Chapter 155
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Chapter 155: Hidden! Relentless Greed!
Soon, within the size of a coasters, two fighter jets appeared in the Light Mirror Technique, followed closely by the silhouette of an AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft.
Two F-22s and one E-3B AWACS were quietly cruising above Zambia, and neither the FC-20’s onboard radar nor the ground radar issued any alarms. This indicated that the opponents were using stealth coatings and had activated their jamming devices. Only the optical reconnaissance mode of the Light Mirror Technique could detect them.
These guys were truly relentless, relying on their advanced aircraft to surveil from afar.
This was no joke; if Lin Mo remained unaware, a "rogue" long-range air-to-air missile could come flying toward him. Such political tricks were not new for the Americans.
The systems on the FC-20 were unable to compare to the highest configurations back home. To cut costs, the Zambian Air Force opted for lower-end radar and electronic systems, which, while sufficient among African nations, paled in comparison to the fully equipped F-22s. War is fought on technological superiority; being behind meant taking hits.
"Grafido! Perform a fire control self-test, and switch to medium-range attack mode!" Lin Mo calmly instructed.
He quietly activated the only weapon system on the K-8, conducting a self-test on the 23mm cannon, which automatically loaded. Ever since the incident with the two Su-30 dual-seat fighters mistakenly entering Zambian airspace due to a "navigation system failure," every Zambian fighter taking off—whether for routine patrol or training—had short-range combat missiles loaded. Even the K-8 training aircraft was equipped with ammunition for its sole cannon.
While Grafido in the FC-20 was completely oblivious, Lin Mo remained on high alert. The challenge of the FC-20 and K-8 against the F-22 was not as simple as teasing the Su-30 a week ago; if they couldn’t fight, they wouldn’t catch up.
The fourth-generation F-22 cruised at supersonic speeds, far outpacing the FC-20’s third-generation short-range capabilities. If a MiG-21, only able to sprint at short distances and supersonic speeds, encountered an F-22, it was destined for destruction unless the enemy made the foolish choice of engaging in close-range combat. Any aircraft below the third generation would face certain defeat.
Under the reconnaissance of the Light Mirror Technique, F-22 movements were nakedly exposed. The advanced electronics allowed the F-22s to observe Lin Mo and Zambian pilot Grafido’s training flight from afar. Lin Mo kept his vigilance high, even maintaining radio silence. He knew that no matter what signals he sent, they would be closely monitored by the E-3B AWACS; the Zambian Air Force’s technology simply couldn’t match China’s, and their transmission security was severely outdated.
Fortunately, Lin Mo and Grafido’s formation did their training flight until landing, and the F-22s did not come too close. They simply utilized their stealth advantage to scout Lin Mo and Grafido’s aircraft, waiting for an opportunity.
When Lin Mo climbed out of the K-8 training aircraft, his back was drenched in cold sweat, narrowly escaping danger once again.
As soon as he landed, Lin Mo immediately informed the other Chinese air force instructors. Unsurprisingly, despite being a training flight, the FC-20 had been outfitted with China’s latest SD-10 medium-range air-to-air missiles, which had been taken from the arms depot at Lusaka base.
The SD-10 medium-range air-to-air missile was no trivial matter; with a range of 70 kilometers, achieving four times the speed of sound, it had all-aspect attack capabilities and used active radar guidance, operating at altitudes below 25,000 meters; it even rivaled the AIM-120A/B, Russia’s P-77, and France’s MICA.
Sure enough, once the F-22s detected the medium-range missiles hanging beneath the FC-20’s wings, the onboard computer systems of the E-3B had identified the missile types, causing the two F-22s to immediately retreat from Zambian airspace. Although it was unclear how the Zambians detected them, they realized their actions had drawn attention and decisively withdrew back into the Democratic Republic of the Congo, leaving the E-3B to continue its relentless reconnaissance over the border.
The Americans were also very cautious; once the flames of war ignited publicly, it would be quite difficult to contain it. They needed unexpected incidents, and they had played that game many times before.
…
After the spoils from the Democratic Republic of the Congo were offloaded, Lin Mo quickly transitioned from an important person of interest to a minor character. Although his teaching and daily life remained unchanged, he noticed mysterious figures appearing around him, always avoiding his routine, quietly gathering bits of information as if verifying something.
"These guys still aren’t giving up!" Lin Mo realized his belongings had been tampered with. Fortunately, the diamonds he had received were already entrusted to the embassy for processing. What he left in his dormitory were ordinary items or semi-public training materials, nothing too significant.
