Legendary Captain

Chapter 393 Can you become a general?

Headquarters of the Third Division of the Western Air Force.

"The situation in Konbaung is now in a state of utter chaos, beyond repair, and the possibility of improvement is virtually nonexistent. The evacuation mission will begin in as little as a week. There aren't many of our citizens in Konbaung; quite a few have already returned. This time, we're evacuating our chargé d'affaires in Konbaung; they will be the last group to leave. The planes you'll be escorting are the ones carrying this group," Wang Zhaoxin explained to Xu Xian. "The Konbaung government forces and the rebels are currently locked in a stalemate. If we can't control the situation this time, and the fighting escalates further, the government forces won't be able to manage it. At that point, evacuation will be much more difficult."

Diplomatic relations between China and Konbaung are not close. There is no Chinese ambassador in Konbaung, only a chargé d'affaires. This chargé d'affaires primarily assists Chinese citizens residing in Konbaung. Earlier, when the situation in Konbaung was chaotic, some Chinese citizens had already returned home, and the chargé d'affaires provided significant assistance in their return. Therefore, the staff of the chargé d'affaires could not leave beforehand; they had to confirm that there were no more Chinese citizens residing in Konbaung before they could safely return home.

A week later was the deadline set by the government for the Kampung Agency. After that, the agency would burn all documents and its staff would return home. Frankly, in that war-torn country, a small agency had endured far too long; it was time to complete its mission and return home.

Previously, the Konbaung government army had notified the country that it expected to launch a full-scale war against the rebels in half a month. At that time, they would be unable to attend to other matters, which is why the country gave the Konbaung representative office a one-week deadline. Because, after a week, Konbaung could easily become a war-torn hell on earth.

Fortunately, the agency's staff were few, and one plane could fit them all. This evacuation was specifically for these agency staff.

"I understand, is everything alright on my end?" Xu Xian readily agreed. "However, to be honest, our country's geopolitical situation is really complicated. What kind of countries are surrounding us? Internal strife and coups are commonplace."

Prior to this, the missile destroyer he destroyed also came from a coup d'état within Chenyan. Of course, compared to Konbang, Chenyan could be considered a peaceful and prosperous country. At least Chenyan experienced a coup every ten years, followed by ten years of peace! But Konbang was a different story; it was rife with warlords and drugs, and there were practically no days of stability. Even for someone like Xu Xian who rarely watched the news, the chaos in Konbang was well-known.

"Actually, we can't entirely blame them," Wang Zhaoxin shrugged. "After all, these countries were colonies of foreign powers in the past, and there are many historical issues left over, as well as many bombs deliberately planted by the departing powers."

"Hmph, colonies! Wasn't our country pretty much the same before? But we've stood up now, haven't we?" Xu Xianke disagreed with Wang Zhaoxin's explanation that everything was due to history.

When Wang Zhaoxin heard Xu Xian mention his country, he couldn't help but sneer, "They dare to compare themselves to our country?"

Wang Zhaoxin instructed, "This time there is a possibility of actual combat, so you must not be careless."

Originally, the Western Air Force was reluctant to let Xu Xian participate in the escort mission because there was a high possibility that the mission would involve actual combat. Although Xu Xian's flying skills were not a problem, he had never participated in actual combat, which was the biggest concern of the higher-ups. Therefore, even though Xu Xian had taken the initiative to request to participate in the escort mission, the higher-ups had been hesitant to approve it.

However, Xu Xian's recent performance in destroying the missile destroyer of Chenyan Kingdom on the southern naval base has amazed the entire military. Although Xu Xian has only been in the army for a short time, his combat skills are in no way inferior to those of veterans who have participated in many battles. Therefore, based on this performance, Xu Xian was allowed to participate in the escort mission for the evacuation of Chinese citizens from Konbaung Kingdom.

"I know! Who will be my partner?" Xu Xian didn't believe he'd be escorting alone; he wanted at least a two-person squadron. Xu Xian was eager to know who his partner would be. If there was a possibility of actual combat, Xu Xian hoped to be paired with a pilot with solid skills.

"This hasn't been confirmed yet, but don't worry, they'll definitely all be experienced pilots. They won't send newbies to team up with you for this kind of thing. It's expected to be a three-person formation. You'll be on standby in the air near the border. If there are any unusual situations, you can cross the border at any time to provide support."

