Chapter 409

Chapter 409: Unfair

Unlike the previous battle intensity and different from the earlier opponents, the difficulty posed by Wang Xuejun made Lin Mo feel an extraordinary level of alertness as they engaged in a close-quarter dogfight.

When missiles couldn’t solve the problem, using cannons became the best combat method, as aerial bombs wouldn’t be interfered with.

Modern air combat still inherited the tactical thoughts of the aerial knights from the two World Wars. A pilot lacking exceptional dogfighting skills was not a good pilot.

The typical fierce and swift strikes of the aerial knights between them mesmerized everyone, who often cheered in unison. In the entire simulated flight exhibition hall, the only sounds left were from the simulator’s audio system and the resonant breaths of the audience.

The eyes of the other pilots glowed red, as if they were drawn into this intense and heated air battle, with adrenaline rushing through them at unprecedented levels.

Since this was just a simulator exercise and not real aerial combat, both pilots fearlessly pushed the J-10’s combat capabilities to the limit, disregarding the aircraft’s performance and lifespan.

The high overload made the simulator work exceptionally violently, producing loud noises and various sounds. However, this did not dampen the spectators’ enthusiasm.

It was truly a top-level air battle feast, as everyone fixed their gaze on the projection screen, unwilling to miss even half a second of the action.

“It’s coming, it’s coming!” Lin Mo calculated in his mind. This young pilot proved to be quite troublesome, demonstrating control over the J-10 that rivaled Lin Mo’s. He was a pilot honed solely by talent and flight time, which was undeniably fearsome.

This added considerable pressure to Lin Mo, especially since he couldn’t use the Light Mirror Technique. His maneuvers needed to be even more precise.

Starting from a different place, many pilots found themselves at a disadvantage before Wang Xuejun, often overshadowed. But when it came to overall flight time, Lin Mo knew he wouldn’t fall short against Wang Xuejun, even though the latter had been trained from a young age. Having been forged through life-and-death experiences, Lin Mo possessed a fiercer battle essence.

At this moment, Wang Xuejun probably had no idea that Lin Mo was gambling, wagering whether this aerospace simulator worth 12 billion RMB truly lived up to its name.

Click!

A sudden unusual sound came from the cockpit.

Wang Xuejun, with keen hearing, quickly noticed the noise, causing his expression to change.

The entire fighter jet lost control rapidly, and warning texts and lights flashed on the cockpit screens. The aircraft trembled violently, and the 3D display on the canopy instantly cracked.

“What on earth is happening?”

Wang Xuejun had never encountered such a situation. Suddenly, he heard the simulator’s control system voice saying, “Warning, aircraft load exceeds the limit threshold. Mid-air disintegration imminent.”

What? Disintegration in midair? How is that possible!

Wang Xuejun shouted as he slammed his hands against the cockpit dashboard.

Outside the simulator, chaos erupted.

During the combat exercise, everyone had witnessed Lin Mo and Wang Xuejun continuously switching positions, with missiles and cannons launching unexpected attacks. Suddenly, Wang Xuejun’s aircraft collapsed, disintegrating into countless fragments at a height of seven thousand meters, scattering down to the earth like snowflakes.

Wang Xuejun did not witness this scene; deemed by the system as having no ejection seat escape opportunity, he was instantly declared KIA.

No one had anticipated the ending would be like this.

Disintegration? This sudden event without warning was a terrifying air disaster.

How could this happen?

With a soft thump, Wang Xuejun descended from the simulator, pulled off his seatbelt, and jumped out of his seat, obviously losing his composure as he shouted, “Unfair, unfair! The system malfunctioned! The system is broken! Get the technicians here!”

At that moment, Lin Mo also exited the air combat program. He chose not to return or land, as the victor was clear, and what followed was no longer significant.

“What’s going on?”

Two technicians in white coats emerged from the massive machine room on the same floor. As they approached the simulator, they were suddenly grabbed by the collar by the person climbing out of the cockpit.

The other party’s face twisted in confusion as he questioned, “What just happened? Why did my plane disintegrate? Was it a system malfunction?”

He then turned to Lin Mo, who was emerging from the simulator, and shouted, “Don’t go! That was a system failure. Let’s do it again!”

Lin Mo shrugged, spreading his hands in a gesture of helplessness. As he looked back at the towering simulator, towering like a two-story building, his eyes glowed with excitement.

