Chapter 121

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Chapter 121: Two Pentagram Stars? Chaos!

"China’s technology isn’t lacking. Their fourth-generation fighter jet, the J-20, is about to be launched, and perhaps the fifth-generation fighter is still highly classified. You should know that China’s technological progress is quite rapid. It took seven years to detonate their first atomic bomb, but only three years for the hydrogen bomb. Their advancements are extraordinary; you can’t judge an aircraft solely by its engine. A good aircraft involves much more consideration, and a higher price doesn’t always mean better quality," Dawood countered his colleague’s differing opinion, having spent time in China and understanding its weapon market.

"Alright, dear brothers! The exciting performance by the Chinese is about to start, so everyone grab your binoculars and get ready. It looks like the Chinese are determined to secure us as a major client," Klim Aziz said, glancing at his watch and halting his colleagues’ pointless arguments.

Indeed, the airshow gathered top talents, and the displays and performances were merely a prelude to the real deals—procurement orders for parts and complete systems. There were complex interests at play among the military, manufacturers, and supporting companies.

In the dazzling exhibition area, even the representatives of the Egyptian military procurement team held diverse opinions, knowing full well that this represented a significant enhancement of their country’s air force capability. Such crucial matters inevitably led to their internal disagreements, each person arguing their own point.

However, the one consensus among them was their intense anticipation for the J-10 live-fire targeting demonstration in the afternoon.

Sales representatives from the U.S., Russia, and other countries were filled with resentment, knowing that only the Chinese could conduct a live-fire demonstration. No other country would dare to fly armed fighters in Chinese airspace—that would be suicidal. There wouldn’t even be a negotiation; this was China’s home turf.

The high-ranking personnel present from China felt quite anxious as well. The J-8 was cheap but lacked power, while the price of the J-10 was nearly the same as the Su-27, with a bare aircraft price at around $30 million. A Russian salesperson casually remarked that the J-10 still used the AL-31FN engine, developed by Russia’s Lyulka Saturn Research and Production Association, which put it at a disadvantage regarding power technology.

However, a deal worth several hundred million dollars hovered in front of them, and missing out would be a disservice to their people and the party. Many domestic aviation design institutes and production companies were eagerly waiting for orders, and walking back empty-handed would be unbearable.

Word had spread early that after the acrobatic flight demonstration, there would be an unexpected live-fire targeting performance by the J-10, making the audience area packed to the brim, almost bursting with people. Barriers of steel scaffolding had been erected just ten meters in front of the audience. Even so, the crowd between the spectator stands and the high platforms became incredibly dense, with viewers squeezing through, while binoculars were selling like hotcakes, all eager for a glimpse of the fighter’s air-to-ground attack.

Over the loudspeakers, the famed host Xiao Song from Zhuhai Television energetically recited his prepared lines before the performance began, skillfully transforming into a seasoned fighter jet enthusiast alongside a so-called expert he seemed to have found out of nowhere, introducing the aircraft of various nations, including much praise for the Chinese-made fighters.

More than six hundred meters away, a row of low sandbags surrounded an orange cardboard target. With binoculars, one could clearly see a large cross marked in the white chalk circle, with the orange cardboard box sitting in the center of the cross.

After all the flight teams had finished, the roar of jet engines abruptly quieted in the sky. After half an hour elapsed and the audience’s patience ran thin, suddenly, the loudspeakers crackled to life with Xiao Song’s excited voice.

"Attention, everyone! The J-10 fighter, fully loaded with ammunition, has taken off from Foshan and will arrive in Zhuhai in five minutes. The J-10 is China’s first completely independent fighter jet with proprietary intellectual property. It is versatile, high-performing, and represents a milestone in multi-role fighter aircraft…"

Indeed, he was a master television host; his impromptu eloquence more than justified his label. The script that had been hastily prepared overnight was barely warm in his hands as he spoke fluently, as if he had memorized it all beforehand.

The roar from the skies became audible to the audience, gradually revealing a small black dot that grew larger and clearer. High-quality binoculars could now make out the fast-approaching J-10 fighter jet.