"Actually, what I've been more concerned about is, if we meet them near the border, what if something goes wrong and we can't make it in time? After all, Konbaung is adjacent to our country. It's not far to fly there, but it's not an immediate trip. What if we miss it? Can't we just fly an escort plane?"

Wang Zhaoxin said helplessly, "No! This is the bottom line for the situation you described. There is no room for negotiation."

"Still have a bottom line?" Xu Xian scoffed. "You're really hypocritical."

However, this was something Xu Xian had no control over and could only obediently accept it.

"By the way, who is the crew of the civilian airliner that carried out this evacuation? Is there any confirmation?" Xu Xian was still quite worried about Lian Shanxue being on the flight. However, Lian Shanxue was very stubborn and difficult to persuade, so he could only accept the outcome.

However, Xu Xian still harbored a tiny sliver of hope. He hoped that Lian Shanxue would come to her senses during this time and abandon the decision to carry out the evacuation flight, even though, rationally speaking, the possibility was very small.

"The crew list, right?" Wang Zhaoxin grinned, burying his head in the documents. He hadn't noticed the civil aviation crew information and needed to check it on the spot. Finally, he found the crew information in a stack of documents. Wang Zhaoxin squinted and said, "The captain is Han Qi, and the first officer is Lian Lianshanxue? What kind of name is that? Is her surname Lianshan? Such a rare surname. Judging from the name, she's a female pilot. How unusual!"

Wang Zhaoxin was talking animatedly when he suddenly looked up and noticed Xu Xian's gloomy face, and instinctively shut his mouth. He had heard Xu Xian mention that there was someone very important to him on the flight crew carrying out this evacuation mission. Could it be this female pilot named Lian Shanxue?

Seeing that things had been explained to him, Wang Zhaoxin had no intention of keeping Xu Xian in the office for more tea, and thus prepared to ask him to leave.

"That's about it. Once the escort plan is finalized, prepare accordingly. Don't run around unnecessarily these next few days, as there's a possibility it might be brought forward," Wang Zhaoxin instructed, waving his hand. "I'm fine here, go ahead."

"Okay!" Xu Xian nodded, stood up, and prepared to leave when he suddenly felt his phone vibrate in his bag. It wasn't convenient to answer the phone in Wang Zhaoxin's office, so he said goodbye to Wang Zhaoxin and left the office before answering the call.

In the office, after Xu Xian left, Wang Zhaoxin pulled out a file from a stack of documents. The file showed a man with a somewhat dark complexion, whose name was marked "Wu Wen".

"It's ironic that the top pilot of Konbaung has defected to the rebels." Wang Zhaoxin sneered, but his face was extremely solemn.

In Konbaung, people generally have given names but no surnames, so Wu Wen is not surnamed Wu but simply given name "Wen." "Wu" is a respectful title for men in Konbaung. The character "Wen" in Konbaung means gentle like the sun, but it doesn't match his decisive and ruthless character on the battlefield.

Although Wang Zhaoxin looked down on soldiers who betrayed their government, he couldn't deny that the pilot named Wu Wen was indeed quite capable. If the rebels were to actually attack the evacuation operation, his biggest fear was that this pilot, Wu Wen, would get involved.

Just then, Xu Xian, who had clearly left, returned.

Seeing Xu Xian return with an extremely pale face, Wang Zhaoxin put down the documents in his hand and asked with some confusion, "What's wrong? Is there something else?"

Xu Xian considered for a moment, then said, "Commander, I need to ask you for leave!"

The entrance to a ward at Renxin Hospital in Yunnan Province.

Xu Xian stood facing the closed hospital room door, a bitter smile on his lips. He turned to his mother, Huang Ying, and asked, "Mom, what does Dad mean?"

"Forget it, go back. He doesn't want to see you." Huang Ying patted Xu Xian's shoulder helplessly. "I heard about the Wen family girl from your father. Our family is sorry for her. Your father is angry that he didn't teach you properly before, thinking that your lazy nature wasn't a big problem. Sigh, back then, not to mention your father, I was also busy making money and neglected to teach you to be responsible. As a result, this happened."

Previously, both Xu Jingyang and Huang Ying's only requirement for Xu Xian was that he not do anything illegal and preferably not pick up any of the bad habits of rich kids. As it turned out, Xu Xian was truly a model rich kid in the wealthy circle, abstaining from all vices like eating, drinking, gambling, and smoking, which greatly satisfied Xu Jingyang and Huang Ying.

