Chapter 356

Chapter 356: Lin Mo Providing Assistance?

"Three Yellow Chick, you really have amazing influence. Honestly, how did you find me? This is a secret mission; I couldn’t possibly notify you!"

Lin Mo felt speechless towards Chen Haiqing, who had an incredible knack for gathering intelligence. He had gone to great lengths to avoid the public eye and seek shelter on the Shilang aircraft carrier, and there were hardly any people aware of his whereabouts.

As he stepped off the carrier today and prepared to return to the Night base, he never expected Chen Haiqing to know his whereabouts so accurately and even come to pick him up. Such prowess caught him completely off guard.

This guy should really work in intelligence—what a waste of talent otherwise!

"Don’t even start! Brother, you’re being ungrateful for helping Shenfei. Don’t you remember me? What a coincidence! When I heard that Shenfei’s carrier-based aircraft development had suddenly accelerated, I was puzzled. Little did I know, you were the true mastermind behind it. Come on, brother, do you have something good to share? Look at this, outsiders are benefiting while I’m just waiting for a few orders, barely making ends meet!"

Chen Haiqing, a wealthy second-generation with a suspected official background, was really good at acting, mimicking the expression of a struggling youth perfectly.

Sigh, the loss of intelligence talent in China is disheartening, Lin Mo shook his head, and the Shenfei engineers rolled their eyes.

If they couldn’t secure those orders, many aviation companies would shut down immediately. Besides military fighter jets, the profits from parts and maintenance were substantial.

"Alright, fine, I might have something for you; I’ll pass it on later. Don’t start whining about being broke. We’re building fighter jets—do you really think we lack experts? Even Shenfei people are saying you’re stealing talent left and right."

Lin Mo shook his head at Chen Haiqing’s theatrics. He would be sure to send some valuable item to his old comrade from the Gold Coin organization, keeping the benefits within their circle.

Something good? Qiu’s eyes widened; he knew Instructor Lin was not just any pilot but a renowned pilot who often generated fantastic ideas with considerable feasibility. A significant part of Shenfei’s success with the carrier-based aircraft improvements was thanks to Lin Mo’s contributions.

"Instructor Lin, we would be delighted to have you visit us at Shenfei. Of course, if you have something, Shenfei will not be stingy; the cheque can be as big as you want." Qiu made a decision on behalf of his superiors and offered a generous proposal.

"Go on, go on! You Shenfei folks take advantage but still act all friendly. If it weren’t for my brother being soft-hearted and helping you out, hum! If it were us, we could release an even more advanced carrier-based aircraft the next day and snatch all your business. Good luck with that!"

Although there was no tension, Chen Haiqing wasn’t backing down either. He had his advantages, namely his strong friendship with Lin Mo, which was one of life’s great bonds.

Lin Mo had excellent skills, but he was also very loyal, admittedly a small weakness that Chen Haiqing was well aware of.

"Boasting without a draft!" Shenfei shook his head at Chen Haiqing’s nonsense. He knew this attempt at recruiting was destined to fail, but he had to maintain the dignity of an established company and not squabble with a young person; he said to Lin Mo, "Instructor Lin, since this comrade is here to pick you up, we’ll take our leave. As always, you are welcomed to visit us at Shenfei, and we hope for continued pleasant cooperation."

"I say, why does this Shen engineer call you Instructor Lin so affectionately? What exactly good things did you reveal to Shenfei? Spill it!"

He watched as Shenfei personnel put their luggage into the blue bus’s cargo area and then boarded through the middle and front doors. The bus engine rumbled slightly before it left, and the passengers waved goodbye to Lin Mo.

During this time on the Shilang aircraft carrier, Lin Mo developed a deep friendship with the Shenfei engineers; although Shenfei gained much, Lin Mo also benefited.

Hearing Chen Haiqing’s impatient questioning made Lin Mo recognize that Chen was being a bit petty. He set his hand down, waved to the Shenfei engineers one last time, and said, "Didn’t you already know? Why ask me?"

"That was just a bit of news. Shenfei isn’t a private company; how can I know all their secrets? It was a gamble."

"It’s just some improvements to the operating system. Sigh, it’s not convenient to talk here. I’ll explain later. For now, help me toss my things onto the bus. By the way, I need to report back to the Night base; I can’t just wander around with you. Figure out a way to get my P-51 Mustang sorted out. I don’t have any transport right now; my J-10 got shot down recently—what a huge loss!"

Lin Mo shoved his backpack into Chen Haiqing’s hands without holding back.

