newbobooks Chapter 95 Dragon Soars Across the Four Seas
Chapter 95 Dragon Soars Across the Four Seas
After his leave, Lin Zhe officially took over the construction work of the Qianlong First Squadron.
The team, originally consisting of twenty people, has expanded to forty, all of whom are special talents who have been secretly trained by the state since childhood.
"stand at attention!"
On the training ground of the Qianlong Base, forty team members stood in a square formation. Standing at the front of the formation were the original eight veteran members—who had now all been promoted to squad leaders.
Lin Zhe, dressed in his brand-new lieutenant general's uniform, the two gold stars on his shoulders gleaming in the sunlight, slowly walked through the ranks, his gaze sweeping over every young and resolute face.
"From today onwards, you are all members of the Hidden Dragon." Lin Zhe's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears. "You should all know what the Hidden Dragon means—the sharpest sword, the strongest shield, and the most loyal guardian of the nation."
"Each of you has undergone the most rigorous selection process and possesses top-notch military skills. But I must tell you—that's just the foundation. In Qianlong, what you will learn is how to survive in dire straits, how to operate behind enemy lines, and how to complete missions in the impossible."
In the team, the twenty new members stood up straight, their eyes shining with excitement and anticipation.
Lin Zhe stopped and looked to the right of the group: "Dragon Fang."
"Here!" Longya stepped forward.
"Your first squad is responsible for missions in Southeast Asia."
"yes!"
"Dragon Claw, Second Squad, responsible for the Central Asia region."
"yes!"
"Dragon Shadow, Third Squad, responsible for the African direction."
"yes!"
"Dragon Thorn, Fourth Squad, responsible for the European direction."
"yes!"
Lin Zhe addressed the team again: "For the next six months, veteran members will mentor new members and carry out real combat missions. The intensity of the missions will gradually increase, from intelligence gathering and target reconnaissance to armed rescue and pinpoint elimination. I want you to hone your skills in real combat and grow stronger in the face of life and death."
"Understood!" the forty men responded in unison, their voices booming.
After the team disbanded, the Dragon King and the Dragon Head found Lin Zhe.
"Lin Zhe, the Hidden Dragon is now in your hands." The Dragon King patted him on the shoulder. "We two old men will assist you. Just let us know if you need anything."
Long Shou nodded: "The Central Military Commission said that you are fully responsible for all matters concerning Qianlong. We are only responsible for coordinating resources and will not interfere with command."
Lin Zhe felt a warmth in his heart. He knew that this was the greatest trust the organization had placed in him.
"Thank you, sir. However..." He smiled, "I really need your help—I have to shuttle between the General Armaments Department and the naval base, so I'll have to ask you two to take care of things here at the base."
"Don't worry about that," the Dragon King laughed. "Although we're old, we haven't lost our skills."
And so, Lin Zhe began his life of running around to three different places.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, he was at the Qianlong base, training his team members and developing mission plans.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he was at the General Armaments Department, guiding the research and development testing of various new equipment.
On Saturday, he flew to a naval base on the southeast coast to urge progress on the aircraft carrier's construction.
To make things easier for him, the Central Military Commission specially allocated a military special plane, with the pilot being one of the Air Force's top ace pilots.
"Lieutenant General Lin, where are we going today?" Pilot Xiao Li would always ask this.
"Let's go to the base today." Lin Zhe fastened his seatbelt, turned on his laptop, and began reviewing documents.
The private jet took off and smoothly passed through the clouds. Lin Zhe looked out the window, feeling a surge of emotion—just a year ago, he was hiding in the US, but now he could travel freely within the country on a private jet.
This is a manifestation of a strong nation.
Time passed day by day.
As a result of previous retaliatory actions, the United States and its allies have indeed quieted down considerably. Border provocations have decreased, reconnaissance aircraft have flown farther, and even diplomatic rhetoric has become much milder.
But this does not mean peace.
The intelligence department of China has detected that the United States is accelerating the development of a new generation of weapons, and several of their allies are also secretly conducting military exercises.
"They're preparing a major move," Intelligence Minister Zhang Mingyuan analyzed at a Central Military Commission meeting. "According to the intelligence we've obtained, the United States is developing sixth-generation fighter jets, new aircraft carriers, and space weapons. They want to use their technological advantage to regain military hegemony."
"Then we can't let our guard down," General Liu Zhenguo said. "How's the progress on Lin Zhe's side?"
"Very smoothly," reported Li Jianguo, Minister of the General Armament Department. "The new fighter jet 'Mighty Dragon-20' has completed its test flight, and its performance surpasses all currently serving fighter jets of the United States. The aerospace fighter 'Sky Sword-1' has also passed atmospheric testing, and the next step is space testing."
"Where are the missiles?"
"The modified Dragon-41 has completed all testing and is ready for deployment at any time. Its range covers the entire globe, and its speed reaches Mach 20, making it impossible for existing anti-missile systems to intercept."
A gasp of surprise rippled through the conference room.
Liu Zhenguo looked at Lin Zhe: "Lin Zhe, when do you predict we will be able to achieve a comprehensive technological advantage?"
Lin Zhe thought for a moment: "If everything goes smoothly, our new equipment can begin mass production in eight months. A year later, it can achieve initial combat capability. A year and a half later... we can announce that China's military technology has been at least ten years ahead of the world."
