Chapter 510

Chapter 510: National Intelligence Network

“Hey! Lin Mo, what brings you here?”

In the area where the Night Special Forces Intelligence Group was located, the group leader’s office was surrounded by a long, reinforced bulletproof glass wall that provided a full view of the Intelligence Group’s workspace. Colonel Xie Fengdao was surprised to see Major Lin Mo, who had just returned from his trip to Paris—or rather, he should say, from his mission of destruction in Paris.

During this mission, code-named “Dragon Knight,” Major Lin Mo successfully destroyed half a street in Paris, indirectly blowing up two Lockheed Martin factories with high-energy explosives, along with three F-35 fighter jets that went down with them.

Well, it was no different from almost sinking a U.S. submarine in the South China Sea with a sonar buoy and giving the submarine captain a headache back then.

Yet, our esteemed “Dragon Knight” had returned safely on a Chinese military transport plane and might even be bringing back an unknown amount of commission.

The truth proved the saying: the greater the power, the greater the responsibility, and the rewards can be even larger, but so can the mischief.

No wonder Lockheed Martin wanted to pursue this ancestor to the ends of the earth; they were simply a source of bad luck!

“Is it too much to say that you’re not here to play just because you have nothing to do?” Lin Mo casually placed a one-foot-square box on Colonel Xie’s desk.

This was a blatant bribe! An outright bribe!

However, as the most resolute revolutionary soldier, Colonel Xie sniffed, his face breaking into a smile as he unceremoniously slid the box under his desk, where a lingering scent allowed him to deduce its contents.

Inside was a box of specially packaged fresh truffles from France, a delicacy hard to come by at the "Night" base. The base’s security check regulations could easily cause such items to lose their appetizing aromas before they even entered the building, turning them into flavorless goods.

Truffles are known as the most expensive edible fungi in the world, a gift from the heavens to humanity, and Colonel Xie had no ability to refuse. Bringing back such a gift meant he owed a personal favor, of course, as long as it didn’t violate any principles.

“Speak, what’s going on?”

Colonel Xie had already guessed why Lin Mo was there and why he mentioned being there without a reason; it was likely a personal matter that required the resources of the intelligence group.

Could it be that his girlfriend ran off with someone else? Colonel Xie thought maliciously.

“Help me find out what the ‘international pilot death match’ is all about,” Lin Mo said, pushing a second item toward Colonel Xie, which was the unique entry ticket and challenge letter issued by Lockheed Martin in collaboration with two other American aerospace manufacturers.

“What is this?”

The name "international pilot death match" sounded strange to Colonel Xie, who looked quizzically at the item Lin Mo handed over. He did not react as Lin Mo expected; he didn’t gasp and scream, “So it’s the international pilot death match!” Instead, he appeared completely unaware.

In fact, not many people knew about it. Even if ordinary citizens had the desire, they lacked the ability to learn about such high-stakes underground death contests.

“I don’t know either; it should be something for entering the competition,” Lin Mo replied, shrugging his shoulders. It was his first time hearing about it, as he had been entirely oblivious before. This world was not as peaceful and stable as it seemed. The government always shouted about maintaining stability, but the wolf had already come.

Seeing this peculiar item, Colonel Xie placed all the documents Lin Mo had into a scanner for high-resolution double-sided scanning. The scan revealed not just images but included multiple pieces of information, which were then uploaded to the intelligence database for keyword classification, making it easier to retrieve similar intelligence and also serve as a record to share with previous intelligence data.

This way, Lin Mo had completed a task related to intelligence reporting, which, in principle, should not remain confidential.

“I’ll help you look into it; don’t rush,” Colonel Xie’s expression turned serious. This should be very valuable intelligence. Out of professional habit, he immediately elevated this matter to a high level of importance.

The intelligence database of “Night” was connected to the national intelligence network. Though based on a military network system, sharing and synchronizing data was restricted to designated times. Outside of those times, the databases of both parties were physically disconnected to minimize the risk of critical intelligence leaks.

Of course, the amount of data exchanged between the two parties was massive, and the synchronization needed to be completed in a short span, requiring significant bandwidth. Thus, some ordinary interference methods couldn’t stop the process.

Since it was not the designated time for synchronization with the national intelligence network server system, Colonel Xie could only query the intelligence database of the “Night” computer center, which couldn’t compare in capacity to national super-servers. Its main focus pertained to their operational tasks, such as geography, demographics, force distribution, important personnel files, and action records relevant to the “Night” Special Forces responsibility area.

