Chapter 62

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Chapter 62: My Heart is Waiting

Captain Huang of the First Squad led the group of soldiers, and Lin Mo scanned the lineup, quickly spotting familiar faces: “Da Li” Li Xiuwen, “Field Frog” Huang Sheng, “Potato” Fang Xiaoyan, and others, all carrying various weapons like machine guns and sniper rifles along with electronic devices.

After counting, Lin Mo noticed that not all members of the First Squad were present; including the squad leader, only forty people had assembled.

Each of them wore a serious expression, staring straight ahead without glancing over at Lin Mo. They had completely shed their usual lightheartedness, resembling true iron-blooded warriors, silent and calm, ready to spring into action.

“The First Squad will be on duty tonight. We arranged for two Mi-17 helicopters to take them over. Lin Mo, you don’t have a task for now, so get some good rest tonight; you’ve worked hard during the day!” Captain Pan spoke to Lin Mo, sounding more like a friend than a superior, especially given the smoothness of Lin Mo’s first day on the job, which brought great pride to him.

“Could it be that I…” Lin Mo started to say, but Captain Pan placed a finger to his lips, cutting him off. “Shh! Confidential rules!”

“Check your tactical board!” Captain Pan winked at Lin Mo and then fell silent.

Lin Mo understood; everyone at the base had different security clearances, and not all information was available to everyone. Only the information allocated to their respective tactical tablets could be accessed, ensuring security at every level.

Major Huang De, the squad leader, did not approach Captain Pan to greet him but instead began organizing the team at the hangar entrance. After the standard procedures of standing at attention, relaxing, and counting off, he ordered, “Sit down and rest; wait for further orders!” He glanced at his tactical tablet; although the combat plan had not yet arrived, he saw the submission timeline for the preliminary plan from the Staff Group.

Not everyone had a tactical tablet; the base employed an intelligent central command system via large computer groups to synchronize commands to each terminal. This allowed every individual to know their location for efficient execution, creating an advanced command and management system, similar to an office OA system.

In this regard, the Chinese military was certainly not inferior to the international giant, the United States.

At this moment, the slightly relaxed “Da Li” and others turned their eyes to Lin Mo. Though they remained quiet, they exchanged knowing glances and smiles with him.

Especially “Da Li,” who smiled in a particularly strange manner, seemingly taunting Lin Mo and inviting him to join.

Lin Mo rolled his eyes at him and lowered his voice to Captain Pan. “Captain Pan, can you send me to help out? After all, I did some reconnaissance during the day.”

Dragon Knights were not reconnaissance soldiers; there was no reason for them to enjoy the scenery in the rear. Seeing the eager warriors of the First Squad made Lin Mo’s own eagerness rise.

“About that?” Captain Pan hesitated. Pilots were not the kind of troops that could engage in continuous combat. Each flight carried its dangers and required extreme mental focus and physical stamina.

“Don’t worry; I have night combat experience! This isn’t my first time!” Noticing Captain Pan’s tone soften, Lin Mo quickly took advantage of the moment.

“You submit a combat application, and I’ll pass it to the Staff Group. I can’t guarantee the outcome,” Captain Pan pondered for a moment but was swayed by Lin Mo’s enthusiasm. Compared to the operational efficiency of the fighting force, the Aircrew Group mostly handled transport and cover duties. They couldn’t let such a capable J-10 pilot languish at home like a Little Chicken.

“Okay!” Lin Mo beamed, hastily pulling out his tactical tablet from his small bag. Using palm and facial recognition, he accessed the system and submitted his application for combat, glancing at the First Squad’s tactical information since he still had access to the preliminary details. He quickly affixed his application behind the Staff Group’s combat plan.

“Done! All set!”

Captain Pan looked at his tablet, waved his finger, and handwritten his approval directly on the screen. “Agreed!”

“Thank you, Captain Pan!” Lin Mo replied with a beaming smile. He saluted in a distinctive manner, then headed straight for his aircraft.

“Hurry up, hurry up! Everything must be ready before eight; no slacking off! Grab two people to help Lin Mo!” Captain Pan’s booming voice rang out again.

The black-gray J-10 quietly stood in a corner of the hangar, like a poised elite soldier, silently awaiting its pilot. The side-looking radar and ultra-long-focus stabilized camera had already been removed, and the large bright lights overhead cast intermingling beams, making the black-gray paint seem understated and composed. Though it appeared inconspicuous, no one dared to underestimate its lethal power; the J-10, weighing eight tons, was a formidable weapon.

