Chapter 25

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Chapter 25: The Unexpected Selection

They were already selected as pilots and were supposed to finish their theoretical study before being assigned to different types of aircraft based on evaluations. Unexpectedly, while the theoretical study was still ongoing, the air force came to pick students. Those chosen surely had bright futures ahead, soaring to great heights.

Chen Haiqing exchanged a quiet glance with another student beside him; they seemed to have received some news in advance. Their expressions remained calm, which was unusual given that they had inside information about military matters.

“Wang Jun, Fan Dazhi, Chen Haiqing, Ye Xiaowei, Lei Dong, and Lin Mo, please step forward if your name is called!” The air force major announced the names of six students, scanning the group standing in front of him.

This cohort of students had formed close-knit bonds from the start of their school year. The other students, not named, displayed collective shock, and even the director showed surprise. It seemed this list was confidential, known only to a select few in the administration.

Chen Haiqing calmly stepped out of the line, and the student who had exchanged glances with him also stepped forward. One by one, the others stood out, maintaining a blend of suppressed excitement as they lined up!

Lin Mo, standing among the students, furrowed his brow. He had many gaps in knowledge about this world, and his academic performance wasn’t the best. He didn’t understand why his name was called, but from the reactions of his peers, this selection was unusual. Hearing his name, he took a few steps forward and joined the others.

After spending time together, the students understood each other well. Among the chosen ones, Chen Haiqing had the highest theoretical scores, Wang Jun had the best memory, Ye Xiaowei had a strong sense of direction, Fan Dazhi had the sharpest eyes, Lei Dong had quick reflexes, and Lin Mo had outstanding physical abilities. Each had their strengths, and there was no common advantage among them. These students were all intelligent, making it hard to infer the selection criteria.

Even if they weren’t ideal, their talents alone could form an elite bomber squad; they could handle command, navigation, piloting, target locking, and bombing—everything would be covered.

“Report!” Finally, a student couldn’t hold back and shouted, “Major Yang, I suspect this selection is confidential, and I don’t want to know where they’re going or what they’ll do, but I still want to ask why these six students were chosen and what the criteria are.”

Even though these students were all exceptional graduates from across the country and had outstanding physical and mental qualities, being eliminated still left them dissatisfied. The student who spoke voiced what everyone was thinking.

“Among those I called, someone has piloted a Boeing 737!” Major Yang maintained a calm demeanor, throwing out a bombshell. He glanced at the questioning student and continued, “Any more questions?”

Gasp… A wave of astonishment rippled through the crowd. Who was this remarkable individual? All these students were exceptional graduates, carefully selected, starting their basic theoretical studies, and yet someone among them had already flown a Boeing 737. This was mind-blowing!

Did others perhaps fly UFOs? Regardless, Major Yang’s statement indicated that undeniably solid reasons underpinned their selection criteria.

Almost all the students seemed utterly stunned, their minds buzzing with Major Yang’s words.

Chen Haiqing and the others were equally flabbergasted, looking at one another, trying to identify the extraordinary individual among their six who had flown a commercial airliner. It was hard to comprehend why someone with such experience would come here!

Stay low-key, Lin Mo thought, pretending to search for the Boeing pilot among them. He knew that information about such matters would have been kept secret. Even if it made the news, it would definitely be shielded; otherwise, it would have spread across the internet. This sudden and highly confidential selection mattered. If he was chosen, then previous piloting experience must have played a significant role.

For pilots, every hour of flying experience is precious, especially for veteran pilots. Their rankings are based on flight hours.

Major Yang’s gaze and expression remained steady, revealing no hints about the identity of the remarkable individual, and he quickly ended the conversation, seemingly to soothe the students who weren’t selected.

The director was also taken aback. Good grief! With someone like Chen Haiqing stirring things up, there was someone even more impressive among this cohort. It was clear that these students were more exceptional than previous years. No wonder the military came seeking them out directly.

