to bombardments, and the evidence of the battle making it nearly impossible to confirm the validity of Lin Mo’s statements, the insiders of the “Red Scorpion” would certainly not provide truthful accounts to the “Night” investigators.

Lin Mo planned to use this as a cover, knowing his achievements would not be lost. The higher-ups would only conduct a brief inquiry without delving too deeply, because Captain Feng’s principle was clear: the result was what mattered, not the process. Operational plans could not be written as a script; emergencies always required the executing personnel to think on their feet, and strange coincidences were hardly rare.

The staff group of the “Night” Special Operations Team maintained doubts about Lin Mo’s claims. Remote explosives? Where would he have acquired those? Homemade?

Could it be that a J-10 pilot had turned into a semi-terrorist after spending mere days in a terrorist den?!

Such claims lacked credibility, crossing fields in ways that didn’t make sense. Consequently, Lin Mo was brought into a room where a large table piled with electronic components awaited him. The person accompanying Lin Mo said, “Assemble these into remote explosives, and maybe your story will hold some weight,” implying that the leaders of “Night” truly considered Lin Mo’s report as a 007 spy novel.