“Gold Coin! Help me check the aircraft! Time to get to work!” Lin Mo lightly touched a bare spot of the aircraft with his wrist. Instantly, the gold giant dragon in watch form flowed like mercury and quickly disappeared into the aircraft. No one noticed that Lin Mo’s wrist was now empty.

Lin Mo provided food and study materials for Gold Coin, while Gold Coin offered Lin Mo security. This former adversarial relationship between the Dragon Knight and the giant dragon had now formed a delicate balance of coexistence.

With a calm demeanor, Lin Mo tucked his hand into his sleeve and bent down to unlock the landing gear wheel locks.

“Lin Mo! We’re here to help!” Little Hu and Little Deng, responsible for logistics, greeted Lin Mo while driving a tug.

“It’s great you’re here to help! Hurry up; I’ll check the systems first.” Without needing to use any boarding equipment, Lin Mo grabbed the duck wings under the cockpit and jumped in, effortlessly opening the canopy. He climbed in like a gymnast, leaving Little Hu and Little Deng, both in their twenties, astonished as they stared in awe.

Check the ignition; success!

Equipment inspection; normal!

Half an hour later, after completing the inspection procedures, Lin Mo didn’t allow himself to be careless. Although he was safe under the protection of the gold giant dragon during the fall earlier, how could he explain to his superiors if the aircraft flew despite a serious malfunction upon returning to the ground?!

The political powers in this world didn’t believe in miracles; if mechanical failures occurred multiple times, they would surely discover Lin Mo’s problems.

Filling the J-10’s fuel tanks was quickly done, and using the operation manual, Deng and Hu deftly assisted Lin Mo to finish checking the J-10 before dragging the ammunition cart to the weapons depot. They waited for the ammunition list for the operation, ready to quickly return and load.

Ding…

While Lin Mo sat in the cockpit holding his tactical tablet waiting for news, the system suddenly emitted a sound. The Staff Group’s combat plan was released ahead of schedule, quickly receiving Colonel Feng’s approval and entering the higher military committee’s confirmation process.

Everything operated seamlessly under the concentrated command of the computer systems.

Lin Mo’s combat application was also linked to the First Squad’s combat plan. However, due to security clearances, he could only see the title of the plan but not the content. Only once his application was approved would he qualify to review the detailed combat actions of the First Squad.

Another long wait ensued. Outside the hangar, the two Mi-17B5 transport helicopters pushed out began roaring to life, and as the First Squad soldiers stood up, they quickly formed a line and raced toward the helicopters.

At that moment, Lin Mo’s combat approval still had not been granted.

“My heart is waiting, always waiting,

My heart is waiting, always waiting…”

The theme song of “Platform” by the original singer Zhang Hang unexpectedly echoed in the cockpit, seemingly resonating with Lin Mo’s feelings. Although Gold Coin couldn’t talk to Lin Mo directly, it could play music like an MP3.

This annoying creature left Lin Mo irritated from the teasing.

Outside the hangar, the roar of the Mi-17s suddenly intensified and gradually rose higher and higher, quickly retreating into the distance.

“You come back quickly; I can’t bear it alone…” Gold Coin cleverly switched to Sun Nan’s “Come Back Quickly” as background music, maliciously highlighting Lin Mo’s pseudo-sadness as if he were an abandoned kitten.

The blasting music from the J-10’s cockpit drew the attention of nearby Aircrew Group members, sounding loud as if a speaker had been turned on, with the hangar filled with the anguished singing of “Come Back Quickly.”

Well, this mischievous dragon successfully pranked Lin Mo. Anyone could see why he was here, and the ground crew members who had just finished their tasks felt a sensation like a cramp in their stomachs upon hearing Gold Coin’s relentless music.

Caring about their dignity, they noticed Captain Pan’s face contort with effort, and he looked quite strained, even while holding back his laughter.

If it weren’t for having come to understand Captain Pan as a kind-hearted and meticulous person over time, anyone unfamiliar with him would be scared by his fierce looking face, with its unmistakable scar resembling a centipede.

Lin Mo’s expression darkened; when did this pesky dragon become so cunning? At that moment, he wished he could pry Gold Coin out of the J-10 and toss it into a steel furnace for a re-melting.

How much of his flight allowance had this guy wasted on storage cards, acquiring such a wide variety of music?

Just when Gold Coin was relishing the moment, Lin Mo’s tactical tablet chimed with a new message alert.

The music from Gold Coin abruptly ceased.

Lin Mo quickly opened it to find that his combat application had been approved. Because Colonel Feng had requested the capture of key individuals, Lin Mo’s assigned task was to film the ground combat video and provide firepower support from the sky, loaded only with cannon rounds and no air-to-ground missiles.