Chapter 339

Chapter 339: Entering Port for Rest

In Thailand, Songkhla Joint Base, Phang Nga Joint Base, Koko Islands in Myanmar, Guadar Port in Pakistan, and Chittagong in Bangladesh are all overseas bases of China.

Additionally, there is a group of islands in the central-southern Pacific named Tuamotu, at longitude 144 degrees West and latitude 18 degrees South. This group consists of over eighty coral atolls, and though it is under French sovereignty, China has planted its flag there. It has become a supply station for expeditions to Antarctica, along with establishing an observation center.

You see? The Chinese are not just aimlessly wandering about!

"Welcome, welcome! I am Qin Shenghua, the Political Commissar of the ‘Forward’ battalion stationed at the Sino-Thai Joint Base, and this is our Company Commander, Cen Silun."

Two officers in camouflage uniforms met the nine duty captains at the makeshift landing bridge that had been temporarily welded to the Shilang after it docked.

Due to being an overseas base, the political officers among the local garrison had been promoted a level higher, with the original instructors upgraded to the status of political commissars, which usually required a brigade-level rank.

"Hello, I am Duty Captain One, Li Xiaoyan!"

"I am Duty Captain Two, Yang Hong!"

"I am Duty Captain Three, Bai Yaoping!"

"I am…."

…

"Nice to meet you!" Political Commissar Qin and Captain Cen extended a warm welcome to the high-ranking officers from the Shilang group as they arrived for rest.

"We have already made thorough arrangements here. We built barracks to accommodate seven thousand people, with food and supplies provided with support from the Thai military." Political Commissar Qin directly informed the senior officers of the Shilang group about the preparations made at the Sino-Thai Joint Base.

To welcome the arrival of the Shilang aircraft carrier training group, they spent two months preparing and organizing.

Before moving troops, food must first be prepared. With over 5,000 officers and soldiers on the Shilang, the daily food supply required was incredible. The provisions included massive quantities of water, rice, meat, fresh vegetables, and fruits. The Thai contractors were overjoyed, seeing the Chinese as a windfall of fortune.

Don’t underestimate the consumption over these two weeks; it would allow these Thai merchants to rake in more money than they usually see in a year.

Normally, only a handful of people are on the flight deck of the Shilang, but when everyone came rushing out from below decks, it was quite a sight. As this was the inaugural training ship, many crew members occupied a single position, leading to far more people disembarking than on a typical aircraft carrier.

The nine duty captains and escort ship captains were all in high spirits meeting the local garrison leadership. From time to time, crew members exited the landing bridge, cheering as they stepped onto land. After two months, this was their first time on solid ground, and some who had grown accustomed to the swaying at sea found themselves feeling like the ground was still moving beneath them, stumbling about, which caused others to burst into laughter.

The fleet replenished supplies from the local Songkhla Joint Base, making it much more economical and efficient compared to sourcing supplies from the Hainan base thousands of miles away. Furthermore, they could obtain local fruits that would help replenish the vitamins lacking from their prolonged time at sea, providing a great opportunity for relaxation and preventing sea-related illnesses.

At the base’s port, preparations for the arrival of over 5,000 Chinese personnel were well underway. Although they did not have enough housing to accommodate everyone, they set up rows of tents in open spaces. These tents were fully equipped with beds, mats, thin blankets, electric fans, and lights, along with shower and leisure areas.

These temporary accommodations were prepared for officers and soldiers from the Shilang and other vessels who preferred to rest ashore, though some still enjoyed the lifestyle within the ship’s living cabins.

The Thai side also dispatched senior officials specifically for the reception. Despite the expenses for food and drinks being covered by China, it was still a considerable matter. Any mishap could definitely affect the friendship between China and Thailand, especially since the Thai relied on China for military protection.

To ensure a pleasant holiday for the Chinese navy officers arriving at the base, Thailand arranged dedicated personnel to manage bus tours. They even set up separate tents for travel registration, along with buses for transport, all while providing police escort.

This arrangement prevented potential risks from the Shilang aircraft carrier group engaging in free activities and also provided the Thai government and people with a disciplined impression.

Below the flight deck of the Shilang, in the hangar, the heat was unbearable. Even though the air conditioning and exhaust fans were running, they could not alleviate the sweltering heat brought on by the tropical climate at latitudes between 5 degrees North and 10 degrees North.