"Your P-51? Where did you get it? Is it a replica?" Chen Haiqing blinked, surprised. Wasn’t this guy flying a J-10? Where did he get a P-51?

"Yes, original version, but I modified it." Lin Mo’s words gave Chen Haiqing a toothache. Modified?

That’s an antique, a treasure that can’t be bought with money. How could he be so wasteful?

If Chen Haiqing’s information channels were truly boundless, he would have stopped Lin Mo from such reckless actions.

It sounded as if Lin Mo was treating the P-51 as a task aircraft, which was absurd. After all, he was a jet fighter pilot. Modifying a complete World War II ace fighter could sell for quite a sum—why abuse such a classic?

"You, I’m at a loss for words! Okay, I’ll take care of your P-51 and store it at National Defense Star. I’ll maintain it well." Chen Haiqing surrendered, utterly impressed by Lin Mo’s obsession with fighter jets. After all, he had modified a J-10, so there was no way he would let the P-51 slip by.

If it weren’t for this, Lin Mo wouldn’t have caught the eye of the retired experts at the 611 Institute or been accepted as a disciple.

Building a solid relationship with such a passionate ace pilot and future aircraft expert was not just a matter of friendship but also a vital business move.

"Oh, by the way, do you still have a few experimental machines? Can I borrow one?"

Lin Mo began to take advantage of the situation.

"What do you mean?" Chen Haiqing took a step back; Lin Mo’s tone seemed suspicious with ulterior motives.

Lin Mo was great at many things but lacked acting skills, and as a keen person, Chen Haiqing immediately sensed something off.

"Well, I don’t have a fighter jet available, and who knows when I’ll get one? How about borrowing your J-20 for a few days?"

"J-20?" Chen Haiqing’s eyes widened, and he shook his head vehemently. "You have quite the nerve! No way! There are only 14 prototypes nationwide. We worked hard to secure one—how could we give it to you? What if it gets damaged? I could be shot for that!"

"What about the J-14? That model will do."

"Listen, Lin Mo, don’t get ahead of yourself! The rights to the J-20 and J-14 are not ours. We only have permission for testing and modifications; all test data must be reported verbatim. We absolutely can’t lend them out, especially since there are military representatives watching. Do you know what military representatives do? They’re quality inspectors—absolutely tough to fool. If they don’t sign off, you lose everything. If you dare to tamper with anything, they’ll shoot you on the spot. You might as well give up."

"What about the X-1? That should belong to National Defense Star, right?"

"I’d rather not! That’s part of our National Defense Star’s assets and cost us a fortune. Plus, it belongs to several other companies, too. Our National Defense Star can’t afford to produce an X-1. That’s a combat-ready aircraft, not some transportation vehicle. If it gets damaged, I’ll be in big trouble at home! This is just the beginning!" Chen Haiqing wore a pained expression.

Lin Mo’s requests were far too much; just recently, this brother lost a J-10. One could only imagine the high danger of Lin Mo’s current mission. Losing the X-1 would be catastrophic, especially since it wouldn’t be funded by the state but came from personal finances.

To dissuade Lin Mo’s relentless gaze, he continued, "Stop fixating on that! If it were a Ferrari or Porsche, just say the word and I’d give you one! But for planes, if you’re feeling restless, just visit us, and we can let you fly as much as you want. Just don’t run off with it! If you make off with our X-1, my dad would break my legs! I’m counting on this factory to build my career. This is a matter of pride for me! Otherwise, I’ll never be able to redeem myself in front of my family! You’d better sort out your business, or else the big shots in the industry are waiting to see!"

Chen Haiqing, appealing to emotions and reasoning, finally dispelled Lin Mo’s desire to take advantage of the situation. He quickly shifted the topic, saying, "You mentioned having something good for me; it has to surpass Shenfei." The first part was Lin Mo’s statement, and the latter was Chen Haiqing’s intentional addition.

Lin Mo wasn’t a purely fighter pilot; Chen Haiqing was similar, both mixed with other backgrounds.

Lin Mo shared an equally illustrious background, and they aligned perfectly in expertise.

Hearing that Shenfei’s J-15 "Dark Sabre" carrier-based aircraft had progressed remarkably in recent months, Chen Haiqing was anxious upon learning that his old comrade and close friend played a part in its success, making him feel uneasy.

With only one bowl of rice available, if you take one more bite, someone else has to go hungry.

Lin Mo’s assistance to Shenfei would be considered providing support to a rival in the eyes of National Defense Star!