Chapter 164
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Chapter 164: A Waste of 50 Million
"Good! This really is an excellent fighter jet. I truly hope to see it take to the skies, guarding our beautiful homeland and defeating the enemy outside our borders." General He always holds an encouraging attitude toward the officers who spontaneously research combat weapons. "If you encounter any difficulties, just bring them to us. Although this isn’t a key state project, we in the Special Forces also encourage and support officers’ innovations and technological advancements, and we will provide some assistance for valuable research work."
"The main problems are a lack of funding and difficulties finding suitable electronics. The basic structural materials are fine. I hope to obtain technical authorization for cutting-edge equipment like high-overload cockpits at a low-price single machine authorization," Lin Mo replied, shrugging his shoulders. This guy is a real money pit. So far, he has invested nearly 40 million RMB, and there’s still a long way to go before completion. It’s not like the mechs in novels, where all parts can easily be purchased with money. Many are restricted by international military technology barriers; even spending a hundred times the money, they still might not sell.
“General He, Colonel Huang, Captain Lin Mo has invested nearly 50 million RMB in this aircraft. Major domestic aviation manufacturers are providing technical support and spare parts for it,” Captain Feng, who was accompanying them, suddenly chimed in. Although General He had good intentions, Lin Mo’s project was not a small invention or creation. While the chief promised support, they couldn’t just pour money into a bottomless pit; developing a fighter jet isn’t easy.
“50 million?!” General He was taken aback, and Colonel Huang’s expression changed simultaneously. They both exclaimed, “That’s all Captain Lin Mo’s money?!”
That amount could buy a fully equipped J-8!
"Yes, last month, when Captain Lin Mo received aviation training assistance from Africa, the son of the Zambian Air Force Commander gifted him a batch of diamond raw stones as a personal gesture. Together with part of a task bonus from the military committee, they comprised the research and development funds."
Though Captain Feng said this, he couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with mixed emotions upon receiving intelligence about Lin Mo’s actions in Africa. He had stirred up quite a hornet’s nest, but the gains from it were surely significant, far outweighing the risks at that time.
Task bonuses?! Captain Feng put it subtly; both General He and Colonel Huang, having access to relevant information, understood what he was implying. Anyone would be amazed at Lin Mo’s luck; however, such opportunities don’t come to just anyone, and the risks involved are unimaginable.
Not every inventor has the opportunity to secure sufficient funding; countless projects have been abandoned in history due to a lack of research funds.
The fortune gained from this task could instantly make someone a millionaire. Surprisingly, he didn’t think about splurging, acquiring assets, or settling down for a comfortable retirement; Lin Mo didn’t even flinch and poured everything into this “Genius” fighter jet.
Such blatant wastefulness showed how he regarded money. This illustrates that besides being an ace pilot, Captain Lin Mo is also a super-obsessed fighter jet enthusiast.
Even if rival forces wanted to buy him off, they’d better check if their wallets matched up.
“So that’s how it is?!” General He looked at Lin Mo with eyes that now held respect rather than curiosity. This truly is a crazy fighter pilot; perhaps only the most dedicated can become a genius.
It is precisely for this reason that Lin Mo’s growth speed has been astonishing, transforming into an ace in less than a year.
“Alright, I’ll think of a plan. Although the organization can’t provide much funding assistance, as developing fighter jets is extremely costly, we cannot recklessly spend taxpayers’ money. However, we will contact domestic research departments in hopes that they can open up and provide some cutting-edge equipment and technology. We really want to see just how ‘Genius’ this fighter jet can be! If it’s a success, I will certainly commend you!”
General He clearly didn’t take Lin Mo’s passionate hobby lightly; he was treating it with utmost seriousness. However, pouring 50 million into just the current state of this project would likely be insufficient without several billion to complete it. Thankfully, Captain Feng intervened; otherwise, they would have truly jumped into this bottomless pit. The annual operating budget of several Special Forces units nationwide is only around 1.6 billion RMB.
“Why haven’t I seen the aircraft engine? Do we need to contact several domestic aviation engine manufacturers to sponsor two engines in the name of testing?!”
Colonel Huang keenly noticed that Lin Mo didn’t mention the engine while discussing the difficulties regarding this “Genius” fighter jet. It seemed he had already developed a solid understanding of the most crucial part of the aircraft, which struck them as quite strange.
