Chapter 396

Chapter 396: Fishing in the Sea

“Wow, Boss, you received it too? Haha, what a coincidence! Maybe I’ll get to meet you in person.”

Tabby Cat felt surprised that even his newly recognized boss received the news.

He heard that the leaders of the aviation team went to great lengths and spent considerable resources just to contact this ace pilot with combat experience.

His teammates were green with envy. This rare opportunity made him cherish every moment of instruction even more. After every return flight, he would meticulously record his learning notes to share with his friends.

If he could meet up, wouldn’t that mean learning even more? Gaining one extra hour would translate to another piece of invaluable experience—what a stroke of luck!

Tabby Cat secretly rejoiced and clenched his fists in the cockpit to release his excitement.

Even the J-8 was happily bobbing its nose up and down, performing the “Phoenix Nods” posture.

However, this wasn’t because the J-8 had suddenly come to life but rather a typical shaking caused by a brief loss of control in the throttle.

“Hmm!”

Lin Mo pulled the control stick to maintain the flight posture. He slightly deviated, realizing that if he passed the first round of the sea selection, it was indeed possible to meet this young rookie.

“I’ll treat you to dinner then.”

Tabby Cat eagerly offered his compliments; his personality was much livelier than Lin Mo’s.

Tabby Cat was also very curious about what his boss looked like. He didn’t even know his age, only inferring it from the voice on the radio channel, which sounded similar to his own—so young!

When would he also become one of the most outstanding ace pilots? Tabby Cat dreamed of such a day.

“Hehe, sounds good!”

Lin Mo replied from the cockpit. Free meals were definitely a welcome treat for him.

In his eyes, Tabby Cat’s eagerness to learn was nearly equal to his own. Like a sponge, he absorbed the experiences and skills Lin Mo shared, displaying great comprehension and often showing the ability to apply concepts to new situations. With more practice, he might become a very good team partner.

Until now, Lin Mo mostly operated solo, but in aerial combat, the combat effectiveness of a single aircraft versus a formation showed a considerable difference. Simply pairing two aircraft was not as straightforward as one plus one.

Being a Lone Wolf, Lin Mo naturally desired a wingman who could work in harmony with him, not only to supplement his attacking power but also to take on some defensive responsibilities, allowing him to focus entirely on offense while creating richer tactical opportunities.

In the past, Lin Mo had good partners with excellent skills, but they were nearly all ace pilots or outright ace-grade advanced pilots.

However, in China, forming a team with two aces seemed overly extravagant; there weren’t many formidable opponents who required more than one ace to confront. When the Chinese Air Force engaged, it was usually a complete overwhelming force, with opponents unable to turn the tide.

Lin Mo spared no effort in guiding Tabby Cat, this humble and sweet-talking junior. How much he could master depended entirely on his own hard work and talent.

“We have thirty percent fuel left, I’m heading back now. Tabby Cat, see you later!”

After ensuring Tabby Cat had regained some strength, Lin Mo decided to conclude this teaching flight.

If they trained any longer, the control stick would be difficult to hold steady. There was plenty of time ahead, and Lin Mo had no intention of hastily pushing him beyond his limits.

Receiving a guiding fee of ten thousand yuan per hour naturally meant the other party needed to show equivalent effort.

“Thank you, Boss, see you later!”

Tabby Cat felt grateful. The guidance from the Dragon Knight was nothing less than generous; there was no secrecy at all, yielding significant benefits for him. Unfortunately, his progress still didn’t meet his expectations.

Each flight training session brought substantial gains. He even learned several vital maneuvers that would serve him well for a lifetime—techniques that absolutely couldn’t be found in textbooks.

…

“Wow, there are so many people in China! Just like their vast territory, it seems endless.”

Looking at the sea of heads moving like a swarm, with black hair, dark eyes, and yellow skin filling his vision, a man with a travel backpack drank deeply from the mineral water he had just bought, mumbling to himself.

Next to him, a light and graceful woman, with an alluring figure and beautiful features, sipped her mineral water elegantly. After hearing the man’s astonishment, she glanced around and said, “Bayu, China is the most populous country in the world. What you see here is just a drop in the ocean.”

The police, plainclothes officers, and security in Guangzhou train station were astonishingly dense, with one present for every ten square meters, almost everywhere you looked. However, for a station where a theft or robbery happened every ten minutes, this density didn’t seem excessive (the author personally experienced it and nearly got robbed; the crime rate was extremely high).

