Chapter 355

Chapter 355: The Shenfei Kidnapping Incident

Captain Nguyen Lei of the Huang Hua Tan made the right decision, and the other Kilo-class submarine, the Jiang Gongfu, also chose the same course of action.

After surfacing, the two captains found themselves helpless on the radio channel, both feeling a shared sense of frustration. As submariners, even if they were truly sunk by the Chinese, the Chinese could simply shrug, claim they saw nothing, and the Vietnamese would be left to swallow their losses.

This unspoken rule even forced proud American submarines to concede. The Chinese aircraft carrier group had successfully forced the two Vietnamese submarines to surface—a significant victory.

The Vietnamese pilots, overwhelmed by the situation, found their faces stinging from the slaps of reality. Unable to withstand the relentless pursuit of the Chinese pilots, the disorganized Vietnamese Air Force was ultimately forced to return home, wary of the Chinese carrier-based aircraft performing a spin that could drop them into the vast sea below.

Even if parachuted to safety, they feared the presence of lurking sharks below. With dozens of planes falling from the sky, the rescue operations could turn deadly. Drifting in the boundless ocean, they faced slim odds of encountering a rescue ship.

The Vietnamese fighter jets had no choice but to retreat to their homeland, and some aircraft might not manage an armed landing, resulting in further financial losses for Vietnam.

As for surface vessels, they swiftly turned away the moment they sensed trouble. The two Kilo-class submarines surfaced like two crying children, forced to return home under the threat of anti-submarine missiles, their spirits dampened.

Moving from a defensive "iron wall" formation to a turtle-like retreat, it was clear that Vietnam would likely become a master of the turtle strategy with a few years of training.

Not to mention, any pretenses of bravado had vanished, with the Shilang aircraft carrier training group gliding smooth and steady along the coastline, heading toward Hainan Island.

“Heading home!”

At the large harbor of the aircraft carrier base in Hainan, colorful flags waved as a welcome banner was hung up. When the Shilang docked after completing its four-month voyage training mission, the anchored naval vessels emitted long, loud blasts from their horns and sirens.

Hainan Island, the second largest island in China, boasts many natural harbors along its coast, with several ideal for deep-water military ports. The South China Sea Fleet chose one of these to establish its aircraft carrier base.

As the Shilang entered the harbor, the entire base was still in tense finishing construction. The main parts were completed and operational, while the military port also included an airport with two runways of about 2000 meters, perfect for carrier-based aircraft training and land-based fighter patrols.

Excited Navy Officers and Soldiers rushed from the ships to the dock, ready for a week-long rest period. Based on their training performance, they would determine whether they qualified to stay for further studies or be reassigned to their original positions.

Those who would soon become the first official aircraft carrier personnel in China would be the best among the best. In a large combat weapon operated by thousands, the quality of the crew determined the carrier’s combat effectiveness.

For these initial seed personnel, their learning journey had only just begun. It would take two years of study and training to become qualified aircraft carrier crew members. With thousands required to maintain an aircraft carrier task force, personnel shortages would become a pressing issue for the Chinese navy in the coming years.

Additionally, four aircraft carriers of pure Chinese design were under construction, with the navy adopting the motto: "Better to wait for ships than for people."

“Ease it down, down a bit to the left, careful, careful, that’s good! Just like that, I’ll have the tow truck pull the plane off the tray.” Lin Mo stood beside the Shilang on the large dock, watching as his personal P-51 Mustang was slowly lowered from the aircraft carrier’s crane to the dock. This plane had gathered dust in the hangar beneath the flight deck for nearly two months.

A Beijing Jeep rolled up, backing towards the tail of the P-51. The driver got out and attached a tow line to the P-51’s retractable tail wheel.

The P-51, the king of World War II fighter planes, was easy to maintain because of its gasoline appetite, but it’s also lightweight and simple to tow. A small Beijing Jeep or even a motorcycle could easily pull it, and a strong adult male could drag it with a rope.

"Hey! Instructor Lin!"

"Ah! Qiu, is that you?" Lin Mo turned in surprise to see Qiu Zhengjun, an engineer from Shenfei, dragging a large suitcase and several pieces of luggage, accompanied by a few other Shenfei engineers and technicians who waved at Lin Mo.

They, like Lin Mo, were among those waiting to be picked up.