“Uh!” Lin Mo whispered something into Colonel Huang’s ear, causing the colonel’s expression to change dramatically like a carnival with a myriad of colors.
In disbelief, he looked at Lin Mo, “Really, really?!”
“Really!” Lin Mo nodded. If it had been yesterday or earlier today, he wouldn’t have dared to say this. But today, he spoke confidently.
“Unbelievable!”
Colonel Huang couldn’t help but exclaim in excitement, “It seems there’s really hope! Captain Lin, you’ve done a great service for the country. I will apply to higher-ups to classify this as a national project. This way, your funding and technical issues could easily be resolved. As for whether it will be equipped, we can regard it as a reserve for technological accumulation!”
Hearing Lin Mo’s whispered words ignited Colonel Huang’s passion; this “Genius” fighter jet is already quite feasible. Just one final push is needed, and it’s hard to imagine that this is an extraordinarily powerful weapon being supported solely by one person.
“Old Huang, what’s going on?” General He said, sensing Colonel Huang’s sudden excitement after hearing Lin Mo’s whisper.
“General He, let me tell you!” Colonel Huang also leaned in and whispered a few words to General He.
Really?! General He could hardly believe it; that implied a high level of secrecy, and such information isn’t just passed around lightly; it’s deadly serious.
As if contagious, Colonel Huang’s earlier expression mirrored General He’s. His facial muscles twitched, and he thought, 50 million?! The cost is nearly two billion! There’s been no individual investment in research this unprecedentedly insane in world military history. Even the highest-level leaders are going crazy alongside him.
Such immense wealth indeed gives one such audacity. All the madmen are accompanying this little madman on his spree, and they are truly willing to invest.
General He calmed his excitement and looked at Lin Mo, his expression changing again. “Captain Lin Mo, if you are willing, I can recommend you to the aircraft design institute. There, you will have better conditions and a development environment!”
This was no longer a small invention; it had become an important weapon of high military value and strategic significance. The money already poured into it is more than enough to shock anyone.
General He’s words required significant courage and determination; voluntarily reallocating the best fighters from his most elite combat units to unrelated departments was like digging into his own flesh. Not everyone would willingly do such a thing, making it rare for him to think this way about Lin Mo.
However, Lin Mo shook his head. The battlefield for an Air Knight is always in the sky. How could he truly become a craftsman for weaponry? That would completely contradict his original intention. He said, “A pilot’s world belongs only to the sky, and a warrior’s fate can only be fulfilled on the battlefield, nowhere else!”
His final statement echoed a famous quote from his time in the Su Lan Empire’s legion: a warrior’s fate belongs only on the battlefield, not elsewhere. Dying in bed would be the greatest tragedy for a warrior!
“Is that so?!” General He, who had once grown from an ordinary soldier, seemed to be reminded of past memories by Lin Mo’s words. He suddenly understood that what Lin Mo was doing was not just to create some monstrous fighter jet but to unleash his full combat capabilities.
This young man was truly born for the sky battlefield!
“Do you really love this battlefield that much?!” General He’s gaze sharpened, locking onto Lin Mo intently.
A long-dormant warrior heart ignited within General He.
“Yes!” Lin Mo replied calmly, though his words concealed a fierce determination to fight.
A man’s affair lies in the battlefield, courage like a bear, eyes like a wolf.
He never wanted to return to a world where, in his childhood memories, he was bullied into submission, struggling to survive.
Even with a living situation as unpredictable as morning to night, he sought to regain his dignity on this battlefield, to become a person of worth, to live and die with dignity.
“Good!” General He said simply but emphatically, etching Lin Mo’s name deep into his heart. To encounter such a warrior at the Night Special Forces base was already the greatest gain of this trip.
“Keep it up! I have high hopes for you!” Colonel Huang, feeling solemnly respectful, noted how rare such innate warriors were in these peaceful times, akin to a phoenix among unicorns.
“The blueprints for this fighter jet also have backups in several major aircraft design institutes, where they are doing similar work to mine,” Lin Mo added. Thanks to the retired expert Uncle Yan from the 611 Institute, various domestic aircraft design and manufacturing entities have participated, in varying degrees, in the design of this “Genius.” It’s not just Lin Mo who is working in isolation; pairs of corresponding components compatible with Lin Mo’s design can also be found in these design offices for verification and testing purposes.
