Chapter 77

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Chapter 77: Being an Agent is Tough

The accent was quite strong, but since they had encountered people from various countries at the Space Administration before, this accent was easy to understand. Therefore, the two nodded without hesitation, signaling that they got the message, and then jogged over to the fighter jet.

Luo Yu looked up at the model of the aircraft; it was a bit old, but it was stocked with plenty of ammunition, making it quite practical. She nodded at Zhu Huai, and they climbed the boarding ladder, taking their seats inside.

Once Zhu Huai settled in, Luo Yu closed the cockpit cover and quickly scanned the control panel. It had been nearly ten years since she last operated an aircraft of this older model. However, since she had been a test pilot when this model was first released, she thought piloting it would not be a problem.

She calmly pressed the start button, and the panel displayed face and iris recognition. She frowned slightly but aligned her face with the scanning frame. Zhu Huai, watching nervously from behind, tightened her fists and peered outside.

Three seconds later, a green light lit up on the startup panel, indicating successful recognition and the system was ready for operation.

Zhu Huai sighed in relief, "The iris copy works. Master Shan Yi doesn’t deceive me; it’s truly reliable!"

At that moment, the bearded man outside couldn’t hold back any longer. "What are you two dragging your feet for?"

Luo Yu was also worried that lingering too long would expose them, so after starting the aircraft, she quickly taxied it out of the hangar. She took advantage of a gap in the runway traffic and took off without waiting for ground guidance, almost fleeing into the sky.

After departure, Luo Yu initially flew along the support route for a distance. Once she was beyond the remote control range of the support point, she then shut down all communications and navigation, turning the aircraft towards the heart of the Federation.

The night was a deep haze, with a foggy feeling outside the window. This darkness was entirely different from the blackness seen while navigating in space. Due to ground lights and air pollution, it seemed as if a thin veil shrouded the night sky of this world, bringing an uncomfortable sensation that made breathing difficult.

The Space Administration’s searchlights shone all night long, casting a blurry edge against the dusty night sky.

Hu Jiao, dressed in camouflage clothing, successfully infiltrated the Bureau’s administrative building under these searchlights. This kind of work had been becoming easier for her, to the point where she felt her previous career as a pilot was somewhat beneath her. She might actually be suited for a role as a versatile agent.

Brimming with newfound professional direction, she nimbly flipped into the office of the new Strategic Commander.

Sneaking into a high-level office was now becoming routine for her. This new commander, scared by the events of his predecessor, had installed two thick layers of multi-directional alarms inside and outside his office. Hu Jiao glanced at the numerous red laser beams crisscrossing the room and estimated that since he took office, the electricity bills at the Space Administration must have increased significantly—a waste.

These multiple layers of sensors presented some difficulty for her entry, but it was only minor difficulty, thankfully aided by the Ponsuo Tribe’s gift. She wore the stealth enhancement device that Luo Yu had left her, which could directly neutralize those little laser tricks. Those protective layers only required her to exert a bit more effort to unlock two extra doors.

She smoothly crossed through the last layer of the sensor walls, turned back, and cast a glance at the seemingly playful defense devices, unable to suppress a laugh. This technological advantage warmed her heart.

She casually surveyed the room; compared to the previous commander’s office, it was even more luxurious. She pouted slightly, feeling a bit regretful that she wasn’t meant to blow up this office tonight.

She walked straight to the desk and rummaged around for a moment, grabbing what Zhu Long had instructed her to collect. Then she placed her own items back, erasing any trace of her intrusion and easily left the administrative building along the same route.

Once outside and in a safe area, Hu Jiao’s communication device vibrated. She took it out to check and found a message from Luo Yu: "Everything is normal. Stay discreet."

She smiled and nodded, knowing that Luo Yu had already left the Noah Launch Site. Just as she was about to respond, Zhu Long’s call came through. She answered with a casual "Hello," expecting Zhu Long to ask how the night’s mission had gone, but was surprised when Zhu Long immediately asked, "Has Luo Yu contacted you?"

Hu Jiao swallowed hard, "No."

There was a brief silence on the line before Zhu Long replied, "Your deceit needs improvement. Come see me now." With that, she ended the call.

Hu Jiao stared at the small screen, her earlier joy from finishing her shift fading away. Dejected, she messaged Luo Yu: "Sis, I’m exposed. Zhu Long knows [Crying] I only said two words, and she saw through me."

The reply came quickly: "Just deny it to the death."

"Fine," Hu Jiao responded, adding, "She wouldn’t really harm me, would she?"

"Not at all."

Knowing Zhu Long likely had no time for idle chit-chat, she didn’t reply further. After cleaning out those messages, she sighed up at the sky, muttering to herself, "Being an agent is tough." Then she headed towards Zhu Long’s apartment.

The night grew even deeper, with thin clouds swiftly drifting across the sky in the wind, appearing like someone casually throwing around pieces of fluff as they passed by the window of the airplane.