Colonel Xie had a high search efficiency and quickly found relevant information. Fortunately, the “Night” database contained some intelligence related to the keywords he entered. Though it only offered fragmented bits of information, it was enough for Lin Mo and Colonel Xie.

The international pilot death match, officially named “Abyss Nirvana,” used Buddhist terminology referring to resurrection from or destruction in the abyss, with each event being a life-or-death contest.

The summary was straightforward: there had once been a Chinese pilot participating in such a deadly competition, representing Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, flying a J-8.

Out of four who participated, only one returned alive. The surviving pilot’s surname was Lei, but his first name was redacted with asterisks. The escort for the trip was handled by “Night” Special Forces personnel, so there coincidentally existed action records in this regard.

Not long after Pilot Lei returned to China, Shenyang began the project for the follow-up upgrade version of the J-8II, a reason that did not need further elaboration.

“Alright, that’s all for now. If you need more intelligence, come back tomorrow at this time.” Colonel Xie did not intend to reveal the synchronization of the Night intelligence database with the national intelligence database to Lin Mo.

This was a state secret; the more people who knew, the worse it was. Colonel Xie, responsible for intelligence work, naturally understood the meaning of keeping secrets tightly sealed.

“Okay, I’ll send it to your tactical tablet. You can study it at home. I think experienced professionals in aviation should have a better understanding of this competition. But, speaking of which, do you really have to participate? Their competition site is a real battlefield.”

Colonel Xie organized the documents Lin Mo had given him, including the entry ticket. In fact, Lin Mo was not truly free; if his superiors disagreed, he would still be unable to participate.

“The country trains me to be on the battlefield, right?” Lin Mo replied with a nonchalant smile.

“I doubt Shenyang would agree to let you fly a J-18 into combat, would they?” Colonel Xie shook his head while sending the data. “Let me keep these for now; I’ll take them to discuss with Captain Feng later.”

Even though Colonel Xie was checking the intelligence database specifically for Lin Mo, completing the formal process afterward would not be too much of an infraction.

If superiors agreed to let Lin Mo participate, flying that J-18 “Red Eagle” to Syria would surely create a big stir.

“I have my own private fighter.”

Lin Mo had made plans long ago. The bonus from the National Defense Star was enough to buy an older model, or possibly even custom-build one. Although he had not fully paid off the outstanding balance on his J-11 order, getting into minor debt wouldn’t be a big issue.

The A-29 “Super Dodo,” custom-made by the Dragoon Consortium, was indeed more advanced in technology and materials than the World War II ace fighter P-51 “Mustang,” but it was an attack aircraft designed for ground support, while the P-51 was a pure air superiority aircraft with excellent maneuverability and speed. In a match-up, the older model might still come out on top.

That well-preserved “Mustang,” combined with Lin Mo’s air combat skills and appropriate modifications, would be quite useful.

“Your own?”

Colonel Xie was somewhat surprised. This wasn’t a private car; how could a fighter jet be personal property? Would China’s national system allow that?

“Yep!” Lin Mo nodded confidently.

This kid was hoarding military hardware! Even a fighter jet!

Colonel Xie felt a headache coming on!

He knew Lin Mo had brought back a fighter jet from Afghanistan, but he didn’t expect Lin Mo had kept it.

Though it was still stored in a military base in Hainan, the ownership clearly belonged to Lin Mo, a consensus within the South China Sea Fleet.

This rare exception, combined with different organizational affiliations, meant there was no dedicated department to reclaim that fighter jet.

“Colonel Xie, thank you! I’ll head back now!” Lin Mo saluted and was about to return to his room to check his tactical tablet.

“Wait!” Colonel Xie suddenly called out to Lin Mo, who had already turned around. “Hold on; there’s something else.”

Lin Mo turned back, puzzled. “What is it?”

“It’s about you!”

Colonel Xie gestured to the chair in front of his desk. “Sit down; let’s talk.”

“Is it good news or bad news?” Lin Mo felt slightly uneasy at Colonel Xie’s demeanor. Lately, the team had been cleaning up after him, and he hoped he hadn’t unintentionally gotten into trouble again.

He had been pretty unlucky recently, always under attack. Whenever someone attacked, he found himself causing trouble, resulting in serious consequences and some very angry superiors. Thankfully, “Night” was a gathering of kings of soldiers, where no quiet ones existed—everyone had rich experience in cleaning up messes.

“Your little girlfriend has been in trouble recently. Did you know?”

Colonel Xie leaned back comfortably, observing Lin Mo, who sat across from him.