“Students whose names were called, please pack your things. We will regroup here in an hour!” Major Yang maintained his cool and concise demeanor, unwilling to reveal more.

Even then, Major Yang didn’t tell the six students where they were going or for what purpose. An hour later, they boarded a military van and traveled for five to six hours to a small airport.

Night had fallen, and everything below faded into darkness. Only scattered lights remained as the S-70 Black Hawk helicopter, purchased by the Chinese military from the United States in the 1980s, cut through the dark sky, flashing signals. The older military-green helicopter’s engine roared, transforming from deafening noise to a soothing lullaby, while Major Yang remained silent after boarding, observing deeply as if in deep meditation.

After the six students boarded the helicopter with their luggage, they all fell silent, just like Major Yang. To become a pilot, one needs unwavering mental fortitude, and no rash personality could pass the psychological evaluation. In light of Major Yang’s composed demeanor, they too remained calm.

“Alright, the one who has flown a 737 can reveal themselves now!” Lei Dong, always a bit more energetic, couldn’t contain the boredom of such heavy silence. He eagerly broke the drowsy atmosphere inside the cabin, having been curious since they left school.

Major Yang, leaning against the quaking wall of the cabin, didn’t respond, as if he hadn’t heard anything.

“…” Surprisingly, no one entered the conversation. Lin Mo, resting against the cabin wall, even started to doze off. He hadn’t expected to find comfort while flying; in past flights, he had only fought in battles or guarded against his mount’s mischief.

Chen Haiqing also had many questions. He only learned about this sudden order a day in advance through external channels, but much of the information was military-sensitive; he couldn’t uncover everything. Seizing the moment to replenish his energy, he quietly observed the others, seemingly searching for hints, thinking to himself that this person was adept at concealment.

“What the heck! Is this a confidentiality rule again?” Lei Dong muttered, his curiosity mixing with frustration. The air force had stricter secrecy standards in their recruitment processes. “Where are we actually going?!” Lei Dong felt deflated, his mumbling drowned out by the helicopter’s whirring blades. The aircraft’s soundproofing left much to be desired.

Then, Major Yang finally lifted his wrist to check his watch and remarked, “We’ll arrive in half an hour. Hold onto your things!”

Outside, everything was engulfed in black night. It felt as if they had flown far from populated areas, and the fates of the six students lay entirely in the hands of the pilot.

The six students sat quietly, feel a mix of curiosity and tension. After more than half an hour, they sensed the helicopter begin to lose power, and before long, they experienced a slight shake as they descended. The cabin door swung open from the outside.

“Where are we?” As the helicopter landed, Lin Mo woke from his slumber. He felt that this world’s air force seemed to maintain a level of secrecy about him comparable to the Dragon Knight Corps of the Su Lan Empire from his previous world. Most of the base locations were hidden from public knowledge.

Lin Mo had always kept himself very concealed. Should the people of this world discover that he came from another dimension, he would likely lose his freedom. In his previous world, the occasional sudden arrivals from alternate dimensions were ruthlessly hunted down and either captured or killed, providing subjects for research. Therefore, Lin Mo was careful not to expose his uniqueness.

“Alright, this is a special training base for the air force. Here, you will undergo further study and training. Don’t think that arriving here means you’ve reached the top. If you fail the assessments, you’ll be eliminated and go back to where you came from. There will be someone here to assist you,” Major Yang called out, not following Lin Mo and the others off the helicopter. He held onto the door, addressing the six students while carrying their assorted luggage. Afterward, he saluted and shouted to the helicopter pilot, “Mission accomplished, let’s go!”

The S-70 Black Hawk helicopter, modified by the Chinese military, stirred up powerful winds as it ascended into the night sky.

Lin Mo and the others watched in amazement as the Black Hawk disappeared into the vast darkness, left behind in bewilderment. It was now 3 am, and they stood there in the pitch black.

A cold breeze brushed past, and everyone couldn’t help but shiver.