Legendary Captain

Chapter 394 The Threat of Fourth-Generation Fighters

A conference room of the Southwest Administration Bureau.

There were only three people in the large conference room: Han Qi, Lian Shanxue, and an instructor from the Southwest Administration Bureau. At that moment, the instructor was explaining the aeronautical charts projected on the projector.

"Shwe Kwang Airport is the airport for this evacuation. It's the largest civilian airport in Kampong, with two runways, one of which, runways 02/20, is damaged and unusable. We'll be using runways 03/21 for takeoffs and landings now. Both runways 03/21 have instrument landing systems (ILS) at both ends. We'll be approaching from the south, and approaching from the south only allows one..." The instructor was interrupted halfway through his sentence by Han Qi, who said, "I flew at Shwe Kwang Airport four years ago. I know how to fly there."

Four years ago, Kunlong Airlines operated international routes to and from Konbaung. As the capital airport of Konbaung, Shing Kuang Airport was certainly a necessary route. However, the situation in Konbaung was far too chaotic, placing immense security pressure on the route operations alone. Moreover, due to the instability within Konbaung, stable operations could not be guaranteed, and flights were frequently forced to be suspended for periods of time.

After operating for more than a year, Kunlong Airlines, overwhelmed by the burden, had no choice but to close the route.

When Kunlong Airlines was operating, both runways at Ruiguang Airport were still usable. However, after several years of no flights, one of the runways became completely unusable.

Han Qi had just listened to the instructor talk a lot about the aeronautical chart and suddenly realized that four years had passed and the flight procedures at Ruiguang Airport had not changed at all.

"Captain Han, things have changed a bit in the last few years," the instructor said somewhat nervously to Han Qi. "Should I point out the changes from the last few years?"

The instructor assumed that Han Qi found his lectures too verbose, so he was preparing to simplify them. There was indeed no need to cover every single detail for a pilot of Han Qi's caliber.

"No need! Flight procedures have never been the focus!" Han Qi glanced at Lian Shanxue across from him. "Don't you think so?"

Lian Shanxue paused for a moment, then asked the instructor, "Is this flight dangerous?"

Ruiguang Airport is just a very ordinary international airport, and the flight procedures are not complicated. Apart from some changes in the names of certain waypoints and changes in the mandatory reporting points, the rest of the routes have remained largely unchanged for almost ten years. To be honest, even for Lian Shanxue, there was really no need to tell them any noteworthy points about flying to Ruiguang Airport.

In terms of flying, there are indeed no major difficulties in flying Ruiguang. The biggest problem with this flight is not the crew or the flight procedures, but the safety issue.

"This..." The instructor didn't know how to answer the question, and the atmosphere became awkward for a moment. After a short while, he finally managed to say, "The Air Force has already arranged for someone to meet you; they will protect your safety."

"A backup?" Han Qi frowned, immediately seizing the problem in the question: "You mean the Air Force can't provide comprehensive protection and can only provide backup within the border?"

"Unfortunately, this is the information I've received. The Konbaung government does not allow foreign military forces to enter their airspace under normal circumstances. Therefore, the air force can only provide support near the border. If a problem arises, they can cross the border."

Han Qi sneered, "There's a half-hour patrol distance from Ruiguang Airport to the border. So, you mean we were unprotected for the half hour we went there and the half hour we came back? Is that what you mean?"

"That's what I mean." The instructor from the Southwest Bureau was quite frank: "However, to be precise, if a problem really arises, it shouldn't be the section going there, but the section coming back."

There were only a few people on the plane when we went there, but there was a whole plane full of people when we came back. Can the stakes be the same?

Han Qi was taken aback, but quickly understood what the instructor meant. Gritting his teeth, he retorted mockingly, "Well, thank you so much for considering everything for us!"

The instructor, slightly embarrassed by Han Qi's words, blushed a little: "Captain Han, if you feel the danger of this flight is unacceptable, you still have the opportunity to withdraw. After the day after tomorrow, the selection will be finalized, and changing it will be very troublesome."

The authorities won't force you to withdraw. You can withdraw, but you should do so as soon as possible to give them time to find a replacement. Don't suddenly change your mind a day or two before takeoff; where will you find a replacement then?

"Quit? Why would you quit?" Han Qi smiled slightly, turning to stare at Lian Shanxue opposite him: "Little girl, are you quitting?"

Lian Shanxue shook her head: "Captain Han, I should have confirmed this flight earlier than you."

"Look, even those girls aren't afraid, so why should I be?" Han Qi shrugged. "However, I'm not at the point where I don't want to live any longer. If I can live, of course I'll live. I'm confident that there won't be any problems with our civil aviation side, but are you sure the air force can fulfill its responsibilities?"

After all, this was someone whose life he was entrusted with, so Han Qi was curious whether the people sent by the Air Force to protect him had enough strength.

He is confident that he can handle everything on the civil aviation side, but he doesn't want things to go smoothly on his side while the military side fails him.

Han Qi asked curiously, "Are the people over there sure?"