Therefore, during Xu Xian's upbringing, Xu Jingyang and Huang Ying did not specifically guide him. Indeed, Xu Xian didn't turn out badly, but he wasn't exactly upright either. At the very least, he wasn't a man who could take responsibility.

"Mom, Jing Shu's situation is my fault. Although the chances of getting pregnant again after this miscarriage are slim, it doesn't mean I can't get pregnant at all. With technology so advanced these days, can't I have another child? I know I didn't know how to take responsibility before, but I'm trying to change now." Xu Xian tried his best to explain, hoping his mother would believe that he was trying to move in the direction they hoped for. Seeing his mother Huang Ying's expression soften slightly, Xu Xian leaned closer and asked softly, "Is Dad alright?"

"I don't know." Huang Ying glared at Xu Xian. "You should go back first, or you'll upset your dad."

"How did I upset him?" Xu Xian said innocently.

"Aren't you angry with me yet?" Suddenly, a roar came from the hospital room: "With you here, I'll lose ten years of my life!"

Xu Xian was startled by Xu Jingyang's sudden shout, his face turning embarrassed: "Dad's spirits are quite good, his voice sounds very strong!"

Caught between Xu Jingyang and his son Xu Xian, Huang Ying couldn't take sides, so she could only complain, "You two are having a fight, and in the end, I'm caught in the middle. Xianbao, you should go back first; you don't need to worry about your father's affairs."

"This..." Xu Xian was at a loss for words. He had asked his superior for leave and flew from Rongfu to Yunnan without stopping, only to find that Xu Jingyang didn't even want to see him. What kind of situation was this? However, when Xu Jingyang's temper flared up, there was really nothing that could be done: "Fine, then I'll be going now. Mom, then I'll have to trouble you."

"It's alright, don't worry." Huang Ying waved her hand. "Go about your business, take care of yourself and stay safe. Mom doesn't have any other requirements for you."

Helpless, Xu Xian had no choice but to go back. He kept turning back to look at her, but Xu Jingyang didn't open the ward door. In the end, Huang Ying's figure disappeared from Xu Xian's sight.

Feeling somewhat frustrated, Xu Xian entered the elevator. Just as he was about to press the button for the first floor, he suddenly noticed the floor signs in the stairwell. On the twenty-first floor, there was a sign for the Dean's Office.

"Dean's office?" Xu Xian muttered, then changed his mind and pressed the number twenty-one.

Wen Jingshu had personally brought Xu Xian here before, so the hospital director still remembered him. Upon seeing Xu Xian, the director was incredibly polite.

"Could you check Xu Jingyang's medical records in cardiology ward 503 for me?" Xu Xian didn't mince words and went straight to the point, telling the dean the situation. To be honest, he was afraid his parents would only report good news and not bad; he wanted to find out his father's condition himself.

"Do you want to see the medical records? This is a matter of patient privacy." The hospital director was quite embarrassed, but still adhered to professional ethics and refused to show Xu Xian the medical records.

"It's alright, he's my dad!" Xu Xian looked at the hospital director. "Shouldn't immediate family members also have the right to know?"

"Yes, this is Xu Jingyang, right? Let me see." The dean quickly searched his computer and soon found Xu Jingyang's information. However, the dean immediately frowned upon seeing it: "Mr. Xu, your father has cardiovascular disease, right?"

"Yes!"

The hospital director hesitated for a moment: "Cardiovascular medicine isn't my specialty, so I can't give you any advice. I'll send the medical records to the head of the cardiology department now. You can go directly to him, and he'll give you a professional analysis."

The dean was telling the truth and didn't boast to Xu Xian. He understood that one shouldn't speak on matters outside their own field, and he was quite clear-headed.

"Okay!" He had seen the cardiology department floor when he came over, and the department head should be on that floor. "Thank you."

Xu Xian immediately got up, preparing to go downstairs. But he was stopped by the hospital director: "Mr. Xu, has something happened to Miss? I heard from the main hospital that something seems to have happened to her."

Back then, Wen Changxing brought all the elite gynecologists and obstetricians from Renxin General Hospital to the Wen family ancestral home for a consultation with Wen Jingshu. It was difficult to keep such a large-scale operation a secret. However, many people did know that the eldest daughter of the Wen family seemed to be experiencing some health issues, but apart from the doctors who participated in the consultation, most others were unaware of the specifics.

