What does it mean to get a perfect score on the college entrance exam but then go missing?

Thousands of miles away.

Donghan Theater, Joint Operations Command Center.

Tan Chengli quickly walked into the command room while putting on his clothes.

"What's going on?"

Chief of Staff: "Two minutes ago, our theater radar acquired a high-speed target, and IFF confirmed that it was our aircraft."

"What kind of aircraft?"

Chief of Staff L: "That's the strangest part—there's no specific model number!"

Tan Chengli frowned upon hearing this.

Under normal circumstances, any aircraft operating in the air has an IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) module.

After identification, the specific model and the unit to which it belongs will be displayed.

It is unlikely that a situation will occur where friend or foe identification is successful but the model is unknown.

Once it occurs, Tan Chengli will have to question some extreme possibilities.

"Then we need to consider the possibility of hostility."

"Priority should be given to enemy electronic warfare targets."

"Let the information support troops quickly check whether the system has been hacked."

The chief of staff obeyed orders without question: "We've already checked, and our system is fine."

"So, there really were aircraft masquerading as our signals and flying over our territory?"

The chief of staff nodded: "That's why I raised the level two and invited you here."

"Yes, well done. We can't let our guard down."

Tan Chengli frowned deeply.

A somewhat suspicious aircraft flew over the heart of our country. We cannot afford to be careless, and no amount of fuss is too much.

"What is the current status of the aircraft?"

The anti-aircraft officer immediately stood up and reported: "Head 311, slightly east, speed Mach 22, position fluctuating up and down the Karman line."

"Is it still a Sanger trajectory?" Tan Chengli's heart tightened.

"I'm afraid that's the case."

The chief of staff added.

"It is extremely fast and has the ability to jump repeatedly between layers of the atmosphere."

"Identification foes is also a part of our military's aircraft."

"Under normal circumstances, this should be one of our military's missiles..."

Before he could finish speaking, Tan Chengli waved his hand and said, "No, I definitely remember our army's missiles."

Anything capable of flying at Mach 22, as long as it's launched by our military, will be reported to the General Staff no matter what.

Tan Chengli, the regional commander, will also be notified immediately.

They might even cooperate in providing some support or security measures.

However, Tan Chengli searched through his memory but couldn't recall anything similar.

in this way.

The chief of staff's expression grew even more serious.

"If it wasn't one of our missiles, then the situation is serious."

"To the best of our knowledge, neither the US nor Russia has mass-produced the Sanger ballistic missile..."

"Flying so fast and repeatedly bouncing around in the atmosphere, that means they've finally figured it out."

In accordance with international practice.

The launch of weapons that travel at extremely high speeds and are capable of entering the atmosphere must be notified in advance.

This was to clear up any misunderstandings.

Friendly countries may even give notice well in advance.

Even hostile countries will notify you several hours before launch.

After all, no one wants to start a nuclear war because of a miscalculation.

Tan Chengli felt a chill run down his spine just thinking about it: "We didn't receive any notification today."

"This is my worst-case scenario."

Tan Chengli became alert: "You mean...?"

Before he could finish speaking...

Sudden.

Tan Chengli's satellite phone rang.

"Wu Changjiang?"

With some doubt, Tan Chengli answered the phone.

"Hey, Lao Wu, did you hear that noise too?"

"I've already activated a Level 2 response here."

"A very fast flying machine is heading east..."

Before he could finish speaking...

"That interrupted me."

Don't be nervous, old buddy, that's just an exercise in my war zone.

Tan Chengli: ? ? ? ?

Everyone in the joint command heard this through the speakerphone and seemed incredulous.

Something that can fly at Mach 22, and it has a Sanger trajectory.

The minimum requirement is that they all start with medium-range missiles.

For something like this, you have to tell the General Staff a month in advance before launch, and it has to go through layers of approval.

If it's a continental director, then it goes without saying.

The right to launch is not in the hands of the theater of operations at all.

The button belongs to me at the military headquarters; it requires unanimous approval from higher-ups before it can be launched.

The war zone is merely a tool for execution.

But this time...

The General Staff did not approve it, nor did the Western Theater Command report it.

But a flying machine traveling at Mach 22 flew brightly over Tan Chengli's defense zone.

Wu Changjiang simply said that this was an exercise.

That doesn't even sound like human speech!

"No, what do you mean this is your rehearsal?"

"Has your Western Theater Command gone mad?"

"Can you just act like a director like that?"

[Old Tan, don't get excited. It's not like it's a state-level project; it's just a small research project.]

"You're kidding me!"

"The speed I detected here is Mach 22."

"It skips across the atmosphere like a stone."

"You call this a small research project?"

"When did your Western Theater Command get new missiles?"

Tan Chengli understood this very well.

The characteristics of this missile are unlike any of the weapons previously equipped by our army.

Therefore, he had reason to suspect that the Western Theater Command had somehow gained favor with the leadership and was now monopolizing resources.

But Wu Changjiang replied immediately.

[This doesn't belong to my Western Theater Command; it's a research project of a local department within my jurisdiction.]

? ? ? ?

Tan Chengli, holding the phone, was completely bewildered.

He suspected that his ears were damaged and that he was starting to not understand Chinese.

"Mach 22? Sanger trajectory? You mean local authorities?"

"Yes, it's a research project of our provincial meteorological department, used to measure rainfall."

"..."

"..."

"..."

The entire index fell into endless silence.

Everyone has three questions in mind.

who I am!

Where am i?

What happened?

Is this still in China?

The satellite phone was clearly connected to General Wu Changjiang, the chief commander of the Western Theater Command.

But why is he talking nonsense?

"What the hell?"

"Your Western Theater Command is way overreaching!"

"The weather bureau is using intercontinental ballistic missiles?"

"What does your Western Theater Rocket Force use? A water droplet?"

[Old Tan, don't get agitated, let me explain...]

"How do you explain this? We're both theater commanders, and we're doing just fine."

"So you suddenly delegated the control over intercontinental ballistic missiles?"

"To be honest, I wouldn't say anything if you were demoted to the battalion headquarters."

"What do you mean by being demoted to the meteorological bureau?"

Tan Chengli had a million questions in his mind. His speechless mother opened the door for him, which meant that he had arrived home.

It's Qin Ze.

Wu Changjiang's words were concise and to the point.

It was this kid's doing; there's nothing I can do about it.

Upon hearing this...

Tan Chengli suddenly fell silent, his brows furrowed in deep concern.

Followed by.

Three seconds later.

He picked up the phone calmly, as if he had let it go.

"If it's Qin Ze, then that makes sense."