Chapter 140
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 140: The Rising Dragon
“Lin Mo, don’t agree to him!” Both sides were conversing in fluent English, but Major Huang De’s face stiffened. He lowered his voice and spoke to Lin Mo in Chinese, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation. As the son of the Zambian Air Force Commander, such words could lead to serious consequences.
Lin Mo didn’t respond, smiling at Major Kauala, thinking that this young officer’s rank was quite inflated. He probably hadn’t even turned twenty-five yet.
“What’s wrong? Are you scared?” Kauala’s tone turned provocatively sharp, filled with the pride commonly seen in Zambian youths towards China, as he slightly raised his chin.
Lin Mo wondered what source of pride this young man could possibly have. If not for China’s aid to small African nations, those countries would have likely been conquered by external forces long ago. They believed China was trying to flatter them.
Nearby, Engineers Yang and Bai desperately signaled Lin Mo. They recognized the stakes; this Air Force Commander’s son was clearly an arrogant youth. If it weren’t for his father, they would have urged Lin Mo to knock some sense into this ignorant brat.
“I’ve flown the American F-16, the Russian Su-27, and the Swedish Gripen JAS-39. Why would I hesitate to give it a try?” Major Kauala smirked, seeing Lin Mo unaffected. He pulled a small bag from his pocket and, using two fingers, produced a transparent crystal, shaking it in front of everyone. “Here, let’s make a bet. If you win, this will be yours: a 50-carat diamond, VVS grade. With a good cut, it could sell internationally for around 2 million dollars.”
Two million dollars was enough to buy a fairly decent military jet engine.
Lin Mo’s pupils constricted. He knew Africa was rich in diamonds, and that they were worth a lot of money. Creating his dream “demon king” fighter would be an expensive endeavor, so someone effectively offering him cash made a significant difference.
Alright, Kauala, if you want to challenge me so badly, I’ll oblige, Lin Mo thought, regarding the son of the Zambian Air Force Commander. It was as if he was daring a Dragon Knight, completely unaware of the risks involved—there are limits to one’s patience.
“Fine, let’s see how this goes!”
The pride of a Dragon Knight meant Lin Mo couldn’t ignore repeated challenges from others, especially when there was something to gain that might alleviate his urgent need for funds.
Major Huang De and the others’ faces changed; Lin Mo couldn’t afford to lose his patience like this. Even a jest could have deflected the situation. This was not China, where one could practice without consequence.
Zambian youths were notoriously proud, often blindly ignoring the consequences, and the son of the Air Force Commander was no exception.
The young Kauala wore a grin as he handed the rough diamond to Major Mora. “Uncle Mora, can you be my witness? If Captain Lin Mo wins, that diamond is his.”
“Kauala, you shouldn’t say that! Quickly take it back!” Major Mora’s expression turned grave. This reckless young man was putting a gap between Zambia and China.
If not for the long-standing friendship between his father and Mora, who was a high-ranking member of the Multi-Party Democracy Movement (MMD), he would have dragged Kauala to confinement for a week on the spot.
“Uncle Mora, it’s just a friendly competition. Nobody will get hurt, so what’s there to worry about?” Kauala’s use of “uncle” made Mora’s expression harden, subtly reminding him of the public and private pressures from Kauala’s father. He lowered his voice, speaking only where Mora could hear, “By the way, I won’t mention the kickbacks from the arms deal to my father! You can rest easy, Uncle Mora.”
This little brat struck a nerve with Mora, who felt extremely frustrated. If Kauala’s father were not the Zambian Air Force Commander, he wouldn’t even rank high enough to be a private. There was always some hidden gain in military purchases that would end up in the pockets of the leaders on the main acquisition side—an unspoken agreement between the Chinese and Zambian transaction teams. But it must never be revealed; the newly appointed president was keenly focused on corruption, watching closely for any missteps from the previous leaders. Kauala’s words were like a dagger to Mora’s heart.
Facing Kauala’s boldness, Mora chose to remain silent and give in.
Major Huang De exchanged looks with the others and patted Lin Mo on the shoulder. “Get him some payback, Lin! Show him why flowers are red!”
Earlier, they had aimed to prevent Lin Mo from confronting Kauala from a national standpoint. Now, it was personal; sending this bratty officer to seek a beating practically begged for it.