"You still care about this?" Xu Xian raised an eyebrow, looking quite surprised. This dean didn't seem to be pretending; he genuinely cared about Wen Jingshu's health.

The dean was somewhat embarrassed: "To put it bluntly, I'm doing this for my own good. As long as the Wen family's business is in the hands of the eldest daughter, our subordinates can still eat well. But if something happens to the eldest daughter and the second branch of the family makes the decisions, I guess we won't have any good days left."

The position of the head of the Renxin Branch is no longer considered a low-level position. If he were merely a low-level employee in the Wen family's businesses, then the power shifts within the Wen family would have no impact on him. However, if he were a mid-level or even upper-middle-level employee, then the turmoil at the top would be closely related to him.

Regardless of Wen Jingshu's abilities, she is at least kind to her subordinates. She is also relatively gentle in nature. If Wen Jingshu inherits the family business, at least conservatively speaking, my future and treatment will not change much. If I'm lucky, I might even get a promotion. After all, I have shown my face to Wen Jingshu before.

But if the second branch of the Wen family were to inherit, neither the patriarch Wen Ningyuan nor the second daughter Wen Jingyi would be worthy of their positions, and they would never show any compassion for their subordinates. Whichever of them inherits the Wen family, the people below will face dire consequences.

Rather than saying the dean cared about Wen Jingshu, it was more accurate to say he cared about his own future.

"Don't worry! It'll be fine." Xu Xian said this and hurriedly left the dean's office. Only at this moment did he realize the significance of Wen Jingshu to a large group of other people.

Office of the Director of Cardiovascular Medicine.

"Is the medical record the dean sent your father's?" The head doctor examined Xu Jingyang's medical record and shook his head repeatedly. "Your father's cardiovascular system has become blocked, and even the stent in his heart is not holding up well. Your father's fainting spell was a symptom of cardiovascular blockage. In the medical record, your father reported having prolonged chest pain, which may require surgery."

"Chest pain?" Xu Xian was taken aback. "He used to only experience chest pain after strenuous exercise, but his medical records say he now experiences chest pain even without strenuous exercise?"

"That's right!" The director sighed. "The situation is very serious! The best course of action now is surgery to remove the blood clot blocking the blockage. You see, there's a blood clot in this blood vessel. This isn't just any blood vessel anymore; it's completely blocked, and the impact on the entire heart is enormous. We can't wait for slow thrombolytic therapy now. If we wait any longer, the patient could face heart failure at any moment."

"Is this surgery very risky?" This was Xu Xian's biggest concern.

"This is a major blood vessel in the cardiovascular system, with high blood pressure, making it difficult to stop the bleeding. When cardiovascular surgery involves a major blood vessel, stopping the bleeding is the biggest challenge. If massive bleeding occurs during surgery and cannot be stopped quickly, the patient will go into shock. Do you understand what I mean?"

The director had already put it rather tactfully, but Xu Xian now understood the true situation regarding his father. Sure enough, his mother had concealed the truth about his father from him.

"Isn't there a more reliable way to stop the bleeding?" Xu Xian asked.

The doctor thought for a moment and said, "For minor vascular injuries, it's not a big problem for us. What's more worrying is that during the surgery, we might need to make a relatively large incision in that major blood vessel, in which case conventional suturing methods won't be very effective. However, there is now a very advanced laser hemostasis method, which is a precision laser device that can be used on dangerous areas like the cardiovascular system and has sufficient power. It may not be available in China, and it's even hard to find abroad."

Laser hemostasis is not a particularly rare medical procedure. However, laser hemostasis devices that can be applied to the cardiovascular system are probably not yet in practical use.

Because the blood pressure in the cardiovascular system is generally high, a laser with insufficient power will not be able to stop the bleeding. However, if the power is too high, it may cause laser perforation or ulceration. Moreover, if the laser is applied to the heart, it could easily burn other blood vessels, which is extremely dangerous.

This requires the laser hemostat to have extremely precise output power, which, in the director's opinion, is definitely not available in China, and even abroad it is probably still in the laboratory stage.

"Laser?" Xu Xian fell into deep thought, and a person came to mind.

Ying Ruoqing's office at the Second Institute of High Energy Laser.

"What a rare guest! Our young master has time to visit me?" Ying Ruoqing leisurely sipped her tea, squinting as she scrutinized Xu Xian across from her.