“Indeed, as the most populous country, Nong Lan, you are right. It’s hard to imagine how they can support so many people. It’s already a miracle,” the man remarked, clearly very thirsty as he finished one bottle of mineral water and couldn’t help but twist open a second.

The dense crowd seemed to raise the temperature of the air by a few degrees.

This man and woman were none other than Lin Mo’s initial contacts in Thailand’s Songkhla, members of the South Asian branch of the internationally renowned intelligence agency “Eden,” specifically in the “Chocolate” operations department.

The Thai “Chocolate” operations team faced a joint crackdown from Chinese and Thai agents. Nong Lan and Bayu managed to escape the initial round of attacks and now found themselves hiding, although they were unsure why they appeared here.

They were waiting at Guangzhou train station for the intelligence personnel from the “Eden” agency stationed in Guangdong to assist them, with their next steps fully reliant on instructions from higher-ups at their agency.

Nong Lan had only drunk half of her water and put the bottle back in her bag. With a glance around, seemingly both intentional and unintentional, she asked, “Did you spot anything?”

“I saw someone, but they flashed by. I noticed they made a special gesture towards us; I think we can make contact with them,” Bayu replied while guzzling water, his eyes constantly scanning the crowd.

As intelligence operatives, they possessed a natural sensitivity towards their colleagues.

“Who is it?” Nong Lan turned her gaze towards Bayu. They weren’t fleeing from a secret Chinese operations unit; instead, they had become double agents.

The Chinese had implanted surveillance equipment and bombs within them, and their every move was under the watchful gaze of the Chinese—life and death were no longer in their hands. As members of the “Eden” Thai operations team, Nong Lan and Bayu had no choice.

Now they had to become bait for the Chinese, quietly identifying one “Eden” intelligence operative after another.

“An elderly woman, probably in her fifties, wearing a short-sleeved blue floral shirt and pure white knee-length pants, just headed towards the exit.”

Bayu was sharp-eyed and observant, quietly indicating to Nong Lan as he sipped water.

The South Asian branch supervisor of “Eden” had already learned of the demise of the “Chocolate” operations team. After being captured by the Chinese, Nong Lan and Bayu were coerced into becoming informants for the Chinese, pretending they had never been captured while continuing to escape.

Forced into betrayal, Nong Lan and Bayu used their old contacts to reach out to their supervisor at “Eden,” seeking assistance.

Since the Chinese operation was a secret capture and executed swiftly and efficiently, “Eden” remained unaware of their capture, as did the Thai agents. “Eden” only knew that the “Chocolate” operations team had been destroyed and that two employees were being pursued, but they had not fallen into Thai or Chinese hands.

As “Eden” aimed to ensure the safety of its employees and maintain morale, they did not abandon the two but worked to arrange their escape, dodging the joint search by Chinese and Thai agents.

Unknowing, the Thai agents and undercover Chinese agents pretended to continue their pursuit, arranging seemingly casual incidents that exposed “Eden’s” hidden lines of communication in Thailand, India, Vietnam, and China, silently under surveillance as critical points for investigation.

“Eden” continued to prepare Nong Lan and Bayu to infiltrate the crowded streets of China, hoping the vast population would provide them cover. Being low-key in the wilderness and hidden in the city, dense crowds often offered the best protection. As long as they evaded detection, it would be easy to find a temporary hiding place and, after some time, reintegrate these loyal subordinates.

Although there were no Chinese intelligence personnel accompanying them, Nong Lan and Bayu knew countless eyes were observing them nearby—street cleaners, middle-aged women shopping, laborers with large backpacks—perhaps all were Chinese intelligence operatives.

In this populous nation, amid the sea of people, no one could tell whether bystanders were civilians or government agents.

“Ah! Bayu, look, look!” Nong Lan suddenly dropped her gentle demeanor, shocked and staring in one direction, her fingers turning pale as they clenched from the intensity of her emotions.

Bayu’s expression changed, shocked as he asked, “What? What did you see?” He followed Nong Lan’s gaze.

“It’s him, I would recognize him even if he turned to ashes!” A complex and unique glimmer shone in Nong Lan’s eyes; they owed this day to this person.

“The Dragon Knight, it’s him? How could he be here?”

Bayu gasped and looked at the young man a dozen meters away, dragging two large suitcases and staring at a note. Though he was turned sideways, his features were still recognizable; it was the pilot Nong Lan had wanted to connect with that day.