"The Air Force personnel haven't been completely confirmed yet, but one person has been chosen. Captain Han, do you know him?" the instructor said.

"I know him?" Han Qi was taken aback. "Who is it?"

The instructor whispered a name: "Xu Xian!"

Lian Shanxue, who had initially been indifferent, suddenly changed her expression and stood up abruptly: "Who did you say it was?"

Upon returning from Huacheng, Xu Xian went straight back to Luohang Flight Base to prepare for the upcoming escort mission. However, Ying Ruoqing's voice kept echoing in his mind.

Indeed, Xu Xian's current status is far from enough to make the Second Institute of High Energy Laser take risks for him. But what if Xu Xian's position were higher, high enough to influence the Second Institute of High Energy Laser's decision?

Xu Xian possessed the talent to achieve great things, but he squandered his time and wasted too much of his life.

"General, General! Can I become a general?" Xu Xian sat on his bed in his dormitory, lost in thought.

Fortunately, Xu Jingyang's condition can still hold on for a while, and Ying Ruoqing has agreed to help keep an eye on the laser hemostasis project and contact relevant overseas institutions to see if they can provide the equipment.

Just then, Xu Xian's phone, which was on his bedside table, suddenly rang, interrupting his thoughts. He reached over and glanced at the screen; the caller ID showed it was Lian Shanxue.

He hadn't spoken to Lian Shanxue for a while, and he never expected that it would be Lian Shanxue who took the initiative to contact him.

Somewhat confused, Xu Xian answered the phone anyway. The moment he put the phone to his ear, Lian Shanxue's somewhat shrill question came through the receiver: "Xu Xian, did you participate in the escort mission for the evacuation operation?"

Xu Xian's mind raced, but he still admitted it: "Yes, what's wrong?"

"Xu Xian, what makes you think you can participate in this mission? Don't you know how dangerous it is?" Lian Shanxue coldly retorted, "You cannot participate."

"Why can't I participate? I'm a dignified Air Force Major, why can't I participate?" Xu Xian retorted sarcastically, "You know this is dangerous, right? You still participated, didn't you?"

"That's my business, it's none of your concern."

Xu Xian snorted, "So you're going to meddle in my business?"

Gradually, the conversations between Xu Xian and Lian Shanxue began to become childish, just like two children arguing.

"Fine!" Lian Shanxue replied coldly, "Then you'd better watch yourself!"

After saying that, he actually hung up the phone.

"You'd better watch yourself?" Xu Xian scoffed. "Nonsense!"

Speechless, Xu Xian tossed his phone onto the bed, feeling a bit bored. He scratched his neck, thinking he might as well take a nap to recharge. However, just as he got up, he heard a loud knocking sound coming from the direction of the door.

"Xu Xian, it's me, Wang Qi! Is he in there?" Xu Xian, who was just about to take off his clothes, had no choice but to go and open the door. As expected, Wang Qi, with a grin on his face, was there when the door opened.

Wang Qi, on the other hand, was very outgoing. Before Xu Xian could even invite him, he went into the house on his own.

"Hey, hey, you let me in? This is trespassing! I'll report you to security!" Xu Xian was very dissatisfied with Wang Qi's behavior and immediately issued the sternest warning.

"Go ahead and sue me!" Wang Qi said dismissively, shaking the bag in his hand. "Roast duck, fried skewers, wanna eat some?"

"What the hell! Aren't you trying to seduce me?" Xu Xian gritted his teeth in hatred. "Don't you know I'm prone to high cholesterol? You're still tempting me with these things."

Wang Qi chuckled and pulled over two stools, pushing them together. "It's not like we eat this every day. What's wrong with having a taste now and then? Hurry up, I just got this, it's still hot. It won't taste good if it gets cold."

"Damn it, I'll report you after I finish eating." Xu Xian couldn't resist the aroma and sat down opposite Wang Qi with a grin. "Hey kid, don't you need to sweep the floor anymore?"

Previously, Wang Qi accidentally fired a missile, almost shooting down Xu Xian, and was punished by being made a "cleaner," whose daily task was sweeping the floor. However, Xu Xian forgot the specific duration of Wang Qi's punishment as a cleaner.

Wang Qi laughed heartily: "It just ended two weeks ago, and I've already been assigned a big mission as soon as I resumed flights. I'm going to redeem myself by doing good deeds."

"A big mission?" Xu Xian's hand was already touching the fried skewers when he heard Wang Qi's words, and he immediately became alert: "What kind of big mission are you talking about?"

"Isn't it just border escort? That evacuation mission! Didn't you participate in it too?" Wang Qi said with a smile.

"So you're going to participate too?" Xu Xian immediately became unhappy: "What were they thinking, sending such an unreliable person like you to accompany me? What if I don't get shot down by the Gongbang fighters, but you're the one who shoots me down instead?"

"Calm down, calm down! Are you planning to smear me for the rest of my life with this?" Wang Qi said speechlessly, "That time it was all an accident. The weapon's safety switch malfunctioned, and you're blaming it on me? There's no justice in this world!"