Xu Xian ignored Ying Ruoqing's sarcastic remarks. He had come all the way from Yunnan to Guangzhou, not to waste time with idle chatter. He went straight to the point: "In the domestic laser field, you must be the strongest, right?"

Ying Ruoqing frowned: "What do you mean?"

She couldn't understand why Xu Xian suddenly asked about the laser field. Xu Xian and lasers were completely unrelated things.

"I have important business to discuss. I've inquired with Ye Qing, and in China, when it comes to laser research, you're second to none." Xu Xian's expression gradually became serious. "I've come here specifically to ask you one thing: do you currently have any research projects on laser hemostasis here?"

"Laser hemostasis?" Ying Ruoqing was stunned. "Xu Xian, what exactly are you trying to say? Can you explain the whole story clearly? I don't want to play riddles with you."

Xu Xian took a deep breath: "My dad needs to have cardiovascular surgery, but we're not confident about stopping the bleeding. The doctor said laser hemostasis is very effective, but we don't have such sophisticated equipment in China. I figured you're an expert in lasers, so I had no choice but to come to you."

"You said your dad needs cardiovascular surgery?" Ying Ruoqing's expression changed, her eyes flashing. "Our institute does have laser hemostasis, and we already have a prototype."

"Really!" Xu Xian exclaimed happily, "Then can we apply to use it? My dad's done."

"No way!" Before Xu Xian could finish speaking, Ying Ruoqing interrupted him directly: "That's just a prototype. If something goes wrong during surgery, the institute will be held responsible. Do you think they'll let you use it?"

The prototype machine was designed for experimental purposes, meaning its performance was not yet stable. If problems arose during surgery, the Second Research Institute of High Energy Laser would certainly be held responsible. Under these circumstances, why would the person in charge of the laser hemostasis project agree to hand over the prototype machine to Xu Xian for use?

"But... this is a matter of life and death, are you just going to stand by and watch someone die?" Xu Xian was stunned: "Are you afraid of causing trouble later? I can guarantee with my integrity that I will take full responsibility for any problems that arise during the surgery, and I won't blame you."

After a moment's thought, Xu Xian could roughly understand Ying Ruoqing's concerns. Indeed, if he were in her shoes, as the person in charge of the laser hemostasis project, he certainly wouldn't be willing to lend out the sample machine, preferring to avoid trouble. After all, if something went wrong and the family made a scene, it could very well affect his future. Moreover, it would be incredibly frustrating to do good deeds only to end up with a mountain of problems.

Therefore, Xu Xiancai's statement that he would bear all the consequences was intended to relieve the Second Laser Institute of any worries.

But faced with Xu Xian's guarantee, Ying Ruoqing coldly smiled: "Your personal guarantee? What's your personal integrity worth? If something goes wrong, the entire Second Laser Institute will have to bear the responsibility. Xu Xian, you need to face reality. Your current standing is simply not enough for us at the Second Institute to risk giving you a prototype, do you understand?"

Xu Xian trembled. Ying Ruoqing's words were ruthless, almost icy, yet each one pierced his heart. Despite Xu Xian's current prominence in the Air Force, he had ultimately started too late. The influence of an Air Force major was simply insufficient to warrant the entire Second Institute taking such a risk.

Seeing Xu Xian's somewhat dejected appearance, Ying Ruoqing grew even more annoyed: "Do you know why I hated you when we were kids? You had so much talent, but you didn't know how to cherish it. If I had your talent, I would have already climbed to a high enough position that the entire Laser Institute II would treat with respect. Only then would your personal guarantee have any value!"

"A high enough position?" Xu Xian was taken aback. "How high?"

Ying Ruoqing leaned forward slowly: "Do you know what level the director of the High Energy Laser Institute is?"

"This..." Xu Xian was momentarily at a loss. The director of the High Energy Laser Institute should be a professional technical officer, and they were awarded professional technical ranks, which were divided into fourteen levels: Professional Technical Level 1, Professional Technical Level 2, and so on up to Professional Technical Level 14. These levels correspond to the regular military rank classification. However, Xu Xian was clearly not very familiar with the professional technical officer group and did not know what level of research institute the High Energy Laser Institute belonged to.

Ying Ruoqing didn't wait any longer. She glanced at Xu Xian and said, "Professional and technical level three, equivalent to a major general. Do you think you can become a general?"

(End of this chapter)