There it was—only one aircraft, and it was different from others. It lacked any bright colors and did not resemble the dazzling livery of the acrobatic teams. Instead, a heavy black-grey tone dominated, not even the standard silver-grey of the J-10.

This unique color scheme made everyone feel as if it were a soldier just returning from battle, distant and unflashy but with a sharp, formidable presence.

The roar of the single-engine burst thundered like lightning as the aircraft swooped low over the exhibition field, flying less than two hundred meters above the ground—almost all spectators could clearly see the J-10 in its entirety.

"Whoa! This looks like an experienced pilot. Let us introduce the pilot for our live fire attack, code name ‘Gold Coin.’ He is an excellent pilot… wait, what do I see?" Xiao Song, seeming to peer through binoculars, noticed every detail of the J-10 from such a close distance, especially when his gaze fell below the cockpit, causing him to momentarily lose his voice.

"What’s going on? What’s that plane doing?”

"The cockpit below, everyone quick, look! What’s that? Two pentagram stars? What does that mean?" The host’s voice trembled with excitement, and the audience’s interest peaked. Clearly, the J-10 had something special about its appearance, catching the organizers off guard.

It seemed that Mike was hushed by the host, but you could vaguely hear the host whispering snippets like “Hmm!” and “Oh, I see!”—indicating someone nearby recognized the unusual detail.

Spectators trained their binoculars like radar beams, fixated on the black-grey J-10 soaring above, puzzled and unaware of what was happening with the host.

"Xiao Song is excited to reveal that this J-10 has a shootdown record—it is a fighter jet that has truly engaged in combat. The two pentagram stars under the cockpit represent confirmed shootdowns. One star represents the downing of one enemy aircraft. These aren’t just randomly marked. Oh my gosh! From where did he shoot them down? Who is he, really?" The host reached a climax in his emotional pitch, almost losing his composure as if encountering a genuine combat hero.

"Haiqing, are you sure you commissioned Lin Mo? No one was swapped out?" Lei Dong nudged Chen Haiqing, who appeared stunned by the host’s words, into a jumble. Outside, the pilots, just out of their heavy pressure suits, heard the host’s comments, becoming utterly speechless. They knew what this meant for them.

Chen Haiqing mechanically turned to look at the similarly stunned pilots, stammering, "I-I think that should be Lin, whose name is Mo, unless he has a twin brother."

In peacetime, with not even a proper war, an aircraft suddenly appearing with a shootdown record felt utterly shocking. This wasn’t child’s play; you couldn’t just spray paint accomplishments on your aircraft. Without real achievements, ground crew would never allow a star or two to appear below the cockpit, not even a tiny flower would get approved.

Since Chen Haiqing had never seen Lin Mo’s J-10, he naturally didn’t know that the aircraft bore two kill marks—stars indicating downed enemy aircraft. While they weren’t considered official victories, Lin Mo had indeed shot down two F-14s during an in-flight operation, but this was beyond Chen Haiqing’s knowledge.

The organizers’ main stage erupted in confusion as they had invited an outstanding pilot for the demonstration, only to unintentionally spotlight a true star. The unique paint job and prominent kill marks hinted at the extraordinary nature of this J-10, astonishing everyone involved.

"The Chinese are taking this seriously! They sent a combat pilot who is on track to become an ace! Not just flashy acrobatic pilots. Dawood, get your camera ready; this is very important!" Klim Aziz, a member of the Egyptian delegation, began to look serious.

A combat pilot combined with live ammunition flaring towards an attack simulated a real battle. To the untrained eye, it was simply interesting, but experts recognized the significant quality of this aircraft and pilot, crucial for evaluating the J-10’s real performance.

"Look! He’s entering attack mode!" Someone with experience pointed to the sky and shouted.

"Heavens! What maneuver is that? What is he about to do?"

"Activating the Light Mirror Technique!"

With the weather holding up nicely, a translucent disc the size of a foot radius floated in front of Lin Mo, shifting as he moved his gaze.

As this was a demonstration, he had to add a few twists; otherwise, the audience below wouldn’t react in time before the attack concluded. In actual combat, the timing for the J-10’s attacks is measured in seconds; it could decisively handle enemies while ground troops might need hours for the same confrontations.