Chapter 59
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Chapter 59: Express Delivery of the J-10A
“Captain Lin, don’t just hang out with the First Squad. Come by the Third Squad sometimes! If there are any low-risk missions, you can join us for a fun ride. Here, let me introduce myself. I’m Chen Renkai, the captain of the Third Squad. Please take care of us in the future.” A tall, dark-faced soldier approached, showing no intention of letting Captain Huang monopolize Lin Mo.
“Go away, Chen! Who doesn’t know you in the Third Squad only does small tasks? You took on a big job last time, and now you’re short on personnel! The First Squad has plenty of stimulating actions, all seasoned veterans, so it’s safe. Captain Lin, as a pilot with sharp eyesight, can fire from a distance, which is guaranteed to be thrilling,” Captain Huang from the First Squad retorted, unwilling to let the Third Squad take Lin Mo.
Building good relationships with fighter pilots is crucial. When they need to dispatch aerial support, Lin Mo’s soldiers could save plenty of energy; it just meant Lin Mo would press the launch buttons a few times. The recent combat mission of the Fifth Squad was proof of this; they earned a collective Third-Class Merit like it was picking up something from the ground.
“I say, old Huang, how do you speak? How about we practice!” The thought of the nine missing personnel in the squad stirred Captain Chen Renkai into action.
“Let’s practice then! We haven’t trained in a while. Come on, let’s spar!” Captain Huang De of the First Squad was equally unyielding, ready to begin the practice right then and there, using his charm to win people over.
Making a name in the military through actual hard work isn’t just about talking. Fights happen frequently in the ranks, and while there are strict regulations against brawling, unspoken rules remain. If a soldier can’t even throw a punch, are they really capable? On the battlefield, they might as well wet their pants.
As the two squad leaders prepared to display their skills, Lin Mo realized that this “sparring” was actually a tradition of the First Squad, so it made perfect sense for the leaders and even their men to want to “spar” with newcomers.
“Captain Huang and Captain Chen, you both seem to be enjoying yourselves!” Another figure interjected, shaking Lin Mo’s hand. “I’m Wang Yilong, the captain of the Fifth Squad. Our last collaboration was great, and you deserve part of that Third-Class Merit!”
“What? Captain Lin is the pilot who treats the cannon like he’s sniping?” Captain Huang De and Captain Chen Renkai widened their eyes in surprise.
“Yeah! Haven’t you seen the operation videos? A few bursts from the cannon took care of a tent. By the time we charged in, we were just cleaning up,” Captain Wang Yilong exaggerated slightly, but it reflected Lin Mo’s significant contributions during that battle.
“Not at all! It was all thanks to Captain Wang’s command. Without their encirclement, I couldn’t have done it alone,” Lin Mo humbly responded.
“Looks like Colonel Feng quietly brought us a big catch!” The three captains generously praised their commander, showering him with compliments that flowed like a river. It almost gave the impression that they weren’t iron-willed soldiers but rather scheming courtiers.
“You bunch are so sickening, a group of sycophants!” A knowledgeable female voice cut in without hesitation.
Following the sound, Lin Mo saw a woman in her thirties dressed in professional attire, confidently extending her hand. “Hello, Captain Lin. I’m Ji Konglin from the Staff Group!”
“Hello!” Surprised to find such a beautiful supervisor in their "Night" unit, Lin Mo shook her hand, feeling a delicate touch. It was hard to believe that this seemingly typical office worker was actually a decisive combat unit female staff member.
“Hello, I’m Zhang Zhenyu, the captain of the Fourth Squad!” “Hello, I’m Han Xiaoren, the captain of the Second Squad!” The other two squad leaders introduced themselves simultaneously.
“I’m Xie Fengdao, leader of the Intelligence Group!”
“I’m Sima Peng from the Equipment Group!”
The leaders of the "Night" unit gathered around Lin Mo, while others also came over to greet him, eager to familiarize themselves. Although their ranks were higher than Lin Mo’s as a junior lieutenant, the advanced firepower of a fighter pilot made him an attractive asset. No one wanted Lin Mo to hold back during missions, pressing fewer triggers or launching fewer missiles.
