Legendary Captain

Chapter 389 First-Class Merit for Bringing Glory to One's Ancestors

"Is this Xu Xian's combat footage?" In the aircraft carrier's combat analysis room, Commander-in-Chief Chen Cheng, who had rushed back, stared intently at the combat footage on the large screen.

The entire battle, from the moment Xu Xian's fighter jet entered the frame to the sinking of the enemy ship, lasted less than half a minute, a remarkably swift action. However, the combat skills Xu Xian displayed were astonishing, even to Chen Cheng, given his extensive experience.

"Using anti-radiation missiles as bait, he bought himself a window of opportunity to get close, then used the shockwave to stun the people in the island command center, buying time for his dive bombing. Tsk tsk tsk, the whole process was seamless and smooth, not at all like a recruit who had only been in the army for less than a year." Chen Cheng watched this scene repeatedly, and the more he watched, the more he felt that Xu Xian was dancing on the edge of a knife. If he made a mistake in any part of the process, he would definitely die.

Beside Chen Cheng, Captain Wu Yinian stood ramrod straight, as if awaiting his fate.

Chen Cheng glanced at Wu Yinian: "You saw it, what did you think?"

Wu Yinian pondered for a moment, then finally sighed, "Thankfully, thankfully he's alright."

While Chen Cheng was watching Xu Xian's combat footage, Wu Yinian also watched it. Even with Wu Yinian's composure honed over many years of service, he still felt a chill run down his spine when he saw Xu Xian's battle.

While fighting, Xu Xian not only had to calculate the anti-aircraft missiles and close-in weapon systems, but also keep track of the situation of the personnel operating in the command center. He needed to know the reloading gaps of the close-in weapon systems, the detection angles and minimum firing distances of the air defense systems, and how long it would take for the personnel in the command center to recover after being stunned. Xu Xian had to calculate all of this in the blink of an eye; any oversight would mean certain death for him.

The performance of the Hatsuyuki-class guided missile destroyer is indeed not very good, but if Xu Xian makes the slightest mistake and is caught off guard, shooting him down would be no problem.

It has to be said that Xu Xian's battle was like a brush with death, and Wu Yinian still feels lingering fear when he thinks about it.

"That's right, you should be glad he's alright." Chen Cheng snorted. "If something had happened to him, I'd like to see how you explain it to Commander Liao. But... you didn't do anything wrong either, so let's not make any pointless assumptions. Just wait to be promoted to senior colonel!"

As an aircraft carrier captain, Wu Yinian's rank is actually a bit low. Of course, it's not unreasonable for a naval captain to be an aircraft carrier captain, but normally, the rank of an aircraft carrier captain should be a senior naval captain.

Wu Yinian's performance in commanding the battle was quite good, so they are preparing to promote him to the rank of Senior Captain in the Navy.

Wu Yinian was overjoyed upon hearing this. Normally, according to the promotion principles for officers, promotion takes four years. He had only been a naval captain for a little over a year, and barring unforeseen circumstances, he would have to wait at least three more years to be promoted to naval senior captain. But this battle had allowed him to be promoted ahead of schedule, something he hadn't anticipated.

However, as the captain of the carrier strike group, Wu Yinian was already in a highly valued position. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, his promotion to senior colonel was a matter of course. It's just that what should have been given to him was brought forward a little.

"Promotion to senior colonel requires approval from the highest level, so it will take some time. Please be patient." Chen Cheng turned off the screen. "You're in charge of informing Xiao Nian that Xu Xian will be returning to Xikong soon, so have Xiao Nian handle the handover."

"So soon?" Wu Yinian was taken aback. "Is there some situation on the Western Air Force side that's causing such a rush to summon Xu Xian back?"

Although Xu Xian had completed his carrier landing qualification certification, Wu Yinian was caught off guard because he didn't expect Xu Xian to be going back so soon.

"He originally came here to learn how to take off and land carrier-based aircraft. Is it that difficult for him? Once he learns it, he'll go back. Do you really think he's one of our South Ship's men?" Chen Cheng said, squinting his eyes.