Indeed, he had made the right bet; this was truly an artifact in training Air Knights.

This top-tier simulator, built for 12 billion RMB, was indeed worth the investment, capable of simulating to such a high degree. It exceeded his expectations and filled him with delight.

“Let go, let go!”

The technician in the exhibition center struggled urgently, while another technician hurried to intervene. As a computer technician, he couldn’t possibly compare to the physically superior astronaut candidates. Although the other party looked very young, his grip remained steady.

“Let go, number two!” Major General Sun squeezed through the crowd and came over to stop the chaos in the simulator training area.

“Ah! Yes, Sir!”

Upon seeing Major General Sun, Wang Xuejun recalled the scene from yesterday when number six, Jin Hongbao, had been eliminated. He suddenly realized his own recklessness and quickly released his grip, stepping back, and sincerely apologized, “I’m sorry, I acted impulsively.”

Indeed, he was able to take a step back. Although young, Wang Xuejun was not much less mature than seasoned veterans. Upon realizing his mistake, he immediately ceased his actions.

“Alright, alright, young man, try not to be so impulsive in the future!” The technician, who had just been grabbed by the collar, instinctively took two steps back and shook his head, showing excellent composure and no intention of pursuing the matter further.

Many people sighed in relief. If the technician had insisted on pressing charges, number two would likely have faced expulsion and become Major General Sun’s second eliminated astronaut candidate.

This young man’s temperament needed more refinement, Major General Sun thought, shaking his head internally. He didn’t expel the young pilot who made a mistake, as the potential displayed during the simulated air battle impressed him greatly. It would be a shame for him to be eliminated just like that.

Youth has its advantages; there is still a chance to correct mistakes. If he could pass all selection criteria and refine his skills for another six or seven years, he might become an outstanding astronaut.

“Major General Sun!” The two technicians noticed Major General Sun was present and immediately stood at attention to salute.

Major General Sun nodded back, returning the salute, “Xiao Chen, Xiao Dou, you’ve worked hard.”

“Earlier, the simulator malfunctioned. Please assist us in checking it as soon as possible; it’s very important.” Wang Xuejun clearly shared others’ admiration for this super-sized toy.

Integrated with world-class cutting-edge technology, the high-fidelity effects of this simulator were incredibly tempting for all pilots.

Just think about it: a machine capable of reflecting the operation and feedback of a real fighter jet without any safety concerns, allowing one to fully engage in flying and experience various tactical maneuvers while honing combat skills.

Its benefits for improving pilots’ flying skills were immeasurable.

“That wasn’t a malfunction!”

Suddenly, three voices spoke up simultaneously.

Everyone froze, their questioning gazes searching for the sources of the three identical voices.

The first to speak was the technician who had been grabbed by the collar, the second was Major General Sun, and the third was unexpectedly Lin Mo, who had just faced Wang Xuejun, number one.

Not a malfunction? Everyone was puzzled.

All the aircraft in the simulator were in optimal condition. How could they suddenly disintegrate? The J-10 had undergone over twenty years of design improvements and was a well-developed fighter model. How could there be such a serious technical flaw?

Wang Xuejun rolled his eyes at Lin Mo; clearly, this guy’s comments had a biased tone, showing little credibility or authority in his eyes, and he ignored him outright.

In response to everyone’s confusion, Major General Sun said to the two technicians, “My perspective on this is different from yours. Please explain to everyone from the software and hardware standpoint what exactly happened.”

Looking at the puzzled expressions surrounding him, Major General Sun knew that if he didn’t clarify this matter here, it would be problematic.

Initially, he had been very surprised, his gaze frozen on the projection screen. After all, he was an experienced pilot and astronaut, and his rich experience quickly led him to the key point.

However, since Lin Mo claimed it wasn’t a malfunction, it sparked deeper curiosity; it seemed there was a terrifying truth hidden behind this. Perhaps calling it “terrifying” was a bit extreme, but it certainly left a chilling feeling.

“We conclude that it wasn’t a malfunction because we have been monitoring data in the control room. This simulator has three software monitoring systems, two data exchange monitoring systems, and five hardware monitoring systems. To be cautious, there’s also a small computer that scans the overall operational environment. Until just now, both simulators were functioning normally without any errors, furthermore, these machines have run flawlessly for 4000 hours. Therefore, our analysis of the system data flow logs indicates it wasn’t a malfunction; it was not a program error, but…”