After all, sometimes the outcome of a battle comes down to that single missile. The unique speed and frequency of the air force can often leave opponents powerless to retaliate; on the battlefield, the air force remains the highest level of combat power.
Pan Rongyong, the leader of the Aircrew Group, watched Lin Mo and the others interact from a distance with a smile. He wasn’t in a hurry; Lin Mo was his new team member, and he had plenty of time to build rapport.
In just half a day, Lin Mo familiarized himself with most of the base, knowing that the maze-like underground facilities served as the final defense of the country and possessed various functions. Everyone knew that even the strongest fortress can be easily breached from within. If an emergency arose, immediate evacuation or counterattack was essential. Until Lin Mo’s dedicated aircraft arrived, he helped the aircrew team tidy up the hangar and maintain several helicopters.
With Captain Pan’s permission, Lin Mo occasionally practiced flying the armed helicopters. The vertical takeoff and landing of such aircraft differed significantly from jet fighters, but Lin Mo quickly adapted, having previously flown the gold giant dragon with its versatile flying posture. He found it easy to adjust, relying on his innate Void Magnetism abilities to elevate himself.
A week after arriving at the base, Lin Mo received an express delivery from the military. Dozens of Dongfeng trucks delivered sealed alloy boxes of various sizes to the hangar.
He was still asleep when called awake, only to learn that his fighter jet had arrived. However, upon arriving at the hangar, he was taken aback by the stacked boxes towering like a small mountain. It was not the entire J-10 he had imagined.
When a technical manual thick enough to serve as an aerial bomb was handed to him, it jolted him back to reality.
“Get used to it, just get used to it!” Captain Pan, who hadn’t slept either, winked at Lin Mo, indicating that such a delivery method was a regular occurrence.
Being a highly confidential base, they couldn’t make a big show of their operations. Everyone entering the base went through strict checks, and only specialized transport teams were allowed access.
Any fighter jet is far more expensive than luxury cars like Bentleys or Bugattis, and the mountain of boxes contained components to assemble a whole J-10, along with backup parts, maintenance materials, and specialized tools.
Of course, this was all paid for by the government, a bill shared by the citizens. Even the wealthiest show-offs couldn’t afford something like this.
Neither Lin Mo nor Captain Pan slept all night, both of them wide-eyed, flipping through the thick manual. The J-10 was mainly designed as a fighter aircraft capable of carrying specialized munitions for surface-to-air strikes, primarily for aerial protection and to eliminate enemy aerial forces.
They didn’t deliver the Q-5 fighter because there were no suitable ground attack aircraft available domestically. If the J-14 had been fully operational, Lin Mo would have received a brand-new J-14 fighter.
Assembling the plane was definitely a tiring task. They cleared all the boxes, checked off the parts, and rearranged them in the order they would be used with a forklift. This was not as simple as building a DIY computer at home; the first box contained unpacking tools, the next assembly tools, and then the modular components of the aircraft. Among the most critical parts was the Russian-made AL-31FN turbofan vector engine, securely packaged in a shockproof box. If damaged, there would be no place left to cry.
Perhaps Lin Mo was brought into this special operations unit because of his understanding of fighter jet structures and decent manual skills, which would help ensure the aircraft’s successful deployment.
Aircrew leader Pan Rongyong mobilized the entire Aircrew Group, slowly piecing together the majority of the aircraft.
Some low-temperature assembly components were permanently attached once installed, testing everyone’s patience. Fortunately, most people in the aviation industry aren’t hot-tempered; they learned and explored as they worked.
“Thank goodness! Finally, no extra parts came out!” Lin Mo sealed the last cover, wiped the oily sweat from his brow, and let out a long sigh of relief now that his beloved aircraft was ready.
An LED clock resting on a vacant alloy box read “23:19.”
The hardest part of the assembly wasn’t fitting the parts together or finding missing pieces, but rather dealing with unexpected additional parts at the end. Finding the missing components among thousands of tiny pieces was harder than reassembling everything again.
Without relying on the boarding ladder, Lin Mo jumped into the cockpit first and powered up the system, illuminating the interior with bright lights.
Beep… beep… beep… beep… beep beep…
The indicator lights on the control panel flashed rhythmically, alternating between bright and dim, continuously making alert sounds as Lin Mo’s hands danced over the settings.