Zhu Huai sat in the back seat of the old fighter jet, glancing at the quickly passing fragments of clouds outside. She turned off the panel that had just sent a message from Luo Yu to Hu Jiao, saying, "There’s no need to report peace to her; Zhu Long is a walking lie detector. Just one question and she’ll see right through it."

Sitting in the front, Luo Yu chuckled, "It’s fine; sooner or later, it won’t hold. I wanted her to be exposed; I wanted to test Zhu Long’s reaction."

Although both Yao Chi and Zhu Long had jointly decided on the mission to the Noah Launch Site, Luo Yu knew that their positions were ultimately quite different.

Zhu Long’s actions at the Space Administration were all aimed at overturning the balanced representation of various countries in the Bureau Office, taking complete control of the space station for her side. The potential regional conflicts that might arise were not a concern for her; after all, local military conflicts had never really ceased in this world.

However, Yao Chi, backed by the International Special Operations Department, thought differently. Her approach had always been to suppress one side while mediating the other, seeking to find the key points to resolve conflicts in order to maintain the shaky appearance of peace and prevent the entire world from plunging into chaos.

The decision regarding the Noah Launch Site was merely a consensus reached at this juncture between the two, but their ultimate goals were vastly different.

Luo Yu considered this and recognized the importance of the Space Administration’s future role in expanding the time channel. She saw this as a chance to keep Zhu Long standing behind her.

She briefly explained her idea to Zhu Huai, who listened carefully and nodded. “Indeed, Zhu Long’s position is crucial; it relates to whether we can reconnect with the Ponsuo Tribe in ten years.”

As they spoke, a quick flash of light appeared ahead: it was a plane’s signal light. Luo Yu squinted and realized it was a reconnaissance aircraft.

The reconnaissance aircraft was close enough that it would soon notice their unusual presence, so they had to shoot it down quickly.

Luo Yu swiftly changed direction in the night color and lowered her altitude, entering the blind spot below and behind the reconnaissance aircraft to observe its model and reconnaissance capabilities.

The reconnaissance aircraft was very alert and almost immediately spotted the sneaky old fighter jet behind it. It quickly ascended and turned toward them, sending out a warning. However, Luo Yu had turned off her communications and could not receive the warning; all she could see were the flashing warning lights on the reconnaissance aircraft.

She smiled slightly, “That was fast.”

From her earlier close-up observation, she had already assessed that the munitions load on the other side was not a threat. So she executed two quick evasive maneuvers to dodge its probing attacks and positioned herself above the reconnaissance aircraft, right in its firepower blind spot.

“Wow, is this what they call aerial dogfighting?” Zhu Huai was thrilled to witness air combat up close for the first time, eagerly looking around while also adding electromagnetic interference for their opponent.

Luo Yu followed the reconnaissance aircraft for a while. The other side kept descending to shake her off, but she patiently forced it into a position where the pilot would struggle to eject. Then, she raised her finger and pressed the launch button, hitting the reconnaissance aircraft’s cockpit cover and shooting it down.

Zhu Huai cheered softly from the back. Once Luo Yu saw the reconnaissance aircraft falling, she quickly turned to ascend, though her expression grew serious. “This model is too old; its attack power is limited. That little incident just wasted some fuel, so we need to hurry.”

Fortunately, on the way, Luo Yu successfully avoided ground-to-air scans and faced no further surprises. By the time they entered the heart of the Federation, the horizon was beginning to brighten.

She glanced at their current position; they were close to their destination. Just as she and Zhu Huai were discussing their later plans, they encountered two Federal fighter jets head-on.

Luo Yu frowned. They were currently flying over a desert, and those two fighter jets seemed to be heading toward the Northern Continent for support. They likely had no clue about the reconnaissance aircraft that had been shot down in the middle of the night and didn’t appear to be targeting them.

Zhu Huai looked around from the back seat. “What’s going on? Who’s up ahead?”

“I’m not sure.” After observing for a moment, Luo Yu noticed that the other side signaled with friendly signal lights, so she reciprocated. “They seem unaware of our anomalies and are signaling to confirm if we have a communication failure.”

“Should we just shoot one down like before?” Zhu Huai suggested after thinking it over.

“Can’t take them down,” Luo Yu replied firmly. “The outer shell of their aircraft is made from new materials. Our model’s bullets would barely tickle them; we wouldn’t be able to shoot down even one, let alone facing two.”

“Then what do we do? Run?”

“We can’t outrun them either. Their model can reach supersonic speeds, faster than us.”

“So, what now? Abandon the aircraft? A wing suit can withstand forty percent damage while flying; we should be able to escape without issues.”

“It’s true we could escape, but we worked hard to steal this fighter jet; it would be a shame to leave it behind.”

Zhu Huai was getting anxious. “We can’t fight them, we can’t run, and abandoning the aircraft makes me reluctant! What are you planning?”

“I’m thinking…” Luo Yu narrowed her eyes slightly, gazing at the shiny new fighter jet in the sunlight, tilting her chin. “I want to fly that one.”

Zhu Huai: “?”