With a smirk, Lin Mo tilted his mouth upward, locking eyes with Major Kauala. It didn’t matter if he was the son of the Zambian Air Force Commander; if he wanted to provoke, Lin Mo would not hold back.
The weather personnel confirmed good flying conditions, and medical staff conducted checks on Lin Mo and Kauala, granting them approval to board. The entire airfield sprang into action.
Two MiG-21s were fueled and pushed onto the runway. The J-7 approached the MiG-21. Although there were differences in functional modules and appearance, they both shared Russian lineage. The simulation systems in China’s training aircraft included the MiG-21 interface, so Lin Mo was already familiar with it after flying the J-10.
Kauala flashed his white teeth at Lin Mo once more, muttering something unclear before climbing into the cockpit and closing the hatch.
The two MiG-21s took off one after the other, veering left and right, each heading in a different direction as they entered the designated combat training area over Lusaka.
Clouds floated in the sky at six thousand meters, some large, some small, resembling all kinds of shapes under human imagination—birds, beasts, flowers, and fish. The two small dark dots roared through the sky, disappearing amid the clouds.
The radar on the MiG-21 clearly showed Kauala’s plane signaling in another direction, but soon vanished within the 30-kilometer search radius of the onboard radar. The moment the radar blip disappeared, Lin Mo heard Kauala’s voice in his helmet’s earpiece: “Captain Lin Mo, let’s officially start!”
“Alright! I’m on my way!” Lin Mo swiftly pulled the aircraft to gain altitude. The MiG-21, designed based on air combat experiences from the Korean War, required agility, speed, and strong firepower. While its combat capabilities were not on par with the J-10, the more than 10,000 that had been produced made it a reliable aircraft in terms of technology and quality, comparable to the AK-47.
Gaining altitude first made it easier to spot the opponent and launch an attack, and Lin Mo trusted that Kauala, claiming to have flown various fighters, would do the same.
The MiG-21 utilized Western-standard avionics, similar to those of the MiG-29, Su-27, Mirage 2000, Typhoon, F-15, F-16, F-18, and F-22, making it operable with proper training. Kauala’s claims were no baseless boasting.
“That little brat Kauala just loves causing me trouble!” Major Mora watched the radar at the Lusaka Air Force Base, observing the signals of the two aircraft. The airport’s radar had significantly greater power and search range than the onboard radar. The two MiG-21s’ signals moved across the radar and map screens, with Lin Mo’s and Kauala’s voices clearly audible in the control tower.
Before the two sides engaged, Major Mora quickly contacted his direct superior, Commander Xin Gaoyuan, to report the situation.
Just as Major Mora held the phone, speaking to Commander Xin Gaoyuan, Lin Mo and Kauala had already spotted each other. Yes, both MiG-21s’ radar screens lit up with each other’s icons simultaneously. In almost perfect synchrony, the two fighter jets began to close in, ready to strike like assassins.
If bombers operated like tanks, plowing through obstacles without concern, and ground attack aircraft acted like cavalry, striking fiercely at unexpected moments, then fighter jets were more like knights, targeting the enemy’s elite with precision strikes, dealing decisive blows and retreating, constantly capitalizing on opportunities.
Lin Mo did not activate the Light Mirror Technique; he wanted to assess his air combat skills on equal footing with the opponent.
Lin Mo’s pupils slightly constricted as he identified a target. To the left front, at roughly eleven o’clock, he spotted a small dark dot weaving through the clouds, estimating an altitude difference of about a thousand meters—a rapidly closing distance.
Lin Mo suddenly pulled back on the control stick, quickly changing the MiG-21 from its cruising position, flipping its flaps, and executing a rapid turn to bite toward Kauala’s tail. He aimed to place Kauala within the optimal attack angle while locking onto him with the fire control radar.
Almost simultaneously, that small dark dot quickly shook and maneuvered in a defensive gesture, clearly alerted by the missile targeting radar. Kauala had evaded Lin Mo’s attack angle moments before being locked onto, then launched a similar attack toward Lin Mo’s MiG-21, reducing speed and adopting a trailing attack position.
The two MiG-21s twisted and turned like dragons in the vast cloud sea, entangled with each other while seeking opportunities to deliver a devastating blow.