Wu Yinian said with great regret, "Yes, why isn't he one of our Southern Fleet members? How long does it take to produce such a talent? In the end, he's still from the Western Air Force."

Chen Cheng looked speechlessly at the heartbroken Wu Yinian, and clicked his tongue: "It's because of people like you that Xikong is in such a hurry to recall Xu Xian."

Wu Yinian pointed to his nose: "Me? What happened to me?"

"The Western Air Force has also received information about Xu Xian's combat situation. They just can't see how incredibly valuable Xu Xian is. If you were in their shoes, wouldn't you be afraid of having such a treasure hanging around in someone else's house?" Chen Cheng asked through gritted teeth, "Tell me, are you thinking of kidnapping Xu Xian, huh?"

Originally, after Xu Xian completed his carrier landing qualification certification, he was supposed to stay for a while longer to train in coordination with various naval vessels. However, after the Western Air Force learned about Xu Xian's single-handed destruction of a ship, they dared not let him stay on the South Ship any longer. The Western Air Force was genuinely afraid that if he stayed any longer, he might not be able to return.

Wu Yinian chuckled and said, "I don't believe you don't have that thought!"

"There's nothing we can do!" Chen Cheng sighed, looking up at the sky. "Xu Xian's transfer was handled directly between the Air Force Command and the Naval Command; we can't get involved."

The implication is that if this personnel reshuffle hadn't involved such a high level of authority, Chen Cheng might have actually swallowed his pride and allowed Xu Xian to remain on the South Ship. This wasn't entirely impossible, given the current emphasis on the navy's long-range development in China, and the opinion of the commander-in-chief of the carrier strike group, as the navy's absolute main force, is quite significant. If Chen Cheng were to "explain the pros and cons" to his superiors, emphasizing Xu Xian's crucial role in the entire carrier strike group, the higher-ups, for the sake of the overall situation, might actually agree to adjust Xu Xian's assignment.

But things are different now. Perhaps Commander Liao of the Xi'an Air Force really foresaw this situation and personally contacted the Air Force Command, who then contacted the Naval Command. In that case, if Chen Cheng tries to take the person away, it wouldn't just be a slap in the face to the Xi'an Air Force, but to the Air Force Command, which is unacceptable.

Xu Xian is a hot commodity wherever he goes. It just goes to show that Commander Liao of the Western Air Force is very shrewd and didn't leave Chen Cheng any loopholes to exploit.

However, even so, the Western Air Force was clearly still not at ease. After confirming that Xu Xian had completed his carrier landing qualification certification, the subsequent ship coordination training was canceled, and Xu Xian was immediately recalled, for fear of any uncontrollable situation.

In fact, if Chen Cheng were to put himself in Xu Xian's shoes, he would have already personally gone to bring Xu Xian back. As for the follow-up procedures, he could deal with them later. He absolutely could not give the other party any chance.

"The Air Force Command and the Naval Command communicated directly. The Western Air Force really held back a bit." Wu Yinian also felt quite sorry. Since the Western Air Force had dragged the Air Force Command into the matter, it was no longer appropriate to force Xu Xian to stay.

Chen Cheng didn't seem very interested: "After the fleet returns to port and completes its external tour, Xu Xian will have to go back. If possible, let's take this opportunity to hold a farewell party for Xu Xian. Although this kid hasn't been here for long, he's still quite likable."

The Gengdu aircraft carrier has been at sea for quite some time now, and it's time for it to return to port for resupply and maintenance. Furthermore, recently, a C-18 fighter jet experienced a loose screw on its landing gear assembly. This clearly indicates an underestimation of the capabilities required for long-range support, necessitating a return to port for a reassessment of the support situation.

"No problem, the team still has plenty of funds. We can afford to give Xu Xian a decent farewell party," Wu Yinian said with a smile.