Xu Xian scoffed: "Anyway, it's not you who's going to get hit by the missile, you make it sound so easy."

"Well, I didn't get hit, did I?" Wang Qi smiled awkwardly. "You're about to be promoted to Air Force Major, so don't bother with a junior officer like me."

"If I had been hit by that missile, you'd be lying on the ground with me right now," Xu Xian sneered. "Don't try to be all joking around. Get your facts straight and know who's in charge here!"

Wang Qi nodded repeatedly, "You are the leader, you are the leader!"

Xu Xian was overjoyed. When he first came to the Luohang Air Base for test flights, Wang Qi gave him a hard time. Unexpectedly, in less than a year, Xu Xian had already become an Air Force Major, while Wang Qi was still just a junior officer. The newcomer had surpassed the old one.

"Commander, please eat first." Wang Qi obsequiously broke off a duck leg for Xu Xian. "Let's put aside our past matters and talk about the mission we'll be carrying out soon, shall we?"

Xu Xian smugly took the duck leg: "What's up? Do you have any useful information?"

"It's not exactly intelligence, but there's one person we need to be careful about in this operation." Wang Qi's tone shifted from playful to serious: "This person might be a major threat to us."

Xu Xian's heart skipped a beat: "Who?"

"Wu Wen!" Wang Qi's expression was extremely solemn. "This man is known as the top air combat ace of Konbaung. Not long ago, Wu Wen betrayed the government army and joined the rebels. The rebels now control two-thirds of Konbaung's air force, but I don't take the others seriously; they're just clowns and nothing to fear. Only Wu Wen is truly formidable; he's extremely powerful and very troublesome. If we encounter him in this operation, we'll be in serious danger."

"Wu Wen." Xu Xian slowly savored the name of the so-called number one air combat ace in Wang Qi's mouth. Although Wang Qi had accidentally fired a missile before, it didn't mean that Wang Qi was a fool. On the contrary, Wang Qi's strength was extremely strong, and the opponent that he valued so much was definitely not an empty shell.

Xu Xian's expression also turned serious: "What is his main aircraft type?"

A pilot's true ability isn't just about himself, but also the class of his aircraft. If this Wu Wen were flying a second-generation fighter jet, no matter how many tricks he had up his sleeve, would Xu Xian be afraid of him?

Some things cannot be compensated for by the pilot's ability alone, such as the generational gap between fighter jets.

Xu Xian wasn't very clear about the specific strength of the Konbaung Air Force, but just looking at Konbaung, a country that was in constant internal strife, what good planes could it possibly have?

With that car not performing well, what does Xu Xian have to worry about?

Wang Qi coughed lightly: "There's a rumor, a really unconfirmed rumor, that Konbang Kingdom has an A22!"

"A-22!" Xu Xian almost stood up in surprise: "You mean that A-22 fourth-generation fighter jet that costs 1.5 million?"

Xu Xian couldn't believe his ears. An A22 cost over $1.50 per aircraft, which is over 800 million yuan in Chinese currency. 800 million yuan for a fighter jet—no matter which country on Earth, that's a true luxury item.

Xu Xian simply couldn't believe that a poor country like Kampong could have such a high-class product as the A22.

"Besides that A22, what other A22 could there be?" Wang Qi sighed. "But this news hasn't been confirmed yet. To be honest, I also think that for a country like Konbaung, where even third-generation fighters are rare, having fourth-generation fighters seems like a joke."

Wang Qi shared the same thought as Xu Xian: Konbang's economy was simply too weak to afford something as expensive as the A22. Rationally speaking, he didn't believe it either.

"But what if it's not just a rumor?" Xu Xian stared at Wang Qi. "Hasn't the higher-ups confirmed this?"

"The higher-ups must have investigated this matter, but there is no evidence to suggest that A22 actually exists in Konbaung. Moreover, it is reasonable to assume that Konbaung should not have A22."

Xu Xian gritted his teeth: "I'm afraid something abnormal might happen."

As Xu Xian was speaking, he suddenly asked, "Can we request C42's cooperation for this operation?"

To counter fourth-generation fighters, the only option is to rely on fourth-generation fighters. And the only domestically produced fighter capable of truly confronting the A-22 is the C-42.

"No!" Wang Qi shook his head: "The C42 hasn't entered service yet and can't participate in actual combat."

"If we really encounter an A-22, let alone three, even ten wouldn't be enough for it. Against a fourth-generation fighter, we'd just be sitting ducks!" Xu Xian grinned, "Where did you get this information?"

Wang Qi was somewhat embarrassed: "Actually, the source of this news is uncertain, which is why I called it a rumor; it might just be a misinterpretation. How could a country like Konbaung possibly have a fourth-generation fighter jet? Things should proceed according to the basic law, shouldn't they?"

Even so, Xu Xian's eyes showed no sign of relaxation: "A fourth-generation fighter? The top air combat ace? This is interesting!"

(End of this chapter)