Once the Shilang ceased movement and stopped the main engines, the sea breeze and seawater could no longer dissipate the heat on the deck. The intense sunlight caused the accumulated heat on the flight deck to transform the lower deck into an oven; the hangar suffered the most. Although there was insulation, it could not completely shield the area from the nearly 50-degree Celsius heat.

“Instructor Lin! Why are you still here? It’s so hot! Why not go outside and cool off? We can go swimming! We are closest to Phuket; let’s go have some fun!”

The trainees from Training Group 15 found their instructor, with nearly one instructor for every training group, splitting up to explore.

“No, there is still much work to be done.” Lin Mo feigned wiping his sweat. Despite the high temperature, his camouflage uniform showed no signs of moisture, unlike the engineers beside him, who were already dripping with sweat.

Several large plastic basins filled with ice blocks were nearby. While they somewhat lowered the temperature, they could not prevent the relentless heat.

“You are still so dedicated! You’re a pilot, so why are you doing mechanic work?”

Captain Cao Yang, nicknamed “Catfish,” seemed to catch a whiff of barbecued food from the upper deck. This instructor appeared to be only fixated on fighter jets with no room for other interests. Who knows if this dedicated instructor could find a girlfriend—he seemed too focused on his work.

On the flight deck of the Shilang, where flight missions had paused, some eager Chinese navy personnel set up an iron griddle for barbecuing. They spread a black matte alloy plate under the sun, and soon they could sizzle eggs to perfection, filling the air with mouthwatering aromas. Meanwhile, they pulled out seafood stored in the iceboxes, set up tents, placed ice buckets with drinks, and enjoyed the abundant fruits from what is termed the “Kingdom of Fruits.” Those unfazed by the heat had a great time.

“Oh! This is just my part-time job, and it’s a personal hobby!” Lin Mo replied while biting on a pen and typing swiftly on the keyboard, continuing to debug systems with both hands busy.

The gold giant dragon’s main body lay hidden in his living cabin, taking advantage of the ship’s temporary emptiness to tinker with the newly acquired electronic components, working with new ideas in mind.

The separate Gold Coin function resided on Lin Mo’s left wrist, acting as a communication node, not affecting their spiritual connection.

Lin Mo successfully managed to multitask, listening to Gold Coin relay codes while quickly inputting data himself, undeterred by his conversation with the trainees.

This part-time job on the Shilang came with a handsome paycheck; in addition to his instructor subsidy and Night’s stipend, Lin Mo earned a salary equivalent to that of Engineer Qiu, giving him a substantial income.

Of course, the wages paid by Shenyang Aircraft Manufacturing Plant were exceptionally generous since military enterprises usually have robust collaborations, allowing for talent sharing without any issues. Lin Mo’s part-time job was thus tacitly approved by his superiors.

Not only did Shenyang Aircraft Manufacturing Plant feel fortunate to have him, but perhaps the commander of the South China Sea Fleet felt equally delighted, realizing that this cross-department, remotely assigned officer had such capabilities. Initially thought to be sent merely to avoid trouble or simply acknowledge the aircraft carrier training group, numerous pleasant surprises unfolded, keeping senior officials in the South China Sea grinning ear to ear.

“Instructor Lin, life is short. If you’re always revolving around planes, what if you don’t have a girlfriend? By the way, do you even have a girlfriend?” The trainees from Training Group 15 persistently sought to push Lin Mo outside, looking for opportunities.

In military camps, even a mother pig can surpass Diao Chan, as relationships are always a hot topic among soldiers. The aircraft carrier fleet teems with lovely female soldiers, creating a “men are wolves, and women are rare” scenario.

Every training group forms a natural little team, rife with competition between various groups. Fortunately, the newest instructor was the strongest among them (even now, many still don’t know that the instructor team leader, Colonel Wu Nanjie, is also an ace), adding considerable prestige to Training Group 15.

With the entire fleet enjoying their rest break, other training groups had their instructors leading them. If Instructor Lin remained in the hangar, Training Group 15 would be the only group left without an instructor for outings, which seemed somewhat awkward for them.

“A girlfriend?” To be honest, Lin Mo hadn’t genuinely considered this question. His former J-10 was like a primary spouse, the “monstrous” as a secondary partner, leaving a girlfriend as a potential third party. That term hardly carries a positive connotation.

Thus, he paused his work and began counting with his fingers, which caused his trainees to gasp in shock, beads of sweat breaking out. The idea that the instructor might have more than one girlfriend was quite amusing!