"When you return to Hong Kong this time, the officers and soldiers of the Daishan Carrier Strike Group will come to learn from your experience. Don't hold back. Teach them whatever they ask, understand?" Chen Cheng instructed. "In addition, a group of your personnel may be temporarily transferred to the East Ship to help with the construction of the Daishan Carrier Strike Group. You can appropriately reveal the situation to your subordinates and see if anyone volunteers to go."

The South China Sea carrier, also known as the Gengdu, was the first of China's three major naval fleets to possess an aircraft carrier. Recently, China's second aircraft carrier was launched, naturally necessitating the formation of a carrier strike group.

Since the South China Sea Fleet has relatively complete experience in building carrier strike groups, it will definitely help its allies.

One reason is that the East China Sea Fleet came to learn from their experience. The South China Sea Fleet also needs to draw personnel from various departments to fill the gaps in key positions within the Daishan carrier strike group. Once the personnel from the East China Sea Fleet are fully familiar with the operation of the carrier strike group, they will return to the South China Sea Fleet.

Of course, the entire military provided strong support for the initial establishment of the South China Sea Fleet's carrier strike group. This time, the South China Sea Fleet should repay this kindness by helping the East China Sea Fleet establish its own carrier strike group.

Some of the officers and soldiers on the southern ship were from Dongshan Province, and the East China Sea Fleet's base port and headquarters were located in Dongshan Province. The "mountain" in Dongshan Province refers to "Daishan," so the East China Sea Fleet's first aircraft carrier was named after Daishan.

"Yes, I'll specifically talk to those from Dongshan privately and ask for their opinions." Wu Yinian was also extremely supportive of the East China Sea Fleet's establishment of an aircraft carrier group: "By the way, what's the higher-ups' opinion on Xu Xian's performance this time? Will he be promoted directly to colonel?"

Logically speaking, if he, as a naval captain, could be promoted to senior colonel because of this incident, then as the person in charge of this operation, it shouldn't be a problem for Xu Xian to be promoted from air force captain to air force major.

"He's not in our system, so my information isn't very good. Normally, there shouldn't be any problem. His position matches his rank of major, so there shouldn't be any issues," Chen Cheng guessed. "The only problem is that it was already an exception when he was promoted to captain before. It hasn't been long, and he's been promoted directly from junior officer to field officer. I wonder if the higher-ups will think it's too fast."

Xu Xian is currently the deputy squadron leader of the 1st Flight Regiment, 1st Flight Group, 3rd Air Division of the Western Air Force. Considering that the squadron leader in the Air Force is usually a lieutenant colonel, it is appropriate for the deputy squadron leader to be a major.

However, promotions between different ranks are inherently quite cautious. For example, a non-commissioned officer can be promoted to a junior officer, and a junior officer can be promoted to a field officer. Of course, the biggest difference is between field officers and general officers.

If Xu Xian had any more seniority, his direct promotion to Air Force Major would have been a certainty. However, Xu Xian has only been in the army for less than a year, and his initial rank was already considered an exception. Otherwise, given his circumstances, he should have been promoted to Captain at most. According to national rank regulations, the initial rank for undergraduate-graduate pilots should be Lieutenant, but given his outstanding performance in the trilateral military exercise, an additional promotion to Captain would be more appropriate.

However, the Western Air Force had already promoted Xu Xian to the top-ranking captain, which was considered an exceptional promotion. It hadn't been long before he was promoted to air force major; wasn't that a bit too fast a promotion?

Of course, this is not against the rules. As long as there are outstanding contributions, promotion can be made ahead of schedule, without any time limit. It depends on the opinion of the Air Force's higher-ups, whether they believe in rewarding merit or holding back a little.

"The matter of his military rank is uncertain, and his position certainly won't be mentioned again. However, I have received definite information that Xu Xian will receive a first-class merit this time. Together with the incident at the civil aviation facility, he will be directly awarded a first-class merit." Chen Cheng shook his head and smiled wryly: "A first-class merit in less than a year of service, he's really something."