Perhaps after being met with a major setback previously, they had acted covertly for a while but then fell silent, as if they had never appeared. Instead, a small note suddenly found its way to Lin Mo.
Someone arranged a meeting with him. Upon seeing the note, Lin Mo couldn’t help but smile; even without a signature, it was easy to tell it was from the Americans’ "professionals." Since they couldn’t take him head-on, they were trying a softer approach.
After greeting the intelligence officer at the embassy, Lin Mo proceeded to the meeting.
The location was a café, and when Lin Mo arrived, a young blonde woman had been waiting there for quite some time. She had shoulder-length hair, a tall and curvy figure radiating youthful energy, along with a natural friendliness. Perhaps considering Lin Mo being Chinese, her appearance had a hint of elegance that conformed to Eastern beauty standards, indicating that the Americans were being particularly cautious in their first interaction with Lin Mo.
They understood that to defeat two AH-64D Apache armed helicopters and ten elite soldiers in Future Warrior exoskeleton armor was no small feat, especially for a pilot; he could only be described as extraordinary. For someone like that, sending assassins would only escalate hostilities, potentially leading to a fatal confrontation.
"Captain Lin Mo, I’m Catherine Hannibal!" The blonde young woman confidently shook Lin Mo’s hand and then sat down, smiling slightly. "Would you like something to drink?" She already had a cup of coffee and some snacks in front of her.
"Hello, Miss Catherine!" Lin Mo calmly took a seat as well. Though they were in a semi-private nook and not particularly secure, he knew both sides likely had monitoring devices and listening devices in the double digits.
"Green tea, please!"
Lin Mo called for the waiter and casually ordered a cup of green tea. Even though it was a café, there were many Chinese in Zambia, and there were tea gardens as well, so finding green tea there was not surprising.
"Let’s get straight to the point; what do you want to say?"
Lin Mo would not feel any politeness just because they had set up a young and attractive female agent for him; even if he proposed something inappropriate, she would not hesitate to agree. Some conservative Chinese had a certain immunity to such ploys, recognizing the danger of seduction; they were a far cry from the straightforwardness of outsiders.
"Regarding the events of a few days ago, I’m here to apologize on behalf of our people!"
Catherine focused on Lin Mo, observing his reaction closely. To her surprise, Lin Mo showed no reaction, not even a flicker of excitement or outrage, remaining calm like a still pond.
He was a seasoned veteran, a born king of soldiers. From the gathered information about her backgrounds, Catherine had no doubt that this calmness was not merely the result of prolonged experience; it required countless life-and-death trials to forge such a profound numbness to life and death. Catherine uniquely shared this insight with Major General Ma, the commander of Team 7759.
This was purely innate mental resilience, a rare quality. Catherine felt envious of this talent as it was so hard to find. Someone like him, placed in society, would at least be a successful businessman or an elite. On the battlefield, he would undoubtedly become a nightmare for enemies.
Having acquired the spoils, reaped the benefits, and with someone in place to take the blame, Lin Mo found no further reason to feel indignant; all that remained was to retreat to some corner and secretly enjoy himself.
Catherine had misjudged from the start. Lin Mo, with rich experiences in warfare from another world, possessed far more than just talent; he was tempered by life-and-death trials and had rapidly adapted to this world’s style of warfare, becoming increasingly powerful—something everyone had failed to notice.
"Apologies?! Is that really all you have to offer?!" Lin Mo smirked, revealing a disdainful cold smile. If apologies were sufficient, the dead would come back to life. The Americans loved to talk; there was little substance to their words.
Lin Mo’s implication was direct. At this point, there was no room for sidestepping; everything was based on strength.
This was blackmail, utterly blatant. Catherine’s expression stiffened; this lieutenant pilot was utterly resistant to pressure.
If not for the fact that pilots ranked among the top three most exceptional physical specimens in the world, with specialized combat training courses, Catherine would have eagerly taught this guy a lesson for causing her country significant losses.
"If you answer a few questions first, then we can negotiate about everything else," Catherine suppressed her displeasure, her expression turning somewhat severe. If friendly dialogue was impossible, then business would proceed in a straightforward manner. She had not considered openly threatening him because the facts told her of his formidable power—whether in the air or on the ground.
Answering questions?! Lin Mo’s mind raced, implying that the Americans had not yet connected the explosive theft of the arms depot to him, still in doubt. If they confirmed he was responsible, they likely would have already acted. After all, they had bombed the Chinese embassy before; nothing was beyond their reach.