"Ten years..." Liu Zhenguo murmured repeatedly, his eyes gleaming. "That's enough, more than enough."
Eight months later, at the General Armaments Department's top-secret test site.
The sky was overcast, but the test site was surrounded by people, including members of the Central Military Commission, commanders of various services and top scientists, all of whom were focused on the end of the runway.
There stood a sleek, silver-gray fighter jet. Its design was unlike anything seen before, resembling a falcon poised for takeoff.
"Report, 'Dragon-20' is ready for its maiden flight!" The test pilot stood at attention and saluted.
Liu Zhenguo nodded: "Let's begin."
The test pilot boarded the aircraft, and the cabin door closed. The engine ignited, its deep, powerful roar echoing through the air.
The fighter jet began to taxi, its speed increasing rapidly. Reaching the critical point, it deftly raised its nose, like a giant bird breaking free of its restraints, soaring straight into the sky.
"Speed Mach 1... Mach 2... Mach 3... and still accelerating!" the monitor reported excitedly.
The fighter jets in the sky performed a variety of high-difficulty maneuvers—the Cobra maneuver, the Herbst maneuver, the tailspin… every move was clean and crisp.
Finally, the fighter jet hovered in mid-air before landing vertically and coming to a steady stop in the center of the runway.
Thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
"Success! Complete success!" Chief designer Academician Wang was moved to tears. "The performance of this fighter jet is even better than the design specifications!"
Liu Zhenguo grasped Lin Zhe's hand: "Lin Zhe, thank you!"
Lin Zhe shook his head: "This is thanks to all the researchers."
That evening, the "Tianjian-1" spaceplane also completed its first space test. It was launched from a base in the northwest, broke through the atmosphere, flew in low Earth orbit for forty minutes, and then returned safely.
Monitoring data shows that the "Tianjian-1" has a top speed of Mach 25 and can reach any place in the world within two hours.
When the news reached the Central Military Commission, all the veteran generals were so excited that they couldn't sleep all night.
A year and a half later, at a top-secret naval base on the southeast coast.
It was a gloomy morning, with a thin mist shrouding the sea. But the base dock was brightly lit and bustling with activity.
On the dock, a steel behemoth was moored—the 100,000-ton nuclear-powered aircraft carrier "Longxing". It was entirely gray-black, with a simple and streamlined island superstructure and a wide, flat deck where dozens of carrier-based aircraft were parked.
The deck was packed with people.
Everyone was dressed in formal military uniforms or dress uniforms, their expressions solemn and excited.
General Liu Zhenguo stood beside the island superstructure, looking at this behemoth, his hands trembling slightly.
"Old Liu, do you remember thirty years ago?" General Zhao Gang said softly. "Back then, when we went to visit the aircraft carrier of the United States, they wouldn't even let us onto the deck. We could only look at it from a distance."
"I remember, how could I not remember?" Liu Zhenguo's voice choked with emotion. "Back then, I thought, when will our country have its own aircraft carrier and its own large fleet?"
"We have it now." Lin Zhe walked over. "'Longxing' has completed all tests and is ready for official service."
Liu Zhenguo turned around and grasped Lin Zhe's hand tightly: "Lin Zhe, do you know? You gave this country the most precious thing—dignity."
The captain approached: "Report, all preparations are complete, requesting permission to set sail!"
Liu Zhenguo nodded: "Let's set sail."
With a long blast of its horn, the "Longxing" slowly departed from the dock. The massive hull cleaved through the sea, heading towards the open ocean.
On the deck, the generals stood in front of the island superstructure, the sea breeze ruffling their white hair and the corners of their clothes.
"I remember Lin Zhe once said something," Liu Zhenguo began. "He said that a strong country is not for bullying others, but for preventing others from bullying us."
He gazed at the vast sea: "Now, we can tell the world—the people of China have stood up. Our aircraft carriers can sail wherever we need to go; our fighter jets can fly to any skies we need to defend; our missiles can strike any enemy who dares to provoke us."
Everyone straightened their backs.
Liu Zhenguo looked at Lin Zhe: "Lin Zhe, what are your plans for the next step?"
Lin Zhe thought for a moment: "Technological advantage is only temporary. The United States and its allies will not be content to fall behind; they will fight tooth and nail to catch up. What we need to do is keep moving forward and always stay one step ahead of them."
"How fast?"
"I suggest launching the 'Star Project'," Lin Zhe said. "We will develop reusable spaceplanes, establish a near-Earth orbit space station, and deploy a space defense system. The high ground of future warfare will not be on land or at sea, but in space."
"Space..." Liu Zhenguo pondered for a moment, "How much time? How many resources?"
"With sufficient support, we can build a preliminary space defense system within five years. Within ten years, we can achieve routine space presence."
"Approved." Liu Zhenguo made the final decision. "From today onwards, the 'Star Project' will be listed as the nation's top strategic priority. Lin Zhe, you will lead this project."
"yes!"
The aircraft carrier continued its voyage, heading into the deep sea.
Lin Zhe stood on the deck, looking at the horizon where the sea and sky met.
He knew this was just the beginning.
A powerful dragon kingdom needs even stronger guardians.