The previous emergency at the civil aviation facility was slightly below the standard for a first-class merit, but far above the standard for a second-class merit, causing the military region considerable hesitation and delaying the review result. This time, sinking a rebel warship belonging to the Chenyan Kingdom, combined with the other merits, is more than enough to warrant a first-class merit.

Receiving a first-class merit award is not only a commendation and learning opportunity for the entire army, but also a special notification to the military personnel's families. This can be considered a major event that brings honor to one's ancestors.

The First-Class Merit Citation is far more difficult to obtain than the Second-Class or Third-Class Merit Citations; many are awarded posthumously to martyrs. For someone like Xu Xian, alive and a new recruit with less than a year of service, the odds are extremely slim. Many soldiers never even see or hear of a First-Class Merit Citation in their entire lives, let alone receive one.

"A bright future indeed!" Wu Yinian exclaimed. Xu Xian's promotion speed was too fast, so fast that it was extremely rare in the minds of Chen Cheng and Wu Yinian.

Anyone with a modicum of common sense knows that as long as Xu Xian can stay in the Western Air Force and hone the qualifications he needs most right now, no one really knows where his final destination will be.

Five days later, at Longjiang Port, the aircraft carrier Gengdu.

Today is the day the Gengdu aircraft carrier is open to the public. More than 200 people from all walks of life will board the ship for a visit, and the event will be broadcast live. This is an attempt by the navy to showcase the image of a major power.

Starting yesterday, the ship's officers and soldiers had already closed all access to key compartments, and a thorough inspection was conducted before the event began today. Only after confirming that vital areas and places requiring confidentiality were properly protected were the ship opened to the public.

In preparation for the upcoming public tour, the aircraft carrier fleet selected officers and soldiers from various departments to provide explanations to the visitors. Lu Ping, the squadron leader of the first fighter squadron of the carrier-based aircraft department, planned to personally receive Qin Qing's mother, as it had been agreed upon beforehand.

However, none of the Chinese Navy personnel anticipated the explosive popularity of this aircraft carrier's public opening. The public showed immense enthusiasm for China's first aircraft carrier; even those who hadn't passed the vetting process and couldn't board the ship directly still crowded around the Longjiang Port security perimeter, eagerly watching the carrier's majestic appearance as it docked.

The officers and men of the Southern Fleet had not anticipated the unprecedented enthusiasm of the public for the aircraft carrier. So many people had gathered at its base port that the Southern Fleet had to deploy a large number of personnel to maintain order around Longjiang Port. As a result, the original deployment became inadequate, and many personnel were temporarily requisitioned, including Lü Ping.

Xu Xian was originally supposed to rest today, but unfortunately, the South Ship was short-handed and had to be dragged out of bed to take Lu Ping's place in receiving Qin Qing's mother.

In comparison, Xu Xian's job was relatively easy. Ever since the destruction of the Chenyan Kingdom's destroyer, Qin Qing's attitude towards Xu Xian had softened considerably. Perhaps it was because of this that the higher-ups assigned the task of receiving Qin Qing's mother to Xu Xian.

The reception task was simply to introduce some things to Qin Qing's mother; there wasn't much else to do, so it was quite easy.

Just as Xu Xian, dressed in his military uniform, arrived at the designated reception location, he discovered that Qin Qing was already there. Beside her was a graceful and mature woman, who, without a doubt, must be Qin Qing's mother.

"Hello, Auntie!" Xu Xian was very sweet-talking, and when he met Qin Qing and the other person, he put on a well-behaved smile.

Ultimately, Xu Xian's appearance is quite good, and his current act of pretending to be a good boy is very endearing.

Upon seeing Xu Xian arrive, before Qin Qing could speak, her mother began to scrutinize him with great interest: "You've grown even more handsome after all these years!"

"Huh?" Xu Xian was taken aback, and even Qin Qing looked at her mother with confusion. Judging from her words, her mother seemed to know Xu Xian, but she had no idea.

Seeing Xu Xian's puzzled look, Qin Qing's mother smiled gently and said, "Have you forgotten? I used to hold you when you were little!"

(End of this chapter)