“Instructor Lin, come with us. We’ll give you a ride,” Qiu said, pointing to a blue bus slowly approaching the dock. It was the vehicle arranged by Shenfei to pick up their engineers.

At any military base, speed limits were strictly observed.

“Are you returning to Shenyang?” Lin Mo waved them off and turned to the driver, saying, “You can take the plane to the airport first!”

Lin Mo didn’t have much luggage—a backpack with a change of clothes and a large bag containing his "Fire Seed" component modules. The "Dragon General" tactical armor, however, was worn directly on his body.

Chinese military equipment design often features a low-key, understated style. Although the "Dragon General" tactical armor looked unremarkable on Lin Mo, it was anything but flashy. War gear isn’t a Cosplay prop; subtlety is key.

“Yes, sir!” The driver, a three-year veteran, saluted Lin Mo without asking further. He hopped into the Jeep and drove off with the P-51 towards the aircraft carrier base’s airport.

Beside the dock, the Shilang aircraft carrier would enter a month-long maintenance period, with its next voyage aimed at the vast Pacific Ocean.

During this time, a new batch of trainees would be integrated. The training of aircraft carrier personnel didn’t follow the rotation system where one group leaves as another arrives. Instead, it utilized a common wartime replacement and elimination system, selecting top candidates from throughout the country every year, who would then undergo training with eventual cuts to ensure the remaining individuals were elite.

Even though there weren’t enough aircraft carriers available for these trainees to practice on, every commissioned carrier, once launched, could rapidly gain combat power. At the same time, training ships would continuously supply talent to the formal Chinese aircraft carrier task force, enhancing the carrier’s combat effectiveness.

At least for now, it was exciting to note that the carrier-based aircraft group had achieved full combat capability, confirmed through tests by both Americans and Vietnamese. The J-15 "Dark Sabre" carrier-based aircraft and the aviation crew trainees were already accustomed to the operational methods of the aircraft carrier.

“Yes! We need to return to provide reports. This week, new colleagues are coming to take over. Ah, drifting at sea like this is tiring! Once we get back, I can enjoy my annual leave. So, why not join us? Just leave those ‘Mustangs’ here; I can apply to headquarters for an identical one for you.” Qiu laughed. They weren’t exactly official aircraft carrier technical officers, but Shenfei took good care of these seasoned experts. Recognizing the hard work of their staff led to a shift rotation system to support the training tasks of the Shilang aircraft carrier fleet.

The actual progress had exceeded expectations. The new J-15 "Dark Sabre" carrier-based aircraft optimization plan had matured and stabilized, almost ready to be finalized for formal production.

Originally a two-year target, the work was completed in just four months, largely thanks to Lin Mo. As he was about to leave, Shenfei’s senior engineer Qiu Zhengjun harbored some ideas, contemplating acting as a kidnapper.

“Haha…” Lin Mo smiled and was about to respond when someone shouted loudly, “Hey, you Shenfei folks aren’t playing fair! How can you steal talent from our National Defense Star? This big brother is acting way too petty!”

“Ah! ‘Three Yellow Chick’? What are you doing here?” Lin Mo was taken aback when he recognized the familiar voice, turning to see his classmate, Chen Haiqing, from the 7759 base, stepping out of a Mercedes Vito van.

“Who are you?” Qiu, who had secretly been directed by Shenfei headquarters, felt a surge of irritation as someone exposed his intentions, not expecting this surprise interference.

If he could get Lin Mo back to the Shenyang Aircraft Manufacturing Plant headquarters, it would mark a successful recruitment. The leaders at Shenfei were clearly counting on this.

“Qiu, don’t you remember me? I’m with National Defense Star.”

“National Defense Star?! What brings you here? Isn’t the contract for the carrier-based aircraft with Shenfei? Why are you interfering?” Qiu snapped, his tone turning hostile. Though there was military oversight, when it came to orders, they didn’t hold back on their own kinds.

“Look, I’m here to pick up my brother—this one,” Chen Haiqing said, approaching and pointing at Lin Mo. “Hey, old comrade, I can’t believe you ended up on the No. 83 training ship! You should have notified me so I could come by to pick you up. Thankfully, I got here first; otherwise, those Shenfei people would have whisked you away!”

As he spoke, Chen Haiqing winked at the Shenfei personnel as if to show off.